Business & IT · Vol. XVI(1) · 2026
Factors driving behavioral trust in private higher education institutions: The role of perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand perceptions
Abstract
This study aims to determine the role which the three factors perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand perceptions play in consumer trust in South Africa’s private higher education institutions. A large-scale quantitative research design used a structured questionnaire to collect data on a 5-point Likert scale from 399 alumni (376 usable responses) of South African private higher education institutions. Confirmatory factor analysis identified and tested the significance of relationships. Perceived value (β=0.14; p<0.05), Customer satisfaction (β=0.71; p<0.001) and Brand perception (β=0.14; p<0.05) all have a significant direct effect on Students Behavioral trust. Likewise, Perceived value (β=0.36; p<0.001) and Brand perception (β=0.50; p<0.001) have a significant direct effect on Customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. Customer satisfaction (β=0.71; p<0.001) has a strong significant effect on Behavioral trust. The model contributes 88.9% of the variance in behavioral trust. Management of private higher education institutions can fruitfully apply the findings to improve students’ behavioral trust in their brand, while future researchers can further refine the factors and improve the measurement model.
Keywords
brand trust; perceived value; model; relationships; satisfaction; behavior
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How to cite (APA)
Christo Bisschoff, Estelle van Tonder, Calvin Paltooram (2026). Factors driving behavioral trust in private higher education institutions: The role of perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand perceptions. Business & IT, Vol. XVI(1), pp. 16–30. https://doi.org/10.14311/bit.2026.01.02