The paper examines the effects of individual differences on the key motivational factors affecting Chinese study abroad students.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper examines the effects of individual differences on the key motivational factors affecting Chinese study abroad students.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study adopts a quantitative survey approach. Students are recruited through the largest online survey provider in China. Using 335 completed questionnaires and factor analysis, the key factors influencing Chinese students are identified. Subsequently, regressions are employed to analyse the impact of age, gender, socio-economic status, previous study or travel abroad experience, degree level and location on factor scores.
Findings
This research sheds new light on the decision-making process of Chinese study abroad students. It is found that Chinese students are influenced by three key factors, social, cultural and economic environment, non-personal and personal recommendations. The results reveal that male students from the lowest socio-economic group rely on non-personal information to decide destination where they can significantly upgrade their socio-economic status. Personal recommendations are used by young persons aged between 18 and 24 and those without previous overseas travel or study experience.
Originality/value
Although prior studies explore the motivations of Chinese study abroad students, very few focus on a large sample of students both in China and abroad and identify key factors using the statistical tool factor analysis. No research has been carried out to understand the impact of personal characteristics such as age, gender, prior study or travel abroad experience, degree level and location on significant factor scores. Such analysis is crucial for the financial stability of the international higher education market, particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis.
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Ian Crawford, Zhiqi Wang and Georgina Andrews
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the low placement participation rate among international students compared with UK students, by examining the impact of individual…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the low placement participation rate among international students compared with UK students, by examining the impact of individual factors such as gender and domicile and academic achievement such as prior academic qualification, prior academic results and subsequent academic results on students’ choices of degree programmes as well as their graduation status.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a quantitative approach by using 268 accounting and finance students in a UK university.
Findings
The analyses show that UK students on entry are 35 per cent more likely than international students to choose a degree programme with a placement module after controlling for individual and academic differences. Among females, international students who switch to a degree without placement following entry significantly and statistically underperformed their UK counterparts who complete a degree with placement from the first year onwards. This trend is not observable among male students. Instead, male students who select and graduate with a degree without placement are the worst performers, regardless of their nationalities.
Research limitations/implications
The quantitative data used here are collected in a UK institution so the results reported here may lack generalisability.
Practical implications
International students need to know more about the benefits of undertaking placements on their academic performance and the development of generic skills before entry. Moreover, UK universities need to provide more assistance to international students, especially females about how to secure placements and how to widen their search for potential placements.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explain the low participation rate among international students in UK higher education.
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Laurens Cherchye, Ian Crawford, Bram De Rock and Frederic Vermeulen
The standard approach in measuring demand responses and consumer preferences assumes particular parametric models for the consumer preferences and demand functions, and…
Abstract
The standard approach in measuring demand responses and consumer preferences assumes particular parametric models for the consumer preferences and demand functions, and subsequently fits these models to observed data. In principle, the estimated demand models can then be used (i) to test consistency of the data with the theory of consumer behavior, (ii) to infer consumer preferences, and (iii) to predict the consumer's response to, say, new prices following a policy reform. This chapter focuses on an alternative, nonparametric approach. More specifically, we review methods that tackle the earlier issues by merely starting from a minimal set of so-called revealed preference axioms. In contrast to the standard approach, this revealed preference approach avoids the use of parametric models for preferences or demand. The structure of the chapter is as follows. First, we introduce the basic concepts of the revealed preference approach to model consumer demand. Next, we consider issues like goodness-of-fit, power, and measurement error, which are important in the context of empirical applications. Finally, we review a number of interesting extensions of the revealed preference approach, which deal with characteristics models, habit-formation, and the collective model.
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Adam Lindgreen and Ian Crawford
This single, embedded case study examined the marketing activities of Flensted Catering A/S, a Danish food company. The case is the first one in a series of case studies…
Abstract
This single, embedded case study examined the marketing activities of Flensted Catering A/S, a Danish food company. The case is the first one in a series of case studies constituting a larger research project with the overall objective of understanding how to implement relationship marketing, how to monitor the outputs and how to measure the returns. In 1996, the company embarked on a three‐phase programme directed at building relations with customers. As a prelude to the implementation, Flensted Catering A/S conducted focus groups and issued questionnaires to determine customer perceptions of how the company could meliorate its performance. Subsequently, the Danish firm established project teams, instituted customer‐focused staff training and sought to improve communications with customers. Following the implementation, the monitoring revealed that Flensted Catering A/S was rated as a better supplier by 43 per cent of its customers and that customer retention had risen to 94 per cent
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Scottish Publishers Association
Describes the background to publishing in Scotland and outlines the nature and range of current Scottish publishing houses. Sets Scottish publishing within its UK and European…
Abstract
Describes the background to publishing in Scotland and outlines the nature and range of current Scottish publishing houses. Sets Scottish publishing within its UK and European context and indicates a number of major trends. Presents broad statistics of current Scottish publishing. Describes the nature, activities and achievements of 30 Scottish publishing houses, from large to small and from general to specialist.