The relationships between brand association, trust, commitment, and satisfaction of higher education institutions

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore structural relationships among the variables of brand association, student trust, commitment, and satisfaction in the higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was used to collect data from a sample of 500 students who studied at universities in Taiwan in 2016. These data were gathered using a convenience sampling method and analyzed using a structural equation model. A total of 371 questionnaires (74.2 percent) were considered valid. Due to testing and identifying the hypothesis and structure among those variables, structural equation modeling was used to determine the best model among brand association, trust, commitment, and satisfaction. Findings: For the conceptual framework, the author found that this structural equation model complies with the empirical data. The structural equation model shows that brand association, student trust, and commitment were significantly related to student satisfaction. Brand association has a direct influence on student trust, commitment, and satisfaction in higher education institutions. Student trust and commitment also had a direct influence on student satisfaction, and they are all mediating variables. Originality/value: The findings of the current study add to the existing literature by contributing to a better perception of university management and providing acceptable strategies to improve the higher education industry.