The Effectiveness Of Electronic Word-Of-Mouth In Attracting International Students To Enrol Into Private Universities In Malaysia
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Date
2018-09
Authors
Vijayesvaran Arumugam
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
In this current competitive environment, it is important for international students to accentuate on information from eWoM to enrol in PrHEI. It has been argued that the quality of information orientation and the credibility of the information orientation source from eWoM can guide international students to enrol in Malaysian PrHEIs. International student mobility and globalisation has triggered universities around the world to compete for students by promoting their universities and courses using a variation of promotion methods. Simultaneously, international students go through a university search, decision-making and selection process using a variety of information sources such as eWoM. Prior to the eWoM, conventional information sources such as print media, broadcast media, education fairs and university websites have been fundamental on HEI marketing methods. The development of WEB 2.0 allows international students to communicate and gather information such as country image, city effect, institution image and programme offered by a HEI via eWoM platform. The acceptance of eWoM platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, now presents an alternative university information source for international student to search in for information and use the information prior to their HEI enrolment. In this manner, investigating and understanding the effectiveness of eWoM in the context of international students could increase the enrolment of international students in Malaysian PrU. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the information orientation searched by international students such as country image, city effect, institution image, programme evaluation and the usefulness of the information towards enrolment of the international students in their choice of PrU. This study also focused to understand the moderating effect of information quality and source credibility between information orientation and information usefulness. The sample size comprises 359 international students from selected PrU were collected and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The study found that three out of four information orientation namely city effect, institution image and programme evaluation had a significant direct effect towards information usefulness. Moreover, information usefulness was found to mediate the relationship between information orientation namely city effect, institution image and programme evaluation towards PrU enrolment by international students. The moderating effects of information quality and source credibility also have been tested. Based on the study information quality has small moderating effect toward relationship between city effect, institution image and programme evaluation. Similarly source credibility has small moderating effect toward the relationship between country image, city effect and programme evaluation. Overall this study contributes to the understanding of private university decision making amongst international students using eWoM as an information platform. In addition, this study also provides inputs for private universities to formulate marketing strategies for eWoM participation and recruitment of international.
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Keywords
Private universities and colleges , Students, Foreign