Service Quality in Higher Education - Essay Example

Service Quality in Higher Education Abstract The quality of higher education system is still a continuous challenge for most of the learning institutions in the 21st century. Some paradigms and investigation methods have undergone implementation for the purpose of coming up with solutions to aid in achieving high education quality. My paper entails the different processes researched on and gotten adopted by three different studies as well as getting tested if they are relevant to the process of achieving the intended qualities of education. The three surveys conducted used various statistical measures such as QFD technique, and some multidimensional matrixes. Some of the research instrument included the QFD model, the QFD matrixes, and the data got analyzed by use of the statistical packages for social scientists (SPSS). Some of the processes that got included in these studies included delivery of teaching, design of study programs, assessment of students, management of the administrative services and research activities. Others include career orientation services, student admission and hiring, development and evaluation of the teaching personnel. The conclusive statement got made student’s study program, assessment of students and the teaching process are important aspects of improving education quality and the introduction of quality management in the higher education systems. Introduction Service quality in higher learning has emerged as one of the key most fundamental factors that drive many academic institutions towards realizing their set objectives, goals, and educational aims. There are some processes and methodologies adopted by some learning institutions for the main purpose of upgrading the quality of their education services as well as academic provisions. By undertaking this procedure as well as the policies meant for improving their education quality and standards, these institutions have gotten in a position to meet nearly all requirements set by the ISO 9001:2008. In this management essay, I am going to analyze some of the research findings on three different studies conducted in some top academic institutions on service quality in higher education. There are some strategies taken to improve service quality in higher education, among them including the application of quality function deployment towards upgrading the standards in higher education. In this case, it entails the concerns from the employer’s perspective. It involves the use of the use of various paradigms and investigation procedures which gets implemented for the purpose of purpose of coming up with solutions for realizing high academic qualities. A research got conducted in the UK for the purpose of identifying the levels of total quality management (TQM) in the UK higher education institutions (HIE). TQM refers to a management initiative that has gotten adopted by some HEI in most of the developed countries, such as the UK. As a management process, TQM principles and central concepts get measured by the since they are the most critical factors and they provide a direct reflection on the performance of academic institutions. A study got conducted of two Malaysian private learning institutions got conducted and the advancement towards sustainability in private higher learning through quality assurance. This particular study carried out an investigation on some of the motivational constructs evident in by stakeholders of two Malaysian private institutions. Later, these constructs got realized that they have a lot of relevancies in improving the sustainability of the learning institutions using quality assurance. Conducted Surveys Some studies got done in these researches, which revealed on some of the best mechanism for adoption towards attaining improved service quality in higher education. For the case of the use of quality function deployment (QFD) for the purpose of upgrading quality in higher education, through employers’ perspective, some surveys got conducted. The most significant review was of the study programs and the extent to which the bear higher values for attaining quality academic standards (Kompf & Denicolo, 2013). The employers’ perspective gets explored fully by the use of the QFD technique since it contributes to the quality dimensions in higher learning. It got revealed that mainly applied design of the study programs contributed a lot towards the achievement of quality education in higher institutions. The other important published factor was the process of assessing students and teaching processes that play the important role in the quality management of higher education. There are various expectations originating from both internal and external environment, towards the education institutions. Due to this fact, the school system has the responsibility of carefully identifying its entire shareholder and stakeholders, conduct analysis on their demands and come up with solutions to fulfill them. This information got realized after some employers got approached, and their perspectives got analyzed in terms of their needs and expectations about the qualifications they expect from graduates. For the survey that got conducted in the two institutions in the UK higher learning organizations, realizations got made on the measurements for the TQM principles. Alongside the TQM principles, its core concepts reflect the service products and outcomes of the institutions, in providing academic services to the students. The excellence of the school business, as well as educational activities, got influenced by any dynamism in the roles and performances on any of the critical success factors. They also lay information and knowledge to the organization’s top management on its activities over given periods as well as comparing it with other learning institutions. The particular method of measurement, in this case, can get used by the quality assurers in the UK in the process of monitoring academic classes of HEIs. As a result of this great realization, the British government has embarked on identifying several bodies with responsibilities for various aspects of quality, such as quality assessment and quality insurance audit. In this case, the high learning institutions have to attain high quality to get competitive in the process luring more practitioners. They also have to achieve high-quality fir the reason set for getting accountability for the different outcomes of their performances. The survey conducted in the study of the two Malaysian private institutions revealed a lot when it comes to improving sustainability in private higher learning by use of quality assurance. Some of the findings showed that the morale of the two private institutions in the process of implementing quality assurance policy can get intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as differing with respect to organizational mission and goals (Kompf & Denicolo, 2013). The process of education was privatizing the higher education got encouraged by the government of Malaysia, for the purposes of enhancing accessibility to higher learning. This particular case study, conducted in the two universities, took approximately two months, with conducting of semi constructed interviews to some stakeholders in qualifications agencies (QA). In this case, surveys got administered to the entire learning program administrators, and the analysis of each instance portioned into two sections. The convergence in intrinsic moral for utilizing QA policy in the two universities had a lot of significances towards improving their services quality in education provision. When analyzing the graphics of the survey, there are some different reactions that emerged from the responses provided by the various students from the various faculties and departments in AUE. Among the departments and colleges from which the students gave their answers included human resources management, insurance and risk management, graphic design, digital animation, radio and TV, public relations, network and security and finance. A cross-examination of the responses provided by the students in the departments of human resources and management, insurance and risk management and graphic design revealed that the institution have less concern. These concerns are in line with the students’ academic affairs on matters pertaining their personal and individual interest. As from the study conducted on issues of quality in higher education systems, it will be right to say that, in this particular department, the institution has done less in enhancing education quality. In other departments such as digital animation, radio and TV, public relations, network security and finance, AUE has put some efforts by installing the relevant equipment needed to improve service provision. This has an implication of enhancing the quality of the education service provision in AUE, as a higher learning institution. Considering the dimensions of the surveys, there are some quality issues that we realize from AUE with respect to tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance as well as empathy. For the matters of tangibility, the institution has some facilities and equipment installed in the offices of the different departments, and all the students have access to them. They can all get detected by the academicians, and, on the other hand, the detection of the staffs in the institution is minimal resulting from their unwillingness to respond to the students’ needs. When analyzing the reliability of the dimensions, we realize that the institution has quality equipment that can get fully relied upon across the different faculties and schools. Their records can get built upon due to their good record keeping methods and strategies, as well as the provision of services stated in their university charter. The reliability towards the institution seems when it comes to the needs of urgent services. The employees tend to respond at a very slow rate when it comes to urgent matters, pertaining students’ needs, and hence low quality in education service provision. The responsiveness of the institution towards the students’ educational needs and demands is tiny due to the low morale on their employees’ side. The workers delay when it comes to urgent educational matters that need to get undertaken within the shortest time possible. They fail to meet their assigned tasks within an agreed period, and this runs across all the faculties in the AUE, and therefore losing the students’ trust on issues of responsiveness. The university has tried as much as possible to provide assurance to the students on quality education, and this can get based on the facilities equipped across the different faculties. The guarantee gets deemed by the slow responsiveness as well as the reaction of the employees in the AUE towards different academic needs by the students. The level of assurance from the AUE to its clients is low, leading to low-quality education services. Considering empathy as a dimensional analysis, we realize the general understanding level of the university to the students’ academic needs is low. The school workers have small understanding of the students’ demand for other educational issues, therefore failing to share the matters with the. To a greater extent, this has deemed the quality of the education service provided by the University. Conclusion Quality management is a core aspect of every learning institution; including HEIs, some individuals view HEIs as almost perfect organizations full of excellent individuals. Some of the researchers conducted in HEIs on matters of successful quality management applications have revealed that the top staff plays various influential tasks regarding leadership, organization and control of the limited resources. These roles played by the leaders of the learning institutions are aimed towards the achievement of the intended and planned quality goals, aims, and objectives. The QAA has some concerns regarding the demands of the stakeholders from the higher learning institutions. This framework has lately gotten introduced for the sake of assessing and monitoring the different quality levels of education. It entails a mixture of both internal and external reviews of the academic programs and the particular groups responsible for providing individual subjects. The survey conducted in the AUE has shown that the institution has put some efforts in improving the quality of service provision through its employees have failed when it comes to responsive matters. The demographics of the survey included all the faculties and different schools across the institution. It has considered the level of machinery among other equipment in the offices, lectures and study rooms, record keeping, service provision from the employees, and the employees’ from the AUE. This has revealed some weaknesses from the organization, which has in turn lowered the level of its quality education service provided by the University. The tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy of the organization when it comes to academic services do not adequately meet the requirements by the ISO 9001:2008. The organization, therefore, has to improve on some issues in line with the duties and roles played its different staff and their accountability on academic matters and general students’ welfare. This will improve the level of pupils’ academic satisfaction as well as the quality of educational programs offered in AUE. References Kompf, M., & Denicolo, P. (2013). Critical issues in higher education. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Read More