The influence of service quality on entrepreneurs’ satisfaction and intention: an empirical study on MARDI’s consultancy and advisory service

Kasron, Norzalila and Mohamed, Zainal Abidin and Abdullah, Amin Mahir and Abd Latif, Ismail and Sharifuddin, Juwaidah and Ali, Roslina and Mat Azmin, Mohd Nur Hafiz and Musa, Mohd Faiz and Che Mohamad, Che Nurul Akmal (2019) The influence of service quality on entrepreneurs’ satisfaction and intention: an empirical study on MARDI’s consultancy and advisory service. [Journal / Magazine]

Text 4. Norzalila Kasron.pdf Download (377kB)

Abstract

MARDI is one of the agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrobased Industry that is involved in giving services to MARDI’s entrepreneurs' development. The services rendered to MARDI’s entrepreneurs was in the form of soft technology such as advisory and consultation services. The study was to measure satisfaction and intention in utilising advisory and consultancy services on soft technology among entrepreneurs under MARDI’s guidance. SERVQUAL model was used in this study with six dimensions to measure MARDI’s entrepreneurs’ satisfaction. Since MARDI’s core business is in R&D and innovating new technologies, technology needs to be mentioned as one of the dimensions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that the variables used were fit to service quality model at 0.001 significance. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to analyse the relationship among the variables used especially among the SERVQUAL dimensions and satisfaction. From the structural equation model, only four SERVQUAL dimensions, i.e. reliability, responsiveness, assurance and technology were statistically significant while the other two, tangibility and empathy were not significant. Satisfaction was strongly supported by a significant relationship with intention. The study indicated that service quality does act as an important predictor of customer’s satisfaction and gave an impact to intention of MARDI’s entrepreneurs to continuously use services rendered by MARDI. This study can enable MARDI to improve customer’s charter as a guideline to deliver an accurate message and services to MARDI’s entrepreneurs. While technology is not the strongest predictor to satisfaction, it does give a significant effect to satisfaction. With that, technology development needs to be taken into account in ensuring that MARDI’s technologies are able to meet the needs of entrepreneurs by emphasizing on demand pull against demand push.

Actions (login required)

View Item