Factors Influencing Generation Y Students’ Satisfaction with University Websites

Marko Van Deventer¹, Heleneze Lues²

Abstract: In the new digital era, one of the major strategic priorities for many universities is having a high quality and efficient website. While universities invest considerable resources in this domain, students may not fully realise the value or level of satisfaction they expect from a university website. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites. A single cross-sectional and descriptive research design was followed in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect data from a convenience sample of 319 Generation Y students registered at two Gauteng-based South African HEI campuses. The methods used to analyse the data included descriptive statistics, reliability and validity analysis, Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis, collinearity diagnostics and structural equation modelling. The findings of the study suggest that information quality of university websites has a significant positive influence on the usefulness of university websites, while the system quality of university websites has a significant positive influence on the ease of use of university websites. Furthermore, the usefulness and ease of use of university websites have a significant positive influence on Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites. Understanding the factors that influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites, universities can formulate effective strategies that will ensure increased user satisfaction with the website, thereby recouping costs associated with developing and maintaining the website and ensuring an appropriate return in terms of increased user numbers and value.

Keywords: Consumer behaviour; strategy; information quality; system quality; usefulness; ease of use; South Africa

JEL Classification: M31

1. Introduction

The World Wide Web, commonly known as the internet, is an integral part of people and businesses’ daily activities (Al-Debei, 2014). Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern age information society (Clement, 2020). Globally, the internet, or websites, is used for interaction between businesses and consumers (Ganiyu et al., 2017), global market penetration and communication with the relevant stakeholders. In addition, websites allow businesses to reach a larger customer base and improve its operational efficiency as well as corporate image (Ganiyu et al., 2017; Mentes & Turan, 2012). Therefore, to survive and remain competitive in both the local and international markets, a web presence is important (Mentes & Turan, 2012). To put the importance of having a well-developed website in perspective, statistics indicate that the number of active internet users reached 4.57 billion in April 2020, comprising 59 percent of the global population (Clement, 2020). As of January 2020, there were more than 1.74 billion websites on the internet (Ahlgren, 2020). These statistics suggest that websites are gaining popularity and that businesses are increasingly placing more emphasis on their online presence. Higher education institutions such as universities are no exception.

One of the major strategic priorities for many universities is having a high quality and efficient website (Al-Debei, 2014). A university website, the source mainly used to access content related to the university (Buang et al., 2016), is an effective and valuable interactive tool to communicate (Bairamzadeh & Bolhari, 2010; Caglar & Mentes, 2012) with internal users, such as students, faculty and administrative staff as well as external stakeholders, such as prospective students. The website is a gateway to information such as courses offered, university events and other publications as well as transaction processing services, including the course delivery mode, library services and lending and registration (Caglar & Mentes, 2012). As such, university websites serve as an important information provider (El-Halees & Abu-Zaid, 2017), and should reflect the needs of the stakeholders it serves, including Generation Y students, to ensure website success and user satisfaction.

Generation Y, also referred to as the millennial and internet generation (Severt et al., 2013), consists of individuals born between 1986 and 2005 (Markert, 2004). This generation grew up in the digital era, and are therefore familiar with various technological devices and the internet (Soyez & Gurtner, 2016). The Generation Y cohort enjoys visiting internet sites on a daily basis (Bilgihan, 2016) and being active on social networking sites (Severt et al., 2013). As part of their decision-making, Generation Y regularly look to the internet to source information (Valentine & Powers, 2013). From a university website point of view, Generation Y university students make up a large portion of the website’s users. Therefore, it is important that the university website reflects the needs of Generation Y student stakeholders. While universities invest considerable resources in the development of their websites, Generation Y students may not fully realise the value or satisfaction they expect from a university website (Al-Debei, 2014).

Satisfaction is described as a customer’s assessment of whether a business, product or service meets the desired level of expectation (Berbegal-Mirabent et al., 2016). Within an information systems context, satisfaction is defined as the attitude of the user towards the information system that is interacted with (Lin & Wang, 2012). The extent to which a customer is satisfied is determined by evaluating the difference between the customer’s expectations and the actual results derived (Alnaser & Almsafir, 2014). Each time a customer interacts with a business, product or service, new information and experiences are learnt, subsequently influencing the customers’ degree of satisfaction (Casaló et al., 2010). Those customers who have not previously interacted with a product or service provider, and therefore do not have prior experience with the provider, cannot expect overall customer satisfaction (Kim et al., 2004). Literature indicates that highly satisfied customers tend to embody high usage and purchase intentions, as well as recommend a business, product or service (Ghane et al., 2011). From a university website perspective, a student may be satisfied with the website if it has high access availability, is trustworthy and fast (Sun et al., 2008), free of technical failures and easy to use (Manzoor et al., 2012).

