DESIGNING AN INDEX FOR CRITERIA OF THE SERVICE QUALITY ASSURANCE IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION IN EGYPT (SERVQUALEX)

The purpose of the present study is to design and validate an index for the criteria of service quality assurance of the agricultural extension organization of Egypt (SERVQUALEX), to be used in the case of implementing quality assurance standards in agricultural extension. By reviewing the available relevant literature concerning service quality assurance, four key dimensions could be considered as essential components of the proposed scale ,namely:1) Tangibles and core of service; 2) Human element of extension service delivery; 3) Systematization of extension service delivery (nonhuman element); and 4) Social responsibility of extension system. In order to achieve the study objective, 50 opinion leaders from the New Valley Governorate were selected to be the sample of the study. Data were collected during March 2018 through personal interviews using a questionnaire form. Percentages, average, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and reliability and validity analysis tests were used for data presentation and analysis. Reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha) was about 0.964, and internal validity coefficient was 0.982. By testing the internal validation using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the final version of the scale contained 43 statements of which: 9 for Tangibles and core of service component; 13 for Human element of extension service delivery; 10 for Systematization of extension service delivery (non-human element), and 11 for Social responsibility of extension system.