Abstract:

Purpose: This study aims to examine the drivers of student satisfaction in higher education by distinguishing between factors sufficient to influence satisfaction and those necessary for satisfaction to occur.

Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 394 undergraduate and graduate business students at a Canadian university. The study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess sufficiency relationships and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) to identify essential conditions for student satisfaction.

Findings: The results show that educational support services are the only significant predictor of student satisfaction and also constitute a necessary condition. In contrast, technology, infrastructure and social orientation do not exhibit significant effects and are not necessary conditions. The NCA results further reveal that minimum support service thresholds must be met to achieve higher levels of satisfaction.

Practical implications: The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing educational support services as a critical foundation for student satisfaction. Institutions should focus on achieving minimum service thresholds rather than uniformly increasing all service dimensions.

Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by integrating sufficiency and necessity perspectives and demonstrating that key drivers of satisfaction are not always equivalent to essential conditions, thereby offering a more nuanced understanding of the formation of satisfaction in higher education.

Keywords: Student satisfaction; PLS-SEM; Necessary Condition Analysis.