International Review of Management and
Marketing
ISSN: 2146-4405
available at http: www.econjournals.com
International Review of Management and Marketing, 2016, 6(S4) 168-175.
Special Issue for “Asia International Conference (AIC 2015), 5-6 December 2015, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia”
Cognitive, Affective and Conative Loyalty in Higher Education
Marketing: Proposed Model for Emerging Destinations
Ndanusa Mohammed Manzuma-Ndaaba1*, Yoshifumi Harada2, Abd Rahim Romle3,
Abdul Shukor Shamsudin4
School of Business Innovation and Technoprenuership, University Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia, 2School of Business Innovation
and Technoprenuership, University Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia, 3College of Law, Government and International Studies,
Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia, 4School of Business Management, COB, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia.
*Email: [email protected]
1
ABSTRACT
This study propose a synergy of behavioral relationships in line with researchers observation that application of marketing theories in education services
needs more strategic exploration. The cognitive behavior which is rational, the affective behavior which is often irrational and the action behavior
that increases business performances through enhanced profits and reductions in marketing communications cost is the perspective of this conceptual
study. These linkages will not only increase the influx of international students to a study destination but will also raise switching barrier and make the
preferred destination unique in a competitive international education environment. The proposal is to make emerging education destination countries to
gain competitive advantages through identification and differentiation of unique services for continuous survival. The model is based on relationship
marketing targeted at steady and long term contractual involvement build on satisfaction and commitment.
Keywords: Cognitive, Affective, Conative, Relationship Marketing, Emerging Destinations
JEL Classifications: M10, J10
1. INTRODUCTION
The increase in demand for educational services across
international boundaries particularly higher education (HE)
opened investment windows for developing countries to diversify
their revenue base through international education programs
(Altbach and Knight, 2007). The programs include all the three
waves proposed by Mazzarol et al. (2003) such as the traditional
wave called consumption abroad, transnational education
(offshore services) and the open learning system (online mode).
The focus of most destinations is on the first and second mode
for obvious economic reasons. Attracting students to a particular
country comes with economy of scale aside the main objectives
(Mazzarol et al., 2003). This has multiplier effects on the other
sectors of the country economy. Thus, international education is
being promoted as country’s economic policy rather than social
service. The implication is that market orientations approaches
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will be pursue in order to earn return on education investments
(Thomas, 2011).
However, the concept of consumerist in HE should be in
relationship marketing rather than transactional marketing
(Abdol Latif and Bahroom, 2014). Though, students are liken to
customers but the nature of education services particularly length
of consumption suggest building a relationship instead of “buy
and pay” approach (Elliot, 2003; Brookes, 2003). This concept of
relationship marketing has significance for the HE sector since a
strong student-university relationship may reduce the likelihood of
student dropping out and increase students’ commitment towards
completion of their study (Abdol Latif and Bahroom, 2014). In
addition, these students who are highly committed to pursuing their
program at a destination may ultimately become representatives
and ambassadors of such country upon graduation and subsequent
employment by way of speaking well and recommending the
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Manzuma-Ndaaba, et al.: Cognitive, Affective and Conative Loyalty in Higher Education Marketing: Proposed Model for Emerging Destinations
destination to potential students (Thomas, 2011). Just like in all
service industries, retention of students is cheaper than recruiting
fresh students and retention have been proven to increase
organization’s performance, growth and profitability in many folds
(Reichheld, 1996). Hence, relationship marketing principles of
customer loyalty can be applied as retention theory in international
education destination market.
The economic gain derived from international education is
expanding the market as new destinations emerged (Mazzarol
and Soutar, 2012). The traditional destinations like USA, UK,
Australia, Canada, France and Germany made huge economic
and social fortunes from the market (Arambewela and Hall,
2009). This prompted the hitherto source countries to expand
their education facilities, created enabling environment for private
sector investment in education and amended necessary laws to
allowed foreign establishment of HE institutions in the country
(Baharun et al., 2011). The world major source countries for
international education are in Asia with China and India taking
the lead (UNESCO, 2013). These source countries have since
changed their pattern of consumption and movement by way of
encouraging their citizens to study at home in local institutions or
foreign campuses located in their country or exploring neighboring
countries for their consumption abroad (Hendarman, 2013).
