The Importance-Performance Analysis of Service Quality in the Colleges of Delhi University

Abstract

India in the past two decades has taken a giant leap forward in the education sector. Higher education has not only thrived but has also attracted several foreign students to the Indian university system. The low-cost and high quality mantra is the main focus of new India’s education set-up. It is estimated that by 2030, India will be the youngest nation of the world. 140 million people will be the college-going graduates and one in every quarter of this universe will be an Indian student. These predictions and figures are heart-warming. However, they also pose a challenge to the Indian colleges and universities to improve their services and facilities--both in terms of academics and infrastructure. This paper is intended to investigate the importance of service attributes in Indian colleges and students’ evaluation of the services provided to them. This study was conducted wherein a survey method was used to get the response from students of four colleges of the Delhi University. A modified IPA model was used on systematically selected students. The various dimensions of service quality were incorporated in the instrument and students were asked to give their responses. This study not only reveals the pros and cons of the service providers but also highlights the attributes considered as very important by the students. The findings of this study can be applied to improve the service quality of Indian higher education varsities.