On the evaluation of teaching and learning in higher education: a multicultural inquiry

The aim of the study was to develop a model of positive word‐of‐mouth (WoM) intentions in a higher education context. WoM was found to be directly influenced by satisfaction levels and indirectly by antecedents of satisfaction, namely positive and negative emotions and perceptions of performance. The model provided a good fit to the data and explained 58% of the variance in WoM intentions. When the model was tested on samples of domestic and international students, significant differences were noted in that the model explained only 21% of the variance in WoM for international compared to 68% for domestic. Moreover, emotions for the international sample did not significantly influence satisfaction or WoM intentions.     

Trust in top management and immediate supervisor: The relationship to satisfaction,perceived organizational effectiveness,and information receiving

Utilizing 2068 individuals in 60 organizations in the U.S. and Italy, this study (a) examines the overall relationship between trust in top management and immediate supervisor and overall estimates of satisfaction and perceived organizational effectiveness, (b) compares the amount of variance in satisfaction and effectiveness that can be explained by trust in top management to the amount of variance explained by trust in immediate supervisor, and (c) clarifies the role of information receiving as a predictor of trust in top management and immediate supervisor. Results of a canonical correlation analysis indicated that the canonical equation explained 49% of the variance in the linear composites (Canonical R = .69, p < .001). Trust in top management was more strongly associated with satisfaction and effectiveness than was trust in immediate supervisor. Tzvo separate multiple regression analyses indicated that after controlling for geographic location of company and type of industry, information received about job and organizational issues uniquely explained 26% of the variance in trust in top management and 13% of the variance in trust in immediate supervisor.     

高校服务品质、学生满意度与忠诚度之关系研究

本研究在深入回顾文献和焦点小组访谈的基础上,开发高校服务品质衡量量表,并通过因子分析萃取出有形性、可靠性、响应性、保证性和移情性五个因子。整体量表通过了信度和效度的检验。最后通过回归分析,得到高校服务品质、学生满意度和学生忠诚度之关系如下:①高校服务品质中的有形性、可靠性及响应性三个维度对学生满意度有正向影响;②学生满意度对学生忠诚度有正向影响;③高校服务品质会透过学生满意度的中介作用,影响学生忠诚度。     

休闲农场的体验认同度、顾客满意度及忠诚度研究——以文山休闲农场为例

以文山休闲农场为研究对象,探讨农场提供的设施及活动对游客游憩满意度、体验认同度、忠诚度的影响。研究发现受访者对于文山休闲农场的游憩满意度、忠诚度颇高;对农场提供的体验活动持认同态度,其中以"增进人与人之间的感情"认同度最高,对"挑战困难,肯定自我"部分认同度最低,体验活动设计部分对"挑战困难,肯定自我"项目希望有进一步改善。研究发现,除性别外,其余受访者的教育、年龄、职业、个人所得等社会背景不同,对满意度的高低有显著影响,在满意度方面,以未婚及18岁以下的受访者满意度较高,显示学生族群受访者满意度高于社会人士;在体验认同度方面:已婚受访者对于"放慢生活步调,享受片刻"认同度最高;"接近大自然"在南部居住地受访者的认同度较高;"放松身心、减轻压力"及"吸取农场知识,增广见闻"在北部、东部居住地受访者的认同度较高,"放慢生活步调,享受片刻"、"挑战困难,肯定自我"在东部居住地受访者的认同度较高,"了解生态的多样化"在北部居住地受访者之认同度较高。忠诚度部分,以未婚及51岁以上的受访者较高,学生的忠诚度也高于社会人士。回归分析显示农场游憩体验认同度对农场整体满意度有正向影响,同时,农场游憩体验认同度及满意度均对忠诚度有正向影响。     

Perceived social support,quality of life and satisfaction with life in elderly people

The aim of this study examines the relationship between quality of life, satisfaction with life and multidimensional perceived social support in people aged 65 years and older. The implementation part of the study was carried out with elderly people living in the city center of Burdur, Turkey. Data were collected in March 2018 from 517 participants and then assessed. The results of the analyses revealed that perceived social support explained 11.7% of the total variance in the satisfaction with life, 22.1% of the total variance in the quality of life. In addition to, the perceived social support and the quality of life explained 28.6% of the total variance in the satisfaction with life. And the quality of life was the most influential variable on the satisfaction with life. The findings of this study suggest that making improvements to the elderly people social support and quality of life will increase their satisfaction with life.     

