Kinnell (1989) seeks to consider some of the more fundamental issues relating

to
marketing within educational institutions, particularly in connection with
overseas
students. Gaining a vocational qualification and having a special opportunity
to study
in England were overriding factors in the expectations of overseas students
questioned
at Loughborough University of Technology and Nottingham University.
Kotlers (1975) conceptual model of the publics associated with universities
is also
used by Kinnell as a means of considering the environment in relation to
overseas
students and it is suggested that both the students as well as the sponsors
(government
agencies, employers, parents) should be considered. Howarth (2003) confirms
that there
is greater need for accountability to parents than in the case of UK students,
both due
to cultural differences and also due to the high fees payable.
Paramewaran and Glowacka (1995), in their study of university image find
that
higher educational institutions need to maintain or develop a distinct image to
create a
competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive market. Kotler and Fox
(1995)
suggest that the public forms images of higher educational institutions on
limited and
even inaccurate information, and that these images will affect the likelihood of
people
attending or recommending institutions to others. An institutions actual
quality is
seen by Gavin (as cited by Kotler and Fox, 1995) as often being less
important than its
prestige, or reputation for quality, because it is the universitys perceived
excellence
which, in fact, guided the decisions of prospective students and scholars
considering
offers. He suggests that the main focus of attention should be on the
customers
perceived service quality in order to assist in differentiation.
In its objective to deliver perceived excellence it can be argued that the
delivery of
service quality is an important goal for higher educational institutions.
Variations of
the total quality management framework are being adopted by institutions to
improve
their competitive position and it is apparent that customer satisfaction affects
perceived quality which in turn affects profitability. Perceived service quality
(or,
attitude towards the product) is an important influence on students post-
enrolment
communication behaviour and is also of paramount strategic importance for th
e organisation.

The majority considered that their institutions performance was best

in the areas of encouragement of innovation and the quality and experience of
staff.
Hughes (1988), suggests that students select courses on the reputation of
teaching staff
while Bharadwaj
et al.
(1993) emphasise the importance of organisational learning and
expertise as a source of competitive advantage.
Paramewaran and Glowacka (1995) in their study of university image find that
higher educational institutions need to maintain or develop a distinct image to
create a
competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive market. The statement
by
Keever (1998), Create an image for your company or your competitors will do
it for
you, is equally relevant to the higher education sector. Institutions are
becoming more
aggressive in their marketing activities and need to be clear about their
positioning and
the image they wish to convey to their public. An appropriate marketing mix
can be
developed which not only takes into account environmental factors, but also
an
identification of student needs and the ability of the institution to meet these
needs

The nature of the service act The education service act is directed at people. Student
participation
in the learning process can be critical to success
The relationship with the
customer
Education involves a lengthy/formal relationship between the
education provider and the student. Students have a membership
relationship with the service provider (Lovelock, 1983), offering the
provider opportunities to develop strong client loyalty and enhance
client service features
The level of customization
and judgement in service
delivery
The extent to which education services are customised is variable.
Teaching can vary from individual tutorials/seminars to mass lectures
and quality control can be problematic. Educational services, as with
any service, cannot be stored for use on another day
The nature of demand
relative to supply
In education the demand is subject to relatively narrow fluctuations
over time, yet supply can be difficult to manage, with limitations
placed on staff availability and places on courses. Resourcing can
create potential problems in respect of lecture theatres/seminar
rooms/accommodation and other on-campus facilities
The method of service
delivery
The service encounter and location assume greater importance for
on-campus delivery, with satisfaction influenced by interaction with
the service providers, facilities and peers. Services must be
transformed to tangible offerings for evaluation and comparison with
the competition. If the institution does not do this itself, students will
form their own judgement
Source:
Mazzarol (1998)
Table II.
Framework as a means to
research into services
marketing
Marketing
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services and add an additional three Ps, namely participants, physical
evidence and
process of service assembly.
All the human actors participating in the delivery of a service influence the
customers perception of the service itself and in teaching, the lecturer forms
the main
part of the service provision.
The effective management of physical evidence is also important in education.
Prospective students often look to the physical evidence that surrounds the
service in
forming their evaluation of the service. Aspects such as the campus and its
surroundings, as well as other evidence that forms customer perceptions,
including the
prospectus, web site, exhibitions stands, stationery and business cards are
important to
international students, particularly those who may not be able to visit the
campus prior
to making their choice. Videos and CD-Roms also give an indication of campus
life.
The delivery of the service (process of service assembly) that students
experience,
its bureaucracy and level of complexity, again provides evidence by which they
judge
the service. Each of the three new Ps is within the control of the institution
and each
of them may influence the students initial decision to apply for a course, as
well as the
students level of satisfaction following enrolment. Indeed, Wood (2001)
suggests that
international students who pay for education are more sensitive to internal
and
external quality issues and are also likely to be less understanding than
British
students of a failure of the institution to meet their expectations.
Jayawardena (2001) suggests that from the various challenges faced by
international
hospitality management educators, the key is understanding multi-ethnic and
multi-national student mentality and preparing them for careers in
international
hospitality business. It is advocated that to ensure survival of hospitality
programmes,
first, the educational product needs to be positioned effectively in relation to
the
designated target market and second, the mission of educational institutes
needs to be
redefined and the products restructured to fulfil that mission.
Satisfaction, consequently, is linked to customer loyalty and relationship
commitment. There is always the possibility that dissatisfied customers will
praise an
institution following completion of their studies in order not to lose face
among
colleagues. However, highly satisfied customers spread positive word-of-
mouth, and in
effect become a walking, talking advertisement for an institution whose
service has
pleased them, thus lowering the cost of attracting new applicants. Achieving
satisfaction
thus provides a key competitive advantage for higher edu
Universities might wish to identify the main factors influencing student
attitudes
and periodically assess the quality of what they provide in order to sustain
their
market position. The importance/performance paradigm can be used to
measure
service quality in education over a period of time and as a result can help
identify
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possible future areas of concern before they lead to dissatisfaction. It is
important to
determine the parameters of the students zone of tolerance so that
resources can be
allocated appropriately to ensure that students remain satisfied with the core
service
(Ford
et al.
, 1999).
Research conducted by LeBlanc and Nguyen (1999) into how business
students
judge value shows how the relationship between price and quality, the
knowledge
acquired, the economic utility of a business degree, image, social and
emotional value,
are all important drivers of value in business education. The evidence
suggests not
only that students should be offered quality services but also that tuition fees
should be
set within an acceptable price range. It has been found if prices are high or
higher than
in other institutions, then the schools image must be promoted with increased
vigour,
as this is a key element in the positioning of an organisation in its competitive
environment. LeBlanc and Nguyen (1999) show evidence that price, quality,
want
satisfaction, corporate image, along with affective (
sic
) and social response