This study analyses the influence of informative content related to rankings, reputation, and recommendations on university websites, as well as how such information is presented. Experimental data were collected through eye-tracking techniques and a web-based questionnaire. Eye-tracking was used to examine how gaze objects affect visual attention patterns and users' cognitive processes. The results show that the central area of the screen attracted the highest level of attention, while other areas generated different degrees of visual interest. In addition, third-party recommendations appeared to be more stimulating than information about rankings or institutional reputation. These findings are relevant because students' assessment and choice of university often depend on information provided by independent rankings, reputation evaluations, and recommendations from others. Understanding these factors can help universities improve strategic planning, strengthen loyalty among their target audiences, and develop more integrated and coordinated communication policies. The study also highlights the importance of images and presentation formats in attracting attention and supporting recall.
Universities face increasing pressure to demonstrate sustainability commitments while remaining competitive in global rankings and cultivating strong reputations. This study develops a sustainability-aligned governance performance framework for private higher education groups that integrates governance, reputation management, and stakeholder communication. Built on Balanced Scorecard theory, the framework was developed through focus group discussions and refined through two rounds of Delphi consultation involving fifteen experts (eight higher education scholars and seven institutional leaders). The resulting system spans 5 dimensions - finance, stakeholder satisfaction, internal processes, learning and growth, and organizational governance - and comprises 16 secondary and 50 tertiary indicators, which were finalized after expert evaluation and refinement through the Delphi consultation process. The Delphi results highlight governance transparency, stakeholder-oriented performance indicators, and sustainability-related metrics as core components of effective governance. A subset of indicators reflects sustainability across governance, finance, and social domains. This multi-stage design, which includes literature review, expert input, Delphi consensus, and indicator weighting, ensures methodological rigor and provides a structured basis for aligning sustainability practices with institutional performance and reputational positioning.
The results of a recruiter behavior training program (RBTP) were reported to enhance informativeness and affective delivery in student recruitment, based on the elaboration likelihood model and instructional theory. Two longitudinal field experiments examined how the RBTP affected recruiters involved in student recruitment for a higher education institution (HEI). The pilot study included 86 recruiters who participated in a 1-h lecture. Recruiters who were trained through the RBTP engaged in more informative and affective recruitment interactions. The intervention study refined and expanded the RBTP to a total of 8 h and examined the effects of this on 100 recruiters. The findings showed that trainees continued to provide more informative and affective delivery for three months and that their enhanced recruitment behavior attracted more student applicants and promoted their pursuit intentions. These findings validate the recruitment-oriented RBTP as a feasible way of training recruiters to attract more applicants during student recruitment.
Internationalization of higher education is not a novel phenomenon, but with commercialization and commodification of higher education, the importance of marketing has become a central issue. Attracting an increasing number of students from different countries could mean competitive advantage for higher education institutions, some of which often rely on international students as a source of income. The aim of this research is to measure how the perceived importance of, and the role played by higher education marketing varies in the internationalization process of higher education institutions globally. The research examines data from the sixth global survey of the International Association of Universities with 722 participating institutions. Correlation, factor, and cluster analysis were run to determine the perceived importance of marketing in the internationalization activities of higher education institutions. Results indicate a significant perceived importance of marketing activities in internationalization, with distinct global university clusters emphasizing different aspects of marketing activities.
Legitimacy, understood as the social acceptance of organizational actions, has become a key source of competitive advantage for universities, particularly as sustainability and social impact gain prominence in global rankings. This study examines whether top-ranked universities, when sustainability-related criteria are considered, are also the most academically and socially efficient, and whether perceived legitimacy is associated with such efficiency in an increasingly competitive higher education environment. Academic and social efficiency are assessed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), while legitimacy is measured through sentiment analysis of news articles retrieved from the Lexis Nexis database using an artificial intelligence-based tool. The empirical analysis focuses on public Spanish universities. Results reveal a positive relationship between ranking position, perceived legitimacy, and academic and social efficiency. Academic reputation, research outputs, and graduate employability emerge as the most consistent drivers of both ranking performance and efficiency. However, the association with social efficiency is weaker, reflecting inconsistencies in sustainability-related key performance indicators and challenges in measuring and communicating universities' third mission, particularly their environmental and social impact. From a managerial perspective, the findings highlight the strategic role of external communication and stakeholder management in enhancing the visibility and perceived value of university outputs in research, teaching, and community engagement within a sustainability-driven media and ranking landscape.
While student satisfaction has long been at the centre of higher education research, there is limited research examining how satisfaction changes during times of disruption. In this study, we analyse how various dimensions of higher education students' satisfaction changed during a major disruption, based on an online survey of 7490 higher education students from six countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, the U.K. and the United States) during COVID-19. The analysis revealed that satisfaction with non-academic aspects decreased during this period, as expected, but surprisingly students' reported satisfaction with academic aspects generally held, and in some cases increased. We develop a modified version of expectation confirmation theory, based on the concept of 'adaptative expectations', to explain our results. The results indicate that although student satisfaction is often used as an indicator of institutional and teaching quality, this can be misleading, as environmental factors unrelated to higher education institutions' actions affect student satisfaction.
