Contemporary developments in marketing channel literature and the implications for the determinants of international student choice

The purpose of this dissertation is to re-examine the determinants of international student choice in light of contemporary developments in marketing channel literature which, prima facie, address precisely the type of developments characterised by pathways, partnerships and business to business relationships evolving now in international higher education marketing. A qualitative, systematic review research design was used to collect data in the form of published academic work on the determinants of international student choice. The search is limited to publications between 1990 and 2016 and collected articles regardless of country of origin or destination. Through a thematic analysis, the determinants of choice were identified for subsequent examination using framework synthesis to apply marketing channel utility theory. Five dominant determinants of international student choice emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) quality and reputation, (b) macro-environmental factors, (c) international education service attributes, (d) cost issues, and (e) influence of others. A subsequent framework synthesis suggests that pathway partnerships as marketing channels provide choice utility for students considering international study options by enabling access to further education opportunities through guaranteed pathways of progression at a time and place that provides both convenience and value to the student. This dissertation re-examines the determinants of international student choice using contemporary marketing channel utility theory which has previously been an unexplored field in the literature thus linking two largely researched fields in the international higher education marketing literature. Moreover, this dissertation suggests that marketing channel literature may have greater application to services marketing than first considered.