Antecedents and consequences of service quality in a higher education context : a qualitative research approach

Purpose – The paper explored the perception of students in regard to critical antecedents, dimensions and consequences of service quality with an aim to develop a theoretical model in the context of a university in Australia. Design/methodology/approach – This research used focus group discussions with nineteen students studying in the undergraduate and postgraduate level programs at the Central Queensland University (CQUniversity), Rockhampton, Australia. Findings – The findings show that the critical antecedents to perceived service quality are information and past experience. There are three aspects of perceived service quality, namely, academic, administrative and facilities. Student satisfaction and student trust are found to have direct and positive relationships with perceived service quality as consequences; and brand performance and behavioural intention are found to have indirect relationships with perceived service quality mediated through satisfaction and trust. Originality/value – This research develops an integrated model of service quality in the context of a university.