Factors affecting students perceived brand quality of a Technical Training Institute: a survey in Nairobi Metropolitan
Abstract
Perception of a high quality institution as a brand, positively contributes to the perception of high quality services being delivered by the institution. This has a direct contribution to satisfaction of the customers, customer loyalty as well as increasing the benefits customers are able to derive and experience as they go through the service delivery sites. Quality however is an elusive construct because it is dependent on many variables, some of which are subjectively determined since they are personal. Despite that, there is a need to identify what are the determinants for the overall students' perceived service quality of their institution as a Brand because this determine Students' retention and their academic performance.
The purpose of this research project was to determine the factors affecting students perceived brand quality. of a Technical Training Institute: a survey in Nairobi metropolitan. A sample of 141 students was used, taken through random sampling in the five Government Technical Training Institute in Nairobi Metropolitan. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire filled by the sampled students. The questionnaire measured brand quality factors based on the work of Garvin's' dimensions of perceived brand quality in services. The study established that, factors that contributed to positive student perceived brand quality of a Technical Training Institute are high staff competence, high quality programs, credible certificates and good relationships among students.
The study was also able to find out that, factors that contributed to negative student perceived brand quality of a Technical Training Institute are poor and old facilities, insensitivity to student welfare issues, wastage of time, delays in releasing examination results and general insecurity of the person as well as the security of personal belongings whilst in the institute. As to be expected, this study also had its limitations. Out of 165 questionnaires which were administered, only 141 were usable. The views of those students who did not fill the questionnaire are not known. In addition, the study focused only on those Technical Training Institutions in Nairobi Metropolitan hence results cannot be applied or extrapolated to the Technical Training Institutes in the rural areas. More so, the study looked at the students' perceived brand quality while the perceptions of teachers, parents, workers and the general public were not taken into considerations to give a more complete picture of the factors affecting perceived brand quality of a Technical Training Institute.
Similar studies should therefore be conducted to determine whether private Technical Training Institutes are similar to Government Technical Training Institutes as far as the pertinent variables tested in this project work are concerned. Research should be done to test the same variables for rural Technical Training Institutes to find out whether they are similar to the ones in Nairobi Metropolitan. This research work focused on students' brand perceived quality of the Technical Training Institutes.
Similar research should be done to test the same variables on Lecturers as well as to parents and other Technical Training Institutes stake holders to find out their perceived brand quality of wit Technical Training Institutes with a view to integrate all the perceptions for betterment of the as Technical Training Institutes a brand. The study has implications to the management teams of these institutions in that, in this era of stiff competition, to survive, they have to focus on those factors impacting negatively on the brand quality in endeavor to systematically improve on them. Positive attributes should likewise be promoted and thoroughly highlighted through the various tools of promotion to create awareness of Technical Training Institutes and what they offer. The study has also implications to the Government in its policy formulations, other researchers and academicians.
Publisher
University of Nairobi, Kenya