Strategic Management for Enhancing Service Quality Affecting the Organizational Image of the Provincial Waterworks Authority in Thailand

Abstract

Effective service quality management strategies are essential for ensuring high-quality service delivery within the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) in Thailand, as they impact the business's image. The study examines how strategic management approaches can enhance service quality and, consequently, strengthen the overall image of the PWA. This research aims to 1) investigate the service quality management strategies of the PWA, 2) examine the organizational image of the PWA, and 3) analyze the service quality management strategies that influence the organizational image of the PWA in Thailand to provide practical implementation guidelines. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to a randomly selected sample of 400 respondents. The data were analyzed using a commercially available statistical software package. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and minimum and maximum values, were employed. Additionally, inferential statistical analyses, including Pearson's correlation coefficient, tolerance, variance Inflation factor (VIF), and stepwise multiple regression analysis, were used to test the hypotheses. All statistical analyses were at a significance level of 0.05. The research outcomes successfully fulfilled all three objectives, as summarized below: The demographic data collected from the 400 Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) service users in Thailand indicated that the majority of respondents were male (55.3%). Most Users were married, possessed an educational level below a Bachelor's degree, had more than 11 years of experience as a PWA user, and reported an average monthly income of approximately 15,000 baht. The overall level of service quality management strategies implemented by the PWA in Thailand was also rated at a high level. Ranked from the highest to the lowest, the identified aspects included: 1) Reliability, 2) Understanding Customer Behavior while fostering positive public relationships, 3) Customer confidence as providing confidence in the safety of tap water usage, 4) Tangible Service relates the quality of service, and 5) Customer responsiveness by the ability to respond to customer needs. The overall organizational image of the PWA in Thailand was likewise evaluated at a high level. All specific dimensions were consistently rated highly. Ranked from the highest to the lowest, the organizational image dimension included: 1) Reputation, 2) Impressive service, 3) Interpersonal communication, 4) Organizational identity, and 5) Physical environment. The results confirmed that the five service quality factors were acceptable for multiple regression analysis, with an inter-correlation no more than 0.80 (multi-collinearity). These factors are Tangible Service, Reliability, Customer Responsiveness, Customer Confidence, and Understanding Customer Behavior. We collectively found that we had a statistically significant influence on the overall organizational image of the PWA in Thailand. The model representing strategic factors in service quality management that influence the organizational image of the PWA in Thailand was expressed as follows: a statistical value of Service quality management strategies affected the organizational image of PWA = 0.274 + (0.269 * understanding customer behavior) + (0.156 * reliability) + (0.201 * customer confidence) + (0.154 * customer responsiveness) + (0.146 * tangible service). The findings indicate that the service quality factor models explain factors influencing service quality that affect the organizational image of the PWA in Thailand by 89.8% and a standard error of estimate of ±0.173.