Higher educational institutions are engaged in the provision of services and thus require better focus on satisfying the needs and anticipation of their participating consumers (students). Additionally, it is the delivery of quality services that creates loyal consumers: consumers who patronize the institution more and who stimulate others to patronize. While past researchers have discovered a relationship between service quality and student loyalty in higher educational institutions (HEIs) in developed countries, the peculiar nature of HEIs operating in an emerging country like Nigeria is yet to be examined. Therefore, this study examined the role of quality service, student satisfaction and loyalty in higher education institutions in Nigeria. The study was conducted in a private University in Nigeria because of the stringent competition within the subsector. The descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in this study. A survey of 265 students from the private university provided data for the study through structured questionnaire. Utilizing the structural equation model. The findings revealed a significant association between service quality and student loyalty. However, this relationship is mediated by student satisfaction. Going by the discoveries of the study, it is suggested among others, that the delivery of quality services should be targeted towards satisfying the student as this will help build the loyalty of the student to the institution.

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This article examined the existing body of literature on transaction and relationship marketing. The specific objectives were to develop a conceptual framework to establish the relationship between relationship marketing and customer satisfaction and to examine the components of relationship marketing on the present ever dynamic world of business. The study identified relationship marketing variables and their impact on customer satisfaction. The framework aimed to provide insights into the studies on relationship marketing factors such as trust, commitment, communication, and service quality influence on customer satisfaction. The model provided a basis for empirical studies on the factors of relationship marketing and outcomes of customer satisfaction in developing nations. The study recommends that relationship marketing dimensions such as building customer’s trust, commitment to customers, communication, and service quality should be properly managed and maintained by service providers in Nigeria. This helps in building customer satisfaction and in the long-run customer loyalty.

PurposeDuring the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns, stay at home or work from home, many have argued that the westernised non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) do not provide remedial in low-income countries like Nigeria, where informal job seekers, street traders, informal labourers and artisans depend mainly on the informal economy. By applying social solidarity (SS) and community-based approach (CBA), the authors evaluate individual acts (trust, altruism and reciprocity) during the lockdown and how these practices evolve from individual approaches to collective actions.Design/methodology/approachThis study reflects on pragmatism research paradigm that enables researchers to maintain both subjectivity in their reflections and objectivity in data collection and analysis. The authors adopt a qualitative method through purposeful and convenience sampling procedure. Data were analysed thematically to identify elements of SS, individual acts, collective or community actions and perceptions.FindingsThe findings reveal that COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact (lack of food and a fall in daily income) on workers, informal job seekers, informal businesses operators and the poor households. As such, the study developed a reflective model of solidarity exhibited by individual acts and collective acts (practices of resource pooling, information sharing, women empowerment, distribution of palliatives and donations) within trusted circles that helped people cope with the lockdown experiences.Practical implicationsSolidarity represents beliefs, practices of values and norms. The SS exhibited by people through NPI would have implications on planning and monitoring the effectiveness of public health programmes during a pandemic in the future.Social implicationsThe findings of citizens and community actions have implications related to the process of building communities – coming together – and solidarity that enhances social development with implications on community health policy agenda during disasters, emergencies and health pandemic.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to analyse the relationship between trust, altruism, reciprocity, SS and CBA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it seems reasonable to clarify the concept of SS given the lack of clarity about the definitions from previous studies.

The primary objective of the article was to determine the relationship between customer relationship management and student satisfaction. The study explored the ways in which student satisfaction can be achieved with the use of customer relationship management. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in this research. The following hypotheses were formulated in this study: Student Lifecycle management has a significant impact on the student's willingness to recommend to others, Parent relationship management has a positive impact on the students' willingness to recommend their universities to others. A multiple regression analysis was employed in the hypothesis testing. The research findings showed that student's willingness to recommend to others increases when the student lifecycle in the university is well managed. It was also discovered that strong parent relationship management at the University enhances the student's willingness to recommend their Universities to others. It is therefore recommended that Universities should adopt effective customer relationship management strategies to achieve student satisfaction.