Gunning, J G (2000) Models of customer satisfaction and service quality as research instruments in construction management. In: Akintoye, A (ed.) Proceedings of 16th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2000, Glasgow, UK.
Abstract
With a few notable exceptions there has been little published on the use of formal Service Quality models in the area of Construction Management. The ServQual approach, or modifications of it, can provide an effective measure of the perceived quality of service performance. It utilises a concise multiple item survey scale with good reliability and validity in understanding the service expectations and perceptions of customers. Originating in the field of business marketing, it has wide potential for application within construction management research, as discussed at the 1996 National Construction Marketing Conference at Oxford Brookes University. This paper examines a variety of models for measuring perceptions of the quality of service received. The services provided within the construction industry include design, project management, building control and quantity surveying, which provide varying degrees of satisfaction for the recipient. Services can be distinguished from goods in terms of inseparability from the provider, heterogeneity, perishability, intangibility and the concept of temporary ownership. Research by Parasuraman et al (1988) has identified five underlying dimensions on which service quality is evaluated as being; tangibles (so far as they exist), reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Perceived quality of service relates to the gap between client expectations and perceptions of performance. Dis-confirmed expectations (active or passive) dictate the degree of customer satisfaction with a particular service. The original ServQual Model often needs to be modified to take account of the special characteristics of particular construction services and to help identify the performance gaps between service provider and customer. In particular, an A Priori Model developed by Gable (1996) has provided the basis for a number of research projects at the University of Ulster which investigated client satisfaction and service quality in the construction process. Some of these are outlined towards the end of this paper. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate debate on the value of this model as a research instrument in measuring the perceived effectiveness of a variety of services provided by professionals, contractors and regulatory authorities within the construction supply chain.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | customer satisfaction; service quality; research instrument; servqual; model |
| Index terms: | conference, business marketing, validity, construction marketing, survey, satisfaction, management research, surveying, dimension, construction industry, building control, project management, quality of service, performance gap, construction process, client satisfaction, service quality, construction supply chain, customer satisfaction, effectiveness, ownership |
| Subjects: | research dissemination and communication, data collection methods, evaluation and assessment methods, business, research design and methodology, client relations, construction logistics, project delivery, health monitoring assessment and metrics, performance measurement, public and environmental health, performance management, economics, service delivery, health safety and environment, project management theory and practice, building construction, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Project Management, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Site Management, Organizational Design, Supply Chain Management, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here