Nghiên cứu có mục đích kiểm chứng và đánh giá mối quan hệ giữa hình ảnh trường đại học, chất lượng dịch vụ, giá trị dịch vụ và sự hài lòng của sinh viên đối với chương trình đào tạo quốc tế. Dữ liệu được thu thập từ 856 sinh viên đang theo học các chương trình đào tạo quốc tế tại một số trường đại học bao gồm trường đại học. Mời các bạn cùng tham khảo!
Trang 1THE IMPACT OF IMAGE, QUALITY, AND VALUE
ON THE SATISFACTION OF STUDENTS STUDYING
IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
AT SOME PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES TÁC ĐỘNG CỦA HÌNH ẢNH, CHẤT LƯỢNG VÀ GIÁ TRỊ
TỚI SỰ HÀI LÒNG CỦA SINH VIÊN THEO HỌC CÁC CHƯƠNG TRÌNH ĐÀO TẠO QUỐC TẾ TẠI MỘT SỐ ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG LẬP
MA, Vu Tuan Duong - MA, Phan Dinh Quyet
ThuongMai University
Ngo The Son Cardiff Metropolitan University
vutuanduong@tmu.edu.vn
Abstract
The study aims to test the relationship and evaluate the impact of university image, service quality, service value, and student satisfaction with the international education program Data were collected from 856 students studying international education programs at several public universities, including Thuongmai University, Hanoi University, Hanoi University of Industry The research methods include descriptive statistics, EFA and Cronbach Alpha coefficients, CFA, and structural equation modeling (SEM) The research results showed that service quality, service value, and university image have a relationship Service quality and university image have an impact on service value The university image was influenced by service quality and all three factors affect the satisfaction of students studying international education programs.
Keywords: Quality of Service; Service Value; University Image; Student Satisfaction
Tóm lược
Nghiên cứu có mục đích kiểm chứng và đánh giá mối quan hệ giữa hình ảnh trường đại học, chất lượng dịch vụ, giá trị dịch vụ và sự hài lòng của sinh viên đối với chương trình đào tạo quốc tế Dữ liệu được thu thập từ 856 sinh viên đang theo học các chương trình đào tạo quốc tế tại một số trường đại học bao gồm trường đại học Thương mại, trường đại học Hà Nội, trường đại học Công nghiệp Hà Nội Nghiên cứu sử dụng các phương pháp bao gồm thống kê mô tả, phân tích EFA, hệ số Cronbach Alpha, CFA và SEM Kết quả nghiên cứu đã chỉ ra chất lượng dịch vụ, giá trị dịch vụ và hình ảnh trường đại học có mối liên hệ Chất lượng dịch vụ và hình ảnh trường đại học có tác động tới giá trị dịch vụ Hình ảnh trường đại học cũng chịu tác động bởi chất lượng dịch vụ và cả 3 yếu tố trên có tác động tới sự hài lòng của sinh viên theo học chương trình đào tạo quốc tế.
