Marketing Strategy for the UK Universities - Dissertation Example

?5 Conclusion With the aim to recommend the appropriate marketing strategy for the UK universities following the global recession, four objectives were set out in the first chapter. In the past, even during the Asian financial crisis, student inflow in the UK had decreased while Australia had gained in the process. UK’s economy is impacted by the inflow of overseas students as it has achieved only marginal growth in international students’ enrolment. Hence it is vital that the student inflow keeps growing. All the four objectives of the paper have been achieved. The study adopted a qualitative approach through which both primary and secondary data were collected. Quality interview of one executive at the college was conducted and data from the students were collected through survey questionnaires. The role of the researcher was restricted to a participant observer. Secondary data has been obtained through extensive research on the academic libraries. The first objective was to evaluate the current international marketing strategy adopted by universities globally. The study finds that the education sector does not follow the traditional marketing framework. The students are different from customers and the HEIs are different from consumer products. The HE products are intangible which restrict the application of the marketing principles. Consequently the marketing mix and the targeting and positioning also differ. The marketing principle suggests that all marketing activities should be geared towards what the consumer wants. The consumer should attain the different levels of benefits from the marketing efforts of the organization. Thus, the HEIs now go in for accreditation, which enhances the image of the institution. Students are more concerned with the image and reputation of the university and they seek reviews from past students before they make their decision. Relationship marketing has been adopted by many universities as consumers seek a closer relation with the institution they would be going to. Overseas seminars have been found to be an effective way to reach out to the consumers which also enables first-hand contact with the college authorities. The colleges should also distribute more of the prospectus with details of the standing of their past students. The prospectus could become an advertising medium and reach those nations and consumers who may never have heard of the college. The second objective was to evaluate the drivers of change in the current environment. Globalization, competition and marketization have altered the way academic institutions reach out to the students. Education is now a global, market-oriented, private industry and international mobility of students have driven change in the sector. Since the education sector adds to the GDP of most nations, governments are also changing their policies and procedures for this sector. Apart from adding to the GDP, the education sector also contributes in other ways to the nation’s growth. Singapore for instance, benefits from international competitiveness in innovativeness and technology. As competition increased and other nations stepped in, the UK authorities introduced scholarships for achieving higher levels of market share. Fees are steep in the UK and deter many students from enrolments. The private institutions do not have any cap on the fees the can charge and on the number of international students they can take in. This benefits the UK economy and hence government support should be forthcoming even for the private institutions. The curricula have been found to be lacking in practical experience although the universities claim that the teaching faculty is from the business world. However, circumstances such as these have forced the colleges to ensure that teachers have sufficient practical experience before they join an institution. The third objective was to determine the factors that influence the location decision in the field of tertiary education. Immigration formalities are lengthy, rigorous and time-consuming. This can detract a student from applying to the UK especially when they hear of the lengthy process from others. Social networking has impacted how students make their decision and reviews are readily available on the net. The colleges may want to internationalize but market selection is critical to the success. When students converge at an HEI they tend to view things and accept situations based on their home culture. Their initial decision too is based on the assumption that they would find things as at home but this may not always be true. Enrolments at universities are to a large extent influenced by the fees. Courses on offer are another factor that influences the location choice. Colleges thus have to review and alter their course content and curricula to keep pace with the changing trends. Students also rely on recommendation about the institute and on the reputation of the institute. Besides, having a local representative with whom to discuss and clarify doubts adds immensely to the image of the college. This enhances the confidence level of the students thereby affecting the location decision. The fourth objective was to evaluate the forces that influence change at the target sending countries/host countries. Changes have occurred in most developing economies where education levels are high. Students demand better quality and want to enter different professions. They look for challenges and seek better opportunities. The economies have grown which means the spending power has increased. Overseas education has become affordable for any countries such as India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, certain developing nations still have to face strict formalities in processing the immigration papers for students. The study concludes that various factors have influenced change in the education sector. The students have become more vocal and demanding. They desire more courses on offer as well as on-campus facilities including better teaching staff. They want reduced paper work and immigration formalities to deal with. Maintaining reputation of the college is critical and reputation should be used in all promotional programmes. As suggested, detailing the positions held by the past students in the college prospectus adds to the image of the college. However, the students too must be carefully selected so that their needs are met. Slight changes in the price (fees), prominence, people and the promotional mix could help the UK universities to gain back their market share. 