ROYAL COLLEGE

FACULITY OF BUSINESS

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING MANAGMENT

An Assessment of Educational service quality on customers satisfaction

( in case of Royal college at piazza campus)

Research proposal submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirement of Bachelor of Art
Degree in Marketing management at Royal college

Conducted by

Name. Id No

1. Mekdes Tesfaye. 0446/13

2. Meron Daniel 0435/13
3. Betlehem Adugna. 0454/13

Advisor: Kassahun Teshome (MBA)

April 2024

Addis Ababa Ethiopia

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 Abstract
The main objective of the research will to examine the relationship between educational service
quality and customer satisfaction at Royal College piazza campus. Service quality involves
comparison of service expectations and service experience. The research will help to the service
providers to meet or exceed customer expectations in order for the service to be considered of
good or high-quality. In order to conduct the research the researcher will use descriptive survey.
the sampling technique of the study will probability that is simple random sampling and in non
probability sampling technique which is judgmental and accidental will be include employees
and customers of royal college piazza campus .The study will use both primary and secondary
source of data to gather information. The study will use both qualitative and quantitative data
approach that will be collect via interview and questionnaire .the research will analysis through
narrative words, tabulation, and percentage.

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Table of Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... II
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background of the study .................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Higher Education in Ethiopia ...................................................................................................... 2
1.1.2 Back ground of Royal College ..................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Statement of the problem ................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Basic research questions .................................................................................................................... 7
1.4 Objective of the Research: ................................................................................................................. 7
1.4.1 general objective ......................................................................................................................... 7
1.4.2 Specific objective......................................................................................................................... 8
1.5 significance of the study................................................................................................................... 8
1.6 Operational definition........................................................................................................................ 9
1.7 Delamination of the study ............................................................................................................... 10
1.8 Organization of the paper ................................................................................................................ 10
1.9 Ethical consideration......................................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Literature Review ....................................................................................................................................... 12
2.1 Theoretical Review ........................................................................................................................... 12
2.2. Empirical Literature ......................................................................................................................... 14
2.3 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................................... 15
Chapter Three ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Research design and methodology ............................................................................................................ 17
3.1 Research Design ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.2 Data source ....................................................................................................................................... 17
3.3 Research approach ........................................................................................................................... 17
3.4 population and sampling techniques .............................................................................................. 17
3.4.1 Target population ...................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.2 Sampling technique ................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.3 Sample size ................................................................................................................................ 18
3.4.4 Data Analysis Methods ............................................................................................................. 18
3.5 Time frame ....................................................................................................................................... 19

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3.6 Budget line........................................................................................................................................ 20
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Appendix A .......................................................................................................................................... 23

IV
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Educational institutions are part of the service business, which strives to suit the requirements
and desires of their consumers (Afridi, Khattak, & Khan, 2016).The growth and expansion of
private institutions of higher learning in many countries of the world has been a well
documented reality of the last few years. Efforts to widen participation in higher education
across the world have had considerable success. Student enrolment worldwide increased from
13 million in 1960 to 82 million in 1995 and to 137 million in 2005 (UNESCO, 1998, 2007).
The growing number of private higher education institution is a noticeable feature of this
expansion in several regions, including Sub Sahara Africa. According to UNESCO (2006),
the private sector plays a large role in three regions, namely Latin America, East Asia and Sub-
Saharan Africa. In Sub-Saharan African, the development of a private sector in higher education
has been seen as a solution to widening participation and is embedded in reform measures of
the sector (Varghese, 2004). New sites of higher education are proliferating. Most of Western
Europe tends to be dominated by public universities, with over 95 per cent of students
attending them. However, internationally, private higher education is ‘one of the most
dynamic and fast-growing segments of post-secondary education at the turn of
the 21 century’(Altbach, 1999: 1). The growth of private higher education is noticeable in
countries in transition and quality assurance, in the form of accreditation, offers
some global benchmarks. Literature in support of this trend appears to cite the benefits
and strengths of the private institutions to justify their existence. The growth of the private sector
universities has been a dominant feature of the past decade. Quddus and Rashid, (2000)
noted that this phenomenon is part of a worldwide movement away from state control
and management to what they called ‘a new faith in the efficacy of free market mechanisms
to allocate resources most efficiently. Customers or consumers find it difficult to define quality,
but they recognize it when they see it. Others describe quality as something that provides a
competitive edge in the marketplace. Others see it as client satisfaction. Quality is a
characteristic, a degree, or a representation of anything good or exceptional (Mortimore & Stone,
1991). Quality is a step that must be attained in order to meet the needs of clients (Ellis, 1993).

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Genuine attention or observation to service quality provided by institutes, colleges and
universities is essential because when the service quality provided is superior, then student
satisfaction will be higher (Chandra, Ng, Chandra, & Priyono, 2018). There is notable effect
between the quality of academic services on student satisfaction (Sudiharto, Anggraini, &
Irwansyah, 2019).

The dimensions of service quality, such as tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and
empathy, have a positive effect on student satisfaction (Ariyanto, Aima, & Sari, 2020).
Also, Swallehe & Mandari, 2013; Yahaya, Asante, & Alhassan (2020) concluded that, students
were pleased with the degree of services provided by the University, and were ready to tell
others about it. They further stated that, students were more satisfied with the tangible services of
the University.

1.1.1 Higher Education in Ethiopia

Higher education in Ethiopia is the lowest in quality of standard relevance and academic
freedom, despite an expansion of private higher education and rising enrolment." Higher
education supposed originated by Saint Yared music school in the sixth century in line with
centuries old traditional education of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Modern higher
education was commenced during the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie with the establishment
of the University College of Addis Ababa, now called Addis Ababa University in 1950. It then
followed by Haramaya University.

