Consumer Purchase Decision Report: Factors Influencing Student Choice

This report analyzes the consumer purchase behavior of students at Holmes Institute, a higher education institution. The study, based on interviews with 30 students, investigates the factors influencing their decision to enroll. The report examines demographic and psychographic characteristics of the students, including age, gender, ethnicity, and motivations for choosing Holmes over other institutions. Key factors include Australia's reputation for quality education, campus facilities, and the influence of career objectives, cultural exposure, and financial considerations. The report offers recommendations for education providers to attract international students, focusing on marketing strategies, fee structures, and accommodation services. It suggests improvements in public relations, teaching pedagogy, and the provision of additional support services such as career guidance and cultural integration programs. The report concludes that understanding these factors is crucial for institutions seeking to enhance their appeal and competitiveness in the higher education market.

Running Head: CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISION 1
Consumer Purchase Decision

Consumer Purchase Decision 2
Executive Summary
The present report examines the consumer purchase behavior in higher education institutions. An
interview is conducted with the University students of Holmes institute to identify the motivation
factors which forced them to get admitted in the college. The sample size is 30 and the students
are selected on a random basis. The present report examines the major factors in the selection
criteria. The second part of the report provides recommendation to the institutes to attract their
target audience. The institute can change their fees structure and accommodation approaches to
attract more foreign students.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Part 1................................................................................................................................................3
Demographic and Psychographic characteristics of Sample Students.........................................3
Consumer Decision Process in choosing Holmes over Other Service Providers........................4
Part 2................................................................................................................................................6
Recommendations for the Education Providers to increase their efforts to Recruit International
Students............................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The present report discusses the consumer purchase behavior and the process in making the
purchase decision. The report examines the decision making process of the students studying in
Holmes institute. It is one of the premier institute in the education and focuses on delivering
industry relevant courses to all the people in the education sector. The institute seeks to provide
educational courses which suits to the employer demands. It was established in 1963 and
provides different courses aim to provide high quality education and empowering students who
seek self-improvement.
The institute has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Gold Coast, and Cairns.
It caters to a large number of international institutes. The present is a research report, which
examines the intent and the purchase decision of the students. In order to analyze the purchase
decision of the customers and the students, the researcher has conducted a survey with the
students of the institute. The sample size of the survey is 30 and the survey respondents are
selected on a random basis. The questionnaire is focused on asking questions related to the
purchase intent and the decision making process.
Part 1
Demographic and Psychographic characteristics of Sample Students
A survey sample size of 30 students was selected. The survey respondents were selected
on a random basis so that the respondents selected can justly represent the characteristics of the
entire population. Moreover, it was assured that the participants were from different courses,
years and domains. The diversity in the characteristic will assure that the sample accurately
represents the entire population. The demographic and the psychographic characteristics of the
sample are discussed in the below section:

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Demographic characteristics of Students: The demographic information of the target audience
involves gender, ethnicity, income, and the qualification of the students. The demographic
information is the key information of the target market; therefore, it is of utmost importance for
the organizations (Ahmad, & Buchanan, 2017). All the participants of the research are between
the age group 18-28. Moreover, the number of male students is higher than the female students.
The ration of male to female students is 3:2 which means that in the research, male participants
are 18 whereas the female participants are 12. There is also a significant amount of international
students who have joined the institute to pursue the vocational courses or training.
Psychographic characteristics of Students: The psychographic information refers to the
sociological and psychological factors which influences the consumer behavior and living
standards. The psychographic information provides a deeper understanding of the consumer
behavior and their lifestyle (Maringe & Carter, 2007). In Holmes institute, the students belong to
different countries and different cultures. The different communication methods affect the
regular activities, course works, and the group activities of the students. The students belonging
to different cultures have different choices and motives to study at an international college. Most
of the students admitted in the institute desire to get admitted in vocational courses and improve
their professional skills. The students are from high education background as well as from
financially sound families. The yearly income of the families of the student is very high as the
students belong to the rich families from the developing countries.
Consumer Decision Process in choosing Holmes over Other Service
Providers
The primary goal of the higher education is to accomplish the career objectives.
Moreover, the motivation of studying in a different country or international institutions is the
benefits associated with the exposure in a foreign country. There are other factors such as

