Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
The Expectations and Perceptions of Students in
Kuwait University and PAAET toward Service Quality
Abdulaziz A. Taqi
Kuwait is facing a new era in the higher education field. With annual increase
in the number of students accepted in both Kuwait University, The Public
Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), and local private
universities. Hence, higher education possesses all the characteristics of
service industry, i.e., intangible, heterogeneous, inseparability, variability,
perishable and the customer (student) participates in the process.
The purpose of the present study is to examine student's expectations and
perceptions towards service quality delivered by public (government owned)
colleges in Kuwait.
The service quality disconfirmation paradigm used in this study is a modified
version of SERVQUAL as a measure. Data collected from a random sample
of full-time students in Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied
Education and Training.
1. Introduction
Kuwait is facing a new era in the higher education field. Annual increase in the
number of students accepted in both Kuwait University and The Public
Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Hence, higher
education possesses all the characteristics of service industry, i.e., intangible,
heterogeneous, inseparability, variability, perishable and the customer
(student) participates in the process.
There are critical factors emphasizing the need to pay more attention to
evaluate student's satisfaction. Main factors are: (1) The new generation in
Kuwait increasingly looking foreword to accomplish there higher education
certificates.(2) There is a tremendous increase in the number of secondary
school graduates (over 20 thousand) annually. (3) The attempts of the
government of Kuwait to provide educational care to all Kuwaiti
citizens. (4) To construct educational facilities such as new complex for
Kuwait University or Public Authority for Applied Education and Training or the
new Jabber University and permissions for new private universities. (5)
Finally, the vital role of educational institutions in the development plan of the
country.
Organizations in Kuwait and around the world face unprecedented new
challenges Faced with increased foreign and local competition, new
technology, and the expansion of businesses into global markets. These
challenges are profoundly affecting the ways in which organizations are
approaching their products, their customers, and their employees.
(Aftab D and Paul G , 2015) says that There is influential, but not uncontested
literature concerning higher education institutes as education service
providers, functioning like any other business. Eagle and Brennan (2007, p. 4)
argue that academic staff as service providers are thus vital to process
* Prof. Abdulaziz A. Taqi, Department of Management, College of Business Studies, The
Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), E-mail: aztaqi123@yahoo.com
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
delivery. Using a service model and traditional corporate quality frameworks,
there is a temptation to measure how a service ethos serves recipients and
co-producers – students, donor, industry and sponsors – negating education’s
transformative and uncertain nature, rather than taking the externality of
process delivery as a guide.
(Boonlert W, 2014) conducted a study to examine student' beliefs regarding
outcomes of the adoption of the student-as-customer concept and the
interaction effects of these outcomes and the social influence on student'
attitudes toward acceptance of the student-as-customer concept and their
intentions to study at universities adopting this concept. They utilized a
structural equation modeling technique for testing the proposed model. This
study is among the first research to empirically investigate the factors
affecting student' attitudes toward acceptance of the student-as-customer
concept and their intentions to study at universities adopting this concept.
The results indicate that student' believe that the universities’ adoption of the
student-as-customer concept will lead to improvement of the universities’
service quality and the degradation of educational quality in terms of the
instructors’ neglect of teaching, the impairment of instructor- student
relationship, and the ease of course achievement. The improvement of
service quality has a positive effect on the student' attitudes toward
acceptance of the student-as-customer concept and their intentions to study
at universities adopting this concept. The student' beliefs toward the
degradation of educational quality, on the other hand, have indirect and
negative effects on the student' intentions to study at universities adopting the
concept. Interestingly, the effect of social influence on student' intentions to
study at universities adopting the concept is greater than the effects of
student' beliefs toward outcomes of the concept.
In fact this study fills the gap in the higher education literature and provides
guidance for universities to consider and prepare for the consequences of the
concept's adoption associated with the number of student' who intend to study
at their universities
The purpose of the present study is to examine student's expectations and
perceptions towards service quality delivered by government owned colleges
in Kuwait, to identify and evaluate the drivers that influence student's
satisfaction in Kuwait University and PAAET toward Service Quality.
2. Literature Review
Educational institutions are alike other business organizations, they must do
much more than pay lip service to idioms such as “Students are our most
important asset” or “We value and trust our students to do a good job”.
In reality, educational institutions carry the characteristics as industrial
services, such as intangible services, changeable, customer (student)
participation in the process. Accordingly, Satisfied Students who like their
institutions will generate satisfied employees (Oakland and Oakland 1998).
That is why it is so important to make sure that Students are happy in their
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
institutions. On the other hand, take for example, several institutions, selling
similar products to similar people at almost similar prices. Students choose
their outlet on grounds other than what they sell. After location, perhaps the
most obvious is service. How then does an institutions ensure that the
(possibly irate) Student entering the institution (or waiting in to register or on
the end of the phone) feels happy and satisfied (Oswald, and Curtis, 1998).
