Shahzaf Iqbal, Kamran Moosa and Che Azlan Bin Taib
This study aims to investigate the relationship between management support, quality infrastructure, staff training and the effectiveness of quality enhancement cells (QECs…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between management support, quality infrastructure, staff training and the effectiveness of quality enhancement cells (QECs) established in higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were acquired via a structured questionnaire dispatched to faculty members across 12 public and private universities, primarily situated in Punjab, Pakistan. Among the 200 questionnaires distributed, 180 were retrieved and 140 were deemed valid. The proposed relationships were examined using SPSS–25 and PLS–SEM.
Findings
The results show a positive and significant relationship between management support, quality infrastructure and staff training with QECs' effectiveness. The study also highlights that the effectiveness of QECs is “Good” in only two of the 12 universities, while in most universities it is “Barely Acceptable”. Furthermore, QECs' effectiveness is slightly better in public universities compared to private institutions.
Research limitations/implications
The study employs convenience sampling and a cross-sectional approach, focusing on faculty members from 12 universities, primarily in Punjab, Pakistan. To enhance future research, larger samples and probability-based sampling should be considered, while involving quality managers and students for a broader perspective.
Practical implications
The research suggests policymakers and university leaders should strengthen their support by providing resources, quality infrastructure and training for academic and administrative staff. This would enhance the effectiveness of QECs and improve the overall quality of education in both public and private universities.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on quality assurance in higher education by emphasizing the significance of QECs concerning management support, quality infrastructure and staff training – areas that are often overlooked in Pakistani universities.
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Shahzaf Iqbal, Che Azlan Bin Taib and Mohd. Rizal Razalli
This study aims to investigate how the service quality provided by distribution companies (DISCOs) impacts consumer satisfaction, focusing on the mediating role of regulatory…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how the service quality provided by distribution companies (DISCOs) impacts consumer satisfaction, focusing on the mediating role of regulatory effectiveness as governed by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) in Pakistan’s power sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was used, with data collected via online surveys from domestic electricity consumers of five DISCOs in Punjab, Pakistan. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-25 and SmartPLS-4 software.
Findings
The results indicate that service quality significantly affects both consumer satisfaction and regulatory effectiveness, with regulatory effectiveness positively mediating the relationship between service quality and consumer satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study include a cross-sectional design and multistage sampling, which may introduce bias and inadequately represent diverse demographics. Future research should involve commercial users, use longitudinal designs and adopt mixed methods for deeper insights. Nevertheless, the findings emphasize the mediating role of regulatory effectiveness in linking service quality to consumer satisfaction, highlighting the importance of governance in the electricity sector.
Practical implications
The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, DISCO managers and regulatory bodies, underscoring the need to enhance service quality and regulatory practices to improve consumer satisfaction. Collaboration between DISCOs and NEPRA is recommended to address inefficiencies and governance issues, focusing on infrastructure development, transparency and accountability to enhance the consumer experience in Pakistan’s electricity sector.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by introducing regulatory effectiveness as a mediator between service quality and consumer satisfaction within the power sector, guided by institutional theory.
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Shahzaf Iqbal, Che Azlan Bin Taib and Mohd. Rizal Razalli
This study aims to examine the effect of accreditation on higher education performance, directly and indirectly, through the quality culture as a mediator in the context of higher…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of accreditation on higher education performance, directly and indirectly, through the quality culture as a mediator in the context of higher education, based on the perceptions of administrative and quality managers.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a quantitative study using stratified random sampling techniques to collect data through a nationwide survey of universities in Pakistan. Of the 150 questionnaires distributed, 105 are found to be valid, while the data are analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results provide interesting insights, including significant effects of accreditation on quality culture and higher education performance, significant effects of quality culture on higher education performance and the mediating role of quality culture in relation to accreditation and higher education performance.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the study include a relatively smaller sample size and the selection of administrative managers as the sole respondents. This study extends the theoretical understanding by introducing several linkages, including the link between accreditation and higher education performance, accreditation and quality culture, and by introducing quality culture as a mediator. Furthermore, the study also provides empirical evidence for all proposed links in the university setting. This study has implications for administrative and quality managers, in terms of effectively implementing accreditation standards by cultivating a quality culture at their respective universities, resulting in improved university performance.
Originality/value
This study is the first to introduce quality culture as a mediator between accreditation and higher education performance and examines the effect of accreditation and quality culture on higher education performance in the university context. Also, the interdisciplinary nature of the study makes it relevant and interesting to administrative and quality managers in the fields of higher education and quality management.
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Shahzaf Iqbal, Che Azlan Bin Taib and Mohd. Rizal Razalli
This study aims to investigate the mediating role of quality culture (QC) between transformational leadership (TFL), transactional leadership (TNL) and organizational performance…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the mediating role of quality culture (QC) between transformational leadership (TFL), transactional leadership (TNL) and organizational performance (OP) in higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collects data through a nationwide survey of administrators representing public and private universities in Pakistan using stratified random sampling techniques, while partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used for data analysis.
Findings
The results show that both TFL and TNL directly influence QC and that QC directly influences OP. Additionally, the study reveals significant indirect effects of TFL and TNL on OP through QC. However, the direct effects of TFL and TNL on OP are not empirically supported.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes theoretically to the understanding of OP in universities by examining valuable resources (TFL, TNL) and dynamic capability (QC) as predictors while also introducing QC as a mediator to explain the underlying mechanism between TFL, TNL and OP. However, limitations include a cross-sectional design, a small sample size and reliance on administrators' perceptions as the sole respondents.
Practical implications
This study provides interesting insights for leaders, policymakers and quality managers to integrate valuable, dynamic resources and foster QC by increasing quality awareness at all departmental levels, thereby improving university performance.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study is the introduction of QC as a mediator of TFL, TNL and OP in a university setting.