5.2 Recommendations for the college West London College of Business & Management Science (WLSBMC) needs to augment its offerings and alter the marketing mix to increase enrollments and enhance the student base. Although most students agree that the teaching faculty comes with experience, some do not appear to be convinced. To enhance the qualifications of the faculty, the teaching faculty should be encouraged to participate in international teaching exchange, in conferences and in seminars (Brookes & Becket, 2011). Content mapping of the programmes should be conducted regularly. The universities should also provide with entrepreneurial experience throughout the education which will help the students to develop the relevant skills while enhancing the feasibility of self-employment (Davey, Plewa & Struwig, 2011). To further enrich the student experience, the universities should align the students with local entrepreneurs. Placement services do not seem to be popular in the UK. Alliance with industry partners can increase the job prospects for the students while enriching them with practical experience. This could increase enrolments as some students have expressed dissatisfaction because of lack of this service. Since there is no cap in the UK on the number of international students in private colleges, the college under study should focus more on overseas seminars in developing countries so that they could attract large number of students from these countries. Fees however should be affordable but they could have alliances with industry partners and offer scholarships. Students who qualify for such scholarships could be assured of placements with the partner organization. In fact, it can even be binding upon him to serve the partner organization for a fixed period in exchange for the scholarship. Print media appears to be an outdated mode of advertising and hence should be replaced with new age techniques such as blogs and other forms of social media networking. Students often like to communicate and receive reports about the college before they even apply and many times after their admission application have been accepted. Thus, the college should have its own forum where the past students write reviews and to which the potential students should have access. This would also be better than exit interviews that the college conducts now. Many may not be willing to express their dissatisfaction verbally or on the feedback form while leaving the university. A blog or a forum however, is more personal and one tends to express innermost feelings for which they feel strongly. The college too comes to know of the areas where immediate attention is needed and where they should alter their strategy. Before enrolling students, the university could conduct telephonic interviews which would serve to enhance the image of the university in two ways. The university ensures that the right students are taken in for the right courses and they do not accept students just to fill the seats. No desperation on the part of the university is evident. This would give the university an ethical stand which adds to the reputation of the university. 5.3 Limitations of the study Each research method has its own advantages and disadvantages. No research method is flawless or complete in itself. More sub-categories could have been created for this study. Inclusion of some more colleges could have presented a more realistic picture. At least an interview of a principal of another college could have added value to the current study. The number of respondents to the survey has been low despite channelizing the questionnaires through the college administration office. This shows that students are reluctant to participate in such studies. This could possibly be because they were not well-informed about the purpose of the study. The time given for the responses too could have been short as all may not access their mails every day. Moreover, it is now known whether all have registered true opinions. Sometimes, out of fear or some other apprehension, students tend to give answers that are not honest. This can change the outcome of the study and render the study redundant. Random interviews of some students from different campuses could have perhaps provided better insight as they would tend to be honest, especially when they are not granted any time to think and respond. The study has not gathered data on male-female student ratio. It has also not collected data on the education background of the students before enrolling at this college. This would further enable to understand which categories of students come to this college and then the college could focus its efforts in that direction. 5.4 Recommended area for further study on the subject To further enhance the possibilities of increased enrollment at the UK colleges, student-experience is essential. A study focused on students from different batches could be conducted where more insight could be gained. It would also demonstrate if the college had revised its curricula and changed strategy over the years. Another area of study could be to evaluate the courses that students from a particular region opt for. This could help the UK universities focus on those courses while announcing admissions from that region. To further enhance the experience of the students, data should also be gathered from the faculty on their experience with students from different cultural backgrounds. The faculty could provide valuable insight into how the students respond to different subjects and where improvements could be brought about. 