Brand Personality, Strategic Marketing Partnerships, Organizational Demographics and Customer Service Delivery of Public Universities in Kenya

Abstract

general objective of this study was to establish the relationship between brand personality, strategic marketing partnerships, and organizational demographics on customer service delivery of public universities in Kenya. Four specific objectives were adopted in this study. The first specific objective was to examine the link between brand personality and customer service delivery of public universities in Kenya. The second and third objectives were to establish the moderating role of strategic marketing partnerships and organizational demographics on the relationship between brand personality and customer service delivery and the fourth objective was to examine the joint effect of brand personality, strategic marketing partnerships, and organizational demographics on customer service delivery of public universities in Kenya. This study utilized positivist research philosophy as well descriptive cross-sectional research design. The total targeted population of students from all 31 public universities was 84,931. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the 15 public universities which formed the sample frame that constituted 61,541 fourth-year undergraduate students. A stratified random sampling technique was utilized in selecting the respondents. A sample size of 398 fourth-year undergraduate students was determined using Israel scientific formula. Primary data was obtained from fourth-year undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mixed-effect descriptive analysis, factor analysis and correlation analysis method. Further, hypotheses testing was conducted using mixed-effect models fitted based on Restricted Maximum Likelihood estimation models. The results of the study disclosed a positive and significant relationship between brand personality and customer service delivery (Wald Chi-square = 0.706, p = 0.000). This relationship was positively and significantly moderated by strategic marketing partnership (Wald Chi-square = 18.246, p = 0.000). However, only the coefficient of strategic marketing partnerships in the random component of the model was insignificant (Wald Chi-square =0.091, p = 0.082). This is an indicator of Simpson’s paradox which calls for further research. Consequently, organizational demographics was significant (Wald Chi-square = 15.022, p = 0.000). Equally, the joint effect results were statistically significant (Wald Chi-square =192.00, p = 0.000). These results are supported by findings of the previous empirical studies concerning the positive link between brand personality and customer service delivery. The study contributes to the brand personality and customer service delivery body of knowledge by adding two variables; strategic marketing partnerships, and organizational demographics. Precisely, the study adds to the theory of the joint effect relationship. Similarly, the results contribute to policy and marketing management practices. Policies embedded in the three predictor variables of this study will contribute to enhanced customer service delivery in the university setting as well as university managers would appreciate the role of brand personality in promoting customer service delivery. The study recommends several areas of focus for future studies, including the use of a longitudinal research design to assess the long-term variations of brand personality in evaluating customer service delivery in the universities. Focusing on both public and private universities in Kenya could yield different results. Involving different categories of the respondents such as third and fourth-year undergraduate students could unfold different results as opposed to the findings of this study.