Technopreneurial Strategies Using Digitalization and Innovation to Strengthen Student Loyalty
Abstract
This study aims to explore the interaction between service quality and digital transformation in reconstructing students' loyalty in higher education, with a specific focus on academic and non-academic services at Indonesian universities. The theoretical framework integrates service quality dimensions, digital transformation concepts, and loyalty models to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these factors shape students' loyalty in the digital era. Utilizing a Grounded Theory approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with students, faculty members, and administrative staff. Data analysis involved open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to develop Digital-Service Synergy Theory explaining the loyalty reconstruction process. Findings indicate that while both service quality and digital transformation significantly influence student loyalty, their interaction creates a more complex dynamic that determines overall satisfaction and loyalty. Key factors influencing effectiveness include e-learning system quality, instructor responsiveness, technical support, and digital anxiety management. The study provides insights into optimizing the synergy between traditional service quality and digital transformation to enhance student loyalty and offers practical solutions for implementation challenges in higher education institutions.
Full text article
References
[1] Y. R. Daud and M. R. Mohd Amin, “Integrative conceptual framework of student loyalty, service quality, e-service quality and university image in open and distance learning,” Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 560–574, 2023.
[2] R. Supriati, N. Lutfiani, D. Apriani, and A. Rizky, “Utilizing the potential of blockchain technology for leading education 4.0,” in 2022 International Conference on Science and Technology (ICOSTECH). IEEE, Feb. 2022, pp. 01–08.
[3] T. R. Zeqiri, L. T. D. Dania, K. Adriana, K. Gagica, and K. Gleason, “The impact of e-service quality on word of mouth: A higher education context,” International Journal of Management Education, vol. 21, no. 3, 2023.
[4] S. Abdelnaeim, N. El-Bassiouny, and C. Hauser, “The role of service quality in achieving sustainable development goal 3: shaping students’ psychological well-being in an egyptian higher education context,” Management & Sustainability: An Arab Review, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 4–23, 2025.
[5] K.-S. Chen, C.-M. Yu, C.-H. Yu, and Y.-P. Chen, “Performance management decision-making model: Case study on foreign language learning curriculums,” Information, vol. 15, no. 8, p. 481, 2024.
[6] H. Kusumah, M. Alghifari, E. S. N. Aisyah, W. N. Wahid, A. Rizky, and A. Adiwijaya, “Leveraging smartpls and ai for educational model optimization,” in 2024 3rd International Conference on Creative Communication and Innovative Technology (ICCIT). IEEE, Aug. 2024, pp. 1–6.
[7] C. T. Tran, L. A. Vuong, M. P. Nguyen, N. N. Y. Ho, and T. L. A. Vu, “Factors influencing university student satisfaction with online learning in vietnam,” VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, vol. 40, no. 2, 2024.
[8] P. Dangaiso, F. Makudza, and H. Hogo, “Modelling perceived e-learning service quality, student satisfaction and loyalty: A higher education perspective,” Cogent Education, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 2145805, 2022.
[9] Y. B. Limbu and L. Pham, “Impact of e-learning service quality on student satisfaction during the covid-19 pandemic: A systematic review,” Knowledge Management & E-Learning, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 523–538, 2023.
[10] Y. Zhang, “Exploration of digital transformation path of civic education management in colleges and universities in the information age,” Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1–17, 2024.
[11] S. Zhang, T. Zhang, and X. Wang, “Ahp-based evaluation of discipline-specific information services in academic libraries under digital intelligence,” Information, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 245, 2025.
[12] N. K. A. Dwijendra, I. Vaslavskaya, N. V. Skvortsova, T. P. Rakhlis, U. Rahardja, M. H. Ali, A. H. Iswanto, L. Thangavelu, and M. M. Kadhim, “Application of experimental design in optimizing fuel station queuing system,” Industrial Engineering & Management Systems, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 381–389, 2022.
[13] S. Isniah, A. Supriatna, G. Prawesti, and H. Dhuha, “Assessing university service quality and student satisfaction using pls-sem,” Journal Industrial Servicess, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 85–94, 2025.
[14] M. K. Alrousan, A. Al-Madadha, M. H. Al Khasawneh, and A. A. Tweissi, “Determinants of virtual classroom adoption in jordan: the case of princess sumaya university for technology,” Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 121–144, 2022.
[15] S. Nikou and I. Maslov, “Finnish university students’ satisfaction with e-learning outcomes during the covid-19 pandemic,” International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 1–21, 2023.
