1.

The relationship between perceived quality and perceived value:

In the past findings, perceived product quality is a controversial issue for both
producers and marketers as perceived quality could provide a chance for distinction.
Perceived quality has been defined as the consumer's judgment about a product's overall
excellence or superiority (Zeithaml, 1988). A study by Toivonen (2012) refer that the
quality of a tangible product can be determined by its technical characteristics and its
performance aspects. Conversely, some studies such as one by Sweeney, Soutar, and
Johnson (1999) identified the ease of use and suitability of product features to the
individual's needs as important contributors to product quality. Likewise, aspects such as
product flawlessness, endurance, appearance and distinctiveness are among some of
attributes associated with product quality (Grewal, 1997; Miyazaki et al., 2005; Roest &
Rindfleisch 2010; Bao, Bao & Sheng 2011).
Under a developed theory of Sofiyya Mazlan et al. (2016), it showed that when the
quality of a product perceived by consumers becomes higher, the perceived value
increases, and the purchase intention also increases. In other words, there is a linkage
between perceived quality and perceived value (Chen & Chen, 2010). More so, the
perceived product quality is a meaning of what the consumers perceive to be valuable
attributes of the products (Woodall, 2003; Kuo, Deng & Wu, 2009; Lu & Hsiao, 2010).
This conclusion is supported by Toivonen (2012) as rational buyers choose the product
providing the highest value with reference to the functionality that the total product offers
them. It is therefore expected that perceived product value has sometimes conceptualized
the buyer’s judgement in the context of perceived product quality and market price, and
the relationship between them (Sweeney & Soutar, 2001; Woodall, 2003). In this study,
along with the concepts of perceived quality and perceived value, it is suggested that
when students perceive a product to be of good quality in terms of its attributes the
students are likely to perceive it to be valuable. Based on the above, the present work
argues:
Hypothesis 1: Perceived quality is positively related to perceived value.