Hailat, KQ
2016,
The influence of consumer misbehaviour on the perceived brand image of Jordanian Higher Education Institutions
, PhD thesis, University of Salford.
Abstract
Higher education institutions are working hard to associate their names with a positive
brand image. However, an increasing phenomenon significantly affecting Jordanian
Universities is campus violence perpetrated by consumer misbehaviour. Consumer
misbehaviour in higher education has not been adequately researched and the incidences
of campus violence are under reported by actors, and acted upon by the authorities. As,
there is no single study in Jordan that has tackled campus violence from a marketing
perspective, this thesis aims to explore the influence of consumer misbehaviour on
international students’ perspective of Jordanian Higher Education Institutions’ (JHEIs)
brand image. For reasons of clarity and international theoretical relevance, this thesis
adopts the international term “consumer misbehaviours” in referring to the phenomenon
of campus violence in JHEIs. Qualitative empirical semi-structured interviews with
various international students were conducted in four Jordanian universities in order to
gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena and its influence on the brand image
of JHEIs. This study revealed the prevalence of consumer misbehaviours and their
consequences for JHEIs. The findings revealed multiple drivers of consumer
misbehaviours, for example personal, cultural norms, academic, political, economic,
and institutional. Furthermore, the types of consumer misbehaviours revealed, included
verbal and psychological abuse, physical assault, sexual harassment, property damage,
tribal brawls, discrimination and racism. Moreover, consumer misbehaviours were
found to have a negative influence on the international brand image of Jordanian Higher
Education (JHE), which subsequently affects the Jordanian economy. Despite this, the
findings also showed that consumer misbehaviours are not always negative. For
example, fighting against the injustices of universities’ policies, and forcing institutions
to employ more security and qualified staff. The outcomes of this study generate
numerous implications and suggestions for theorists and practitioners in the educational
marketing field in order to mitigate student consumer misbehaviours. Higher education
institutions can use the results of this study to make the educational environment safer,
correct weaknesses identified by this study and develop policies, which will improve the
safety of customers and staff. Examples of such policies include: engagement and
collaboration, encouragement of good conduct, and increase collaborations with all HE
stakeholders etc. Accordingly, the results provide a foundation on which future research
can be built.
Actions (login required)
 |
Edit record (repository staff only) |
Tools
Tools