An adaptation and application of the Internal Service Quality Scale (INTSERVQUAL) to the context of a Not for Profit making organisation : a case study of the YMCA Central Region in New Zealand : a research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Quality Systems, Massey University

An organisation's effectiveness depends on the activities of each department, each person at each level working co-operatively because each department or person at each level is an internal customer ot supplier of products or services to each other. To date most studies have focused on how external clients perceive the quality of service provided by organisations. The five dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL) tangibles, assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy have become a standard for evaluating service quality from the end consumer's perspective. Little research has been carried out to identify and measure internal service quality. These are services designed, produced and delivered from one unit or employee to other units and employees within the organisation. Studies have shown that if the internal service satisfies the internal customer there is a greater chance of the organisation being able to meet the needs of its external customer. With growing interest in internal service quality a number of researchers have suggested that external service quality dimensions apply to internal service quality value chains irrespective of industry. However this transferability to a Not for Profit commuity organisational setting is yet to be proved empirically. This study investigated YMCA Central region, a Not for Profit organisation (NPO) operating in New Zealand with its head office in Wanganui. The study sought to establish the key service quality dimensions of the organisation's internal customers, adapt and apply the SERQUAL scale to measure the internal customer's perception of the service they receive from different departments within the organisation, assess strengths and weaknesses of internal service delivery in the organisation and make suggestions for future research. The study concluded that the Internal Service Quality scale is both transferable and adaptable in its original SERVQUAL form for the purpose of measuring the internal service environment of an NPO. Future research should aim at larger sample sizes for better analysis and should expand its qualitative inquiry on the definition of internal service quality at every hierarchical level within the organisatio