In there study (Thorsten G, et al, 2010) to investigate how student perceive
the services they are offered at a German university and how satisfied they
are with them. They used a new tool to measure 15 dimensions of student
satisfaction at an institutional level that covers most aspects of student life
was used. It was decided to develop a new measurement tool as many
existing surveys are poorly designed, lack standardization and give no
evidence concerning reliability or validity. Questionnaires were handed out in
eight lectures for the pilot study and 18 lectures for the main study. The
response rate was 99 percent. A total of 374 student (pilot study) and 544
student (main study) filled in the newly developed questionnaires using Likert
scales.
The study gave a valuable insight into how student perceive the quality of the
services offered at a university and how satisfied they are with these offerings.
The results show that student' satisfaction with their university is based on a
relatively stable person-environment relationship. Thus, the satisfaction of
student seems to reflect quite well perceived quality differences of offered
services and of the wider environment. student were particularly satisfied with
the school placements and the atmosphere among student. student were
mostly dissatisfied with the university buildings and the quality of the lecture
theatres.
While (Jacqueline D, Alex D and Barry B, 2006) reported on the design and
use of a questionnaire to measure student satisfaction at Liverpool John
Moores University's Faculty of Business and Law. The paper utilized the
concept of the service-product bundle to design the survey questionnaire and
then used SPSS and Quadrant Analysis to analyze the results to determine
which aspects of the University's services were most important and the
degree to which they satisfied the students. The most important aspects were
those associated with teaching and learning, while the least important were
those associated with the physical facilities. They found service product is
valid and reliable tool for the design of satisfaction survey.
As Few attempts have been made to examine this viewpoint empirically in the
third word and in the educational sector specifically (Oswald, 1998).
Therefore, this explanatory study focuses on the relation between students
satisfaction and service quality.
Students needs have to be the central focus of the firm's definition of its
business purpose, where services are produced through creating students
satisfaction. Accordingly, winning strategies should start with an analysis of
the institution's actual performance compared to students expectations of
performance, especially in service industries, like education institutions.
Unfortunately, the focus of most organizations today is still on short-term
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
financial performance, on productivity and efficiency, and not on customer
satisfaction (Parasuraman, Berry, and Zeithaml, 1991). For instance, one
study concluded that an annual one-point increase in the average firm's
satisfaction index would be worth an 11.4% of current returning on investment
(Anderson and Fornell, 1994). Studies have shown a strong correlation
between institutions turnover and students satisfaction, as business with high
students ratings tend to have low employee turnover (Straube, 1997).
The purpose of the study conducted by (Nara M , 2015) was to investigate
factors that affect student satisfaction in college environment in Armenian
Higher Educational Institutions (AHEIs). This study used an ex-post facto,
non-experimental approach to investigate factors that affected student
satisfaction in college environment in AHEIs. Data were collected through a
self-reported questionnaire from students in nine public and three private
institutions located in different rural and urban areas of Armenia. The sample
consisted of 372 respondents from 12 institutions that geographically covered
the whole country in order to have a comparatively complete picture. Factors
investigated in relation to student satisfaction included: demographics, faculty
services, academic experience, students support facilities, campus life, and
social integration.
Results of Multiple regression analysis indicated relationship between a
number of selected satisfaction measurement dimensions and overall student
satisfaction. This study was the first attempt to investigate factors that
influence student satisfaction in college environment in Armenia.
The lack of focus on students satisfaction has several possible reasons. One
reason may be that the economic returns from improving students satisfaction
are not always immediately realized. Research suggests that because efforts
to increase current students' satisfaction primarily affect future behavior, the
greater portion of economic returns from improving students satisfaction also
will be realized in subsequent periods (Anderson, and Fornell, 1994). Another
reason for the lack of focus on students satisfaction may be because the
concept of service quality although deemed important has been difficult to
define, and maintain. Organizations are now beginning to realize that, it is the
students, not management, whose perceptions really count in the increasingly
competitive marketplace. students satisfaction and the voice of the students
has become a new thrust of the quality movement.
