Factors affecting brand equity in private schools of Northeast Thailand: A structural equation modelling approach

Nitithat Suwannarong; Dawruwan Thawinkarn; Patravoot Vatanasapt

doi:10.32674/11p4tq98

Authors

Nitithat Suwannarong Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Dawruwan Thawinkarn Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7534-3989
Patravoot Vatanasapt Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6037-8994

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/11p4tq98

Keywords:

brand equity, brand image, educational trust, private schools, referral marketing, structural equation modelling

Abstract

Thai private schools face severe enrolment pressure, yet how institutional identity translates into brand equity at the K-12 level remains poorly specified. This study tests a structural equation model examining whether brand image builds school brand equity directly and indirectly through dual mediation of referral marketing and educational trust. Survey data from 700 stakeholders (administrators, teachers, parents, students) across private schools in the 20 northeastern provinces of Thailand were analysed in Mplus 8 under maximum-likelihood estimation. Model fit was acceptable (CFI = .952, TLI = .941, RMSEA = .048, SRMR = .062), and all five hypothesised paths were supported. Brand image, referral marketing, and educational trust jointly explained 92.4% of brand-equity variance, with referral marketing carrying the stronger mediated pathway.

Author Biographies

Dawruwan Thawinkarn, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Dr. Dawruwan Thawinkarn is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, and Chair of the Master of Education Programme in Educational Administration. Her research interests include educational administration, school management, leadership in education, and applied quantitative research in educational settings.
Patravoot Vatanasapt, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Dr. Patravoot Vatanasapt, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. His research spans clinical practice, health-systems research, and applied quantitative methodology in service-quality and trust-related studies.

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