Predicting Students' Attitudes and Satisfactions: Implications for Strategic Planning in Higher Education

Abstract

The purposes of the study were (1) to investigate the effects of academic/career factors, social and self influences, occupational orientation, and individual characteristics on students' attitudes toward their majors and satisfaction with their majors/departments and (2) to examine the impact of initial expectations of one's major/department, perceived performance, and disconfirmation on the students' current satisfaction level with their majors/departments. Data (n = 718) were collectedfrom 16 major universities across the nation. As a result of a series of multiple regression analyses, students' perceptions of their courses and of the image of their proposed careers appeared to have the most significant impact on students' attitudes toward their major, while course perceptions, overall university satisfaction, attitude toward one's major, and occupational orientation were the most significant factors for students' satisfaction with their major/department. In investigating the impact of initial expectation, perceived performance, and disconfirmation on satisfaction, perceived performance was the most important factor in predicting satisfaction regardless of initial expectation or disconfirmation. Implications for strategic planning and further research recommendations are discussed.

Learner–Instructor Telephone Interaction: Effects on Satisfaction and Achievement of Online Students

“…It is generally agreed that for the instructional process to improve, the needs and wants of students must be identified (Hittman 1993;Shim and Morgan 1990;Turner 1995). For this study, satisfaction is defined as an emotional response that can be induced by actual product, service, or process quality or some combination of product and service quality (Browne et al 1998).…”

Gender Differences in Students' and Parents' Evaluative Criteria When Selecting a College

“…In the past decade it has been suggested the prime way for colleges and universities to achieve organizational goals using the market orientation is to consider the concept of the student as a customer (Brown and Koenig, 1993;Divocky and Rothermel, 1989;Helms and Keys, 1994;Shim and Morgan, 1990;Turner, 1995) and to determine the needs and wants of this target market thereby delivering the desired satisfaction. To accomplish this task, college officials need to know which college characteristics are important to the students when they are choosing a college.…”

Student Complaint Behavior Based on Power Perception

“…Consequently, students' post-consumption attitudes towar d higher educational ser vices such as student satisfaction/dissatisfaction have been given the due attention (cf. Bar r y et al 1982;Chadwick and War d 1987;Conant et al 1985;Lapidus and Br own 1993;Litten 1982;Shim and Mor gon 1990). Cur iously, student complaint behavior as the dir ect consequence of student satisfaction/dissatisfaction has been bar ely studied (Su 1998).…”