International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research
ISSN 2351-8014 Vol. 49 No. 2 Jul. 2020, pp. 230-246
© 2020 Innovative Space of Scientific Research Journals
http://www.ijisr.issr-journals.org/
Corresponding Author: Abdelmajid Haddad 230
The Public Service Qualitative Dimensions from the Citizen-Customers perspective:
A Literature Review and Conceptual Model
Abdelmajid Haddad, Saïd Mssassi, and Mohamed Makkaoui
National Business School of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tangier, Morocco
Copyright © 2020 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of public service quality in its relationship with
citizen-customers satisfaction. The methodological choice consists of a synthesis of public service theories, a conceptual
frameworks of service marketing and models of service quality. This theoretical synthesis made also possible to discuss the
concepts of service quality and their application in the context of public administration. Thus, this article proposes a conceptual
model of quality based on seven qualitative dimensions of the public service influencing citizen-customers satisfaction. The
theoretical results indicate that these qualitative dimensions make it possible to grasp the contribution of quality to mastering
the complexity of public service through citizen-customers satisfaction.
KEYWORDS: Administrative Reform; Public Service; Quality Management; Satisfaction; Citizen-customers.
1 INTRODUCTION
Public service has been the subject of several reform programs. The introduction of quality management methods is a
component of these programs. According to [48], Total Quality Management (TQM) was adopted to develop quality systems
in public administration [55]. notes that the New Public Management (NPM) model has integrated quality management in
public service since the 1980s. This reform model aimed to improve the public service quality by adopting a client-oriented
approach [65]. In fact, [106] specify that these programs essentially focused on the quality of service and the satisfaction of
expectations of (citizen) customers.
This movement of public service quality has helped, according to [43], to establish a culture of public action rationalization.
In addition, according to [42], the publication of public service charters which require the improvement of the public service
quality has encouraged the introduction of quality standards in public management in order to meet the expectations of citizen-
customers. According to these authors, these charters also introduced the culture of measuring citizen-customers satisfaction.
This has made reforms in the administration increasingly focused on the citizen-customers and his satisfaction. According to
[4], the administration has started to use the term "customer" instead of “user” thanks to the new concept of beneficiaries of
public service introduced by public service charters.
The quality movement in the context of public service has not stopped at this stage. Public administrations have started to
develop their own quality management benchmarks as in the case of the Public Service Self-Assessment Framework (CAF) and
the “Marianne” Reception repository. Although quality systems are becoming an integral part of public management, their
impact on improving public service delivery remains largely unknown [82]. Administrations are under increasing pressure to
provide quality public services [80]. Furthermore, the qualitative dimensions of public service likely to improve public service
are not detailed in the logic of achieving citizen-customer satisfaction. This satisfaction and this new status of users of the
public service require also conceptual clarifications.
In this context, the authors propose a conceptual model of the public service quality making it possible to understand how
to improve the citizen-customer satisfaction. This model also helps to overcome the conceptual obstacles of public service and
to master its complexity. It is based on a system of seven qualitative dimensions of public service. This work also emphasizes