Service Quality of On-Campus Student Housing: A South African Experience

Abstract

This study adds to the service quality literature on student housing, particularly within a South African context. The study proposes and confirms a modified model of SERVQUAL and assesses the quality of on-campus student housing at a South African university based on 430 respondents’ expectations and perceptions. Exploratory, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses performed as part of the data analysis confirmed that on-campus student housing service quality can be viewed as a second-order construct defined by four first-order dimensions: interaction, empathy, general amenities, and room amenities. T-tests and ANOVA tests show that neither age nor gender relates significantly to service quality perceptions. The data also reveal a four-tier structure of service quality which can guide residence managers in allocating limited resources to those service dimensions students regard as most important, but least satisfactory.