A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EXPECTED AND ACTUAL SERVICE QUALITY PERCEIVED BY THE STUDENTS AT BOARDING HOUSES OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SISTERS IN PATHEIN DIOCESE, MYANMAR

Abstract

This study attempted to determine and compare the service quality of the St. Francis Xavier Sisters’ boarding houses as perceived by the students before they joined the boarding houses and while they were staying there. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the students’ expected perception on service quality before they stay in Sisters’ Boarding Houses of Pathein Dioceses, Myanmar. (2) to determine the students’ actual perception on service quality while they stay in Sisters’ Boarding Houses of Pathein Dioceses, Myanmar. (3) to compare the students’ expected and actual perception towards service quality in Sisters’ Boarding Houses in Pathein Diocese, Myanmar. This study was conducted in ten boarding houses of St. Francis Xavier Sisters in Pathein Diocese, Myanmar. There were 225 boarding students from grade 8 to 11 got involved in this study. The researcher adopted the questionnaire based on Bashir et al. (2012) which aimed to signify the Service quality of five dimensions; namely tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy at St. Francis Xavier Sisters’ boarding houses. The study found that the total and individual service quality of St. Francis Xavier Sisters’ boarding houses before they stayed and as they stayed there were high. And there was a significant difference between the expected and actual perception towards service management in Sisters’ Boarding Schools of Pathein Diocese, Myanmar. The researcher discussed on the findings and recommended to initiate a culture of continuous improvement for the boarding houses which must be allied to regular monitoring and evaluation.