An attempt to close service quality gaps in higher education of Thailand : a case of Mahidol University International College.

Abstract

Since education is the highest spectrum of service product in the product classification (Hoffman, 2009), its service quality is not easy to control. Due to rising opportunity of economic integration, particularly the promising full integration of ASEAN in 2015, international education is quite unavoidable. However, threats also emerge in managing and standardizing educational services to meet with regional customers’ expectation, let alone the global ones. Mahidol University has been one of the oldest educational institutions in Thailand (IR 2010). Its strengths are in scientific and musical educations. It is our clear goal to became a ‘world class’ university and ‘the choice’ of international education in Thailand for the university as a whole, and for International College, respectively. Although QS ranking is our benchmark for external and internal quality improvement, most of which criteria do not extend to the area of service quality. Therefore, it should be appropriate to explore our brand promise through analyzing “moments-of-truth” for the first time. Thus, this study attempts to identify service gaps from the quality provided and expected by our consumers,and provide suggestions on closing the gaps by using SERVQUAL model (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1985). Despite several arguments in using the model, the research would serve as a rare marketing insight to our educational administrators, rather than elying totally on their won generated Key Performance Indices (KPIs) Scale-questions from SERVQUAL model will be adapted to ask proportionate groups of undergraduate and graduate students of International College (IC). Total respondents are expected to be about 200, based on non-probabilistic quota sampling, demographic, and disciplines. Service blueprint, with clear and exact touch points, would be the result of this study. Eventually, service gaps should be minimized and moments-of-truth (MOT) should be discussed and improved in Thai educational context.