Studies in Public Service Administration

Design and Validation of a Customer Satisfaction Measurement Tool in the Iranian Higher Education System

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ebrahim Javaherizadeh 1
Fatemeh GhasemiBanabari 2

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

2 Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Economics, Management and Administrative Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22054/spsa.2026.90075.1092
Abstract
The research aimed to design and validate a tool to measure client satisfaction at Qom University. The research was applied in terms of orientation and employed a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative). The research community in the qualitative phase and in the library section included research related to the subject and upstream documents, and in the field section, focus groups consisting of 30 experts. Also, the research community in the quantitative phase was service recipients (students and faculty members) at Qom University. Data collection tools in the qualitative phase included library research, upstream document analysis, and focus group discussions; in the quantitative phase, questionnaires. The sampling method in the qualitative section was purposive, and in the quantitative section, simple random. The sample size in the quantitative section was obtained using the Cochran formula, and service recipients completed 366 questionnaires. The data in the qualitative phase were analyzed using the thematic analysis method, and to complete this process, expert opinions from focus groups were used. Experts examined the scale's content validity, and an exploratory factor analysis was used to assess its construct validity. The instrument's reliability was confirmed by examining the Cronbach's alpha value. Based on the research findings, the prepared instrument comprises the components "interaction", "efficiency", "physical", and "accessibility", with 24 items. The interaction component indicates the quality of human interactions such as attention, empathy, and openness. The efficiency component indicates the transparency and effectiveness of service delivery processes and adherence to work commitments. The physical component relates to environmental conditions and the cleanliness of service providers, while the accessibility component covers in-person and offline access
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Studies in Public Service Administration
Volume 3, Issue 9
Summer 2025
Pages 153-198

  • Receive Date 01 December 2025
  • Revise Date 06 February 2026
  • Accept Date 08 February 2026

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