Purpose

This research investigates three major research questions. First, how does brand alliance type, defined by a partner's location and brand quality, affect consumers' emotional value perceptions of higher education brand alliances for dual-degree programs? Second, does perceived brand fit mediate the relationship between brand alliance type and emotional value perceptions? Third, do individual differences in world-mindedness moderate the influence of brand alliance type on emotional value perceptions?

Design/methodology/approach

In total, two experiments are performed. Experiment one examines the effect of brand alliance type, at varying combinations of partner brand quality and partner location (domestic or foreign), on consumers' emotional value perceptions. Experiment two examines the moderating role of world-mindedness in the relationship between brand alliance type and consumers' emotional value perceptions.

Findings

Results provide evidence that consumers' perception of brand fit mediates the relationship between brand alliance type and consumers' emotional value perceptions of the alliance. Results also indicate that world-mindedness moderates the relationship between brand alliance type and emotional value perceptions.

Originality/value

This research extends the previous literature on higher education dual-degree brand alliances and introduces world-mindedness as an important consumer-based characteristic to consider in this line of research. It answers calls for more research on higher education branding and calls for research into the potential mediating role and importance of brand fit. It provides several theoretical and managerial implications relevant to the higher education brand alliances, particularly in dual-degree programs.

中文翻译：

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国际高等教育品牌联盟：品牌契合与世界胸怀的作用

目的

本研究调查三个主要研究问题。首先，由合作伙伴的位置和品牌质量定义的品牌联盟类型如何影响消费者对双学位项目高等教育品牌联盟的情感价值感知？其次，感知品牌契合度是否在品牌联盟类型与情感价值感知之间起中介作用？第三，世界观的个体差异是否会调节品牌联盟类型对情感价值感知的影响？

设计/方法/方法

总共进行了两个实验。实验一考察了品牌联盟类型在合作伙伴品牌质量和合作伙伴位置（国内或国外）的不同组合下对消费者情感价值感知的影响。实验二考察了世界意识在品牌联盟类型与消费者情感价值感知之间的关系中的调节作用。

发现

结果表明，消费者对品牌契合度的感知在品牌联盟类型与消费者对联盟的情感价值感知之间存在中介作用。结果还表明，世界意识调节品牌联盟类型和情感价值感知之间的关系。

原创性/价值

本研究扩展了以往关于高等教育双学位品牌联盟的文献，并将世界意识作为这一研究领域需要考虑的重要的基于消费者的特征。它回应了对高等教育品牌进行更多研究的呼吁，并呼吁研究品牌契合的潜在中介作用和重要性。它提供了一些与高等教育品牌联盟相关的理论和管理启示，特别是在双学位项目中。