Postgraduate student satisfaction: A multilevel analysis of PTES data

Student satisfaction has received growing attention in Higher Education systems in recent years, and are increasingly used for internal and external accountability in the sector. This does leave us with questions on the extent to which variance in student satisfaction can be explained by Higher Education Institution (HEI) and course attended rather than by individual student characteristics; and on what factors may predict student satisfaction. In this study we used the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) to look at these questions in a sample of approximate 70000 UK postgraduate students from 100 HEI's. Firstly, confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the validity of the proposed multidimensional structure of student satisfaction in PTES. Then multilevel models were used to look at variance at three levels (HEI, course and student), and the relationships between institutional and student factors collected in PTES and student satisfaction. Two years of data (2014 and 2015) were used. Findings suggest that over 90% of variance is explained at the student level for all dimensions of student satisfaction in both years, with variance at the HEI level being particularly low. Individual student characteristics explain more variance than institutional characteristics, but only some (such as BME status) are significant, and explained variance is low. These findings suggest using student satisfaction as an accountability measure in HE may be highly problematic.     

Leader Communication: Faculty Perceptions of the Department Chair

This project asked 202 randomly selected faculty members to evaluate the supportive and defensive communication and leadership behaviors of their department chair. The supportive behavior of problem orientation alone explained 43% of the variance in faculty ratings of chair job effectiveness. On the other hand, empathy explained 68% of the variance in faculty ratings of relational satisfaction with their department chair. In addition, a t test revealed that more effective chairs utilized all 6 of Gibb's supportive communication behaviors more, and 5 of 6 defensive behaviors less, than their more negatively evaluated peers. Second, a series of stepwise regression procedures explained 16% of the variance in bureaucracy scores, 69% of the variance in Machiavellianism, and 62% of the variance in transformational leadership. Finally, the communication behaviors of strategy, neutrality, and problem orientation explained 56% of the variance in faculty job satisfaction and strategy, neutrality, evaluation, gender, and age explained 41% of the variance in organizational commitment scores.     

Physical classroom environment and student satisfaction with courses

The higher education market in South Korea has matured over recent decades. Higher education institutions have invested in many areas to boost the student experience. Student satisfaction has been identified as a key variable in explaining the holistic evaluation of the course. This study aims to fulfil a void in research by developing a study model consisting of cognitive evaluation, affective evaluation and student satisfaction with the course. Furthermore, two constructs of classroom physical environments were added to measure the moderating effect of satisfaction’s antecedents. Results indicated that student satisfaction with a course was significantly explained by cognitive and affective evaluations. Affective evaluation played a mediating role between cognitive evaluation and students’ satisfaction with the course. In addition, the impact of cognitive evaluation was greater than that of affective evaluation. The cognitive and affective evaluation constructs in the proposed theoretical framework accounted for 56% of the variance explained in student satisfaction with the course. Moreover, results of the invariance test revealed that ambient conditions of the classroom and its spatial layout and functionality significantly enhanced the effects of cognitive evaluation and affective evaluation on student satisfaction with the course.     

Sex doesn't matter: the role of gender in the formation of student-university relationships

As competition intensifies, higher education providers are facing ever more complex challenges in attracting and retaining students. These new marketing challenges have necessitated a need to more comprehensively understand the factors that lead to positive perceptions of the institutions services, as well as positive referral of the brand. This research focuses on students' perceptions of the importance of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in the development of student loyalty. In particular this research examines whether or not these antecedents differ for male versus female students. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted using a sample of 447 students. Despite literature which characterises males as task oriented, and females as relationship oriented, gender did not influence the salience of the antecedents to loyalty. These results show that first and foremost both gender groups seek to form affective and emotional bonds with their institution and hence a sense of psychological closeness to it. Student satisfaction was found to be the second most important driver of loyalty across both genders. Conclusions, implications and opportunities for future research are presented. From a managerial perspective, it is expected that uncovering the importance of key relationship marketing constructs between genders will enable higher education institutions to develop more targeted relationship marketing programs.     

