Reversing student attrition intentions using university COVID-19 response: a serial mediation and multi-group analysis

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study offers a contemporary look at crisis response in higher education and demonstrates the marketing implications of universities’ crisis response. Using Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the link between university crisis response and student attrition through resilient coping and trust was examined. Data collected from 340 students were analysed to determine the specific indirect and serial mediation effects of university crisis response on student attrition intention. Results revealed that students’ resilient coping and trust individually and serially mediates the relationship between university crisis response and student attrition intention. A multigroup analysis also revealed that crisis response has a weaker effect on resilient coping for female students and a weaker effect on attrition intention for new students. Findings recommend among other things that crisis response mitigates student attrition through trust and coping, and that it should be tailored and gender-specific for effectiveness.