Determinants of Public Service Quality: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

Abstract

This study examines factors influencing public service quality. Using a quantitative, exploratory design, data were collected from 492 Brazilians via an online survey of 50 items based on prior research. Exploratory factor analysis identified seven key factors: cleanliness, motivation, audit results, public governance, scientific knowledge, physical structure, and appearance. Cleanliness emerged as the most significant. The findings suggest public services require specific improvements to enhance their perceived quality. This study contributes theoretically by offering an alternative to generic service quality models and provides practical insights for improving public management through targeted resource allocation and citizen satisfaction analysis.

Keywords

SERVQUAL public service quality citizens’ satisfaction

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Afzalan

Sanchez

T. W.

Evans-Cowley

(2017). Creating smarter cities: Considerations for selecting online participatory tools. Cities, 67, 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.04.002

Aina

Y. A.

(2017). Achieving smart sustainable cities with GeoICT support: The Saudi evolving smart cities. Cities, 71, 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.07.007

Akhtari

Moreira

Trucco

(2022). Political turnover, bureaucratic turnover, and the quality of public services. American Economic Review, 112(2), 442–493. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20171867

Alam

Md. S.

Mondal

(2019). Assessment of sanitation service quality in urban slums of Khulna city based on SERVQUAL and AHP model: A case study of railway slum, Khulna, Bangladesh. Journal of Urban Management, 8(1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2018.08.002

Alija

Memeti

(2021). Public service quality and citizen-client’s satisfaction in local municipalities. A case study: Municipality of Tetovo. Series V - Economic Sciences, 14(63)(2), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.31926/but.es.2021.14.63.2.6

Alghawi

Ameen

Bhaumik

(2019). The role of smart government characteristics for enhancing UAE’s public service quality. International Journal on Emerging Technologies, 10(1a), 1-7.

Alonso

Lewis

G. B.

(2001). Public service motivation and job performance. The American Review of Public Administration, 31(4), 363–380. https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740122064992

Ameen

A. A.

Kamsuriah

(2012). Towards harnessing financial information systems in reducing corruption: A review of strategies. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6(8), 500–509.

Antonio

P.-G. J.

Vicent

A.-L.

Ramón

F.-P.

(2022). A composite indicator index as a proxy for measuring the quality of water supply as perceived by users for urban water services. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, Article 121300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121300

10.

Avolio

B. J.

Gardner

W. L.

(2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001

11.

Baber

W. R.

Gore

A. K.

Rich

K. T.

Zhang

J. X.

(2013). Accounting restatements, governance and municipal debt financing. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 56(2–3), 212–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2013.08.003

12.

Broadbent

Guthrie

(2008). Public sector to public services: 20 years of “contextual” accounting research. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 21(2), 129–169. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570810854383

13.

Butt

M. M.

de Run

E. C.

(2010). Private healthcare quality: Applying a SERVQUAL model. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 23(7), 658–673. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861011071580

14.

Chuenyindee

Ong

A. K. S.

Ramos

J. P.

Prasetyo

Y. T.

Nadlifatin

Kurata

Y. B.

Sittiwatethanasiri

(2022). Public utility vehicle service quality and customer satisfaction in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilities Policy, 75, Article 101336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2022.101336

15.

Clerkin

R. M.

Coggburn

J. D.

(2012). The dimensions of public service motivation and sector work preferences. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 32(3), 209–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X11433880

16.

Curry

Sinclair

(2002). Assessing the quality of physiotherapy services using Servqual. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 15(5), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526860210437412

17.

Dell’Olio

Ibeas

Cecin

(2011). The quality of service desired by public transport users. Transport Policy, 18(1), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.08.005

18.

Delpla

Legay

Proulx

Rodriguez

M. J.

(2020). Perception of tap water quality: Assessment of the factors modifying the links between satisfaction and water consumption behavior. Science of The Total Environment, 722, Article 137786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137786

19.

Deveci

Öner

S. C.

Canitez

Öner

(2019). Evaluation of service quality in public bus transportation using interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy QFD methodology. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 33, Article 100387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2019.100387

20.

