Despite the popularity and continued use of the SERVQUAL Scale, a number of serious criticisms have been raised concerning its validity. These criticisms focus on the generic nature of the service quality dimensions and the use of desired expectation as a comparison standard. The objectives of this research are twofold. First, it sets out to examine the validity of the five SERVQUAL dimensions using an alternative scaling methodology known as the Guttman scaling procedure. Second, it aims to determine the role of expectation in the evaluation of hotel services. Of the five SERVQUAL dimensions tested, only four are found to be valid. It is also apparent that different types of expectations are used as a comparison standard for the evaluation of service quality and customer satisfaction.
Babakus, E., & Boller, G. W. (1992). An empirical assessment of the SERVQUAL Scale. Journal of Business Research, 24, 253-268.
2.
Bateson, J. E. G., & Hoffman, K. D. (1999). Managing services marketing: Text and readings (4th ed.). Orlando, FL: Dryden.
3.
Boulding, W., Karla, A., Stealin, R., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1993, February). A dynamic process model of service quality: From expectations to behavioural intention. Journal of Marketing Research, 30, 7-27.
4.
Buttle, F. (1996). SERVQUAL: Review, critique, research agenda. European Journal of Marketing, 30(1), 8-32.
5.
Carman, J. M. (1990). Consumer perceptions of service quality: An assessment of the SERVQUAL dimensions. Journal of Retailing, 66(1), 33-55.
6.
Cronin, J. J., Jr., & Taylor, S. A. (1992, July). Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. Journal of Marketing, 56, 55-68.
7.
Cronin, J. J., Jr., & Taylor, S. A. (1994, January). SERVPERF versus SERVQUAL: Reconciling performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations measurement of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 58, 125-131.
8.
Dunn-Rankin, P. (1983). Scaling methods. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9.
Edwards, A. L. (1957). Techniques of attitude scale construction. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
10.
Ekinci, Y. (2001). The validation of the generic service quality dimensions: An alternative approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 8(6), 311-324.
11.
Ekinci, Y., & Riley, M. (1999). The application of the Guttman scaling procedure in the measurement of consumer behavior: A marketing myopia. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 8(4), 295-309.
12.
Ekinci, Y., & Riley, M. (in press). An investigation of self-concept: Actual and ideal self-congruence compared in the context of service evaluation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
13.
Ekinci, Y., Riley, M., & Fife-Schaw, C. (1998). Which school of thought? The dimensions of resort hotel quality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 10(2), 63-67.
14.
Gerbing, D. W., & Anderson, J. C. (1988). An updated paradigm for scale development incorporating unidimensionality and its assessment. Journal of Marketing Research, 15, 186-192.
15.
Getty, J. M., & Thompson, K. N. (1994). A procedure for scaling perceptions of lodging quality. Hospitality Research Journal, 18(2), 75-96.
16.
Guttman, L. (1944). A technique for scale analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 4, 170-190.
17.
Hattie, J. (1985). Methodology review: Assessing unidimensionality of tests and terms. Applied Psychological Measurement, 9(2), 139-164.
18.
Heung, V. C. S., Wong, M. Y., & Qu, H. (2000). Airport-restaurant service quality in Hong Kong. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 41(3), 86-96.
19.
Hoffman, K. D., & Bateson, J. E. G. (1997). Essentials of services marketing. Orlando, FL: Dryden.
20.
Lam, T., Yeung, S., & Chang, A. (1998). Service quality and determinants of customer expectations: The case of club industry in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 2(2), 29-36.
21.
Lewis, B. R. (1993). Service quality: Recent developments in financial service. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 11(6), 19-25.
22.
McIver, J. P., & Carmines, E. G. (1981). Unidimensional scaling. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
23.
Miller, J. A. (1977). Studying satisfaction: Modifying models, eliciting expectations, posing problems, and making meaningful measurements. In H. Keith Hunt (Ed.), Conceptualizations and measurement of consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction (pp. 72-91). Bloomington: Indiana University, School of Business.
24.
Norusis, M. J. (1993). SPSS for Windows, advanced statistics release 6.0. Chicago: SPSS.
25.
Oberoi, U., & Hales, C. (1990, October). Assessing the quality of the conference hotel service product: Towards an empirically based model. Service Industries Journal, 10(4), 700-721.
26.
Oppenheim, A. N. (1966). Questionnaire design and attitude measurement. London: Heinemann.
27.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12-40.
28.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1991). Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL Scale. Journal of Retailing, 67(4), 420-450.
29.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994, January). Reassessment of expectations as comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implications for further research. Journal of Marketing, 58, 111-124.
30.
Saleh, F., & Ryan, C. (1991). Utilising the SERVQUAL model: An analysis of service quality. Service Industries Journal, 11(3), 324-345.
31.
Sekaran, U. (2000). Research methods for business (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley.
32.
Teas, R. K. (1994, January). Expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: An assessment of a reassessment. Journal of Marketing, 58, 132-139.
33.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1993). The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21(1), 1-12.
