Antecedents of Student Loyalty in Open and Distance Learning Institutions: An Empirical Analysis

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between factors leading to student loyalty in open and distance learning universities. Specifically, this research explores the relationship between perceived service quality, perceived e-service quality, and university image as mediators of student loyalty in Open University Malaysia (OUM). Data were collected from 16 OUM learning centres throughout Malaysia. A purposive stratified convenience sampling technique was applied and a sample size of 752 respondents was obtained. The data indicated that perceived service quality has a positive and significant relationship with both university image and student loyalty. Similarly, it was found that perceived e-service quality has a positive significant relationship with both university image and student loyalty. University image acted as a mediator both in the relationship between perceived service quality and student loyalty, and in the relationship between perceived e-service quality and student loyalty

An Empirical Study on Service Recovery Satisfaction in an Open and Distance Learning Higher Education Institution in Malaysia

This study investigated the relationships among justice dimensions (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational), university image, service recovery satisfaction, and customer behavioural outcomes (trust, word of mouth, repurchase intention, and loyalty). This study adopted a cross-sectional survey approach and data were collected through a survey of 303 students of Open University Malaysia in Malaysia who experienced service failure and service recovery. The framework was tested via partial least square structural equation modelling, and the results revealed a significant relationship between justice dimensions and service recovery satisfaction in terms of procedural and interpersonal justice. Service recovery satisfaction had a significant effect on all customer behavioural outcomes investigated. University image did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between justice dimensions and service recovery satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed in this paper