Private HEIs governance is closely monitored by the MoE through its legally organized agency,
Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA). As stipulated in Articles 71 and 72
of the Higher Education Proclamation (HEP) No. 650/2009 (Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia, 2009), private HEIs in Ethiopia are first accountable to the appropriate body as
provided by its memorandum of association and by laws. These governance instruments or
documents must be approved by the appropriate governing agencies to secure permits. Second,
private HEIs shall be accountable to the MoE with respect to propriety of operations in the
delivery of education and research activities. Third, they must comply with directives issued by
the MoE regarding student admission. Fourth, they must ensure that leadership and management
capabilities, location, premises, facilities, campus environment, levels of studies, student and
staff numbers, and the nature of the programs meet all government requirements. The HEP

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further requires private HEIs to have internal regulations that (a) stipulate the governing bodies
of the institution, the decision-making procedures of academic bodies, the academic programs,
the rights and obligations of the academic community, and the grievance handling procedures;
(b) ensure that the institution has appropriate and functional internal regulations; and (c) ensure
that the institution shall not contravene the provision of the proclamation or of any other
applicable laws of the land.

Although private HEIs are controlled by HERQA, public HEIs are established by regulation of
the Council of Ministers and hence are not required to be accredited by HERQA. Rather,
HERQA, as stipulated in HEP, Articles 76 and 89, requires accreditation for private HEIs but
mandates that HERQA’s role with regard to public HEIs is limited to ensuring that those HEIs
have an internal quality assurance system, conduct audits, and present recommendations for
improvement. All private HEIs are required to obtain accreditation, renew accreditation, and
submit to regular quality audits by HERQA. However, public HEIs are not required to go
through HERQA’s accreditation and reaccreditation process.

Despite efforts by Ethiopian MoE and HERQA to maintain high-quality education while
implementing an aggressive higher education expansion program, poor-quality education
throughout the system became an issue that caused all stakeholders—educators, business leaders,
government leaders, and citizens—to call for action. The signs of poor quality in higher
education were justified, among others, by (a) serious academic staff shortages with quality
implications such as huge teaching loads eventually leading to discontinuation of tutorials and
employment of unqualified personnel, (b) dissatisfaction of stakeholders with the quality of
graduates which can be explained by large number of graduates who cannot be productive
without being retrained to meet applied technical skill and communication skill requirements,
and (c) nonresponsive governance lacking institutional management and strategic planning to
maintain quality standards and set quality enhancement goals.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Education through HERQA conducts Institutional Quality Audits
(IQAs) in HEIs across the country. Foremost among its findings, HERQA IQA cited the private
HEIs’ weak or dysfunctional governance and management systems as one of the major factors in
poor-quality education in these institutions.

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Unity College (now Unity University) was the first private higher education institution
established in 1998 by an entrepreneurial medical doctor. While there are a few institutions run
by non-government organizations such as religious ones, corporate ownership is non-existent.

1.1.2 Back ground of Royal College

Royal college is one of the private higher education in Ethiopia it is a private association of
Royal Business Group, was founded in the middle of 1989 under the name of Lancôme Canter
by Mr. Solomon Zegye. Addis Ababa City, Arada, House No. 87, City District 02, with very
little money and materials, for example: 4 old chairs and a blackboard. Also with minimal
manpower. That is:

1. Mr. Solomon Zegye (Administration)

2. Mrs. Wode Tesema (Treasurer)

3. Mr. Amare Tilahun (Registrar)

4. Sadiq Yasin (G/Service)

5. Mrs. Misrak Mekonen (cleaning service worker)

Short trainings that were given at the time.

A. Language Training : English, Arabic, French

B. Basic computer skill training : - Introduction/computer, MS Window, MS Word, MS Excel,

MS Power point and Networking and Internet etc. They trained with certificates and diplomas.
At that time, due to the growth of the hotel and tourism industry in the private sector, the training
of hotel management based on the market demand is becoming more and more necessary, so the
college; Hotel management, food preparation, food and beverage service, including these short
vocational trainings, and growing from Lancôme centre to Lancôme Institute then received and
trained many students and provided them to government and private institutions, and became a
well-known institution for the creation of professionals in the city. In particular, by accepting 12
disabled people who can't hear for the first time, and helping them to help themselves, their
families, and their country and it became a well-known and popular institution. Thus Lancôme
Institute In mentioned above such as language, computer and Hotel skills training has produced

4
qualified and competitive trainees, and even international hotels such as Hilton and Sheraton
have come to the institute and started hiring.

Those who teach and train in the college Professionals from large public and private Institutions
are coming They played an important role in building the image. The institution continued to
grow and in 1991 in the private sector in Ethiopia Especially in education and training The
industry has never been seen before Investment in higher education An inviting concrete and
existing situation. It was created. On the one hand, earlier Those who completed 12th grade in
the existing system A large number of education, They were seekers. On the other hand, a
government policy was developed to encourage private sector investment. Since Lancôme
Institute was at the beginning, in his vision of transitioning from an institute to a college, he
made preliminary preparations: that is, using the existing human resources and good profit,
finding additional financing, conducting a market and feasibility study, preparing a long-term,
medium-term and short-term plan, jet legislation, curriculum, staff regulations and financial
Manual preparation as well as human More by preparing power and structure At the end of 1991,
he was looking for a building to teach.

