NO 8049 Bodø Norway AbstractPurpose -This article has a twofold aim: first, to explore the influence of higher education institution (HEI) facilities on overall student satisfaction; and second, to identify the distinct facilities that most strongly influence student overall satisfaction with HEI facilities.Design/methodology/approach -A tailor-made questionnaire is developed to measure student perception about student life, including their perceptions about the facilities at the HEI they attend. Two econometric models are estimated using OLS regression analysis.Findings -The factor that most strongly influences student satisfaction with university facilities is the quality of its social areas, auditoriums and libraries. Conversely, it is determined that computer access on campus does not influence student satisfaction.Research limitations -The sample includes data only from a single university. Moreover, only Norwegian students at the university participated in the survey.Practical implications -Based on our findings, the most effective strategy to improve student overall satisfaction with the facilities at an HEI is to improve the quality of social areas, auditoriums and libraries. Such a strategy will result in students who are more satisfied with the HEI they are attending and thereby increase the HEI's chances of long-term success.Originality/value -To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify the facilities that most strongly influence the overall satisfaction of students with the facilities at HEIs.

This article evaluates the structural changes that have taken place in the Norwegian bus industry after competitive tendering was introduced in 1994 in order to show that this procurement mechanism implies more than just efficiency gains. In a long-term view the many takeovers and increasing ownership links among the transport companies may weaken the competitive element of tendering and lead to an unwanted market situation with only a limited number of suppliers. To maintain market competition, the transport authorities should differentiate their procurement strategy and use competitive tendering together with other public procurement approaches.2

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The article first reviews the charge scheme used to finance the airport infrastructure in Norway. Then an econometric approach is taken using empirical data for production and costs from 2007 to 2009 in order to derive long-run marginal costs for passengers and air traffic movements at Norwegian airports using panel data analysis. The marginal costs are then applied as the basis for a revised airport charge scheme designed to meet the principle of maximizing social benefits. The results suggest that there should be a shift towards a relatively higher charge for passengers compared to air traffic movements.

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