Vectors of promotion of economic educational services in Ukraine

Abstract

Introduction. The market of educational services is characterised by excess of supply over demand. As a result, there is a need for a detailed research of the criteria for choosing a university by consumers. The competition between universities for attracting potential consumers has intensified in the face of declining demand for most types of educational services. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the competitiveness of universities and to ensure the possibility of their survival on the basis of the maximum consideration of school leavers’ expectations. The purpose of the article is to define vectors of promotion of economic educational services in Ukraine based on the results of the cluster analysis of consumers who take into account the criteria which determine the choice of higher education institutions. Methods. While processing empirical data, the following methods were used: statistical analysis was used to find structural relationships between the elements of the system; factor analysis was used to compress data, i.e. to reduce a large number of variables (factors) which were used for clustering and cluster analysis made it possible to identify 4 clusters of consumers of economic educational services. To determine the priority of the criteria for choosing a university, we researched the data related to first-year students studying economics at seven universities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa during a period of six months in 2017. The total sample was 898 respondents, 587 of whom gave full answers to all the questions posed. Results. The priority criteria which determine the choice of the university were identified as a result of the conducted marketing research of consumers. They are: «positive feedback from friends», «availability of interesting specialty», «university’s brand», «high qualification of teaching staff», etc. As a result of the conducted cluster analysis, we identified the following clusters: «assertivists», «realists», «those who are oriented to status», «minimalists-followers». Their basic characteristics are given concerning the criteria for choosing a university. Conclusions. The vectors of promotion of economic educational services have been suggested. They are the formation of positive reputation of the university, expansion of the range of criteria which determine the choice of the university in the following researches, presentation of career growth stereotypes, display of the results of the university’s international academic cooperation on website, development of social support programs for students. The use of these vectors will allow universities to form loyalty programs for consumers of economic educational services and improve the competitiveness of higher education institutions.