The effect of the new pattern is reduction on the market shares
of established destinations and intensive competition among
emerging destinations.
To mitigate these challenges, emerging destination must
understand the cognitive variables (service quality, value, price),
the affective variables (satisfaction, trust, commitment) and
the conative variables (loyalty, WOM, complaint behaviors) of
different cultures. This study explores students’ perceptions of the
relationship that they enter into when they set foot in a destination
and the effect that this has on the development of student loyalty to
that country. Against this background, the present study proposed
three factors, namely: Service quality, satisfaction and commitment
and examines how they relate to international student’s loyalty. The
focus of this study is on emerging destinations where competition
is stiff thereby making it difficult to attain the destination’s set
targets of international students’ recruitment.
There appear to be paradigm shift from the emphasis on 7Ps
of marketing theory to relationship marketing across service
industries (Vargo and Lusch, 2004). Generally, relationships exist
along two extremes: Transactional which is viewed as one-time
single shot and long-term business and social interactions (Li and
Petrick, 2008). The former is usually used in products market while
the latter is common in services market. The nature of education
market that span over a period of time and high involvement
decision making process support building a long time relationship
that can guaranty continuous study, re-enrolment, recommendation
and positive word of mouth (Grönroos, 2000). The benefits of long
term student-destination relationship cannot be over emphasized.
These include protecting the customer base of the destination
through identification and differentiation of services and creating
barrier to switching while improving performances (Reichheld
and Sasser, 1990). It also has potentials to reduce risk, increased
recognition, and imparting prestige (Richard and Zhang, 2012).
The unique benefits of relationship marketing in service industry
including education services are: Improved understanding of
customer requirements, gaining the ability to customize and tailor
solutions; reducing choice, thereby simplifying the buying task;
reducing information processing; lowering risk; and maintaining
psychological and cognitive comfort and consistency (Richard and
Zhang, 2012). Therefore, destinations that succeeded in building
strong and positive relationship with their student stands to gain
competitive advantage in form of continuing patronage of loyal
students who display decreased price sensitivity over time with a
concomitant decrease in marketing costs, reduced overall costs,
and partnership actions on the part of those students to the benefits
of the destination (Reichheld, 1996).
The primary objective of this study is to propose a relationship
model for emerging destination countries participating in
international education services. The aim is to establish a path
model linking service quality, satisfaction and commitment to
student loyalty. The conceptualization of the model in this study
would also demonstrate how a relationship marketing approach
can be successfully applied in the context of education destination
branding. Using this approach, destinations can come up with some
appropriate interventions which will improve the management of
student loyalty to the country so as to retain them until completion
and to entice them back for a higher professional degree and spread
positive words of mouth about the destination.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The development of relationship quality-based student loyalty
model was pioneer by Henning-Thurau (2001). In their research,
they identify service quality in terms of teaching and other
academic engagements, trust on the staffs (academic and nonacademic) saddled with responsibility of executing the services
and students’ commitment to the institution. Their study was based
on empirical data from a survey of postgraduate students’ dropout
from several German universities. Their findings confirmed strong
relationship between service quality in academics, emotional
commitment by the student to pursue their program and their
loyalty behavior. Trust has no effect on the students’ loyalty
(Henning-Thurau et al., 2001).
Dick and Basu (1994) research on dimensions of loyalty suggest
satisfaction as an antecedent to loyalty. Fornell et al. (1996)
American customer satisfaction index also established loyalty as
consequence of satisfaction. Therefore, student’s satisfaction is a
precursor to student’s loyalty in international education destination
market (Fares et al., 2013).