For the outcomes, researchers from both the Organizational Behavior and
Marketing are increasing their focus on the antecedents, as well as the
outcomes, associated with the achievement of high levels of students
satisfaction. For example, Schlesinger and Zornitsky (1991), in their study of
1,277 found that managerial efforts directed at enhancing the service
capability of employees also improved customer satisfaction. While (Ramzi
N., Bechara K, Kamal S, 2008) in their study of student satisfaction with
university services and programs in a coeducational Lebanese higher
education institution. The study tried to relate self-assessed knowledge of the
university procedures, rules and regulations on six dimensions of satisfaction,
being: academic experience, academic advisor, residential life, campus life,
personal development opportunities, resources and student services. A
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
cluster random selection procedure was used to select n=870 student from
within the university. student rated 31 knowledge items and 33 satisfaction
items. The study analyses student satisfaction in relation to their knowledge of
procedures, rules and regulations. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was run
to determine differences between university class level, and knowledge level
on satisfaction. In addition, a regression analysis was run to determine
whether university class (freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior level) and
knowledge level (low, middle and high knowledge levels) were predictors of
the satisfaction dimensions.
The results found, those who assessed their knowledge (of the services) as
higher were more inclined to be satisfied. In addition, seniors in general were
less satisfied with programs and services than freshmen students. Self-rated
knowledge and university level (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors)
significantly predicted satisfaction with both variables being highly associated
(i.e. predicting) with satisfaction in academic advising. Also, this study shows
that knowledge is an important predictor to satisfaction – i.e. the higher the
knowledge the more satisfied student are likely to be
In order to face the new competitive scenario, Italian universities are involved
in a change process and are trying to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to
better serve their customers/ student (Luca P. et al, 2006). In there study to
assess university performance by testing student satisfaction. It tries to
provide universities with some solutions to improve its performance. The
concluded that Universities need to adopt a customer centric approach.
Future research should analyse the reform period experienced by the Italian
University system, in order to investigate student satisfaction. The study
provided a wide analysis of the services perception tested and viewed through
student eyes.
The best description of the relationship between institutions and students
attachment was by (Ulrich, Halbrook, Meder, Stuchlik, Thorpe, 1991: 90): "
students perceptions of service come from students perceiving employees
acting dependably, reliably, consistently and with a concern for the students.
Employees focus on service when management practices encourage it.
Building employee commitment to service translates into students perceptions
of service…The greater the shared mindset among employees, the greater it
is between employees and students.
Job satisfaction, is probably the most studied attitudinal variable in the
organizational research literature (Brown and Peterson, 1993). In fact, in a
service organization, it is possible that employee job satisfaction has its
biggest impact on the organization in the area of customer satisfaction
(students are considered as customers) (Oakland and Oakland 1998).
Overall job satisfaction is considered by some researchers as the primary
determinant of both service quality and perceived value (Hartline & Ferrell,
1993). Additionally, research indicates that job satisfaction is positively
correlated with employee perceptions of service quality (Schlesinger &
Zornitsky, 1991) and customer ratings of customer service (Reynierse &
Harker, 1991). Moreover, research supports an assertion that employees can
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
predict students perceptions of many determinants of service quality
(Reynierse & Harker, 1991), and this prediction may have a significant affect
on their job satisfaction. Another survey of employees at Barnett Bank found
that customer satisfaction was positively correlated to employees', (Jones,
1991). Another survey of an Atlantic Coast Bank with 79 branches found that
employees who perceive customer service as relatively high were also
satisfied in many areas of work (Reynierse & Harker, 1991). One could
postulate, then, that the measurement of certain employee attitudes could be
an indication of customer satisfaction and, therefore, customer satisfaction
could be partially "gauged" through the measurement of these employee
attitudes. Accordingly, the directory board of Kuwait University and The Public
Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) was trying hard to
increase the salary of the faculty members and the administration employees.
They succeeded to increase the salary of the faculty members to an
acceptable level with decreasing working hours, while they very slightly
increased the salary of the supporting staff of administration, financial and
students affairs.
For instance, (John R and Morgan S, 2011) In an attempt to identify the best
predictors of student satisfaction with teaching. A larger survey around
student satisfaction differences in overall satisfaction with the course were
compared to age, gender and enrolment characteristics. In addition the
relationship between overall satisfaction and other quality teaching indicators
was examined to identify those areas that were the best predictors of overall
student satisfaction.
Findings show that The best joint predictors of overall satisfaction were
genuine interest in the individual's learning needs and progress, development
of understanding of concepts and principles, clear expectations, the genuine
interest of staff in teaching and reasonable workload and Genuine interest in
students' needs and progress can be demonstrated by staff demonstrating
empathy, being accessible and approachable as well as encouraging and
supportive.
Nowadays, some educational institutions are beginning to realize the job
satisfaction-service quality relationship through their own experiences and are
implementing programs to increase employee satisfaction (see Watson, et al,
2012). However, (Hartline & Ferrell, 1993, p. 27) indicated that "employee
satisfaction is the single strongest predictor of increased service quality and
value" in the service industry. (Bitner 1990:70) suggested that “satisfaction is
related closely to, but is not the same as, the customer’s general attitude
toward the service”. Which she called perceived service quality.
