Structural Equation Path Modeling of Emotional Brand Attachment

Abstract

This empirical study examined the association between university image, acculturation, and emotional brand attachment, particularly in the setting of a public higher education (PubHEI) in Malaysia. Research is aims to identify whether university image and acculturation have an effect on the emotional brand attachment. Data were collected from 101 international students at one of the public universities in Malaysia using a selfadministrated questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (i.e SmartPLS) was used to analyze the data. The results show that nevertheless all factors being significant to emotional brand attachment formation, the university image and acculturation are the most important predictors. As a result, this study is important for academician and practitioners, as it exists a different approach to examine emotional brand attachment formation, it offers a new framework to assess the construct of emotional brand attachment. Besides, this research offers several recommendations for future research.