African Journal of
Business Management

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Bus. Manage.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1993-8233
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJBM
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 4188

Full Length Research Paper

Identifying critical service quality attributes for higher education in hospitality and tourism: Applications of the Kano model and importance-performance analysis (IPA)

  Nien-Te Kuo1*, Kuo-Chien Chang2 and Chia-Hui Lai1  
  1Department of Tourism Management, Ming Chuan University, 5 De Ming Rd., Gui Shan District, Taoyuan County 333, Taiwan, R.O.C. 2Department of Sports, Health and Leisure, Chihlee Institute of Technology, No. 313, Sec. 1, Wunhua Rd., Banciao City, Taipei County 220, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 28 July 2011
  •  Published: 30 November 2011

Abstract

 

This study aims to identify critical education elements using the Kano model andimportance-performance analysis (IPA), and thus provide recommendations for college hospitality and tourism programmes. It makes an empirical contribution to the question of quality in hospitality and tourism education. The population sampled was hospitality and tourism students in higher education. A total of 338 valid questionnaires were collected, with a response rate of 61.4%. The results suggest that education elements can be categorized by their different quality attributes. The two most important elements perceived by students were, 1) teachers assess the academic performance of students in a true, correct, and reasonable way, and 2) teachers can provide students with information on future employment’.

 

Key words: Hospitality and tourism higher education, SERVQUAL, Kano’s model, IPA.