Yogyakarta – Friday, May 3, 2019 Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc., became a candidate in the open defense for doctoral promotion at the Doctoral Program of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc., is a student of Management Science Doctoral Program and a Lecturer of Ambon. Officially holding his 4436th doctorate at Gadjah Mada University, and the 269th at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada with a very satisfying predicate with the dissertation title “Model of Social Identity and Consumer-Brand Connectivity in Brand Communities”. The promoter team consisted of Prof. Basu Swastha Dharmmesta, MBA., Ph.D. as a promoter, Sahid Susilo Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Bayu Aji Aritejo, S.E., M.M., M.Sc., Ph.D. as co-promoter.
Open doctoral promotion exam was opened by the examining team leader Prof. Mahfud Solihin, Ph.D., Deputy Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, and was attended by the promoter team. In addition, there were also examiners and assessment teams, Nurul Indarti, Sivilekonom., Cand., Merc., Ph.D., Bayu Sutikno, MSM., Ph.D., Dr. Sari Winahjoe S., MBA., Dr. Suci Paramitasari Syahlani, MM. The promoter team, the testing team, and the assessment team tested Dr. Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc. by asking questions.
Using the survey method with 514 samples and data analysis on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Dr. Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc. aims to integrate social identity theory and the concept of brand consumer connectedness in the context of the brand community. The second objective is to reveal the role of brand stickiness, brand community identification, brand community togetherness, brand love, brand community, brand love, brand community commitment in predicting and explaining brand commitment. There are 9 (nine) research hypotheses that will be tested with results, namely: i) in the context of the brand community social identity theory can be integrated with the concept of consumer-brand connectedness; ii) brand adherence, identification of brand communities and brand love is a strong predictor of brand community togetherness; iii) brand adherence has a greater influence on brand commitment than a sense of brand togetherness, brand love and brand community. Even so, Dr. Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc. suggested that in the next study include brand communities formed online where social interactions occur only online.
Prof. Basu Swastha Dharmmesta, MBA., Ph.D. as a promoter congratulated and advised Dr. Arthur Sitaniapessy, M.Sc. in order to always uphold noble character and be highly educated at the closing of the promotion open examination.
