EDUQUAL
Measuring cultural influence on students expectations and perceptions in Cross Border Higher Education
Contextual Dynamics
Globalisation Knowledge capitalism Internationalisation of Higher Education Cross Border Higher Education Internationalisation at home Neoliberalism Reduced public funding Education as a service More for less New Managerialism Accountability Student as a customer Value for Money
Globalisation
Neoliberalism
Knowledge-based Capitalism
New Managerialism
Marketisation of Higher Education
Accountability More for Less
Education as a Service
Value for money
Students as customers
Student service expectations
Quality in Higher Education
Quality in Higher Education
Quality of what and quality for whom?
Quality Assurance/Control/Management/
Enhancement Service quality & student as the customer The role of student service expectations
Changing Student Expectations
Student expectations are changing to more customer
minded, mostly as a result of the massification of higher education. The increased financial contribution of students in the payment of fees has increased the portion of student working part-time during their studies. Both the above have increased the demand, by students, for flexible learning environment (Virtual Learning Environments, etc.) and a less strict attendance and assessment policy (James, 2002; 2007).
Student Service Expectations
Service quality management calls for the alignment of
customer expectations with customer perceptions. This can be summarized under view that service providers should do what they are promise to do (Parasuraman, et al., 1991)
The current trend in HE, to see students as primary
consumers, implies that knowing what consumers expect is the first, and possibly the most critical, step in delivering high service quality (Sander et al., 2000; Tricker, 2003).
SERVQUAL expectations vs. perceptions
SERVQUAL
quality (Parasuraman et. al., 1991) a model for measuring service
5 Dimensions
Tangibility
Reliability
Assurance Responsiveness Empathy
The long-established SERVQUAL conceptualization, which argues that expectations are formed by controllable and uncontrollable factors, covers mainly determinants of expectations in domestic markets (Donthu & Yoo, 1998; 2002).
Student Expectations within Cross Border Higher Education
Students in different cultures or countries may have
different level of service expectations (Yoo & Donthu, 1998; 2002). Hence... ...if service quality measurement and management is to be applied to HE international markets and in a CBHE context, then cultural differences need to be considered. But... ...what is culture ?
Culture
Hofstede (2005) culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of a group or category of people from
others (p.4).
Gupta (2003) culture may be defined as a way of
life cultivated beliefs, learned behaviours, shared mental programmes, compelling ideologies, and inter-related symbols whose meanings provide a set of orientations for members of a society, and are transmitted by them (p.69).
Hofstede model
Individual culture (Hofstede, 2002) 5 dimensions
Collectiveness Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity Power Distance Long-Term Orientation
Service expectations and culture
Previous studies have shown the link between customer
service expectations and individual or/and national culture. There is a positive correlation of culture and service expectations (Yoo & Donthu, 1998; 2002; Furrer et al., 2000;
Kueh & Voon, 2007; Mattila, 1999; Tsoukatos & Rand, 2007)
Service where this has been applied: Banking Insurance Restaurants Public transport What about higher education ?
Culture and service expectations in higher education
Kragh and Bislev (2005) using Hofstedes framework
found empirical evidence to support that higher education is culture-bound and closely related to national socio-cultural conditions.
There is a broad body of research that suggest that the
cultural background of students may influence their teaching and learning expectations (Niehoff et al., 2001).
EDUQUAL What it is?
A model which combines SERVQUAL and Hofstede models.
Purpose
to measure the influence of individual cultural values on student
service expectations of quality in cross border higher education.
Scope
to initiate an effort to consider individual student cultural values in
the identification process of student service expectations.
Limitations/Further Research
Items derived from literature review, thus further reliability and
validity tests are needed. It is aimed to facilitate as a framework of further research in respect to the items, the survey design, and data analysis methods.
EDUQUAL
Culture (Hofstede model) Quality (SERVQUAL)
Collectivism Long-term orientation
Tangibility
Reliability
Masculinity Uncertainty Avoidance
Power Distance
Student
Assurance
Responsiveness
Empathy
Graph adapted from (Kueh & Ho Voon, 2007, p.666 )
EDUQUAL
Structure: 1) SERVQUAL 25-Items 2) Hofstede 22-Items 1) Previous SERVQUAL HE-adapted surveys 2) Standard Hofstede model items 1-7 Likert (1=lowest, 7=highest) Cross-tabulation & Correlation (spss 17)
Item Selection:
Scale: Analysis:
What is new?
SERVQUAL items selected to reflected the current
trends/developments of the globalised higher education
E-facilities as a Tangibility item Value for money as a Reliability item University Rankings as Assurance item
Employability of graduates as Assurance item
Pilot Survey
Purpose: - test the questionnaire items - gather some initial evidence Sample: 100 students in cross border higher education (UK University & Greek for-profit collaborative partner)
Period: May-June 2011
Delivery/Collection: Online distribution and collection. SurveyMonkey [Link] 2XLYB
What is different ?