1. Mr. Solomon Zegye

2. Mrs. Roman Kassahun

3. Mr. Mikias Solomon by jointly they officially established

Royal Business Group, a private limited liability company. under the Royal College with
100,000.00 Birr in accordance with the Ethiopian Commercial Law. Changing the name from
Lancôme institute to Royal College. Therefore, in addition to the above short courses offered by
Lancôme Institute, since the beginning of 1992: LOW, ACC, SSOM, HRM, Marketing
management, IT & ICT. Etc. the college started giving formal education at the Royal College in
the degree program at diploma and level (12+2) and graduated.

The popularity of Royal College from Lancôme Institute, especially in tourism training in law
education, is growing. On this occasion, the contribution and the price paid by the former
business college and now academic staff of Addis Ababa University to make the Royal College
famous for providing quality education by preparing a standardized curriculum and legislation
will never be forgotten.

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Royal College is the first private higher education institution in Ethiopia to be recognized as a
law school and is becoming the preferred institution for law school in the tourism sector. By
bringing together qualified lawyers in the country to provide legal education, many law
graduates were employed in various public and private institutions and became famous. At this
time, those who were already in formation:-

1. Mr. Abdrazaq Mohammad

2. Mr Paulos Gemechu by allowing those professionals and investors the capital of the
association, which had been growing and was raised to 650,480.00 birr. Both working and
studying at the Royal College became preferable. Expansion phase of Royal College in AA
City:- After strengthening the foundation in Arada sub city and Ledta sub city (Lancha). and
open other campuses:-

1. Directing in Oromia Region: in Debrezeit (Bishoftu), in Nazarite (Adama), In Metehara, in

Wonji, in Huruta Satelayet

2. Southern nations Region: Hossahna, Hadero, Hangeja cities have become accessible to many
citizens by opening campuses

1.2 Statement of the problem

Customers satisfaction helps the college to identify it's strength which they can then home in on
to facilitate further growth service quality is a measure of how well an organization provides
service to meet customer’s demand and expectation. Improving quality of service can increase an
organization’s profit and reputation and it can have a direct impact on the ability to satisfy
customer needs while remaining competitive. The researcher wanted to study the Royal College
because the researchers noticed some problems in the school, among them

1 Teachers dropping out before finishing the course they started

2 Students not being able to get grade report whenever they want

3 Lack of teaching materials from time to time

4. Most of the students say that the only reason they choose the college is its location, and as a
result, they shift to another college after some time.

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5 As the researcher has mentioned before, the employment opportunities provided by popular
companies have shown a slowdown.

6 It is observed that the college is frequently given a warning letter from the Education Quality
and Assessment Agency.

All of these factors mentioned above indicate that Royal College has a problem with its service
quality and is affecting customer satisfaction. The research problem of the study will investigate
the performances of the college to its students’ via a Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness,
Assurance, and Empathy.

1.3 Basic research questions

When writing basic research questions, it is important to focus on specific aspects of the
relationship between educational service quality and customer satisfaction. Here are some basic
research questions that can guide your study:

1. What are the key dimensions of educational service quality at Royal College as perceived by
students and their family’s.?

2. How does the perceived educational service quality at Royal College impact student and
employees satisfaction and loyalty?

3. What role do teaching effectiveness, curriculum relevance, and staff support play in
influencing customer satisfaction at Royal College?

4. How do resources and facilities provided by Royal College contribute to student satisfaction
and academic success?

5. What are the reasons that students and other family's of the college always complain about the
services provided by the college?

1.4 Objective of the Research:

1.4.1 general objective
This research will to examine the relationship between educational service quality and customer
satisfaction at Royal College.

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1.4.2 Specific objective.
1. Identify the key dimensions of educational service quality as perceived by students and their
families at Royal College.

2. Assess the impact of perceived educational service quality on student and employees
satisfaction and loyalty.

3. Investigate the role of teaching effectiveness, curriculum relevance, and staff support in
influencing customer satisfaction at Royal College.

4. Evaluate how resources and facilities provided by Royal College contribute to student
satisfaction and academic success.

5. To examine the reasons why students and other family of college complain about the service
provided by the college.

1.5 significance of the study

1. For Royal College Piazza Campus: The research findings will provide valuable insights into
the strengths and weaknesses of the educational services offered at the campus. By
understanding the factors that influence customer satisfaction among students, faculty members,
and administrative staff, the college will tailor its services to meet the needs and expectations of
its stakeholders more effectively.

2. For Students: The research will benefit students by helping the college identify areas for
improvement in educational services such as teaching quality, facilities, support services, and
overall learning experience. This will lead to a more positive and enriching educational
environment for students, ultimately enhancing their satisfaction and academic performance.

3. For Faculty Members: Understanding the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction
will help faculty members recognize the importance of their role in delivering high-quality
education. By aligning their teaching practices with student needs and expectations, faculty
members will contribute to a more engaging and rewarding learning experience for students.

4. For Administrative Staff: The research will assist administrative staff in identifying
operational areas that require attention to enhance service quality and customer satisfaction. By

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streamlining processes, improving communication, and addressing any gaps in service delivery,
administrative staff will contribute to a more efficient and effective functioning of the college.

5. For Higher Education Management: The research outcomes will also be of interest to
higher education management professionals seeking to improve service quality and customer
satisfaction in educational institutions. The study will serve as a case study or model for
implementing customer-centric approaches in other colleges and universities, leading to overall
improvements in the quality of education and student experience.

