Advances in Consumer Research
Introduction: Education is a significant institution and transition to a knowledge-based economy makes education noteworthy. Students are becoming increasingly more concerned as consumers of higher education institution. Indian education system is multifaceted; the focal point encompasses quality, accessibility, obstacles, legislative changes, and expectations for the future. An institution may build a feeling of community and loyalty among stakeholders and draw in students, staff, and money with the support of a great brand. The brand image and reputation of management institutes are highly influenced by service quality elements such as tangibility, dependability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Scope of the study: The branding of management institutes is critical in today’s highly competitive educational landscape. Service quality factors play a significant role in shaping the brand image of these institutes, influencing both their reputation and attractiveness to prospective students. This study explores the dimensions of service quality such as ‘reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness’ that impact the branding of management institutes. The empathy dimension is not included in this study. Objectives of the Study: To study the impact of reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness factors on brand building of Higher Management Institutes Methodology: The authors collected data collected from both, primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected through survey and interview from 412 respondents which included stakeholders in the management institutes and the students. The population under study were the stakeholders of higher education institutes like students, faculties, recruiters and non-teaching staff. The data was analysed using SPSS Software. Regression and correlation models were used to test the relation between various factors that influence brand building of HEIs. Secondary data was collected from journals, periodicals and various research studies conducted on brand building of service industries, particularly the education sector. Result: This paper clearly showcases the significance of RATR dimensions analysed by prospective and current stakeholders while choosing a higher management institute. Practical Implications: This study throws light on how reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness are an inevitable part for branding of any management institutes. The better services offered positively impacts the management institute’s reputation, leading to rise in student enrolments and enhances stakeholder engagement. Originality Value: This research study is the outcome of original research survey.
Education is a significant institution and transition to a knowledge-based economy makes education noteworthy because of which, students are becoming increasingly more concerned as consumers of higher education institution (Khanchitpol, Y., 2013). Indian education system is multifaceted; the focal point encompasses quality, accessibility, obstacles, legislative changes, and expectations for the future. An institution may build a feeling of community and loyalty among stakeholders and draw in students, staff, and money with the support of a great brand. The calibre of services offered by management institutes greatly influences their branding in a fiercely competitive market of higher education institutions (HEIs). The brand image and reputation of management institutes are highly influenced by service quality elements such as tangibility, dependability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Strong word-of-mouth is boosted, and the chances of student retention and future enrolment are increased when high service quality adds to student contentment and loyalty. Management institutes that prioritize providing superior service quality services are more likely to have a strong brand identity, enhancing their ability to compete in the market. (Foroudi et al., 2017)While dependability and timeliness in academic services foster trust in the institution's brand, tangible factors like the condition of facilities, infrastructure, and technology have a direct impact on perceptions of quality (Joseph, Mullen, & Spake, 2012). In HEIs, the relationship between branding and service quality emphasizes how crucial it is to meet beyond students' expectations to improve an institution's standing in the marketplace (Alshurideh, Alhadid, & Al Kurdi, 2015). The brand strength plays a vital role in attracting students, faculty, and industry partnerships, thereby amplifying the institution's market presence.
Scope of the study
The branding of management institutes is critical in today’s highly competitive educational landscape. Service quality factors play a significant role in shaping the brand image of these institutes, influencing both their reputation and attractiveness to prospective students. This study explores the various dimensions of service quality such as ‘reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness’ that impact the branding of management institutes, focusing on aspects such as academic quality, administrative efficiency, infrastructure, student support services, and overall student satisfaction. A positive service experience can lead to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth, which are crucial for building a strong and sustainable brand. In this research article, the authors did not include empathy dimension.
Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
Service Quality Gaps Model
The focal point of Parasuraman’s Gap Model and SERVQUAL Scale is also on the functional aspect of quality (Gronroos, 1984). Parasuraman et al. (1985) proposed that prior to encountering any service, customers come with certain expectations which is compared to those with the actual experience or perception after receiving the service. Given below is the famous ‘Gaps Model, proposed by (Parasuraman et al., 1985a) which highlights the key essentials for delivering a high level of service quality by identifying five ‘gaps’ that can result in unsuccessful delivery of service.
Source: SERVQUAL model by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985)
Gap 1: Knowledge Gap or Customer expectation - management perception gap.
Gap 2: Standard Gap or Management perception - service quality specifications gap.
Gap 3: Delivery Gap or Service quality specification - service delivery gap.
Gap 4: Communication Gap or Service delivery - external communication gap.
Gap 5: Expected service - perceived service gap.
