This dissertation aims to investigate and explore the roles of student trust (ST), student identity (SI), and student commitment (SC) in a relationship between the reputati[r]
(1)MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
-
BUI HUY KHOI
The roles of student trust, identity and commitment in the relationship
between university reputation and behavioral intention
A dissertation submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration
(2)MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
-
BUI HUY KHOI
The roles of student trust, identity and commitment in the relationship
between university reputation and behavioral intention
Industry: Business Administration Industry ID: 9340101
A dissertation submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration Academic Supervisors:
Dr Nguyen Huu Lam Dr Dang Ngoc Dai
(3)STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I please declare that this submission is my work and except where due reference is made; this dissertation contains no material previously published or written by another person(s)
This dissertation does not contain material extracted in the whole or part from the dissertation or report presented for another degree or diploma in University of Economics Ho Chi Minh city or any other educational institution
January 2021
(4)ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First of all, this dissertation is dedicated to the thank of my wife-Nguyen Thi Ngan, to my daughter-Bui Mai Anh (9 years), my daughter-Bui Mai Vy (6 years), my son-Bui Minh Nhat (4 years), and to my son-Bui Minh Hoang (4 years) They help me have many efforts to overcome difficulties in completing my dissertation It is the biggest achievement of my life
Second, I would like to express my best gratitude to Ph.D Nguyen Huu Lam and Ph.D Dang Ngoc Dai, who supervise and help me conduct my dissertation for many years at University of Economics HCM City
Third, I am deeply thankful to Prof Vladik Kreinovich, University of Texas, USA for supporting me to publish my paper related to my dissertation in the Scopus system
Especially, I would express my gratefulness to Ph.D Ngo Quang Huan, University of Economics HCM City and Ph.D Nguyen Thanh Long, Industrial University of HCM City who indirectly or directly support and help me conduct the dissertation Moreover, I am thankful to the board of professors in School of UEH Graduate, the independent reviewers for their constructive reviewing and comments
(5)TABLE OF CONTENT
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii
TABLE OF CONTENT iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES ix
ABSTRACT x
TÓM TẮT xi
CHAPTER RESEARCH OVERVIEW
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Research background
1.3 The research gap identification
1.4 Research object and scope 10
1.4.1 Research object 10
1.4.2 Research scope 11
1.5 Research aim 11
1.6 The research questions 13
1.7 Methodology 13
1.8 Dissertation contributions 14
1.8.1 Theory contributions 15
(6)1.9 Dissertation structure 17
1.10 Conclusion 18
CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 19
2.1 Introduction 19
2.2 Reputation 19
2.2.1 Student guidance 28
2.2.2 Social contributions 29
2.2.3 Environments 31
2.2.4 Leadership 32
2.2.5 Funding 33
2.2.6 Research and development 33
2.3 Student trust 34
2.4 Student identity 35
2.5 Student commitment 37
2.6 Behavioral intention 38
2.7 Foundation theories 43
2.7.1 Market signaling theory 43
2.7.2 The theory of planned behavior (TPB) 45
2.7.3 Theory of reasoned action (TRA) and extended valence framework 50
2.8 The research model and hypotheses 51
2.8.1 Factors affecting university reputation 51
2.8.2 The roles of student trust, student identity, and student commitment 53
(7)CHAPTER METHODOLOGY 64
3.1 Introduction 64
3.2 The research process 64
3.3 Sample and data collection 97
3.4 PLS-SEM 100
3.5 Quantitative analysis frame 104
3.6 Conclusion 106
CHAPTER RESULTS 107
4.1 Introduction 107
4.2 Internal consistency and convergent validity 107
4.3 Indicator reliability 108
4.4 Discriminant validity 110
4.5 Collinearity issue 112
4.6 The fitness of the structural model 113
4.7 Stability of parameter estimates 116
4.8 Discussion 119
4.9 Conclusion 120
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS 121
5.1 Introduction 121
5.2 Conclusions 121
5.3 Key Contributions 122
5.4 Contributions to methodology 124
(8)5.6 Implications 126
5.6.1 Practical Implications 126
5.6.2 Implications for domestic manager 128
5.6.3 Implications for university manager 128
5.7 Limitations and recommendations for further research 135
PUBLICATION 137
REFERENCES 138
APPENDIX 159
