Student Retention at a Higher Educational Institution: A Comparison Between Evaded and Nonevaded Groups Using Partial Least Square

Abstract

Students’ desertions can be a threat to the proper functioning and management of a Higher Educational Institution. Based on the theoretical model named the Relationship Quality-based Student Loyalty that combines relationship marketing to educational studies retention constructs, the main objective of this study is the evaluation of the Relationship Quality-based Student Loyalty constructs in a Brazilian Higher Educational Institution reality and the identification of significant differences when evaded and nonevaded students groups are compared. A survey was carried out with 314 undergraduate students along with their secondary data. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Square technique to test the model validity, Partial Least Square–Multiple Group Analysis to compare groups, and Mann–Whitney U test to identify significant differences in the parameters. Six of the eight hypotheses were entirely or partially confirmed. Those results can help educational managers to adopt a different positioning about student retention factors, in attempt to improve commitment and perceived quality.