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In this article, we identify various foodservice-related attributes that are important for undergraduate students residing in hostels and avail service from specific foodservice providers. We also investigate the performance of attributes to determine areas where the foodservice providers should maintain a high performance or where improvement is required.

We apply the Kano methodology to design the questionnaire for 24 different attributes. For each attribute, we construct three questions; namely, functional type, dysfunctional type, and performance of the hostel foodservice. We collect a total of 317 responses. We use multiple methods to determine the dominant category. Finally, combining the values of these methods, we study relative positions of the attributes in the importance–performance grid.

Based on the Kano categorization, quality-related attributes are most important, followed by hygiene, comfort, availability, variety, and time, in the descending order. The gender of the respondent plays an important role in categorization of some attributes. Using the importance–performance analysis, we identify the attributes where the foodservice provider should maintain a high performance or where improvement is required. Improvements in some attributes are difficult due to foodservice provider's self-assessment of high performance or high difficulty for improvement.

In this study, we examine the importance of various foodservice attributes among undergraduate residential students. We combine multiple methods of Kano categorization to compute importance values of the attributes. We also investigate the reasons behind the gap between student's and foodservice manager's perception of the performance of these attributes.

Product performance measurements have been used to explain other business performance variables. The purpose of this paper is to propose that, regarding Mexican consumers, the “comparison-based perceived attribute performance” (CAP) approach is a better predictor of outcomes, such as satisfaction, value and loyalty, compared with the traditional measurement of “non-comparison-based perceived attribute performance” (NCAP). These two forms of assessing attribute-level performance may be considered as different constructs.

Using these two approaches, empirical tests were performed to attribute performance measurement and were conducted on products from two different categories: tequila and liquid dishwashing detergent. Regression analyses were performed using Mexican consumer samples of n=295 and n=239, respectively.

As opposed to NCAP, CAP measurements yielded higher statistical levels of satisfaction, value and loyalty for both product categories. In the case of tequila, factor analysis indicated a clear separation between the two types of measurements, suggesting that they should be considered distinct constructs. However, this was not found for the other product category.

CAP, which has better potential to predict outcomes than NCAP, could have relevant implications in brand positioning assessment and importance-performance analyses.

The excellence in design and greater efficiencies (EDGE) certification system has seen a gradual adoption worldwide, with Ghana having six out of its eight certified green buildings bearing an EDGE certification. However, little is known about occupants’ satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of EDGE-certified buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the satisfaction of occupants with the IEQ of an EDGE-certified building in Ghana by identifying their perceived performance of the indoor environment relative to their perceived importance.

A survey was conducted to evaluate the performance of 12 IEQ parameters with the occupants of an EDGE-certified office building. The survey results were evaluated using a gap analysis and both traditional and alternative Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) matrices.

The findings revealed that noise level, temperature, cleanliness, sound privacy, air quality and humidity were IEQs that required the highest priority for improvement. Daylight and artificial lighting showed no appreciable performance gap. Space layout was adequately satisfied, whereas space size was overly satisfied. Visual privacy and outdoor view were found to require low priority of improvement.

This study contributes to the state-of-the-art of the IEQ of green buildings. It pioneers the research that seeks to examine the IEQ of EDGE-certified buildings. The gap analysis and the IPA were effective in prioritizing the IEQs for improvement action and provided a practical research framework that helped researchers examine the performance of green buildings, thereby giving valuable feedback to policymakers and building owners.

Though daycare centres are built to facilitate children's social and physical growth, divergent stakeholder perceptions yield conflicts while managing risks for each space due to the minimal guidelines in the Republic of Korea. Due to the unclearly defined knowledge and experience gap between representative stakeholders, teachers have difficulties in operating it with high satisfaction. This study therefore was conducted to systematically identify which parts of performance should be increased to preferentially increase end-user satisfaction in limited resources.

This research conducted quantitative analysis gradually. Importance–performance analysis (IPA) grasped the perceptions of construction practitioners and end-users after identifying space composition and representative risks of daycare centres. Based on the factors influencing perception differences, principal component analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were conducted to determine which space improves the performance preferentially to increase overall end-user satisfaction.

As the utilisation of indoor spaces increases after COVID-19, improvement of indoor spaces except for indoor playroom is necessary, especially, advancement of the quality of teachers' rooms.

Outputs by reflecting the end-user experiences support to understand which spaces are managed from the limited resources.

Theoretical framework for daycare centre was established in Korea where guidelines were insufficient, and differences in perception of each risk of stakeholders were identified. Moreover, gradual statistical analysis was set to construct end-user-focused centres by extracting where the performance of space should be improved in prior.

This paper addresses the issue of service quality evaluation within the higher education sector and stresses the need to develop measures that are both psychometrically and practically sound. The paper argues that recent debate surrounding the development of such measures has been too strongly geared toward their psychometric performance, with little regard for their practical value. While the paper supports the need to develop valid, reliable and replicable measures of service quality, it is suggested that educators must not lose sight of the original purpose for which these measures were designed, i.e. their practical value in informing continuous quality improvement efforts. It critiques the use of disconfirmation models and reports on a study of students’ perceptions of quality using importance‐performance analysis (IPA). The technique allows specific failings in the quality of support issues to be identified and their importance to a quality improvement programme assessed.

