| Edenkwo, E. Department of Business Administration, Faculty of dministration, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Bagshaw, K. B. Department of Business Administration, Faculty of dministration, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Email: bagshaw.karibo@ust.edu.ng |
Abstract
The study examined the relationship between service quality and competitive advantage in 4-star hotels in Rivers State, Nigeria. The measures of competitive advantage used are customer satisfaction and market differentiation. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The targeted population was the twelve (12) 4-star hotels in Rivers State, Nigeria, listed on Finelib.com Nigeria Directory and Search Engine, which consists of managers from the 4-star hotels in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted a census sampling technique since the population of the study was relatively small. Data for the study was collected through a structured questionnaire, while the four-point Likert scale was used to measure the responses from the respondents. Data was analysed using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient Statistics technique was used to test the hypotheses with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 29.0. The results of the study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between service quality and the measures of competitive advantage in 4-star hotels in Rivers State. The study concludes that service quality has a strong relationship with competitive advantage in 4-star hotels in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends amongst others that 4-star hotels in Rivers State should implement ongoing training programs for front-line and support staff. Emphasis should be placed on service responsiveness, empathy, communication skills, and problem-solving.
Keywords: Competitive advantage, customer satisfaction, market differentiation, service quality
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