Factors Affecting Students’ Choice in Choosing Off-Campus Accommodations in Malaysia

Mok, Zhi Kai (2024) Factors Affecting Students’ Choice in Choosing Off-Campus Accommodations in Malaysia. Masters thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Off-campus accommodation plays an important role for the students who are going to take part in higher education programmes. Without it, there is less option for the students to choose where to live while partaking in higher education programmes far from home. Then accommodations are one of the most important things that young adults will have an eye on when they need to go for higher education in a different district or different place from their home. There are two types of accommodations that the students can find, which will be classified as on-campus or off-campus accommodations. In this research paper, it talks about the factors affecting students’ choices in choosing off-campus accommodations in Malaysia. By reviewing the existing research in off-campus accommodation, there is a lack of empirical research regarding the lack of use of affordability as a mediator to link both location (IV) and type of dwelling (IV) to the choice of accommodation (DV); there is a lack of use of quality as a mediator to link both location (IV) and type of dwelling (IV) to the choice of accommodation (DV); and there is a lack of use of Unavailability of On-Campus Residence as a moderator between type of dwelling (IV) and choice of accommodation (DV). Therefore, this research aims to enhance the understanding of factors affecting students’ choices in choosing off-campus accommodation in Malaysia. For conceptual framework development, the Means- End Chain Theory is employed as theoretical support for the framework development. This research investigates the direct and indirect relationship between location, type of dwelling, affordability, quality, unavailability of on-campus residence, and choice of accommodation. Moreover, this research also establishes the moderator role of unavailability of on-campus residence towards the relationship between type of dwelling and choice of accommodation. To implement the research objectives, a total of 410 samples were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire survey, and the data was analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Based on the statistical outcomes generated, all the direct relationships between location, type of dwelling, affordability, quality, unavailability of on-campus residence, and choice of accommodation are significantly supported. For indirect relationships, all the mediation relationships are significantly supported. Besides, the result also proved that the direct relationship between type of dwelling and choice of accommodation would be weaker when there is high unavailability of on-campus residence. With the results generated in this research, it has both theoretical and managerial implications. At the end of the research, some limitations of this research and recommendations suggested are concluded for future studies to further explore the understanding of factors affecting students’ choices in choosing off-campus accommodation in Malaysia.