台湾地区旅游行程影响顾客忠诚度实证研究

本文以近一年内参加旅行社赴台旅游,参与阿里山旅游行程的国内游客为研究对象,构建影响顾客忠诚度的理论模型,包括服务补救、服务补救满意度与顾客忠诚度。心理层面服务补救与实质层面服务补救对服务补救满意度、服务补救对顾客忠诚度、服务补救满意度对顾客忠诚度具有显着正向影响,服务补救满意度具有中介变量。本文提出管理启示,作为旅游业主管机关参考。     

From retention to satisfaction: New outcomes for assessing the freshman experience

To meet higher education's challenge of accountability from a customer-satisfaction perspective, one urban institution has developed an integrated approach to studying the freshman-year experience in order to develop comprehensive outcome measures for assessing freshman success. Multiple sources of data (freshman satisfaction survey data, enrollment data, and academic performance data) are integrated into a database that provides the institution with a comprehensive set of outcome indicators and a model of the freshman experience. This institution used the integrated data set to develop models of freshman retention. In order to focus more clearly on customer satisfaction, models of student satisfaction were developed to determine critical components in freshman satisfaction.     

Student satisfaction with short learning programmes at a distance learning institution

Abstract

The relevance of short learning programmes as an alternative to full time tertiary degree courses at open and distance learning institutions forms the primary focus of this article. A new kind of student is on the increase in higher education: the mature student who prefers to study part-time in order to combine his or her studies with the advancement of his or her professional life. This kind of student is often interested in short duration, non-degree courses, such as short learning programmes, which have a high degree of specificity in order to update or expand the knowledge needed to enhance their occupational lives. Course applicability and effectiveness, evaluated as student satisfaction with these programmes, are vital in terms of the strategic planning of institutions. This article reports on an analysis of the dimensions that determine satisfaction with short learning programmes at a distance learning institution. Data was obtained by an electronic survey of students who had completed short learning programmes. Findings indicate that teaching staff, teaching methods and course administration are key elements to achieving satisfaction, and students’ loyalty to the institution is expressed in their intention to continue with their studies and to recommend the programmes to other prospective students.     

Putting in more: emotional work in adopting online tools in teaching and learning practices

This paper explores the emotional journey associated with changing one's teaching and learning practices and how this constitutes emotional work. The paper analyses the emotions evident in the data from a small-scale phenomenological study of lecturers who are using technological tools in their teaching, learning and assessment practices in one higher education institution. The discussion illuminates the nature and scale of the emotional work experienced by some lecturers when changing their teaching and learning practices to incorporate technology. It indicates that this challenge is so extreme that even the most committed advocates of online teaching practices may consider giving up and reverting to traditional ways of teaching. The paper identifies strategies that lecturers use to manage the anxieties they experience in their adoption of online tools.     

Testing a Mediational Model of Communication Among Medical Staff and Families of Cancer Patients

Three structural equation models of communication between family members and medical staff were examined to understand relations among staff accessibility, inhibitory family attitudes, getting communication needs met, perceived stress, and satisfaction with communication. Compared to full and direct models, a mediational model fit best in which the independent variables family attitudinal inhibitions toward communicating with staff and accessibility to medical staff were mediated by getting communication needs met in predicting communication satisfaction and perceived stress. There was 47% explained variance in getting communication needs met, and 41% and 16% explained variance in communication satisfaction and perceived stress, respectively. Those family members who reported greater access to staff and fewer attitudinal inhibitions reported greater levels of getting communication needs met, which in turn, was associated with greater communication satisfaction and less perceived stress. These findings have important implications for health care providers and managed care and mental health professionals regarding family needs and well-being in the context of illness.     