Dietrich

A. M.

Burlingame

G. A.

(2020). A review: The challenge, consensus, and confusion of describing odors and tastes in drinking water. Science of The Total Environment, 713, Article 135061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135061

21.

Eljawati

Tefa

Susilawati

Suwanda

S. N.

Suwanda

(2021). Leadership in the quality public service improvement. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6, 252–263. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v6nS1.2027

22.

Engdaw

(2022). The effect of administrative decentralization on quality public service delivery in Bahir Dar city administration: The case of Belay Zeleke sub-city. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), Article 2004675. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.2004675

23.

Falco

Kleinhans

(2018). Beyond technology: Identifying local government challenges for using digital platforms for citizen engagement. International Journal of Information Management, 40, 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.01.007

24.

Furqan

A. C.

Wardhani

Martani

Setyaningrum

(2020). The effect of audit findings and audit recommendation follow-up on the financial report and public service quality in Indonesia. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 33(5), 535–559. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-06-2019-0173

25.

García-Ávila

Ramos-Fernández

Pauta

Quezada

(2018). Evaluation of water quality and stability in the drinking water distribution network in the Azogues city, Ecuador. Data in Brief, 18, 111–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.03.007

26.

Gowan

Seymour

Ibarreche

Lackey

(2001). Service quality in a public agency: Same expectations but different perceptions by employees, managers, and customers. Journal of Quality Management, 6(2), 275–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1084-8568(01)00040-2

27.

Grujicic

Ivanovic

Jovic

Яric

(2014). Customer perception of service quality in public transport. Transport, 29(3), 285–295. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2014.951685

28.

Hair

J. F.

Black

W. C.

Babin

B. J.

Anderson

R. E.

(2009). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Prentice Hall.

29.

Yang

(2021). Improving the service quality of public transit with exclusive bus lanes: A perspective from passenger satisfaction. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2021, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8599256

30.

Hood

Dixon

(2013). A model of cost-cutting in government? The great management revolution in UK central government reconsidered. Public Administration, 91(1), 114–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2012.02072.x

31.

Hung

Y. H.

Huang

M. L.

Chen

K. S.

(2003). Service quality evaluation by service quality performance matrix. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 14(1), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360309706

32.

Husain

S. N.

Husain

Y. S.

(2017). Management perceptions of organizational service quality practices. Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(3), 14. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v10n3p14

33.

Ilhaamie

A. G. A.

(2010). Service quality in Malaysian public service: Some findings. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 1(1), 40–45. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJTEF.2010.V1.8

34.

Kansal

M. L.

Ndimbo

I. J.

Chandaniha

S. K.

(2017). Urban water service quality assessment in Tanzanian towns of Songea and Mbeya. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 3(4), 491–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0120-9

35.

Kitapci

Akdogan

Dortyol

I. T.

(2014). The impact of service quality dimensions on patient satisfaction, repurchase intentions and word-of-mouth communication in the public healthcare industry. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.030

36.

Kouthouris

Alexandris

(2005). Can service quality predict customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the sport tourism industry? An application of the SERVQUAL model in an outdoors setting. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 10(2), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080500223165

37.

Liou

J. J. H.

Hsu

C.-C.

Chen

Y.-S.

(2014). Improving transportation service quality based on information fusion. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 67, 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2014.07.007

38.

Logachev

M. S.

Orekhovskaya

N. A.

Seregina

T. N.

Shishov

Volvak

S. F.

(2021). Information system for monitoring and managing the quality of educational programs. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010093

39.

Luk

(2021). How strict waste management in Japan alleviated its environmental impact. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/japan-waste-management/

40.

Milana

(2018). Impact of job satisfaction on public service quality: Evidence from Syria. Serbian Journal of Management, 13(2), 233–250. https://doi.org/10.5937/sjm13-14734

41.

Munim

Z. H.

Noor

(2020). Young people’s perceived service quality and environmental performance of hybrid electric bus service. Travel Behaviour and Society, 20, 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2020.03.003

42.

Nurmandi

Kim

(2015). Making e-procurement work in a decentralized procurement system. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 28(3), 198–220. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-03-2015-0035

43.

Nurung

Rakhmat Tamsah

Burhanuddin Azis

(2020). The effect of leadership on public service quality. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 473(1), 012070. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/473/1/012070

44.

