Hedonic and utilitarian value: the role of shared responsibility in higher education services

ABSTRACTWhile on-campus student housing availability has been shown to improve retention, the interdependence between students and providers in creating the value of campus living has not been explored. This paper, therefore, draws on theories from marketing and education to investigate the role of shared responsibility in educational service outcomes (perceived utilitarian value, perceived hedonic value, satisfaction, and positive word-of-mouth) in the context of university housing. Analysis using a general linear model shows that all dependent variables increase as students’ sense of shared responsibility increases. These results contribute to the literature by introducing the notion of shared responsibility to the examination of student housing value perceptions. After implications for various stakeholders are discussed, recommendations for future research are given.