Service quality, country image, and word-of-mouth communication in higher education

Countries can provide education services in other countries, whether for profit or otherwise. Thus, the relationship between perceived educational service quality (PESQ), country image (CI) and word-of-mouth communication (WOM) are discussed from different perspectives in the study. By examining these relations, this paper aims to contribute to the education services strategies of countries within the framework of the marketing discipline in higher education (HE). Research data were obtained from students in the preparatory foreign language class at a state university in Kyrgyzstan (n=103). Data were collected using questionnaires, and hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model. The findings obtained in this study showed that the students’ PESQ positively affected the CI concerning the provision of education services and their WOM. The CI partially mediated the relationship between students’ PESQ and their WOM.