Identifying patterns of alumni commitment in key strategic relationship programmes

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) need to understand their alumni when drawing strategic relationship programmes. This paper aims to identify clusters of alumni based on their commitment relationship and to analyse factors influencing their intention to collaborate with the HEI. The study took place at a Portuguese university, considering a dataset of 1075 of alumni asserting intention to collaborate. First, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify patterns of commitment relationship. Secondly, a logistic regression was run to identify determinants of intention to collaborate. Both techniques revealed the decisive role of HEI commitment in the process. Relationship advantages and positive feelings towards the HEI were also pointed out as important. Alumni asserted recommendations, further training, sharing experiences and giving help as ways to collaborate with HEI. Regression results suggest that sociodemographic variables such as gender, marital status and volunteering are significantly associated with a probability to collaborate. Results also show that affiliation in sororities/fraternities and participation in extracurricular activities are significantly associated with that collaborative intention. The findings provide clues to support strategic relationship programmes based on consistent marketing campaigns, while bringing value to the literature in the European context, where alumni culture requires real insights to evolve.

Fostering Student-Faculty Relationships in Higher Education

“…They should focus on different segments of their student/alumni population (e.g., enrolled students versus alumni, first-year experience versus students' experiences from higher years). In line with recent findings (Pedro et al, 2020a(Pedro et al, , 2020b, as we indicated in Study 4 (Chapter 5), it would be interesting for higher education institutions to examine whether alumni still want to be involved with their alma mater; if so, in what way.…”

“…To improve the formation of bonds with students, higher education policymakers and educational practitioners should strategically focus on relational aspects of their students' educational service experience. As proposed, alumni should be actively involved in establishing an alumni culture where long-term relationships exist, in order to sustain those relationships (Pedro et al, 2020a(Pedro et al, , 2020bSchlesinger et al, 2017). In such a way, students, alumni, and higher education institutions could benefit from the educational experience they all create together.…”

“…First, regarding the constructs used, student loyalty items measured behavioral intentions of student and alumni loyalty (e.g., recommendations, positive word-of-mouth, participation). Although students' intentions are believed to result in behavioral, educational outcomes such as after graduation (Pedro et al, 2020a(Pedro et al, , 2020b, intentions do not automatically result in actual behavior (see Theory of Planned Behavior, Ajzen, 1991;Armitage & Christian, 2003).…”

“…Ze zouden zich daarbij moeten richten op verschillende segmenten van hun studentenpopulatie (bijvoorbeeld ingeschreven studenten versus alumni, ervaringen van eerstejaars studenten versus ervaringen van studenten uit hogere jaren). In lijn met recente bevindingen (Pedro et al, 2020a(Pedro et al, , 2020b, zoals we in Hoofdstuk 5 hebben aangegeven, zou het voor onderwijsinstellingen interessant zijn om te onderzoeken of alumni nog steeds betrokken willen zijn bij hun voormalig onderwijsinstituut, en zo ja, op welke manier.…”

“…Ten eerste, met betrekking tot de gebruikte constructen, maten de items van studentloyaliteit de gedragsintenties van de student-en alumniloyaliteit (bijvoorbeeld in de vorm van aanbevelingen doen, positieve mond-tot-mondreclame, deelname). Hoewel intenties van studenten worden verondersteld te resulteren in gedragsmatige, onderwijs/ leeruitkomsten (Pedro et al, 2020a(Pedro et al, , 2020b, resulteren intenties niet automatisch in daadwerkelijk gedrag (zie theorie van gepland gedrag, Ajzen, 1991;Armitage & Christian, 2003).…”