Developing a Service Quality Model for Private Higher Education Institutions in Lebanon

Objective - The objective of this study is to identify and implement the most suitable and prominent dimensions for service quality, which is key for the development of a successful model. Within a competitive academic environment, Lebanese higher education institutions are forced to develop their own dimensions of service quality and offer higher quality services than their competitors. Therefore, identifying the key dimensions of service quality in the Lebanese higher education sector is a priority for universities, to improve their overall services and maintain high levels of retention. The foremost condition to success is a well-developed service quality assessment process to evaluate university services. This paper aims to investigate the most effective service quality assessment tool for Lebanese universities, in addition to the corresponding dimensions of service quality and their impact on the satisfaction of the students. Methodology/Technique - This study undertakes a comprehensive review of recent studies dealing with different aspects of service quality models and the corresponding service quality dimensions are presented and discussed. Considering the proved and established qualities and capabilities of the SERVQUAL model and the urgent need for service quality assessment for private higher education institutions in Lebanon, a modified SERVQUAL model with seven dimensions is proposed and highlighted as a potential model for assessing service quality in the Lebanese higher education sector. Findings - Based on the comprehensive literature review carried out, it was noted that the SERVQUAL instrument is the most prominent model used in recent investigations to assess service quality in the higher education sector. Novelty - Choosing the proper and the most influential service quality model is one of the crucial challenges faced in higher education. Type of Paper: Review.