SERVQUAL
Totally Disagree/Agree scale leads to extreme unevenly distributed results. Most students reply Totally Agree to all of the items. Replace with Completely unnecessary/Necessary. During the pilot survey this has been reported by responders as the best way to reflect necessity as well as priority of the different items.
Hofstede Some items are similar, confusing, and seem irrelevant (student feedback, pilot survey, 2011) Remove the item Instructions for operation are important Uncertainty Avoidance
EDUQUAL - SERVQUAL part (1 of 5)
Tangibility
I expect an excellent Higher Education Institution to have...
1
Modern buildings, well equipped and appealing classrooms. recreational and socialising facilities (.i.e sports centre, students bars,) latest technology computer labs with adequate PCs for all students Innovative study & support electronic facilities (elibrary & e-study) An easy assessable campus
(Tan & Kek, 2004; Chatterjee, et. al, 2009; Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; Sherry, et. al., 2004)
(Joseph et. al., 2005)
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005)
New
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005)
EDUQUAL - SERVQUAL part (2 of 5)
Reliability
I expect from an excellent Higher Education Institution...
6
to do something in a certain time when it has promised to do so to look into student's problems and try to provide a solution promptly to provide its services without errors to have high teaching standards and quality academics to provide 'value for money' education services
(Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; de Oliveira & Ferreira, 2009)
7 8 9
(de Oliveira & Ferreira, 2009) (de Oliveira & Ferreira, 2009) (Arambewela & Hall, 2006) (Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005) (Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005)
10
11
to deliver its services in relatively small and manageable class sizes
EDUQUAL - SERVQUAL part (3 of 5)
Responsiveness
I expect from an excellent Higher Education Institution...
12
to have fees which are comparable to other Universities
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006)
13
to have academic and administrative staff who would be willing to help students with their questions
to have academic and administrative staff who would provide all students with the same and equal information, support, and guidance
(Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008)
14
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005)
15
to have academic who provide feedback which will explain how to correct mistakes
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006)
EDUQUAL - SERVQUAL part (4 of 5)
Assurance
I expect from an excellent Higher Education Institution...
16
to have the reputation for being a provider of high quality education both nationally and internationally
to provide a safe environment for students' living and learning. to offer programmes that are designed according to the needs of businesses to prepare its graduates for the employment market to be high in university league tables / rankings
(Arambewela & Hall, 2006; Joseph et al., 2005) (Shank, Walker, & Hayes, 1996; Joseph et al., 2005) (Arambewela & Hall, 2006) (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; Arambewela & Hall, 2006) (Chatterjee, et. al, 2009)
17
18
19
20
EDUQUAL - SERVQUAL part (5 of 5)
Empathy
I expect from an excellent Higher Education Institution...
21 (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; Chatterjee, et. al, 2009) (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; Chatterjee, et. al, 2009) (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008 ; Chatterjee, et. al, 2009) (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008; Joseph et al., 2005) (Aghamolaei & Zare, 2008 ; Joseph et al., 2005)
to operate in convenient teaching hours for all students to have administrative and academic staff who provide individual attention to each student. to focus on providing the best service for their students. to understand and respond to the specific needs of students. to have academics who monitor and care about the performance of their students.
22
23
24
25
EDUQUAL - Hofstede part (1 of 3)
Collectivism (C)
1 2
Sacrifice of self-interest for the group Stick with the group even through difficulties
3
4
Group welfare is more important than individual rewards
Group success is more important than individual success
Uncertainty Avoidance (UA)
5 6
It is important to have instructions spelled out in detail It is important to closely follow instructions and procedures
7
8
Rules/regulations are important to me
Standardised work procedures are helpful
EDUQUAL - Hofstede part (2 of 3)
Masculinity (M)
9 10 11
It is more important to men to have professional career Men solve problems with logical analysis, women with intuition Solving difficult problems usually requires an active forcible approach which is typical of men There are some jobs that a man can always do better
12
Power Distance (PD) `People in higher positions should
13 14
make most decisions without consulting the people in lower positions not ask the opinions of people in lower positions too frequently.
