Service quality management in local authority sport and recreation services : a study of quality management methods in use and an evaluation of the efficacy of the ISO 9002 and Investors in People standards.

Two key research questions are addressed in this thesis. First, to ascertain what quality management methods are in use in local authority sport and recreation services. Second, to evaluate the effectiveness in these services of two management standards, namely the international quality assurance standard ISO 9002 and the UK Investors in People (liP) standard. A review of the literature indicated that little was known about how managers of sport and recreation services attempted to secure quality of service. The first stage of primary research therefore provided this knowledge through a postal survey of managers of sports and recreation facilities. The survey was mailed to 1700 sports and recreation facility managers in the UK and 388 fully usable responses were received, a response rate of 23%. The results indicated that two standards, ISO 9002 and liP, were in frequent use. The second stage of primary research assessed the effectiveness of the two standards in local authority sports and recreation services. The literature review showed a considerable volume of work on the subjects of quality management, service quality and the quality of public sector services. However, little had been done to develop a method for evaluating quality management practice in services generally or in public sector services in particular. The method developed by the researcher for the second stage of primary research was case study investigation of eight local authority sport and recreation facilities which were managing to one of the above standards or to no quality management standard. Each case was investigated in two ways. The perceptions of members of the management team were explored through structured interviews, a total of 24 interviews being conducted. The perceptions of service users were studied through administration of a multivanate customer questionnaire, which received 820 fully usable responses. The management interviews showed support for ISO 9002 from those cases using it, and responses indicated that management of organisational processes was stronger than in the other cases. In those cases managing to the liP standard, the interviews showed that people management was more robust than in the other cases; however there was a more varied view of the utility of the liP standard. The customer survey showed that users of the liP registered facilities evaluated service quality more highly than did customers of the ISO 9002 registered ones. This was true of questions about staff quality and of those about processes and tangible assets. It was concluded that whilst ISO 9002 helped managers to deliver a more consistent and less wasteful service, these results were not visible to customers. liP had a beneficial effect on management of staff and this impacted on other service attributes