An Assessment of Unidimensionality of the Servqual Scale in the Higher Education Context of Tanzania

Abstract

Unidimensionality is a highly mandatory condition for construct validity and reliability checking of multi-item measure.  It is referred to as the existence of a single construct/trait underlying a set of measures. The assessment of unidimensionality is necessary in the gathering of evidence to support the validity of interpretations based on a total score. This paper tests the unidimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale, as modified to fit the higher education setting. Data were collected from 500 students in two public universities in Tanzania. The study concludes that, the SERVQUAL scale is unidimensional, suggesting that all items of the scale measure the same construct (perceived service quality).