Based on relationship marketing perspective, Helgesen and Nesset
(2007) found reputation and image as a significant determinant
of student loyalty to their study destination. Image of a service
provider played dual role in shaping student’s perception. It is a
pre-consumption factor and a post-consumption factor in loyalty
determinant. The authors also found service quality, sources of
information and facilities provided to significantly influence
student’s satisfaction. The focus of this study is on the link between
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service quality, satisfaction and loyalty in highly competitive
market within emerging countries.
In another study conducted on a sample of active students and
dropouts in a distance learning institution, five major factors
was found to have an impact on student loyalty (Ng, 2010). The
five factors were satisfaction, goal commitment, family support,
study habits and number of semesters attended. The study was
based on data from a distance learning center in an emerging
education destination. To attain loyalty of students, both attitudinal
and behavioral aspects must be triggered. Oliver (1999) viewed
loyalty as multidimensional, yet the frequently operationalized
dimension in literatures is combination of both behavior and
attitude otherwise called composite loyalty.
Similarly, Abdo Latif and Bahroom (2014) investigated loyalty
behavior of students at a private open distance learning in
Malaysia using relationship marketing approach. After analyzing
2300 students data from different study center of the open distance
learning, the hierarchical regression show emotional commitment
to be higher, followed by service quality and trust has minimal
impact on loyalty. The study recommended a three-step loyalty
implementation program approach: Commitment programs,
improved services and building trust between the students and
university staffs (Abdol Latif and Bahroom, 2014).
2.1. Dimensions of Student’s Loyalty
Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka (2006) confirmed that researches on
marketing education need more exploration. Applying behavioral
decision making model in international education marketing
needs some strategic approach in view of the nature of education
services. The peculiar being time spent in its consumption. The
time lag gives room for systematic building of relationship and
emotional attachments with the right skills and facilities in place
(Henning-Thurau et al., 2001).
Oliver (1997; 1999) definition of customer loyalty is the most
comprehensive used by marketing researchers to operationalize
the construct. According to the famous researcher “Customer
loyalty is a deeply held commitment to rebuy or re-patronize a
preferred product or service consistently in the future, despite
situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential
to cause switching behavior.” Thus, loyalty includes readiness to
act (repurchase) and resistance over existing alternatives (Keni
et al., 2013). An attempt to differentiate loyalty and retention
throw up academic controversy in marketing parlance. Johnson and
Gustafsson (2000) explained that loyalty is a customer’s intention
or predisposition to buy, while retention is the behavior itself.
However, Oliver (1999) insisted that a truly loyal customer must be
both attitudinal and behaviorally loyal. The dimensions of loyalty
are grouped into traditional (behavioral, attitudinal and composite)
and multi-dimensional (cognitive, affective and conative).
2.2. Behavioral Dimension
Most of the early marketing researchers emphasized behavioral
loyalty which is expressed by the frequency of purchase, volume
of purchase, repeat purchase and consistency (Jacoby and
Chestnut, 1978). In international education market, this behavior
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will be represented by measuring the outcome characteristics
of students such as number of enrolment, percentage share of
completion/drop out, volume of re-enrolment, market share of the
destination/institution compared to alternatives, and the probability
of purchase (Richard and Zhang, 2012). This is quantifiable and
verifiable unlike intention that is attitudinal which has to be
measure through other means, however, the two goes together in
relationship marketing.
2.3. Attitudinal Dimension
Day (1969) suggest that there is more to loyalty than just
behavior, considering what went on in customer’s mind before
making a decision which he referred to as attitude. This includes
brand preference and disposition towards the brand from the
psychological commitment resulting in lower sensitivity to price
(Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001). What goes on in consumer’s
mind determine the attitude and disposition towards the service
such as beliefs, feelings and intentions. In relation to international
education services, attitudinal loyalty will be expressed by positive
words of mouth and recommending the country/institution to
potential students (Oliver, 1999).
2.4. Composite Dimension
The mixture of both attributes of behavior and attitudes as
expressed by consumer’s focused on brand preference (attitudes)
and share of the market (behavior) is called composite loyalty.
