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Title Student's Co-Creation Behavior in a Business and Economic Bachelor's Degree in Italy: Influence of Perceived Service Quality, Institutional Image, and Loyalty
ID_Doc 68520
Authors Pinna, R; Cicotto, G; Jafarkarimi, H
Title Student's Co-Creation Behavior in a Business and Economic Bachelor's Degree in Italy: Influence of Perceived Service Quality, Institutional Image, and Loyalty
Year 2023
Published Sustainability, 15, 11
DOI 10.3390/su15118920
Abstract Universities play a significant role in the economic development of society as they provide knowledge and skills that are essential for social sustainability. In recent years, universities shifted their focus towards student-centered education and need to reconsider their sustainable strategies to become more competitive by encouraging student co-creation behaviors. To create a unique experience, universities aim to involve students in creating and delivering their educational experiences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the perceived quality of educational service and the institutional image of a university influence students' value co-creation behavior, and the role of loyalty in this process. The study is based on two complementary studies conducted in an Italian public university. The first study involved 720 undergraduate students with one business management bachelor's degree who completed a questionnaire to collect primary data. The second study used six focus groups to identify which specific students' experiences and university activities stimulated co-creation behaviors. The results show that student loyalty plays an important mediating role between university image, students' quality perception, and co-creation behavior. Additionally, only three dimensions of quality, namely quality non-academy aspects, quality reputation, and quality access have an impact on students' loyalty. Therefore, only two dimensions of brand image, university brand knowledge (UK), and university brand prestige (UPR) have a direct effect on value co-creation behavior. These findings have important implications for higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop managerial strategies that increase students' co-creation behavior. The co-creation process should be considered as part of HEIs' image-building and quality policy-enhancing strategy. Despite the value co-creation approach being overlooked in studies on HEIs governance, this study highlights its potential as a strategic approach for improving service quality and university image.
Author Keywords social sustainability; higher education; students' co-creation behavior; quality of educational services; institutional image; students' loyalty
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:001006555300001
WoS Category Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Environmental Sciences; Environmental Studies
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
PDF https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/8920/pdf?version=1685592171
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