From the discussion above, we can summarize the importance of the study
as: to give a better indication of educational institutions services in wealthy
Gulf State, and to what extant the service quality complies with students
expectations. Also try to clarify the relation between service quality and
students satisfaction.
3. Methodology
This research concentrates on the relationship between students satisfaction
and service quality in government educational institutional sector in the state
of Kuwaiti. Practical studies tackled different aspects of service quality in
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
several sectors such as in: hospitals, banking sector, tourism, hotels and
insurance. While educational institutions is considered as one of the ignored
sectors in the area of service quality by researchers (Abdullah, 2006). In the
competitive environment nowadays in Kuwait, students have choices for the
first time for decades.
Accordingly, the aim of this exploratory and descriptive study is to examine
the variables effecting students attitudes toward physical capabilities, services
and other facilities provided by educational institutions. As will as evaluating
the effects and dimensions of each variable according to the college name,
gender, year of study, the programme of study. To accomplish that, this study
tried to set students expectations in Kuwait University and The Public
Authority for Applied Education and Training. Tow research questions where
adopted: (1) Is there differences between students in Kuwait University and
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training in there expectations
to service quality. (2) Is there differences according to demographic variables
such as sex and years in the college.
A random sample of Students in Kuwait University and The Public Authority
for Applied Education and Training were chosen for this exploratory
descriptive study. Surveys distributed to A total of 600 surveys were
distributed and 210 were returned for an overall response rate of 35%. Of the
remaining 210 respondents, 45% were male and 55% were female. Sixtythree percent (83%) of the respondents were unmarried. The respondents'
average age was 20 years, and average tenure with the college was
approximately 2 years. The percentage of participation might be due to time
variable as the study was at the end of the semester. Data was collected
according to SERVQUAL instrument.
To insure that the effects of individual or organization differences would not
contaminate the data, several control variables included in the analysis. The
control variables are based on a review of the literature on management
evaluations and included, students college experience, students workload,
employee gender, and employee age.
To measure service quality, the SERVQUAL instrument was used. The
instrument has been tested and is generally accepted by researchers (see
Babakus & Boller, 1992; Carman, 1990). The validity of the 22 scale items
(dependent variable) that make up the SERVQUAL scale appears to be well
supported both by the procedures used to develop the items and by their
subsequent use as reported in the literature (Carman, 1990). Subsequent
empirical testing has found these 22 items to be exhaustive and appropriate
for application over a broad spectrum of services (Parasuraman, et al 1988;
Carman, 1990; Walsh, 1992). Through empirical testing, the researcher
narrowed the initial 10 dimensions of service quality to 22 items. coefficient
alphas higher than .79. (1 worse than I expected) to 7 (much better than I
expected). Thus, higher scores reflect higher perceived quality.
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
Table 1: Means, Standard Deviations and Reliabilities for the SERVQUAL
Measure
FACTOR
Item
Factor 1- “Empathy” Factor (alpha = .96)
Item # 7 / faculty and admen's reassurance and empathy
Item # 10 /willingness of faculty and admen's to help you
Item # 11/ faculty and admen's responding to your problems
Item # 17/ faculty and admen's encourage of expression
Item # 19/ faculty and admen's ability to build confidence
Item # 22 / individual attention you received
Item # 23 / convenience of the faculty and admen's hours
Item # 26 / faculty and admen's understanding you
Factor 2- “Competence and Reliability” Factor (alpha = .89)
Item # 5 / dependability in solving problems
Item # 6 / providing services as promised
Item # 8 / accuracy of records
Item # 9 / receiving prompt response
Item # 12 / ability to teach material
Item # 13 / demonstration of subject knowledge
Item # 14 / ability to answer questions
Item # 15 / organization of class
Item # 16 / faculty communication of class
Item # 18 / explanation of course….
Factor 3- “Tangibles” Factor (alpha = .81)
Item # 1 / modernisms of the equipment
Item # 2 / appearance of facilities
Item # 3 / appearance of faculty and admen's
Item # 4 parking space
Mean
5.2
5.1
5.1
5.4
4.9
5.1
5.0
5.0
S.D
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.5
1.6
1.4
5.3
5.0
5.2
5.3
5.1
5.1
5.2
5.0
5.2
5.1
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.5
1.4
1.4
4.6
5.0
4.8
4.2
1.3
1,3
1.2
1.3
The Satisfaction Survey developed by (Spector 1985). The survey contains 36
items measuring nine dimensions. For each item, the respondent is asked to
rate their amount of agreement or disagreement on a 7-point scale, with (1)
being "disagree very much" and (7) being "agree very much".
