Online student engagement and place attachment to campus in the new service marketplace: an exploratory study

Purpose The pandemic has accelerated the use of virtual learning spaces and led to rethinking post-pandemic course delivery. However, it remains unclear whether students’ online engagement in e-servicescapes can influence attachment a place, i.e. physical servicescape. This study conducted an exploratory inform place actor literature service context. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative survey design was used 98 usable responses were collected from undergraduate postgraduate students at major New Zealand university during COVID-19 2020. questionnaire consisted 23 items relating three dimensions student 19 referring six campus attachment. Findings Results indicate that classmate community lectures, student–student interactions, positively five attachment, including identity, dependence, affective social bonding memory, even though are physically not on campus. cannot expectation. Moreover, instructor (student–instructor interaction) (student–content lectures have insignificant impact Research limitations/implications emphasises dimension when interacting e-servicescapes. Person-based interactions more influential than content-based for engagement. Educational providers should integrate e-servicescape servicescape by encouraging contribute ecosystem well-being micro, meso macro levels. Originality/value indicates customer-to-customer interaction serves customer across digital realms process-based services like education.