University student satisfaction in Shijiazhuang, China: an empirical analysis

China’s higher education sector has experienced political and economic reforms and social changes during the past decades. The shift of responsibility in higher education provision from the state to individuals, a reduction in regulations, restructured educational institutions, and dramatically increasing university enrolment rates indicate that higher education in China has been going through a process of marketisation. Mok (2000) suggests that adopting a market ideology and practice in education is a global trend. However, limited research on students’ satisfaction with higher education in China exits in the literature. Therefore, this study seeks to fill this gap by examining the relationship between students’ overall satisfaction and its determinants, along with satisfaction’s impact on favourable behavioural intentions. In particular, the study applies a hierarchical model to identify the dimensions of service quality as perceived by university students in China. In addition, students’ perceptions of the dimensions of service quality, service quality, image, value, satisfaction and favourable behavioural intentions are compared based on students’ demographics (gender, age, year of study, and major). The analytic results of this research were based on a convenience sample of 350 students studying at a public university in China. Support was found for the use of a hierarchical factor structure consisting of three primary dimensions (interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality) to conceptualise and measure perceived service quality. Thirteen sub-dimensions of service quality as perceived by university students in China were identified using factor analysis. These thirteen sub-dimensions are: Expertise, Personal Communication, Administration Staff, Attitudes and Behaviours, Course Content, Physical Facilities, University Accommodation, Library, Social Life, Safety, Social Factors, Personal Development and Academic Development. In addition, seven of the eight hypothesized paths between Service Quality, Image, Value, Satisfaction and Favourable Behavioural Intentions were confirmed. The results of this study also indicate that students’ demographic characteristics (gender, age, year of study and major) influence their perceptions of several of the constructs. This study contributes to the service marketing literature by empirically validating the applicability of the hierarchical modeling approach to conceptualise and measure higher educational service quality in China. This study also offers a valuable framework for understanding the interrelationships among service quality, image, value, satisfaction and favourable behavioural intentions in China’s higher education sector