The customer satisfaction scale in this study will match Oliver's
conceptualization of the construct. It is a three-item scale similar to the one
used in a study by (Taylor and Baker 1994), who obtained a high internal
consistency ratability (alpha = .94).
The behavioral intention scale in this study will include an item for future
"purchase" intentions ("I would take another service from this organization if I
could") and two items for word-of-mouth "advertising" ("I will recommend this
organization to my friends"). This type of scale is similar to the ones used by
(Taylor and Baker 1994).
Table 2 presents a summary analysis of the measures used in this study. As
shown on this table, the multi-item measures have reasonably high internal
consistency, with coefficient alphas greater than .70. In fact, most of the multiitem measures have coefficient alphas greater than.80.
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
Table 2: Summary of Study Variable Characteristics
Students Satisfaction
Satisfaction with Contingent Rewards
Satisfaction with admin
Satisfaction with parking
Satisfaction with Benefits
Satisfaction with the faculty
Satisfaction with registration
Satisfaction with Operating Procedures
Global Satisfaction
Perceived Service Quality
Empathy
Competence and Reliability
Tangibles of the Environment
Overall Quality
Students Satisfaction
Students Behavioral Intentions
Future Intentions
Positive Word-Of-Mouth Intentions
# OF ITEMS MEAN
10
5.01
6
4.95
5
4.98
3
5.06
6
5.41
4
5.68
2
4.50
17
5.82
S.D. ALPHA
1.44
.85
1.21
.91
1.14
.79
1.27
.84
1.40
.78
.97
.76
.86
.96
1.20
.81
12
10
4
1
3
5.24
5.36
5.04
5.25
5.57
.71
.67
.53
.69
1.52
.96
.89
.81
.94
1
2
4.99
5.81
.81
3.25
.85
4. Findings
Fairness of the system: There was some concern about the fairness of the
system. This view particularly emerged in relation to the deadlines for tutors
receiving work from students. There was concern that the penalties for late
hand-ins were not clear and it might be that some students were being given
extra time without any penalty. Students identified 4 Resources concerned
them about the quantity and quality of resources. There was considerable
variability in the comments made and some students were very satisfied.
There were also variations between students on different sites.
References: Nearly all students interviewed in Kuwait University complained
about the paucity of books. The library on all sites was severely criticized and
it causes stress and concern to many students. Some go to other universities
to try and find book resources, others look in local libraries, whilst others rely
on web-based resources. Students in PAAET were pleased to have been
given a copy of the core text and they were less concerned about book
shortages.
Technology: There were some complaints about the lack of computer facilities
in both institutions, particularly at the country level, but on the whole students
were not very affected by this resource. The reason for this is shown in the
quotations below and was repeated on numerous occasions: Put it like this, if
/ was not in a position to have a computer at home / would be struggling to do
assignments. The print queues are very long or not available as in PAAET.
In contrary, the study by (Matthew H. Roy, Eliot Elfner, 2002) shows
Corporate universities, higher educational institutions, and training
professionals have been using instructional technology (IT) tools and
techniques for years. Institutions spend heavily to constantly update their
instructional resources, computer labs, and library holdings. Unfortunately,
most institutions have not studied the effectiveness of these investments in
terms of student satisfaction or learning outcomes. This empirical analysis of
215 student responses provides some insights into the effectiveness of
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
various IT tools and techniques. The findings show that some tools are more
effective than others in achieving student satisfaction and positive behavioral
outcomes. This study may be useful as a pedagogical tool for instructors
planning learning ventures or to justify technological expenditures at the
administrative level.
In a study conducted at University Technology MARA, Johor, Malaysia by
(Mohd D and Mohamed S, 2009) utilizing questionnaires as a tool for data
collection. 354 undergraduate student' participated in the study. The structural
equation modeling results indicate that technology satisfaction and the
internet usage significantly explain the variance on student' performance.
Task-technology fit is is not a predictor of technology resistance but it does
predict the internet usage. The internet usage has greater impact on
technology satisfaction than technology satisfaction on the internet usage.
Finally, technology resistance is not a predictor of student' performance.
Supply: Students emphasized that food is cheap to purchase in all of the
restaurants. However, some thought that it was of poor quality and needed to
be improved, particularly in PAAET. There were also mixed views about the
service provided by catering staff. Some thought the staff were friendly and
excellent whilst others were far less impressed and complained that staff were
officious. For example, there were complaints that queues in PAAET were not
properly alleviated and managed - staff refusing to serve until set times, even
though food was ready to serve.
(Xi Liang and Shuai Zhang, 2009) in there study of the relationship between
service quality, price fairness and customer satisfaction in student food
service among the student customers of SiB's cafeteria within NHH premises.