(9)LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation Meanings
HEIs Higher education institutions
PLS-SEM Partial least squares structural equation modelling
UR University Reputation
SG Student Guidance
SCN Social Contributions
EN Environments
LE Leadership
FU Funding
RD Research and Development
ST Student Trust
SI Student Identity
SC Student Commitment
BI Behavioral Intention
H Hypothesis
TRA The theory of reasoned action
TBP The theory of planned behavior
Pc The composite reliability
Pvc The average variance extracted
SRMR The standardized root mean square residual
OL Outer loading
(10)LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Variables and their proposing authors 41
Table 2.2 Summary of the correlations in the model 61
Table 3.1 The discussion group code 68
Table 3.2 Social Contributions’ items 75
Table 3.3 Environments’ items 77
Table 3.4 Leadership’s items 78
Table 3.5 Funding’s items 79
Table 3.6 Research and Development’s items 81
Table 3.7 Student Guidance’s items 82
Table 3.8 Student Trust’s items 83
Table 3.9 Student identity’s items 84
Table 3.10 Student Commitment’s items 85
Table 3.11 Behavioral Intention’s items 86
Table 3.12 Items and factors in the reputation scale 90
Table 3.13 Item and factor in the university reputation scale 95
Table 3.14 University Reputation’s items 96
Table 3.15 Sample Statistics 99
Table 4.1 Internal consistency and convergent validity 107
Table 4.2 Outer Loadings 109
Table 4.3 Fornell-Larcker Criterion 111
Table 4.4 Inner VIF Values 112
Table 4.5 Measurement of model PLS-SEM 115
Table 4.6 Path Coefficients 116
(11)LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Valence Framework Model 51
Figure 2.2 The model of Keh and Xie (2009) 54
Figure 2.3 The model of Rather (2018) 55
Figure 2.4 The model of Heffernan et al (2018) 56
Figure 2.5 The model of Nuraryo et al (2018) 57
Figure 2.8 The theoretical model 61
Figure 3.1 The process of quantitative analysis 105
(12)ABSTRACT
This dissertation aims to investigate and explore the roles of student trust (ST), student identity (SI), and student commitment (SC) in a relationship between the reputation of a university (UR) and its students’ behavioral intention (BI) in Vietnam's higher education sector The dissertation builds an empirically tested model from a sample of 1,538 Vietnamese graduates Its purpose determines the factors affecting university reputation and the roles of student trust, student identity, and student commitment in the relationship between university reputation and behavioral intention to understand student choices of master’s programs Next, these factors will be measured by some analysis quantitative tools Finally, this dissertation will also give some implications to develop the relationship between university reputation and behavioral intention in Vietnamese higher education The analysis results revealed that the tested relationship between university reputation and behavioral intention to continue studying is positive Twelve of the proposed hypotheses were confirmed, including the direct relationship of the variables and the mediating role of SI, SC, and ST in the model The results suggest that a university reputation can be a driving force toward students’ behavioral intention to achieve positive goals in the development of their higher education This dissertation significantly contributes to the understanding of university reputation and student behavioral intention in higher education In both theory and practice, it provides vital findings and suggestions to scientists, university administrators, and strategic marketers applying in their working environment
(13)TÓM TẮT
Luận án nhằm mục đích khám phá kiểm tra vai trị niền tin (ST), nhận biết (SI) cam kết (SC) sinh viên mối quan hệ danh tiếng trường đại học (UR) dự định hành vi sinh viên (BI) tốt nghiệp đại học bối cảnh giáo dục sau đại học Việt Nam Luận án xây dựng mơ hình kiểm nghiệm từ thực tế mẫu nghiên cứu gồm 1.538 sinh viên tốt nghiệp đại học Việt Nam Mục đích luận án xác định yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến danh tiếng trường đại học vai trò niền tin, nhận biết cam kết sinh viên mối quan hệ danh tiếng trường đại học dự định hành vi để hiểu lựa chọn sinh viên chương trình đào tạo thạc sĩ Ttiếp theo, yếu tố đo lường số cơng cụ phân tích định lượng Cuối cùng, luận án đưa số hàm ý quản trị nhắm phát triển mối quan hệ danh tiếng trường đại học dự định hành vi giáo dục sau đại học Việt Nam Kết phân tích cho thấy mối quan hệ kiểm định danh tiếng trường đại học hành vi có dự định tiếp tục lựa chon việc học tập tích cực Mười hai giả thuyết đề xuất xác nhận, bao gồm mối quan hệ trực tiếp yếu tố vai trò trung gian niền tin (ST), nhận biết (SI) cam kết (SC) sinh viên mơ hình xác nhận Kết cho thấy danh tiếng trường đại học động lực thúc đẩy dự định hành vi sinh viên nhằm đạt mục tiêu tích cực phát triển giáo dục sau đại học họ Luận án góp phần đáng kể vào hiểu biết danh tiếng trường đại học dự định hành vi sinh viên giáo dục sau đại học Về lý thuyết thực tế, cung cấp phát đề xuất quan trọng cho nhà khoa học, nhà quản trị trường đại học nhà tiếp thị chiến lược ứng dụng vào môi trường làm việc