Từ khoá: Chất lượng dịch vụ; Giá trị dịch vụ; Hình ảnh trường đại học; Sự hài lòng của
sinh viên
Trang 21 Introduction
International cooperation is gradually becoming an inevitable trend in higher education This direction helps universities in Vietnam to accelerate the internationalization process through learning and accessing advanced values to develop The international education program is becoming a solution that shows many advantages when harmonizing the interests of stakeholders including universities of Vietnam, foreign universities, and students Besides, international education programs have received attention in recent years and are gradually becoming a significant source of income universities A large number of researches in higher education have mentioned the quality and value of service around the world Some examples are Damme (2002), Bremer & Van der Wende (1997), McBurnie & Ziguras (2006), David Coleman (2003)
The international education programs are increasing in both quantity and quality in Vietnam There are about 400 international education programs with more than 30 countries around the world being deployed These programs are also very diverse and sending lecturers from cooperating universities to teach, training model 2 + 2 (2 years of study in Vietnam and the same time studying at the foreign university) or 3 + 1 (last year of internship at the cooperating university) are also familiar The flexibility in the training form of these programs partly meets the needs and desires of students and their families But the international education training program also faces many controversial issues such as the quality of training, the value of the cost,
or foreign language standards and solutions to these situations
From the mentioned issues, following studies on higher education services in Vietnam in the past by some researches such as Thao H.T.P et al (2007) This study is conducted to test the relationship between the quality; value; image; satisfaction of students with the higher education services of international education programs as well as assessing the current situation of these programs from the perspective of students, giving policy implications for universities to improve student satisfaction
2 Theoretical grounds and research hypotheses
2.1 Student satisfaction with higher education services and measurement methods
Customer satisfaction in studies is often approached with two factors: perception and expectation Customer satisfaction occurs when the perception is not less than expected Satisfaction is their response to the perceived difference between known experience and expectation More specifically, satisfaction is the feeling and mood of customers when they are satisfied with their needs, expectations, or when their needs are met beyond expectations during the use of the service (Parasuraman et al.,1988) Satisfaction is the response of the consumer to the fulfillment of those desires In higher education services, students are considered to be a group of customers who directly experience the service, and student satisfaction is also said to
be closely related to their interest in subjects and their experiences, the process of using the service (Oliver, 1997)
2.2 Quality of higher education service
According to Ghobadian et al (1994), “the quality of a good quality unit is packaged in a
Trang 3product or service” According to Lewis and Booms (1983), “service quality is a measure of the difference between the services provided and the customer service expectations” Service quality studies often consider the assessment of service quality on its constituent factors With higher education services, several opinions are given, the quality of higher education including the inputs, processes, and outputs of the service delivery training system is completely satisfied strategic internal and external customers by meeting their current and potential expectations (Cheng, 1996) The factors that make up the quality of higher education services are considered a variety of stud-ies, outstanding studies by Firdaus (2006); Jain et al (2013); LeBlanc and Nguyen (1997), Hill et
al (2003) mention some factors including Academic quality; Non-academic quality; Quality of training program; Facilities; Quality of business interaction; Social activities; Reputation The relationship between service quality with service value, image, and satisfaction has been verified
in several studies such as by Andreassen et al (1998), Cronin (2000), and Lai et al (2009) In these studies, service quality has a positive impact on service value, image, and customer satis-faction Studies by Thao H.T.P et al (2006) and Thao H.T.P (2012) on higher education services
at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City have shown the relationship between quality, value, and image and student satisfaction with higher education services From the analysis and results of past studies The authors propose 3 research hypotheses related to service quality, in-cluding:
H1: Service quality has a positive impact on service value
H2: Service quality has a positive impact on the image of the university
H3: Service quality has a positive impact on student satisfaction
2.3 Value of higher education service
While service quality is considered from the perspective of service constituent attributes, service value is considered as a function that reflects the correlation between what is received from the service and the monetary costs, non-money that customers spend (Doyle, 1984; Hauser, 1986) Service value is considered in terms of value as low selling price; Value is the desired ful-fillment; Value is the quality obtained from the price paid; Value is what gets out of what must
