Wilmark Ramos

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study investigates the influences of university-generated social media content on students’ e-word-of-mouth behavior and student-university identification, and student-university identification on students’ e-word-of-mouth behavior. Understanding these relationships is crucial for enhancing institutional engagement and communication strategies in higher education, particularly in the Philippine context. Using predictive-causal and quantitative research design, the direct and indirect links between the latent variables of the structural model were estimated using partial least squares of 487 students at Tarlac State University in Tarlac City, Philippines, administered in November 2024. Results revealed significant relationship of university-generated social media content and e-word-of-mouth (β = 0.11, p < .001), university-generated social media content and student-university identification (β = 0.69, p < .001), student-university identification and e-word-of-mouth (β = 0.60, p < .001), and mediation of student-university identification between university-generated social media content and e-word-of-mouth (β = 0.42, p < .001), thereby supporting all the hypotheses. This research provides significant statistical evidence that social media content being generated by the university has an influence on the student-university’s identification and eWOM behavior. More importantly, the study reveals that student-university identification as mediator between university-generated social media content and e-word-of-mouth.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The rapid growth of social media has transformed consumer-brand interactions, making the study of attachment and consumer engagement highly relevant for emerging markets such as the Philippines. This research aims to examine how higher-order constructs of attachment (identity-based attachment and bonding-based attachment) influence consumer engagement with local brands on Facebook and, subsequently, how this engagement shapes purchase intention. To achieve this, a structured online survey was conducted among 386 Filipino Facebook users who actively followed at least one local brand page. Data collection took place between August and October 2024, employing purposive sampling to ensure the representativeness of engaged local brand consumers. The survey method was chosen to capture consumers’ psychological attachment and behavioural responses within an authentic digital setting. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the findings reveal that bonding-based attachment exerts the strongest influence on consumer engagement (β = 0.56, p < 0.01), while identity-based attachment also demonstrates a significant but comparatively weaker effect (β = 0.34, p < 0.01). Both attachment dimensions indirectly enhance purchase intention through consumer engagement (β = 0.302 for bonding-based attachment, and β = 0.186 for identity-based attachment), with consumer engagement itself emerging as a robust predictor of purchase intention (β = 0.542, p < 0.001). Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and income showed no significant moderating effects on the consumer engagement-purchase intention relationship. These results provide empirical support for the mediating role of consumer engagement in attachment-intention pathways, extending attachment theory into social media marketing and offering practical insights for brand managers in emerging economies.