ERIC Number: EJ1312043
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0968-4883
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Service Quality at a University: A Continuous Improvement Project
Gonzalez Aleu, Fernando; Granda Gutierrez, Edgar Marco Aurelio; Garza-Reyes, Jose Arturo; Garza Villegas, Juan Baldemar; Vazquez Hernandez, Jesus
Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, v29 n2-3 p209-224 2021
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a continuous improvement project (CIP) at a Mexican university designed to increase engineering graduate student loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: A plan-do-check-act problem-solving methodology was implemented, and a SERVQUAL survey was conducted on 67 master's engineering students. Findings: Five factors were found to affect student loyalty: facility cleanliness; faculty teaching skills; evening student services; master's degree student management roles at work; and master's degree students' ages. After the implementation of the improvement and control actions, there was a 7.7% increase in the engineering master's degree students' loyalty scores. Research limitations/implications: However, there were several research limitations: data availability (such as student loyalty, student satisfaction and a small master's degree student population size) and factors outside the CIP's scope (such as the country's economic situation, university rankings, master's programme accreditations and COVID-19). Practical implications: The findings from this research study could be used by other higher education institutions (HEIs)to improve student loyalty and as a reference when conducting similar studies in other service organisations such as hospitals and hotels. Originality/value: This research work took a different approach in assessing student satisfaction and student loyalty in a HEI by using the SERVQUAL survey as the data collection instrument for conducting CIP.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Universities, Engineering Education, Graduate Students, Student College Relationship, Masters Programs, Improvement Programs, Total Quality Management
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Mexico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A