A decision making tool for the improvement of service quality at universities

Abstract

There have been numerous studies conducted on the evaluation of service quality at universities. However, there remains a deficiency on using a Multi Criteria Decision making approach in determining factors to consider for the improvement of service quality at a university. The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decision making tool in determining factors to consider for the improvement of service quality at a university. The study adopted a mixed method methodology and an action research approach was employed. A purposive convenient sample of 30 participants was used. Data was collected via questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The data was captured in the software Expert Choice and the results were processed by taking the aggregated group judgements as the geometric mean of the individual comparisons. The findings reveal that organisational and educational issues are paramount to providing an effective service at tertiary institutions.