Assessing clients’ satisfaction with the service quality of construction consultants in Lagos, Nigeria
12 Apr 2019-African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (Routledge)-Vol. 11, Iss: 6, pp 771-779
TL;DR: The service quality of consultants plays an important role in enhancing the success of construction projects as discussed by the authors, and the study aims to determine the gaps between the clients' observed and expected service.
Abstract: The service quality of consultants plays an important role in enhancing the success of construction projects. The study aims to determine the gaps between the clients’ observed and expected service...
Citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the level of implementation of ISO 9001 in Jordanian consulting engineering firms and to what extent does the implementation effectiveness affect the success of the construction projects were studied and identified.
Abstract: PurposeThis paper aims at studying the level of implementation of ISO 9001 in Jordanian consulting engineering firms and to what extent does the implementation effectiveness affect the success of the construction projects. Moreover, the paper seeks to identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that directly influence the ISO 9001 effectiveness in Jordanian consulting engineering firms.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was constructed and distributed to a sample of 125 employees from six ISO 9001-consulting firms. After collecting the data, exploratory factor analysis was utilized to validate the latent constructs (CSFs, ISO 9001 Effectiveness, and Firm Performance).FindingsThe findings suggest that firms experience a high level of ISO 9001 effectiveness. Moreover, among the five identified CSFs; employee attributes, external environmental pressure and quality system attribute had a significant impact on the ISO 9001 effectiveness, while internal motivation and firm attributes were insignificant.Originality/valueThe significance of this study lies in exploring such topic in the developing countries, since most of current studies were focused on developed contexts such as the USA and UK. Therefore, this research acts as a response to calls in the current literature regarding considering different industries and contexts.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a cross-sectional survey of public sector clients in Nigeria was conducted to ascertain the influence of the factors on client satisfaction, and the results proved that the criteria for the selection of consultants can be grouped into service delivery approach, relationship with the client, the caliber of personnel, firm reputation and firm certification.
Abstract:
Purpose
To receive a satisfactory consultancy service, a construction client must first select suitable consultants. While numerous criteria for the selection of construction consultants have been suggested in the literature, their influence on client satisfaction has hardly been statistically established. This study aimed to reduce the criteria for the selection of construction consultants into a more manageable set of fewer factors and ascertain the influence of the factors on client satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered through a purposively administered cross-sectional survey of public sector clients in Nigeria. Analyzes were done using relative importance index, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis.
Findings
The results proved that the criteria for the selection of consultants can, in the order of decreasing influence on client satisfaction, be grouped into service delivery approach (SDA), relationship with the client, the caliber of personnel, firm reputation and firm certification. However, SDA is more influential on client satisfaction. All the factors were found to have significant statistical effects on clients’ overall satisfaction with consultancy services.
Originality/value
The study demonstrates the extent to which construction consultant selection criteria are relevant to client satisfaction. It shows that SDA is the most important predictor of clients’ satisfaction with consultancy services. The results are helpful for grouping consultant selection criteria in future studies, and in guiding clients on the weights to assign to consultant selection criteria during tender evaluation.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of consultant services engineers in the construction process is pivotal as they make significant contributions towards successful delivery of construction projects, and are responsible for successful construction projects.
Abstract: The role of consultant services engineers in the construction process is pivotal as they make significant contributions towards successful delivery of construction projects. They are responsible fo...
1 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors investigated the dynamics of online shopping focusing on mediation analysis of customer satisfaction on e-service quality and purchase intention, and found that system availability, efficiency, responsiveness, fulfilment, privacy and compensation can be collectively used to measure electronic service dimensions in online shopping.
Abstract: The study investigated the dynamics of online shopping focusing on mediation analysis of customer satisfaction on e-service quality and purchase intention. The study used a cross-sectional quantitative method where 324 responses were collected through a self-administered online survey questionnaire from South African consumers. The findings revealed that system availability, efficiency, responsiveness, fulfilment, privacy and compensation can be collectively used to measure electronic service dimensions in online shopping. These dimensions have a statistically significant relationship with purchase intention, while customer satisfaction has a mediation effect on the relationship. Customer satisfaction has a full mediation effect on the relationship between electronic service quality dimensions, compensation and privacy and trust with purchase intention and partial mediation between electronic service quality dimensions, responsiveness, efficiency and system availability with purchase intention. These findings inform businesses that are using online shopping platforms and assist them in prioritizing their resources. The contribution of the research is the use of the value-percept paradigm that is enhanced by importance-analysis within customer satisfaction as a mediator on e-service quality and purchase intention. This underpins the importance of customers' values and, more importantly, a 'customized' customer, where 'one size fit all' is diminishing during the time of technological advances.
