Creating customer loyalty through global engagement: the role of university social responsibility

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine how university social responsibility (USR) global engagement is influenced, and its impact on service quality and “customer” loyalty. There are four determinants of USR global engagement which are responsible education programs, knowledge management, organizational management and social engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a structured questionnaire survey conducted in five universities in Vietnam. The dataset consists of 446 valid responses by Vietnamese students. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the proposed relationships. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is conducted to verify the reliability and validity of each latent construct, and to evaluate the discriminant validity, convergent validity, composition reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) for the latent constructs.FindingsThis study finds statistically significant and positive effects of responsible education programs, knowledge management, organizational management and social engagement on USR global engagement. The results also reveal the interrelationships among USR global engagement, service quality and loyalty.Practical implicationsFirstly, universities need to facilitate the involvement of all their stakeholders when they adopt USR engagement with the world. Second, universities should seek funders in society, or funders from the trade agreement between their countries and foreign ones to invest in research projects. Third, with the IT development, universities have to explore technological innovation in their teaching and training. Fourth, universities have to reform their mission and strategy to implement USR global engagement as a central pillar.Originality/valueThis study has some contributions to the scarce literature on USR. This study highlights that universities in developing countries like Vietnam need to make a large effort to enhance their teaching and training systems in order to meet the global education standard. The second highlight lies in developing research projects on discovery, methodologies, interpretation and orientation. Further, universities need to address the requirement for more internal communication with students and more external communication with society. Finally, this study found that USR global engagement make customers (students, students' families, businesses, and other stakeholders) trust and become loyal to universities.

Prioritizing personality diversity: a commitment and performance based perspective

“…As per this method, the square root value of AVE for each construct should be greater than the intercorrelations for all the pairs (Garg and Anand, 2020; Anand and Mishra, 2021). As the square root of AVE for each construct was greater than the inter-correlations for all the pairs, discriminant validity is not an issue (Khanh and Nguyen, 2022; Garg and Anand, 2020; see Table 1).…”

University social responsibility: the present and future trends based on bibliometric analysis

“…Society and supply chain have a significant impact, whereas geographical area and school size have no influence. Nguyen Thi Khanh and Nguyen (2022) discovered that USR engagement is influenced by good organizational management, knowledge management, social engagement and responsible education programs. HEIs should facilitate the involvement of stakeholders in all aspects when adopting USR to increase its engagement with the world.Cluster 2 (green): With seven items, cluster 2 is labeled “ Experiential learning through university social responsibility ”.…”

“…HEIs management and staff can adopt different strategies and become more socially innovative by solving social, economic, environmental, cultural and healthcare challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In enhancing world-class educational programs, HEIs need to develop scientific and technological innovations, with substantial human development and the creation of new knowledge (Nguyen Thi Khanh and Nguyen, 2022). Garg and Anand (2020) suggest that knowledge management is crucial in USR as it develops responsible education programs.…”

“…USR has provided the platform and means for students, academics and administrative employees to learn through experience. Coelho and Menezes (2020) Nguyen Thi Khanh and Nguyen, 2022). Garg and Anand (2020) suggest that knowledge management is crucial in USR as it develops responsible education programs.…”

Servant leadership style and socially responsible leadership in university context: moderation of promoting sense of community

“…Leaders who adopt this style are committed to putting the needs of their followers first and supporting their personal and professional growth. By prioritizing the well-being of their team members, servant leaders create an environment that inspires trust, fosters collaboration, and encourages a sense of ownership (Kyambade et al, 2023a, b;Nguyen Thi Khanh and Nguyen, 2022). This leadership approach not only enhances employee satisfaction and engagement but also cultivates a culture of ethical behavior and social responsibility (Latif et al, 2021).…”