Key Factors To Consider While Navigating The International Student Market

 

There are many benefits associated with the provision of education services across borders. International education contributes positively to a country’s social, cultural, intellectual as well as economic engagement with the world. A country’s competitiveness in the global economy depends, among other things, on international and cross-cultural awareness on the part of its citizens (Australian Government, 2003).

 

Through interaction with international counterparts, and the provision of diverse cultural and social perspectives to the learning experience that often results, international education helps enrich the educational experience of both students and staff. It thus helps in building up and strengthening under- standing of other cultures as well as in promoting the development of national, institutional, and personal ties that make it easier to do business or form business partnerships internationally. The provision of international education services through trade also contributes to revenue growth on the part of the providers.

With the realization of how important the international student market is globally, many host countries now have national bodies, supported by government and educational institutions, whose main aim is to promote the nation’s education and research capabilities internationally. 

 

As competition in the international provision of education intensifies, success in acquiring and retaining International students will depend on the ability of a country and/or institution to invest their resources to understand and develop solutions that will enable them to respond to the needs of the market. 

 

A useful way to gain an understanding of the student recruitment market is to have a clear grasp of their choice and decision-making processes (Maringe 2006). It is very important for marketers to know the factors influencing the purchase intention of students and to understand the nature of the relationship among the factors (Cubillo et al. 2006). 

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) traditionally defines marketing as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customer requirements profitably (CIM, 2005). In 2007 they proposed a new definition that defined marketing as the strategic business function that creates value by stimulating, facilitating, and fulfilling customer demand (MyCustomer.com, 2007). 

 

They noted that marketing does this by building brands, nurturing innovation, developing relationships, creating good customer service, and communicating benefits. Armstrong and Kotler (2009) defined marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society. Marketing principles are thus applicable to both profit-oriented and non-profit-oriented firms, including private and public institutions.

Unlike physical goods, services typically carry three main characteristics that make their marketing special. These characteristics include inseparability, variability, and intangibility (Lamb et al, 2008; Lovelock and Wright, 2002; Bateson, 1995). The inseparability aspect of services means that services are often produced and consumed simultaneously, thus students or potential students experience the quality of the service while they are receiving it. The variability characteristic is because it is difficult for a service provider to deliver consistent performance and quality. 

 

Mavondo et al. (2000) noted that service performance in higher education may vary from day to day and from office to office as well as from faculty to faculty. Services are intangible in that they cannot be touched or seen. This evaluates service before making the purchase rather difficult. Lamb et al. (2008) noted that customers’ perceptions of a firm’s service are influenced by tangible elements often referred to as ‘cues’. In education services, these cues may include things like physical facilities, staff profiles, and publications. As countries and institutions compete to be the favored service providers, it becomes imperative that the cues be properly managed to send the right message about the service.

The decision to study abroad is one of the most significant and expensive initiatives that students may ever undertake (Mazzarol 1998). Studying abroad is not a frequent purchase decision and the high costs often associated with it make it a complex decision to make requiring deeper buyer deliberation before making the final decision. The decision process through which international students move when selecting a study destination involves three distinctive stages, namely deciding whether to study abroad or locally; deciding on the country to study in; and finally deciding on the institution to study with (Mazzarol and Soutar 2002). Customers in high-involvement decision-making cases want to be convinced that the benefits are worth the risk before they commit themselves to using one service provider and not the other.

 

When considering the core benefit associated with education Binsardi and Okwulugo (2003) noted that students are not buying a degree but the benefits that a degree can provide in terms of employment, status, and lifestyle among others. A host of factors may thus influence the decision to study abroad. The key driver for international flows of students from Asia and Africa has been difficulties associated with access to higher education (Mazzarol and Soutar 2002). As demand often exceeds supply capacity by far, the local entry requirements are often set too high and this may force students to seek higher education services abroad. 

Research shows that although supply-related conditions in the home country influence the decision to study abroad, the most important factors are those related to the conditions abroad. Students irrespective of group, mainly look to opportunities to enhance their career prospects through acquiring high-quality education with qualifications that are recognized worldwide. 

 

The experience of studying abroad and its associated benefits is also important for most students. Apart from supply conditions in the home country, perceptions of the quality of the tertiary education system available in the home country are an important factor in the decision to study abroad (Lee and Tan 1984). 

 

In her study, Bourke (2000) found that most students in the pre-departure stage held the opinion that there were better educational facilities abroad. McMahom (1992) found that the flow of students abroad is related among other factors to the relative sizes of the students’ home economy compared to the host countries with most students going to countries more economically developed than theirs. 

 

It should however be noted that even when domestic supply conditions are favorable or not students may seek studies abroad for other personal benefits which may include learning or practicing foreign languages; learning about new cultures; the need to broaden personal experience or be independent; enhanced career prospects and status implied in studying abroad (Krzaklewska and Krupnik, 2005; Bourke 2000; Kemp et al., 1998). 

 

International education helps equip students with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for one to be well-integrated into an international workforce. Countries and institutions have a vested interest in understanding the factors that influence student application and enrolment decisions (Des Jardins et al., 1999). 

Knowledge of these factors will enable countries and institutions to ensure that there is a match between what the individual is looking for and what the country or institution can offer. This will help render recruitment efforts more effective especially in terms of ensuring effective use of limited financial and non-financial resources. It will also help avoid unnecessary retention problems that may result if there is no match between the two factors.

 

A comprehensive study of over 3,400 participants enrolled in International Education Students (IES) programs from 1950 to 1999 (Dwyer and Peters) showed that studying abroad “is usually a defining moment in a young person’s life and continues to impact the participant’s life for years after the experience” (2004: 56). Dwyer and Peters found support for the “more is better” approach in that longer stays produced a more lasting impression. However, today many students are opting for shorter experiences abroad during their education for a variety of reasons, such as financial, curricular, and family issues. 

 

Studying abroad is an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves, build self-confidence, meet new people, and experience new cultures along with numerous other positive outcomes