Customers’ Perception of Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry in Nigeria

This research proposal aims to analyze the perception of service quality in the hospitality industry in Nigeria and its impact on the reputation of a hospitality unit. The study will use the SERVQUAL model to understand the various factors that contribute to capturing consumer perception regarding dimensions of service. The research methodology will include a survey and questionnaire method to collect primary data, and the data analysis procedure will be descriptive and statistical analysis. The study will follow ethical conducts and will not publish names or details of any participant.

M109SSL - The Postgraduate Research Project: Dissertation Route
INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL
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1. Title
Customers’ Perception of Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry in Nigeria
2. Background
Globalization and the advent of technology have transformed customers and their
expectations from different hospitality products (Wang, Chen & Chen, 2012). Various factors
have contributed to the growth and development of the hospitality industry. Most
important amongst them being customer expectations of various innovative services and
products. Customer satisfaction and positive customer review regarding their perception
of quality service at particular hospitality chains have acted as a decisive factor
contributing to the development of various innovative products and services within the
hospitality industry (Orfila-Sintes and Mattsson, 2009, pg. 380-394). Customer satisfaction
and management of such expectation plays a crucial role in determining the
sustainability of a hospitality unit. Customers comprise of the primary recipient of
services within the hospitality sector. Hospitality sector includes hotels and travel and
tourism sector. While hotels include star category rated hotels, unclassified hotels,
motels, lodges and homestays, restaurants and catering services. Travel and tourism
include cruises, air travel, fast food chains, coffee bars, tourism park or other places and
so on (Line & Runyan, 2012, pg. 477-488). The current scope of research includes hotels,
only from all hospitality units. Therefore the term hospitality will aim at indicating hotels
only. Customers in the hospitality industry are of various types and include leisure
visitors, official visitors, and visitors for other purposes. Perception of quality of service
can be measured in the hospitality sector by analyzing the feelings of customers and
attitude of customers and so on.
The SERVQUAL instruments provide a brief dimension of the various service factors that
contribute to capturing consumer perception regarding dimensions of service. These five
dimensions of service quality have helped determine ways in which customers are
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services within hospitality units (Jauhari and Bharwani, 2017, pg. 159-185). The SEVQUAL
dimensions include reliability, tangibles, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness. Such
service quality factors measurement in the hospitality industry offers a vast scope, hence
for this study cases for hospitality units in Nigeria has been selected only. The range of
the current study aims at discussing ways these various factors of service quality
measurements impacts customer’s perception towards the service quality. Nigeria is a
rapidly developing country with high business travelers (Ladhari, Souiden & Ladhari, 2011,
pg.111-124). With the growing hospitality industry within the state, it becomes integral
that the factors which affect it should be determined. Hospitality chains and units across
Nigeria can aim at designing products and services which enhances the perception of
service such that it can attract more tourists and business travelers. Thus, this study
aims to analyze users, implying a traveler's perception of service quality in the
hospitality industry in Nigeria to understand their impact on the reputation of a
hospitality unit.
3. Preliminary Review of the Literature
The hospitality industry in Nigeria is diverse and includes various star rated hotels, homestays,
resorts, restaurants, fast food chains, air travel, and various other tourism components. Service
quality within this diversified hospitality industry in Nigeria might be complicated to understand,
due to the presence of varied types of hospitality units present. Hospitality units such as rated
hotels, unclassified hotels, motels, lodges and homestays, restaurants and catering
services, have varying factors which determine their services. Hotels are trying to
augment customer satisfaction by focussing on the quality of service that they render to
customers. However, analyzing the perception of service quality from users includes the way they
receive products, services, responsiveness from these hospitality units (Ugboma, Ugboma &
Damachi, 2009, pg. 172-193). The SERVQUAL model is an empirical model of Zeithaml,
Parasurama, and Berry, and it is used for processing the customer's understanding of the relative
importance of the service's characteristics. Potential assets include tangibles, Reliability,
Assurance, Empathy and Responsiveness. The four substances identified by the developer of
SERVQUAL are detailed. For any hospitality unit in Nigeria, it can be said that the greatest of all
factors of SERVQUAL might serve to increase user perception of service quality.
