Focus on Service Quality: Adapting Total Quality Management Principles to Services Marketing Education

Abstract

This article describes the conceptual rationale, content development, and experience of teaching a new course, Understanding Service Delivery Systems, to senior year undergraduate students majoring in marketing and hospitality management at an international university. A major feature of the course is a group project in which students apply Total Quality Management (TQM) principles within a business environment by conducting a service delivery process improvement project. Students are also required to conduct research on the expectations, desires, and service delivery performance perceptions of customers as part of the project. Perceived student and industry benefits, as well as modifications and improvements for subsequent years, are highlighted.