The congruence of quality values in higher education

Purpose To investigate, in the context of university education, the relationship between the congruence of the quality values held by the students, the teaching staff and the university senior management and the level of student satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out within a large Business School in a major UK University through a set of focus groups and questionnaires investigating the quality values held by the three main participant stakeholders. Findings For the case example a coherent framework of quality values relevant to higher education has been established, and the relative importance attached to each element in this framework by the different stakeholders has been identified. While many values are shared there are significant differences between the stakeholders and there is generally no student dissatisfaction on issues where the stakeholders do not share the same values. Research limitations/implications Limited in that the research was carried out in single Faculty in one UK university, though a typical example of those in the UK none the less. Practical implications Contributes to the body of knowledge on participants quality values and it's implications for student participation and satisfaction. Originality/value The paper identifies a framework of relevant values and relationships that will be of use to those interested in this field.