Tangibles include the physical facilities, the appearance of personnel and equipment used to
service customers. Varied groups of hotels, homestays and other lodges or tourism places aim at
enhancing the tangibles to provide a positive connotation of their hospitality unit. The outlook for
star category hotels or branded hotels remains similar globally, while for boutique hotels or
homestays such tangible or appearances undergoes significant changes. Most stars rated hotels
make use of glass decoration for their outer building look so that customers can easily see through
and get an impression of the cleanliness at these hotels. They also make use of white bed sheets
and towels as proof of their purity. Reliability is the dimension that indicates a hospitality unit's
capability to provide a designated service dependably and accurately. Star category hotels and
cruises or other tourism activities offer more or less standardized services and products within their
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properties (Jakada & Gambo, 2014). There often appears to a mismatch in service quality that is
perceived by customers at non-star category rated travel and tourism locations. To enhance
reliability and communicate clarity of services, such hospitality units often ask for user ratings and
reviews on TripAdvisor. Trip Advisor is an American Company, which includes a description with the
evaluation, prices with facilities and features of hotels, stays and tourism properties. Most hotels
have their personalized websites with user ratings and comment such that new users can access
images and such scores before selecting their stays or visit with the hotel or tourism place. Ratings
over Trip Advisor or other websites such as Bookings.com and so on allows enhancement of service
quality perception to users. Though some claims reflect that users review sites censoring feedback
that favors them, yet they provide descriptive details of hospitality units.
Responsiveness is the hospitality unit's willingness to help customers in prompt services and
meeting to customer contingencies. Responsiveness might not at appear to be an essential factor
at the onset, but it is integral especially for tourists who are business travelers. Often business
travelers require various services to be provided to them responsibly and comprehensively.
Hospitality units which might be unable to cater to such responsiveness in service might lose out
on their rating and users trusts as well. Users might end up feeling dissatisfied which in turn might
hamper their perception of service quality at the said property or location. Assurance includes a
hospitality unit having the knowledge and courtesy from employees to be able to inspire trusts and
confidence amongst its users. It is expected that a hospitality unit needs to cater to its user's
services assuredly. Assurance enables the creation of trusts amongst users, and they refer to such
hospitality units to other friends and colleagues. But in the absence of confidence, a hospitality unit
might entirely lose out upon the reliance on the particular hospitality unit. Empathy is the caring
and individualized attention that a hospitality unit pays to each of its guests and customers. It is
the empathy component that is considered to be an integral component for the creation of a long
term and sustainable relationship of the hospitality unit with its users. Empathy is a core benefit
that attracts customers towards specific hospitality unit. Analysis of these various factors reveals
that SERVQUAL factors are necessary deterministic conditions which entail that users are invited to
a hospitality unit. The examination of customer's perception of service quality can enable the
determining of a hotel's reputation.
Literature Gap
The current study will aim at understanding how a user's perception of service quality is consistent
with the SERVQUAL factors identified. Analyzing the cultural factors prevalent in Nigeria, it can be
understood that there might be present a dimension of location or any other element which might
be directly enhancing customer satisfaction and enable the hotel to maintain their reputation.
Hotel departments can devise strategies that can meet and exceed customer satisfaction and deal
with customer complaints, allowing organization stability.
4. Research Question(s) and Research Objectives
The study conducted encompassing the entire hospitality industry in Nigeria. To conduct
this study, its aim was determined to be;
To analyze the user perception of service quality at the hospitality industry in Nigeria
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The study will encompass the following research objectives to achieve the above-stated
aims.
Research Aim 1: To understand the various products and services offered by the
hospitality unit
Research Aim 2: To analyze user perception of service which impacts repute at the
hospitality unit
Research Aim 3: To examine SERVQUAL factors of service quality perception of users in
Nigeria
For reaching the above research objectives, the following research questions need to be
answered;
Research Question 1: What are the various products and services provided by the
hospitality unit?
Research Question 1(a): What are the primary components of products?
Research Question 1(b): What are the primary components of services?
Research Question 1(c): What are the ratings of its various products and services?
Research Question 2: Who are the users at the hospitality unit?
