Brand orientation and service quality in online and offline environments: empirical examination in higher education

This study examines the relationship between perceived brand orientation (PBO) and service quality (SERVQUAL) in both online and offline education environment. A total of 476 questionnaires were completed by undergraduate students of a particular university in Australia. Structural equation modeling was employed in this study to examine the associations between PBO and service quality (SERVQUAL). The “interaction” dimension of PBO is significantly related to all elements of SERVQUAL in both groups. The “affect” dimension is only significantly related to the “tangibles” dimension in the online groups and is not significantly related to all SERVQUAL dimension in the offline group

The role of brand orientation in the higher education sector: a student-perceived paradigm

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between perceived brand orientation (PBO), satisfaction, loyalty, and post-enrolment communication behaviour in the Australian higher education sector.Design/methodology/approach Two hundred and fifty-eight questionnaires were completed by undergraduate students of a particular university in Australia. Structural equation modeling was employed in this study to examine the associations between the constructs.Findings This study provides empirical evidence that PBO has a positive and significant relationship with all dependent variables. The research reveals that students\u27 perception of a university\u27s brand orientation is significantly related to satisfaction, loyalty, and post-enrolment communication behaviour.Research limitations/implications The findings may guide the key decision makers in higher education institutions to understand the importance of brand orientation in their corporate strategy to enhance satisfaction, loyalty, and positive WOM, which can be used to differentiate themselves from other institutions in the highly competitive education market.Originality/value Past researchers have not looked into the dynamic relationships between PBO, satisfaction, loyalty, and post-enrolment communication behaviour, and hence research is to be called for in this area. The paper is the first to examine brand orientation from the perspective of the students and provide higher education institutions with recommendations to improve service quality through brand orientation

The relationship between church branding and church members’ perceived benefits

There are mixed opinions in the literature in regards of the appropriateness, relevance, and significance of church branding in the context of church participation. This study developed and applied 'perceived brand orientation' construct in church context and examine its impact on perceived benefits associated with church services. The results indicate that 'perceived brand orientation' is significantly related to 'perceived social benefits' and 'perceived spiritual benefits'. This study highlights the importance of being brand-oriented in order to attract members' participation. Relevant implications for church leaders and non-profit researchers are also identified

Predicting brand preferences: an examination of the predictive power of consumer personality and values in the Australian fashion market

Purpose &ndash; This paper aims to examine and compare the strength of personality and values in predicting brand preferences. It seeks to accomplish three main objectives. First, it will evaluate the strength of personality and values in predicting consumers\u27 brand preferences. Second, it will examine whether values exercise a mediating role between personality and brand preferences. Finally, it will examine the mediating role of prestige sensitivity in influencing brand preferences.Design/methodology/approach &ndash;&nbsp;The study opted to use a quantitative approach involving 251 undergraduate students as the study participants. The constructs used in the study are taken from existing scales as well as self-developed branding scales. Structural equation modeling technique is utilised for data analysis.Findings &ndash; The paper provides empirical insights about how personality and values together affect brand preferences. It suggests that values are indeed better predictors of brand preferences and exercise both direct and indirect effects on brand preferences through the mediating role of prestige sensitivity.Research limitations/implications &ndash; Because of the self-report method used for personality assessment, there may be bias in terms of the nature of respondents\u27 personality as expressed in the questionnaire.Practical implications &ndash; The paper suggests implications for the development of a strong brand personality which can appeal to both consumer personality and values.Originality/value &ndash; This paper poses interesting insights and empirical evidence with regard to the predictive power of personality and values on brand preferences within a fashion context.</div

A Conceptual Framework on the Relationship between Nation Brand Perception and Donation Behaviour

Over the past two decades, the topic of nation brands has attracted the interest of academics, researchers, and policy markers alike. Governments in particular have used the concept of nation brands to attract support from international audiences. This study developed a conceptual framework of donation behaviour with nation brand perceptions as a mediating variable between donation motives and donation behaviour. The framework proposes that people&lsquo;s perception of a nation&lsquo;s brand will have significant implications on the willingness and extent of contribution to a charitable cause associated with the nation

Perceived market orientation and church participation

Over the recent years, the concept of market orientation has become an attractive avenue for&nbsp;research in marketing. However, despite an array of theories, a systematic framework&nbsp;investigating the role of market orientation in non-profit organizations remains limited.&nbsp;Through the integration of concepts from church participation and marketing literature, the&nbsp;study put forth a comprehensive model that describes the role of market orientation in church&nbsp;participation phenomenon. The study found support for the positive association between&nbsp;&lsquo;perceived market orientation&rsquo; and respondents&rsquo; extent of participation in church-related&nbsp;activities

Moderating role of religious beliefs on attitudes towards charities and motivation to donate

The study aims to examine the relationship between image of charitable organizations, attitudes towards charities and motivation to donate. In addition, the study will investigate the moderating effects of religious beliefs on attitudes towards charities and motivation to donate. Data is collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Trained interviewers employed a mall-intercept method in downtown Kuala Lumpur over both weekdays and weekends. The scales are adapted from established sources. It was found that religious beliefs moderates the relationship between attitudes towards charities and motivation to donate. In addition, image of charitable organizations has a positive influence on attitudes towards charities. It was also found that both image of charitable organizations and attitudes towards charities influence motivation to donate.The study is conducted within downtown Kuala Lumpur and is not generalizable across Malaysia and other countries. In addition, this study only looked at general religious beliefs, therefore findings are not specific to a religion. As a result, possible religious differences may be neglected. Lastly, the study only focused on donors and further studies need to be conducted on non-donors to further understand donation behaviour. The findings from the study provide valuable insights to charities, government bodies and policy makers as it highlights the linkages between image of charitable organizations, attitudes towards charities and the motivation to donate of past donors. Additionally, religious bodies can also use the findings to formulate communication strategies to benefit charities as well as the broader community. The study provides insights into the motivations of donors to donate to charities. More importantly, it also examines the influence of religious beliefs on donation behaviour, thus shedding insights on the opportunities for fundraising by charities