Oliver

R. L.

(2010). Customer satisfaction. In Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444316568.wiem03008

45.

Oreiro

J. L.

Ferreira-Filho

H. L.

(2021). A PEC 32 da Reforma Administrativa: Uma análise crítica. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 41(3), 487–506. https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-31572021-3308

46.

Parasuraman

Zeithaml

V. A.

Berry

L. L.

(1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298504900403

47.

Prabowo

T. J. W.

Leung

Guthrie

(2017). Reforms in public sector accounting and budgeting in Indonesia (2003-2015): Confusions in implementation. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 29(1), 104–137. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-29-01-2017-B005

48.

Rahman

Das

Hadiuzzaman

Hossain

(2016). Perceived service quality of paratransit in developing countries: A structural equation approach. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 93, 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.08.008

49.

Ramseook-Munhurrun

Lukea-Bhiwajee

S. D.

Naidoo

(2010). Service quality in the public service. International Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 3(1), 37–50.

50.

Riccucci

N. M.

Thompson

F. J.

(2008). The new public management, homeland security, and the politics of civil service reform. Public Administration Review, 68(5), 877–890. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2008.00929.x

51.

Rocha

Costa

A. S.

Figueira

J. R.

Ferreira

D. C.

Marques

R. C.

(2021). Quality assessment of the Portuguese public hospitals: A multiple criteria approach. Omega, 105, Article 102505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2021.102505

52.

Rohadin

(2021). Public Service Quality Improvement Strategy by Cirebon City Government Regarding the Granting of Trade-Business-License. Golden Ratio of Social Science and Education, 1(2), 109–120. https://doi.org/10.52970/grsse.v1i2.119

53.

Romano

Masserini

(2020). Factors affecting customers’ satisfaction with tap water quality: Does privatisation matter in Italy? Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, Article 120593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120593

54.

Rothstein

B. O.

Teorell

J. A. N.

(2008). What is quality of government? A theory of impartial government institutions. Governance, 21(2), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0491.2008.00391.x

55.

Sabadie

(2003). Conceptualisation et mesure de la qualité perçue d’un service public. Recherche et Applications En Marketing (French Edition), 18(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/076737010301800101

56.

Samašonok

Jarašuniene

Išoraite

(2021). A study of the satisfaction of the population of major Lithuanian cities with public transport services. Business: Theory and Practice, 22(2), 392–405. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2021.14708

57.

Suzuki

Demircioglu

M. A.

(2021). Is impartiality enough? Government impartiality and citizens’ perceptions of public service quality. Governance, 34(3), 727–764. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12527

58.

Tan

K. C.

Kek

S. W.

(2004). Service quality in Higher Education using an enhanced SERVQUAL approach. Quality in Higher Education, 10(1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1353832242000195032

59.

Tiernan

(2015). Craft and capacity in the public service. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 74(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12134

60.

Wardhani

Rossieta

Martani

(2017). Good governance and the impact of government spending on performance of local government in Indonesia. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 3(1), 77. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPSPM.2017.082503

61.

Yilmaz

Ari

Oguz

Y. E.

(2021). Measuring service quality of the light rail public transportation: A case study on Eskisehir in Turkey. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 9(2), 974–982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2021.05.005

62.

Yusoff

W. Z. W.

Ismail

Newell

(2008). FM-SERVQUAL: A new approach of service quality measurement framework in local authorities. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 10(2), 130–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010810905633

63.

Zagorie

Rozenes

(2017). How to increase citizen satisfaction within municipal services: An Israeli case study. International Journal of Society Systems Science, 9(4), 301. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSS.2017.088295

64.

Zhu

Yan

Song

(2022). Analysing the impact of smart city service quality on citizen engagement in a public emergency. Cities, 120, Article 103439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103439

65.

Zorgati

(2021). Public transportation and service quality management during the COVID-19 outbreak: A case study of Tunisia. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(3), 298-308. https://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(3).2021.24

66.

Zorgati

Zaabi

(2021). Public transportation and service quality management during the COVID-19 outbreak: A case study of Tunisia. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(3), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(3).2021.24