(14)(15)CHAPTER RESEARCH OVERVIEW
1.1. Introduction
This dissertation shows the roles of student trust, identity and commitment in the relationship between university reputation and behavioral intention in Vietnamese higher education I present standard information about the studied problem and dissertation background, and I identify the dissertation’s aims and research questions This chapter also briefly describes the dissertation structure
1.2. Research background
QS University Rankings for Asian 2021 based on 11 different criteria to evaluate one university, including academic reputation (30%), employer reputation (20%), lecturer/ student ratio (10 %), percentage of lecturers with doctoral degrees (5%), ratio of published papers per lecturer (5%), citations per paper (10%), international research network (10%), international lecturer ratio (2.5%), international student rate (2.5%), domestic exchange students (2.5%), and foreign exchange students (2.5%) (Duong Tam, 2020) Vietnam has 11 universities participating in the QS University Rankings for Asian 2021(QS, 2020) So, reputation is the most important key for ranking a university and that is a reason which Vietnamese universities are creating, building, and developing it
(16)has been embraced by the higher education sector, in which education is seen as a service that is marketable worldwide Universities and other institutions of higher education must compete to attract highly talented students, prestigious professors, and effective employees (Del-Castillo-Feito et al., 2020; Hemsley-Brown et al, 2016; Nuraryo et al., 2018; Plewa et al., 2016; Wilson, 2016) Some individuals credit the globalization of universities to the many changes and difficulties that the educational sector is now facing Despite differences in opinion, school leaders and various other commentators agree that competition between higher education institutions has intensified over the last few years (Chen and Esangbedo, 2018; Plewa et al., 2016) Education plays an enormous role in a country’s development, and its progress in a given country partly symbolizes that country’s growth in general (Chen and Esangbedo, 2018)
Higher education institutions play an important role in society: they are essential partners of the knowledge-creation and knowledge-exchange networks, and they catalyze innovation, supply tangible benefits of research, and provide consulting and advisory services Universities are meant to foster progress, build social capital, prepare students for outside realities, provide access to knowledge, and extend the bounds of justice, thereby contributing to the creation and maintenance of a democratic and sustainable society However, the increasingly competitive and dynamic nature of educational environments raises many challenges, such as declining enrollment (Dzimińska et al., 2018)
(17)RGDP of Vietnam was 2,563 U.S dollars (USD) in 2018 In contrast to most other ASEAN member states, their youth literacy rates are relatively high (Salmi, 2019) The Vietnamese general education system is divided into three levels: primary education (grades 1–5), lower secondary education (grades 6–9), and upper secondary education (grades 10–12) Higher education in Vietnam consists of universities and academies, which are classified into three categories: public-, private-, and foreign-related In 2018, Vietnam had 454 HEIs, including 95 private universities and schools, and there were 2.2 million students in higher education (MOET, 2019)
Vietnam's higher education environment has changed dramatically after two decades of rapid growth The number of students, institutions, and faculty members has risen dramatically, and a further aspect of the system's evolution has been the advent of a private education sector Such improvements have significantly led to economic growth and social progress However, improvements have occurred more slowly in the governance systems and leadership modes of the framework — a fact that presents certain pressing issues for the future of the system (Salmi, 2019) As in other developing nations, economic reforms in Vietnam (which began in 1986) are strongly linked to the higher education sector After 33 years of economic reform policy, the master’s training program in Vietnam has increased remarkably quickly Having begun in 1976 (Hoang Thi Phuong Thao, 2014), the program now encompasses 105,000 students across 180 domestic universities and 212 programs with various joint-training forms (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) and includes partnerships with many reputable global universities and educational institutions (Chen et al., 2017)
