| dc.description.abstract | The primary objective of this study was to identify the nature and significance of the
relationship between service quality, corporate image and customer satisfaction. The
specific objectives of the study were to determine the dimensions of service quality that
influence customer satisfaction; establish the difference in service quality perception
amongst universities students; determine the relationship between service quality and
corporate image; determine the relationship between service quality and corporate image;
establish the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction and assess
the extent to which corporate image meditates the relationship between service quality
and customer satisfaction. The research hypotheses were derived from the research
objectives. A positivist paradigm guided the study. A cross sectional sample survey was
used to collect data from stratified randomly selected respondents. A seventy seven item
scale instrument designed for universities with specific focus on performance was self administered
to 750 respondents. Descriptive analysis was used to profile the
respondents, while factor analysis was employed to determine potent service quality
dimensions in universities. Analysis of Variance CANOVA) test was used in comparative
analysis linear regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses and
hierarchical regression analysis was employed to ascertain the predictive power of the
service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction. An examination of the first research
objective revealed four dimensions of service quality as human elements reliability,
service blue print, human element responsiveness and non-human elements. The four
dimensions had eigenvalues greater 1 and Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.700, they were
considered adequate and reliable in explaining variations in customer satisfaction. Human
elements reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.931 and corporate image with
Cronbach's alpha of 0.909, had the greatest influence on customer satisfaction. The study
established the existence of a significant difference in the dimensions of service quality
that influence customer satisfaction between public and private university students along
the four service quality dimensions. A statistically significant relationship was
established between service quality and customer satisfaction. The relationship between
service quality and corporate image was statistically significant. Further findings revealed
that a statistically significant relationship existed between corporate image and customer
satisfaction. A test of the mediated relationship confirmed that the relationship between
service quality and customer satisfaction was partially mediated by corporate image, an
observation that adds to- existing literature by uncovering the mediating effect of
corporate image on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction
amongst university students. The study recommends that the regulatory authority should
standardize the human and non-human elements in the learning environment to assure all
students of equal value irrespective of where they experience the service. The results of
the study imply that university management has to invest in service reliability and
corporate brand building because the two have profound influence on university publics.
It is further recommended that the industry regulator adopts the research instrument as a
standard index of measuring student satisfaction and hence as a tool of evaluating and
ranking service quality in universities. The study concluded that service quality has a
strong influence on customer satisfaction; however there may be other factors that affect
customer satisfaction. | en_US |