Much of marketing researchers operationalized loyalty from this
perception. Dick and Basu (1994) define composite loyalty to
reflect (6) necessary and sufficient conditions as follows: The
biased (non-random); behavioral response (purchase); express
over time (frequency and consistency); by some decision making
unit; with respect to other alternatives brand; and a function of
psychological process. In the concept of international education,
destination countries or institutions prefer composite loyalty.
Students will enroll and will recommend and speak well of
the destination if all other conditions are met (Chaudhuri and
Holbrook, 2001).
2.5. Cognitive Dimension
Cognitive loyalty is another aspect of loyalty identified in more
recent years, which viewed loyalty as a higher level dimension
and involves the consumer’s conscious decision making process
in the evaluation of alternative brands before a purchase is
made (Caruana, 2002). Oliver (1997) building on the work of
Gremler and Brown (1996) emphasized the value (price, time,
energy, gain, loss, benefits) aspect of purchase decision in form
of cognitive. Thus, customers are loyal to the extent of cognitive
appraisal of their decision. Students are conscious of their expenses
and the value of their purchases. They will exhibit cognitive loyalty
to a destination after critically examining all available alternatives
and then make decision rationally.
2.6. Affective Dimension
Affective dimension is the emotional bonds which make customers
behave irrationally. In this case, cost is not the main consideration
but commitment and attachment to the brand supersede other
considerations (Oliver, 1999). This follow the two fold loyalty
proposed (spurious and true) by Bloemer and Kasper (1995).
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Manzuma-Ndaaba, et al.: Cognitive, Affective and Conative Loyalty in Higher Education Marketing: Proposed Model for Emerging Destinations
According to the researchers, spurious loyalty is due to inertial
effect while true loyalty is the emotional commitment represented
by repeat purchase irrespective of attractive offer from the rivals.
International destinations hunt this level of loyalty because of
its multiple advantages to the students and also the destination.
Before a student demonstrates this level of loyalty, issues of service
quality, satisfaction and image perception will be at the peak (Wei
and Wonglorsaichon, 2014).
2.7. Conative Dimension
This is the last of series of loyalty dimension proposed by Oliver
(1999) in multi-dimension and modern loyalty model. Oliver
(1999) concluded that, to detect conative loyalty, researchers
need to assess consumer beliefs, feelings, and intention within the
traditional consumer attitude structure. The behavioral intention
used to measure behavior in the theory of planned behavior is
effective at this level of loyalty dimension. Intention lead to
behavior if accurately measured (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980).
However, researchers have argued against situations where
intentions never lead to behavior (Oliver, 1999). In education
market, students intention is difficult to measure due to unstable
circumstances, however, intention to recommend, intention to reenroll, WOM intention and intention to continue study has been
investigated (Jiewanto et al., 2012; Wei and Wonglorsaichon, 2014;
Manzuma-Ndaaba et al., 2014). The findings of these researchers
suggest strong and positive relationship between intention and
actual behavior in international education market.
2.8. Service Quality
Service quality is the base line for all service industries, the
survival of service providers depend on the perception of quality
from the client (Zeithaml et al., 1988). However, the judgment is
not industry base but rather customer’s perception. If the service
provider implement its service quality programs from the angle
of the organization, there is likelihood of consumer’s different
perception about it. Therefore, service industries are encouraged to
gauge customer’s perception of service quality issues concurrently
with the implementation (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Educational
services are regarded as pure service industries having satisfied
the core phenomenon of intangibility, homogeneity, perishability
and inseparability (Zeithaml et al., 1988). In addition, researchers
empirically established strong and positive link between service
quality and customer loyalty across different service industries
including HE (Boulding et al., 1993; Sheu, 2011).
