Mission impossible? Making sense of the key debates in the service quality literature

Proctor, Susan and Wright, Gillian H. (1998) Mission impossible? Making sense of the key debates in the service quality literature. Journal of nonprofit & public sector marketing, 6 (1). pp. 3-29. ISSN 1049-5142

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Abstract

This paper reviews the key issues within the service quality literature, from main themes and terms of reference, development of conceptual models to identification of some of the key empirical considerations. This paper is structured in three related sections: Section One, where a discussion of the constructs of satisfaction and service quality indicates the level and nature of debate within the literature. This sets the context for the following conceptual and methodological discussion. Section Two develops earlier themes and tracks the gradual developmental processes of the key contributory models within the service quality literature, discussing their impact on empirical research and knowledge. Section Three unpicks the literature and suggests how key empirical issues can be addressed in order to further develop knowledge and understanding of the construct of service quality.