The survey results shows that quality factors such as food quality, variety,
convenience and price fairness have a significant impact on students'
satisfaction with the cafeteria, while the impacts from interaction and
environment factors are not significant.
Another study by (Faizan A , Kisang R , 2015) aimd to examine students'
foodservice experience and its effect on satisfaction, dining frequency and
expenditures. A total of 674 samples collected at a large Malaysian private
university were used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling based on
partial least squares method was conducted. Results confirm that student
foodservice experience significantly influences satisfaction, dining frequency
and dining expenditure. Furthermore, four first-order constructs (product
component, service component, price component and healthy component) are
also validated on the designated second-order construct (customer
foodservice experience).
These findings indicate that on-campus foodservice operators should focus on
student experience and satisfaction to increase visits and expenditures. This
study would enable on-campus foodservice operators to have a better
understanding of various dimensions of foodservice experience which will
lead to student' satisfaction and encourage the development of their visits and
expenditure
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
Student allowance: Almost all students feel Financial pressures, and they
consider government allowance is enough (around $ 700 per month). Even
some think the financial pressure is high. In this relatively small sample, some
students were considering leaving their course and the main reason appeared
to be financial pressures. One student was not likely to proceed to the degree
course from the University because of the need to earn a full time income to
help support his family and pay the mortgage. Some students have jobs just
so that they can carry on with their studies. Financial worries intensify the
pressure and alter perceptions and work practices. Student' pointed out that a
lot of the student allowance went on paying for a car loan and yet without a
car it would be impractical to study at College.
Accordingly, students are faded with severe financial pressures and some
student did not feel that faculty members adequately take these pressures
into account. For many it is an equation and this distorts their thinking about
the attributes of the college. Is it worth studying four years to get a decent job
when could work now and work your way up?, you just don't know, it's a
gamble. For some students though finance was not a critical issue as they
have support from parents.
Another issue regarding financial matter was book expenses. As they
complain the high books' prices. That was also researched by (Yungwei H ,
Kathy J , 2014) in a study aimed to add to the body of literature by examining
student' satisfaction with e-textbooks. As higher education evolves, one
instructional tool, the classic textbook, is undergoing various transformations.
In today’s classrooms, many e-textbooks are in use and there are
implications. They developed instrument measured 115 undergraduate
students' satisfaction levels for e-textbooks used in two courses, and a
learning styles instrument was given to identify student learning preferences.
In general, students had a moderately above-neutral, positive attitude toward
the e-textbooks. Gender, grade point average, time spent weekly reading etextbooks and a few learning style tendencies can significantly predict, to
some extent, different dimensions of satisfaction.
Car parking: Parking and the lack of it is an issue for some students but
others had no complaints. It was a severe and disturbing problem on the
University site where parking is much easier in PAAET. This causes stress
and adds to financial pressures.
Empathy: Genuine interest in students' needs and progress can be
demonstrated by staff demonstrating empathy, being accessible and
approachable as well as encouraging and supportive. This is the core
category identified in this research. The hypothesis generated is that most
issues of satisfaction/dissatisfaction centre on the notion of empathy and on
occasions the lack of it. The key properties of empathy are: Faculty members,
administrative staff, administrative staff students and (supportive tutors - only
in Kuwait University) it means a great deal to them.
In Kuwait University, doing research study at the moment and have two
tutors at the moment They are helpful and supportive to the students through
what's expected of them. Can the work backwards and forwards and say what
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
do you think. Have a lot of contact with them, can give her a ring or use email. If you leave a message they will usually get back to you. These tutors
are a really good team.
At a time in higher education when the workloads of many academics are
increasing (we raised the reason behind that in Kuwait in the introduction)
(John R and Morgan S, 2011) concluded there research as a timely reminder
that students appreciate staff who demonstrate genuine interest in their
individual needs.
They attempted to identify the best predictors of student satisfaction with
teaching. A larger survey around student satisfaction differences in overall
satisfaction with the course were compared to age, gender and enrolment
characteristics. In addition the relationship between overall satisfaction and
other quality teaching indicators was examined to identify those areas that
were the best predictors of overall student satisfaction. Findings show that
The best joint predictors of overall satisfaction were genuine interest in the
individual's learning needs and progress, development of understanding of
concepts and principles, clear expectations, the genuine interest of staff in
teaching and reasonable workload.
Careers advice: The Careers Service did not receive favorable comments.
Only one student interviewed had used the service and many felt it was
irrelevant. Perhaps of more concern was that students feelings that a
connection is more or less the best way for employment, as will as on many
courses they did not receive advice either from faculty members or assistant
dean fir student affairs, about possible ways forward after the courses had
been completed, except sometimes to promote their own study progression
courses.
