Marketing within higher education institutions - A case study of two private Thai universities

Date of final seminar: 2013-05-29. Academic level: Master Thesis in Business Administration, 15 ECTS. University: Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden. Institution: The School of Business, Science and Engineering. Authors: Kristian Starck and Shahriyar Hossein Zadeh. Title: Marketing within higher education institutions - A case study of two private Thai universities. Supervisor: Peter Ekman. Examiner: Eva Manninen Olsson. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze what marketing approaches private Thai higher education institutions (HEIs) use to attract and enroll foreign students. The study’s intention is also to provide recommendations to Bangkok University International College (BUIC) and Webster University (WU) and investigate what factors foreign students value in terms of marketing at these universities. The recommendations are based on marketing approaches that have been identified as effective in attracting and enrolling foreign students. Research questions: What marketing approaches do private Thai higher education institutions use to attract and enroll foreign students? What factors are foreign students at private HEIs like BUIC and WU valuing highest and lowest, in terms of marketing in the recruiting process towards these universities? How can BUIC and WU strengthen their marketing approaches to attract and enroll foreign students? Methodology: The case study collected qualitative and quantitative data through an interview, survey and observation from respective university in order to answer the research questions. Conclusion: The study finalized that higher education institutions in Thailand uses different marketing approaches to attract and enroll foreign students. Online marketing was conducted through web pages, IT tools and physical presence at events, open houses and social activities. Foreign students at BUIC and WU valued marketing factors somewhat equally in terms of place, promotion, people, process, IT and image and reputation. The study also presented marketing approaches that strengthens these two universities attraction and enrollment process towards foreign students. BUIC should definitely work on the factor people and the interaction during the enrollment process. WU, on the other hand, needs to focus more on providing additional IT tools and improve their mismanagement regarding image and reputation. Keywords: Higher Education, Higher Education Institution, Foreign Students, Student Attraction and Enrollment, Thailand, Bangkok University International College and Webster University