The present study explores the relationship between human element of service delivery and customer satisfaction in private institutes of higher education. Human element of service delivery is important for higher education institutions in Malaysia as they themselves are preparing to become exporters of premier educational services. The data were collected by the method of the survey. Survey questionnaires were delivered by hand the respondents who volunteered to be participants in this study. Respondents were given information sheets, along with verbal and written instructions. They were to complete the questionnaires and return to a mailbox on campus. A total of 331 representative samples were obtained from private institutions of higher education, using the private institutions of higher education directory as a sampling frame, after leaving the number of private institutions of higher education, which had ceased their operations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. The statistical analyzes used, were the Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Descriptive statistics were employed. The results revealed that the human element of service delivery has a relationship with the customer satisfaction. Using multiple regression analysis, the predictor variable indicated that the variables can explain 44.9% of variation that occurred in customer satisfaction. Whereas, the relationship between the predictor variables and customer satisfaction, there was a 13.7% variation explained. Human element of service delivery has significant and positive relationship with customer satisfaction. Therefore, this variable deserves to be monitored and appropriate adjustments in order to improve organizational performance through customer satisfaction. In conclusion, this study provides an overview greater understanding on how to improve organizational performance through the implementation of excellent human element of management practices of service delivery and, at the same time, it gives due emphasis to customer satisfaction.
Abouchedid, K. & Nasser, R. (2002) Assuring quality service in higher education: Registration and advising attitudes in a private university in Lebanon. Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 10 no. 4 pp. 198-206.
Athiyaman, A. (2000) Perceived service quality in the higher education sector: An empirical analysis. ANZMAC 2000 Visionary Marketing for the 21st Century: Facing the Challenge, pp. 50 –57.
Bailan, E. S. (1982) How to design, Analyze, and Write Doctoral Research. University Press America
Boulding, W., Kalra, A., Staelin, R. & Zeithaml, V. A. (1993). A dynamic process model of service quality: From expectations to behavioural intentions. Journal of Marketing Research. vol. 30, pp. 7-27.
Brehm, S.S., Kassin, S. M. & Fein, S. (1999) Social Psychology. (4th ed.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Cavana, R. Y., Delahaye, B. L. & Sekaran (2001) Applied business research: Qualitative and quantitative methods. Australia, John Wiley & Sons.
Churchill, G. A. Jr. (1979) A paradigm for developing better measures of marketing constructs. Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 16, no 1, pp. 64-73
Churchill, G. A. Jr. & Surprenant, C. (1982) An investigation into the determinants of customer satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 19(November), pp. 491-504.
Cooper, D. R. & Schindler, P. S. (2001) Business Research Methods. 7th ed. Boston, McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Cronin, J. & Taylor, S. (1992) Measuring service quality: A re-examination and extension. Journal of Marketing. vol. 56(July), pp. 55-68.
Cronin, J. & Taylor, S. (1994) An empirical assessment of the SERVPERF scale. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice. Fall, pp. 52-69.
Cronin, J. & Taylor, S. (1994) SERVPERF versus SERVQUAL reconciling performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations measurement of service quality. Journal of Marketing. vol. 58(January), pp. 125-131.
Crosby, P. B. (1979) Quality is Free, London, McGraw-Hill.
Deming, W. E.(1986) Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA. MIT Centre for Advanced Engineering Study.
Devlin, S.J., Dong, H.K. & Brown, M. (1993) Selecting a scale for measuring quality, Marketing research: A Magazine of Management and Applications. vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 12-17.
Ford, J.W., Joseph, M. & Joseph, B. (1993) Service quality in higher education: a comparison of universities in the United States and New Zealand using SERVQUAL Norfolk, VA. Unpublished manuscript, Old Dominion University.
Gale, B. T. (1994), Managing customer value: Creating quality and service that customers can see. New York, NY. The Free Press.
Hair, J. F. Jr., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998) Multivariate Data Analysis with Readings (5th ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Hempel, D.J. (1997), Customer satisfaction with the home buying process conceptualization and measurement: The conceptualization of consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Cambridge, MA., Marketing Science Institute.
Hill, F. (1995) Managing service quality in higher education: the role of the student as primary consumer. Quality Assurance in Education. vol. 3 no. 3 pp. 10-21.
Indramalar, S., Gomez, G. & Khoo, J. (2004) New Education Ministry long overdue. The Star , Star Publications Ltd, Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday 31st March p.10.
Juran, J. M. (1988), Juran on Planning for Quality. New York Macmillan, Free Press
Kellogg, D. L., Youngdahl, W. E., & Bowen, D. E. (1997) On the correlation between customer participation and satisfaction: Two frameworks. International, Journal of Service Industry Management. vol. 8 no. 3 pp: 206-19
Kerlinger, F. (1986) Foundations of Behavioral Research, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston
Khatibi, A. A., Ismail, H. & Thyagarajan (2002) What drives customer loyalty: An analysis from telecommunications industry. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing vol. 11 no. 1 pp. 34-44.