Considering that Generation Y students comprise a substantial portion of a university’s website users, and that university websites serve as a valuable source of information to students, as well as the possibility of them being unaware of the level of satisfaction they expect from a university website, it is imperative to understand the factors that influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with a university website. As such, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of perceived information quality, system quality, usefulness and ease of use on Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites within the South African context.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Information Quality

Information quality denotes the quality of the information presented on online platforms (Yang et al., 2005), as well as the outputs the website produces (Al-Debei, 2014), and includes quality dimensions such as the reliability, accuracy, thoroughness, relevance and timeliness of the information (Ahn et al., 2007; Chen et al., 2011). As such, the information presented on an online platform should be dependable and consistent (Yang et al., 2005), correct, complete and current (Lin, 2010). Within a university website context, information quality generally refers to the reliability, accuracy and timeliness of information related to academic programmes, modules, online registrations and other teaching and learning content (El-Halees & Abu-Zaid, 2017; Lin, 2010) as well as the academic calendar, publications and staff (Al-Debei, 2014). Both current and potential customers view the information quality of a website as a differentiating factor when choosing between similar product and service providers (Kuan et al., 2008). This is because adequate information quality strengthens and builds customers’ trust in the product and service provider (Kim et al., 2004). Therefore, the proper information quality of a business’ website may not only retain current customers, but also attracts new ones. For this reason, it is important that businesses carefully consider what information to display on their website (Rahimnia & Hassanzadeh, 2013), as sufficient information quality is an important contributing factor to the success of a website (Alsabawy et al., 2016; Kuan et al., 2008) and effective organisational decisions and functions (Alsabawy et al., 2016).

As indicated in the literature, information quality has a positive influence on the usefulness of an information system (Al-Debei, 2014; Garcia & Silva, 2017; Lu et al., 2010; Zhou 2011). For example, Garcia and Silva (2017) found that the information quality of formal institutional channels, also known as university information systems, positively influences the perceived usefulness of formal institutional channels. Similarly, Al-Debei (2014) reported that the information quality of a university website has a direct positive influence on the perceived usefulness of a university website. In accordance with the findings of these studies, this study postulates that information quality has a direct positive influence on Generation Y students’ perceived usefulness of university websites.

H1: Information quality positively influences Generation Y students’ perceived usefulness of university websites.

2.2. System Quality

The system quality of a website is described as the overall performance of an information system or website (Gorla et al., 2010) in terms of data and information capturing, processing, storage and retrieval abilities (Al-Debei et al., 2013). A website’s system quality signifies its interface and ease of navigation (Kuan et al., 2008), as well as other technicalities and appearance aspects such as website security (Ahn et al., 2007), layout, fonts, colours and the graphics-text balance (Aladwani & Palviab, 2002). One of the major barriers of online undertakings is complex website navigation. Therefore, it is important to design a website that embodies effortless navigation, appropriate link structures and interfaces to improve user-friendliness, subsequently improving customer experience and value as well as enhancing trust in the website and delivering greater website success (Kuan et al., 2008). Within a university website context, the system quality of the university’s website refers to the functionalities of the website that can be controlled by the student or user (Lin, 2010), and reflects characteristics such as flexibility, accessibility, integration and reliability (Al-Debei et al., 2013). Therefore, a university’s website should adapt to the ever-changing demands and requirements of its users, provide easy access to and extraction of information, be compatible with other systems to allow data integration from several sources, and offer consistent performance and dependability (Al-Debei, 2014). It is important that universities consider the Generation Y student cohort when evaluating the overall performance of its website in terms of functionalities and aesthetics. This is because Generation Y students grew up in a digital era, and therefore have certain value expectations of the website (Djamasbi et al., 2010).

The literature suggests that system quality has a positive influence on the ease of use of an information system (Lin & Lu, 2000; Wixom & Todd, 2005; Zhou, 2011). Similarly, in their study, Garcia and Silva (2017) discovered that the quality of the social media system has a direct positive influence on the perceived ease of use of social media. Al-Debei (2014) also found that the system quality of a university website directly and positively influences the perceived ease of use of a university website. In line with the findings of these studies, this study hypothesises that the system quality of a university’s website has a direct positive influence on Generation Y students’ perceived ease of use of the website.

H2: System quality positively influences Generation Y students’ perceived ease of use of university websites.

