THE ROLE OF SERVICE INTERACTION IN CONSUMER-COMPANY IDENTIFICATION: AN APPROACH IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION CONTEXT

This study investigates the service interaction between university students and employees, exploring its impact on student identification with the university and the resulting positive word-of-mouth. Utilizing theories of social identity, social impact, and the service-profit chain perspective, the research examines how consumer perception of a social group (identification) influences their voluntary engagement in services. A survey involving 229 students from two Brazilian universities was conducted. The data were analyzed using the covariance-based structural equation modeling technique. The results highlight that interactions with employees and the perception of other students have a positive impact on the student-university relationship. The study confirms that word-of-mouth is explained by the student's identification with the university, supporting this relationship from an unidimensional perspective. Additionally, the results reinforce the connections of the consumer-organization identification construct in the context of services, enhancing external validity when evaluated in the higher education environment.

Keywords:
Consumer-Company Identification; Interaction with Employees; Interaction Between Customers; Word-of-Mouth; Services in Higher Education