Fiza Mufti Roll No: 206

MBA 3rd semester

GAP ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS SCHOOL

As a student of service marketing I realized that services are very crucial for marketing tangible or intangible products. Services are bound to lead the market in future. Services have become an important part of our life. It exists in our simplest needs or in hardest of the decisions. Every tangible product has a value addition in the form of services. Services are perceived differently by different people and ranked according to their perception. The difference between customer expectations and perceptions gives rise to customer gaps. Customer expectations are standards, are reference points that customer brings into the service experience. The gaps that occur within the organization providing the services is termed as provider gaps. Placing myself in the shoes of a customer I had certain reference points and expectations about the educational services from TBS before joining there as a 2 year course MBA student. While shifting through the pages of prospectus and undergoing the process of selection like written test , group discussion and interview my expectations about the quality of education provided by TBS got escalated. Here with the help of gap analysis I will try to explain the provider gaps in TBS.

Gap 1 : 1. Students and their parents expect services of richer taste from TBS. During the process of securing admission in TBS the parents usually accompany their ward. The parents have to loiter for hours together till their wards are out of the examination hall/group discussion room whereas at other institutions seating arrangements with light refreshment facilities are provided for parents. Similar situation is faced

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by the parents during the process formalities for the admission is completed. The administration does not ask for feedback from the students on improving quality of education, on developing ambience, on restructuring courses etc.. And I have recently observed that the suggestion box has gone missing. TBS is aggressive in enrolling new students but lax in giving alumni treatment to pass out students. The administration must pay attention to what is forcing the students to complain. They should not assume that the institute is infallible. Moral code of conduct is missing with the result parents of the students have to make anonymous complaints for fear of reprisal from the erring staffer.

GAP 2: 1. TBS is providing students with a degree in MBA. MBA is considered best only if there is various specializations or rather a very good combination of specializations to choose from. But TBS doesnt allow any other major specialization in any subject apart from Marketing. Marketing, I agree is a very good subject but there are many students who are interested in having specialization in other subjects like Finance, Production and Operations, Human resource etc. They have Hobsons choice. Gap 3 : 1. For courses offered, the time taken by the institution to complete each semester or course within the standardized time frame doesnt take place. 2. The external viva-voce of 1st semester test was taken at the time when classes for 2nd semester were about to end. Similarly 2nd semester external viva-voce was stretched to middle of 3rd semester. 3. The results of our examination of 1st semester also came at fag end of the 2nd semester. 4. Some professors, who deliver lectures in the class, usually dont have the updated information of what is happening. They do seem to talk about recent happenings but the reference they provide in support of their point are out dated or now-a-days considered controversial. 5. A few teachers dont encourage innovations of students.

Gap 4 : 1. Promises made in the prospectus raised potentially the expectation levels but failed on delivery like: a) Dress code is never observed, b) Protocol never respected, c) The activities of business club as stated in the online website, only a fraction of the activities actually take place, d) The audio visual library mentioned on the website is out of bounds for the students.

GAP 5 : 1. Discrepancies between actual and perceived services are a) Not so good ambience b) Stinky bathrooms, c) Ugly spots in the department, d) Lack of heating arrangements in winter, e) Hands on experience is absent etc.