Student Satisfaction Definition (Research Method)

Student Satisfaction

There are a several findings of definition regarding to the concept or term “satisfaction ” in the services and marketing literature. According to Oliver (1997), he stated that satisfaction is a pleasurable fulfillment which in general consumers are familiar that consumption completes some goal, desire and consequently this completion creates a pleasurable feeling. As for Halstead et al. (1994), satisfaction refers to an alternate response that is centered on matching the result of  the product with some standard set prior to the purchase and measured during or after consumption. On the contrary, Fornell (1992) describes satisfaction as a common evaluation based on the result of the product perceived after the purchase and compared with prospects prior to the purchase. Additionally, the term satisfaction has been researched thoroughly in many empirical studies through massive personal interviews and meetings with consumer groups. Satisfaction according to Giese and Cote (2000) comprises of three crucial elements which are first, a general affective response that varies in its intensity, secondly a focus on the choice of product, purchase or consumption and lastly, the moment of determination that varies according to different situations and duration in time. The term satisfaction itself creates a vast diversity within industry and societal perspectives and varies with regard to the object focus and level of specificity. According to Yi (1991), satisfaction consists of levels of satisfaction with a product or service, purchase decision experience, performance attribute, consumption-use experience, department or store of the business organization, lastly with a pre-purchasing experience.

Comparatively, Spreng and Olshavsky (1989) argue that consumer desires instead of  expecting when comparing the performance of a product or a service while other scholars such as Churchill and Suprenant (1982) define satisfaction as a process which is more complex than explained by disconfirmation of theory. The satisfaction concept has also been prolonged recently to the context of higher education and is focused on among the community of students.

As referred to Oliver and

Desarbo (1998), it is define that student satisfaction is “the favorability of a student ’s subjective assessment of the numerous outcomes and experiences related with education and being shaped continually and repeated experiences in campus life ”. Elliott and Shin (2002) also mention that student satisfaction gives a positive effect on fundraising and student motivation in higher education. On the other hand, according to Elliot and Healy (2001) the term student satisfaction is mainly about a short term attitude that results from the evaluation of their experience with the education service received. It is merely a conceptualized identification according to Bhattacharya et. al. (1995) as a degree to which an organization such as the university and the organizational members in this case referring to the graduates exchanging attributes and values in return, an attempt to satisfy one or more personal needs among themselves. Despite to the various definitions, student satisfaction is also considered as an effective reaction in a time referred to Beerli et al. (2002), resulting from the assessment of the teaching services and study support offered to the student by the university. Furthermore, it is also viewed by Astin (1993) as a broad construct covering student ’s subjective experience and perceptions of  the value experience consequently resulted as a key outcome in higher education.

Harvey, Plimmer, Moon, and Geall (1997) also indicate that student satisfaction is a quality enhancement tool which is designed to improve the quality of student experience. In addition, Bailey, Bauman and Lata (1998) study shows that student satisfaction can be viewed in a way of  associating various multiple factors such as campus community, advertising services, and faculty in the educational environment accounted for the variance in students ’ satisfaction. Reference

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Oliver, R.L. (1997), Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer, McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY.

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Halstead D, Hartan D, and Schmidts. (1994) Multisource effects on the satisfaction formation process, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Vol. 22. 114-29

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Fornell C & Larcker DF (1981) Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error, Journal of Marketing Research Vol. 181 (1), 39-50

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Giese J and Cote JA (2000)Defining Consumer Satisfaction. Academy of Marketing Science Journal Review

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Yi, Y. (1991). "A critical review of customer satisfaction", Journal of the Academy of  Marketing Science

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Olshavsky, Richard W. and Richard A. Spreng (1972), a desire as Standard Model of  consumer satisfaction” Journal of consumer satisfaction, dissatisfaction and complaining behavior, 2, 49-54

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Churchill, Gilbert A. and Carol Suprenant (1982), “An Investigation into the Determinants of Consumer Satisfaction, ” Journal of Marketing Research, 19 (November), 491-504

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Oliver, R.L. and DeSarbo, W.S. (1989), “Processing of  the satisfaction response in consumption: a suggested framework and research proposition”, Journal of Consumer  Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Vol. 2, pp. 1-16.

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Elliott, K.M. and Shin, D. (2002), “Student satisfaction: an alternative approach to assessing this important concept”, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 197-209.

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Elliott, K.M. and Healy, M.A. (2001), “Key factors influencing student satisfaction related to recruitment and retention”, Jour nal of Marketing for Higher Education, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 1-11.

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Bhattacharya C, Rao H and Glynn M (1995) Understanding the Bond of Identification; An Investigation of Its Correlates Art Museum members, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 59 (4), 4657

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Beerli A. Diaz G and Perez P (2002) Configuracion de la imagen de las universidades a través de los componentes cognitivo y afectivo, Cuadernos Aragoneses de Economia, Vol. 12(2), 337-352

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Astin, A. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Journal of Marketing Research

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Harvey. L., Plimmer, L., Moon, S., & Geall, V. (1997). Student Satisfaction Manual. Buckingham UK:SRHE/Open University Press.

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Bailey, B. L., Bauman, C., & Lata, K. A. (1998). Student retention and satisfaction: The evolution of a predictive model. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED424797).