Assessment of Main Management Components for Successful University Foodservice Operations By Using SERVQUAL Model

Kwak, Tong Kyung; Chang, Hye Ja

Abstract

The purpose of this study were to assess main management components that can lead to successful university foodservice operations. Specifically, it was intended to develop the tool which assesses the service quality, management, to assess the difference between customer importance from and perceptions of service quality, to compare management perceptions of customer importances with actual service delivery, and to identify internal problems which affect service quality with the use of gap model. Three types of questionnaires were developed and implemented for customers, foodservice personals and foodservice manager. Assessment tools were developed based on the literature review, SERVQUAL, GAP model, and the pilot study. Through the validity and reliability test, the questionnaires were revised. Questionnaires were distributed to 900 university students, 207 foodservice personnels, and 54 foodservice manager respectively. 831 university students, 177 foodservice personnels, and 48 foodservice manager were responded with a response rate of 92.3%, 85.5%, and 88.8% respectively. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS programs for descriptive analysis, ANOVA. and SNK test. The results of this study can be summarized as follows : 1. In quality service management components, 31 quality service attributes were categorized and named into primary quality, secondary quality, hygiene, empathy, tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, and price by the factor analysis. 2. Importance mean score of customers was 4.02 out of 5, but perception mean score of customers was 2.55. So there was a relative big gap(1.47) between importance and perception scores, especially in three dimensions of responsiveness, primary quality, and hygiene. 3. It showed that customers' mean scores of perceived service quality by dimensions were the following order : price > reliability > secondary quality > hygiene > tangibles > primary quality > responsiveness > empathy. And the perception mean score of rented(2.59) or contracted(2.58) management was significantly higher than that of self-operated(2.48). 4. Customers' importances mean score which internal customers recognize was 4.23 out of 5, but service delivery mean score was 3.85. So there was a little gap(0.39) between management perceptions of customer importances and actual service delivery. 5. In gap model, SERVQUAL score showed -1.47, Gap 1 positive 0.15, gap 2 negative 0.61, and gap 3 was positive 0.19. 6. The internal problems were as follows ; (1) The managers of University foodservice perceived well enough the customers' expectation value but their management competency was lacked in terms of responding customer needs, (2) The foodservice staff perceived service performance more highly than service quality specifications.