be (Zeithaml et al., 1996) Service value is the concept that is closely related to the perceived value of passengers However, the characteristics of services and customer perceptions are very diverse, so many studies have conducted an in-depth analysis of perceived value in more detail Service value is divided into several factors including the quality value, social value, monetary value, and emotional value (Sweeney et al., 2001) For higher education services, research by LeBlanc and Nguyen (1999) has many contributions in building the theoretical basis for the serv-ice value of higher education servserv-ices The result indicated servserv-ice value is including 6 main fac-tors: epistemic value, functional value (quality/price); social values; emotional value; Functional value (satisfying desired), image value Like service quality, service value is also considered an important factor in the relationship including four components: service value, service quality, image, and satisfaction From the above analysis and synthesis The authors propose the research hypothesis:
H4: Service value has a positive impact on student satisfaction
Trang 42.4 University Image
The concept of organization image has been researched in many studies with many different approaches Organization image is the result of many factors such as experiences, beliefs, knowl-edge, emotions, or impressions that people give to the organization (Kazoleas et al.,2001) A busi-ness can generate many information to the public An organization’s image is its striking power and what is conveyed (Kotler et al., 1995) According to Kenedy (1977), the organization image has two distinct components: function (related to intangible motivation) and emotional (related
to psychology) Developed from studies of the organization image, corporate image, university image is said to be composed of two factors of perception and emotion (Palacio et al., 2002) En-terprise image is formed and developed in consumers’ minds through communication and expe-rience (Andreassen et al., 1998) In the study of Klooster et al (2008) used the Likert scale to evaluate the image of an organization through questions for the factors that create the image of the university In this study, the university image has three observed variables applied from the research of Andreassen et al (1998) Inheriting the research results of Lai et al (2009), the authors propose the research hypothesis:
H5: University image has a positive impact on service value
H6: University image has a positive impact on customer satisfaction
3 Research model, research methodology and data collection
3.1 The proposed research model
From the theoretical bases and research hypotheses, the proposed research model is de-scribed in Figure 1:
Figure 1: Proposed Research Model
3.2 Research Methodology
The research applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods Qualitative method
is performed in the analysis of secondary data to assess the current state of the research problem, in-depth interviews with students and experts to develop formal scales and policy implications from quantitative research results The quantitative method used IBM SPSS 22 and IBM AMOS
23 to analyze data SPSS software performs descriptive statistical tests, exploratory factor analysis
Trang 5(EFA), Cronbach Alpha coefficients Confirmation factor analysis, aggregate reliability, and Struc-tural Equation Modeling were conducted by AMOS 23 The Chi-square/df (chi-square to the de-gree of freedom ratio), GFI (Goodness) index of Fit Index), CFI (Comparative fit index), TLI (Tucker and Lewis index), and RMSEA (Root mean square error of approximation) were used to test the suitability of the model According to Hair et al (2010), the testing standards for the above indicators include Chi-square/df <3; The value of GFI, CFI, TLI> 0,9, and RMSEA <0,08
3.3 Data collection
Primary data was collected from 856 students studying international affiliate programs at
3 public universities including Thuongmai University; Hanoi University; Hanoi University of Industry The questionnaire is carried out in two approaches Survey questionnaire can be sent directly by researchers or the online survey via Google Form software To ensure the objectivity
of the sample information, respondents who respond directly to the questionnaire need to confirm that they feel comfortable doing the survey Besides, researchers have the role of answering ques-tions of the respondents during the survey For the survey using Google form software, the survey links are sent to the email of the international education progam students according to the list provided by the instructors Besides, the questions have answer are design via the 5-point Lik-ert-scale answers, there is an extension of the option “I do not understand the content of the ques-tion” to avoid information that is not accurate After collecting data, questions classified and the group of respondents who do not understand the content will be explained by the respondent to the respondents via email to complete the survey content Data collection results with 1026 sur-veys were sent, 912 sursur-veys were collected After removing 56 invalid sursur-veys, the study sample was defined as 856 According to Hair et al (2010), the minimum sample size based on the scale has 43 observed variables is 43x5 = 215 So the sample size is consistent with the research model The demographic profile of the respondents is depicted in Table 1
Table 1 Demographic profile of the respondents.
