Service Quality
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International Journal of Business Administration
Vol. 2, No. 1; February 2011
Comparative Analysis of Business Students’ Perceptions of Service Quality Offered in Kenyan Universities
Sarah Wambui Kimani (Corresponding author) The Catholic University of Eastern Africa P. O. Box 62157, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254-716-642262 E-mail: swambui@cuea, swambuikimani@yahoo.com Elias Kiarie Kagira Department of Business Administration, Africa Nazarene University (Kenya) P.O. Box -53067 Nairobi, Kenya Tel. +254- 713-209606 E-mail:ekiarie@anu.ac.ke, kkagira@yahoo.com Lydia Kendi Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University (Kenya) P.O. Box 43844 Nairobi, Kenya Tel. +254-723- 835188 Received: December 6, 2010 Abstract The purpose of this study was to ascertain business students’ perception of quality of service provided by public and private universities in Kenya. As a comparative study, it aimed at understanding how various factors or dimensions of service quality affected their perception within a university setting. The comparison was between two public and two private universities located in rural and urban settings in Kenya. A survey design of cross sectional nature was used to assess business students’ perception of service quality. A 7-point likert scale questionnaire was used. It contained 73 statements about university administration, lecture halls, students’ cafeteria, library, residential halls, switch board, student support, academic staff, general institution and students’ welfare. The questionnaire also contained statements about overall quality of the institution, students’ feelings about the institution and their future visits in addition to the background data of the respondents. A total of 424 questionnaires were used for analysis. Findings indicated that most university students were positive about the quality of service they received in their respective universities with overall mean scores above average. The
International Journal of Business Administration
Vol. 2, No. 1; February 2011
Comparative Analysis of Business Students’ Perceptions of Service Quality Offered in Kenyan Universities
Sarah Wambui Kimani (Corresponding author) The Catholic University of Eastern Africa P. O. Box 62157, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254-716-642262 E-mail: swambui@cuea, swambuikimani@yahoo.com Elias Kiarie Kagira Department of Business Administration, Africa Nazarene University (Kenya) P.O. Box -53067 Nairobi, Kenya Tel. +254- 713-209606 E-mail:ekiarie@anu.ac.ke, kkagira@yahoo.com Lydia Kendi Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University (Kenya) P.O. Box 43844 Nairobi, Kenya Tel. +254-723- 835188 Received: December 6, 2010 Abstract The purpose of this study was to ascertain business students’ perception of quality of service provided by public and private universities in Kenya. As a comparative study, it aimed at understanding how various factors or dimensions of service quality affected their perception within a university setting. The comparison was between two public and two private universities located in rural and urban settings in Kenya. A survey design of cross sectional nature was used to assess business students’ perception of service quality. A 7-point likert scale questionnaire was used. It contained 73 statements about university administration, lecture halls, students’ cafeteria, library, residential halls, switch board, student support, academic staff, general institution and students’ welfare. The questionnaire also contained statements about overall quality of the institution, students’ feelings about the institution and their future visits in addition to the background data of the respondents. A total of 424 questionnaires were used for analysis. Findings indicated that most university students were positive about the quality of service they received in their respective universities with overall mean scores above average. The