Clients' Satisfaction with Monopolistic Services and Commitment to the Organization: A University Context

Thomas, James L.; Cunningham, Brent

doi:10.1080/08841240903463410

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…As a result of these challenges, there has been an increasing focus in the last decade on the benefits of adopting a marketing orientation in the higher education sector (Helgesen, 2008;Marsfield & Warwick, 2006;Thomas & Cunningham, 2009). A marketing orientation can assist with both attraction and retention of students since an understanding of students' choice processes enables institutions to provide them with a high quality tertiary experience (Thomas & Cunningham, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Sex doesn't matter: the role of gender in the formation of student-university relationships

Bowden

Wood

2011

Journal of Marketing for Higher Education

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As competition intensifies, higher education providers are facing ever more complex challenges in attracting and retaining students. These new marketing challenges have necessitated a need to more comprehensively understand the factors that lead to positive perceptions of the institutions services, as well as positive referral of the brand. This research focuses on students' perceptions of the importance of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in the development of student loyalty. In particular this research examines whether or not these antecedents differ for male versus female students. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted using a sample of 447 students. Despite literature which characterises males as task oriented, and females as relationship oriented, gender did not influence the salience of the antecedents to loyalty. These results show that first and foremost both gender groups seek to form affective and emotional bonds with their institution and hence a sense of psychological closeness to it. Student satisfaction was found to be the second most important driver of loyalty across both genders. Conclusions, implications and opportunities for future research are presented. From a managerial perspective, it is expected that uncovering the importance of key relationship marketing constructs between genders will enable higher education institutions to develop more targeted relationship marketing programs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Sex doesn't matter: the role of gender in the formation of student-university relationships

Bowden

Wood

2011

Journal of Marketing for Higher Education

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“…The service exchange is therefore dyadic, and two-way. A marketing perspective therefore recognises that understanding client perceptions and their service evaluation processes are essential to ensuring retention and loyalty (Thomas & Cunningham, 2009;Ledden, Kalafatis & Samouel, 2007).…”

Section: Adopting a Customer Orientation In The Higher Education Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This developmental experience is achieved inside and outside the classroom, as well as between educators and students, and between members of the student body itself. Understanding the tertiary student experience and delivering an exceptional educational service therefore requires the adoption of a student-centred framework (Thomas & Cunningham, 2009). A marketing orientation can assist with this approach since an understanding of students' evaluation processes enables institutions to develop a high quality tertiary experience to meet students' needs (Thomas & Cunningham, 2009;Marsfield & Warwick, 2006;Helgesen, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-creating Value in Higher Education: The Role of Interactive Classroom Response Technologies

Bowden¹,

D’Alessandro²

2011

ASS

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As competition intensifies, it is essential that higher education providers endeavour to develop and offer high quality, satisfaction-creating service experiences. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to positive perceptions of the institutions services. Current perspectives suggest that the student should be engaged as an active co-producer of the university experience. Interactive classroom technologies may enhance the student experience by encouraging participation. This study examines whether student perceived value, namely social or functional value, satisfaction, and loyalty differs for students participating in a personal response technology enabled classroom experience, versus a more traditional classroom experience. A partial least squares approach was adopted using a sample of 184 students. The use of personal response technology was not found to be positively related to the student experience. In the current context, it appeared to break classroom social patterns resulting in an individualistic, disengaging educational experience. Interestingly, in the traditional, non-technology condition social interaction was enhanced and social value strongly determined students' perceptions of loyalty. These results suggest that it is the pedagogy, and not the technology that matters in higher education provision. Conclusions, implications and opportunities for future research are presented.

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“…In order to respond to these challenges, higher education institutions have shown an increasing interest in the adoption of a marketing orientation within the sector (Thomas & Cunningham 2009;Mansfield & Warwick 2006;Helgesen 2008). By adopting a marketing orientation, higher education providers can increase their international presence, and enhance their profile (Ramachandran 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Appealing Connection–The Role of Relationship Marketing in the Attraction and Retention of Students in an Australian Tertiary Context

Moore¹,

Bowden²

2012

ASS

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The higher education sector is increasingly facing competition from tertiary providers at both a domestic and international level. This has led to a range of ever more complex challenges with regard to the attraction, maintenance and retention of the student base. There is an important need therefore to understand the factors which contribute to positive perceptions of tertiary services and the way in which these affect the student experience and drive student retention. The improvement of retention rates through the formation of meaningful and long-term relationships with students is subsequently of high importance. This research explores students' perceptions of the relationship that they enter into with their chosen tertiary institution and the effect that this has on the development of student loyalty. In particular this research examines the salience of relationship appeal, satisfaction, affective commitment and trust on student loyalty. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted using a sample of 426 first year undergraduate students of a large Australian metropolitan university. Importantly, next to satisfaction, relationship appeal was found to be the second strongest determinant of student loyalty. This was then followed by affective commitment. Interestingly trust did not influence relationship development. Conclusions, implications and opportunities for future research are presented. From a managerial perspective, it is expected that uncovering first year students' perceptions of the student-institution relationship will enable higher education institutions to develop more targeted relationship marketing programs and increase student retention.

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Clients' Satisfaction with Monopolistic Services and Commitment to the Organization: A University Context

Cited by 9 publications

References 34 publications

Sex doesn't matter: the role of gender in the formation of student-university relationships

Sex doesn't matter: the role of gender in the formation of student-university relationships

Co-creating Value in Higher Education: The Role of Interactive Classroom Response Technologies

An Appealing Connection–The Role of Relationship Marketing in the Attraction and Retention of Students in an Australian Tertiary Context

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