Gender
Academic Year
University
Trang 63.4 Measures
The scale of the research is referred to many studies on the factors of service quality, service value, university image, and student satisfaction The items of the scale are from the ref-erence research were translated into Vietnamese for data collection The content of the survey question, when translated into Vietnamese The observed variables were selected based on in-depth group interviews with students and consultation with experts in higher education Some items from the reference scales were not adopted because they are not relevant to the research context in Vietnam The 5-point Likert scale is used with values from 1 to 5 to represent “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” Service quality in the official scale includes five factors: Academic quality (5 items applied from Firdaus (2006); Non-academic Quality (4 items were adapted from Firdaus, 2006); Career opportunities (4 items were taken from Tsinidou et al., 2010); Facilities (4 items applied according to LeBlanc & Nguyen, 1997 and Kwan & Ng, 2009); Training program (4 items were adapted applied on the scale of Joseph & Joseph, 1997a) The scale of service value includes 4 factors: Functional value (5 items); Epistemic value (4 items); Emotional value (5 items) were adapted from LeBlanc & Nguyen (1999) and Sweeney et al (2001)) Social value (4 items) was taken from Sweeney et al (2001) The university image includes 4 items In which,
3 items were adapted from Andreassen et al (1998), and another item was taken from LeBlanc
& Nguyen (2001) Measuring student satisfaction in studies is mainly approached in two ways One is to use a single question generally rated in the form of “Satisfied or dissatisfied” or using
an item of rating level of satisfaction from very dissatisfied to very satisfied This method is sim-ple, solves the problem directly, and does not make customers feel confusing However, this method is evaluated as not to clarify in detail customer satisfaction Second, use a set of questions
to assess customer satisfaction in detail This method is recognized to have the advantage of being detailed but easy to make students feel confusing because the criteria included in the survey may not be felt clearly for some respondents In this study, the authors use a satisfaction assessment method based on a single general question A value of 1 to 5 represents a viewpoint from very dissatisfied to very satisfied Because it is a single question, the satisfaction factor will not be engaged in the EFA and the CFA
4 Data analysis
4.1 Statistical Approaches
The criteria for evaluating the model’s structure should be considered on the factors Con-vergent and Discriminant Validity In which, the Fls (Standardized Factor Loading) should be greater than 0,5; CR (Composite Reliability) should be greater than 0,7 and the AVE (Average Variance Extracted) should be greater than 0,5 SQRAVE value is larger than the Inter - Construct Correlation value Besides, the results for α value must be greater than 0,6 and corrected item-to-total correlations with the total variable should be greater than 0,3 (Hair et al., 2010)
4.2 Measurement Model, Construct Reliability and Validity
The CFA analysis results show that Chi-Square = 1983,224, CFA proposed analysis model includes 810 degrees of freedom, P-value = 0,000 (less than 0,05) Chi-Square / df index = 2,448 (less than 3) GFI value = 0,985; TLI = 0,922 and CFI = 0,930 are both greater than 0,9 RMSEA
Trang 7value = 0,041 (less than 0,08) According to Hair et al (2010), the model guarantees the standards and suit for the collected data
Table 2 Items, reliability and convergent validity
Academic quality Apply according to Firdaus (2006) 0,836 0,839 0,513 The knowledge of the curriculum is very good 0,725
Teachers have easy to understand communication 0,694
Teachers are polite and considerate of students 0,736
Students can easily contact lecturers when they need
Teachers have a positive working attitude 0,726
Non-academic quality Apply according to Firdaus
The administrative aid suite communicates and
The school’s administrative procedures are very
The working attitude of the administrative support staff
Administrative support office hours are available for
Career prospect Apply according to Tsinidou et al.