1.6 Operational definition

Service quality for the Royal College can refer to the level of excellence and satisfaction experienced by
individuals who interact with the college in various capacities. This includes students, faculty, staff and
other stakeholders. Service quality may encompass aspects such as the efficiency of administrative
processes, responsiveness to inquiries and concerns, the quality of educational programs, support services
for students and staff, facilities maintenance, communication, and overall experience with the institution.
Maintaining high service quality is essential for the reputation and success of the Royal College.
Customer satisfaction refers to the level of contentment and fulfillment experienced by its students,
faculty, staff and other individuals who interact with the college. This includes their satisfaction with the
quality of education, support services, administrative processes, facilities, and overall experience at the
institution. Customer satisfaction is a key indicator of the college's success in meeting the needs and
expectations of its stakeholders and plays a crucial role in maintaining a positive reputation and fostering
a strong sense of community within the college. Regularly assessing and addressing customer satisfaction
is essential for the Royal College to continuously improve and provide a high-quality educational
experience.

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1.7 Delamination of the study
The scope of the research on educational service quality and customer satisfaction at Royal
College Piazza Campus will encompass the following aspects:

1. Geographic Scope: The study will focus specifically on the Piazza Campus of Royal College
and will involve students, faculty, and staff members associated with this campus.

2 Time Scope: This research study will focus on the educational service quality and customer
satisfaction at Royal College Piazza Campus during the academic year in 2024. The data
collection, analysis, and reporting will be conducted within a timeframe of three months, starting
from April 1, 2024 to June 9, 2024. This timeframe will allow for a comprehensive assessment
of the current state of service quality and customer satisfaction at the institution, capturing any
seasonal variations or trends that may impact the findings.

1.8 Organization of the paper

the general structure of the paper will consists of five chapters the first chapter will introduction
part including Provide an overview of the topic and its significance, Introduce the research
problem and research questions, State the purpose of the paper and its objectives. The second
chapter will present literature review which shows theoretical, empirical and conceptual
literature on educational service quality and customer satisfaction. the third chapter will about
research design and methodology it will consist research approach, research design, data
collection method, sampling technique and data collection instruments. the fourth chapter will
include presentation of data, analysis of data and discussion of the result. the fifth chapter will
consist main findings and inferences, implication of the findings and limitations, &
recommendation. also the final part of the paper will include reference section which contain
bibliography, appendix, and glossary.

1.9 Ethical consideration

When examining the study, The researcher will consider the following ethical issues

◇ the researcher will obtain informed consent from participants, ensuring that they understand
the purpose of the study, their rights, and how their data will be used.

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◇ the researcher will protect the confidentiality of participants' data and ensure that their
identities remain anonymous in the research findings.

◇ the researcher will Emphasize that participation in the study will voluntary, and participants
will the right to withdraw at any time without consequences.

◇ the researcher provide clear instructions on how participants can withdraw from the study if
they choose to do so.

◇ the researcher will adhere to data protection regulations and ensure that participants' data will
handled securely and ethically.

◇ the researcher will store, analyse, and dispose of data in a way that protects participants'
privacy.

◇ the researcher will Highlight the potential benefits of the research, both for participants and
for the broader academic community.

◇ the researcher will acknowledge all the participants in the study.

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 CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
2.1 Theoretical Review
A service can be defined as: “any act or performance that one party can offer to another that is
essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything (Kotler, 1999). The main
purpose of service rendering organization is to make the intangible offer tangible through an
attempt to meet the customer expectation. Customers are the sole owners of today’s business.
That is, the company shall tailor all their activities towards meeting and satisfying their needs.
How the company’s satisfied and outperforms competition is a critical issue where every service
rendering organization must focus on. Only customer focused organizations are striving in
developing a long-lasting business relationship with their customers for sustainable growth and
development. In the management context, the word quality can be used to refer to different
things: accordance with the requirements, adequacy of use, prevention of losses, or how to
answer to or to exceed consumer expectations (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985, 1988).
The main reason to focus on quality is to meet customer needs while remaining economically
competitive at the same time. This means satisfying customer needs is very important for the
enterprises to survive. The outcome of using quality practices is: Understanding and improving
operational processes; identifying problems quickly and systematically; establishing valid and
reliable service performance measures; and measuring customer satisfaction and other
performance outcomes Customers do not perceive quality in a uni-dimensional way but rather
judge quality based on multiple factors relevant to the context. Similarly, the service qualities
have been identified five specific dimensions as criteria by which interaction, physical
environment, and outcome quality may be judged. These five dimensions include: Tangibles;
Reliability; Responsiveness; Assurance; and, Empathy; (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry,
1988). These five dimensions represent how customers’ organize information about service
quality in their minds. Thus, in measuring the service quality and the level of satisfaction, the
gap between the perceived value of service by the customers and the actual service rendered by
the organization must tally

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Service quality is “the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations”
(Zeithaml and Bitner, 1996, p. 117). Service quality is recognized as a multi-dimensional
construct.

While the number of dimensions often varies from researcher to researcher, there is some
consensus that service quality consists of three primary aspects: outcome quality, interaction
quality, and physical service environment quality (Rust and Oliver, 1994; Brady and Cronin,
2001). Outcome quality refers to the end result of the service received by the service seeker
(Grönroos, 1984).Outcome quality reflects the customer’s perception of the superiority of service
experience (Brady and Cronin, 2001; Gro¨nroos, 1982, 1984; Kang and James, 2004). The
interaction quality refers to the customers’ evaluation of the service delivery process rendered by
any tangible means (Grönroos, 1984). Interactive quality refers to the interaction between the
service provider and the service seeker. It is a key element in evaluating the service quality as it
will help the service seeker to observe and analyse the service provider’ performance in lieu of
the service delivered (Lehtinen and Lehtinen, 1991; Grönroos, 1984, Rust and Oliver 1994).
Interaction quality (Grönroos, 1982, 1984) refers to the customers’ perception of the manner in
which the service is delivered during service encounters. Interaction quality is also related to
customers’ perception of the interactions with service providers (e.g. employees, staff, etc.)
during service delivery (Brady and Cronin, 2001; Grönroos, 1982, 1984). The physical
environment quality measures the tangible aspect associated with the equipment and facilities
pertaining to how the service is provided. That is, attitude of the service providing staffs, the
communication equipment, computers, and photocopiers used to deliver the service (Grönroos,
1984) A service firm may win its customer by meeting or exceeding their expectation through
delivering consistently superior quality service than competitors do. These expectations of
customers emanate through their past experience, friends or through promotional means. After
receiving the services, customers evaluate the perceived service against their expectation; if the
perceived service falls short of their expectation, the customers will be disappointed. However, if
it meets or exceeds their expectation, they will be satisfied and keep on coming to the service
provider. The customer needs are fundamental for the enterprise to determine its internal
capabilities to satisfy and retain its customer for the long- term sustainable business. In the
interaction process, the customers are the sole players in the service delivery. They work hand in
hand with the provider. The company has to work towards satisfying and work together with