There appeared to be a consensus among marketing researchers
on the issue of service quality as multidimensional variable but
hold divergent views on the actual numbers of dimensions (Cronin
and Taylor, 1994). Thus, Qureshi et al. (2012) proposed that the
number of dimensions of service quality is a function of the
particular industry, service type and characteristics. This implies
that different industries will have different dimensions or in some
cases, same industries could have different dimensions depending
on the type of investigation being conducted (Kim and Bang,
2015). The core service and periphery service approach used in
service sectors like restaurants, hotels, and other quick services
were applied to education (Abdullah, 2006). Three dimensions
of core, auxiliary and affiliated services used in grocery stores,
saloons, and similar service were experimented in education
(Firdaus, 2006). The SERVQUAL multi-dimensions proposed
and empirically validated by Parasuraman et al. (1985; 1988)
have also being applied to educational services (Hanaysha et al.,
2011; Biodun et al., 2012). Specifically educational service quality
dimension model was developed by some researchers (Abdullah,
2006; Firdaus, 2006), however, the aspect of educational services
varies from country to country and the importance attached to
each dimension also varies by culture (Arambewela and Hall,
2009). Therefore, it is difficult to adopt universal dimensions for
educational services across board.
All these existing studies have presented a wide range of factors
determining the quality of educational service. But there is lack
of integration and classification systematically and in a concise
way. This paper presents a conceptual framework for classifying
various determinants into three hierarchical categories, and
examines the categories’ influences on a student’s loyalty
to purchase international education service. The proposed
hierarchical dimensions are core services, augmented services
and tangible services (Kim and Bang, 2015). The core services
which form the innermost circle is the new knowledge gained,
degree conferred, certificate earned and other academic related
achievements. The second in the hierarchy is augmented services
which covered how the core services are delivered. These include:
Courtesy of lecturers, responsiveness, reliability, sincerity, and
brand awareness. The outermost services are the tangibles like
structures and architectural designs in the school, library facilities,
technology, learning facilities, laboratories, and other physical
assets of the institution.
The proposed three continuum level is to narrow down the
dimensions in education services thereby limiting some overlapping
in the SERVQUAL, HEdPERF, SERVPERF dimensions. The aim
is to integrate these dimensions viewed as cognitive with affective
variables such as satisfaction and commitment and relate it with
the conative dimension like favorable behavior or loyalty. The
study does not represent a new paradigm shift in service quality
dimensions studies because the three hierarchical service quality
have been used in medical services by previous authors but was
not integrated with other variables to determine loyalty (Kim and
Bang, 2015). This study different in approach with the integrative
proposal and contribute to knowledge in the area of education
marketing strategy.
2.9. Student’s Satisfaction
Satisfaction is an affect issue where consumer expressed
his/her feelings after consumption in relation to expected norm
or standards. Marketing researchers established confirmation/
disconfirmation based on consumer’s judgment of what is expected
and what was actually served at the point of consumption (Tse
and Wilton, 1988). Since service is measured by perception,
consumers developed a prior consumption expectation which
form the basis for comparison after the service is consumed.
This is the benchmark for students’ expectation before moving
into host destination. On arrival and registered as student at a
particular institution, students begin to compare both micro and
macroeconomic indexes of the country to draw a discrepancies
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between what they met on ground and what they expect. If what
they met supersede what they expect, students become delighted,
if equal they are satisfied but if less, they complain and expressed
dissatisfaction (Kotler and Keller, 2006).
Satisfaction is one of the frequently studied variables of consumer
behavior. Extant literatures have found satisfied customers to exhibit
favorable behavior and by extension loyal to the product or service
(Caruana, 2002; Chumpitaz and Paparoidamis, 2004; Smith and
Wright, 2004; Zins, 2001). This implies that satisfaction is positively
related to customer loyalty. Schultz and Bailey (2000) contend that
customer satisfaction is a good way of developing and measuring
customer loyalty because a satisfied customer tends to remain more
loyal to the brand or the product than an unsatisfied customer; and
in the short term, marketers can measure various forms of customer
behavior, such as customer consistency (i.e. the number of times a
customer buys in a certain time period) and longevity (i.e. the time
period over which a customer buys the particular product or brand).