(18)success becomes uncertain Increasingly intense competition between institutions has made every university aware of the need to fully exploit its assets, maximize performance, and develop a competitive advantage One way to achieve this has been to develop a reputable name and build trust in the eyes of students (Harahap et al., 2018) When a university has an excellent reputation, students will select that university when enrolling in higher education
In the competition between universities, reputation can be considered one of the most vital issues because it is viewed as an upper hand that competitors can mimic only with significant effort (Chun et al., 2005; Hall, 1992) It is believed that an enterprise’s intangible attributes, such as reputation, are longer-term and more sustainable than the qualities of products or services, and are thus more helpful in giving businesses a competitive advantage Reputation is one of the essential factors affecting customers' attitudes and behaviors because what people know and believe regarding an organization strongly affects their reactions to that organization Because of reputation’s importance as a valuable intangible asset, businesses must manage it carefully, understanding both its strategic importance and the potential factors that could enhance it (Berens and Van Riel, 2004)
(19)university (Aula, 2015) Hence, the question arises of how to best develop a solid reputation in higher education
Much research has been conducted on the influence of a university’s reputation This research showed that a college’s repute is the first mark of a school’s uniqueness (Hemsley-Brown et al, 2016) With the verification of this “brand” theory, reputation grows even more central to promoting a university’s identity and increasing its attractiveness in globally competitive conditions
Although the university’s reputation is becoming a necessary part of globalized higher education, helping it attract students, staff, and research investments (Chen and Esangbedo, 2018), the breadth of university reputation’s effect is a contested matter, largely due to a lack of consensus regarding the relationship between reputation and behavior
Research about organizations’ reputations takes two directions The first is concerned with factors affecting the reputation itself, and the second is concerned with the effects of reputation on other relationships
(20)results confirmed their proposed hypotheses on the relationships with university reputation; nevertheless, the stakeholder group's moderating impact was not verified The discoveries of Del-Castillo-Feito et al (2020) showed additional empirical evidence has been given for the relationship between the variables considered, as well as for the importance of taking more than one stakeholder group into account for review They indicated that university reputation was impacted by the following factors: performance, innovation, citizenship, services, governance, and workplace climate This knowledge may be applied by administrators to boost the reputation of their university
A study conducted by Esangbedo and Bai (2019), additional research in the same direction, tested reputation as a benchmark for universities’ continuous improvement In multicriteria decision making, the calculation of each criterion’s weight is essential for the accurate evaluation of research outcomes Esangbedo and Bai defined university reputation, assigning it six components: social contributions, environments, leadership, funding, R&D, and student guidance
A third example is a research by Plewa et al (2016), which highlighted the critical role of a reputation for HEIs The article offered insight into how brand prestige played a key role in determining student–university identity The more attractively the university’s identity was by students, the more strongly they would identify with the university, leading to goals, identities, and values shared between the university and the students The authors recommended that universities should engage in branding activities that develop a strong student–university identity to enhance the students' university-supportive behaviors (Plewa et al., 2016)