13
clients to create value for sustainable long term relationship (Brady and Cronin, 2001; Grönroos,
1982, 1984).

Customer satisfaction is a key ingredient on the service organization representing a customer

evaluation of the trade- off between the service they received and the money paid for the service.
Rust and Oliver (1994) were the first to define satisfaction as “the customer’s fulfilment
response” which is both an evaluation and an emotion-based response to a service. Consumer
satisfaction has been considered the primary intervening constructs in the area of service
marketing because ultimately they lead to the development of consumer loyalty or re-
patronization of a product or service (e.g. Parasuraman al, 1985, 1988; Rust & Oliver, 1994;
Zeithaml et al,1993, 1996). Satisfaction or dissatisfaction has been called on the episodic
measure in that it relates to the last service experience. Service quality is a global evaluation of
all past service experiences. Research has found that customers' perceived evaluations of service
quality have an impact on their level of satisfaction. Therefore, service quality evaluation is an
antecedent to customer satisfaction. Thus, the service rendering organization must prove it to its
customer that its service is superior compared to its competitors through revolving around
identifying and meeting its customer’s needs. To do so, they shall focus or pursue a strategy in
service marketing. That is, people (they shall hire a very knowledgeable working staff to deliver
the service), process (they shall deliver prompt service within a short period of time), and
physical evidence (they shall acquire modern equipment to show to customers that they are
providing an excellent service).

2.2. Empirical Literature

Service quality can be measured by identifying the gaps between customers expectations and
their perceptions of the actual performance of service rendered by the service provider. Thus,
service rendering organization should strive to narrow the gap between customer expectation and
perception for the betterment and sustainability of their business.

The empirical literature of service quality is mainly dominated by the works of Parasuraman,
Zeithaml and Berry (1988) who have built a 22-item instrument called SERVQUAL for
measuring consumer perception of service quality. Servqual is an extensively acknowledged vital
measurement tool used by many businesses (Airlines, shipping lines, Parcel service, health
services, hotel, tourism, education, banks, logistics, etc.). The tenet of servqual is originated on

14
the dimensions of tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, empathy and assurance. The model
accentuates to measure the gap between customers ‘expectation of the services to be provided
and their perception of the actual performance of services.

The five dimensions of service quality as identified by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985)
are of the following: Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and
written materials Reliability: The ability of an employee to perform the promised service
dependably and accurately. Responsiveness: The willingness of an employee to help customers
and provide prompt service. Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of an employee’s and their
ability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy: Caring and individualized attention given to
customers.

2.3 Conceptual Framework

Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry developed a popular scale called SERVQUAL to measure
service quality across various service industries (Parasuraman et al., 1988). The SERVQUAL
model has been the most valuable instrument used to measure consumers’ perceptions of service
quality. The SERVQUAL scale consists of five dimensions, namely: tangibility, reliability,
responsiveness, assurance and empathy and 22 items, (Parasuraman et al., 1988). SERVQUAL
when applied to the tertiary level education can be interpreted in to the following:-

■ Tangibles: The appearance of physical facilities (lecture rooms, library, staff rooms), tools and
equipment’s (computers, internet, etc.) used to provide the service, appearance of personnel and
communication materials.

■ Reliability: The ability of the academic staffs to perform the promised service dependably
and accurately. And their ability to discharge their duties consistently and dependably.

■ Responsiveness: The willingness and/ or readiness of the academic staffs to help students in
counselling, assessing and submitting their grades promptly.

■ Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of the academic staffs and their ability to convey
trust and confidence: competence (possession of the required skills and knowledge to perform
the service).

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■ Empathy: The provision of caring, individualized attention to students: informing the students
about the expectation of their performance, Understanding student's specific needs, and
providing individualized attention.

Figure 1.1 conceptual frame work on service quality and customer satisfaction.

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 Chapter Three
Research design and methodology
3.1 Research Design
In order to assess the existing educational service quality on customers satisifaction at royal
college the researcher will use descriptive research method as it will helps to describe the
outcome and findings of the research.

3.2 Data source

To conduct the research the researcher will gather both primary and secondary data. Primary data
will collect through questionnaire ( for students teachers and staffs ), and interview ( for college's
president ). Secondary data will collect through relevant books, by refereeing other researches,
website for to make literature review

3.3 Research approach

The researcher will use both quantitative and qualitative data approach. Quantitative method will
obtain through close ended questionnaires that will give to customers and qualitative method will
obtain through open ended questionnaire that will give to customer and also interviews that the
researcher will ask the college's president.

3.4 population and sampling techniques

3.4.1 Target population
The researcher will collect relevant information to the study, which is specifically concerned
with service quality and customer satisfaction in the college such as registration department,
human resource department , finance department , and also Degree as well as TVET students and
teachers. The college's vice president that are related to educational service quality on the
college will the target populations.

