How South Korean Students Make Decision for Choosing Master Course Abroad - Dissertation Example

Internationally, higher education is experiencing significant changes, including the generation of partnerships (Newby, 2003), increased concentration on the universal market (Kwong 2000), and increased competition (Ehrenberg et al, 2006). Additionally, Baird (2006) denotes that higher education institutions also face financial pressures. These institutions are faced with increased prominence on technology, globalization, and transformation policies. Globalization has boosted competition by opening national and international boundaries.

This makes it essential for such institutions to market themselves effectively. It is imperative for institutions to assess and re-assess their marketing strategies aimed at attracting potential master’s students. Over the past few years, there have been increased promotions, advertisements, and other marketing stratagems evident in the higher education sector globally (Etzel et al, 2007). Moreover, it is necessary for higher education institutions to understand how to reach potential students and what to say in order to effectively communicate with them.

Putting into account all the difficulties that these institutions go through, it is apparent that they will have to turn out to be more market-focused (Lamb et al, 2005). An appropriate evaluation of the choice elements that South Korean students consider in choosing their master courses abroad, on top of the sources of information conferred with, will assist institutions to understand how to target the prospective students. Numerous researches have been carried out in the field of marketing for non-profit making organizations including universities.

Numerous scholars have examined the significance of institutional image in attracting students to choose the institution (Palacio et al 2002; Pabich 2003), on top of the choice aspects that students consider when registering with a university (Punnarach 2004, Gray & Daugherty 2004). Marketing has been the only medium employed by higher education institutions to communicate with prospective students. In reference to Abaya (2004), marketing a higher education institution is simple and multifaceted at the same time.

Higher education institutions subsist primarily to offer a unique educational and campus experience to students. For this reason, higher education institutions should have a marketing and communication stratagem in order to not only transmit and promote the corporate image of the university but also enlighten prospective students about the exceptional attributes of the institution that makes it an institution of choice. As earlier stated, it is these exceptional attributes or the choice aspects considered by South Korean students wishing to enroll for master’s courses abroad that were the impetus for this research.

In reference to Kotler and Armstrong (2001), an institution markets itself by structuring the company’s offerings in terms of the desires and wants of the target market, in addition to using effectual pricing, and communication in the market. A study carried out by Seymour (2000) revealed that higher education institutions employ numerous means to market their services, including web pages, word of mouth, open days, alumni networks, and adverts in the newspapers, radio, and televisions.