Research Question 2(a): Who are the central travelers at the particular hospitality unit?
Research Question 2(b): What are the various products and services deemed necessary
for the users at these hospitality units?
Research Question 2(c): Are the users repeated travelers?
Research Question 3: What are the SERVQUAL factors adopted by the hospitality unit and
way it caters to them?
5. Research Methodology
Research processes contain techniques for collecting primary and secondary data on this
topic (Silverman, 2016). It can be said that the evaluation study described is a research
method that helps improve uncertainty and improve efficiency. The research method is
one of the most critical aspects of research processes. The current survey looked at the
hospitality industry in Nigeria to understand the user perception of service quality and its
impact on the reputation of a hotel. The study will undertake a systematic review of user
perception regarding the various factors in service quality which impact their
understanding.
The research philosophy helps to identify the background to particular research.
Research philosophy believes in collecting, analyzing and using results about the results.
According to Savin-Baden and Major (2013) positivism philosophy allows examination of the
study by way of observation. In this study, interpretivism of collected data is conducted
to arrive at its results. The research will aim at interpreting the user's perception of
service quality for the various hospitality units across Nigeria.
Research methods are of various types: a qualitative study online study, a qualitative
study for acquisition. The qualitative research method has different ways that differ from
one another but have similar characteristics. Similar studies are called fieldwork and
naturalistic research, retaining specific interpreters and ethnographic research (Denzin &
Lincoln, 2011). The scope of this study was an interpretation method. In the language of
the interpreter, a qualitative research strategy is systematically and deeply recorded in
scientific studies. The study mainly deals with the descriptive information on user
perception of service quality at the hospitality industry in Nigeria. Research approach of
inductive reasoning, initiating with observations and theories will be processed. The
research has collected data by questionnaire method from employees and managers
feedback. The researcher will adopt qualitative analysis and quantitative methods
including statistical data to analyze data collected and arrive at results (O’reilly & Parker,
2013, pg.190-197).
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In this study, the researcher also tried to investigate cases using descriptive
studies identified in the literature department, measuring and analyzing the situation in
the hotel. This study identifies the causes of the problem (Marshall & Rossman, 2014). The
research design for this study will aim at collecting data using a survey and questionnaire
method. There will usage of structured survey questions; the questionnaires will include
close-ended questions such that appropriate answers can be obtained for the same. The
data collected from the questionnaires and survey will be analyzed using descriptive
methods for qualitative data and quantitative data statistical methods will be applied.
Analytical tool using SPSS methods will be used for this undertaking quantitative analysis
for this study.
2. Data Considerations: Data Types and Collection Methods
The researcher will make use of primary data, first-hand data and use of secondary data
has been ignored in totality. The study will make use of qualitative data and quantitative
data. This will in accordance with the research procedure as this study will be focussed
on interpretivism to arrive at the results of the study. The study will conduct interviews
from various users including customers, tourists and frequent travelers of the hospitality
unit to arrive at the selected data set. The study will include 200 sets of qualitative data.
The researcher will design a questionnaire and brief the participants regarding the
study's objective. Then the participants will be asked to fill in the questionnaire. The
exclusion criteria for the data will arrive at once all the data has been collected and
reviewed appropriately.
3. Data Analysis Techniques
The study will make use of qualitative data and quantitative data hence the data analysis
procedure of the study will be descriptive analysis and statistical analysis. The researcher
is using SPSS and the interpretive analysis for arriving at results of the study.
The study will follow all possible ethical conducts. The participants of the study will be
briefed regarding the study procedure before they participate. The researcher will not
force any participant to take part in the research. The study will not publish names or
details of any participant.
6. Timeline of Project
GANTT
CHART
Research for analyzing the impact of performance
management in Nine Plus Boutique Hotel, Nigeria
Topic
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Research Proposal
Background
Problem Statement
& Research
Questions
Research
Methodology
Project Budget &
Schedule
Data Collection
Literature & Data
Analysis
Findings and
Analysis
Results and
Discussion
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Conclusion
7. References
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Jakada, B.A. and Gambo, K.K., 2014. A Conceptual Analysis of Market Orientation Philosophy in the
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