Gap 5 addresses the difference between the consumer’s expectation and perceived service. It depends on the size and direction of the four gaps associated with the delivery of service quality on the marketer’s side.
Perception Expectation Gap Measurement (SERVQUAL Model)
The SERVQUAL scale has been proposed by Parasuraman et al. (1988) for measuring Gap 5. Parasuraman et al. (1985) identified ten factors for evaluating service quality. However, due to high correlation between some of these dimensions, ten dimensions were simplified and reduced to five dimensions naming tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The convergence of five variables has been confirmed by various researchers (Carman, 1990; Cronin & Taylor, 1992).
Rapid deregulation and increased competition have prompted service organizations to look for lucrative methods to set themselves apart. Effective student relationship management (SRM) practices significantly raise student and parent happiness that leads to better retention, advocacy, and institutional success (Talereja, B., et al, 2024). Service quality and student loyalty are significantly positively correlated (Shurair and Pokharel, 2019) which also demonstrates that there is a statistically significant relationship between the institution's reputation and perceived service quality, as well as between the institution's student culture and values and overall service quality. Delivering superior service quality appears to be a prerequisite for success, if not survival, of such businesses in the 1980s and beyond. Several research articles delved with the famous SERVQUAL Model which were used to study the quality parameters of various service industries. In the study carried out by (Sahney, S., 2016) results of several approaches were combined and put out as a comprehensive TQM model for higher education which assisted in identifying the quality components that would aid in the design of higher education from the customer perspectives.
Reliability is the service provider’s ability to deliver the promised service dependably and accurately (Smith et al., 2007) wherein it was stated that assurance is the competency and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Tangible is the physical evidence of the service and relates to the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials (Suresh Chandar et al., 2002). Empathy is the ease of access, caring and individualized attention provided by the service firm to each customer (Robledo, 2001). Responsiveness is the firm’s willingness or commitment to help customers and provide prompt service (Buttle, 1996). Providing excellent customer service is one tactic that has been linked to these companies' success (Rudie and Wansley 1985; Thompson, et al, 1985).
If the experience/perception meets or exceeds the expectation of the consumer then he is assumed to be satisfied whereas, if the perception is less than expectations, then the consumer is dissatisfied. Mathematically, service quality is equal to the difference between the perception and expectations, i.e., Service Quality = Perceptions – Expectations. Parasuraman et al. (1988) contended that the SERVQUAL instrument could be used to assess service quality in most service organizations. The authors of this article listed down some of these research papers which are mentioned below in Table 1.
Table 1: Research Papers on SERVICE and SERVQUAL
|
Sr. No. |
Researcher |
Period of Study |
Instrument Used |
Tools Used for Analysis |
Conclusion on Dimensions of Service Quality |
|
1 |
R. Mehta |
2024 |
Modified SERVQUAL scale with added dimensions for online platforms |
Multi-level regression analysis |
Findings highlighted that reliability and security are the most significant factors affecting online service quality . |
|
2 |
N. Gupta |
2023 |
Questionnaire with dimensions of perceived value and trust |
Path analysis |
Results indicated that trust and perceived value are critical dimensions influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. |
|
3 |
J. Sharma & A. Das |
2021 |
SERVQUAL scale with additional dimensions of technology |
Structural Equation Modelling |
The study revealed that technological advancements in service delivery significantly enhance customer satisfaction in urban areas. |
|
4 |
K. Madavan & Dr. C. Vethirajan |
2020 |
Questionnaire with five-point Likert's scale |
Structural Equation Modelling |
It was revealed by the findings that factors of E-service quality affect customer satisfaction. |
|
5 |
D. Srinivas |
2018 |
SERVQUAL scale |
Percentage analysis |
Study found that responsiveness and empathy are the main dimensions for poor quality of services. |
|
6 |
K. Kelil |
2019 |
SERVPERF Scale |
Descriptive statistics with linear regression |
The results indicate that customer satisfaction was affected by service quality positively. |
|
7 |
S. Malviya |
2016 |
Service quality questionnaire with 32 statements with seven-point Likert's scale |
Descriptive statistics with factor analysis |
The findings show that some factors like efficiency, assurance, and responsiveness are predictors of mobile banking in Indore. |
|
8 |
S. Vijay Anand |
2015 |
SERVQUAL scale |
Factor analysis & chi-square |
Results indicate that all dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale show a gap between customers' expectations and perceptions. |
|
9 |
M. Rajasekhar |
2015 |
E-SERVQUAL Model |
ANOVA, Factor analysis, and Regression |
Service quality of the bank will not be much important to the customers of rural areas. |
Table 2: Factors Influencing Brand Building Table 2: Factors Influencing Brand Building
|
Sr. No. |
Name of the Researcher |
Period of Study |
Variables / Factors influencing Brand Building |
Research Gap |
|
1 |
Singh, N. |
2024 |
AI-driven tools for teaching |
The study focused primarily on urban areas and did not address the branding challenges faced by regional and rural HEIs. |
|
2 |
Kumar, R. & Sharma, M. |
2023 |
• Industry-academia collaboration |
The study focused on technology's role in brand building but lacked analysis of cultural and regional influences on HEI branding in rural India. |
|
3 |
Verma, Akansha |
2022 |
• Institutional autonomy |
The study is conducted only for colleges affiliated o University of Mumbai in geographical area of Mumbai. It can we undertaken to consider deemed universities, open universities and private universities in the same region. |
|
4 |
Abbas,J.
