From scandal to redemption: Exploring word-of-mouth effects on professor brand equity in Indonesia

Bad news about professor scandals can damage the brand of professors in Indonesia. This study aims to explore the relationship between negative word of mouth (NWOM), positive word of mouth (PWOM), satisfaction (SAT), commitment (COMM), trust, and reputation (REP) to professor brand equity (PBE). This study included 306 students selected through convenience and snowball sampling. The analysis employed the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. We found that trust affects commitment, and professor reputation affects student trust. Student satisfaction with academic services has a huge effect on commitment, trust, reputation, and PBE. NWOM has no effect on all of these variables, except for PWOM, which affects REP and PBE. Further, in male students, the effect of satisfaction on PBE tends to be greater than that of female students. The findings make a theoretical contribution to the study of professors as a personal brand.