Combination of importance-performance analysis and response surface methodology for enhancing satisfaction

Purpose – In order to know how to enhance the satisfaction of online courses in preparing for the college entrance examination in Korea, the purpose of this paper is to combine both the importance-performance analysis (IPA) and the response surface methodology (RSM). Design/methodology/approach – IPA is a simple but powerful tool for understanding the current status of factors or attributes in management problems. However, it lacks to provide the proper indication of what to do next on those factors or attributes to optimize a goal. RSM is a statistical tool helping us to set up a direction of factors or attributes in optimizing an output. The author attempts to combine both IPA and RSM in order to discover the next step after IPA for optimizing the goal. As an example, the author considers how to enhance the satisfaction of online courses in preparing for the college entrance examination in Korea. Findings – The combination of IPA and RSM enables us to find a way to attain a goal, for example, satisfying customers in a concrete and creative way. Research limitations/implications – Sample size is enough for research purpose but is a bit small for general purpose. Practical implications – This research tries to answer what to do next after IPA. Social implications – This research provides a predictive guide to satisfy customers. Originality/value – As far as the author knows, combining both IPA and RSM has not been made so far. It is a fusion of managerial and engineering techniques.