Human Capital as a Branding Driver: An Empirical Analysis of Faculty Attributes in HEIs

Abstract In the increasingly competitive landscape of higher education, institutional branding has become a crucial differentiator that influences student choice, institutional reputation, and stakeholder trust. This study investigates the role of human capital, specifically faculty attributes, as drivers of brand perception in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Drawing on the assurance dimension of the SERVQUAL model, this study examined the impact of faculty teaching experience (A3) and academic qualifications (A4) on HEI branding (B6). Data were collected from 412 respondents and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman correlations, and multiple regression analysis. Findings reveal that both teaching experience and qualifications are perceived positively, with mean scores of 4.39 and 4.30, respectively. Correlation analysis showed statistically significant, yet moderate, positive associations between these faculty attributes and institutional branding. Regression results indicate that both variables significantly predict brand perception, with teaching experience having a slightly stronger impact (β = 0.161, p = .004) than academic qualifications (β = 0.112, p = .041). The combined model explains 5.6% of the variance in branding (R² = 0.056), suggesting that, while faculty characteristics contribute to branding, they are part of a broader set of brand influencers. These findings underscore the strategic importance of human capital in shaping institutional identities and credibility. HEIs are encouraged to invest in faculty recruitment, development, and visibility as part of their branding strategy, especially in markets in which educational quality and institutional trust are closely tied to faculty excellence.