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Shaliza Allang 3575822 Hamza Aslam 3546020 Desmond Pereira 3546007 Mitchell Fernandes 3566109 Iqra Tabani 3753311 Lakmali Herath 3498712

Shaliza Allang 3575822 Hamza Aslam 3546020 Desmond Pereira 3546007 Mitchell Fernandes 3566109 Iqra Tabani 3753311 Lakmali Herath 3498712

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this marketing research and analysis report was to design strategies that would increase the recruitment of new students for University of Wollongongs Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing program and maintain the loyalty of current students in the program which would help in retaining students.

2.0 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

2.1 QUALITY.

Quality is a key factor in determining the attraction of students to UOWD. By interviewing the students of UOWD it is established that the quality of the lecturers and content of the marketing degree is perceived as very high [Refer to Appendix 11.1 e)]. At UOWD, the courses are all accredited both locally by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and internationally by Australian Universities Quality Agency [Refer to Appendix 11.2 a)]. The degree provides scope for future employment opportunities which is proved by the current job positions, graduates in the degree hold. The faculty and staff are all highly qualified. The staff have received qualifications from different countries and have years of experience in different areas which results in high quality education at UOWD. They also have extensive knowledge of MENA practices. Students look for good lecturers who will teach the course effectively, assist with problems, encourage participation, make the course entertaining and provide insight into various matters. From all of the six interviews conducted, the students seem to have great respect for the marketing faculty of UOWD, determining them as the best. At UOWD, the basic requirement to become a university teacher is to have a PhD or at least be under the eye of a PhD graduate. This adds a certain level of quality to the staff hired at UOWD. The professors at UOWD also conduct their own research and are recognized for their work [Refer to Appendix 11.2 e)].

2.2 ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF STUDENTS

Another important factor critical to success, is the recruitment strategies that the university conducts to attract students. Representatives, exhibitions, advertisements all assist in promoting the university. From the research conducted, students mainly found out about UOWD through the website, brochures, exhibitions at school and word of mouth. They feel that the advertisements were not too appealing at the time they joined, but as of late, UOWD has increased their advertising through various mediums. However, when joining the university, there isnt any guidance to choosing the right course which is important to students. UOWD has a range of over 100 nationalities, the highest being Indians and Russians. UOWD holds exhibitions in various countries to attract students for example IDP in Sri Lanka promotes UOWD and coordinates with prospective students. Similarly, UOWD sends representatives to carry out student admission interviews in various countries mostly in the Gulf region and Asia [Refer to Appendix 11.2 h)]. Exhibitions are held in different schools that introduce what the university is, their philosophy, values and mission statement. UOWD is actively involved in this activity. A gap exists wherein UOWD attracts few Emiratis. The UAE population consists of mainly expatriates which are 8% East Asian and Westerners, 50% South Asian, Arabs and Iranians are 23% and only 19% are Emirati who are citizens of the UAE (UNODC, 2011). UOWD entry requirements are relatively of a higher standard than its direct competitors, American University of Sharjah and American University in Dubai which is good because it maintains the standards of students that become a part of UOWD. They require a minimum of 3 Bs & 4 Cs in 7 O-level subjects whereas AUS and AUD require minimum of Cs in all 7 O-level subjects [Refer to Appendix 11.1 d)]). UOWD maintains a good retention of its students but a few do leave to other universities citing various reasons from a more reputed degree to a better overall university experience.

2.3 PROGRAM DIFFERENTIATION

Differentiation plays a key role in an organisations success and profitability, hence it is essential for institutes to identify and exploit the opportunities available in the market before the rivals; in order to experience sustainable competitive advantage. About 3 students with which interviews were conducted mentioned that UOWDs B.comm Marketing program is very much related to the BBA program offered, since majority of the subjects offered in BBA are marketing subjects similar to the B.com Marketing course and students in the BBA program could cover the marketing course by taking the remaining marketing subjects as electives [Refer to Appendix 11.1 i)]. Hence, a large population of students end up taking BBA with marketing electives enabling them to have a similar degree as B.com Marketing. Thus it is essential for institutes to differentiate between their degrees providing them an exposure to the particular field theyve chosen.

