Campus Environment Matters: A Survey of Student Cultural Diversity Awareness in Four Kansas Public Universities

1. Campus Environment Matters: A
Survey of Student Cultural Diversity
Awareness in Four Kansas Public
Universities
Dr. Qingjiang (Q. J. ) Yao & Dr. Mary Martin
Fort Hays State University
Hays, Kansas

2. University Branding Matters
• Universities are working on branding
Cornell University’s “rebranding” program
UT-Austin’s “integrated communication initiative”
University of Huston’s 5-year, $5 million image campaign
Point Park University’s $1 million “branding campaign”
Trenton State University changed its name to College of
New Jersey; Beaver college changed its name to Arcadia
University.
Casey Western Reserve University and a even longer list…
• Diversity and multiculturalism are normally part of
the branding campaign, as a response to the change
of the population or as a strategy to stand ahead
(Howard-Hamilton, Cuyjet, & Cooper, 2011), e.g.,

3. Brand Identification &
Organizational Citizenship
• Brand Identification ---- How much public
identify with the organizational image ( Bergami
& Bagozzi, 2000; Mael, 1988)
Mass media coverage is critical to build university
image (Zivnuska, 2003) or evaluate its external
performances (Alessandri, Yang, & Kinsey, 2006)
Social media is particularly effective to build
organizational culture and brand identification
(Naslund, 2010)
• Organizational citizenship behavior ---- supports
beyond formal requirements (Hughes & Ahearne,
2010; Podsakoff, Mackenzie, Moorman, & Fetter,
1990):
A consequence of brand identification

4. Research Questions
• RQ1: How do campus and living environment
diversities influence cultural diversity awareness?
• RQ2: How do campus and living environment
diversities influence ethnic identity?
• RQ3: How do diversity and media-use variables
predict Brand identification?
• RQ4: How do diversity and media use variables
predict organizational citizenship behaviors?

5. Sample
• Sampling procedure:
Systematic e-mail sampling; I = 7.
Survey time: Oct 19-28, 2012, four waves.
• The sample:
Completed surveys: 1299; response rate = 14.9%
Sample coverage FHSU, KSU, PSU (4.9%), KU
(including KUMC).
Age: Mim = 18; Max = 63, M = 24.6, SD = 7.7; gender: F
= 59.1%, M = 40.9%
Analyses weighted on campus population
percentage, campus-wide undergraduate/graduate
ratio, and campus-wide gender ratio

6. Measurements
• Dependent Variables:
 University Brand Identification (α= .83, M = 8.74, SD =
3.22):
 On a scale of 1 to 7 indicate how your self-image
overlap with your university image
 Circle on the graph to the right
 Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (α= .83, M = 8.74,
SD = 3.22):
 Used name or logo at home, public setting, or
parties, recommended to friends or other people,
defended it from criticism, encouraged other
people to protect university image, protected its
image in personal time.
 Cultural Diversity Awareness: The Miville-Guzman
Universability-Diversity Scale
(Fuertes, Miville, Mohr, Sedlacek, & Gretchen, 2000; α= .85, M
= 67.23, SD = 10.16)
 Ethnic Identity:
The Multigroup Ethic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992; α= .90,

7. Measurement cont.
• Independent Variables:
Campus Diversity Index (α= .97, M = 24.17, SD = 5.68):
 Have a lot people from different ethnic, racial, and
cultural backgrounds
 People are from many different ethnic, racial, and
cultural backgrounds
Living Environment Diversity Index (α= .92, M = 25.46,
SD = 7.30):
 How many people from different cultural, ethnic, and
racial background or counties (none, a few, some, a
lot, or most)
 How many backgrounds or countries (one, 2-3, 4-6, 7-
10, or more)
 Hong long (1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-10, 11-15, or more years)

8. Measurement cont.
Social Media Use (α= .78, M = 12.90, SD = 4.46):
 checking-up; posting messages; posting
photos (0 = never; 7 = more than 2 times a
day)
Informational Media Use (α= .69, M = 25.35, SD =
8.83):
Consuming info from TV, radio, newspaper,
magazine, Internet/web, mobile devices (0 =
never; 8 = multiple times a day)
Diversity course taken
 Taken no, one required, one elective, or
more than one
Age (2012 – year of born)
Family income

9. Results
Level of Ethnic
Diversity
Awareness
Between
Undergraduate
Students and
Graduate
Students
Across Four
Universities

10. Results Count.
Notes: 0 = taking no course
with “diversity” or
“multiculturalism” on title
1 = taking one required
course,
2 = taking one elective
course
3 = taking more than one
courses

11. Results Count.
• Regression of Cultural Diversity Awareness
IV B SE Beta
Campus Diversity Index .12 .07 .06
Multigroup Ethnic Identity .04 .04 .03
Social Media Use .23 .09 .10**
Informational Media Use -.03 .04 -.03
Living Environment
Diversity Index *Year
.01 .01 .05
Diversity Course Taken 1.97 .29 .24***
Age .12 .05 .08*
Family Income -.57 .15 -.13***
Note: R2 = .09; *** = “p < .001”; ** “p < .01”; * = “p < .05”.

12. Results Count.
• Regression of Ethnic Identity
IV B SE Beta
Campus Diversity Index .45 .05 .29***
Cultural Diversity Awareness .03 .03 .03
Social Media Use .22 .07 .11**
Informational Media Use .07 .04 .07*
Living Environment Diversity
Index *Year
.01 .01 .07
Diversity Course Taken .36 .25 .05
Age .003 .04 .002
Family Income .18 .12 .05
Note: R2 = .12; *** = “p < .001”; ** “p < .01”; * = “p < .05”.

