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An application of the rail-servqual model for improving service quality at a selected rail organisation in South Africa
Author(s)
Lukrozo, Zuko
Date Issued
2020
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
Transport availability and accessibility impact global development designs and can be a lift or
a snag to the financial development of the country. Therefore, it’s important to continuously
evaluate the service quality of any transport service to increase customer satisfaction.
Customers are becoming more conscious of their needs. Customer preferences and attitudes
are rapidly changing, making it more difficult for service providers to effectively and efficiently
assess and operate services. The purpose of the study was to measure the quality of service
delivered by the railway organisation, using the modified SERVQUAL approach
(RAILSERVQUAL), in South Africa for passenger rail to monitor and improve its services and
increase competitiveness among the transport industry. The study discussed the importance
of service quality within public transport, particularly the railway industry. The methods and
instruments applicable to evaluate the level of service quality within the railway industry were
also addressed.
This study employed a quantitative methodology to investigate the phenomena being
investigated. This research was undertaken ethically to protect all participants as well as the
integrity of the University which granted the ethical clearance before data collection proceeded.
A survey method was used to collect quantitative data from 110 respondents at different
junction stations. The survey aimed to identify the participant’s opinions regarding the service
quality of the passenger railway. The questionnaires were administered to conveniently
selected respondents based on their willingness to participate in the study. The data were
stored on the Microsoft Office Excel sheet before being imported into the statistic software kit
SPSS version 26. Thereafter a factor analysis and one-sample t-test were used to analyse
datasets for this study.
The key finding is that passengers perceived that the rail transport network in the Western
Cape did not meet their expectations. Passengers identified variables such as reliability, safety
and comfort which they perceive are of poor service. The RAILSERVQUAL measuring
instrument was tested in this study and it can be used for all the railway organisations in various
regions of South Africa. It further provides railway managers guidelines on how to monitor,
control, and enhance the service quality or performance and attractiveness. The study,
therefore, recommends that the railway organisation put strategies in place to address these
variables to improve customer satisfaction.
a snag to the financial development of the country. Therefore, it’s important to continuously
evaluate the service quality of any transport service to increase customer satisfaction.
Customers are becoming more conscious of their needs. Customer preferences and attitudes
are rapidly changing, making it more difficult for service providers to effectively and efficiently
assess and operate services. The purpose of the study was to measure the quality of service
delivered by the railway organisation, using the modified SERVQUAL approach
(RAILSERVQUAL), in South Africa for passenger rail to monitor and improve its services and
increase competitiveness among the transport industry. The study discussed the importance
of service quality within public transport, particularly the railway industry. The methods and
instruments applicable to evaluate the level of service quality within the railway industry were
also addressed.
This study employed a quantitative methodology to investigate the phenomena being
investigated. This research was undertaken ethically to protect all participants as well as the
integrity of the University which granted the ethical clearance before data collection proceeded.
A survey method was used to collect quantitative data from 110 respondents at different
junction stations. The survey aimed to identify the participant’s opinions regarding the service
quality of the passenger railway. The questionnaires were administered to conveniently
selected respondents based on their willingness to participate in the study. The data were
stored on the Microsoft Office Excel sheet before being imported into the statistic software kit
SPSS version 26. Thereafter a factor analysis and one-sample t-test were used to analyse
datasets for this study.
The key finding is that passengers perceived that the rail transport network in the Western
Cape did not meet their expectations. Passengers identified variables such as reliability, safety
and comfort which they perceive are of poor service. The RAILSERVQUAL measuring
instrument was tested in this study and it can be used for all the railway organisations in various
regions of South Africa. It further provides railway managers guidelines on how to monitor,
control, and enhance the service quality or performance and attractiveness. The study,
therefore, recommends that the railway organisation put strategies in place to address these
variables to improve customer satisfaction.
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020
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