AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SERVICE QUALITY, SATISFACTION AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between service quality and customersatisfaction and their impact on behavioral intentions in higher education setting in Serbia. Twocompeting models, revealed during the literature review, have been tested on a sample of EngineeringManagement students by means of structural equation modeling, performed via LISREL 8. Resultsof the study indicate that satisfaction is influenced by service quality and directly related tobehavioral intentions, thus offering support for Oliver’s (1999) cognition-affect-conation sequenceof causal relationships in loyalty formation. Implications of the study have been discussed andlimitations and directions for future research are outlined.

Keywords

• Service quality
• customer satisfaction
• behavioral intentions
• structural equation modeling
• higher education