The impact of extra-curricular activity on student loyalty

Higher education institutes around the world are adjusting to a rapidly changing environment caused by macro level trends such as massification and marketization. As part of this process, higher education institutions are seeking to enhance the student experience and build deeper, mutually beneficial relationships with their alumni. This involves encouraging loyalty in students and alumni from the outset of the relationship. This paper studies the impact of extra-curricular activities on students’ loyalty to their educational institution. A quantitative survey was conducted in an Irish HEI (n = 798) and a French HEI (n = 670). The data collected suggests that participation in extra-curricular activities has a significantly positive effect on student’s loyalty to their institution which we posit will enhance their loyalty as eventual alumni. Institutional loyalty is culturally sensitive and needs to be managed as such, but the effect of participation in extra-curricular activities on loyalty is consistent across cultural contexts. These findings suggest that institutions should support extra-curricular activities as an investment in building loyalty in students and alumni.