Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
The service sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, particularly in terms of employment opportunities and its broader economic contributions. Among all economic sectors, services have continued to gain increasing importance over time. Within the service sector, tourism stands out due to its substantial levels of investment, employment creation, and value added. As customer expectations regarding quality have evolved and become more sophisticated, service quality has emerged as an indispensable competitive factor and a strategic concept in the tourism industry, especially for hotel businesses.
In an environment characterized by intense competition, hotel establishments are compelled to adopt a quality-oriented approach that aligns with customer expectations. Delivering services that meet or exceed a certain quality standard has become crucial for both the success and long-term sustainability of these businesses. Moreover, when hotel managers’ perceptions of service quality are consistent with those of their customers, establishments are likely to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals.
For a hotel seeking to improve service quality, it is essential first to identify its existing level of service quality in terms of how effectively it delivers the standards it has defined to its customers. Subsequently, if discrepancies exist between the service quality perceptions of hotel managers and those of guests staying at the establishment, these gaps must be clearly identified. Determining the necessary measures to reduce or eliminate such differences constitutes a critical step in enhancing overall service quality performance.
The Cappadocia region, which constitutes the empirical setting of this study, is one of the most important tourist destinations in Central Anatolia. According to accommodation statistics reported by the Governorship of Nevşehir, a total of 2,139,427 visitors stayed in accommodation facilities in the province of Nevşehir in 2008 (Nevşehir Governorship, 2011). The increase in tourist arrivals has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in tourism revenues in the region. Considering the growing significance of tourism in Cappadocia, this study is expected to provide valuable and up-to-date insights into service quality for hotel establishments operating in the region.
Existing studies on service quality in hotel businesses have predominantly addressed the concept from the perspective of customers as service recipients (Akan, 1995; Gabby and O’Neill, 1996; Akbaba, 2006; Marković and Raspor, 2010). In contrast, research that simultaneously considers the perspectives of both service providers (managers) and service recipients (customers) remains relatively limited (Varinli, 1995; Yılmaz, 2007; Juwaheer, 2004). Accordingly, the present study is intended to contribute to the literature by addressing this gap through a comparative evaluation of service quality perceptions.
The primary objectives of the study are twofold: first, to assess the differences in service quality perceptions between hotel managers and customers staying at accommodation establishments in the Cappadocia region; and second, to examine whether these perceptions vary according to selected demographic characteristics of both tourists and managers. A study conducted within the context of Cappadocia is considered significant in several respects. It provides up-to-date empirical evidence for the existing literature, offers practical guidance and recommendations for tourism practitioners, contributes insights for policymakers and planners at the macro level, and presents a comprehensive perspective for scholars conducting research in this field.
The first part of the study introduces the conceptual framework that underpins the empirical analysis. This section is organized into three main themes: accommodation establishments, services, and service quality. The discussion on accommodation establishments addresses their definitions, key characteristics, and classification. The second theme focuses on the concept of service, examining its definition, distinctive features, and classification. The third theme elaborates on the concepts of quality and service quality, which form the theoretical foundation of the study. The second part of the study aims to establish a theoretical basis to guide the empirical investigation. Within this context, particular emphasis is placed on the importance of measuring quality in service businesses. Special attention is given to the SERVQUAL model (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry, 1985), which is widely used as a foundational framework for service quality measurement in hospitality research. In addition to SERVQUAL, Grönroos’s (1984) service quality model and other service quality models developed over time are briefly reviewed. The final section of this part presents an overview of empirical studies that have employed the SERVQUAL technique specifically within hotel establishments, along with a discussion of their key findings.
The final part of the study comprises the empirical application. This section presents the field study designed to evaluate the service quality perceptions of customers and managers in hotel establishments, based on insights derived from the literature review. The main objective of this section is to analyze and interpret the findings obtained from a questionnaire-based field survey. Accordingly, issues such as the purpose and significance of the field study, its methodology, scope, and measurement instruments are outlined. The data are then analyzed using descriptive statistics, following procedures to ensure validity and reliability. Service quality perceptions are evaluated in relation to the demographic characteristics of both customers and managers. In addition, independent-sample t-tests are conducted to identify differences between customer and managerial perceptions. The findings generated through these analyses are expected to offer practical implications and guidance for hospitality practitioners.