This study examines the influence of risk factors on mental well-being at older ages focusing on the level of rurality of the living environment. We used cross-sectional, nationally representative survey data for Catalonia (Spain) from 2015 to 2017 to explain the mental well-being of the population aged 65 years and over. Based on a sample of 2621 individuals, we created a score of current mental well-being using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS). Using logistic regression and non-parametric tests, we identified the sociodemographic, health and lifestyle variables which, in combination with the features of the rural and urban settings of the living space, were associated with poor SWEMWBS scores. Our results reveal that adequate social support is linked to expectations of good mental well-being in later life. Poor self-perceived health and ageing limitations are associated with less deterioration of the well-being for the elderly living in rural areas, whereas living in urban areas is linked to a higher risk of suffering from emotional distress attributable to economic difficulties or low educational attainment. Incentivizing older people to live in rural environments could result in greater well-being in the last stages of life; appropriate prospective studies are needed to test this positive outcome.

This paper explores quality perception and expectations in higher education considering 30 competences grouped into three standard sets: instrumental, interpersonal, and professional. Based on the SERVQUAL research model, the authors propose a four-gaps model to compare employers' and graduates' perceptions of the competences required by the labour market and the level of skills achieved after graduation, and examines the existence of discrepancies between them. Our model analyses the uneasy feeling perceived in the labour market due to the existing mismatch between the skills developed by students at university and those that the labour market demands using a higher learning institution. Data were collected by means of a survey conducted among recent graduates in economics, and from managers in companies where those graduates were working. Our findings reveal that graduates are not being taught the specific knowledge that would apparently be useful for successful integration into the labour market on leaving university (gap A). More importantly, graduates seem to lack self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities and knowledge (gap B). In our opinion, this research offers an important contribution to the understanding of skill gaps and contributes to empirical knowledge by identifying the aspects where the main discrepancies lie.

This paper tests a conceptual segmentation using a criterion outlined by Oliver based on the satisfaction prototypes customers may follow. The empirical study was conducted with a sample of theme park visitors grouped into four satisfaction prototypes/segments. Results show the presence of important differences by groups in terms of both the effects of perceived value dimensions on satisfaction and the level of satisfaction by segment, supporting the proposed approach. The findings are valuable for a better identification of key drivers of segments’ satisfaction, which will be helpful to redesign service experiences to better fit the varying preferences of modern consumers.