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tradition, culture, lifestyle of the foreign place, innovative learning process, and the ranking of
the institution in the international educational arena (Yang, 2007). There should also be proper
educational facilities for attracting the students to the college. In the survey, several factors have
emerged as the key factors which can motivated the students at Holmes institute:
Australia: A developed country for Education
The country is an attractive destination for the overseas education as it is a cost-effective country
with high quality of education (Lee, 2008). Pursuing higher education in Australia is
comparatively cheaper than other countries such as the UK and the USA. The universities of the
country offer world class education to the students. The students are provided high education
along with an advanced living style and multicultural society. It attracts the students.
University Campus and Facilities
The campus of the university is quite large and offers several world class facilities. Holmes is a
private university and offers several educational and other facilities to the students. It has
campuses in several of the largest cities in the world. The campus in Brisbane, Sydney,
Melbourne, and Hong Kong. The public transportation facilities in these cities is well-developed
and all the institutes are located nearby these public transportation. There is also facility of
cultural centers, cafes, restaurants, and cinema in the University campus. The environment of the
institute is quite wonderful and there are opportunities to advanced technology and resources for
the course. There is also facility for the students to avail scholarship if the students require it. In
addition, there are also accommodation and twenty-four hours internet facility.
Analysis of motivation, personality, and emotion on the purchase decision

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There are several factors which impact on the student’s choice and selection of the higher
education institute. The location of the institute can be categorized as an uncontrollable factor
whereas the academic reputation, and academic standards are the controllable factors. Moreover,
there are several external and internal stimuli which influence the purchase decision of the
customers. The internal stimuli are the performance of the student, and their level of aptitude and
aspirations (Marginson, 2006). While looking for colleges, the students explore the courses with
the benefits that the students are seeking. Other factors are the living expenses, course fees and
the choice of their friends. The parents also have a significant impact on the decision of the
students. Another important criteria is career prospects and better progression of their career
(Vrontis, Thrassou, & Malanthiou, 2007).
Part 2
Recommendations for the Education Providers to increase
their efforts to Recruit International Students
The above analysis highlights that education is a service provided to the customers;
therefore, in the present times of the intense competition, marketing is required. It is necessary to
make the institute stand out between the competitors. There are several service characteristics in
education such as it is intangible offering. The characteristic of intangibility makes it difficult for
the potential clients to assess the quality of service. Therefore, in the service industry, one of the
potential purpose of marketing is to convince the potential buyers to buy a specific brand.
Therefore, the design and the development of mission statement, logo and the public relations of
the institute play a critical role in evaluating the quality of service (Kunwar, 2017). Therefore,
the educational institutions should focus on their public relations.

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The quality of the service is also dependent upon the personal skills and attributes of each
provider of the people who are in direct contact with the clients. In educational institutions, it is
dependent upon the interpersonal skills and the teaching pedagogy of the teachers. Even when
the curriculum of the students is designed, the efficacy of the teaching is dependent upon how
the staff members deliver the lecture and how students respond to pedagogy (Machado-Taylor,
Soares, Ferreira, & Gouveia, 2011).
The marketing has several components, such as educating potential customers, increasing sales
as well as conducting market research. In order to survive at an industry, the organization must
identify the needs of the potential clients, and design products which address the needs (Tan,
(2014). The price of the services must be determined as such it is affordable to the students. In
education, the identification of customers or the clients is necessary.
Moreover, in higher education, the students select the school according to the word-of-mouth
and the experience of the previous students. There is also focus on the personal and the social
development in the education. In higher education, the parents are discouraged by the poor
discipline, bad reputation, or a thing that they dislike during the student’s education (Kadakin,
Shukshina, Piskunova, Babushkina & Falileev, 2016).
The report has also discussed that the students emphasize on the quality of education of the
students. The students are interested in the courses which offer them competitive advantage over
other students and assist them in their career goals and paths. The institute should provide
additional classes to the students which makes them familiar with the local culture of the country
and upgrade their professional skills. It should also provide placements to the local and the
international companies. The institute should also conduct tie-ups with different companies for
the vocational training and skill development. It will increase the exposure of the students in