5.5 Reflective learning Carrying out this study has been of tremendous interest and I have learned a lot throughout the study. It has also provided me with an opportunity to apply the theories in conducting a real study. The first hurdle that I had to cross was to get the proposal right. To prepare the proposal I had to choose a subject that would be of interest to me in conducting the study while also ensuring that the subject was of relevance to the society and the businesses today. Fortunately, after some deliberations with my supervisor, I did hit on the right subject. I realized at this point that merely deciding to conduct a study is not sufficient. If the subject is relevant it becomes interesting. Identification of the project requirement is the first step in conducting the study. No business function is independent of another and this holds true even in the education sector. Discussions on how to handle projects and the guidance that I received from my supervisor have helped me throughout the study. My supervisor has been very motivating at every step and guided me through the research. Researching and writing a dissertation requires patience and perseverance. Application of the theories practically is not an easy task. I needed to organize myself and I knew writing would come much alter. Once the proposal was through I needed to get started with the literature review, the most difficult part of the dissertation. This required gathering relevant data and when I started to do so, I found myself under a deluge of literature. I was dumb stuck and did not know where to begin. For a few days I was lost and at the end of the day I felt I had made no progress. I soon realized that I would have to manage time efficiently and this required that I set targets. At the end of the day I made a mental note of all that I had read and then penned down the salient features. As I read through marketing strategies in general and in particular the one applied in the education sector, I realized that knowledge of the marketing theories is merely awareness. This is not knowledge. When the information gathered can be rightly applied, that process is knowledge. I also understood the importance of strategy formulation and that the strategy has to differ across business environments. I understood details of how an organization can gain competitive advantage and how a changed strategy can attract more consumers. Before conducting this study my knowledge was limited to theoretical information and models but now I feel more competent to discuss on these theories and concepts. I also gained into sight into the difference between a product-oriented approach and a consumer-centered approach. I realized why organizations prefer long-term orientation rather than have a short-term focus. Competition should exist in any business environment as it brings out the best in the people and the processes. It paves the way for creativity and innovation. I have been listening and to some extent experiencing the benefits of social media marketing. Whenever I purchase some gadget or kitchen appliance I always read user reviews before making these decisions. I realize that these reviews are even more crucial for selecting something as vital as the college because herein rests the future of an individual. Social media can be a huge support to the existing marketing efforts in the education sector. In this competitive world having some point of differentiation is necessary and using latest internet technology could be one such technique. I had been watching universities globally conduct overseas seminars but little did I realize at that time how valuable these are. It does create an impression on the students and their parents and having a local representative makes immense difference to the status of the university. The entire study ash made me understand how the economic downturn can be turned to one’s advantage. Strategic planning can help an organization to tide over tough times. Writing the dissertation was another experience worth mentioning. Finding myself incompetent to do so, I went through several dissertations to view how they had been presented. By taking to my seniors I realized that it is best to write the literature review first as it helps in preparing the questions for the survey. It also lays the foundation of the study and one knows in which direction to move ahead. The entire process has been enriching. The concepts of marketing and strategy are now clear in my mind and I feel confident that I cuds apply them in real life situations. The knowledge of how the economic recession can impact so many vital sectors has been amazing. I could never fathom the intricacies involved in an economic recession. I have been equally benefitted from the information on how cultural backgrounds make a difference and how it impacts the student in take. These were issues which as students we would never give an importance to but now I realize how critical these issues are. I feel confident enough to step into the corporate world and start a career that could help me to enlighten others as well. 5.6 Implications of the study This study is based on literature review for the framework but has gathered fresh data from the students and the principal. This enhances its importance because real current students have responded to the questionnaires. The outcome of the study is relevant not just to the college under study but to the universities and colleges across the globe. The information assimilated here provides useful insight to many educational institutions and would help them devise their strategy carefully. Economic cycles are bound to exist and how an organization tackles the situation is what education is all about. It should serve as an eye-opener for the government in the UK because their policies have constrained the students’ involvement in the admission procedures. UK is fast losing out to nations such as Canada, Australia and Singapore. The universities should realize that a customer-centered approach is essential and that they need to satisfy the core wants of the students. In addition to changing the immigration formalities, the universities also need to ensure the on-campus facilities have to be enhanced/maintained. Employee involvement is critical to the growth of any sector and this is true for the education sector as well. The universities need to be adequately equipped to evaluate the current international marketing strategy. The needs of the markets have undergone tremendous change and the universities need to keep pace with such changes in demand. Read More