Monitoring of Education Agents Engaged in International Student Recruitment: Perspectives from Agency Theory

Abstract

This article examines the monitoring of third-party education agents employed in international student recruitment. Agency theory identifies comprehensive monitoring as one way to ensure that agents work in the principal’s best interest. By analyzing best practice guidelines, this article investigates the monitoring mechanisms proposed for education providers to mitigate information asymmetry in their education agent relationships. The findings from the analysis suggest that following the existing guidelines would only allow client institutions to partially observe the behavior of their agents. Hence, education providers should be not only guided toward more intensive use of the existing techniques but also encouraged to adopt new techniques, such as mystery shopping, to better determine education agents’ true behavior.

Brokers of international student mobility: The roles and processes of education agents in China

“…Based on interviews with nineteen education agents, this study builds on prior literature to analyse how education agents serve their prospective international student‐clients and host universities abroad. The analysis extends Nikula and Kivistö's (2018, 2020) application of agency theory and highlights education agents' multiple agency dynamics beyond university–agent relationships by adding the student‐consumer perspective, thus providing a more holistic perspective on the role and work of education agents. Developing an understanding of how education agents operate allows us to situate the education agents' role in the broader context of the commodification and marketisation of international higher education.…”

“…Nikula and Kivistö (2020) suggested using agency theory, which illuminates the “relationships between two parties where one party (the principal) engages the other (the agent) to perform tasks on their behalf” (p. 213), as an analytical framework for studying education agents. Due to information asymmetry and the fact that education agents represent others (i.e., principals, mainly students and sometimes higher education institutions) or are delegated a fair range of decision‐making power on the principals' behalf, agency theory is the most common theoretical and analytical lens used to study education agents (Huang et al., 2016; Nikula & Kivistö, 2018; O'Connell, 2012; Serra Hagedorn & Zhang, 2010).…”

“…Education agents are individuals or organisations that help students enrol in universities abroad and assist universities in recruiting international students. Studies on education agents have focused on the relationship between universities and education agents (Beech, 2018; Huang et al., 2016; Nikula & Kivistö, 2020), on the interplay between the governments, universities, education agents and students (Collins, 2012) or on the motivations of prospective international students to utilise education agent services, and the relationship between students and agents (Pimpa, 2003). To complement such research, our research re‐examined the perspective of education agents who provide services to students from China, one of the largest markets for international students.…”

“…Also, perspectives other than university recruitment strategies for international students have started to emerge. These include the strategies of the prospective international students themselves and their families and the growing awareness of the role of education agents in delineating or supporting these strategies (e.g., Nikula & Kivistö, 2020).…”

Recruitment of International Students Through a Synthesis of English as a Second Language Instruction, Social Justice, and Service Learning

“…An increasing number of institutions have sought services provided by third-party proprietary vendors that specialize in student recruitment (Farakish et al, 2020 ; Redden 2018a ). However, Nikula & Kivistö ( 2020 ) warn that there are no transparent or objective data confirming these vendors’ ability to successfully boost international enrollment. Additionally, while Redden ( 2018b ) describes a few cases in which the target for international enrollment was modestly or substantially met, she also reports a number of less-than-successful partnerships, including a case in which a state university reported a significant financial loss and a decline in the admissions standards, as a result of entering into partnership with a third-party vendor, putting the sustainability of these partnerships into question.…”