What matters most. An exploratory multivariate study of satisfaction among first year hotel/hospitality management students
| Pages | 237-258 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881211240303 |
| Published date | 06 July 2012 |
| Date | 06 July 2012 |
| Author | Finian O'Driscoll |
| Subject Matter | Education |
What matters most
An exploratory multivariate study of
satisfaction among first year hotel/hospitality
management students
Finian O’Driscoll
Shannon College of Hotel Management, Shannon, Republic of Ireland
Abstract
Purpose – This study presents institutional research and aims to explore the underlying factors that
contribute to hospitality management students’ satisfaction and perceptions of service quality at a
higher education college in Ireland. Research focusing on hospitality and leisure management
education argues for greater cognisance of the relevance of students’ experience with third level
education. Therefore, the current paper seeks to address the issue of student feedback and satisfaction
measurement in light of recent proposals.
Design/methodology/approach – The responses to a “course satisfaction questionnaire” taken
from a database of first year students (n¼263) were factor-analysed using the principal component
technique, the purpose of which was to identify latent explanatory variables of the student satisfaction
concept as applied in a hospitality management context. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the
level of satisfaction within the data. Tests for gender and nationality differences were conducted.
Correlational analysis along with multiple regression techniques were applied to the data set to explore
the salient relationships between satisfaction variables.
Findings – Analysis reveals a multidimensional structure of student satisfaction. Six underlying
factors accounted for a high percentage of variance in explaining student satisfaction. Academic
support, welfare support and course communication structures are identified as being significant
determinants while differences based on nationality are observed, particularly in relation to
pre-placement support.
Practical implications – Issues such as quality of student life and other non-institutional factors
need to be accounted for in offering a more comprehensive explanation of student satisfaction. The role
of pre-work placement preparation is emphasised. The potential to chart the level and structure of
student satisfaction throughout the whole institution is suggested. Furthermore, the prospect of
conducting longitudinal research serves as a unique opportunity. The use of quantitative techniques,
bolstered by qualitative methods, is recommended as a future direction for data collection, analysis
and synthesis.
Originality/value – This paper attempts to fill a gap in student satisfaction research from a
hospitality and tourism management perspective.
Keywords Higher education,Quality assurance, Student satisfaction, Hospitality management,
Multivariateanalysis, Service quality assurance,Ireland
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The presence of quality assurance (QA) systems are features of the contemporary
educational environment and the appraisal of student feedback regarding their
experiences has emerged as a central pillar of the quality assurance process (Tsinidou
et al., 2010; Zineldin et al., 2011). Gruber et al. (2010, p. 107) note that “educational
services play a central role in students’ lives and students require huge amounts of
motivation and intellectual skills to attain their goals”. A satisfied student population
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0968-4883.htm
Hotel/hospitality
management
students
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Quality Assurance in Education
Vol. 20 No. 3, 2012
pp. 237-258
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/09684881211240303
is a highly sought after competitive advantage for higher education institutions,
lending itself to desirable outcomes such as positive word of mouth communication,
retention and student loyalty (Thomas and Galambos, 2004; Arambewela and Hall,
2009). Efforts by higher education institutions to improve the quality and standards of
educational services have progressed through the use of various forms of studen t
feedback and methods of evaluation in an attempt to understand what matters to
students’ regarding their educational experience (Wiers-Jensen et al., 2002; Harvey,
2003; Gruber et al., 2010) and more importantly, if the institution meets their
expectations. As Leckey and Neill (2001, p. 23) state:
... filling in satisfaction questionnaires about teaching performance, the course/module
effectiveness and overall student experience is now common practice throughout higher
education.
As such, comprehending the components of student satisfaction has become the raison
d’etre for many educational administrators. In fact, it is the combination of diverse
research methodologies, the variety measurement techniques and the differing
perceptions of the “student satisfaction” concept that have contributed to a complex
debate between the basis of service quality in academia and the pedagogical role of
education. This debate also forms the backdrop context for the key stakeholders in the
hospitality industry.
While the attainment of service quality standards has become an important
managerial mantra for most tertiary instituti ons providing general academic
programmes, equally so, it has evolved to permeate the service delivery
requirements of “niche” education providers. Hospitality education in Ireland and in
general is not immune to the challenges faced in third level education(O’Connor, 2001)
and institutions providing education and training in this field have had to react,
respond and re-organise in the face of quality assurance demands and industry
expectations. The supply of tourism and hospitality courses has grown considerably
over the past three decades given the expansion of the industry and governmental
acknowledgement of the sector’s economic potential (Dale and Robinson, 2001). The
evolution of hospitality curricula from vocational/job-specific training to a more
managerial/soft-skill focus remains a key and moot development in this area during
the past number of years (O’Connor, 2001; Connolly and McGing, 2006) which in turn
has impacted on the nature, purpose and delivery of hospitality education both
nationally and internationally (Morrison and O’Mahony, 2003). For institutions
providing hospitality education, the value attached to “quality service delivery” serves
as a dual credo on which to ensure a quality educational experience for its students as
well as a philosophy on which the students themselves are expected to adhere to and
deliver in their professional lives.
Therefore, the purpose of this research is to gain an insight into the factors that
explain and contribute to the satisfaction of first year undergraduate hotel/hospitality
management student at the Shannon College of Hotel Management. Additionally, it
seeks to delineate the key elements which impact the most on their first year experience
in third level education. This study offers the following aspects: firstly, it coincides
with recommendations from national authorities to measure and evaluate the student
experience vis-a
`-vis the issue of service quality in a third level institution. Secondly, the
study adds to and expands on previous research on the concept and measure ment of
QAE
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