CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter enumerates various literature and studies that are associated with this study.

School Services

Elliot and Healy (2020) defined Students’ satisfaction as a short term attitude, resulting from

an evaluation of a students’ educational experiences. It is a multidimensional process that is

influenced by a variety of factors. GPA is the most influential factor on student satisfaction,

according to Walker-Marshall and Hudson (2019).

According to McQuillan (2019), measuring an educational program’s quality and a significant

course rating is considered student satisfaction. It is very common, especially in tertiary

education programs, that students are dissatisfied with their courses and institutions and choose

to leave their studies. Data on student satisfaction(SS) in educational institutes can be utilized to

improve and update learning settings, as can data on faculty satisfaction.Student satisfaction can

relate to recruitment, retention, and success in academics. Schools are paying close attention to

these variables to attract students and establish a conducive learning environment for students in

general. Recognizing and exceeding these expectations is critical to create effective learning

environments for students. Student satisfaction (SS) is the single factor contributing to students’

increased selfconfidence, valuable talent development, and knowledge acquisition (Letcher &

Neves, 2023).

Studennt satisfaction is a person’s feeling of pleasure that result from comparing a products

perceived performance to their expectation. In both academic and non-academic settings

satisfaction is the well-researched topic (Kotler, et al. 2019). Student satisfaction has never been

considered as important issue in the past. But now students are recognized as the customers of

educational organizations and these organizations are paying much more attention to the

satisfaction of their customers. It is very important for the institute to satisfy their admitted
students because the success and sustainability of institute highly depends upon the satisfaction

of students Elliot and Healy (2020).

Satisfaction actually covers issues of student’s perception and experiences during their

academic years. Satisfaction is the persons' feelings of pleasure that is the result from comparing

a product’s outcome to their expectations. Over the last several years the environment of higher

education institutions is changed (Kohont and Nadoh Bergoc, 2020). Students’ satisfaction is the

key to the success of educational institute. When we talk about the students’ satisfaction with

their institute it refers to the student’s expectations from their institute. The more the university

facilitates students by providing facilities that make their experience conducive and help them in

attainment of necessary skills and abilities more the students satisfied (Elixir, 2023).

According to Bolton (2020), there is a relationship between customer’s retention, intentions

and satisfaction and a satisfied customer is financial asset for the company. The aim of

educational institute is to satisfy their customer which is students. Elliott and Shin (2021. p: 198),

define student’s satisfaction as; “the favorability of a students’ subjective evaluation of the

various outcomes and experiences associated with education, student satisfaction is being

shaped continually by repeated experiences in campus life”. Now the concern is not only the

higher education but also the higher education institutions.

Students’ Expectation on School Services

Studies have shown that students take an active role in environment related activities at

school. Lizzio et al. (2022) explored the perception about the contribution of the university

learning environment to academic outcome, where as it is not influenced by prior academic

achievements. Furthermore, student involvement to the different school services offered by the

school is associated with student satisfaction since most of the school services cater to the

needs and necessities of students outside their classrooms (Seng and Ling, 2019). In addition,

according to Duque and Weeks (2020), students who put more effort and energy into their

academic and extra co-curricular experience will obtain better learning and personal

development. Thus, according to Seng and Ling (2022), these students devote more of their time
on campus, participate in student organizations and interact with faculty members and other

students and they are more likely to perceive higher level of satisfaction than others. According

to Walker (2020), students’ expectation can be measured by explaining three broad categories:

course contents, academic staff, and grades. However, there is a wide deviation between the 3

categories. In addition, administration systems of a university will also determine how well a

projected plan will be implemented to ensure the quality of education. In their research, Nadiri,

Kandampully, and Hussain (2022) tried to examine the perceived service quality provided by the

administrative units, for example, services provided by the registrar, library, faculty office, rector

office, dormitory, sports, and health care center (as cited by Nadiri, 2023). The findings were

tangible and intangible in order to measure the service quality and both of the dimensions has

positive effect on students’ satisfaction. Moreover, Kohont and Nadoh Bergoc (2020) stated that

human resource management tools play important roles in developing the teachers, supporting

changes in the organizational culture, and preparing managers, leaders, and academic

personnel for the higher education institutions. As such, the aforementioned factors help in

determining the quality of a higher education and thus improving the management of the school.

Students’ Satisfaction on Service Quality of Educational Institutions

Satisfaction is a function of relative level of expectations and perceives performance

(Palacio, Meneses and Perez, 2022). In contrast, Carey, Cambiano and De Vore (2022), believe

that satisfaction actually covers issues of students’ perception and experiences during the

college years. In particular, satisfaction can be defined differently depending on the people or

customers and the market. Thus, satisfaction has extended to the context of higher education.

Students’ satisfaction results when actual performance meets or exceeds the students’

expectations (Hasan, 2021). In addition, Elliott and Shin (2019) state that student satisfaction

being shaped continually by various outcomes and their experiences in campus. This includes

the students’ evaluation and perception towards the school services being offered. Not only

these factors affect the students’ satisfaction but there are also personal factors that could affect
their satisfactions. Personal factors include, student’s progress and engagement with the

different activities. Furthermore, students’ satisfaction plays an important role in determining the

originality and accuracy of the education system (Hasan, 2019). Based on several studies and

researches, satisfaction is somehow considered as a proof of how effective the management of

the school works since it enables to produce active and efficient students. In particular, Fuß,

Voss and Gläser-Zikuda (2021) found that student satisfaction was related to person-

environment relationship at German universities. Student involvement has a significant effect on

the learning outcomes which contributed to student’s perception on service quality and

satisfaction. Therefore, the satisfaction towards the services offered by the school is important to

evaluate.

Quality of higher education can be defined in multiple ways. Longanecker and Blanco (2023)

defined it as by who and how students are taught rather than by what students learn. Their

definition highlights both the academic staff and administration of an institution. Later on,

academic staff and administration of an institution in relation to the service quality of a school

was defined separately by Koslowski (2021). He defined academic staff as the key to determine

high service quality rather than performance terms. However, he defined administrators as a

problem for coordination in which may affect the satisfaction of the students. Furthermore,

Koslowski (2019) classified higher education quality as: (1) ‘transcendent quality’ as the result of

reputation of and expertise of academic staff; (2)‘manufacturing-based quality’ as the service

conforms to specifications and is fit to be used in manner for which it was designed; (3) ‘product-

based quality’ as increased student learning produced by the curriculum and academic staff;

(4)‘value-based quality’ as acceptable performance at an acceptable price; and, (5)‘user-based

quality’ as students’ needs, wants, and preferences.

The service quality of educational institutions is a key determinant for customers before

purchasing a product or availing any type of service that plays significant role in measuring the

performance of product or service and the organization as well (Archambault, 2019). Thus quality

education is also a challenge for the all the public and private sector universities. This is why

many of the universities round the globe are putting their heads and efforts to deliver quality of
educational services to their customers for their satisfaction. Research studies undertaken mostly

investigate the service quality of educational institutions especially higher education was

successful in identifying the factor that determine the student satisfaction.

Ijaz et al. (2022) found that, students who paid their own dues and fees had high

expectations of service quality and were less satisfied as compared to the students whose dues

and fee was paid by others. Kayastha (2019) and Archambault (2021) however concluded in

their independent studies that there are significant relationships between service performance

and student satisfaction that will aid private, post-secondary institutions to predict and measure

student satisfaction and retention. Several studies on the other hand, such as the study of Dib &

Alnazer (2019) found that, in general, students’ satisfaction is important to attract and retain

customers. Therefore, the concept of student satisfaction is a new concept in the universities of

public sectors.