13. Results Count.
• Regression of University Brand Identification
IV B SE Beta
Cultural Diversity Awareness .01 .01 .04
Campus Diversity Index .01 .02 .01
Multigroup Ethnic Identity .08 .01 .22***
Social Media Use .04 .03 .06
Informational Media Use .06 .01 .16***
Living Environment Diversity
Index*Year
-.003 .002 -.06
Diversity Course Taken -.03 .10 -.01
Age -.03 .02 -.08*
Family Income .04 .05 .03
Note: R2 = .1; *** = “p < .001”; ** “p < .01”; * = “p < .05”.

14. Results Count.
• Regression of University Organizational Citizenship
IV B SE Beta
University Brand Identification 1.36 .08 .51***
Cultural Diversity Awareness .07 .03 .09**
Campus Diversity Index -.07 .05 -.05
Multigroup Ethnic Identity .07 .03 .07*
Social Media Use .12 .06 .06
Informational Media Use .14 .03 .15***
Living Environment Diversity
Index*Year
<.001 .005 -.001
Diversity Course Taken .35 .21 .05
Age -.12 .04 -.10**
Family Income .08 .11 .02
Note: R2 = .38; *** = “p < .001”; ** “p < .01”; * = “p < .05”.

15. Discussion
• Encouraging students taking diversity courses or use
social media may can cultivate cultural diversity
awareness
• Diversified campus, more social and informational media
use may cultivate ethnic identity.
• Confidence in one’s own cultural heritage and the volume
of using mass media for informational purpose positively
predict students’ brand identification with the university.
This suggests the university to use public relations
programs
• Brand identification, cultural diversity awareness,
confidence in one’s own cultural heritage, and traditional
media use may lead to supporting, promoting, and
protecting the university's name, logo, and image
 Limitation: cross-section study; no causal conclusion.

16. References
• Alessandri, S. W. (2007). Retaining a legacy while avoiding trademark infringement: A case study of one university’s attempt to develop a consistent
athletic brand identity. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 17 (1), 147-167.
• Alessandri, S, W., Yang, S, & Kinsey, D. F. (2006). An integrative approach to university visual identity and reputation, Corporate Reputation Review, 9 (4),
258-270.
• Benneit, R. & Ali-Choudhury, R. (2009). Prospective students’ perceptions of university brands: An empirical study. Journal of Marketing for Higher
Education, 19, 85-107.
• Bergami, M & Bagozzi, R. P (2000). Self-categorization, affective commitment, and group self-esteem as distinct aspects of social identity in the
organization”, British Journal of Social Psychology, 39(4), 555-77.
• Bergstrom, A., Blumenthal, D., & Crothers, S. (2002). Why internal branding matters: The case of Saab. Corporate Reputation Review, 5 (2/3), 133-142.
• Bunzel, D. (2007). Beyond product’s brand management: Universities sell their brands. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 16(2), 152-153.
• Fuertes, J. N., Miville, M. L., Mohr, J. J., Sedlacek, W. E., & Gretchen, D. (2000). Factor structure and short form of the Miville-Guzman Universality-
Diversity Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 33, 157–169.
• Howard-Hamilton, M., Cuyjet, M., & Cooper, D. (2011). Understanding multiculturalism and multicultural competency among college students. In M.
Cuyjet., M. Howard-Hamilton., & D. Cooper (eds.) Multiculturalism on Campus : Theory, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating
Inclusion.Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
• Hughes, D. E. & Ahearne, M. (2010). Energizing the Reseller’s Sales Force: The Power of Brand Identification. Journal of Marketing, 74, 81-96.
• Judson, K. M., Aurand, T. W., & Gordon, G. L. (2009). Building a University Brand from within: University administrators’ perspectives of internal branding.
Services Marketing Quarterly, 30, 54-68.
• Konovsky & Pugh (1994). Citizenship behavior and social exchange. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 656-669
• Kreiner, G. E. & Ashforth, B. E. (2004). Evidence toward an expended model of organizational identification. Journal of Organizational Behavior. 25, 1-27.
• Mael, F. A. (1988). Orgnizational identification: Construct redifinition and a field application with orgnizational alumi. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
Wayne State University, Detroit.
• Mahnert, K. F. & Tores, A. M. (2007). The brand inside: The Factors of failure and success in internal branding. Irish Marketing Review, 19 (1&2), 54-63.
• Naslund, A. (2010, September - October). Social media from the inside-out. Communication World, 36 – 39.
• Organ, D. W. (1988a). Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
• Phinney, J. S. (1992). The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure: A new scale for use with diverse groups. Journal of Adolescent Research, 7, 156–176.
• Podsakoff. P. M. MacKenzie, S. B., Moorman, R. H., & Fetter, R. (1990). Transformational leader behaviors and their effects of followers’ trust in leader,
satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior Leadership Quarterly, 1: 107142.
• Punjaisri, K. (2007). The role of internal branding in the delivery of employee brand promise. Branding Management, 15(1), 57-70.
• Putnam, R. (2007). E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century --The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture. Scandinavian Political
Studies, 30 (2), 137-174.
• Sung, M, & Yang, S. (2008). Toward the Model of University Image: The Influence of Brand Personality, External Prestige, and Reputation. Journal of
Public Relations Research, 20 (4): 357-376.