How Does Culture Shape the University Experience? Discover the New Tool!

A research team has designed and validated a scale to assess Student Experience (SX) in universities, accounting for cultural differences. Building on Customer Experience theory and Hofstede’s model, they drafted 30 statements: 9 educational, 7 social, 3 personal and 12 cultural items covering dimensions such as individualism‑collectivism or power distance.

Students from universities with very different cultural profiles completed the questionnaire. Statistical analyses confirmed that experience splits into three dimensions (educational, social, personal) and that six cultural dimensions act as first‑order factors. A two‑level model linked the higher‑order construct “Cultural Aspects” (CA) to “Student Experience” (SX). The link was positive and significant, showing that a country’s cultural roots shape how students evaluate university services.

The tool enables researchers and academic managers to spot gaps in student experience, benchmark internationally and design more sustainable, culturally appropriate interventions. In practice, it helps universities understand what works and what doesn’t, respecting the diverse mindsets of their students.

The proposed model relies on a two‑level hierarchical structure: at the first level, Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions (Indulgence‑Restraint, Individualism‑Collectivism, Masculinity‑Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long‑vs‑Short‑Term Orientation, Power Distance) act as latent variables influencing student perceptions. At the second level, Student Experience is broken down into three latent factors (Educational, Social, Personal). Validation was performed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), with fit indices (CFI > 0.95, RMSEA < 0.06).

Findings reveal a significant positive correlation (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) between Cultural Aspects and Student Experience, indicating that national differences actively shape cognitive, affective, and behavioral evaluations of institutional touchpoints (courses, support services, extracurricular activities). Multi‑group analysis also showed measurement invariance across high and low power‑distance samples, ensuring international comparability of the scale.

This instrument paves the way for longitudinal studies monitoring the impact of sustainability and inclusion interventions, as well as cross‑cultural meta‑analyses to identify universal and culture‑specific patterns of student satisfaction. Integrating Customer Experience theory with cultural perspectives offers a robust theoretical framework for future research at the intersection of culture, education, and sustainability.