The relevance of academic hospitality: an investigation of international higher education students' evaluation of quality of life in the U.S.

Abstract

vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1 Problem Statement 2 Purpose of Study 3 Research Questions 4 Significance of Study 4 CHSPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6 International Students 6 Academic Hospitality 11 Quality of Life 20 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 23 Overview 23 Use of Human Subjects 23 Participants 23 Survey Instrument 24 iii Data Collection 25 Data Analysis 26 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 28 Overview 28 Descriptive Analysis 28 Internal Consistency Reliability 29 Linear Regression Analysis 34 Comparison of Factors for Different Relationship Groups 35 Comparison of Factors for Areas of Origin 35 Comparison of Five Factors for Different Student Grade Groups 36 CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 37 Overview 37 Conclusion 37 Implications 37 Limitations and Future Research 40 REFERENCES 42 APPENDIX A. HUMAN SUBJECTS FORMS 52 APPENDIX B. QUESTIONNAIRE 53 iv LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Demographic Descriptive Analysis 29 Table 2. Internal Consistency Reliability Estimates, Mean Ratings and Standard Deviations for Lodging Options 30 Table 3. Internal Consistency Reliability Estimates, Mean Ratings and Standard Deviations for Food and Beverage 31 Table 4. Internal Consistency Reliability Estimates, Mean Ratings and Standard Deviations for Transportation 32 Table 5. Internal Consistency Reliability Estimates, Mean Ratings and Standard Deviations for Activities 33 Table .6. Internal Consistency Reliability Estimates, Mean Ratings and Standard Deviations for Quality of Life 33 Table 7. Model Summary 34 Table 8. Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Purchase Intent 35 Table 9. ANOVA for Comparison of Factors by Different Age Groups 35 Table 10. ANOVA for Comparison of Factors by Region of Origin 36 Table 11. ANOVA for Comparison of Factors by Students Grade Groups 36 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are several people to whom I wish to express my deep appreciation for their support throughout my graduate studies. First of all, I want to express my appreciation to my parents who have continually provided their time, advice, love, and emotional support throughout my life and especially throughout this process. Without their constant encouragement this would not have been possible. I also want to thank all of the graduate students in our department for their great help in my courses and with their advice on my research. Finally, I express my most sincere thanks to all of my committee members for their valuable advising and guidance in both my research and self development. Without your great help, my life and research would be very different. vi ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the quality of life among international students in higher education institutes in the United States and the factors that influence their lives. Four aspects were employed to explore non-academic life, including housing; food and beverage; transportation; and social activities. An online survey sent to Iowa State University international students was used in data collection. Linear regression analysis was used to test the relationships between each of the four factors and international students’ quality of life. The results indicated that housing, transportation, and social activities have significant impact on international students’ quality of life, whereas food and beverage did not. This research is the first attempt to utilize quality of life to investigate the non-academic life aspects of international students. Suggestions were provided to improve the quality of life of international students in colleges and universities in the United States. 1 CHAPTER