Key Elements in Building Relationships in the Higher Education Services Context

Abstract

In a context of globalized higher education, new stakeholders have emerged, and building stronger relationships between them is of the utmost relevance in today's environment. The approach from the graduate perspective helps reinforce bonds and manage lifelong learning in an innovative way. This study empirically tests a model that includes variables such as university image, student–professor interaction, satisfaction, identification, and loyalty, which are topics of increasing relevance for competitive and innovative universities. The results show the relationships among the variables, which can explain loyalty behavioral intentions. The article concludes with the managerial implications of the study.

KEYWORDS:

• alumni
• graduate–university relationships
• identification
• image
• loyalty
• satisfaction
• university