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The main purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in student satisfaction across different programs of the same business college, and to identify dimensions underlying overall perceived quality. It also aims to investigate the existence of differences in perceived quality among programs and factors determining those differences. Based on these results, it seeks to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each program. Finally, differences in satisfaction constituents among high performing students and low performing students are to be analysed.

Research was conducted in two stages. First, a focus group method was employed in order to identify critical incident specificities for the population under study. Then, a survey based on Likert‐type items was used for data collection. Data processing involved both univariate and multivariate analysis.

Three major findings can be pointed out. First, in comparison with similar studies developed in western universities, the list of critical incidents contains noticeable differences. Secondly, it was found that students with different academic performances are concerned with different critical incidents. Thirdly, differences in overall satisfaction with educational experience were found among different lines of specialisation.

A major concern is related to not considering student motivation as an important influential variable on both academic performance and overall satisfaction. Then, a gender based analysis considering differences in satisfaction constituents could have been conducted.

Service organisations, including higher education providers, increasingly recognise that today's customers have many alternatives to chose from, that they may more readily change providers if they are not content, and that satisfaction largely depends on the quality of service provided. In the case of higher education institutions, this seems to be the case at the time (when prospective students apply to several colleges to get admitted), during the break between semesters (when students transfer from one college to another) or at the end of the program (when they can choose whether or not to continue their education within the same college).

The originality of this paper relies on the educational context in which it was conducted, and on the internal competition perspective. Compared with studies conducted in western universities, important differences were found. Romanian students report slightly different issues when evaluating perceived quality and satisfaction. Issues such as campus safety are not a major concern, while professors' personal behaviour problems are highlighted.

Branding in universities has become an increasingly topical issue among practitioners, with some institutions committing substantial financial resources to branding activities. Although it is receiving increased academic investigation, to date this has been limited. The particular characteristics of the sector present challenges for those seeking to build brands and it therefore seems timely and appropriate to investigate the common properties of those universities perceived as having successful brands; this paper aims to do that.

The study employs qualitative research techniques in an exploratory study, examining the institutions perceived to be “successful” in terms of brand management, and seeking to explore any commonalities of approach or circumstance.

The findings and conclusions identify issues surrounding university branding activity. It was found that even among those brands considered “successful”, challenges such as lack of internal brand engagement and limited international resonance may be apparent. Certain common positive success factors are also suggested, however.

Exploration of the literature does point to a gap that makes this work challenging – a seeming lack of knowledge underpinning the precise objectives of university branding programmes. In other words; it is hard to measure how successful university brands are when there is little empirical literature on the aims of branding in universities.

From an academic viewpoint gaps in current literature on branding in the education context are identified and the need for a model of brand management that addresses the particular qualities of higher education is reinforced.

This paper aims to investigate the personal values predominating in different academic areas to identify relations that may be of interest to university managers. Exploratory in nature, it seeks to understand how human values can be used to enhance the academic courses according to the profile of each group.

The sample consisted of 1,609 students attending a large Brazilian university, whose values are measured using the Rokeach values survey. The data are firstly submitted to exploratory factor analysis to identify a set of factors later used to construct perceptual maps. Finally, the careers are grouped and typified according to the predominant values in each one.

Results suggest that students of some careers are more prone to be classified through their values than others, but in general terms each professional group shows some particularity. Most careers can be typified by the values students consider more important for them or by the values they depreciate, or by both. In some cases the combination of high evaluation in some dimensions with poor evaluation in others offered greater insight.

The necessity to find a common structure of values applicable to a wide set of careers determined the exclusion of some values from the original scale that, while important for some professions, did not fit others. The lack of uniformity across careers determined the low variance explained by the common structure.

The paper offers interesting insights for university managers, especially those involved in the conception, positioning or repositioning of academic courses.

This paper aims to investigate how students perceive the services they are offered at a German university and how satisfied they are with them.

An evaluation study using a new tool to measure 15 dimensions of student satisfaction at an institutional level that covers most aspects of student life was used. It was decided to develop a new measurement tool as many existing surveys are poorly designed, lack standardization and give no evidence concerning reliability or validity. Questionnaires were handed out in eight lectures for the pilot study and 18 lectures for the main study. The response rate was 99 percent. A total of 374 students (pilot study) and 544 students (main study) filled in the newly developed questionnaires using Likert scales.

The study gave a valuable insight into how students perceive the quality of the services offered at a university and how satisfied they are with these offerings. The results show that students' satisfaction with their university is based on a relatively stable person‐environment relationship. Thus, the satisfaction of students seems to reflect quite well perceived quality differences of offered services and of the wider environment. Students were particularly satisfied with the school placements and the atmosphere among students. Students were mostly dissatisfied with the university buildings and the quality of the lecture theatres.

As the study involved only two samples of students from one university, the results cannot be generalized to the German student population as a whole.

The study was the first to successfully apply a measurement tool, which has previously not been used. The study has hopefully opened up an area of research and methodology that could provide considerable further benefits for researchers interested in this topic. It also shows how the concept of student satisfaction could be assessed in future studies.

Despite current advances in the domain, little is known about the dynamic nature of the value construct, specifically the manner in which value perceptions change over time during the higher education consumption experience. This paper aims to examine the impact that emotions (affective states) and knowledge (cognitive influences) have on changes to the give and get dimensions of value, the respective impact of these on satisfaction, and the latter's influence on intention to recommend.

The study was conducted in the UK education domain. Data were collected through a matched sample of 66 students at two points in time (at the start of the course and half way through) during a one‐year postgraduate course. The PLS approach to structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationships between the focal constructs.

The results indicate differential impact of knowledge and emotions on the value dimensions at the two time points. Emotions are more dominant at time 1, while at time 2 the impact of emotions and knowledge on the value dimensions is comparable. There is significant increase from time 1 to 2 in six of the examined relationships while the reverse is found for only one relationship. The influence of satisfaction on intention to recommend increases significantly from time 1 to 2.

To the knowledge of the authors, this research represents the first examination of value's temporal nature, in which the results provide empirical support for value as a dynamic phenomenon that is differentially influenced by cognitive and affective variables.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how language functions to construct relevance at moments of articulation and how language functions as an aggressive marketing practice to promote a self‐regulated (production‐oriented) system of accreditation.

Drawing on the political theory of Laclau and Lacanian psychoanalytical theory of desire and aggressivity, a linguistic case study is used to illustrate the construction and promotion of accreditation and relevance.

Aggressive competitive behavior in the area of higher education accreditation sets up inter‐institutional antagonisms at the local and global level which may prove socially divisive and restrict the distribution of knowledge for the social good with the possible implication of restricting economic growth for competitively weaker countries.

The micro analysis of language restricts the size of the data set considered in a single article.

Stakeholders of higher education institutions may wish to consider the strategic implications of accreditation beyond inter‐institution rivalry.

Methodologically, this paper provides an innovative application of political, psychoanalytical and linguistic theory. Empirically, the paper provides new insights into the accreditation of higher education.

Tristan Bunnell began teaching International Baccalaureate economics at the International School of London in 1990. He is currently head of economics at the Copenhagen International School. He was awarded his MA in school marketing and development from the University of Surrey in 1993. He obtained his doctorate on ‘public relations activity as an indicator of the unique nature of international schools’ from the University of Southampton in 2003. He has published a number of articles about distributed leadership, marketing strategy and public relations activity in international schools. His current research interests include global curricula developments, especially the growth and development of the International Baccalaureate.