|
2020
|
• Teaching quality |
The existing literature lacks to provide qualitative data on SQ in HEIs from students’ perspectives in Asian countries including India. |
|
5 |
Anupal Mongia |
2020 |
• Quality of faculty |
The present study was concerned only with the management colleges affiliated under Devi Ahilya' University in management stream in Indore city. It emphasis on image building of the management institutes with only 8 factors taken into consideration. Other factors such as syllabus, examination, and social factors which exert impact on the students and academic professionals is not taken into consideration. |
|
6 |
Ana Claudia Braun Endo, Luiz Alberto de Farias, Pedro Simoes Coelho |
2019 |
• Combination of services offered • Brand reputation • Leadership involvement • Framing and implementation of strategic guidelines • Strong value propositions and credibility |
This study can be conducted with more variables of service quality affecting branding of higher education institutes. |
|
7 |
Holkar, Smita
|
2016 |
• Student performance |
This study is conducted on engineering colleges. The impact of this study on management colleges can be considered for further studies. |
|
8 |
Nair, Neela B |
2011 |
• Reliability |
This study can be conducted for Mumbai and Pune region which pockets maximum number of B schools in India. |
|
9 |
Rajalakshmi, P |
2011 |
• Placement |
It focussed on total quality management principles among higher education institutes specifically located in Uttar Pradesh. |
Source: Authors’ Compilation
Education is a significant institution and transition to a knowledge-based economy makes education noteworthy because of which, students are becoming increasingly more concerned as consumers of higher education institution (Khanchitpol, Y., 2013). Indian education system is multifaceted; the focal point encompasses quality, accessibility, obstacles, legislative changes, and expectations for the future. An institution may build a feeling of community and loyalty among stakeholders and draw in students, staff, and money with the support of a great brand. The calibre of services offered by management institutes greatly influences their branding in a fiercely competitive market of higher education institutions (HEIs). The brand image and reputation of management institutes are highly influenced by service quality elements such as tangibility, dependability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Strong word-of-mouth is boosted, and the chances of student retention and future enrolment are increased when high service quality adds to student contentment and loyalty. Management institutes that prioritize providing superior service quality services are more likely to have a strong brand identity, enhancing their ability to compete in the market. (Foroudi et al., 2017)While dependability and timeliness in academic services foster trust in the institution's brand, tangible factors like the condition of facilities, infrastructure, and technology have a direct impact on perceptions of quality (Joseph, Mullen, & Spake, 2012). In HEIs, the relationship between branding and service quality emphasizes how crucial it is to meet beyond students' expectations to improve an institution's standing in the marketplace (Alshurideh, Alhadid, & Al Kurdi, 2015). The brand strength plays a vital role in attracting students, faculty, and industry partnerships, thereby amplifying the institution's market presence.
Scope of the study
The branding of management institutes is critical in today’s highly competitive educational landscape. Service quality factors play a significant role in shaping the brand image of these institutes, influencing both their reputation and attractiveness to prospective students. This study explores the various dimensions of service quality such as ‘reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness’ that impact the branding of management institutes, focusing on aspects such as academic quality, administrative efficiency, infrastructure, student support services, and overall student satisfaction. A positive service experience can lead to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth, which are crucial for building a strong and sustainable brand. In this research article, the authors did not include empathy dimension.
Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
Service Quality Gaps Model
The focal point of Parasuraman’s Gap Model and SERVQUAL Scale is also on the functional aspect of quality (Gronroos, 1984). Parasuraman et al. (1985) proposed that prior to encountering any service, customers come with certain expectations which is compared to those with the actual experience or perception after receiving the service. Given below is the famous ‘Gaps Model, proposed by (Parasuraman et al., 1985a) which highlights the key essentials for delivering a high level of service quality by identifying five ‘gaps’ that can result in unsuccessful delivery of service.