Kleinbaum, D. G., Kupper, L. & Muller, K. (1988) Applied Regression Analysis and Other Multivariate Methods Boston: PWS-KENT
Kotler, P. (1996) Marketing Management: Analysis, planning, implementation, and control 9th ed. Englewoods Cliffs, NJ. Prentice-Hall.
Krejcie, R.& Morgan, D. (1970) Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement vol. 30 no. 3:pp. 607-610.
Kumar, S. A. & Termizi, A. T. (2005) Langkah selamatkan institusi pengajian tinggi, Utusan Malaysia , Saturday 4th of June 2005, p. 1
Kwan, P. Y. K. & Ng, P. W. K. (1999) Quality indicators in Higher Education: Comparing Hong Kong and China’s students. Managerial Auditing Journal vol. 14 no. 1/2 pp. 20-27.
Malhostra, N. K. (1999) Marketing research: An applied orientation (3rd ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Martensen, A., Gronholdt, L., Eskildsen, J. K. and Kristensen, K. (2000) Measuring student oriented quality in higher education: Application of the ESCI methodology. Sinergie rapporti di ricerca n. 9/2000 pp.371-383
Nicholls, J. A. F., Gilbert, G. R. & Roslow, S. (1998) Parsimonious measurement of customer satisfaction with personal service and the service setting. Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 15, no.3, pp. 239-252.
Norusis, M. J. (1997) SPSS for Windows: Guide to Data Analysis Release 7.5 New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Nunnally, J. (1978) Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill
Oakland, J. S. & Oakland, S. (1998), The links between people management, customer satisfaction and business results. Total Quality Management vol. 9, no. 4-5, pp. 185 –190.
Oliver, R. L. (1980) A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research. vol. 17(November), pp. 460-9.
Oliver, R. L. (1989) Processing of the satisfaction responses in consumption: a suggested framework and research propositions. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behaviour. vol. 2, pp. 1-16.
Oliver R. L. (1996). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the customer. New York.
McGraw-Hill.
Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioural perspective on the consumer. New York, NY, McGraw Hill
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. & Berry, L. (1985) A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing. vol. 49, pp. 41-50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. & Berry, L. (1988) SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing. vol. 64 no. 1, Spring pp. 12-40.
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., & Zeithaml, V. (1990) Guidelines for conducting service research, Marketing Research. vol. December, pp. 34-44.
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. & Zeithaml, V. (1991a) Understanding customer’s expectations of service. Sloan Management Review Spring, pp.39-48
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. & Zeithaml, V. (1991b) Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale. Journal of Retailing. vol 67, no. 4, Winter, pp. 420-450.
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. & Zeithaml, V. (1993) More on improving service quality measurement. Journal of Retailing. vol. 69, no. 1, pp. 140-147.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994a) Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implication for future research. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 58, January, pp. 111-24.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994b), Moving forward in service quality research: Measuring different customers’ expectation levels, comparing alternative scales and examining the performance behavioural intentions link. Cambridge, Mass: Marketing Science Institute.
Roest, H., Pieters, R., (1997) The nomological of perceived service quality, International Journal of Service Industry Management. vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 336-51.
Salkind, N.J. (2000) Exploring research. 4th ed, New Jersey, Prentice Hall.
Sallis, E., (1993) Total quality Management in education. London: Kogan Page Educational Management Series.
Sekaran (2000) Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. 3rd ed New York : John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Slade, P., Harker, M. & Harker, D. (2000) Why do they leave, why do they stay? Perceptions of service quality at a new university, ANZMAC 2000 Visionary Marketing for the 21st Century: Facing the Challenge pp. 1197-1200
Solomon, M. R. (1991), Consumer behaviour: Buying, Having, and Being. Boston, MA. Allyn and Bacon..
Soutar, G. & McNeil, M. (1996) Measuring service quality in a tertiary institution. Journal of Educational Administration. vol. 34, no 1, pp. 72-82.
Stauss, B. & Neuhaus, P. (1997) The qualitative satisfaction model. International Journal of Service Industry Management. vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 236-49.
Sureshchandar, G. S., Rajendran, C. & Anantharaman, R. N. (2001) A holistic model for quality service. International Journal of Service Industry Management vol.22, no. 4, pp. 378-412.
Sureshchandar, G. S., Rajendran, C. & Anantharaman, R. N. (2002) Determinants of customer-perceived service quality: a confirmatory factor analysis approach. Journal of Services Marketing. vol. 16 no. 1, pp. 9-34.
The global ranking of the World’s 200 Best Universities of The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) 2004 [Online] Available:http://www.thes.co.uk/in.November 2004 [Accessed 18 December 2004]
Wahid, R. A. (2003) Improving service quality. New Straits Times (Malaysia). April 19, 2003, Appointments; p. 2-EX
Wallace, J. B. (1999) The case for student as customer. Quality Progress vol 32, February, pp 57-51
Yoke, L. M., & Boey, J. (2001) Study in Malaysia Handbook: Your essential guide to studying and living in Malaysia. Petaling Jaya. 2nd International Edition Challenger Concept.
Zikmund, W. G.(1994) Business Research Methods 4th ed. ; International Edition. Fort Worth. The Dryden Press: Harcourt Brace College Publishers
Copyright: © 2014 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
