IMPACT OF INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VALUES ON UNIVERSITY IMAGE: A GENDER BASED COMPARISON IN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Cultural values and gender play an important role in brand management. The purpose of current research was to find out the influence of individual cultural values on university image. It further explained the role of gender in the relationship between individual cultural values and university image. The quantitative research methodology was adopted to achieve the basic objectives of current research. The questionnaire-based survey conducted to collect the 842 dully filled responses using stratified random sampling technique. The findings of current research showed that collectivism, long term orientation, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance positively influenced university image. However, masculinity did not influence university image. Similarly, gender played a role in the relationships from collectivism, long term orientation, and power distance to university image. Contrary to it, gender played no role in the paths from masculinity and uncertainty avoidance to university image among students. The future studies may include vertical and horizontal collectivism, role of gender, region, age and other demographics. Likewise, other brand equity constructs such as university awareness, university perceived quality, university loyalty may be incorporated to further expand the model in future.