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Kurzfassung
The study's prime objective was to determine the factors which attract prospective students and enrollees to graduate business study at private nonsectarian New York area colleges and universities. Knowledge of these factors will lead to determination of key institutional and marketing approaches that will result in more efficient and effective recruitment of students. This may in turn enable graduate business schools to increase enrollment or maintain enrollment at reduced institutional costs.
The questionnaire method was employed. 642 telephone interviews were completed; and, an 85 percent response rate was achieved.
Factors which attracted (1) students, (2) non-enrolling applicants, and (3) non-enrolling inquirers to private non-sectarian business schools were identified and ranked, and influence levels for these three groups were compared. These research steps were completed for all respondents, respondents interested in full-time study, women, individuals over 25 years of age and minorities in each of the three groups.
The two personal factors which attracted the largest numbers of enrollees to graduate business study were personal satisfaction or general self improvement and helping present career development. Institutional factors which attracted the largest numbers of enrollees were reputation of school, availability of a particular program or degree, high status or salary, reputation of program, convenient class times and a large variety of courses. Marketing factors which attracted the largest number of enrollees were catalogs or bulletins, brochures describing programs, college guides and campus visits.
Non-enrolling applicants and inquirers tended to give high ratings to the same personal, institutional and marketing factors; but, some differences in leading factor lists were observed. When market segmentation was employed, women, individuals over 25 years of age, minorities, and full-time students and prospective students tended to give high ratings to the same factors, but to rank the factors somewhat differently.
Results showed non-enrolling inquirers to be similar to enrollees in background, in willingness to respond to the survey, and in the factors attracting them to graduate business study. Thus, the results suggest the merit of follow-up communication with non-enrolling inquirers.
The research report concluded with over forty practical recommendations for improving recruitment management.
