SERVICE QUALITY OF THE GOLF TRAINING ACADEMY IN THAILAND

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) to study golfing behavior of golfers; 2) to evaluate significant level of factors leading to business operation of golf training academy; 3) to compare the significance of factors leading to business operation of golf training academy categorized by personal factors; 4) to analyze a relationship between the significance of factors leading to business operation of golf training academy and golfing behavior of golfers; and 5) to present guidelines for business operation of golf training academy. This study applied a mixed-research methodology. Quantitative data were collected from the research questionnaire distributed to golfers who have played golf in various courses in Thailand via accidental sampling of 385 respondents. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected by in-depth interview with 5 key informants who were executives or owners of golf training academy via semi- structured questionnaire and focus group. Statists used in this study were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis. The research results were found as follows: 1. The overall aspects of golfing behavior of golfers were at very high level. Considering golfing behavior, the highest mean was frequency in golfing in the past three months, followed by average expenditure per time, place of playing golf, and type of golf practice. 2. The overall aspects of significant levels of factors leading to business operation of golf training academy  in Thailand were at a high level. In particular, golfers paid much attention on personnel, followed by price of training, training service provider, training process, marketing promotion, place of golfing, and training place respectively. 3. Golfers who have different gender, age, education degree, positions, and work experience have no difference in the factors leading to the development of golf training academy operations. 4. There was a moderate relationship  between overall area of significant level of factors leading to business operation model of golf training academy and golf playing behavior of golfers.   5. Business operations development approach of golf training academy can be presented as follows: = .952 personnel +.804 price of training  +.773 distribution + .754 marketing promotion + .662 training place + .661 training service  + .655 trainnig process

Keywords: business operation, development approach, marketing promotion, Golf training academy