Linking relief service quality to beneficiaries’ satisfaction in humanitarian supply chains: an exploratory study using the HUMSERVPERF tool

Purpose This study aims to provide an exploratory empirical assessment of HUMSERVPERF as a beneficiary-centred measure of relief service quality (RSQ) in a flood-relief context, focusing on its factor structure and preliminary links to beneficiary satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach HUMSERVPERF was adapted from SERVPERF and refined through interviews and a pilot survey, then tested with 279 flood-relief beneficiaries in Thailand. Exploratory factor analysis refined the HUMSERVPERF dimensions, which were subsequently modelled as RSQ. The RSQ–satisfaction relationship was examined using structural equation modelling (SEM) as an exploratory initial test. Findings Five HUMSERVPERF dimensions were identified. Empathy and responsiveness align with SERVPERF, while technical & service reliability, information quality (INQ) and humanitarian staff professionalism (HSP) were reconfigured from tangibility, reliability and assurance. RSQ showed a positive association with beneficiary satisfaction, providing preliminary and context-bound nomological support for HUMSERVPERF. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to a single flood-relief context and a sample of predominantly non-severely affected beneficiaries. The sample size precluded split-sample SEM validation, and exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and SEM were conducted on the same dataset. HSP remains a provisionally specified construct requiring further item development, while INQ exhibited a complex and provisionally specified structure that captures diverse informational realities. The SEM results are therefore preliminary but provide direction for future refinement and validation. Practical implications The refined HUMSERVPERF framework is positioned as a pilot diagnostic instrument offering initial insights to support internal reflection and early-stage service improvement. Social implications HUMSERVPERF provides an initial, beneficiary-centred assessment mechanism that may support future efforts towards accountability and transparency. Originality/value This study adapts a beneficiary-centred RSQ instrument for flood relief and provides initial, context-specific evidence of its relevance to beneficiary satisfaction.