Factors Leading to Student Dissatisfaction in The Education Sector; A Study of Google Reviews from The Higher Education Industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Purpose: The research is focused on the higher education institutes, and non-state sector in Sri Lanka. The study aims to understand perspectives presented by the positive and negative reviews on sixty-four (64) higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach: A total of Two Thousand Five Hundred (2500) reviews have been studied. The research study aims to recognize, define, and determine the factors in the non-state higher education institution space leading to student dissatisfaction.

Findings: The literature review covers (1) Word of Mouth (WOM) & Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) (2) Digital media marketing (3) Review sites (4) the Sri Lankan higher education system and players (5) Student Dissatisfaction and its determinants. The methodology will involve a positivist research philosophy, the deductive approach, and the survey-based research study that is focused upon with cross cross-sectional timeline. From the results, it is identifiable that only 29.6% of the teams had a responsive Google Business page. These are institutions that respond to reviews. The top concerns noted by the students/public were (1) Lack of student support (2) Delay in certificates (3) Poor management practices (4) Lack of academic quality.

Originality: This research outlines the perspectives from Sri Lankan, non-state Higher Education Institutions (HEI).  A newer area of research and perspective in digital media.

Implications: This research adds to the existing literature and specifically focuses on aspects of Google Reviews. Google reviews are relatively new to Sri Lanka, where the masses may rely on word of mouth. Managing the reviews allows for HEIs to show confidence and capability in handling media.

Keywords: Digital Marketing, Google Reviews, Higher Education Institution, Student satisfaction, Word of Mouth