Qualidade no serviço público: um estudo na Pró-Reitoria de Graduação (PROGRAD) da Universidade Estadual da Paraíba (UEPB).

Abstract

The quality in public service is a right of society and has been addressed in several studies. Ofering a quality service requires evaluations and reŕections on how it has been provided. In this sense, this research aims to evaluate users’ perception regarding the services and procedures ofered by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (PROGRAD) of the State University of Paraíba (UEPB). To this end, a questionnaire was administered to the institution’s students based on the Servqual model, in order to identify respondents’ expectations and perceptions about the service in őve dimensions (Tangible Aspects, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy). The theoretical model was validated by carrying out Conőrmatory Factor Analysis of the data obtained from the participants’ responses. In total, 183 valid questionnaires were collected, the answers to which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, in addition to Multivariate Analysis of Variance with Permutation (PERMANOVA), for comparison between groups of participants. Based on the diference between the average of expectations and perceptions of users, quality gaps were observed in all dimensions of the model, with the largest discrepancies found in Reliability and Tangible Aspects. The analyzes showed that there were no signiőcant diferences in the evaluation when comparing diferent groups of respondents, noting that expectations exceed users’ perceptions at similar levels between the sample groups. The results demonstrated student dissatisfaction with the service ofered by PROGRAD/UEPB and served as a basis for elaborating a plan of recommendations proposed to improve its quality.