Reference no: EM132720143

Research Objectives

The main objective of this study is to examine the determinants of students' satisfaction and loyalty in the local private higher education institutions in the UAE. Considering the above stated problem definition, present study aims to achieve following research objectives.
RO1. To test the impact of Higher education performance on students' satisfaction in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.
RO2. To investigate the impact of relationship quality on students' satisfaction in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.
RO3. To examine the indirect influence of higher education performance and relationship quality variables on students' loyalty through their impact on students' satisfaction which is assumed to have a mediating role in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.
RO4. To test whether influence of students' satisfaction on students' loyalty is moderated by students' happiness among students enrolled in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

Research Questions
Arising from the background of this study and problem statement, the following research questions are posed:
RQ1. What is the nature of relationship between higher education performance and students' satisfaction in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates? ? Which specific higher education performance aspects are considered important by students?

RQ2. What is the nature of relationship between relationship quality and students' satisfaction in the local private higher education institutions in the UAE? Which specific relationship quality aspects are considered important by students?

RQ3. Do significant differences of opinion exist among students regarding higher education performance and relationship quality aspects? What is the pattern of these differences?
RQ4. Does the moderator, students' happiness, moderate the relationship between students' satisfaction and students' loyalty in the local private higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates?

Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses
In order to answer the research questions posed, the following hypotheses are set.
H1- There is an influence of higher education performance on students' satisfaction.
H1a. There is an influence of academic aspects on students' satisfaction.
H1b. There is an influence of non-academic aspects on students' satisfaction.
H1c. There is an influence of access on students' satisfaction.
H1d. There is an influence of program issues on students' satisfaction.
H1e. There is an influence of reputation on students' satisfaction.

H2. There is an influence of relationship quality on students' satisfaction.
H2a. There is an influence of emotional commitment on students' satisfaction.
H2b. There is an influence of goal commitment on students' satisfaction.
H2c. There is an influence of trust on students' satisfaction.

H3- There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between the higher education performance, relationship quality and students' loyalty.
H3a. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between academic aspects and student loyalty.
H3b. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between access and student loyalty.
H3c. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between non-academic aspects and student loyalty.
H3d. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between program issues and student loyalty.
H3e. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between reputation and student loyalty.
H3f. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between emotional commitment and student loyalty.
H3g. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between goal commitment and students' loyalty.
H3h. There is a mediating role of students' satisfaction between trust and students' loyalty.
H4. There is an influence of students' satisfaction on students' loyalty.
H5. There is an influence of students' happiness on students' loyalty.
H6. There is a moderating influence of students' happiness on the relationship between students' satisfaction and students' loyalty.
H7. The interaction between students' happiness and students' satisfaction when student's satisfaction is influencing students' loyalty is significant in such a way that students' loyalty will only increase if students' happiness increases with students' satisfaction.