Management perception of service quality in the hospitality industry

Keywords 
Competative industry, service quality, delivery of service, management’s perception, 
perceived service quality. 
 
 
 

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3 
 
Table of Contents 
1
 
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5
 
1.1
 
Background information to this Study.................................................................... 5
 
1.2
 
Brief history of the topic ........................................................................................... 6
 
1.3
 
Purpose of Research & Research Questions ......................................................... 9
 
1.4
 
Limitations of this Study ......................................................................................... 10
 
1.5
 
Methodology in brief ............................................................................................... 11
 
2
 
Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 13
 
2.1
 
Defining service quality ........................................................................................... 13
 
2.1.1
 
Service ................................................................................................................ 13
 
2.1.2
 
Quality ............................................................................................................... 14
 
2.1.3
 
Service Quality .................................................................................................. 15
 
2.2
 
Factors that determine Service Quality ................................................................. 17
 
2.2.1
 
Factors relating to expected quality ............................................................... 18
 
2.2.2
 
Factors relating to experienced quality .......................................................... 18
 
2.3
 
Managing perceived service quality ....................................................................... 21
 
2.3.1
 
Gaps of Service Quality ................................................................................... 25
 
2.4
 
Measuring Service Quality ...................................................................................... 31
 
2.5
 
Conceptual framework ............................................................................................ 35
 
3
 
Research Methodology .................................................................................................. 39
 
3.1
 
Qualitative Research Strategy ................................................................................. 39
 
3.2
 
Data Collection Strategy ......................................................................................... 40
 
3.2.1
 
Interviewing Strategy ...................................................................................... 41
 
3.3
 
Analysis Strategy ...................................................................................................... 41
 
4
 
Analysis and Discussion ................................................................................................ 43
 
4.1
 
Cases / Respondents ............................................................................................... 43
 

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4 
4.2
 
Findings and Issues ................................................................................................. 45
 
4.2.1
 
Service Concepts .............................................................................................. 46
 
4.2.2
 
Measurement concepts .................................................................................... 47
 
4.2.3
 
Development concept ..................................................................................... 49
 
5
 
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 51
 
5.1
 
Future implications .................................................................................................. 53
 
5.2
 
Validity of this research........................................................................................... 54
 
5.3
 
Learning and development during thesis process ............................................... 55
 
6
 
References ....................................................................................................................... 56
 
7
 
Attachments .................................................................................................................... 58