An approach to evaluate service quality in polytechnic education institutes: a case study

The aims of the study are to identify and evaluate the quality of service perceived by students and teachers. Hypothesis have been formulated and tested to examine for service quality gaps in of polytechnic education institutes (PEIs) of Madhya Pradesh, India. A Kano methodology has been used to prioritise service quality factors. The SERVQUAL method has been used to identify the gap between service rendered and service as perceived by students and teachers. The hypothesis has been evaluated using statistical tools. It has been reported that there is significant difference between rendered service quality and expectations of students. There is a need of improvement in service quality factors such as academic excellence, library, infrastructure, career counselling, etc. Further, curriculum structure, physical entities, assessment, feedback and reward need to be improved to encourage more enrolment. The study may help polytechnic education planners, policymakers, practitioners, managers and administrators to improve the service quality in PEIs. The proposed study incorporates the expectations of students and teachers for improvement in service quality in PEIs.