Effectiveness of customer social participation for academic purposes: a case of informal WhatsApp groups

Abstract

PurposeCustomer social participation (CSP) is a new phenomenon that has emerged with the evolution of social media. Current literature designates customer participation in social media as “CSP”. Although CSP has been investigated in the online brand community context in social media, it has been little investigated in the context of student customers using WhatsApp – a highly trending social media platform among learners. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of CSP in informal WhatsApp groups for academic purposes among undergraduate students of management studies.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a single cross-sectional survey design. A structured online questionnaire was employed. Using convenience sampling technique, data were collected from 170 undergraduates of the Bachelor of Management Studies programme at the Open University of Sri Lanka.FindingsThe results revealed significant positive effects of functional, social and hedonic benefits with CSP. Meanwhile, the relationship between psychological benefits and CSP was insignificant. Furthermore, there is no influence of age and level of study on CSP among the learners in informal WhatsApp groups. Moreover, at present, the level of CSP in WhatsApp for academic purposes among students is moderate.Originality/valueThe role of the student as the customer and student behaviour in informal WhatsApp groups established for academic purposes have been little investigated in the field of open and distance education services. In this context, this study empirically validated the model of participation benefits and CSP in WhatsApp groups informally established for academic purposes.

WhatsApp groups: The nexus between retention, reciprocity, and user satisfaction

“…This method assumes that individuals with particular experiences or backgrounds offer valuable and various perceptions on the research topic (Campbell et al, 2020). Therefore, this study employs purposive sampling, selecting final-year students who are active on WhatsApp, a popular social media platform among students as noted by Lakmali et al (2021), to investigate the understudied topic of how reciprocity and satisfaction can lead to student retention in higher learning institutions.…”

“…Embracing a reciprocal approach to information sharing is likely to encourage sustained retention, given availability of a ubiquitous messaging platform such as WhatsApp. The use of informal WhatsApp groups for academic purposes is relatively understudied (Lakmali et al, 2021). Based on elaborations made above, the present study serves to answer the following questions:…”

Customer Education in Omnichannel Marketing – A Systematic Literature Review

“…Customer Social Participation is present in online communities through informal channel usage (for example, in communicators like WhatsApp). It provides clients with functional, social and hedonistic benefits [Lakmali et al, 2021]. Mobile applications might enhance the experiences with product consumption and have great informative potential [Doyle et al, 2005].…”

A Review on Current Trends and Applications of Social Media Research in Sri Lanka

“…Despite the availability of a supplementary learner management system (LMS) for all courses, educators in higher education may choose to conduct audio-visual sessions via WhatsApp following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, [33] claims that for developing countries like Sri Lanka, the fast transition to digital instruction may have a negative impact on many learners from disadvantaged groups due to Internet inaccessibility and unaffordable technology. It is thus advisable to discover students' priorities, problems, interests, and learning preferences before implementing unplanned and rushed teaching methods.…”

“…It is thus advisable to discover students' priorities, problems, interests, and learning preferences before implementing unplanned and rushed teaching methods. A survey was conducted by [33] to explore the current degree of perceived engagement benefits among learners in informal academic WhatsApp groups. In a marketing sense, they examine the presence of customer social involvement among learners on WhatsApp groups established for academic reasons, viewing higher education as a service and students as customers receiving that service.…”