* Corresponding author. Tel: +923454745473 E-mail addresses: ishtiaq_042@yahoo.com (M. I. Ishaq) © 2011 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved. doi: 10.5267/j.msl.2011.06.005 Management Science Letters 1 (2011) 523–530 Contents lists available at GrowingScience Management Science Letters homepage: www.GrowingScience.com/msl A study on relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction: An empirical evidence from Pakistan telecommunication industry Muhammad Ishtiaq Ishaq a* a Department of Management Science, Global Institute Lahore, Pakistan A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history: Received May 1, 2011 Received in Revised form June, 7, 2011 Accepted 8 June 2011 Available online 12 June 2011 The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of service quality on the overall customer satisfaction in telecommunication industry of Pakistan. Survey questionnaires are used to collect the data from the postpaid users of different telecommunication service providers. Stepwise regression analysis is used to examine the research hypothesis. The results show that service quality has positive association with the overall customer satisfaction. This study is a unique approach, which describes the factors affecting customer’s satisfaction. The findings of this research provide insights for the managers to develop and maintain the customer’s desired service quality. Implications for marketing strategists and researchers are presented. © 2011 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Services quality Customer Satisfaction Telecommunication Industry Pakistan 1. Introduction The speedy growth and cut-throat competition in service industries e.g., telecommunication industry in developed and developing countries made it significantly essential element for measuring and evaluating service quality (Brown & Bitner, 2007). Today, service quality not only has become the rhetoric of each business but also it has taken distinguished position in every discourse. Without customer satisfaction and loyalty, no company can survive in today’s competitive environment; similarly no organization can generate high sales without meeting the customer needs. Service quality plays a vital role in building a strong and ever lasting relationship between customers and organization and it is a two-way flow of value. Numerous empirical studies conducted on service quality and customer satisfaction (Cronin & Taylor, 1992; Spreng & Mackoy, 1996; Jones & Suh, 2000; Coyles & Gokey, 2002; Ranaweera & Prabhu, 2003; Choi et al., 2004), and predictor of the financial strength of the organization (Greising, 1994; Rust et al., 1995; Duncan & Elliott, 2002; Duncan & Elliott, 2004; Yasin et al., 2004; Wiele et al., 2002; Yeung et al., 2002). However, these studies were conducted in developed world like United State of America, United Kingdom and Japan, which show there is a lack of relevant literature in