Communication Strategies and Factors Affecting the Decision of Post-Graduate Students’ about Choosing an Open University in the Digital Era

Abstract

        The objectives of this research were to study: 1) communication strategies that affected people’s decisions to enter post-graduate study programs at open universities in the digital era; 2) the effect of personal factors on people’s decisions to enter post-graduate study programs at open universities in the digital era; 3) the relationship between brand value awareness and people’s choices of post-graduate programs at open universities; 4) the relationship between awareness of integrated marketing communication and people’s choices of post-graduate programs at open universities; and 5) factors that can predict people’s decisions to choose a post-graduate study program at an open university in the digital era. This research used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. For the qualitative portion, in-depth interviews were held with 8 key informants, consisting of 1 executive of an organizational communications division and 7 chairmen (deans) of 7 academic schools at an open university. Data were analyzed by drawing conclusions. For the quantitative portion, a survey was done with a questionnaire as the data collection tool. The sample population, chosen by multi-stage sampling, was 400 master’s degree and PhD students who studied at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in the 2019 and 2020 academic years. Data were statistically analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t test, ANOVA, Pearson’s coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analysis.   

        The results showed that 1) communication strategies consisted of (1) for messages, the university communicated news about the work results and expertise of the teaching staff, activities and academic services to society, various training sessions and information about admissions procedures for the different programs. (2) for media, the university used a mixed media strategy taking advantage of both online and offline media including different forms of text, photographs, audio, and video and social media channels including Facebook, LINE, email and the website. 2) As for the effect of personal factors on people’s decisions, people with different occupations made different decisions to enter post-graduate study programs at open universities in the digital era to a statistically significant degree (p< 0.05); 3) Brand value awareness affected people’s choices of post-graduate programs at open universities in the digital era to a statistically significant degree (p< 0.01). It had a positive effect and a medium coefficient of correlation. 4) Integrated marketing communication awareness affected people’s choices of post-graduate programs at open universities in the digital era to a statistically significant degree (p< 0.01). It had a positive effect and a medium coefficient of correlation. 5) Awareness of integrated marketing communication in the form of advertising, brand value awareness in the form of association, awareness of integrated marketing communication in the form of word of mouth, brand value awareness in the form of quality recognition and brand value awareness in the form of brand cognizance were the factors that could predict people’s decisions to choose a post-graduate study program at an open university in the digital era to 43.90%.