3.4.2 Sampling technique

The researcher will apply a probability and non-probability sampling which are:

 Simple random sampling:- this will help to address polite students and employees to
gather the required data
 Convenience sampling :- in this method the researcher will gather data from students that
will come to the college.

17
  Purposive/Judgmental sampling:- this will use to address employees of royal college that
will direct relation with educational service quality by using the researchers exposure.

3.4.3 Sample size

from the total population size of employee that work for Royal college piazza campus 23
administrative staff and 72 lectures, the researcher will take all populations as a sample. and also
from the total size of 2173 degree students at royal college the researcher will take samples for
the study through the sample size formula

n= N/1+N(e)2

For degree students 2173/1+2173(0.05)2 = 338

For TVET students 1101/1+1101(0.05)2 = 294

Were “ n" is sample size

'N' is total population

“e" is sample error (0.05)

3.4.4 Data Analysis Methods

The data that will collect using primary and secondary source will be analyse. The quantitative
data that collect via questionnaire will analyse by using tabulation and percentage. However the
data that will obtain through interview will narrate qualitatively. If it is important the researcher
will use frequency and mean to analyse the data .

18
3.5 Time frame

Phase Activity Duration

Phase-1 Generate research idea April 1 – 4

Submission of concept note April 5

Proposal writing April 6- April 14

Submission of proposal April 15

Advisor comment on the proposal April 16 - April 20

and final proposal writing

Phase- 2 Collect data via questionnaire April 21 – April 26

Interview marketing manager April 25

Phase-3 Data analysis and interpretation April 27– May 5

Writing and submitting draft May 6- May 20

paper

Advisor comment on the draft May 21- May 23

Finalize the paper May 24 – June 5

Submitting the final paper June 9

19
3.6 Budget line
Work plan Unit Quantity Unit price (Birr) Total price(Birr)

No timetable

Item

1 A-4 sized
papers
Page 1609 5 8045

2 Stick paper Piece 1 200 200

3 Pen Piece 1 25 25

4 Secretarial
service
Page 60 10 600

5 Printing Page
service
60 5 300

6 Photocopy Page
expense
5 5 25

7 Binding
expense
Piece 1 30 30

8 Transport cost

Day 9 130 1170

Grand total 10,395 birr

20
 Bibliography

Ana Brochado Comparing alternative instruments to measure service quality in higher education,
Quality Assurance in Education Vol 17 No 2, 2009 pp, 174-190, Emerald.

Brady, M.K, & J. Cronin,(2001),” Some New Thoughts on Conceptualizing Perceived Service
Quality: A Hierarchical Approach “, The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65 No.3 , pp.34-49.

Berry, LL., A. Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml, Dennis Adsit, John Hater, Eric J. Vanetti,
David J. Veale (1994) “Improving Service Quality in America: Lessons Learned [and
Executive Commentary]”, The Academe of Management Executive Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 32-
52.

Birgit Leisen Pollack, (2008) "The nature of the service quality and satisfaction relationship:
Empirical evidence for the existence of satisfiers and dissatisfies", Managing Service
Quality, pp.537 – 558.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V., Berry, L.L. (1988), "SERVQUAL: a multiple item scale for
measuring consumer perceptions of service quality", Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64 pp.12-
40.

Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml, Leonard L. Berry “Reassessment of Expectations as a

Comparison Standard in Measuring Service Quality” The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58,
No. 1 (Jan., 1994), pp. 111-124.

Parasuraman A, A. Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L (1985), “A conceptual Model of Service
Quality and Its Implication for Future Research”, Journal of Marketing, pp 41-50.

Paul G. Patterson, Richard A. Spreng: Modeling the relationship between perceived value,
satisfaction and repurchase intentions in a business‐to‐ business, services context,
International Journal of Service Industry Management, 1997.

Paul W. Farris, Neil T. Bendle, Phillip E. Pfeifer, David J. Rubinstein, (2010), marketing
metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance/ Paul W. Farris ... [et
al.], .2nd Edition, 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
07458

21
Philip Kotler, Veronica Wong, John Saunders, and Gary Armstrong, Principles of Marketing,
Fourth European Edition, Prentice Hall, Page 625.

UNESCO, (1998) Towards an agenda for higher education: Challenges and tasks for
the 21 st Century viewed in the light of the regional conference.

UNESCO (2007) Global education digest 2007: Comparing education statistics across the world.
UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Montreal.
Retrieved 25/10/2008 from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/2

Zeithaml, V.A., Berry, L.L., Parasuraman, A. (1991), "The nature and determinants of customer
expectations of service", Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge, MA., working paper
91-113.

Zelthmal A., & Bitner M. (2006), Service Marketing -Integrating Customer Focus Across the
firm), 3rd. ed. Tata MacGraw-Hill. Publishing Company Limited, New Delhi.

22
 Appendix A
Royal College Faculty of Business

Department of Marketing Management

Questions to be filled by Royal college students

 Objectives of the questionnaire:-

This questionnaire is prepared by the researcher, prospective graduating candidate in the field of
Marketing Management degree program student of Royal College for partial fulfillment of
Bachelor of art degree. This questionnaire is senior paper to assess “educational service quality
on customers satisfaction" at royal college.

 Dear respondents

You are requested to fill this questionnaire honestly with due care because the correctness of the
answer is important to have better outcome of the research. Your feedback is valuable in helping
the researchers to improve the educational service quality at Royal College Piazza Campus.
Please answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability. All information
that you provide to this study will be kept strictly confidential and must be used only for the
purpose of the research. Thank you in advance for your sincere cooperation.

