Stakeholder Perspectives on Rankings of Higher Education Institutions: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Çağlayan M., ÇAĞLAYAN E., Acartürk C.

Research in Higher Education, vol.66, no.3, 2025 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 66 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11162-025-09838-6
  • Journal Name: Research in Higher Education
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, Applied Science & Technology Source, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo
  • Keywords: Higher Education Institution Rankings, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2)
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study analyzes the factors influencing the stakeholder perspectives on of Higher Education Institution (HEI) rankings, reporting data collected from 1232 participants through a survey method and employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model and complementary models for the analyses. Our primary focus was to identify the relationships between various predictor variables influencing the perception of HEI rankings. We analyzed how demographic variables, such as age, gender, job experience, and employment status, might moderate these relationships. The key findings show that certain model dimensions, such has Performance Expectancy, Price Value, Habit, Hedonic Motivation, Perceived Information Quality, Perceived Trust, and Awareness significantly influence participants’ behavioral intentions and actual use of the HEI rankings. Overall, this study provides a quantitative perspective to perception of HEI rankings from a stakeholders’ point of view, reflecting similarities and differences among various participants.