[16] U. Rahardja et al., “Decision support system for ranking of students in learning management system (lms) activities using analytical hierarchy process (ahp) method,” in Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol. 1477, no. 2. IOP Publishing, 2020, p. 022022.
[17] I. J. Ismail, “Halal brand quality and halal food purchasing intention among university students: The moderating effect of customer-employee interactions,” Social Sciences & Humanities Open, vol. 11, p. 101352, 2025.
[18] H. V. Nguyen, T. D. Vu, M. Saleem, and A. Yaseen, “The influence of service quality on student satisfaction and student loyalty in vietnam: the moderating role of the university image,” Journal of Trade Science, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 37–59, 2024.
[19] N. Li, L. Li, X. Chen, and I. A. Wong, “Digital destination storytelling: Narrative persuasion effects induced by story satisfaction in a vr context,” Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, vol. 58, pp. 184–196, 2024.
[20] B. Siregar, N. R. Agustia, A. S. Harahap et al., “Multicultural approach in islamic religious education curriculum as an effort to strengthen content of tolerance and religious moderation,” Fitrah: Journal of Islamic Education, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 484–498, 2025.
[21] T. Yu, J. Dai, X. Chen, and C. Wang, “Factors influencing continuance intention in blended learning among business school students in china: Based on grounded theory and fsqca,” Interactive Learning Environments, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 1339–1366, 2025.
[22] A. Sahin, G. Imamoglu, M. Murat, and E. Ayyildiz, “A holistic decision-making approach to assessing service quality in higher education institutions,” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, vol. 92, p. 101812, 2024.
[23] R. M. Ambele, S. F. Kaijage, M. A. Dida, and L. Trojer, “Status of e-learning implementation to enhance learning in tanzanian university institutions,” International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 355–376, 2025.
[24] S. Cardona-Acevedo, E. Agudelo-Ceballos, J. T. Cumpa V´asquez, E. Mart´ınez Rojas, A. Valencia-Arias, J. A. Jimenez Garcia, and M. L. Benjumea-Arias, “E-learning technologies at the secondary education level: Literature review,” in Frontiers in Education, vol. 10. Frontiers Media SA, March 2025, p. 1539763.
[25] A. M. Abdo-Salloum and H. Y. Al-Mousawi, “Accounting students’ technology readiness, perceptions, and digital competence toward artificial intelligence adoption in accounting curricula,” Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 70, p. 100951, 2025.
[26] M. Yusuf, M. Yusup, R. D. Pramudya, A. Y. Fauzi, and A. Rizky, “Enhancing user login efficiency via single sign-on integration in internal quality assurance system (espmi),” International Transactions on Artificial Intelligence, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 164–172, 2024.
[27] S. J. Blanchard, N. Duani, A. M. Garvey, O. Netzer, and T. T. Oh, “New tools, new rules: A practical guide to effective and responsible generative ai use for surveys and experiments in research,” Journal of Marketing, vol. 89, no. 6, pp. 119–139, 2025.
[28] P. Rachman, M. Abidin, A. K. Soleh, and A. Murfi, “Balanced reputation management strategy: A cross-site case study of branding image for competitive advantage in indonesian islamic higher education institutions,” Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 15–34, 2025.
[29] N. Noor, “Halal service quality: systematic review, conceptual model and future research,” Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 2025.
[30] P. Ranaweera and M. Weerasinghe, “A conceptual framework and the curriculum for information literacy education in the sri lankan universities: a delphi study,” Journal of Information Management and Library Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 18–32, 2022.
[31] A. K. Singh, S. Raghuwanshi, S. Sharma, V. Khare, A. Singhal, M. Tripathi, and S. Banerjee, “Modeling the nexus between perceived value, risk, negative marketing, and consumer trust with consumers’ social cross-platform buying behaviour in india using smart-pls,” Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. e488–e488, 2023.
[32] F. T. Stephen, A. Y. Rasaki, and O. O. Olusegun, “Exploring the factors and effects of students’ loyalty to mobile network providers in lagos, nigeria: An investigative study,” Asian Journal of Probability and Statistics, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 103–121, 2025.
[33] T. T. O. Thai and A. Tho, “The impact of service quality on student retention: The mediating roles of student satisfaction and switching barriers in private universities,” Science Technology Development Journal, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 3315–3332, 2024.
[34] J. Chen and M. Kouhsari, “Demystifying the personal and social forces behind school digital transformation: An analysis of the job demands and resources theory through school leaders,” Computers & Education, vol. 228, p. 105232, 2025.
