The role of website features in creating value co-creation behaviors and enhancing the brand image and reputation of higher education institutions

IF 3.5 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Davood Ghorbanzadeh, Mohsen Sharbatiyan
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Purpose Despite promising conceptual developments in value co-creation behaviors, the scholarly attention afforded to the importance of the university website features in strengthening the university brand image and reputation through students’ value co-creation behaviors is limited. University website features are conceptualized as a hierarchical construct with three dimensions: usability, availability and information. This study aims to investigate the effect of university website features and value co-creation behaviors of students on promoting brand image and brand reputation at Islamic Azad University in Iran. Design/methodology/approach This study is quantitative. Using convenience sampling techniques, a responsive group of 384 students was chosen from the Islamic Azad University of Tehran in Iran. Survey methods were used for data collection. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the derived hypotheses. Findings The findings of this study indicated that website features have a positive effect on fostering value co-creation behaviors (participation and citizenship behavior), and participation behavior, in turn, improves university brand image and reputation. At the same time, among value co-creation behaviors, citizenship behavior has no impact on the university’s brand image. Finally, the brand image formed through website features and participation behavior positively affects brand reputation. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in the higher education (HE) sector in one cosmopolitan Iranian city (i.e. Tehran), to which Iranians from other cities travel for studying. Thus, the results of this survey include a variety of subcultures. In the future, a study that incorporates all major metropolitan cities of Iran may increase the generalizability of the findings. Unrelated to the purpose of this study, a future research study may extend the currently studied geographical dimensions and examine the antecedents of university brand reputation across different nations using a cross-cultural approach. Practical implications Pragmatically, the findings of this study urge university policymakers, information technology managers and marketers to consider the university website’s unique role in assisting co-creation behavior, which in turn promotes university brand image and reputation in the HE market. One of the ways to assess a university’s brand image and reputation is through the university ranking system. Ascending the ranking system can allow a university to attract qualified students. Originality/value These findings contribute to the marketing literature by empirically validating the three elements in the website features construct, providing intelligence on how website features can drive value co-creation behaviors, brand image and reputation. Also, results revealed that the brand image of universities positively affects brand reputation. This study highlights the importance of national and international rankings of universities and students’ sensitivity to such rankings. Undoubtedly, this is evident in Iranian students’ behavior in selecting their university.
网站在创造价值共创行为、提升高校品牌形象和美誉度等方面发挥着重要作用
目的尽管在价值共创行为方面有着很好的概念发展,但学术界对大学网站功能通过学生的价值共创行为增强大学品牌形象和声誉的重要性的关注是有限的。大学网站功能被概念化为一个具有三个维度的层次结构:可用性、可用性和信息。本研究旨在调查伊朗伊斯兰阿扎德大学的大学网站特征和学生的价值共创行为对提升品牌形象和品牌声誉的影响。设计/方法/方法本研究是定量的。采用方便抽样技术,从伊朗德黑兰伊斯兰阿扎德大学选出了一组384名反应灵敏的学生。数据收集采用了调查方法。偏最小二乘结构方程模型用于检验推导的假设。研究结果表明,网站特征对培养价值共创行为(参与和公民行为)具有积极作用,参与行为反过来又能提高大学品牌形象和声誉。同时,在价值共创行为中,公民行为对大学品牌形象没有影响。最后,通过网站特征和参与行为形成的品牌形象对品牌声誉有积极影响。研究局限性/含义本研究在伊朗一个国际化城市(即德黑兰)的高等教育部门进行,来自其他城市的伊朗人前往该城市学习。因此,这项调查的结果包括了各种亚文化。未来,一项纳入伊朗所有主要大都市的研究可能会提高研究结果的可推广性。与本研究的目的无关,未来的研究可能会扩展目前研究的地理维度,并使用跨文化方法考察不同国家大学品牌声誉的前因。实践意义务实地说,本研究的结果敦促大学决策者、信息技术管理者和营销人员考虑大学网站在协助共创行为中的独特作用,这反过来又促进了大学品牌形象和在高等教育市场上的声誉。评估大学品牌形象和声誉的方法之一是通过大学排名系统。提升排名系统可以让一所大学吸引合格的学生。原创性/价值这些发现通过实证验证网站特征构建中的三个要素,为营销文献做出了贡献,为网站特征如何推动价值共创行为、品牌形象和声誉提供了情报。此外,研究结果显示,大学的品牌形象对品牌声誉有正向影响。这项研究强调了国家和国际大学排名的重要性,以及学生对此类排名的敏感性。毫无疑问,这一点在伊朗学生选择大学的行为中表现得很明显。
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来源期刊
Interactive Technology and Smart Education
Interactive Technology and Smart Education EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-
CiteScore
12.00
自引率
2.30%
发文量
30
期刊介绍: Interactive Technology and Smart Education (ITSE) is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, which provides a distinct forum to specially promote innovation and participative research approaches. The following terms are defined, as used in the context of this journal: -Interactive Technology refers to all forms of digital technology, as described above, emphasizing innovation and human-/user-centred approaches. -Smart Education "SMART" is used as an acronym that refers to interactive technology that offers a more flexible and tailored approach to meet diverse individual requirements by being “Sensitive, Manageable, Adaptable, Responsive and Timely” to educators’ pedagogical strategies and learners’ educational and social needs’. -Articles are invited that explore innovative use of educational technologies that advance interactive technology in general and its applications in education in particular. The journal aims to bridge gaps in the field by promoting design research, action research, and continuous evaluation as an integral part of the development cycle of usable solutions/systems.
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