The main purpose of this study is to provide a decision-making basis for the development of a sustainability strategy by importance-performance analysis (IPA) methods. However, traditional and modified IPA methods do not accurately reveal the impact of the various dimensions of sustainable development (SD) on cultural landscape (CL). Based on the structural equation model (SEM), four main dimensions of SD were identified from the available data. This paper conducted an optimized IPA by building three SEMs based on importance, performance and the importance of four dimensions.

This paper proposes the use of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and SEM to develop the CL characteristic index evaluation model to determine the load of each indicator of importance and performance, and the SD-based measurement model to further determine the weight of the sustainability of each indicator in importance and performance. Afterwards, proposed sustainable strategies to the corresponding index were obtained.

This study offers useful insights into the actual operation and theoretical aspects of the IPA method.

This study offers useful insights into the actual operation and theoretical aspects of the IPA method. This can solve the incongruous and uncertainty problem in the sustainable planning strategy, and the case study proves the feasibility of the IPA method combined with the influence of the structural equation.

The research is conducive to acceptance by local people with regard to their preferences in the perspective of sustainable development. It provides a basis for the future use of the IPA method in a comprehensive way based on an administrative angle.

The case study proves the feasibility of the IPA method combined with the influence of the structural equation. This provides a basis for the future use of the IPA method in a comprehensive way based on an administrative angle.

Spas have become increasingly popular with consumers and have emerged as important profit centers for hotels. However, the uniqueness of this market has been largely overlooked in hospitality literature. The purpose of this paper is to fill the research gap by identifying different market segments among spa goers, based on a set of benefit variables.

A survey was administered to customers visiting hotel spas in Texas. Factor analysis was performed on 214 completed surveys to identify the dimensions underlying the benefits sought by spa goers. Cluster analysis was then applied to classify spa goers into different groups based on the benefit variables. Finally, importance‐performance analysis (IPA) was performed according to the groups to determine significant patterns.

Three distinct customer segments are identified based on the benefits sought by spa goers: escapists, neutralists, and hedonists. IPA results showed what each segment perceives as important and how well the hotel spas perform to meet expectations. The results of this paper support the effectiveness of the use of IPA with benefit segmentation.

The results of this paper should be interpreted cautiously and considered tentatively until they are replicated by a larger spa population. Currently, there are very few benchmark studies on spas to aid in the understanding of this promising market segment. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate much‐needed spa research in hospitality literature.

Future researchers and industry practitioners can gain insight into the motives and benefits sought by spa goers through the use of IPA in conjunction with benefit segmentation.

The main objectives of this study are to (1) explore underlying components and attributes of travel applications that influence traveler usage intention and (2) investigate which contents should be prioritized to increase the efficiency of travel apps.

This study uses importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) with an innovative approach (i.e. generalized structured component analysis [GSCA]) to identify components and attributes that have relatively high and low significance for the target construct (i.e. travel app's usage intention).

An integrated model influenced by three components (i.e. entertainment, travel review and medical and emergency information is proposed to have an impact on travelers' intention to use travel apps). The IPMA results indicate that restaurant and shopping receive the utmost emphasis from Thai domestic tourists who use travel apps, and sports and attraction are regarded as less critical attributes.

The app content scales identified in this study can be used as a basic framework for app developers, service providers and tourism authorities to design a travel app. The IPMA results also help concerned practitioners to make decisions on which contents/attributes should be incorporated and improved.

This study implements IPMA using a GSCA estimator to present the standard results reporting on the path coefficients of each of the attributes of travel app services. The results not only contribute to the improvement of app features and services, but also suggest an innovative approach for generating pertinent IPMA results with GSCA, thus contributing to the theoretical and methodological advancement in hospitality and tourism areas.

Measuring healthcare service quality provides an objective guide for managers and policy makers to improve their services and patient satisfaction. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to measure service quality provided to surgical and medical inpatients at Kerman Medical Sciences University (KUMS) in 2015.

A descriptive-analytic study, using a cross-sectional method in the KUMS training hospitals, was implemented between October 2 and March 15, 2015. Using stratified random sampling, 268 patients were selected. Data were collected using an importance-performance analysis (IPA) questionnaire, which measures current performance and determines each item’s importance from the patients’ perspectives. These data indicate overall satisfaction and appropriate practical strategies for managers to plan accordingly.

Findings revealed a significant gap between service importance and performance. From the patients’ viewpoint, tangibility was the highest priority (mean=3.54), while reliability was given the highest performance (mean=3.02). The least important and lowest performance level was social accountability (mean=1.91 and 1.98, respectively).

Healthcare managers should focus on patient viewpoints and apply patient comments to solve problems, improve service quality and patient satisfaction.

The authors applied an IPA questionnaire to measure service quality provided to surgical and medical ward patients. This method identifies and corrects service quality shortcomings and improving service recipient perceptions.

With U.S. health care costs increasing at three times the rate of inflation and Americans spending 50 percent more on health care than any other nation, health care practitioners will most certainly continue to focus upon cost containment and budgets (Guthrie, 1991). However, as suggested by some experts (e.g. Lytle and Mokwa, 1992), managerial approaches preoccupied with containing costs and financial budgeting are no longer sufficient for success, or maybe even survival, in today's intensely competitive marketplace. The major transformations in structure that have taken place in the health care industry throughout the 1980s call for more proactive and strategic approaches to planning and managing if health care organizations are to be successful in today's highly competitive environment.