University performance and strategic marketing: an extended study

Abstract

PurposeExtending a previous study of business schools across the USA, this further analysis of the research data aims to investigate the organizational deployment of the selection of strategic marketing initiatives prescribed by a national quality programme, and to cross‐index the results to the organisational characteristics of the responding institutions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by postal questionnaire from the deans of 225 business schools. Descriptive statistics analyze organizational characteristics, marketing planning activities and the use of “faculty awards” for an identified set of performance groups. Cluster analysis identifies distinct segments representing unique combinations of marketing activities undertaken and awards used. Performance levels are compared across the clusters, and the typical organizational structures of their members described.FindingsAnalysis yields marketing intelligence relating to the extent that eight categories of strategic marketing effort are deployed by the best and worst performing business schools in the sample. Common patterns are identified, and attributed to organizational types. It is clear that pre‐requisites for performance excellence are the existence of a formal mission statement, the practice of formal marketing planning, and the planned use of motivational rewards to faculty. But, it is equally clear that too many business schools are content with the status quo, which is not typified by these attributes.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of this analysis is limited in a number of identified respects. Implications for future research are discussed.Practical implicationsNo one responsible for performance delivery in a business school practitioner should doubt that the benefits of planned strategic marketing are worth the commitment and effort required.Originality/valueUniquely, this study provides detailed empirical support to the application of marketing theory within the higher education context. The cross‐indexing of the findings to the various organizational types permits planners to compare practice in other business schools, both in their peer group and in the sector as a whole.

Towards a branding oriented higher education sector: An overview of the four perspectives on university marketing studies

“…Hammond et al (2004) examine the relationship between business school performance and marketing planning activities in US HEIs. Then, Hammond et al (2007) extend the previous study of Hammond et al (2004) in order to further investigate the applicability of marketing planning activities in these HEIs, and to cross-index the results to the organisational characteristics of the responding institutions.…”

“…There is a positive impact of marketing planning activities on university business school performance (Hammond et al, 2004(Hammond et al, , 2007. However, the study of Hammond et al (2007) shows that too many business schools assume that the initiation of marketing in the institutions would not significantly improve their performance.…”

“…There is a positive impact of marketing planning activities on university business school performance (Hammond et al, 2004(Hammond et al, , 2007. However, the study of Hammond et al (2007) shows that too many business schools assume that the initiation of marketing in the institutions would not significantly improve their performance. Maringe (2005a) explores the problems of marketing implementation using evidence from HEIs in Zimbabwe and propose a marketing framework for interrogating the problem in higher education marketing.…”

Quantifying the Order of Priorities in Student Choice of Graduate Business Schools: Does Sustainability Matter?

“…Other similar studies have been conducted, the majority of which were quantitative using Likert scales. Researchers in a 2007 study, for instance, conducted telephone interviews with deans at 50 of the top graduate business schools in the United States (Christensen, Peirce, Hartman, Hoffman, & Carrier, 2007;Franceschini, Wang, & Cort, 2015;Hammond, Harmon, & Webster, 2007;Essary, 2011).…”

Novas formas de relação com a sociedade por meio da identificação de atributos que compõem a personalidade da marca de uma IES

“…No que diz respeito à educação, Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) também precisam definir estratégias de marketing para sobreviverem no mercado (HAMMOND, HARMON e WEBTSTER, 2007;BRAVIN e IKEDA, 2010;CERCHIARO e MOTA, 2010); frente ao fato de oferecem e prestam serviços (educacionais) e, assim sendo, necessitam analisar se estes estão de acordo com as expectativas de seus alunos (CHENG e TAM, 1997, NETO, 2007. Uma das maneiras de uma IES articular estratégia de marketing visando uma boa percepção no mercado é trabalhar o desenvolvimento de sua imagem de marca (KING, 1995).…”