Career opportunities in the program are very wide open 0,762
The curriculum gave me the prospect of a professional
I have the opportunity to continue studying abroad 0,773
Exchange and affiliate programs with businesses are
Facilities Apply according to LeBlanc & Nguyen
(1997) and Kwan et al (2009) 0,834 0,836 0,561
Classes are designed comfortably to serve the needs of
The library has a good service to cater to the learning
The University offers a variety of facilities for athletic
Classrooms ensure lighting requirements 0,816
Trang 8Program Apply according to Joseph & Joseph (1997a) 0,813 0,819 0,533 The content and structure of the training program is very
Students have a wide choice of training programs 0,829
The school has specific training programs to suit the needs of
Functional value Apply according to LeBlanc & Nguyen
A degree from the university will help me have a high income
The knowledge gained from the university helped me advance
I believe that businesses need graduates from my school 0,711
A degree obtained from college is a worthy investment for the
College degree I am studying job security after graduation 0,694
Epistemic value Apply according to LeBlanc & Nguyen
The content of the subject affects the value of the knowledge
The instructor’s guidance affects the value of my degree 0,778
The learning environment affects the epistemic value I get 0,720
I learned new knowledge from subjects in school 0,740
Emotional value Apply according to LeBlanc & Nguyen
(1999) and Sweeney et al (2001) 0,851 0,847 0,525
I find specialized subjects suitable for my interests 0,757
I feel happy because I choose the right university to study 0,756
When I study at school, I feel comfortable 0,745
Social value Apply according to Sweeney et al (2001) 0,798 0,800 0,503
I made a good impression on everyone when I joined this
The learning program helps me improve my perception 0,664
Studying this program helped me get social acceptation 0,701
Trang 9Note: FLs: factor loadings; α: Cronbach’s alpha; CR: composite reliability; AVE: average variance ex-tracted.
Examining the convergence of variables through 4 indexes shows that the value of factor loading observed variables ranged from 0,664 to 0,837 (greater than 0,5) The CR (composite reliability) value ranges from 0,800 - 0,850 (greater than 0,7) The average variance extracted (AVE) value ranged from 0,553-0,586 (greater than 0,5) The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the variables ranged from 0,794-0,851 (greater than 0,6) According to Hair et al (2010) and Byrne (2010), the scale ensures convergence and reliability
The results of descriptive statistics and discriminant validity are described in Table 3 The results show that the value of SQRAVE is greater than Inter Construct Correlation
University image Apply according to Andreassen et al.
(1998) and Nguyen & LeBlanc (2001) 0,820 0,803 0,505
The university I am attending has a good reputation 0,802
My university contributes many values to society 0,821
The university I attended has good social links 0,787
I believe that my university image is better than other
Note: FLs: factor loadings; α: Cronbach’s alpha; CR:
composite reliability; AVE: average variance extracted.
Trang 10Table 3 Descriptive statistics and discriminant validity.
Note: Diagonal value indicates the square root of AVE of construct; SD: standard deviation
4.3 Hypotheses Testing
Structure equation modeling (SEM) is applied to test research hypotheses The SEM model of the study includes 883 degrees of freedom Chi-square / df index = 2,625 (less than 3) P-value = 0,000 (less than 0,05) CFI value = 0,919; TLI = 0,913 guaranteed to be greater than 0,9 RMSEA value = 0,044 (less than 0,08) GFI value = 0,893 is less than 0,9, but the dif-ference is not significant According to Doll et al (1994) and Baumgartner et al (1996), the GFI value is in the range of 0,8 - 0,9 is completely acceptable The factors in the model account for 68% of the variation in student satisfaction The result indicated that the model is suitable for the collected data
Constructs Mean SD EMO FUNC FACI CPR EPIS IMAGE ACA NACA PROG SOCI
FUNC 3,450 0,664 0,523 0,728
FACI 3,237 0,715 0,336 0,270 0,749
CPR 3,598 0,637 0,330 0,379 0,422 0,766
EPIS 3,441 0,673 0,578 0,651 0,328 0,438 0,756
IMAGE 3,197 0,699 0,389 0,440 0,310 0,344 0,418 0,710
ACA 3,635 0,608 0,352 0,491 0,347 0,538 0,340 0,375 0,716
NACA 3,633 0,608 0,096 0,217 0,201 0,268 0,240 0,180 0,164 0,713
PROG 3,489 0,637 0,297 0,464 0,252 0,533 0,290 0,288 0,635 0,169 0,730
SOCI 3,339 0,658 0,634 0,665 0,257 0,409 0,631 0,473 0,461 0,241 0,322 0,709