The mediating role of internal customer satisfaction in the effect of corporate entrepreneurship and internal marketing on word of mouth marketing in higher education

The aim of this study is to determine whether internal customer satisfaction has a mediating role in the effect of corporate entrepreneurship and internal marketing on word of mouth marketing in higher education. Data were collected from 407 academicians at İnönü University using the survey technique. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS Process v2.16.3 plug-in. Corporate entrepreneurship, the first independent variable of the research, consists of two factors. These factors are "scientific and technological research competence", "economic contribution and commercialization" respectively. The second independent variable, internal marketing, consists of a single factor: internal communication, motivation and job satisfaction. The independent variable, word of mouth marketing, consists of three factors. These factors are respectively "positive word of mouth marketing", "scope of word of mouth marketing" and "negative word of mouth marketing". Internal customer satisfaction, which is the mediator variable has a single factor. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that all dimensions of corporate entrepreneurship affect all dimensions of word-of-mouth marketing. It has been determined that all dimensions of internal marketing affect all dimensions of word of mouth marketing. It has also been determined that corporate entrepreneurship and internal marketing affect internal customer satisfaction. Additionally, it has been satistically determined that internal customer satisfaction has a mediating role in the effect of corporate entrepreneurship on word-of-mouth marketing. It has also been satistically determined that internal customer satisfaction has a mediating role in the effect of internal marketing on word of mouth marketing. Finally, it has been observed that internal customer satisfaction has a mediating role in the effect of corporate entrepreneurship and internal marketing on word of mouth marketing.