Quality System Management and Education in Service Environments

Abstract

Service quality is widely recognized as a core construct of services management. Effective service quality management, however, requires integration both across organizational units and the functional areas of a corporation. Using the Gaps Model of Service Quality, this paper articulates numerous quality challenges of large, multi-unit organizations, including measurement, service design, service delivery, and marketing communications. Meeting these challenges requires effective integration of various business disciplines, particularly marketing, human resource management, accounting, and information systems management. The paper concludes by relaying the challenges experienced in teaching this integration in service operations and marketing courses.