Article: Analysis of the gap between customers' perceptions and employees' expectations of service quality based on fuzzy SERVQUAL logic (case study: Mofid children's hospital in Tehran, Iran) Journal: International Journal of Services and Operations Management (IJSOM) 2014 Vol.17 No.2 pp.119 - 141 Abstract: Due to the importance of transcendental service quality in achieving success, the question that is always asked is, 'how can the service quality in hospital businesses be assessed?'. The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the factors affecting hospitals' service quality besides assessing the presence or absence of dissension among patients' perspectives and staffs' viewpoints. After studying the literature, the factors affecting hospitals' service quality are identified and the significance of these factors has been examined from the perspective of patients and staff through a questionnaire. Statistical tests and analysis revealed significant differences between the patients' perspectives and staffs' viewpoints on the provided services. Assessing service quality using the fuzzy SERVQUAL model showed that although staff, in comparison to patients, considered the current service unfavourable, the patients evaluated the available service quality was higher than the average level. On this basis and according to the patients' viewpoints, these three following factors were identified as the most essential components for improving and developing the hospitals' businesses. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Analysis of the gap between customers' perceptions and employees' expectations of service quality based on fuzzy SERVQUAL logic (case study: Mofid children's hospital in Tehran, Iran)

Authors: Maryam Mashhadiabdol; Seyed Mojtaba Sajadi; Kambiz Talebi

Addresses: Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Farshi St. (16th), Karegar e Shomali St., Tehran, Iran ' Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Farshi St. (16th), Karegar e Shomali St., Tehran, Iran ' Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Farshi St. (16th), Karegar e Shomali St., Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Due to the importance of transcendental service quality in achieving success, the question that is always asked is, 'how can the service quality in hospital businesses be assessed?'. The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the factors affecting hospitals' service quality besides assessing the presence or absence of dissension among patients' perspectives and staffs' viewpoints. After studying the literature, the factors affecting hospitals' service quality are identified and the significance of these factors has been examined from the perspective of patients and staff through a questionnaire. Statistical tests and analysis revealed significant differences between the patients' perspectives and staffs' viewpoints on the provided services. Assessing service quality using the fuzzy SERVQUAL model showed that although staff, in comparison to patients, considered the current service unfavourable, the patients evaluated the available service quality was higher than the average level. On this basis and according to the patients' viewpoints, these three following factors were identified as the most essential components for improving and developing the hospitals' businesses.

Keywords: hospital businesses; service quality; patients; hospital staff; customer perceptions; employee expectations; fuzzy SERVQUAL; childrens hospital; Iran; healthcare services.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2014.058840

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2014 Vol.17 No.2, pp.119 - 141

Published online: 17 Jun 2014 *

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Title: Analysis of the gap between customers' perceptions and employees' expectations of service quality based on fuzzy SERVQUAL logic (case study: Mofid children's hospital in Tehran, Iran)

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