Even if images and allied constructs, especially identity and reputation, have received considerable attention in recent years

Purpose -Public funding of institutions offering higher education is becoming scarcer, more complex, and to an ever-increasing extent performance-based. Concerning the teaching area the financing is partly based on student credits and professional degrees. Thus student loyalty has become an important strategic theme. The purpose is to study relationships between student satisfaction, students' perceptions of the reputation of an educational institution and student loyalty; hypothesizing positive relationships between satisfaction and loyalty, reputation and loyalty, and between satisfaction and reputation. Antecedents of student satisfaction and reputation are also included in the study. Design/methodology/approach -The data source is a survey among students at the bachelor level of a university college in Norway, analyzed by a structural equation modeling approach. Findings -The findings strongly support the three hypotheses. The university college may be looked upon as being satisfaction-driven. Still reputation management is of great importance. Significant antecedents are identified and discussed. Research limitations/implications -This research has been applied to a specific university college. The research should be expanded to other institutions offering higher education. Practical implications -Based on a theoretical framework the study gives practical insight concerning drivers of student loyalty so that key success factors for the coming period of time can be identified. Originality/value -When determining the most appropriate management strategy, such insight is becoming even more important than earlier. By allocating resources to activities that are important for the students, the managers may increase the value offered so that student retention may be obtained, thus ensuring governmental funds in future.

BackgroundPatients and users experiences are useful for monitoring the quality of the hospital provisions and to improve health care delivery. Research results on associations between parental satisfaction and their socio-demographic status are inconclusive. We have also found a scarcity of research on the associations between parental satisfaction and standards of neonatal intensive care (NICU) services. We used the Neonatal Satisfaction Survey (NSS-8) to collect data to explore associations between parental satisfaction and socio-demographic variables and, associations between parents’ satisfaction and NICU care-services.MethodsA total of 568 parents from six different NICUs geographically dispersed in Norway completed the (NSS-8). All responses were rated and analysed using nonparametric analyses and logistic regression.ResultsSupport from families and friends is the most important sociodemographic area which links to reported levels of parental satisfaction. The most important areas for parents’ satisfaction with NICU care services include the decision making processes regarding the infant, respect and empathy from staff, and the continuity of treatment and care. Parents were least satisfied with how NICUs facilitate ongoing care for siblings, parents and infants during later stages of their hospital stay. Parents reported being in need of more guidance and training in meeting their child’s needs.ConclusionTo increase and sustain parents’ satisfaction with NICU care considerations should be given to separate elements of the total provision made for affected families. This study suggests that health personnel could address the needs of all family members as these evolve through phases of their stays in hospitals; be more attentive to parents with very preterm infants and parents with long NICU admissions; provide support to siblings; and give more attention to parents’ needs for continuity of care, follow-up, and information.

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