The Effect of Service Quality on Satisfaction Apropos Service Recipients of Divisional Secretariats in Colombo District in Sri Lanka

A vast array of knowledge has been accumulated on the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction, particularly with a large number of studies over the past few years. However, the effect of service quality on satisfaction of service recipients in Divisional Secretariats in the Public Sector is relatively an unattended area by researchers. Hence, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of service quality on satisfaction of service recipients of divisional secretariats. This particular organization was selected for the study as it is considered to be the most significant service provider in terms of statutory, social, economic and development in the country. As per the annual progress report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (2015), there are 332 Divisional Secretariats operating in the country at present. Out of 332 divisional secretariats, all the 13 secretariats were taken from the Colombo District for this study. The main aims of this study are as follows: (1) to evaluate the level of service quality of the Divisional Secretariats, (2) to evaluate the level of each dimension of service quality, (3) to examine the effect of service quality on service recipient's satisfaction. A questionnaire survey and personal interviews were conducted to collect data by using the purposive sampling method. A modified questionnaire was prepared based on SERVQUAL instruments with two additional questions. A sample of 520 service recipients from 13 Divisional Secretariats in Colombo was drawn and it was represented by 40 from each division. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relative impact of the service quality on satisfaction of service recipients. The study revealed that all the service quality attributes positively related to satisfaction of the service recipients. The findings of the study show that satisfaction of service recipients in terms of service quality has not met the expected level, which a divisional secretariat is deemed to provide for