The relationship between student satisfaction and service quality in private higher education institutions

• Author: Suela Hajdari
• Position: University of Elbasan, Albania
• Pages: 89-95

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

Vol. 3 No. 2

June, 2019

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

89

The relationship between student satisfaction and service quality in private

higher education institutions

PhD. (C.) Suela Hajdari

University of Elbasan, Albania

Abstract

One of the most important determinants of student satisfaction is the quality of service, which

is a competitive advantage for service delivery organizations as well as for the education sector.

This study aims to reveal the link between the quality of service and student satisfaction in

private universities in Albania, as well as to highlight the key factors in the quality of service

that most a ect student satisfaction. For the realization of this paper, 250 Bachelor's students

were selected randomly in three private higher education institutions that completed the

questionnaire dra ed in relation to the quality dimensions. The empirical results of this study

can be considered as support for the Parasuraman SERVQUAL (1985), which refers to factors

contributing to student satisfaction. The positive relationship between service quality and

student satisfaction is one of the key fi ndings of this study.

Keywords: Servqual model, education quality, student satisfaction, private higher education

institution.

Introduction

The academic environment is undergoing rapid changes and is characterized by

an ever-increasing competition, where potential students are o ered numerous

opportunities. In this respect, private higher education institutions should be careful

in choosing a ractive methods to a ract and retain students. Student satisfaction

should be seen as a primary source of competitive advantage (Poturak, 2014). If the

institutions satisfy their students, this will ensure their sustainability and create a

positive image for a racting new students as well. Fulfi lling student expectations is

at the center of the a ention of many institutions, but the lack of student awareness

among sta is the main obstacle faced by most educational institutions.

If education programs and services meet the student's expectations for services, then

this makes students continue to enroll in higher education institutions. According to

Zeithaml, Berry & Parasuraman, (1996) satisfaction with services is the di erence in

this competitive market. Service quality is the focus of most popular marketing issues

(Velnamby, Sivesan, 2013). Consequently, improving the quality of services should be

the objective of private higher education institutions, which is closely linked to the

ability of these institutions to create an atmosphere conducive to change through the

decision-making process and human resource practices (Mosadeghard, 2006).

Determining the quality of higher education is a di cult task, as the quality of

education is viewed as a vague and contradictory concept (Pounder, 1997). Since there

is no standard defi nition for quality, its measurement has always been questionable.

Many scholars have tried to develop a quality model for higher education based on