Title: Prioritisation of departments based on service quality dimensions in Isfahan Steel Company: a multiple criteria decision making approach

Authors: Arash Shahin; Elham Mehrparvar; Hadi Shirouyehzad

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Hezar Jarib St., 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran. ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran. ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: Customer satisfaction depends on service quality and service quality in turn is dependent on personnel satisfaction. Personnel satisfaction is also dependent on internal service quality (ISQ) among departments. In this study, the ISQ of service departments has been assessed in Isfahan Steel Company (ISC). For this purpose, service quality gaps are evaluated based on the standard SERVQUAL instrument, the ISQ is measured and analysed at transportation, restaurant and socio-cultural departments of the company. TOPSIS Technique has been used to prioritise service quality gaps. Findings imply that there is a significant gap between perceived and expected quality in the studied service departments. Also, socio-cultural and transportation departments have had the highest and lowest ranks, respectively. In addition, tangibles, empathy, responsiveness, assurance and reliability dimensions have had the highest to the lowest priorities in the service departments of ISC.

Keywords: internal service quality; SERVQUAL; reliability responsiveness competence access courtesy communication credibility security customers tangibility; TOPSIS; order preference; similarity; ideal situations; service departments; service quality dimensions; prioritisation; Iran; departmental prioritisation; Esfahan Steel Company; Isfahan Steel Company; multicriteria decision making; MCDM; customer satisfaction; personnel satisfaction; transportation departments; staff restaurants; socio-cultural departments; perceived quality; expected quality; tangibles; empathy; assurance; productivity management; quality management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2013.050571

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2013 Vol.11 No.1, pp.116 - 130

Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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