Title: Mediation effect of service quality between service innovation and customer word-of-mouth in Indian higher education system

Authors: Sridhar Manohar

Addresses:

Abstract: This study attempts to test the impact of service innovation on external perspective intermediate constructs of SPC framework that would help in enhancing positive word-of-mouth (WOM) of an educational institution. Further, the study efforts to estimate the mediating effect of service quality. Under descriptive research through survey method a sample of 355 final year under-graduate/masters programs were approached to register their opinion on the constructs. Visual PLS, software tool was used to test the causal relationship and Sobel's test was used for the mediation analysis. The result exhibits that there is a combined positive effect of service innovation-service quality on the customers' WOM. The outcome further indicates that service quality acts as a perfect mediator between service innovation and customers' WOM. The decision makers of education service sector can understand that if they frequently introduce service innovation with improved quality that would result in students spreading positive WOM.

Keywords: service innovation; service quality; word of mouth; service profit chain; education system.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2018.094701

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2018 Vol.16 No.2, pp.127 - 148

Received: 22 Mar 2017
Accepted: 03 Aug 2017

Published online: 12 Sep 2018 *

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