The value trade-off in higher education service: A qualitative intercultural approach to students’ perceptions

Abstract

Purpose: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have become a highly competitive market, where consumers (i.e. students) are highly involved in their choices, and managers need to focus on competitive edges. This paper aims to understand the factors that influence international Master students' choice behaviour and fulfil student expectations of customer value in HEIs. Design/methodology: With qualitative information (five focus groups) collected from international students (of 12 different nationalities) of several universities in Spain, UK and China, the paper investigates the formation of customer value as a trade-off between benefits and costs. This qualitative approach aims first at assessing this particular service through the concept of value through verifying both the positive and negative dimensions of educational service, and second, to comment on the intercultural aspects of this dual approach to higher education consumption. The contribution lays on a value-based approach as a trade-off focusing, as a step forward from the traditional sociodemographic approaches, on behavioural variables (functional, social and emotional values) and considering not just price but also non-monetary costs.

What Erasmus students do expect from their abroad experience? A multidimensional scale tested for the case of Spain

“…This influential work is grounded on the classical dichotomy between hedonic and utilitarian values (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982), and provides an experiential and phenomenological approach to consumption, which allows its application to non-commercial behaviors, such as the educational experience (e.g. Li et al, 2016). Under this approach, three dimensions can be recognized in any consumption situation: intrinsic vs extrinsic (when consumption has an end on itself or toward and end), active vs reactive (as there is an active or a passive control of the consumer on the object) and, finally, self-oriented or other-oriented (a social dimension when consuming).…”

Erasmus-driven destination experience and students’ ambassadorship behaviour: A multi-stakeholder perspective

“…Aydin, 2012), and the positive and negative effects of an international educational experience (e.g. Li, Gallarza & Fayos, 2016;Bedenlier & Zawacki-Richter, 2015;Engel, 2010;Weaver, 2008;McGladdery & Lubbe, 2017). Regarding their role as tourists, their consumer behaviours have been analysed in terms of motivations (e.g.…”

“…Aslan and Jacobs' (2014) work showed that language learning and living in a different culture are the main reasons for participating in Erasmus mobility. The literature shows there are also negative aspects (visa issues, language barriers) which are also part of the experience as personal challenges to face (Li, Gallarza & Fayos, 2016).. It is both academic and cultural factors, the desire to get to know a new environment, to have a European experience that are the motivating factors that impel most of the students to travel abroad (Fombona et al, 2013).…”

“…Methodologically, in light with previous literature (Gallarza et al, 2019;Golubeva, Parra & Mohedano, 2018;Engel, 2010;Chow & Healey, 2008;Li et al, 2016) five explorative research questions were developed to guide a qualitative research with a multi-method approach with four different publics (undergraduate and postgraduate Erasmus students, former Erasmus students, staff of International Relations, and Manager of a specialized travel agency). This paper is built on the following way: after a theoretical framework on the concepts of place attachment and the consequences of it on the consumer's behaviour, the empirical study is presented, and the choice of methods and publics is explained.…”

La comunicación estratégica desde el mercadeo en instituciones educativas

“…En este orden de ideas, las nuevas formas comunicacionales extienden un abanico de posibilidades que van desde la interacción usuario-página web, comunicación bidireccional, inmediatez y acceso a variedad de contenidos de información multimedial (Li et al, 2016), que además de ofertar los programas, ayudan en el posicionamiento y la reputación de las IES. Por ello, para comprender las estrategias de mercadeo se describen algunos conceptos e ideas en el siguiente apartado.…”