The use of marketing theories in education opened up research
windows in the areas of applicability of some marketing models
in HE services (Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka, 2006). There are
lots of studies in student’s satisfaction with the country (Biodun
et al., 2012), institution (Hanaysha et al., 2011), course/program of
study (Jalali et al., 2011), lecturers (Sheu, 2011), facilities (Esmon
and Haron, 2013), accommodation/hostel facilities (Sawyerr and
Yusof, 2013). All of these studies empirically validate positive
relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Interestingly,
most of the studies also analyzed relationship between cognitive
variable like service quality and satisfaction. The results indicated
linear relationship between service quality of education and noneducational services with student’s satisfaction (Jalali et al., 2011;
Sawyerr and Yusof, 2013; Esmon and Haron, 2013). Therefore, this
study conceptualized positive relationship between service quality,
satisfaction and students’ loyalty. However, a number of authors
argue that mere satisfaction is not enough to keep customers loyal
(Reichheld, 1996), other mechanisms also need to be considered
(Oliver, 1999). One such mechanism is commitment; the future
of buyer-seller relationships depends on the commitment made by
the partners to the relationship (Morgan and Hunt, 1994).
2.10. Student’s Commitment
Morgan and Hunt (1994) argued that to sustain a relationship,
issues of trust and commitment must be entrenched. If the parties
are in doubt and less confident about the delivery of either partner,
the relationship will not dwell. A comprehensive definition of
commitment in a relationship was given by Bowen and Shoemaker
(1998). According to the authors, commitment is “the belief that an
ongoing relationship is so important that the partners are willing
to work at maintaining the relationship and are willing to make
short-term sacrifices to realize long-term benefits”. Short-term
sacrifices could be monetary or non-monetary, and the long-term
benefits would be future business with customers and positive word
of mouth by customers. This definition covered the requirement for
a customer to be loyal to a provider and advanced loyalty driver
beyond satisfaction. It follows that even if customer is satisfied,
he/her needs high level of commitment to sustain the relationship
and drive loyalty (McAlexander et al., 2003).
172
In international education market, commitment is either way,
the country/institution commitment to the goal of recruiting
international students by providing unique services that will
make the destination have competitive advantage over other
competitors. However, students need to develop and pursue their
commitment to the goal of the study. Goal commitment in the
part of the students triggers the desire to achieve and consistency
in the program (Thomas, 2011). To remain loyal to destination,
students must exhibit some levels of commitment to the program,
institution and the country. Therefore, exploring affective variable
particularly the various dimensions of commitment to determine
the extent of influence on conative variable (loyalty) will open up
research direction in theory and practice of international education
marketing.
Interestingly, commitment is multi-dimensional existing in
organization to influence loyalty in B2B or B2C service settings
(Fullerton, 2003; Gounaris, 2005; Tellefsena and Thomas,
2005). But studies revealed the significant of two dimensions
in service sectors (Johnson et al., 2001). These are: Affective
commitment and calculative or continuance commitment. Both
types have been found to be relatively stable attitudes and beliefs
about the relationship, but stem from different motivations.
Affective commitment on one hand is non-instrumental and
is motivated by a generalized sense of positive regard for, and
attachment to, the brand or supplier, and the desire to continue
the relationship because he or she likes the brand or supplier and
enjoys the relationship (Richard and Zhang, 2012). Thus, affective
commitment serves as a psychological or emotional barrier to
switching which in turn keep customers loyal (Johnson et al.,
2001). In the other hand, calculative commitment is instrumental,
based on more rational and economical aspects of the relationship
(Johnson et al., 2001). It results from a calculation of costs and
benefits, which is detached from the context of the relationship
itself (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Calculative commitment stems
from an anticipation of high termination or switching costs
associated with leaving the relationship, forcing the customer to
remain loyal due to economic considerations (Gounaris, 2005;
Fullerton, 2003).