References
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Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the development of a 22-item instrument (called SERVQUAL) for assessing customer perceptions of service quality in service and retailing organizations, and the procedures used in constructing and refining a multiple-item scale to measure the construct are described.
Abstract: This paper describes the development of a 22-item instrument (called SERVQUAL) for assessing customer perceptions of service quality in service and retailing organizations. After a discussion of the conceptualization and operationalization of the service quality construct, the procedures used in constructing and refining a multiple-item scale to measure the construct are described. Evidence of the scale's reliability, factor structure, and validity on the basis of analyzing data from four independent samples is presented next. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential applications of the scale.
21,693 citations
"Assessing clients’ satisfaction wit..." refers methods in this paper
...It is important to note that service quality is best measured through the SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988)....
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...According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988), SERVQUAL is an instrument developed for assessing clients’ perceptions of service quality....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors question the economic benefits of improving customer satisfaction and question whether there are economic benefits to improving quality and customer satisfaction, and they also question the link between quality and satisfaction.
Abstract: Are there economic benefits to improving customer satisfaction? Many firms that are frustrated in their efforts to improve quality and customer satisfaction are beginning to question the link betwe...
5,428 citations
"Assessing clients’ satisfaction wit..." refers background in this paper
...It is important to note that service quality and clients’ satisfaction are usually seen as very close concepts (Raboca 2006); nevertheless, other researchers have stressed that they are separate but related concepts (Anderson, Fornell, and Lehmann 1994)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed techniques for empirically analyzing demand and supply in differentiated products markets and then applied these techniques to analyze equilibrium in the U.S. automobile industry.
Abstract: This paper develops techniques for empirically analyzing demand and supply in differentiated products markets and then applies these techniques to analyze equilibrium in the U.S. automobile industry. Our primary goal is to present a framework which enables one to obtain estimates of demand and cost parameters for a class of oligopolistic differentiated products markets. These estimates can be obtained using only widely available product-level and aggregate consumer-level data, and they are consistent with a structural model of equilibrium in an oligopolistic industry. When we apply the tech- niques developed here to the U.S. automobile market, we obtain cost and demand parameters for (essentially) all models marketed over a twenty year period.
4,803 citations
"Assessing clients’ satisfaction wit..." refers background in this paper
...The service quality of construction consultant plays an important role in enhancing value and positively influences the success of consulting firms and construction projects (Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes 1995)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a methodology was developed to measure cost of quality failures in two major road projects, largely based upon a work-shadowing method, and the initial data were collected and categorised into definable groups and how the costs were estimated for each of these categories.
Abstract: A methodology was developed to measure cost of quality failures in two major road projects, largely based upon a work‐shadowing method. Shows how the initial data were collected and categorised into definable groups and how the costs were estimated for each of these categories. The findings suggest that, if the projects examined are typical, the cost of failures may be a significant percentage of total costs, and that conventional means of identifying them may not be reliable. Moreover, the costs will not be easy to eradicate without widespread changes in attitudes and norms of behaviour within the industry and improved managerial co‐ordination of activities throughout the supply chain.
199 citations
"Assessing clients’ satisfaction wit..." refers background in this paper
...According to Barber et al. (2000), delay, cost overrun, rework, variation, claims, and disputes to mention a few (which characterize many construction projects) can be traced to erroneous project designs and poor contract administration which are the core duties of construction consultants....
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TL;DR: The relationship between the criteria used by customers in choosing suppliers and the factors driving satisfaction are examined, and results of two studies of factors involved in contractor selection and satisfaction are reviewed as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Construction has typically been viewed as a production process, with the product being the completed facility. In addition to providing this product, contractors also provide service. Construction is examined in terms of the service product, service delivery, and service environment. The concept of service encounters is examined in the context of perceived quality and customer satisfaction. Determinants of service quality are analyzed in terms of how they influence perceived quality. The relationship between the criteria used by customers in choosing suppliers and the factors driving satisfaction are examined, and results of two studies of factors involved in contractor selection and satisfaction are reviewed. These factors are the contractor-customer relationship, the contractor's project management skills, the contractor's safety performance, whether the contractor has a prepared/skilled workforce, and the cost of the work.
162 citations
"Assessing clients’ satisfaction wit..." refers background in this paper
...Maloney (2002) asserted that clients can only be satisfied with their construction projects when the service quality of construction consultants exceeds or at least meets their expectations....
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...Consultants help to identify and minimize project risks for project owners, contractors, and subcontractors from the start of design to a project’s completion, with the aim of giving their clients value for money (Maloney 2002)....
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...Maloney (2002) noted that clients can determine the service quality of consultants by observing the following SERVQUAL criteria: access (opportunity to get in contact with the owner); communication (keeping clients informed about the project); competence (that the consultant shall provide skilled…...
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