International Journal of Business and Management; Vol. 10, No. 9; 2015 ISSN 1833-3850 E-ISSN 1833-8119 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 19 Key Determinants of Satisfaction among International Business Students in Regional Context Yasin M. Yasin 1 & Charles H. Bélanger 1 1 Faculty of Management, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada Correspondence: Yasin M. Yasin, 209-884 Regent St. Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 6C7, Canada. Tel: 1-705-988-3131. E-mail: yyasin@laurentian.ca Received: June 29, 2015 Accepted: July 20, 2015 Online Published: August 22, 2015 doi:10.5539/ijbm.v10n9p19 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v10n9p19 Abstract Student satisfaction has been one of the core factors in retaining and attracting international business students to educational institutions. The ability to know the level of students’ satisfaction and the factors affecting it can add a competitive advantage and is considered an opportunity to act proactively in education business. While this information has substantial impact on institutional marketing strategies, there is a dearth of information about the level of satisfaction of business students in Northern Ontario, a vast geographical area representing only a small percentage of the Canadian population. This study aims to fill the gap in existing knowledge about international business students in a regional context. The study addresses the following questions: 1)What is the level of satisfaction of international business students studying in this northern Ontario region? 2)What are the perceived factors that affect the level of satisfaction of international business students in the region? Data were collected from international business students at Laurentian University using the Service Quality Model (SERVQUAL) to develop the conceptual framework guide. The model provided an explanation for the relation between the quality of service and customer expectations. The results of this study showed a satisfaction level that was lower than expected for international business students. This was evident particularly for females who had taken fewer courses with limited work experience and for graduate students. However, students-especially females-with more work experience were more satisfied. The findings lead to a number of implications for future research related to the formulation of curriculum and administrative policy. Keywords: international students, Northern Ontario, satisfaction, SERVQUAL 1. Introduction Business education is considered a competitive market. Canada is ranked seventh, hosting about 5% of the worldwide international student population. Of note, there was a 10% increase in international students in Canada between 2012 and 2013 (Project Atlas, 2013). International students make up 21.8% of the total advanced research program students in Canada (OECD, 2013). The province of Ontario had the highest number of international students with more than 39% of total international students in Canada (Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada, 2010). According to Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada (2010), international students have a positive impact on the Canadian economy. Additionally, international students helped in providing more than 70,000 employment opportunities and almost $Can400M as direct government revenue. Equally important, they contribute almost 4.9 billion dollars to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Student satisfaction is a key determinant for attracting more customers to educational providers (Arambewela, Hall, & Zuhair, 2005; Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004). Student expectations are highly related to the level of satisfaction, as different cultural diversity backgrounds, countries of origin and individual service quality also have a significant relation to satisfaction (Arambewela & Hall, 2006). By identifying the factors that are affecting the level of satisfaction of international students, higher education institutions are better prepared to develop proper strategies in their recruitment efforts. 1.1 Significance of the Study Student satisfaction has been one of the main factors in retaining in and attracting international business students to educational institutions (Arambewela et al., 2005; Kamil Anil & Eti Icli, 2013). The ability to know the level