Moreover, UOWDs BBA degree is much generalized as compared to competitive universities [Refer to Appendix 11.1 d) and i)] which provide specialized BBA degrees in fields like marketing, finance, human resource, etc. This belief was further cemented by the interviews ( with 4 out of 6 affirmations) and the focus groups we conducted, where the students emphasised their need for a specialized BBA Marketing program as compared to B.com specialization in the same, due to the mindset they had of BBA being more diverse and professionalized. UOWD can optimize by offering specialized BBA programs to attract the students who enrol into other universities based on this criterion. Its also evident that the same Bcomm Marketing course offered in UOW differs from the course offered in UOWD, with more variety of marketing subjects available to students in UOW (uow, 2011).

2.4 INDUSTRY AFFILIATIONS

When looking for a good marketing degree, most students look for the opportunity where they can practically implement the theories learnt. Tie-ups with organizations in industry serve as a guarantee to students of the relevance of their course to real business environment. It also offers them the promise of possible employment opportunities through internships and joint projects. Internships are the best way to provide practical application of the theory that marketing students learn in the classroom. Compared to most of its competitors like AUS, AUD and CUD, each of their marketing courses consist of one compulsory internship course whereas UOWD does not offer any such course as part of the marketing degree which is an evident gap [Refer to Appendix 11.1 d)]. Universities also stand to gain through the sharing of industry-specific know how with firms, and this again can facilitate more relevant courses. Successful relationships with businesses will certainly improve universities image as being of high quality and being involved with many companies. This also helps create employment opportunities for students. UOWD does stand to help students with employment opportunities by having an annual career fair, hosting about 25-30 companies which assists students in looking for internships or jobs after they graduate.

2.5 TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS:

Numerous universities like Murdoch University and University of Phoenix in Dubai have adopted e-learning or online learning to target audience around the world and provide them the benefit of completing their degree without travelling. Similarly, students are progressively accepting, hence with time demanding online education. Sloan Consortium that is focused in online education informed that in 2007 almost 3.9 million students applied for an online course in universities like Devry University and University of Phoenix. Also, Madar Research reported that Dubais e-learning market was expected to grow to approximately $24 million by 2008 (Al Bawaba, 2004). Due to this reason, many institutes have included online programs in their portfolio to enlarge their customer base(Kim & Bonk, 2006)

Furthermore, universities can use the alternative of incorporating blended learning program instead of full online courses to act as a differentiator to appeal to students and corporate partners. Blended learning is a combination where part of the course is accessed online while the remaining is delivered on campus(Rovai & Jordan, 2004). Hence, UOWD can avail this opportunity since it has almost all the resources and competencies required to offer blended learning program (IT know-how and infrastructure). Moreover, it can even provide the facility for the students to access the audio (or possibly even the video) lectures conducted in the campus online enabling them to recap the lecture or avoid missing out on information. Since, most of the bachelor students are either working part-time, have prior commitments or miss out on lectures due to personal reasons/ emergencies, this competence will provide them an added advantage of not losing out on information. Warwick Business School have benefitted with about 20 students per year by offering blended online courses (Thomas, 2007). Hence, UOWD might experience a reduction in its target market by not availing this opportunity.

3.0 CONSTRAINTS AND ASSUMPTIONS

A certain number of constraints hampered our efforts in retrieving sufficient quality information relevant to the analysis; this resulted in further probing that could help us in suggesting lucrative strategies. In terms of the primary and secondary research data, the problems confronted included the fact that the limited sample size taken into consideration may provide debatable results on validity and reliability. We received incomplete information from the online survey. Actual numbers of respondents for the survey were supposed to be 50 but we were only able to get 32 responses, which led to information gaps. Irrespective of our plan to conduct three focus groups, due to time constraints and availability of the students we were limited to carry out only two focus groups. [Refer to 7.0 Methodology: timeline]. Interviews with the program director left some queries unanswered due to the Program Director being new to this field. It was also not possible to gain access whatsoever to any of the financial records, that would help in understanding the cost structure for the B.com Marketing program. The confidentiality of teacher evaluations that were done each semester meant that we were refused copies of the same. This could have given us an insight into the feedback of the students on their views of the Marketing faculty, on whether their competencies to teach the marketing course are beneficial to the students. We relied on students perceptions that lecturer quality was high. Retrieving enrolment records of UOWD and even that of the competitors was restricted, this was essential to identify the demand for the various degree programs.