2.3. Usefulness

Perceived usefulness is one the main beliefs that influences user acceptance of information technology and refers to the belief that using a particular technology or information system will increase performance and productivity (Davis, 1989). Perceived usefulness is the main determinant used to evaluate the acceptance and success of an information system (Alsabawy et al., 2016). The usefulness of an information system is also described as the benefits and effectiveness one system has over another (Surendran, 2012). As such, usefulness relates to the utilitarian value an information system or technology provided to the user (Revels et al., 2010). Users who believe that an information system is useful are likely to have a positive attitude towards using the system (Shanmugam et al., 2014). Perceived usefulness has been used to predict a number of factors, including word processing and spreadsheet system acceptance, telecommuting technology, and web and wireless site usability (Alrafi, 2007). A substantial body of research verifies that usefulness influences user attitudes, which, in turn, has an influence on user adoption and satisfaction (Detlor et al., 2013; Hess et al., 2014; Martins et al., 2014). From the perspective of a university website, usefulness denotes the usability of the website in terms of the value derived from using the website, such as it being available anytime from anywhere.

There is evidence in the literature that usefulness has a positive influence on satisfaction with an information system. For example, in their study, Arbaugh (2000) found that the perceived usefulness of an e-learning website positively influenced students’ satisfaction with the website. Rezaeean et al. (2012) discovered that the perceived usefulness of a university website positively influences students’ satisfaction with the website. Consistent with these finding, this study posits that the perceived usefulness of a university website has a direct positive influence on the satisfaction of Generation Y students with the university website.

H3: Usefulness positively influences Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites.

2.4. Ease of Use

Similar to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use is also one of the main beliefs that influences a user’s acceptance of information technology and is described as the belief that using certain technology or information systems will be effortless, simple and straightforward (Davis, 1989). A number of studies suggest that if an innovation or information system is perceived as easy to use, the more likely the user is to develop a positive attitude towards using the innovation or system (Guritno & Siringoringo, 2013; Gumussoy et al., 2007; Nor & Pearson, 2008). Perceived ease of use is also considered a key factor for success in terms of user satisfaction (Amin et al., 2014). From a university website context, ease of use relates to aspects such as the quick downloading of webpages, easy interaction with the website and foreign language support (Hasan, 2013).

Previously published studies related to information systems have found that there is a relationship between ease of use and user satisfaction. Rezaei and Amin (2013) suggest that there is a positive relationship between ease of use and customer satisfaction in an online shopping environment. Amin et al. (2014) found that ease of use has a direct positive influence on user satisfaction with mobile websites. In keeping with the findings of these studies, this study theorises that the perceived ease of use of a university website has a direct positive influence on the satisfaction of Generation Y students with the university website.

H4: Ease of use positively influences Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites.

3. Method

3.1. Sampling Method and Data Collection

The target population for this study was Generation Y students between the ages of 18 and 24 years, registered at one of the 26 public higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. Using judgement sampling, two HEI campuses in the Gauteng Province were selected from the sampling frame of the 26 public HEIs. Of these two campuses, one was a traditional university campus and the other a university of technology campus. Fieldworkers distributed 200 questionnaires at each of the two HEIs to a convenience sample of students by making use of the mall-intercept survey method. These students participated voluntarily.

3.2. Research Instrument

A self-administered questionnaire, consisting of two sections, was used to collect the data from the sample. The first section required the participants’ demographic information, while the second section included scales that measured the factors of information quality, system quality, usefulness and ease of use of university websites as well as the satisfaction with university websites. These scales were adapted from previously published studies. Information quality of university websites was measured using five items (Ahn et al., 2007); whereas, system quality of university websites was measured using three items (Aladwani & Palvia, 2002; Ahn et al., 2007; Sindhuja & Dastidar, 2009). Usefulness of university websites was measured using three items, and ease of use of university websites was measured using four items, of which the items of both constructs were adapted from Ahn et al. (2007) and Van der Heijden (2003). Satisfaction with university websites was measured using three items (Flavián et al., 2006). The participants’ responses were recorded on a six-point Likert-type scale that ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (6).

3.3. Data Analysis

The IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS), Versions 25 for Windows were used to perform the data analyses for this study. Several statistical methods were performed to analyse the data, namely descriptive statistics, reliability and validity analysis, correlation analysis, collinearity diagnostics and structural equation modelling.

4. Results

A total of 400 self-administered questionnaires were distributed for completion. Of these, 319 were complete and met the target population specifications, which were subsequently used for data analysis. As such, the response rate of this study is approximately 80 percent. In terms of age, the largest portion of the sample were 20 years of age, followed by those indicated being 18 years of age. The sample included more female than male participants, and most of the participants were black. With regard to the year of study, the majority of the sample were first-year students. Table 1 outlines the demographic information of the sample.

