From support to advocacy: unpacking the mechanisms through which student support services trigger word-of-mouth marketing in technical universities

Purpose This study investigates how student support services (SSS) stimulate word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing in Ghanaian technical universities by examining the sequential mediating roles of student experience (SE) and student satisfaction (SS). Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT) and social exchange theory (SET), this study develops and tests a mechanism-based model linking institutional support practices to student advocacy behavior. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was adopted using survey data collected from 504 students across five public technical universities in Ghana. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine direct and sequential mediation effects. Findings The results indicate that SSS significantly influences SE, SS and WoM marketing. While SE positively predicts SS, it negatively influences WoM. SS emerges as the decisive mechanism translating SE into advocacy behavior (WoM). A significant sequential mediation effect suggests that SSS influence WoM indirectly through SE and subsequently SS. Originality/value This study extends the literature on higher education marketing by integrating SDT and SET to explain how internal support systems convert psychological fulfillment into external advocacy. By establishing SS as the critical conversion mechanism, the study positions SSS as a strategic institutional asset capable of generating authentic and sustainable promotional outcomes.