Perceived eWOM and Students’ University Enrolment Intentions: The Corporate Image as a Mediator

Abstract

The advancement of internet technologies and the emergence of social media platforms have made the influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) more pronounced than ever before on consumers’ purchase decisions, especially young consumers who are more engaged with new technologies and social networks. Through social media platforms, young consumers nowadays are always connected to friends, families and organizations on smartphones, tablets or computers and actively look for eWOM before making purchase decisions. This study is aimed at examining the effect of perceived eWOM on the university enrolment intentions by the Saudi high school students mediated by the corporate image of the university. The sample comprised of 133 high school students studying in Saudi high secondary schools. The findings revealed that electronic word of mouth (eWOM) had a significant and positive association with the students’ enrolment intentions, and the corporate image mediates this relationship. This research’s findings and recommendations can largely help who are in charge of the private and public universities in Saudi Arabia to understand how eWOM shapes the university choices of students.