Student satisfaction with Canadian music programmes: the application of the American Customer Satisfaction Model in higher education

The purpose of this project is to empirically investigate several antecedents and consequences of student satisfaction (SS) with Canadian university music programmes as well as to measure students’ level of programme satisfaction. For this, the American Customer Satisfaction Model was tested through a survey of 276 current Canadian music students. The results indicate that customer satisfaction is strongly affected by programme quality, is slightly impacted by its perceived value but is not influenced by prior student expectations. Satisfaction strongly increases programme loyalty and positive word‐of‐mouth, marginally raises tuition change loyalty, and slightly decreases complaining behaviour. Contrary to expectations, tuition‐related constructs play only a minor role in the model. Therefore, money is a marginal factor in the educational environment; this empirically demonstrates the flaws underlying the premises of the students‐as‐customers metaphor. The resulting satisfaction index may facilitate the comparison among institutions. It was also found that the level of SS with Canadian music programmes was somewhat lower than those with services in other industries.     

我国省级公共图书馆网络影响力评价研究

图书馆网络影响力评价指标体系包括网站规模、网站流量、网站被链接量、网络用户关注度、网站利用率5个评价指标。通过灰色关联分析方法对我国29所省级公共图书馆进行网络影响力评价研究发现,省级公共图书馆的网络影响力较低,应加强图书馆网站的宣传和推广力度。     

外语院校图书馆电子资源用户满意度调查及改进策略

以基于用户满意度的图书馆电子资源质量评价模型为基础设计调查问卷,从馆藏电子资源满足师生用户教学科研的需求程度出发,对上海外国语大学的电子资源建设现状及用户满意度进行调查,收集用户的反馈信息和意见建议,并在此基础上提出针对性的改进措施,以期为外语类院校图书馆进一步完善电子信息资源建设提供参考。     

概率关系代数研究

基于概率关系的可能世界概念的基本性质,为了能够有效对概率关系查询进行评估,本文对概率关系的元组进行了分类,分为相互不相容的元组和相互独立的元组,提出了概率关系合并操作和四种概率关系代数运算。     

基于顾客满意度的改进设计决策模型

由于科学技术发展越来越快,产品生命周期缩短,生产成本降低空间缩小,技术创新空间降低,各企业对顾客满意度的关注度越来越高,但是随着产品生命周期的缩短,产品更新换代速度的加快,企业对于产品改计的切入点寻找难度增加,改进成本也随之提高,本文从顾客满意度的角度,对卡诺(Kano)模型进行改进,引入优先指数,将待改进指标进行排序,使企业的改进方向更为明确,为改进决策起导向作用。     

基于灰色关联度分析的高校教育服务学生满意度评价研究

在对江西六所高校教育服务学生满意度调查问卷进行统计的基础上,本文从高校的教学服务、图书馆服务、管理与支持、后勤服务等方面切入,将灰色关联度理论引入高校教育服务学生满意度评价中,得出高校教育服务学生满意度的灰色关联度评价法具有操作简便、效率高、所需数据少和揭示问题清晰等特点,并借助计算机对高校进行评价的可行方法。     

An analysis of friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, and satisfaction levels of international students

International students continue to grow in number worldwide, prompting researchers to look for ways to make the study abroad experience more fruitful. One avenue of research has focused on friendship formation, the significant role it plays in the study abroad experience, and the unique friendship combinations made possible by the study abroad experience. International students form friendships with individuals from their own country, from other countries, and from the host country. Research has found that international students often have more friends from their home country; however, research has also demonstrated a relationship between having more host country friends and satisfaction, contentment, decreased homesickness, and social connectedness. The current study looks to further explore these relationships through a social network lens by examining friendship network ratios, strength, and variability of the three friendship groups. A friendship network grid was developed to assess where international students’ friends are from and how strong those friendships are. Eighty four international students completed a survey examining the relationship between friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, contentment, and satisfaction. Contrary to prior research, international students did not report having a higher ratio of individuals from their home country in their friendship networks. However, international students with a higher ratio of individuals from the host country in their network claimed to be more satisfied, content, and less homesick. Furthermore, participants who reported more friendship variability with host country individuals described themselves as more satisfied, content, and more socially connected. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

The effects of service convenience and perceived quality on perceived value,satisfaction and loyalty in low-cost fitness centers

Due to its importance in fitness centers, a number of authors have explored and analyzed loyalty. However, two characteristics not yet examined are service convenience in fitness center chains and low-cost fitness centers (an emerging business model). In the present study, the authors sought to understand the relationship among perceived quality and service convenience on perceived value, satisfaction, and client loyalty in low-cost fitness centers. Clients (N = 763; 381 women and 382 men) from three low-cost Spanish fitness centers were surveyed, revealing a positive relationship among the variables studied. Findings demonstrate the importance of proper management of non-monetary sacrifices and perceived quality by the managers of these sport organizations, since client loyalty could depend on factors of these emerging sport models.