Both affective and calculative commitments have been found to
mediate the effect of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty
(Johnson et al., 2001). The importance of calculative commitment
is more felt in the B2B environment as a measure of churn within
highly competitive services (Gounaris, 2005). It is cognitive in
nature since it involved cost-benefits analysis before making a
decision. Affective commitment in contrast is bonded by love and
affection with little or no regard for cost or benefit. In this situation,
students will be irrational when displaying affective commitment
and rational when demonstrating calculative commitment (Richard
and Zhang, 2012). This study adopts the affective commitment
relationship to loyalty.
The relationship between service quality, satisfaction, and
commitment remains controversial in terms of the impact of
service quality directly on customer loyalty versus the impact of
service quality on customer loyalty through satisfaction. Based
on the literature reviewed and the objectives of this study, this
International Review of Management and Marketing | Vol 6 • Special Issue (S4) • 2016
Manzuma-Ndaaba, et al.: Cognitive, Affective and Conative Loyalty in Higher Education Marketing: Proposed Model for Emerging Destinations
research focuses on clarifying the relationships between service
quality (core, augmented and tangible services), students’
satisfaction, commitment (affective), and students’ loyalty within
the international education market, and destination brands in
particular.
relationship with loyalty (Abdullah, 2006; Firdaus, 2006; Sheu,
2011; Thomas, 2011). Thus, the next hypothesis is:
3. CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND
HYPOTHESES
Commitment is not a frequently studied variable in marketing,
yet its influence on consumer behavior cannot be wish away
easily with wave of hands. This is because it has the potential to
strengthen a relationship and make it endure for the benefits of the
parties involved (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). Previous studies have
established positive and direct relationship between commitment
and loyalty in business to customer relations (Gounaris, 2005;
Tellefsena and Thomas, 2005). Therefore, the last hypothesis is:
3.1. Hypotheses for the Study
The research model utilized in this study is illustrated in Figure 1.
Service quality is expected to play an important role in both
attracting and retaining international students to study destination
(Hanaysha et al., 2011; Biodun et al., 2012). Kim and Bang (2015)
argued further that all the three dimensions of service quality
(core, augmented and tangible) should affect behavioral intentions
such as loyalty. International students perceived service quality
is observed to have a positive and direct effect on the student’s
loyalty (Richard and Zhang, 2012). Thus, the first hypothesis is:
H1: Service quality is directly and positively related to students’
loyalty to study destination.
However, extent literature suggests that the effect of service
quality on student’s loyalty is mediated by two affective variables
of satisfaction and commitment (Jalali et al., 2011; Sawyerr and
Yusof, 2013; Gounaris, 2005; Fullerton, 2003). Therefore, the
second and third hypotheses are:
H2: Service quality will have an indirect effect on student’s loyalty
through student’s satisfaction.
H3: Commitment mediate the relationship between service quality
and student’s loyalty.
Customer’s satisfaction is desirable for all aspects of service
encountered and lead to loyalty in service industries (Zeithaml
et al., 1996) however; the weight or magnitude of the influence is
higher through commitment (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). Therefore,
the fourth hypothesis is:
H4: Satisfaction indirectly influence student’s loyalty through
commitment.
Satisfaction of students is the singular target of education service
providers because of its multiplier effects on the behavior of
students. The researches on students’ satisfaction found direct
Figure 1: Research model
H5: Student’s satisfaction has direct relationship with students’
loyalty.
H6: Commitment is directly related to students’ loyalty.
4. CONCLUSION
The traditional and multi-dimension attributes of loyalty found
in marketing theories can be applied to international education
destination brand marketing having satisfied all the criteria for
services as propounded by Zeithaml et al. (1988). Interestingly, the
drivers of loyalty in this study also follow the structure of loyalty
dimensions (cognitive, affective and conative). The proposed path
model in the research framework and hypotheses can be further
investigated empirically to establish how the model fit and the
weight or direction of the relationships. This study inculcates
the hierarchy of service quality as strategic marketing design in
the field of international education destination loyalty model.
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