Comprehensive SERVQUAL Assessment: Evaluating The Role Of Property Managers In Challenging The Environmental Kuznets Curve Within The Nigerian Real Estate Sector

Abstract

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) contends that rising economic prosperity mitigates environmental degradation practices and orchestrates a greener economy. Despite decades of research, scholars remain divided on whether EKC adequately explains sustainability transitions in emerging economies. More pertinently, extant research is yet to test this hypothesis from a housing perspective considering its over 40% contribution to climate change. The paper interrogates these unresolved tensions by examining how environmentally aware property managers’ proactive capital allocation for green innovations contests the linear assumptions of the EKC. A structured SERVQUAL (service quality) survey was used to measure the reliability, assurance, tangibility, empathetic and responsiveness of sustainability transition by property managers. A purposive and stratified sample of 384 residents of high-end properties in Awka and Enugu was used to capture measurable sustainable housing service quality dimensions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis validated the model, while data analysis employed Structural Equation Modelling. Results show that tenants perceived low reliability in green infrastructure maintenance, limited confidence in managers’ expertise, and weak tangible adoption of energy-efficient systems. While income predicted perceived energy efficiency (β=0.55, p=0.000), SERVQUAL dimensions like tangibility (β=0.47) and reliability (β=0.32) showed limited moderating effects, exposing the EKC’s neglect of human agency. It was concluded that firm growth alone cannot drive sustainability without human agency. Theoretically, this advances environmental economics by linking service quality to ecological outcomes. Practically, it urges property managers to prioritize staff training and proactive green investments. Policy implications advocate for tax incentives and regulatory frameworks to incentivize sustainable practices in emerging economies.