Service quality gap in Ethiopia: expected and perceived services in the public sector

Abstract

The SERVQUAL model is a commonly used tool for evaluating service quality in public and private sector organizations. It was applied to evaluate the quality of service in the public sector in Ethiopia through the discrepancy between perceived and expected services (ESs). Therefore, a gap score was calculated based on customers’ perceived minus ES quality, as most scholars used to measure the actual service quality. The survey used a descriptive cross-sectional design. A structured questionnaire with 22 items derived from the SERVQUAL model was administered to 562 customers to collect data from the public sector in Ethiopia. Customers who have visited the public sector at least twice were selected for this study. Due to the challenge of selecting the customers randomly, a convenient sampling method was employed as it was easier to pick customers while visiting the offices. The discrepancy between customers’ perceived and ESs across all dimensions of the SERVQUAL model became negative. The mean score of all items and dimensions of expectation is higher than perception. Hence, service quality in Ethiopia in the public sector remained low. Reliability, tangibility and empathy scored the highest mean gap, respectively, while responsiveness and assurance scored the lowest mean. Despite customers’ expectations, the most essential dimensions, reliability, tangibility and empathy, had the lowest perceived service (PS) quality. Finally, customers’ expectations were not met. Therefore, the service quality in public sector institutions needs improvement in all dimensions. This study has important implications for both theoretical and practical research in service delivery.

Keywords

• Discrepancy
• expectation
• perception
• public sector
• SERVQUAL model
• Robert Read, Economics, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UNITED KINGDOM