General instructions:-

 Writing name is not necessary

 Put  in the boxes accompanied by various choices, to mark your answers.
 For subject part of the questionnaire please write your point briefly and precisely.

Section 1: Demographic Information.

1. Gender: [ ] Male. [ ] Female

2. Age: [ ] Under 18. [ ] 18-24. [ ] 25-34. [ ] 35-44. [ ] 45 and above

3. Program of Study: [ ] Degree. [ ] Diploma

4. Year of Study:

[ ] 1st Year. [ ] 3rd Year. [ ] 5th Year

23
 [ ] 2nd Year. [ ] 4th Year

Section 2: Research related questions on Colleges service quality marked that

Excellent =‘5’ Very good = ‘4’ Good = ‘3’ Fair =‘2’ poor =‘1’.

1. How would you rate the resources and facilities available for your academic needs at the
college (library, labs, etc.)?

[ ] poor [ ] Good [ ] Excelllent

[ ] Fair. [ ] Very Good

2. How would you rate the quality of teaching and academic support provided by the faculty at
Royal College?

[ ] Poor. [ ] Good. [ ] Excellent

[ ] Fair. [ ] Very Good

3. How would you rate the responsiveness and efficiency of the administrative staff in addressing
your queries and concerns?

[ ] Poor. [ ] Good. [ ] Excellent

[ ] Fair. [ ] Very Good

4. How would you rate the availability and effectiveness of support services (e.g., counseling,
career guidance, student services) provided by Royal College ?

[ ] Poor. [ ] Good. [ ] Excellent

[ ] Fair. [ ] Very Good

5. How would you describe the overall campus environment at Royal College in terms of safety,
cleanliness, and facilities?

[ ] Unsafe & Unpleasant. [ ] Moderately Safe & Clean. [ ] Extremely Safe & clean

24
[ ] Somewhat Safe and Clean. [ ] Very Safe and Clean

Section 3 : Students satisfaction level marked that Very Satisfied= ‘ 5’ Satisfied= ‘4’

Neutral= ‘3’ Dissatisfied= ‘2’ Very Dissatisfied= ‘1’

1. How satisfied are you with the communication channels used by Royal College to keep you
informed about academic events, deadlines, and other important information?

[ ] Very Dissatisfied. [ ] Neutral. [ ] Very Satisfied

[ ] Dissatisfied. [ ] Satisfied

2. How satisfied are you with the overall educational services provided by Royal College?

[ ] Very Dissatisfied. [ ] Neutral. [ ] Very Satisfied

[ ] Dissatisfied. [ ] Satisfied.

Section 4: Open ended questions

 Please feel free to provide any additional comments or feedback regarding the
educational service quality and customer satisfaction at Royal College Piazza Campus.

1. Do you feel that the campus facilities (cafeteria, recreational areas, study spaces) meet your
needs and contribute to a positive learning environment? Please
explain._______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2. Is there any specific aspect of the educational services at Royal College Piazza Campus that
you believe needs immediate attention or improvement? Please
elaborate.______________________________________________________________________
_ _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3. What do you like most about the educational services at Royal

College?______________________________________________________________________

25
_ _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

4. Please list any problems you have seen or faced during your time at the college?

1.______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

5. How can the college improve its educational services to better meet your needs and
expectations?___________________________________________________________________
____ _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________.

Thank you for taking your time to complete this questionnaire. Your input is greatly appreciated

26
 Appendix B

Royal College Faculty of Business

Department of Marketing Management

Questions to be filled by Royal college lectures

Objectives of the questionnaire:-

This questionnaire is prepared by the researcher, prospective graduating candidate in the field of
Marketing Management degree program student of Royal College for partial fulfillment of
Bachelor of Art Degree. This questionnaire is senior paper to assess “educational service quality
on customers satisfaction" at royal college.

 Dear respondents

You are requested to fill this questionnaire honestly with due care because the correctness of the
answer is important to have better outcome of the research. Your feedback is valuable in helping
the researchers to improve the educational service quality at Royal College Piazza Campus.
Please answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability. All information
that you provide to this study will be kept strictly confidential and must be used only for the
purpose of the research. Thank you in advance for your sincere cooperation.

 General instructions:-
 Writing name is not necessary
 Put  in the boxes accompanied by various choices, to mark your answers.
 For subject part of the questionnaire please write your point briefly and precisely.

Section 1: Demographic Information

1. Gender. [ ] Male. [ ] Female

2. Age. [ ] 25-34. [ ] 35-44. [ ] 45-54. [ ] 55 and above

3. year of experience at the college.

[ ] less than 1 year. [ ] 1- 3. [ ] 4 – 6. [ ] 6 – 8. [ ] write

Section 2: questions related to the study

27
1.are you satisfied with the educational services quality provided by the College?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

2. Do you feel that the resources and support available to you at Royal College help you deliver
high-quality education?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

3. Have the professional development opportunities at Royal College improved your

effectiveness as a teacher?

[ ] Yes [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

4. Are you confident in the assessment and evaluation methods used at Royal College to measure
student progress and learning outcomes?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

5. How would you rate the communication and collaboration among teachers, staff, and
administration at Royal College?

[ ] poor. [ ] Good

[ ] Fair. [ ] Very Good

Section 4: Open ended questions

 Please feel free to provide any additional comments or feedback regarding the
educational service quality and customer satisfaction at Royal College Piazza
Campus.

