Student residential satisfaction in research universities

Abstract

Purpose The paper aims to investigate the level of student satisfaction with campus student housing facilities (SHF) at Malaysian research universities (RUs) and the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty behaviour. Design/methodology/approach The student residential satisfaction (SRS) framework has been proposed to investigate residential satisfaction from the students' viewpoint. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents in three RUs. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings In general, students are satisfied with the provided SHF with the SRS index of 2.96 or 74 per cent satisfaction level and there is a significant relationship between overall satisfaction and loyalty behaviour. The results also confirmed that the proposed model is an adequate instrument to measure SRS. Practical implications The existence of quality SHF is likely to act as an effective medium to attract local and international students to enrol in Malaysian universities. Further actions should be geared towards achieving a higher score of SRS index. Originality/value This paper introduces a practical model of SRS to be applied to universities in other countries with similar climate and culture.