Source: SERVQUAL model by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985)
Gap 1: Knowledge Gap or Customer expectation - management perception gap.
Gap 2: Standard Gap or Management perception - service quality specifications gap.
Gap 3: Delivery Gap or Service quality specification - service delivery gap.
Gap 4: Communication Gap or Service delivery - external communication gap.
Gap 5: Expected service - perceived service gap.
Gap 5 addresses the difference between the consumer’s expectation and perceived service. It depends on the size and direction of the four gaps associated with the delivery of service quality on the marketer’s side.
Perception Expectation Gap Measurement (SERVQUAL Model)
The SERVQUAL scale has been proposed by Parasuraman et al. (1988) for measuring Gap 5. Parasuraman et al. (1985) identified ten factors for evaluating service quality. However, due to high correlation between some of these dimensions, ten dimensions were simplified and reduced to five dimensions naming tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The convergence of five variables has been confirmed by various researchers (Carman, 1990; Cronin & Taylor, 1992).
Rapid deregulation and increased competition have prompted service organizations to look for lucrative methods to set themselves apart. Effective student relationship management (SRM) practices significantly raise student and parent happiness that leads to better retention, advocacy, and institutional success (Talereja, B., et al, 2024). Service quality and student loyalty are significantly positively correlated (Shurair and Pokharel, 2019) which also demonstrates that there is a statistically significant relationship between the institution's reputation and perceived service quality, as well as between the institution's student culture and values and overall service quality. Delivering superior service quality appears to be a prerequisite for success, if not survival, of such businesses in the 1980s and beyond. Several research articles delved with the famous SERVQUAL Model which were used to study the quality parameters of various service industries. In the study carried out by (Sahney, S., 2016) results of several approaches were combined and put out as a comprehensive TQM model for higher education which assisted in identifying the quality components that would aid in the design of higher education from the customer perspectives.
Reliability is the service provider’s ability to deliver the promised service dependably and accurately (Smith et al., 2007) wherein it was stated that assurance is the competency and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Tangible is the physical evidence of the service and relates to the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials (Suresh Chandar et al., 2002). Empathy is the ease of access, caring and individualized attention provided by the service firm to each customer (Robledo, 2001). Responsiveness is the firm’s willingness or commitment to help customers and provide prompt service (Buttle, 1996). Providing excellent customer service is one tactic that has been linked to these companies' success (Rudie and Wansley 1985; Thompson, et al, 1985).
If the experience/perception meets or exceeds the expectation of the consumer then he is assumed to be satisfied whereas, if the perception is less than expectations, then the consumer is dissatisfied. Mathematically, service quality is equal to the difference between the perception and expectations, i.e., Service Quality = Perceptions – Expectations. Parasuraman et al. (1988) contended that the SERVQUAL instrument could be used to assess service quality in most service organizations. The authors of this article listed down some of these research papers which are mentioned below in Table 1.
Table 1: Research Papers on SERVICE and SERVQUAL
|
Sr. No. |
Researcher |
Period of Study |
Instrument Used |
Tools Used for Analysis |
Conclusion on Dimensions of Service Quality |
|
1 |
R. Mehta |
2024 |
Modified SERVQUAL scale with added dimensions for online platforms |
Multi-level regression analysis |
Findings highlighted that reliability and security are the most significant factors affecting online service quality . |
|
2 |
N. Gupta |
2023 |
Questionnaire with dimensions of perceived value and trust |
Path analysis |
Results indicated that trust and perceived value are critical dimensions influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. |
|
3 |
J. Sharma & A. Das |
2021 |
SERVQUAL scale with additional dimensions of technology |
Structural Equation Modelling |
The study revealed that technological advancements in service delivery significantly enhance customer satisfaction in urban areas. |
|
4 |
K. Madavan & Dr. C. Vethirajan |
2020 |
Questionnaire with five-point Likert's scale |
Structural Equation Modelling |
It was revealed by the findings that factors of E-service quality affect customer satisfaction. |
|
5 |
D. Srinivas |
2018 |
SERVQUAL scale |
Percentage analysis |
Study found that responsiveness and empathy are the main dimensions for poor quality of services. |
|
6 |
K. Kelil |
2019 |
SERVPERF Scale |
Descriptive statistics with linear regression |
The results indicate that customer satisfaction was affected by service quality positively. |
|
7 |
S. Malviya |
2016 |
Service quality questionnaire with 32 statements with seven-point Likert's scale |
Descriptive statistics with factor analysis |
The findings show that some factors like efficiency, assurance, and responsiveness are predictors of mobile banking in Indore. |
|
8 |
S. Vijay Anand |
2015 |
SERVQUAL scale |
Factor analysis & chi-square |
Results indicate that all dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale show a gap between customers' expectations and perceptions. |
|
9 |
M. Rajasekhar |
2015 |
E-SERVQUAL Model |
ANOVA, Factor analysis, and Regression |
Service quality of the bank will not be much important to the customers of rural areas. |
Table 2: Factors Influencing Brand Building Table 2: Factors Influencing Brand Building
|
Sr. No. |
Name of the Researcher |
Period of Study |
Variables / Factors influencing Brand Building |
Research Gap |
|
1 |
Singh, N. |
2024 |
AI-driven tools for teaching |
The study focused primarily on urban areas and did not address the branding challenges faced by regional and rural HEIs. |
|
2 |
Kumar, R. & Sharma, M. |
2023 |
• Industry-academia collaboration |
The study focused on technology's role in brand building but lacked analysis of cultural and regional influences on HEI branding in rural India. |
|
3 |
Verma, Akansha |
2022 |
• Institutional autonomy |
The study is conducted only for colleges affiliated o University of Mumbai in geographical area of Mumbai. It can we undertaken to consider deemed universities, open universities and private universities in the same region. |
|
4 |
Abbas,J.