Table 1. Sample Description

Source: Authors’ Compilation

The descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha values and correlation coefficients were calculated for each of the latent factors. The Cronbach’s alpha values were calculated to determine the internal consistency reliability of each latent factor, while the Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relationships between the latent factors. The means, standard deviations, Cronbach’s alpha values and correlation coefficients are presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics, Reliability and Correlation Analysis

Source: Authors’ Compilation

Mean values of above 4 were recorded for all of the latent factors. Since a six-point Likert-type scale was used, this suggests that the participating South African Generation Y students perceive information on their university websites as accurate, relevant, complete, reliable and up to date and that the university websites have good functionality, use fonts properly and have a logical layout. Furthermore, these students perceive their university websites to be useful and easy to use, and are satisfied with their university website. The Cronbach’s alpha values of all the constructs ranged between 0.75 and 0.89, which exceeds the recommended level of 0.70 (Malhotra, 2010), and therefore suggests acceptable internal-consistency reliability.

Table 2 shows that there were statistically significant positive relationships (p≤0.01) between each of the pairs of latent factors. Therefore, the nomological validity of the measurement theory is implied (Malhotra, 2010). The strongest relationship was found between the latent factors of ease of use and satisfaction (r = 0.71). Since this coefficient fell below the suggested level of 0.90, there were no obvious multicollinearity issues (Pallant, 2013). Owing to the nomological validity of the measurement theory, and since there is no evidence of multicollinearity issues, a measurement model was proposed.

A five-factor measurement model was specified for confirmatory factor analysis, which included information quality (five indicators), system quality (three indicators), usefulness (three indicators), ease of use (four indicators) and satisfaction (three indicators). For model identification purposes, the first loading on each of the five latent factors was fixed at 1.0, which resulted in 189 distinct sample moments and 64 distinct parameters to be estimated, equalling 125 degrees of freedom (df) based on an over-identified model, as well as a chi-square value of 300.67 with a probability level equal to 0.001.

The measurement model was assessed for problematic estimates, such as standardised factor loadings of above 1.0 or below -1.0, and for negative error variances (Hair et al. 2014). Furthermore, the composite reliability, average variance extracted and heterotrait-monotrait values were calculated to assess the composite reliability and construct validity. The standardised loading estimates, error variance estimates, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE) and heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) values are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Measurement Model Estimates

Source: Authors’ Compilation

As evident in Table 3, no problematic estimates were identified. The CR values of all the latent factors surpass the recommended level of 0.70, which provides evidence of composite reliability (Malhotra, 2010). Furthermore, all the standardised loading estimates and AVE values are above 0.50, and therefore suggest convergent validity (Hair et al., 2014). The HTMT values were below 0.85, which suggests discriminant validity (Henseler, et al., 2015). As such, the convergent and discriminant validity combined with the nomological validity established in Table 2 suggest construct validity (Malhotra, 2010).

Several statistical measures were examined to assess the model fit, namely the incremental fit index (IFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), the standardised root mean residual (SRMR), the root mean square of approximation (RMSEA), and the chi-square statistic. An acceptable model fit is indicated through a non-significant chi-square value, IFI, TLI and CFI values larger than 0.9, as well as an RMSEA value of 0.08 or lower (Malhotra, 2010) and an SRMR value of below 0.1 (Hair et al., 2014). Although the measurement model returned a significant chi-square value of 300.67 with 125 degrees of freedom (df), other fit indices delivered an acceptable fit such as SRMR=0.05, RMSEA=0.07, IFI=0.95, TLI=0.93 and CFI=0.94.

Based on this measurement model, a structural model was tested, in which it was hypothesised that information quality of university websites (F1) has a direct positive influence on the usefulness of university websites (F3), which, in turn, has a direct positive influence on the satisfaction with university websites (F5). Furthermore, it was hypothesised that system quality of university websites (F2) has a direct positive influence on the ease of use of university websites (F4), which ultimately also has a direct influence on the satisfaction with university websites (F5). The standardised and unstandardised regression coefficients, standard error and results of the model are presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Structural Model

Source: Authors’ Compilation

As presented in Table 4, all paths tested were positively and statistically significant (p≤0.001). Information quality of university websites has a statistically significant positive influence on the usefulness of university websites (β=0.80, p<0.001). Furthermore, the system quality of university websites has a statistically significant positive influence on the ease of use of university websites (β=0.76, p<0.001). Ultimately, the usefulness of university websites (β=0.35, p<0.001) and the ease of use of university websites (β=0.61, p<0.001) are statistically significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with university websites. With reference to the squared multiple correlation (SMC) coefficients, the model explains 64 percent of the variance in the usefulness of university websites, 58 percent of the variance in the ease of use of university websites, and 67 percent of the variance in students’ satisfaction with university websites. The structural model, with the standardised regression estimates and SMC coefficient, is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Structural Model

Source: Authors’ compilation

With regard to the model fit, the structural model returned a significant chi-square statistic [394.73 (df=130, p<0.001)]; however, the model delivered acceptable model fit indices of SRMR=0.09, RMSEA=0.08, IFI=0.92, TLI=0.90 and CFI=0.92.

