Internal branding and students’ behavioral intention to become active member of university alumni associations: the role of students’ sense of belonging in Tanzania

Abstract

Seminal work in alumni engagement suggests that university alumni associations could boost the numbers of alumni who support their universities through cultivating active membership and participation. Nevertheless, scholars focus less on the driver behind students’ intention to become and participate as active members of university alumni associations. This study intends to fill the gap in knowledge by examining the influence of internal branding as the driver of students’ behavioral intention to become and participate as active members of university alumni associations when mediated with students’ sense of belonging. Using a cross-sectional survey, the study collected data from 501 students of two colleges of higher education sector in Tanzania and was analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. The findings indicate that internal branding as an inclusive approach in university branding influence students’ behavioral intention to become and participate as active members of university alumni associations when mediated with students’ sense of belonging. Therefore, HLIs should adopt internal branding procedures as a tool of internal management to cultivate students’ sense of belonging for building students’ behavioral intention to become and participate as active members of university alumni associations.