The impact of time on perceptions of educational value

Purpose – Despite current advances in the domain, little is known about the dynamic nature of the value construct, specifically the manner in which value perceptions change over time during the higher education consumption experience. This paper aims to examine the impact that emotions (affective states) and knowledge (cognitive influences) have on changes to the give and get dimensions of value, the respective impact of these on satisfaction, and the latter's influence on intention to recommend. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the UK education domain. Data were collected through a matched sample of 66 students at two points in time (at the start of the course and half way through) during a one‐year postgraduate course. The PLS approach to structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationships between the focal constructs. Findings – The results indicate differential impact of knowledge and emotions on the value dimensions at the two time points. Emotions are more dominant at time 1, while at time 2 the impact of emotions and knowledge on the value dimensions is comparable. There is significant increase from time 1 to 2 in six of the examined relationships while the reverse is found for only one relationship. The influence of satisfaction on intention to recommend increases significantly from time 1 to 2. Originality/value – To the knowledge of the authors, this research represents the first examination of value's temporal nature, in which the results provide empirical support for value as a dynamic phenomenon that is differentially influenced by cognitive and affective variables.