6. How do you perceive the responsiveness and effectiveness of faculty and staff in addressing
your need?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

7. In your opinion, what differentiates Royal College Piazza Campus from other educational
institutions in terms of service quality and customer satisfaction, and how does this impact your
teaching

28
experience?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

8. How would you describe the level of professional development and support provided to
teachers at Royal
College?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

9. In your opinion, how does the curriculum and teaching methodology at the College align with
best practices in education and contribute to student learning
outcomes?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

10. How do you perceive the level of collaboration and teamwork among teachers at Royal
College , and how does this impact the delivery of educational services and customer
satisfaction?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

11. What support or resources do you believe are necessary for teachers at Royal College to
continuously improve the quality of educational services and enhance customer
satisfaction?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

12. In your experience, how does the school culture and values at the College influence teacher
morale, job satisfaction, and ultimately, customer satisfaction with educational
services?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

13. As a teacher, how do you see your role in contributing to customer satisfaction at the
College, and what strategies do you employ to ensure a positive educational experience for

29
students?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

14. Please list down the major problem you faced or you observe in your teaching experience?

1._______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

15. As a teacher, what improvements or changes would you suggest to enhance the quality of
educational
service?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking your time to complete this questionnaire. Your input is greatly appreciated!

30
 Appendix C

Royal College Faculty of Business

Department of Marketing Management

Questions to be filled by Royal college Administrative staffs

Objectives of the questionnaire:-

This questionnaire is prepared by the researcher, prospective graduating candidate in the field of
Marketing Management degree program student of Royal College for partial fulfillment of
Bachelor of Art Degree. This questionnaire is senior paper to assess “educational service quality
on customers satisfaction" at royal college.

 Dear respondents

You are requested to fill this questionnaire honestly with due care because the correctness of the
answer is important to have better outcome of the research. Your feedback is valuable in helping
the researchers to improve the educational service quality at Royal College Piazza Campus.
Please answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability. All information
that you provide to this study will be kept strictly confidential and must be used only for the
purpose of the research. Thank you in advance for your sincere cooperation.

 General instructions:-
 Writing name is not necessary
 Put  in the boxes accompanied by various choices, to mark your answers.
 For subject part of the questionnaire please write your point briefly and precisely.

Section 1: Demographic Information

1. Gender. [ ] Male. [ ] Female

2. Age. [ ] 25-34. [ ] 35-44. [ ] 45-54. [ ] 55 and above

3. year of experience at the college.

[ ] less than 1 year. [ ] 1- 3. [ ] 4 – 6. [ ] 6 – 8. [ ] write your own

Section 2 : Questions related to the study

31
1. Do you believe that customer feedback is valued and utilized for improving educational
services at the college?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

2. Are you satisfied with the current processes and procedures in place at the College for
delivering high-quality service to customers?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

3. Can you recall a specific instance where the impact of service quality on customer
satisfaction was evident during your interactions at Royal College?

[ ] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Not sure

4. How would you rate the level of collaboration and coordination among different
departments at the College in delivering seamless service to customers?

[ ] Highly effective. [ ] Effective. [ ] Ineffective

5. how confident are you in Royal College's ability to consistently deliver high-quality service
that meets or exceeds customer expectations?

[ ] Not confident. [ ] little confident. [ ] neutral [ ] Very confident

6. How important do you think it is for Royal College to prioritize service excellence and
customer satisfaction in its operations and organizational culture?

[ ] Very important. [ ] Somewhat important. [ ] Not important

Section 3 : open ended questions

 Please feel free to provide any additional comments or feedback regarding the
educational service quality and customer satisfaction at Royal College Piazza
Campus.

32
1. What are the key factors that influence you in providing high quality service for customers at
the College?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. Have you received any formal training or guidance on how to enhance service quality and
customer satisfaction in your role at the College? if your answer is yes describe it ?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. Have you noticed any recent changes or improvements in the services offered by Royal
College that have positively impacted customer satisfaction levels? if your answer is yes
describe it. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. What metrics or indicators do you use to measure the effectiveness of your service delivery
and its impact on customer satisfaction at Royal College?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

5. From your perspective, how can the culture and values of Royal College be aligned with a
focus on service excellence to further enhance customer satisfaction?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

6. How do you address customer complaints or feedback related to service quality on your
department at the College?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

33
7. What are some common challenges or obstacles faced in maintaining high levels of customer
satisfaction at the College?

1.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ .

2.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ .

3__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ .

8. What improvements do you think could be made to enhance the overall quality of
educational services at the College ?

1. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ .

3.__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ .

4.__________________________________________________________________ .

Thank you for taking your time to complete this questionnaire. Your input is greatly appreciated!

34
 Appendix D

Royal College Faculty of Business

Department of Marketing Management

Interview checklist For vice president

 Dear vice president of Royal college this Interview is organized to assess educational
service quality on customers satisifaction. Your legitimate reply will have great impact to
the researcher in the department of Marketing Management. The researcher would like to
thank you in advance for your cooperation to respond the following questions.

1. Can you provide an overview of the initiatives and strategies that Royal College has
implemented to improve service quality for its customers?

2. How does the college measure customer satisfaction and what are the key performance
indicators used to evaluate service quality?

3. How does the college ensure that customer feedback is collected and acted upon to
continuously improve service quality?

4. Can you discuss any challenges or obstacles that the college has faced in delivering high-
quality service to customers and how these have been addressed?

5. How does Royal College differentiate itself from other educational institutions in terms of
service quality and customer satisfaction?

6. What role does leadership play in fostering a culture of service excellence within the college?

7. How does the college ensure that staff are trained and equipped to deliver high-quality
service to customers?

35
8. How does Royal College leverage technology and innovation to enhance service quality and
customer satisfaction?

9. Can you share any success stories or examples of how improvements in service quality have
positively impacted customer satisfaction at Royal College?

10. Looking ahead, what are the college's future plans and goals for further enhancing service
quality and customer satisfaction?

36