Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Abstract

Several researchers have considered student accommodation to be among the most essential facilities provided by higher learning institutions. Najib et al. (2011) noted that students’ intellectual capabilities can be expanded through the facilitation of a good physical environment at their halls of residence and for achieving the goal of improving student performance, the contribution of sustainable campus housing facilities should not be underestimated. In this logic, students in on-campus accommodation are customers, while university management is the service provider. It is therefore the responsibility of university management to provide accommodation that will satisfy their students  (Park, 2006). The aim of  study is to investigate the relationship between on-campus accommodation services and customer satisfaction, and more specifically: (i) to examine the mediating role of student satisfaction in the relationship between on-campus accommodation service quality and word of mouth (WOM); (ii) to determine whether there is any significant difference in students’ satisfaction with on-campus accommodation in terms of gender and halls of residence. The study is based on a survey carried out through an online questionnaire by 381 students living on campus at the University of Urbino. Results revealed that the quality perceived by university students in relation to individual services had a positive impact on their general satisfaction towards the halls of residence experience.