顾客满意与顾客忠诚对于企业发展的意义

对于一个企业而言,顾客是它们在市场上赖以生存的条件,现代企业越来越重视顾客对于自身的认可,以打造令顾客满意的服务作为企业的发展宗旨,建立顾客忠诚作为企业的发展目标。就顾客满意和顾客忠诚展开探讨,对二者之间的关联展开论述,探究二者对于企业发展的意义。     

女大学生核心自我评价与主观幸福感研究

通过对250名女大学生分班测验,采用核心自我评价量表和略作修改的大学生主观幸福感量表,使用SPSS11.5软件处理全部数据,分析核心自我评价与女大学生主观幸福感总分的相关性和差异性检验,证实女大学生主观幸福感与自我满意、家庭满意、负性情绪、精力、生活满意、社会行为评价和人际关系7项因子皆相关,与正性情绪不相关,确认了核心自我评价可以很好地预测女性的主观幸福感的结论,并就二者之间的正确确立与联动予以了延伸探讨。     

第三方物流企业客户忠诚度评价及提升

随着第三方物流行业竞争的日益激烈,评价及提升客户忠诚度已成为企业发展的重要问题。对客户忠诚度可从客户满意、转换成本、关系信任、重复购买、客户推荐、交叉购买、价格敏感等方面进行评价并建立相应的测量指标体系,又可从提高客户满意度、对企业的信任度以及转换成本等方面提升客户的忠诚度。     

Environmental satisfiers in academe

Utilizing a nationwide sample of university professors in the United States, this study explored job satisfaction levels of academicians and the differences between perceived satisfaction of faculty in professional schools and that of faculty in other disciplines. The results were based upon responses from 336 faculty representing 24 universities selected on a stratified basis which included large, small, public and private universities. Teaching dimensions and research requirements were the most satisfying elements of the academic work environment; support and compensation aspects were the most dissatisfying. Faculty from professional schools reported higher levels of satisfaction for almost all of the 22 separate environmental dimensions, and these faculty also reported higher salaries and less stringent requirements for tenure and promotion. The demographic variables which explained the greatest amount of variance in work satisfaction scores were tenure, teaching load, sex, institution (public-private), and age. Salary and academic rank, which a priori are considered to be significant in an academician's satisfaction with work, appeared to have a lesser impact.     

Teacher loyalty of elementary schools in Taiwan: the contribution of gratitude and relationship quality

Gratitude was an important missing factor in the extant relationship quality and relationship loyalty model. We introduced gratitude into the model of relationship quality and relationship loyalty. Two hundred and eighteen teachers from elementary schools in Taiwan were used to conduct an empirical research. The results show that teachers' gratitude has positive direct effects on teachers' trust, satisfaction and commitment. Teachers' trust has no significant effect on behavioural loyalty but has a significant effect on attitudinal loyalty. However, teachers' satisfaction has no significant effect on attitudinal loyalty but has a significant effect on behavioural loyalty. Teachers' commitment has a significant effect on behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. The mediating role of commitment implies that it (1) partially mediates the relationship between teachers' trust and attitudinal loyalty, and fully mediates the relationship between teachers' trust and behavioural loyalty; (2) partially mediates the relationship between teachers' satisfaction and behavioural loyalty, and fully mediates the relationship between teachers' trust and attitudinal loyalty.     

Adding previous experiences to the person-situation debate of achievement emotions

When preparing for exams, students experience various achievement emotions, which are related to their perceived academic control and achievement regarding their exams. These emotions are shaped by a trait-like stable person-specific component and a state-like variable situation-specific component. Furthermore, it is plausible that students' previous emotional experiences might influence their current emotional experiences. Therefore, the present study aimed to disentangle those three components of achievement emotions (namely person, previous-experience, and situation specific components), and to analyze the extent to which these three components relate to perceived academic control and achievement. Using experience sampling, ninety-eight undergraduate students reported their emotions during the final week of exam preparation. Via latent state-trait theory models, including an autoregressive coefficient, our results showed the three expected variance components for enjoyment, anxiety, and anger, with no person-specific variance component for pride. The more stable components (namely person and previous-experience specific components) were significantly associated with perceived academic control and achievement, particularly for negative emotions. Moreover, results suggest a reciprocal relation between anxiety and perceived academic control. Implications for educators seeking to strengthen students' success are discussed.