The influence of service quality on parental satisfaction : evidence from private schools in Selangor

Abstract

Malaysian parents are willing to allocate a huge sum of money to send their children to private schools. With the number of private schools increasing rapidly, there is bound to be competition among these schools. In a service industry such as a school, it is thus important for managers to understand the various service features of a school that may be of importance to parents. This research examines the facets of service quality that may predominantly affect parental satisfaction of private schools in Selangor. This study is aided by the SERVQUAL service quality measurement model and demographic data is collected from Malaysian parents who acted as customers to these schools. The data is then evaluated via the Structural Equation Model to discover the service quality factors that influence the satisfaction of parents. Based on the results of the research, aspects of service quality, such as Tangibility and Responsiveness, have an impact on the satisfaction of parents. This study enables private school business owners to understand the various service quality factors that affect customers of their schools and work on methods to focus on customer retention by satisfying those needs. This research also supports the Malaysian government in its aim to comprehend the various challenges plaguing the education sector in order to enhance the quality of education.