Abstract:
The purpose of the research study was to
determine the quality of the services provided
at Community Information Centres
(CIC) in Zimbabwe. The research is premised
on Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry's
(1998) Gaps model. It used a cross-sectional
survey of a purposively selected sample of
475 respondents in three sampled centres.
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was
used to identify the relationships between the
SERVQUAL dimensions (tangibility, responsiveness,
reliability, empathy and assurance)
and the latent service quality. Confirmatory
Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess
construct validity of the SERVQUAL dimensions.
The results show that the SERVQUAL
dimensions were positively related to service
quality. Furthermore, there was validity in
the SERVQUAL constructs. Results confirmed
that there are gaps between the expectations
and experiences of the community in all five dimensions of the SERVQUAL. It can
be concluded that there is a level of satisfaction
among CIC users with the services provided at CICs. The study recommends that
CIC service quality needs to be consistently
evaluated to inform quality improvements
over time.
