An empirical study of the dynamic relationships between the core and supporting brand equity dimensions in higher education
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
ISSN: 2050-7003
Article publication date: 28 July 2020
Issue publication date: 7 June 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use a holistic approach to empirically examine the direct and indirect relationships of both core and supporting consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) dimensions from students’ perspectives and the underlying impact they have on building a robust university brand equity. It also tests whether student perceptions of the importance of the brand equity constructs significantly differ based on demographics.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts the core and supporting university brand equity dimensions that have been tested for reliability and validity in prior research. Data were collected at a major university in the USA. The study used judgment sampling to carefully select a targeted sample of various colleges and class levels. A total of 439 useable surveys were collected.
Findings
The results of partial least squares–structural equation modeling reveal significant relationships between both core and supporting brand equity dimensions. The core brand equity dimensions include brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association, brand trust, learning environment, emotional environment, university reputation and brand loyalty. The supporting brand equity dimensions include library services, dining services, residence hall and physical facilities. Significant direct and/or indirect relationships were found between the core and supporting CBBE dimensions. The demographic variables of gender, semester standing and living arrangement also influence the importance of some of the core and supporting dimensions.
Practical implications
The results suggest that females, freshman and students living on-campus require specific attention in higher education. For a better representation and understanding of the university student population, we recommend that future studies use probability sampling and multiple universities for cross-validation.
Originality/value
Using the brand ecosystem framework, this is the first comprehensive study testing the relationships between both core and supporting CBBE dimensions in higher education. The study offers valuable insights to university stakeholders for building a strong university brand. It also confirms that the measures of the CBBE brand equity dimensions are valid and are applicable to other higher education institutions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to the four reviewers for providing us with their valuable comments to improve our paper.Corrigendum: It has come to the attention of the publisher that the article Girard, T. and Pinar, M. (2020), “An empirical study of the dynamic relationships between the core and supporting brand equity dimensions in higher education”, published in Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print, previously omitted several citations within the references. These have now been updated and appear in the online article. The authors sincerely apologise for the oversight.
Citation
Girard, T. and Pinar, M. (2021), "An empirical study of the dynamic relationships between the core and supporting brand equity dimensions in higher education", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 710-740. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-04-2020-0097
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited