Carmen Pérez-Cabañero

Sticking with your university: the importance of satisfaction, trust, image, and shared values

In a context of increasing competition and financial difficulties for higher education institutions, alumni loyalty is a key factor for survival and success. This study tests a model derived from a relationship marketing perspective to investigate the roles of four variables (brand image, trust, satisfaction, and shared values) in the direct and indirect explanation of alumni loyalty. Based on a literature review, a theoretical model is proposed and tested through structural equations modeling for a sample of 1000 university alumni. The results reveal three direct antecedents of alumni loyalty (satisfaction, shared values, and trust) and one indirect antecedent (university brand image). In addition, this research offers theoretical contributions related to the relationship between shared values, trust, perceived university image, and satisfaction. The research highlights how education managers can increase alumni loyalty through strategic planning and direct policies to develop satisfaction, trust, positive brand image, and shared values.

Contrasting quality of service experience for northern and southern Mediterranean tourists

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine quality of service experience as reported by tourists in seven northern and southern Mediterranean cities. Design/methodology/approach – A self-report study was used to gather data from 1,362 tourists. Once validity of Otto and Ritchie’s (1996) scale had been confirmed, ANOVA and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyse the data. Findings – Tourists in all destinations highlighted the importance of the dimension peace of mind. Significant differences between tourists in the northern Mediterranean and those in the southern Mediterranean were observed in two quality of service experience dimensions: hedonics and involvement. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample was large, this study’s scope was limited to seven Mediterranean tourist cities. Further research is therefore required to generalize findings to other Mediterranean tourist destinations. Practical implications – Knowledge about quality of service experience dimen...

Attitude, Quality and Satisfaction Toward Distributor Brands in Durable Goods: The Influence of Consumers’ Price Consciousness

This study analyzes how consumers’ general attitude towards distributor brands, the perception held by the individual on the quality differences between distributor and manufacturer brands, as well as the anticipated satisfaction with the product are key variables for explaining the intention to purchase durable goods with distributor brands. As a significant contribution the influence of consumers’ price consciousness as a moderating variable is tested.