AN EMPIRICAL MODEL OF STUDENT SATISFACTION: CASE OF PAKISTANI PUBLIC SECTOR BUSINESS SCHOOLS

Quality is key determinant for customers before purchasing a product or availing any type of service and it also plays a significant role in measuring the performance of product/service and the organization as well. This issue has realized the organizations from manufacturing and service sector, how to compete and gain competitive edge in the market by delivering quality product or services as per customer requirements. These organizations had integrated quality management principles and quality tools and techniques to gain competitive edge. Education sector is also among the service sector and considered to be the back bone and major contributor in national and economic development. Quality education is also a challenge for the universities and also many of the universities around globe are putting their efforts to deliver quality of educational services to their customers to gain their satisfaction. In Pakistan, service sector is one of the rapidly growing sectors contributing more than 53% of GDP. To gain competitive edge these service organizations require knowledgeable and highly skilled management professionals to cope up with these challenges. This study aims to investigate the service quality of business schools in public sector and how these institutions are successful in gaining student satisfaction.A modified SERVQUAL instrument is used to evaluate the service quality of four business schools working under public sector universities based on student perceptions.Total 501 students from 4 public sector business schools participated in this study. Structure equation modeling was used to develop service quality and student satisfaction model. Results of this study indicate that business schools are successful in gaining student satisfaction.