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operational environment. These companies can offer permanent employment to the students in
near future. It will also be beneficial for the reputation of the companies.
Fees Structure
While pursuing higher education, the expenses of living in a foreign country are very high. Most
of the foreign students are concerned about the high fees or prices of the course. The charges,
accommodation, and the living expenditures of the students are very high in the foreign country.
The students might take part tie jobs to meet their expenses while living abroad. It is a major
criteria of admission and the students pursuing higher education abroad. The students should be
provided loan to pursue education (Sampson, 2017). They should be given scholarship
opportunities and provide assistance in seeking employment in future.
Accommodation Service
One of the biggest challenge, while pursuing education in a foreign country is that the students
find it difficult to find accommodation in a foreign country. They are also unaware of the charges
and the location of the institutes. Therefore, the best approach is that the University provides
accommodation for the initial days of the residence of the people. These places will be should be
near to the university campus, convenient and accessible to the major markets. The institution
should take responsibility of the proper accommodation of the students (Beine, Noël & Ragot,
2014). The students will also feel safe while living at a foreign location.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that there are several determinants in the choice of the institution for
the higher education. Holmes is one of the leading education provider in Australia and has
colleges in most of the major cities. The current report has searched the factors which influence

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the consumer purchase behavior in the field of education institutions. The students are attracted
towards the institutions which provide them with higher career opportunities. The present report
undertakes an interview with 30 students in the institutions who have come from different
cultures and locations to study at the college. The present report is focused on the interview
taken from these students. They have taken admission in different streams and are from different
study years. It has been discussed that there are several motivation factors which influence the
students to study in different institutions. The selection criteria depends on the external career
opportunities, fees structure, lodging facility and the lifestyle difference.

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References
Ahmad, S. Z., & Buchanan, F. R. (2017). Motivation factors in students decision to study at
international branch campuses in Malaysia. Studies in Higher Education, 42(4), 651-668.
Beine, M., Noël, R., & Ragot, L. (2014). Determinants of the international mobility of
students. Economics of Education review, 41, 40-54.
Kadakin, V. V., Shukshina, T. I., Piskunova, S. I., Babushkina, L. E., & Falileev, A. E. (2016).
Pedagogical Conditions of Multilevel Foreign Languages Teaching in Pedagogical Higher
Education. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(14), 6603-6615.
Kunwar, J. (2017). Factors Influencing Selection of Higher Education Institutions in Finland by
Foreign Students: Marketing Higher Education Services to Foreign Students.
Lee, J. J. (2008). Beyond borders: International student pathways to the United States. Journal of
Studies in International Education, 12(3), 308-327.
Machado-Taylor, M. D. L., Soares, V. M., Ferreira, J. B., & Gouveia, O. M. R. (2011). What
factors of satisfaction and motivation are affecting the development of the academic career in
Portuguese higher education institutions?. Revista de Administração Pública, 45(1), 33-44.
Marginson, S. (2006). Dynamics of national and global competition in higher education. Higher
education, 52(1), 1-39.
Maringe, F., & Carter, S. (2007). International students' motivations for studying in UK HE:
Insights into the choice and decision making of African students. International Journal of
Educational Management, 21(6), 459-475.

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Sampson, A. S. (2017). An Assessment of Perception and Satisfaction of Foreign Students on the
Quality of Education in KNUST: A Case Study of Nigerian Undergraduate Students in Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(Doctoral dissertation).
Tan, A. (2014). Higher education institution choice behaviors of international students on US
college campuses (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Incarnate Word).
Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., & Melanthiou, Y. (2007). A contemporary higher education student-
choice model for developed countries. Journal of Business Research, 60, pp. 979-989.
Yang, M. (2007). What attracts mainland Chinese students to Australian higher
education. Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, 4(2), 1-12.