5. Discussion

This study investigated the influence of information quality, system quality, usefulness and ease of use on South African Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites. By means of confirmatory factor analysis, it was established that the proposed model is a five-factor structure consisting of information quality of university websites, system quality of university websites, usefulness of university websites, ease of use of university websites, and satisfaction with university websites. The measurement model showed acceptable model fit and adequate internal-consistency reliability, composite reliability and construct validity. As a result, the model was suitable for path analysis.

In line with the literature, the path analysis revealed that that the information quality of university websites positively influences the usefulness of university websites, and that the system quality of university websites positively influences the ease of use of university websites. In turn, both the usefulness of university websites and ease of use of university websites positively influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites.

6. Recommendations

Given the increase in popularity of an online presence and websites among universities, especially for purposes such as providing information, it is essential that universities carefully plan and develop their online strategies to ensure optimal user satisfaction. This is even more important in the current situation where the COVID 19 pandemic is forcing consumers and institutions worldwide to limit face-to-face interaction and, consequently, rely on online platforms to serve as a source of information, communication, marketing and service delivery. In light of this and the findings of this study, universities need to ensure that their websites are perceived as useful and easy to use in order to enhance user satisfaction and ultimately retain current students and attract more prospective students. However, in order to do this, universities should pay attention to the quality of the information provided on their website as well as the quality of the system itself.

With reference to the information quality, it is essential to provide up to date and accurate information about topics such as the courses offered, important dates and contact details. Since university websites are the platform where users learn most about the university, this opportunity should be used to provide relevant and complete content that is required by the various stakeholders. However, it is advised to refrain from providing large chunks of information and to rather include shorter paragraphs that would allow users to quickly scan through the information. In addition, the website could include links to documents that contain more detailed information, should it be required by the stakeholder. It is also recommended that the website should include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section, where users can post questions and access answers to questions that they perhaps could not find answers for in the content provided on the website. Furthermore, the website could also provide a section or pose a question at the end of a visit where users can report problems that they experience such as incorrect contact details or insufficient content. This will assist universities with identifying out-of-date and inaccurate information, as well as where additional information is required.

Regarding the system quality of the university website, easy website navigation and a logical layout are key. The content on the website should be carefully organised into categories or sections that would allow the user to easily and quickly find the content that they require. This can be achieved by including a few menu items and efficiently organising headings or sub-items in a drop-down menu under the main menu items. In addition, an effective search bar is useful, as it allows users quick access to specific content that they require. Mobile capability is more significant now than ever before, due to consumers’ dependence on online platforms as an information source and mobile devices often being the only device that users own. Therefore, universities should ensure that the mobile interface of their website works effectively. By incorporating these recommendations, users would perceive the university website as more useful and easy to use, which, in turn, would increase the users’ satisfaction with the university website.

7. Limitations

A few limitations of this study can be identified, which simultaneously present future research opportunities. The sample was drawn from two HEI campuses in Gauteng, South Africa, and as a result, caution should be taken when generalising the results to the larger South African student population. Given that the purpose of the study was to determine the influence of information quality, system quality, usefulness and ease of use of university websites on Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites, a quantitative research approach was followed. By conducting a qualitative research approach, it would be possible to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for these influences. Since information quality, system quality, usefulness and ease of use only explained 67 percent of the variance in Generation Y students’ satisfaction with their university websites, it is evident that antecedents other than those investigated in this study also have an influence of the students’ satisfaction with university websites, which, in turn, presents another opportunity for future research.

8. Conclusion

Owing to university websites being the primary source of university-related content and communication to its stakeholders such as current and potential students, it is imperative to understand the factors that influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites. Based on the model tested in this study, it can be concluded that the information quality of university websites has a statistically significant positive influence on the usefulness of university websites, while the system quality of university websites has a statistically significant positive influence on the ease of use of university websites. Furthermore, it was found that the usefulness and ease of use of university websites have a statistically significant positive influence on Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites. By better understanding the factors that influence Generation Y students’ satisfaction with university websites, universities can enhance their websites in an attempt to increase satisfaction and, ultimately, increase their website usage rate and the number of prospective and registered students.

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