4.0 NEED AND VALUE ANALYSIS

Beginning with, the need for quality tertiary education is met by a comprehensive degree thats received dual accreditation. This is an especially important need to parents when they are the primary decision makers, which is a large segment of the local market. Further, a degree consolidates the skills, experience, and all past education undertaken by an individual to employers, a primary need of academically inclined students who wish to be recognised (students whom weve profiled as studious Sam or nerdy Nikita). UOWDs Marketing programme is respected and renowned in the region to be among the best. For a significant majority of students, proximity to their university is of a paramount importance. Often times this is more relevant to their final choice of institution than several other otherwise decisive factors. It is not least because travel/lodging costs can be substantial if students choose to pursue a degree abroad. Again, concerned parents regard this as an important need (profiled as desperate dads). A significantly large segment of students almost certainly expects their degree to enhance employability (profiled Studious Sam and Ambitious Abdul), even though no promises or guarantees might be made. In this regard, UOWD certainly goes beyond other institutions in competition by having established a full-time dedicated career centre that will not only help existing students find jobs as soon as they graduate, but also helps alumni in getting suitable placements. In addition, students expect to acquire practical experience too as part of their degree education, and this need in UOWD is fulfilled by team tasks and assignments which are part of coursework. However, students have complained about them not being real enough. These and additional needs that came to the fore during our student interviews and focus groups are detailed in the appendix.

Conducting a CPV analysis, in the face of all the above mentioned benefits, the most significant component of cost for customers is the monetary (tuition fees and other overheads). Time costs are probably not a significant issue as UOWD is rather conveniently located and on the whole, acquiring a bachelors degree does take anywhere from 3-4 years anywhere in the world. In fact, UOWD is so flexible in its subject offerings each semester that students, who might wish to do so, can complete their bachelors degree in 2.5 years. Energy costs are probably average when compared to industry levels, though many students complain of blocks 14 and 15 being too far from block 5, making for tiresome walking. Psychic costs probably exist by way of students disinterest in the UOWD brand, something that definitely would alter their perception of value. On the whole though, especially when compared to other universities in the region, UOWD offers a fairly attractive value proposition to customers.

5.0 TARGET SEGMENT AND JUSTIFICATION

The target segment consists of a mix of characteristics that are a part of all the proposed five segments, Studious Sam, Social Sara, Nerdy Nikita, Ambitious Abdul Kadir, Fernando the Follower and Desperate Dads, which are explained in detail in Appendix. [Refer to Appendix 11.1 h)]. The ideal target segment for UOWDs B.Comm marketing degree consists of students of both genders ranging from 15 to 18 years of age. These students are carer-oriented and look for a university that provides a quality, accredited education with qualified professors while at the same time looking for a university that provides extra curricular activities to be engaged in whilst enrolled. The target segment is mainly expatriates since they make up the most of the population in the UAE (around 81%) (UNODC, 2011). Most expatriate students have families that wish to keep their children closer to them, here in Dubai after they complete school. Their parents look for a credible university which will provide the right course for their children.

6.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

6.1 BRAND IMAGE

Brand image is a factor that plays an important part in affecting the level of loyalty towards a brand. Achieving the brand image status takes time and is not an easy task that can be attained through just good advertising campaigns (Chong, 2008), but requires the product behind the image to earn the trust of customers (Chong, 2008). A sub set of factors like quality, perceptions, trust, country of origin (Chong, 2008), luxury and many others contribute to form a dynamic brand image. According to an unpublished study, the image of an educational institute can be broken down into three categories, which are, Study environment which deals with the innovation and factors that are student focused, Practicality in terms of enrolments and Conservativeness which is a measure of whether the institution is traditional or well established(Turner, 1999). Perceptual mapping of an institutions image would gain loyalty from students provided that the institutions deliver the perceived value that they promise through their brand image. UOWD markets their brand image through their slogan, Your Australian University in Dubai, that focuses on the exclusivity of the Australian education in Dubai. Problem with the brand that was evident from the research was that students didnt mind being a part of UOWD, but do not necessarily want to be associated with the brand [Refer Appendix 11.5].

6.2 QUALITY

Quality has many forms, most of which are linked to brand image through customer perception. But quality by itself is a very important variable that affects the way customers become loyal to a brand. Firms implementing the philosophy of TQM (total quality management) are able to focus on services providing the most value for the customers through CRM. External agencies evaluate the level of quality in an organisation and the deliverance of that quality to its customers on the basis of certain international standards. Through audits, the agencies are able to award ISOs to companies if the quality of service meets or exceeds the set criteria of international standards. The educational system has an award rating of ISO 9000, which is a combined effort by the company in terms of perfecting quality of external and internal activities (Dobrzaski et al, 2007). This type of quality rating is important because it cannot be easily perceived by the customer through brand image; it must be communicated to them. The degree offered at UOWD is accredited by the Ministry of education and also by AUQA [Refer Appendix 11.1 d]. Students through research have shown that it is important for their choice of UOWD because of its accreditation [Refer 8.0 Quantitative Analysis].

