{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T12:35:34Z","timestamp":1768221334482,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768176000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Administrative Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to assess the perceived quality of telecommunication services in Portugal and examine how governance practices influence organizational performance, addressing the lack of empirical evidence on service quality gaps in the Portuguese telecommunications sector. Specifically, it investigates the alignment between customers\u2019 expectations and perceptions of service delivery among major telecommunications providers in northern Portugal. A convenience sample of 119 subscribers was collected through an online questionnaire disseminated via social media and email. The survey measured service quality across the five SERVQUAL dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), and sociodemographic variables (gender, age, and education) were recorded to explore their influence on customer satisfaction and perceived quality. Results reveal a consistent gap between expectations (6.51) and perceptions (5.54), particularly in reliability and responsiveness, despite generally positive evaluations of tangibility and assurance. Sociodemographic factors significantly influenced satisfaction levels and perceptions of service quality, highlighting the importance of tailored governance strategies. These findings demonstrate that effective governance and quality management are interdependent drivers of sustainable competitiveness in technology-intensive sectors. By identifying specific quality gaps and their drivers, this study provides actionable insights for improving service delivery. Enhancing organizational reliability, responsiveness, and empathy\u2014supported by transparent communication and data-driven decision-making\u2014is essential for improving customer trust, operational resilience, and long-term performance. By integrating continuous quality assessment into administrative strategy, telecommunications firms can enhance service excellence and contribute to broader goals of sustainable economic development and digital transformation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/admsci16010037","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T09:13:01Z","timestamp":1768209181000},"page":"37","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Governance and Service Quality as Drivers of Organizational Performance in the Portuguese Telecommunications Sector"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"N\u00faria","family":"Castro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHT), Polytechnic University of C\u00e1vado and Ave (IPCA), 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3063-5117","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Estela","family":"Vilhena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2Ai\u2014School of Technology, Polytechnic University of C\u00e1vado and Ave (IPCA), 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal"},{"name":"LASI\u2014Associate Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8588-2422","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno Barbosa","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHT), Polytechnic University of C\u00e1vado and Ave (IPCA), 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal"},{"name":"UNIAG\u2014Applied Management Research Unit, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3290-8449","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel Jos\u00e9 Serra da","family":"Fonseca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UNIAG\u2014Applied Management Research Unit, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"},{"name":"Business School, Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1108\/IJOEM-11-2019-0983","article-title":"Relational capital, service quality and organizational performance in the Egyptian telecommunication sector","volume":"17","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Emerging Markets"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Analysing driving factors of customer satisfaction among telecommunication service providers in Kurdistan region","volume":"12","author":"Abdullah","year":"2022","journal-title":"SAGE Open"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Almomani, G. 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