Mediating effects of students’ social bonds between self-esteem and customer citizenship behaviour in the context of international university branch campuses
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 10 April 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer empirical evidence on the role of self-esteem and social bonding in explaining citizenship behaviour of students at international university branch campuses (IBCs).
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 400 students from four IBCs in Malaysia was administered in a questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS and partial least squares 3.0.
Findings
This research demonstrates that students’ self-esteem and social bonds have positive direct effects on customer citizenship behaviour (CCB). Moreover, self-esteem has an indirect effect on CCB via intervening of attachment, commitment and involvement of social bonds.
Research limitations/implications
CCB of IBC students can be explained by self-consistency theory via mediation of social bonds from social bonding theory.
Practical implications
To encourage CCB in IBCs, university management should target students who have high self-esteem, closely tied to parents and lecturers, committed to university, highly involved in co-curricular activities and comply with university regulations.
Originality/value
Greater understanding of students’ citizenship behaviour may help transnational universities to improve relationship marketing strategy and enhance students’ campus experience.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is indebted to the Research Micro Fund awarded from Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus). Moreover, special thanks are extended to the Swinburne Sarawak Research Ethics Working Group, and Swinburne's Human Research Ethics Committee (SUHREC) for providing extensive comments and suggestions on this research ethics application.
Citation
Tan, V., Quoquab, F., Ahmad, F.S. and Mohammad, J. (2017), "Mediating effects of students’ social bonds between self-esteem and customer citizenship behaviour in the context of international university branch campuses", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 305-329. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-05-2016-0087
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited