ABSTRACT

Universities, particularly cash-strapped, expect their students to re-enrol for postgraduate studies after the successful completion of their undergraduate studies. For two decades, Zimbabwean universities have been operating in resource-constrained settings. The current research examines the effect of course experience, satisfaction, and loyalty on word-of-mouth and re-enrolment intentions of students in the higher education context. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire from a conveniently selected sample of 299 final year bachelor students at five reputable Zimbabwean universities. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was employed for data analysis. The results were all supported by the hypothesised interrelationships of latent variables. In predicting the sending of word-of-mouth communication and re-enrolment intentions for postgraduate studies, course experiences, satisfaction and loyalty were considered significant. The results of this study are crucial in the development of strategies designed to attract and retain students for postgraduate studies. The pathway to student re-enrolment intentions through satisfaction, course experiences, loyalty and word-of-mouth communication, stands out as this study’s contribution.

摘要

大学，尤其是资金短缺的大学，希望他们的学生在成功完成本科学习后重新注册攻读研究生。二十年来，津巴布韦的大学一直在资源有限的环境中运作。当前的研究考察了课程体验、满意度和忠诚度对高等教育背景下学生口碑和再入学意愿的影响。数据是通过调查问卷从津巴布韦五所著名大学的 299 名最后一年学士学生中方便选择的样本中收集的。采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型进行数据分析。结果都得到了潜在变量假设的相互关系的支持。在预测口碑传播的发送和重新注册研究生学习的意向时，课程体验、满意度和忠诚度被认为是重要的。这项研究的结果对于制定旨在吸引和留住学生进行研究生学习的策略至关重要。通过满意度、课程体验、忠诚度和口碑传播达到学生重新入学意向的途径，是本研究的突出贡献。