Antecedent of Brand Trust in Online Tertiary Education: A Malaysian and Singapore Perspective

Abstract

Trust decreases the perceived risk of using a service. Since online learners have no direct contact with the education providers, trust plays an important role in an online tertiary setting. However, there is a void of study of trust within the context of consumer-brand relation in tertiary education. In a review of the literature, hypotheses are developed that suggest that the antecedent of brand trust, operating as quality cues in online tertiary education are related to institutional and courseware design assurance factors, site (Web) quality and public awareness. A conceptual model summarizing the hypotheses is subsequently validated in an empirical study reported here.

Keywords: online tertiary education, quality cues, brand trust