[35] T. Luque-Mart´ınez, L. Do˜na-Toledo, and N. Faraoni, “The digital future of spanish universities: facing the challenge of a digital transformation,” The Bottom Line, 2024.
[36] A. T. A. Dewi and M. Syafiih, “The future of education in the digital era: Between technological innovation and equitable access,” in Proceeding of International Conference on Education, Society and Humanity, vol. 3, no. 1, 2025, pp. 737–741.
[37] W. Shi and J. Lievens, “Gendered partner selection among overseas chinese in the west and the motivations behind it,” China Population and Development Studies, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 257–280, 2023.
[38] M. Toneatto, A. Bishop, and S.-h. Trinh, “Investigating the use of a conceptual framework for a positive psychology coaching practice using grounded theory: an international study,” J. Positive Psychol. Coach.(JPPC), vol. 1, pp. 1–27, 2024.
[39] L. Cortellazzo and S. Vaska, “Hrm practices in app work: exploring training and feedback in the food delivery ecosystem,” The Learning Organization, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 191–216, 2025.
[40] O. I. Ban, R. Hatos, N.-G. Bugnar, D. Sasu, A. L. Popa, and A.-F. Fora, “Evaluation of the quality of higher education services by revised ipa in the perspective of digitization,” Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 7, p. 3017, 2024.
[41] N. N. Rafiana, “Technopreneurship strategy to grow entrepreneurship career options for students in higher education,” ADI Journal on Recent Innovation, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 110–126, 2024.
[42] F. Yuan and M. S. Khan, “Investigating the impact of digital leadership on innovation performance of public universities in yunnan, china,” Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 1–16, 2024.
[43] N. Velu and A. Anuradha, “The analytical hierarchical process (ahp) approach to study the tourist choice behavior in rural southern india: Promoting responsible tourism practices,” Multidisciplinary Reviews, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 2025032, 2025.
[44] D. Luengo-Aravena, P. Cabello, and B. Rodriguez-Milhomens Bachino, “Online collaborative problem-solving as a tangible outcome of digital skills in technical and vocational higher education,” Computers & Education, vol. 218, no. August 2023, p. 105079, 2024.
[45] S. Watini, H. Latifah, D. Rudianto, and N. A. Santoso, “Adaptation of digital marketing of coffee msme products to digital transformation in the era of the covid-19 pandemic,” Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 19–33, 2022.
[46] K. Prachumrasee, P. Kamnuansilpa, and P. Setthasuravich, “Digital public service ecosystems in local governance: Insights from northeastern thailand’s local administrative organizations,” FWU Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 19, no. 2, 2025.
[47] H. Lu, T. Wu, X. Yao, C. Huangfu, C. L. Lange, and M. Kranzberg, “How and when digital transformation intensity influences employees’ safety-related helping behaviors,” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 215, no. 511, p. 124092, 2025.
[48] U. Rusilowati, U. Narimawati, Y. R. Wijayanti, U. Rahardja, and O. A. Al-Kamari, “Optimizing human resource planning through advanced management information systems: A technological approach,” Aptisi Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT), vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 72–83, 2024.
[49] M. ¨Ozer, A. ¨Ozer, and A. Koc¸ak, “Identification and emotional attachment in higher education: antecedents and consequences,” Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 264–288, 2023.
[50] European Students’ Union (ESU), “Policy paper on quality of higher education,” https://esu-online.org/policies/policy-paper-on-quality-of-higher-education/, 2025, policy paper adopted by ESU emphasising student-centred quality assurance and learning outcomes in higher education.
[51] T. Hongsuchon, U. Rahardja, A. Khan, T.-H. Wu, C.-W. Hung, R.-H. Chang, C.-H. Hsu, and S.-C. Chen, “Brand experience on brand attachment: The role of interpersonal interaction, feedback, and advocacy,” Emerging Science Journal, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 1232–1246, 2023.
Authors
Copyright (c) 2026 Ayun Maduwinarti, I.G.N. Andhika Mahendra, Dwi Cahyono, Cristino Gusmao

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This journal permits and encourages authors to post items submitted to the journal on personal websites while providing bibliographic details that credit its publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted to post their work online in institutional/disciplinary repositories or on their own websites. Pre-print versions posted online should include a citation and link to the final published version in Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication as soon as the issue is available; post-print versions (including the final publisher's PDF) should include a citation and link to the journal's website.