HEdPERF versus SERVPERF The quest for ideal measuring instrument of service quality in higher education sector

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to empirically test a new industry-specific scale, HEdPERF (Higher Education PERFormance) to capture the authentic determinants of service quality within higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach - The primary goal of this research was to test and compare the relative efficacy of HEdPERF against SERVPERF in order to determine which instrument had the superior measuring capability. Findings -In terms of unidimensionality, reliability, and validity, HEdPERF explained variance within the higher education setting better in comparison to SERVPERF. Research limitations/implications - Since this study only examined the respective utilities of each instrument within a single industry, in only one national setting, any suggestion that the HEdPERF is generally superior would still be premature. Practical implications - The current findings do provide some important insights into how the instruments of service quality compare with one another, in a typical higher education context. Originality/value - An attempt is made in the paper, to develop critical insights into comparative evaluation of service quality measurement instruments.