Professional caring required: Although many students were complimentary of
the staff and the empathy demonstrated, others were less pleased and some
were highly critical. In one joint interview, with two students both on the same
course, one was completely delighted with the course and all its aspects and
one was very disgruntled and critical. How can this be? To an extent it is
related to student previous experiences and expectations, it is also the result
of experiences whilst at college.
There were only a few comments made about administrative staff but when
they were, negative comments usually occurred with staff being described as
"miserable" and "patronizing". When asked why they thought this was the
case, they thought it might be because of large numbers of students present
on the campus who caused annoyance and irritation to the staff.
(Timmerman, 2013), sheds important light on the relationship between staff
service delivery with customer attitudinal loyalty and created the notion of
customer focused HRM. He demonstrated that organizations in which
employees report they work in a positive climate for service have customers
who report they receive superior service quality. In similar terms, he reported
that organizations in which employees describe the Human Resource
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
Management practices under which they work in more positive terms have
customers who report they receive superior service quality.
A survey was conducted by (Sami and Päivi J , 2015) to investigate how the
university student' and staff assess the university campus and facility
services. The purpose of the study was to evaluate and discuss the extent of
the satisfaction as perceived by the student' and staff towards university
facilities and services in two campuses in Finland. The aim is to analyze
which facility-related factors have the greatest impacts on student' and staff’s
overall satisfaction.
The extensive A framework was developed to prioritise the satisfaction factors
towards the facilities in two campuses in the both groups. The study was
executed with the statistical assessment method, which combines each
question’s mean value and how it affects overall satisfaction.
The findings show that there are differences in the main features of the
satisfaction as assessed by the groups and between the two campuses.
student satisfaction consist of factors related to comfortable learning
environment, where public spaces and campus accessibility play vital roles.
Staff satisfaction can be characterized as a comprehensive campus
experience and where laboratory and teaching facilities create value to the
staff. In general, results show that the factors related to the research and
teaching spaces have the greatest impacts on the overall satisfaction in the
both groups. The improvement of the quality of these spaces will then directly
assist staff and student' in achieving their objectives.
This has been subsequently reinforced by (Gremler et al 2002) who note
that service businesses need to consider empowering employees and giving
them the freedom to develop relationships. They believe that the flattening of
organizational hierarchical structures and the employees' ready access to
data base information is better enabling their empowerment.
Analysis of the model: Although correlation matrices have been used, the
input matrix to be analyzed through the EQS structural modeling program has
predominantly been based on the variance/covariance matrix to understand
magnitude of the relationships between constructs (Hair, Anderson, Tatham &
Black, 1992). Therefore, the maximum likelihood method of model estimation
was used in this study, as it has shown to be quit robust over normality
violations (Newcomb & Bentler, 1988). As stated by (Byrne 1994: 53): the
focal point in analyzing structural equation models is the extent to which the
hypothesized model adequately describes the sample data. A two step
structural equation modeling approach was used to test the hypothesis to
assess the validity of the measurement model first, and then the hypothesized
structural model.
Measurement Model Analysis: The confirmatory factor model produced the
following goodness of fit statistics:
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
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ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
Table 3: Goodness of Fit Summary Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Average Absolute Standardized Residuals = 0.0436
Independence Model Chi-Square = 4607.916 (153 df)
Independence AIC = 4301.92
Independence CAIC = 3558.22
Model AIC = 259.56
Model CAIC = -314.014
Chi-Square = 495.56 based on 118 degrees of freedom
Probability value for the Chi-Square Statistics is less than 0.001
The Normal Theory RLS Chi-Square for this ML Solution is 429.52
Bentler-Bonett Normed Fit Index = 0.89
Bentler-Bonett Non-normed Fit Index = 0.89
Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.92
The CFA provides correlations among the latent constructs that are
disattenuated for measurement error and, therefore, represent the true
associations among the constructs. The following factor correlations were
found in the final CFA model:
Structural Model Analysis:
The final stage of the analysis was the creation of a structural (or path) model,
which included the hypothesized regression effects representing influences of
one variable or factor upon another. As can be seen in Table 4, the final
structural model fit the data fairly well (CFI = .91).
