Rebranded Academic Programme and Enrollment Intentions: An Analysis of Student Satisfaction and Positive Word-of-Mouth in Ghanaian Universities

Purpose – This study examines how rebranded academic programme impact student satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth, and their mediating effects on enrollment intentions. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 264 marketing students via census sampling. The data was analyzed using SMART PLS 4 to evaluate the proposed relationships. Findings – Rebranded academic programme enhances student satisfaction, which mediates the relationship between rebranding efforts and increased enrollment intentions, with positive word-of-mouth playing a crucial role. Research limitations/implications – A primary limitation of this study is the difficulty in precisely measuring the indirect effects of satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth on enrollment intentions due to the presence of other influencing variables. Future research should investigate additional moderating factors that could either amplify or diminish these effects. Practical implications – This study offers key insights for university administrators and policymakers, indicating that a rebranded marketing programme can boost student satisfaction, encourage positive word-of-mouth, and increase enrollment rates. Originality/value – This research contributes to existing knowledge by examining the serial indirect effects of satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth on enrollment. It also extends the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory by identifying a rebranded academic programme as an external stimulus that influences students’ enrollment decisions.