Exploring The Role of Organizational Culture in University Students’ Quality of Life: A Case from Private Higher Education

Students’ quality of life (QoL) is shaped by individual and environmental factors, which are important for promoting engagement and academic achievement. In higher education, organizational culture is a key environmental factor that may influence students’ well-being. This study examined the role of university culture in undergraduate students’ QoL. Participants were 617 students from three foundation universities in Ankara. QoL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), while university culture types were identified with the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). Ordinal regression analyses were conducted to examine the effects of university culture types on QoL domains, controlling for demographic variables. Results showed that innovative team culture significantly predicted the physical health and social relationship domains of QoL. These findings suggest that university culture may contribute to students’ QoL and highlight the need for further research on organizational culture as a factor shaping student well-being.