Developing and validating a hierarchical model of service quality of retail banks

Like other service institutes, developing and managing quality service is a challenging issue in retail banks. Recent studies established that retail banks' customer satisfaction can be managed with a total quality management approach. It is accepted by prior literature that service quality (SQ) is a multilevel and multidimensional construct; however, the SQ dimensions of retail banking are still considered one-dimensional. The purpose of this study is to develop theoretical conceptualisations and validate an SQ model for retail banks. A positivist epistemology using a mixed method research approach has been adopted for this study. A research model has been developed from the literature which was contextualised by a cross-country qualitative field study. The model is validated with partial least square-based structural equation modelling. The results of this study summarise that retail banks' SQ is a third-order reflective model where SQ can be explained by station, interaction, and outcome quality. Furthermore, these three dimensions reflect nine sub-dimensions in total. This paper focused on managing total quality issues of a retail bank through service quality tools. With the objective of acquiring total quality, bank managers and other management personnel may develop strategies and policies using the findings of this study.