Service Marketing in Bangladesh: A Study of Cadet Colleges

Abstract

The Present study attempts an empirical investigation to explore the impact of service marketing in Cadet Colleges of Bangladesh basing on SURVQUAL model and Gaps model. Service quality is an important dimension in service marketing. Most experts agree that customer satisfaction is a short-term, transaction-specific measure, whereas service quality is an attitude formed by a long-term overall evaluation of a firm’s performance. Service quality and customer satisfaction is inter-related. If the performance of the firm is excellent then the customer will be satisfied. Service quality needs to be ensured in educational institutions. In the last decade, huge numbers of private and foreign schools/ institutes have entered in Bangladesh market to compete for students’ enrolement. Most of the institutes are striving to attract students by supplying improved services. There is increasing pressure from the customers of educational institutions, which includes students, parents, executives and employers to close the widening gap between their expectations of institutional performance and actual performance. But unfortunately, few researches were conducted on the quality measurement concept that can improve the service quality of Bangladesh schools/colleges as per expectations of stakeholders. Cadet colleges also need to apply appropriate service marketing strategy to perform better in the competitive world. Customers do not perceive quality in a one-dimensional way, rather judge quality based on multiple factors relevant to the context. The dimensions of service quality have been identified through the pioneering research by Parsu Parasuraman, Valerie Zeithaml, and Leonard Berry. Their research identified five specific dimensions of service quality that apply across a variety of service contexts. The five dimensions of SURVQUAL are the drivers of service quality. They are namely: Reliability: ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately; Responsiveness: willingness to help customers and provide prompt service; Assurance: employees’ knowledge and courtesy and their ability to inspire trust and confidence; Empathy: caring individualized attention given to customers and Tangibles: appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and written materials. These dimensions represent how consumers organize information about service quality in their minds. Effective service marketing is a complex undertaking that involves many different strategies, skills, and tasks. Analyzing service gaps is very important dimension to improve the standard of service quality of any firm or institution. Conceptually the service quality process can be examined in terms of gaps between expectations and perceptions on the part of management, employees and customers. Expectation is assumed to be the highest number (5) in the Likert scale and perception is measured from the score achived through the survey of the respondents. The most important gap is the customer gap or service gap or provider gap that exists between customers’ expectations of service and their perceptions of the service quality actually delivered to them. This is measured by SERVQUAL model. Besides gaps 1-4 are also measured in the cadet college perspectives. Ultimately the goal of the service firm is to close the service gap or at least narrow it as far as possible. Service quality focuses on the customers’ cumulative attitude toward the firm/instituition which is collected by the consumer from a number of successful or unsuccessful service experiences. This research is basically exploratory in nature and based on both Primary and Secondary data. The Universe/population in this study is the stakeholders of 12 cadet colleges in Bangladesh. Whole country is divided into 4 geographical regions (North, South, East and West) with each geographical region having 3 cadet colleges (N-CCR, JGCC, RCC; S-FCC, CCC, FGCC; W-BCC, JCC, PCC; E-SCC, MCC, MGCC). In the first stage, using purposive sampling, out of total 9 boys’ cadet colleges and 3 girls’ cadet colleges total 4 boys’ cadet colleges and 2 girls’ cadet colleges are selected for this study. Four boys’ cadet colleges (Rajshahi Cadet College, Sylhet Cadet College, Barisal Cadet College and Fauzdarhat Cadet College- two made before liberation war and two after liberation war) are selected from four different geographical regions of Bangladesh and 2 girls’ cadet colleges (Joypurhat Girls’ Cadet College and Mymensing Girls’ Cadet College- one old and one new) are selected from two different major parts of Bangladesh. In the second stage, respondents were selected by convenient sampling from different classes within cadets including their parents and from varied experience within teachers and employees. In the third stage, quota sampling was used within specific group of respondents. The sample size is chosen 62 per Cadet College as per sample size calculation. From above mentioned selected 6 cadet colleges total sample size is 372. Out of 62 sample of each Cadet College, 42 sample respondents from service customers group (30 from Cadets of all six classes and mixture of good and average cadets; 10 from parents of different classes) and 22 from Service Personnel group (10 from Core Professional service personnel, i.e. mix of officers and Teachers and 12 from service personnel/employees, i.e. 6 from Primary service personnel and 6 from Secondary service personnel). Sampling method is multi-stage sampling: 1st stage-Cadet Colleges (purposive), 2nd stage- Classes and Service experience (convenient) and 3rd stage- Specific Respondents (quota). All respondents include from Customer service group (cadets and Parents) and Service Personal group (Officers & Teachers and Service personnel/Employees). The data was analyzed through Microsoft Excell and SPSS program using different statistical tools. Initially data reliability test is carried out to check the standard of reliability. Frequency distribution value was used to express on terms of Bar chart, pie chart, percentile value, mean, median, standard deviation, mean comparison etc to depict the inner meaning of collected data. Paired sample T Test was carried out to test the hypothesis. Descriptive statistics with crosstab are used to determine the corresponding relations between two types of data collected. In this study Chi-Square test is used to test significant relationships between Personal factors and service quality or service gap factors. Then the researcher has calculated the scores of the opinions of the respondents to determine the gaps. Then the researcher has converted the highly stressed opinions into Qualitative mode and has interpreted as findings. By this process, the issues that have more significant and the possible solutions have been identified. The thesis paper has been presented in six chapters with detailed information. This study has identified existing service state of Cadet Colleges in Bangladesh, evaluated the performance of existing services of Cadet Colleges, measured the service gaps of cadet colleges through SERVQUAL model and measured service gaps 1-4 of Cadet Colleges. Success of Cadet Colleges depends to a large extent on service marketing strategy practiced by the system for the customers. Cadet Colleges need to formulate long term service marketing strategy based on recommended actions about different dimensions of service quality and different aspects of service gaps available and implement those over long period of time. Main customers i.e. cadets and parents are getting more and more knowledgeable and this is certainly revealed in their decision making process of enrolling his teenager in the Cadet College or allow him to continue for whole 6 years duration. Therefore, the cadet College system has to carefully communicate their performance about different matters of Cadet College. They should ensure customer based long term strategy so that the equity of Cadet College is at the top in the minds of customers. Customer satisfaction when achieved through proper service marketing practice in day-to-day life will definitely help the system to gain customer preferences. Many research activities have been carried out in service quality model and service gaps 1-4. However, this study attempts to give a proper perspective of existing service performances in cadet colleges, test SERVQUAL model and measure service gaps 1-4 in Cadet College system taking neutral responses from customers and important stakeholders. The scores on different dimensions will guide each cadet college and the system as a whole to concentrate on improving low scoring factors. The recommendations of the study will be of great use to the academicians, education policy makers, planners, students, researchers and the country as a whole.