Promoting Parental Loyalty Through Social Responsibility: The Role of Brand Trust and Perceived Value in Chinese Kindergartens.

The role of social responsibility in kindergartens is critical for fostering parental loyalty, especially amid declining enrollment rates in China. However, the relationship between kindergarten social responsibility, brand trust, perceived value, and parental loyalty is not well understood. This study investigates the influence of kindergarten social responsibility on parental loyalty, focusing on the mediating roles of brand trust and perceived value. A nationwide survey was conducted, collecting 745 valid responses from parents across 27 provinces in China. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro, with mediation effects tested via the bias-corrected nonparametric percentile bootstrap method. The findings reveal that kindergarten social responsibility significantly enhances parental loyalty both directly and indirectly through brand trust and perceived value. Brand trust was identified as the strongest mediator, particularly in non-inclusive kindergartens, where its effect on loyalty was more pronounced. The study also found that parents with higher education levels and higher income tend to have lower perceptions of social responsibility and perceived value, affecting their loyalty. These results suggest that kindergartens must tailor their social responsibility strategies to different parent demographics and kindergarten types to maximize parental loyalty. The study emphasizes the importance of social responsibility in strengthening parental loyalty, with specific implications for inclusive and non-inclusive kindergartens. By understanding the mediating roles of brand trust and perceived value, kindergartens can develop targeted strategies to improve competitiveness and parental engagement.