|
2020
|
• Teaching quality |
The existing literature lacks to provide qualitative data on SQ in HEIs from students’ perspectives in Asian countries including India. |
|
5 |
Anupal Mongia |
2020 |
• Quality of faculty |
The present study was concerned only with the management colleges affiliated under Devi Ahilya' University in management stream in Indore city. It emphasis on image building of the management institutes with only 8 factors taken into consideration. Other factors such as syllabus, examination, and social factors which exert impact on the students and academic professionals is not taken into consideration. |
|
6 |
Ana Claudia Braun Endo, Luiz Alberto de Farias, Pedro Simoes Coelho |
2019 |
• Combination of services offered • Brand reputation • Leadership involvement • Framing and implementation of strategic guidelines • Strong value propositions and credibility |
This study can be conducted with more variables of service quality affecting branding of higher education institutes. |
|
7 |
Holkar, Smita
|
2016 |
• Student performance |
This study is conducted on engineering colleges. The impact of this study on management colleges can be considered for further studies. |
|
8 |
Nair, Neela B |
2011 |
• Reliability |
This study can be conducted for Mumbai and Pune region which pockets maximum number of B schools in India. |
|
9 |
Rajalakshmi, P |
2011 |
• Placement |
It focussed on total quality management principles among higher education institutes specifically located in Uttar Pradesh. |
Source: Authors’ Compilation
The analysis confirms that Responsiveness, Tangibility, Assurance, and Reliability significantly influence their respective branding perceptions (BResponsiveness, BTangibility, BAssurance, and BReliability). Assurance has the strongest impact, explaining 41.8% of BAssurance’s variance, while Responsiveness (28%), Tangibility (24%), and Reliability (12.5%) also play crucial roles. All regression models are statistically significant, with no multicollinearity or residual issues, ensuring reliable and valid results. Branding efforts significantly enhance customer perceptions across all dimensions, reinforcing the importance of strategic brand positioning.
Recommendations and Practical Implications
Prioritize Assurance in Branding – Since Assurance has the highest impact, service industries, especially the management institutions need to emphasize trust, expertise, and credibility in branding strategies.
Enhance Responsiveness for Stronger Brand Perception – HEIs should focus on quick response times, keeping the customer engaged to boost branding effectiveness.
Improve Tangibility Elements – Investing in tangible assets such as infrastructure, service environments, visual branding, and product presentation which positively impact brand perception.
Strengthen Reliability through Consistency – Building customer trust through consistent service delivery, and clear brand positioning shall reinforce reliability perceptions.
Integrated Branding Strategy- A holistic approach that combines responsiveness, tangibility, assurance and reliability will maximize branding impact and customer trust.
Reliability moderately predicts BReliability, explaining 12.5% of variance, emphasizing the role of branding in strengthening reliability perceptions. Responsiveness significantly predicts BResponsiveness, explaining 28% of its variance, with no statistical issues, making it a key factor in branding. Tangibility moderately predicts BTangibility, accounting for 24% of variance, confirming its role in shaping branding perception. Assurance strongly predicts BAssurance, with a high correlation (r = 0.646) and 41.8% variance explained, highlighting its critical importance.
Overall, branding effectively enhances perceptions across all dimensions, with Assurance having the strongest impact, reinforcing its strategic significance.
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