15
16 17
avoid social interaction with people in lower positions
not delegate important tasks to people in lower positions People in lower positions should not disagree with decisions made by people in higher positions
EDUQUAL - Hofstede part (3 of 3)
Long-Term Orientation (LTO)
1 Careful management of money (thrift)
2
3 4 5
Going on resolutely in spite of opposition (persistence)
Personal steadiness and stability Long-term planning Working hard for success in future
Data Analysis
Grouping of items per dimension (.i.e. Tangibles)
Computation of group variable - calculation of
mean Recode into different variables Set 3 categories (1-2 = low; 3-5=mid; 5-7=high) Cross-tabulations and correlation (Chi-Square)
Some initial findings (correlations)
Tangibility Collectiveness
Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity Power Distance Long Term Orientation
Reliability
Responsiveness
Assurance
Empathy
+ +
Some initial findings (correlations)
Total Quality Expectations Collectiveness
Uncertainty Avoidance
+
(very strong positive)
Masculinity
+
(strong positive)
Power Distance Long Term Orientation
EDUQUAL - Pros & Cons
Pros It is a model which is based on two widely researched and cited models. This reduces the effort to create a new model from scratch. Both components of EDUQUAL are customisable the items and dimensions of both SERVQUAL and Hofstede could be customised accordingly. This is a practice which is supported by the relevant literature. Cons Large number of items/questions Requires good data analysis skills Culture and Quality are very relevant issues thus the generisability of EDUQUALs results is subject to different limitations.
your questions please ?
References
Abdullah, F. (2006) Measuring service quality in higher education: three instruments compared. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 29 (1), [Link].71-89. Aghamolaei, T. & Zare, S. (2008) Quality gap of educational services in viewpoints of students in Hormozgan University of medical sciences. BMC medical education, 8 (1), p.p.34. Arambewela, R. & Hall, J. (2006) A comparative analysis of international education satisfaction using servqual. Journal of services research, 6 (3), [Link].141163. Chatterjee, A., Ghosh, C. & Bandyopadhyay, S. (2009) Assessing students rating in higher education: A SERVQUAL approach. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 20 (10), [Link].1095-1109. de Oliveira, O.J. & Ferreira, E.C. (2009) Adaptation and application of the SERVQUAL scale in higher education. In: POMS 20th Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA. Furrer, O., Liu, B.S.-C. & Sudharshan, D. (2000) The Relationships between Culture and Service Quality Perceptions. Journal of Service Research, 2 (4), [Link].355 -371. Gupta, V. (2003) Cultural Dimensions and International Marketing [Internet]. Available from: <[Link] Hofstede, G. (2002) Exploring culture exercises, stories, and synthetic cultures. Yarmouth Me., : Intercultural Press. James, R. (2002) Students changing expectations of higher education and the consequences of mismatches with the reality. Responding to student expectations, (September), [Link].7183. James, R. (2007) Students and student learning in mass systems of higher education: Six educational issues facing universities and academic leaders. Mass Higher Education in UK and International Contexts. Joseph, M., Yakhou, M. & Stone, G. (2005) An educational institutions quest for service quality: customers perspective. Quality Assurance in Education, 13 (1), [Link].66-82. Kragh, S.U. & Bislev, S. (2005) Universities and student values across nations. Journal of intercultural communication, (9, June).
References
Kueh, K. & Voon, B.H. (2007) Culture and service quality expectations: Evidence from Generation Y consumers in Malaysia. Managing Service Quality, 17 (6), [Link].656680. Mattila, A.S. (1999) The Role of Culture in the Service Evaluation Process. Journal of Service Research, 1 (3), [Link].250 -261. Niehoff, B., Turnley, W., Yen, H.J.R. & Sheu, C. (2001) Exploring Cultural Differences in Classroom Expectations of Students From the United States and Taiwan. Journal of Education for Business, 76 (5), [Link].289-293 Parasuraman, A., Berry, L.L. & Zeithaml, V.A. (1991) Understanding customer expectations of service. Sloan Management Review, 32 (3), [Link].3948. Sander, P., Stevenson, K., King, M. & Coates, D. (2000) University Students Expectations of Teaching. Studies in Higher Education, 25 (3), p.p.309. Sherry, C., Bhat, R., Beaver, B. & Ling, A. (2004) Students as customers: The expectations and perceptions of local and international students. In: HERDSA Conference. Tan, K. & Kek, S. (2004) Service quality in Higher Education using an enhanced SERVQUAL approach. Quality in Higher Education, 10 (1), [Link].17-24. Tricker, T. (2003) Student expectationshow do we measure up. In: 2nd Global Conference on The Idea of Education, Friday 4th July-Saturday 5th July. Tsoukatos, E. & Rand, G.K. (2007) Cultural influences on service quality and customer satisfaction: evidence from Greek insurance. Managing Service Quality, 17 (4), [Link].467-485. Yoo, B. & Donthu, N. (2002) The Effects of Marketing Education and Individual Cultural Values on Marketing Ethics of Students. Journal of Marketing Education, 24 (2), [Link].92-103. Yoo, B. & Donthu, N. (2005) The Effect of Personal Cultural Orientation on Consumer Ethnocentrism. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 18 (1), [Link].744.
Thank you for your attention
Vangelis Tsiligiris
tsiligiris@[Link]