(725.pdf) DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LOYALTY AS A CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE: AN APPROACH IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

摘要

Nowadays, it is clear that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) operate in a competitive environment,were in order to be successful it is vital that universities, like any other business, address issues ofcustomer satisfaction and loyalty. This process requires educational institutions to carefully analyzethe key factors contributing to student loyalty, in its many dimensions and therefore develop strategiesaccordingly. Customer loyalty is understood as a consistent commitment deeply held by the customersto re-purchase the product or service. Loyal customers are more likely to recommend the source toother customers. As personal characteristics may moderate this behavior, this paper aims atunderstanding the different levels of student loyalty in Higher Education institutions (HEIs) by meansof an empirical study run with 705 graduate students from a private University in Valencia (Spain).Significant differences in the level of loyalty are looked for, according to personal and situationalcharacteristics of the students, i.e. age and degree chosen