Table 4: Summary of Model Fit Statistics
Chi-Square
df
p-value
CFI
Initial CFA
662.86
126
.001
Final CFA
.88
Structural
495.56
118
.001
Model
.92
495.83
115
.001
.91
Chi-Square Differences:
Initial CFA to Final CFA
167.30 (8df) (p<.001)
Final CFA to Structural Model
.82 (3 df)
Model
NNFI
.85
.89
.89
From the above statistics, a CFI value of greater than .90, and Chi-square
difference = .82, 3 df, indicates an acceptable fit to the data (Bentler, 1992;
Byrne, 1994), all hypothesized factor loading were highly significant (p<.001),
confirming the hypothesized factor structure. All of the indicators loaded
significantly on the factors they were intended to represent, providing
evidence of convergent validity. Although the probability value for the model
chi-square statistic was low (<.001), which suggests that the model did not
adequately reflect the data, it is well known that the chi-square statistics is
sensitive to large sample sizes (Byrne, 1994: 144) Stated that: “Given the
known sensitivity of the chi-square statistics to sample size, it provides little
guidance in determining the extent to which the model does not fit, and it is
more beneficial to rely on fit as represented by the CFI”. Therefore, a lack of
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
significant differences between the CFA and hypothesized model indicates
that the data supported the hypothesized model.
The results of the final structural model support the first three hypothesis: (1)
the path coefficient for the service quality- student satisfaction path is
significant and positive (+.850); (2) the path coefficient for the service qualitystudent satisfaction and student behavior intentions paths are significant and
positive (+.380 and .610, respectively); and (3) the path coefficient for overall
student satisfaction is significant and positive (+.376).
Analysis of the Hypotheses
The model goodness-of-fit (NFI = .892, CFI = .914) were reasonably high and
indicated that the model adequately fit the data. Additionally, a chi-square test
of differences revealed that the hypothesized model did not significantly differ
from the confirmatory factor model (chi-square difference = .82, 3 df). The
following hypotheses were tested by structural model:
Hypothesis #1: Perceptions of service quality will have a positive and a
significant effect on overall student satisfaction. The path coefficient for the
service quality - student satisfaction path indicates a significant positive
correlation (+ .840, p< .001). Therefore, this hypothesis is supported by the
data. This supports previous studies conducted by Cronin and Taylor (1992)
and Rust and Oliver (1994). The residual for the student satisfaction factor
(D3 = .527) reveals that the amount of unexplained variance is only 27.8 %. In
other words, the model explains 71.2% of the variance in customer
satisfaction.
Hypothesis #2: Perceptions of service quality and student satisfaction will
each exert a positive and significant effect on student behavioral intentions.
The path coefficients for the service quality - behavioral intentions path (+
.375, p< .001) and the customer satisfaction - behavioral intentions path (+
.580. p< .001) reveal that both exert a positive and significant effect on
customer behavioral intentions. Therefore, this hypothesis is supported by the
data. This study represents the first test of the hypothesis that both service
quality and student satisfaction contributes to student behavioral intentions.
Previous researchers have found that service quality directly affects customer
behavioral intentions (Bitner, 1990).
Hypothesis#3: satisfaction facets dealing with intrinsic reward factors (e.g.,
nature of work, customers) will account for more of the variance in customer
service quality than facets dealing with extrinsic factors (e.g., benefits,
supervision, contingent rewards, operating procedures, co-workers,
communication).
Discussion
This study improved on previous studies relating satisfaction to service quality
in three main ways: (1) it assessed the variable relationships at the individual,
rather than the group, level of analysis. (2) It added to the present body of
knowledge by including certain individual difference variables in the model to
Proceedings of Annual Paris Business Research Conference
13 - 14 August 2015, Crowne Plaza Hotel Republique, Paris, France
ISBN: 978-1-922069-82-5
control for their effects so that the true effects of the variables could be
assessed. (3) It tested the hypotheses in a structural equation model, which
improves upon previous methodology by allowing for the estimation of
multiple and interrelated dependence relationships and by increasing the
reliability of measures through the use of separate measurement and
structural models. (4) Rather than just using a global satisfaction measure,
this study investigated the effects of individual facets of satisfaction on service
quality to determine if certain facets better predict service quality than others
do.
In investigating the effects of satisfaction facets, the results of this study
revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute significantly to
overall service quality. The results of this study further suggest that service
quality is an antecedent of consumer satisfaction, and that consumer
satisfaction exerts a stronger influence on purchase intentions than does
service quality. This confirms the work conducted by Cronin and Taylor
(1992), who pointed out that managers need to emphasize total customer
satisfaction programs more than strategies centering solely on service quality
5. Conclusion
To date, only a few empirical studies have been conducted to investigate the
link between satisfaction and service quality. This research further confirms
previous research that has shown that satisfaction can have a significant
impact on service quality and, ultimately, on organizational effectiveness.
The results of this study suggest that the benefits of quality improvements
come basically in two forms the improved ability of the firm to attract new
students due to a word-of-mouth advertising and the increase in the future
purchases. This study shows that there is a positive relationship between
different facets of service quality and these two students' behaviors.
The findings can help shed light on ways to enable students to become more
satisfied with service provided and can help policymakers and instructors
evaluate and effectively adopt the appropriate services to meet individual
needs.
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