This article draws on a qualitative systematic literature review of 40 peer-reviewed articles across multiple disciplines to examine how higher education (HE) is framed within nation branding discourse. Using Kaneva's, N. (2011. Nation branding: Toward an agenda for critical research. International Journal of Communication, 5(25), 117-141. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/704/514) tripartite model of nation branding approaches as an analytical lens, we analyze how different perspectives assign roles to HE and reveal the close entanglement between nation branding and the internationalization of HE. We find that the economic-technical approach predominates, often portraying HE as an instrument of national competitiveness. The study identifies key conceptual and geographical gaps and suggests alternative perspectives that could enrich future scholarship and practice. It highlights the need for more inclusive and critically engaged approaches, particularly as global educational alliances, international student flows, and geopolitical landscapes continue to evolve.
This paper conceptualizes and empirically tests a model that examines oppositional behavior toward extracurricular activities (EAs) by integrating two separate streams of literature: higher education and sociology. Drawing on an empirical survey of 353 undergraduate students who hold leadership positions in EAs, this model was tested using structural equation modelling. The results suggest that identification with EAs influences the dislike of both other EAs and their members. Moreover, EA leaders who dislike other EAs and their members are more likely to engage in oppositional behavior - specifically, trash-talking other EAs. The results offer managerial implications as they shed light on a previously under-investigated phenomenon in the educational industry. The oppositional behavior construct and the resulting polarization of the student body may hold the potential to degrade the quality of students' out-of-class experiences.
Recent technological disruptions, especially artificial intelligence, have challenged the ideal of teaching-research nexus and how research and teaching should be organized in universities. In this theoretical paper, the organization of researchers and teachers is discussed in a novel way, adopting insights from sales organizations. By discussing the analogy of 'researchers as salespeople', 'teachers as customer success managers', and 'research and teaching enablement' - similar to a sales enablement function - this paper proposes a sales organization model of university research, teaching, and enablement. The model outlines how specific tasks of researchers and teachers make research and teaching more efficient and impactful, while at the same time acknowledging the benefits of targeted interactions between the roles. The research and teaching enablement function would enhance the productivity of researchers and teachers as well as cross-functional relationships between them. The model contributes to the inconclusive debate on teaching-research nexus and customer orientation in higher education.
Organizations often include a commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their sustainability policies. Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has extensively analyzed the effects of CSR on consumer behavior, research on the effects of the SDGs is lacking. This study analyzes the impact of SDG implementation on individuals' responses. Building upon a quantitative approach, an online questionnaire was distributed to 350 university students. Findings suggest that students positively value the involvement of their university in SDGs projects. Specifically, attitude toward the SDGs and project participation lead to higher satisfaction with the project, which then increases identification with the university. Thus, commitment to the SDGs at universities pays off not only in terms of students embracing sustainability values but also in terms of stronger connection to the institution. The implications for universities are clear, and may materialize in increased support, positive WOM, and advocacy behavior from students.
The concept of applied value in Higher Education has sparked extensive debate, focusing on its societal and individual benefits. This study explores four key approaches to value in scientific research: co-creation of value, social value, novel teaching techniques and technology, and the perceived value of universities among students and graduates. Using bibliometric analysis, the research examines the dominant perspectives in the literature and the multifaceted understanding of value in Higher Education. The study aims to (i) analyze the structural dynamics of research themes from 1979 to 2023 and (ii) identify emerging trends in the field over time. A sample of 848 papers from the Web of Science database was analyzed using SciMAT software, employing co-word analysis to assess keyword co-occurrence. Findings reveal that service and marketing paradigms dominate the literature, alongside substantial research on perceived value and its relationship with satisfaction. Additionally, recent trends highlight the increasing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, the dynamics of co-creation, and the effects of marketization, including pricing and resource allocation. This research offers insights into the evolving concept of value in Higher Education, emphasizing its complexity and ongoing transformation.
This study explores student perception and identification with cobranded HEIs in the UK. Due to the success of many international partnerships, domestic academic partnerships have increased tremendously in the UK. However, little is known about student perception and identification with cobranded HEIs in local academic partnerships such as in the UK. Semi-structured interviews are conducted to explore student perception of cobranded HEIs in the UK. Thematic analysis using QSR NVivo 12 is employed. Findings indicate factors that determine students' relationship with cobranded HEIs in the UK. Interview findings were shared with five academic experts to subjectively validate them for future empirical investigations. Theoretically, the study contributes to cobranding in higher education and corporate branding literature by showcasing the factors that influence students' decision to enrol in cobranded HEIs. Based on identified factors, academic managers can devise a marketing strategy to achieve competitive advantage, increase student recruitment and retain existing students.
This study synthesized and integrated findings from diverse research on the antecedents and moderators of student loyalty in the higher education sector. Through a comprehensive meta-analysis, the research sought to understand the primary drivers of student loyalty and the potential cultural and contextual indicators that might influence these relationships. This meta-analysis analyzed 103 studies involving over 54,000 students from over 60 countries across five continents. The study identified key antecedents of student loyalty. Satisfaction had the most influence on loyalty, followed by student engagement and perceived value. We also detected significant cultural and contextual moderators. This research offers a holistic view of student loyalty, bridging gaps from conflicting findings in prior literature.
Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study aims to explore how service quality and commercial friendship contribute to enhancing student loyalty and facilitating long-term positive relationships between universities and their students. It also examines the mediating role of trust in management policies and practices, as well as in faculty and staff within this framework. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses using the survey data collected from students in higher education institutions within Pakistan. The research reveals that service quality has a significant impact on students' loyalty to their university, with trust serving as a crucial mediator in this relationship. Conversely, commercial friendship does not directly influence student loyalty. However, trust in management policies and practices effectively bridges the gap between commercial friendship and student loyalty. These findings are pivotal for crafting effective student retention strategies. This study makes a unique contribution by identifying the pathways to student loyalty through service quality, commercial friendship, and trust in management and faculty. It represents the first empirical investigation into the role of individual-organizational factors in the context of educational services marketing, offering valuable insights for enhancing student retention efforts.
Colleges and universities in the United States spend over $2 billion annually on marketing and advertising. Increasingly, higher education institutions are turning to social media platforms, such as YouTube, to showcase their recruitment videos; however, to date, this body of persuasive messages has not been systematically surveyed. This study content analyzed a random sample of 251 videos promoting four-year institutions across the US that are accessible on YouTube, focusing on key persuasive factors, including the primary persuasive appeal used in the video, whether the persuasive message was stated directly or conveyed implicitly, and whether the presentation style was exposition- or narrative-based. Taking an integrative approach to content analysis, viewer responses (i.e. number of views, number of 'likes' and comments) were also captured and used as outcome variables in the current study. Our analysis revealed that college promotional videos tend to be brief, expository messages that explicitly encourage enrollment at the advertised schools. Additionally, institutions often promote their brands by foregrounding user imagery.
Drawing on social identity theory and the elaboration likelihood model, the authors hypothesize that positive affect (PA) similarity between recruiters and applicants affects both parties, and the influenced recruiters' behaviour thus affecting applicants' attitudes and behaviours. Nine hypotheses are tested by conducting two studies featuring a time-lagged research design with the goal of investigating the recruitment practices used by higher education institutions (HEIs) in China. Cross-level polynomial regression and block variable approaches examining 142 and 148 separate recruiter/applicant dyads support the proposed recruiter/applicant PA similarity effects. The underlying mechanism is revealed to be recruiters' informativeness and affective delivery (Study 1), that then causes applicants to form brand identification, which further influences applicants' attraction to the organization, and intentions to spread positive word-of-mouth about the organization (Study 2). Findings indicate that HEIs and organizations should strive to match applicant/recruiter PA levels. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
As marketization and privatization strategies become commonplace in higher education, it is essential for institutions to understand how students make decisions about college choice. Students as consumers engage in complex college choice decision-making that is often impacted by institutional and personal characteristics, such as cost, location, academics, ethnicity, and gender. This concurrent, mixed methods case study brings together a college choice model and a model of consumer behavior to understand how women make decisions about enrollment. Results of the study indicate that women place significant emphasis on feelings related to fit, safety, and comfort. Moreover, the research indicates that considerations of the student as consumer metaphor should expand to include more complex identities and phases. The study also contributes a new theoretical perspective on marketing in higher education, suggesting personalized communication, segmentation, and marketing plans that can be used when recruiting women and consumers to their institution.
Research on the role brand image plays in higher education (HE) suggests that it is crucial to understand students' perceptions of their university. This study builds on existing empirical work by Alcaide-Pulido, Alves, and Gutierrez-Villar (2017) exploring themes of national and international recognition, economic value, university campus facilities, and external communications and values. It employs a structural equation modelling approach with Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Decision Trees Analysis through a sample of 624 undergraduate students from England, Spain, and Portugal. The findings highlight areas of commonality as well as differences between the different cultures and nationalities examined as part of the study. They show areas that brand managers from each country should concentrate on, making recommendations that could help to shape the marketing direction of universities in each of the nations included in the research. The English and Portuguese should prioritise communication to students through their institutional website, whereas Spaniards should attend to ethical values and social responsibility. Economic value is an aspect that Spanish and English universities should focus on. Spaniards and English agree that campus facilities are important, whereas class size is key for Portuguese. Finally, Portuguese students' highly value the national recognition of their university.
Improvement of student services is increasingly important for institutions providing higher education in today's competitive market. Consequently, leveraging the online content generated by students is an effective means of actively involving customers in the educational process. As a result, the co-creation of innovative educational services through user-generated content (UGC) has become imperative. Engaging students in the service development process requires the adoption of an appropriate New Service Development (NSD) model, enabling the implementation of a co-creation strategy. The present study investigates this phenomenon by examining user-generated content on a website dedicated to higher education services. Employing the thematic analysis approach, 46 themes were identified that can be utilized in the development of new higher educational services. The findings demonstrate the potential of user-generated content in implementing a co-creation strategy at every stage of the new service development process.
