Abstract

This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of service qualities, corporate image, student satisfaction and loyalty at private universities in Malaysia.

Students’ trust and commitment are perceived to be the positive and significant impact on the students’ satisfaction and loyalty to these private universities. The objective of this research was to identify the nature and significance of the relationship among service quality, student satisfaction, corporate image and student loyalty.

This research was conducted to determine the dimensions of service quality that influence student satisfaction; establish the difference in service quality perception amongst private universities’ students; determine the relationship between service quality and corporate image; establish the relationship between corporate image and student loyalty as well as assess the extent to which student satisfaction mediates the relationship between service quality and student loyalty.

Anova and Regression Coefficient Analysis were applied to the research hypotheses to ascertain the influencing role factors of service quality and corporate image on students’ loyalty reflecting the mediating role of students’ satisfaction. An examination of the first research objective revealed key antecedents of student loyalty among the students. Out of 7 hypotheses tested, almost all are significant, which indicate that the variables are highly connected to satisfaction and loyalty. Further findings revealed that a statistically significant relationship existed among student satisfaction, corporate image and student loyalty.

A test of the mediated relationship confirmed that the relationship between service quality and student loyalty was partially mediated by student satisfaction, an observation that adds to the existing literature by uncovering the mediating effect of student satisfaction on the relationship among service qualities and student loyalty at private universities in Malaysia.

The study concluded that service quality has a strong influence on student satisfaction and loyalty. This will be useful to universities and the government in planning and providing education infrastructure to attract more foreign students to study in Malaysia.