6.3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

To date, a vast amount of research has clearly underscored the direct link between customer satisfaction and loyalty, and it undoubtedly remains one of the most relevant variables directly affecting customers commitment to any particular business (C.-T. Liu et al, 2011). In the international higher education market, customer (student) loyalty is indeed positively related to their satisfaction with the universitys product, which they evaluate primarily through direct experience. This can also substantially influence their perception of the institutions reputation, which is another certain variable impacting loyalty (Helgesen et al, 2007). A major constituent of students satisfaction with universities is their satisfaction with service augmenters, supplementary components which enhance delivery of the core education, namely factors such as financial aid, student accommodation, quality of campus life, health services and the like. It should be noted here that these factors are of special interest and relevance to international students, and as such can have a profound influence on their choice of institution (Paswan et al, 2009). As far as UOWD is concerned, the online survey we conducted with B.com Marketing majors painted a grim picture of students satisfaction levels; a whopping 43% strongly disagreed to being satisfied with their university experience, while a significant 29% was neutral to the statement. Not surprisingly, 43% responded neutral to I am very loyal to my university brand while 21.5% strongly disagreed to it.

6.4 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

The extent of relationship between a brand and its customer determines the strength of loyalty of the customer for that particular brand. Service industries adopt the concept of CRM (customer relationship management) to create and maintain lasting relationship between the firms and its customers (Nelson, Chan, Gibson, 2004). Firms may invest and place focus on relationship building and customer intimacy (Nelson, Chan, Gibson, 2004) to prioritize retention of customers, which also works as a great marketing tool to attract potential customers. By understanding the customer to meet their needs or even exceed them, firms are able to reduce the customer turnover and experience higher margins of profit (Gronroos, 1994). Since the relationship houses a bundle of intangible value, there has to be a strengthened relation marketing so that there is no deterrence in the relationship quality, otherwise it could easily hamper the customers perception of their loyalty to a brand if it doesnt meet their expectations. Running your business on the philosophy of always providing more for your customers than you have to engenders loyalty (Linask, 2011). Universities build customer relationship by offering counselling services with relation to career opportunities and student academics. In UOWD, there are a variety of services offered for the students; like the SASS, SRC, sports and academic merits, Career Development, International Student Program, Personal Counselling and Health Services. Analysis has shown that even with these services present, there is not enough awareness so that the students can benefit from them. [Refer Appendix 11.4]

6.5 CONVENIENCE

In many industries and for many products, customers loyalty simply boils down to convenience; primarily convenience of access to the product. Factors such as location and opening hours dictate the choice of brand, and there is barely any loyalty to the brand itself, even though repurchase is almost guaranteed as long as a more convenient option doesnt open up. However, there is a strong possibility here of the customer becoming unintentionally loyal to the brand, and may subconsciously look to purchase it when travelling or shopping at an unfamiliar store. Today, supermarkets for instance increasingly have to rely on location as a source of differentiation since most of them carry very similar inventories (Rowley, 2005). Of interesting note here is the fact that convenience might have a significant impact on customers choice of complex services as well, and not only on routinely purchased goods, as was traditionally thought. Indeed, a large proportion of students today have enrolled at their universities because it was the closest to them, among other convenience-causing factors. Our interviews and focus groups confirmed this phenomenon, as almost everyone cited location as a decisive factor (if not by them selves, then for their parents) in choosing to study at UOWD, albeit to various levels of significance.

6.6 MULTICULTURAL MARKETING.

Marketing aimed at targeting ethnic groups focuses on aspiration marketing, because marketers have understood that aspirations linked to the company brand would form building blocks that would lead to lasting customer loyalty (Rooney, 2001). Marketing on aspirations means that companies can identify on relevant themes of their product which can be tailored to suit the needs of different cultural groups (Rooney, 2001). Brand loyalty is established also by specifically marketing to individualistic and group oriented societies. In the group oriented society, close-knit family values and acceptance and recognition in society are given importance (Rooney, 2001). While individual values focus on physical attractions which are more related to cross cultural groups. International students prefer applying to universities that offer interaction with their foreign neighbours. UOWD targets a number of ethnic markets, with adverts of its multicultural population, hosting cultural events and degree planners in five different languages. To add to that UOWD also has representatives in different Asian countries to represent the university in a number of education exhibitions. Students at UOWD believe that interaction with students from foreign background adds to the university experience. [Refer Appendix 11.3 b]

7.0 METHODOLOGY AND QUESTIONAIRE JUSTIFICATION

A combination of primary and secondary data sources were used to compile this report. Secondary research sources included corporate websites, financial reports, magazines, journal articles etc. For primary research, explanatory interviews were held with Mrs. Jenny Knowles who is Program Director of B.Comm Marketing, on February 1st 2011 at 1:20pm and Mr. Rajesh Chandrasekaran Prema who is Marketing Officer from Marketing Relations department on February 13th 2011 at 4:00pm. In addition to this more data was collected through 6 face to face in-depth interviews, 2 focus groups and 32 online survey responses. The online questionnaire designed by the office of institutional effectiveness provided us with quantitative information. Our focus will put light on the factors that affect students decisions with relation to the variables that affect loyalty. The tools used in the data collection were both quantitative and qualitative. Lectures from Academic Vice President Mohamed Khalifa and Assistant Manager of Marketing, Naheed Maalik also helped us gather key findings.

TIMELINE:

SAMPLE SIZE AND JUSTIFICATION

In-Depth Interviews Sample size of 6 which constituted of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing program. This was to probe into what factors aided them in joining university and why they stayed

Focus Groups two focus groups were conducted. Each had four students. The first one comprised of second year students in the marketing course so as to gain ideas of fresh perceptions of UOWD whilst the second group were students in their last year in the marketing course which helped us gain insight into course delivery and loyalty factors.

Online Questionnaire Survey target sample of 50 questionnaires. Survey link was distributed to students currently enrolled as well as students outside university.

8.0 DATA ANALYSIS

8.1 QUALITIATIVE RESEARCH - KEY FINDINGS.

Qualitative research through in-depth interviews and focus groups helped determine key reasons for choosing UOWD, what factors influenced their choice of university and degree, their opinions about and suggestions for the university and the current perception of the university as a brand and what position it holds in students minds. It also helped identify gaps in the market.

The main reasons that students chose to study at the University of Wollongong in Dubai included the need for a quality education as a top priority. They felt the need for an accredited program was vital for success in todays marketplace. The students were also informed of the highly qualified faculty and this was another key determinant in joining UOWD. The University of Wollongong also happens to be among the top 10 universities in Dubai with a history of 18 years. Other social factors included family, friends and networking influences. Students wanted to experience a multicultural experience. UOWD also has a very attractive location being in the central hub called Knowledge Village located near Dubai Media City and easily accessible by metro and bus. Since many students dont drive, this was a great benefactor.

Students mainly discovered the university through sources such as the university website, university brochures and booklets, friends and word of mouth. Some students were influenced by current UOWD students, graduates of UOWD and after communicating with the registrar and faculty of UOWD. Exhibitions at high school and GETEX helped to gain awareness of the university and the courses offered. Advertisements played a very minor role in attracting the students. Three to four years back, UOWD had very minimal advertising but as of late they advertise through mediums like theatre, radio, television, and newspapers.

Students who joined the university expected to gain more knowledge of work place practices and to meet diverse set of students from different countries. They expected a course that would be challenging, practical and relate to the practices of todays world. Students look forward to the opportunity to transfer to Australia and also the possibility of gaining employment there. On the whole, they expect an accredited, quality degree program, with high qualified lecturers and a fun, diverse environment.

Many factors influenced their reasons to enrol in the marketing program. Parents and counsellors played a big role. Students were also attracted to the great faculty teaching the subjects in the course. They wanted something practical and challenging and hoped to gain employment opportunities in various marketing fields after graduating with this degree.

Research shows that students are not entirely happy with the course. They feel that some subjects are not necessary for the marketing program. Some subjects in the degree and not too in-depth or articulate enough. Moreover, the course contains lots of opportunities for the students to conduct research but less emphasis on fields like advertising and design, e-marketing and mass media. The marketing strategy and services marketing subjects are great opportunities to gain practical experience but the rest are too theoretical. There is just one communications subject in the course and that too does not create opportunities to create, design, advertise and market your own ideas. Subjects like philosophy and psychology are not fields of interest unless they could be related to marketing.

The students highly praised the faculty of the marketing program. They claim that the faculty have some of the best professors and with their qualifications and experience from different countries, they bring interesting, various perspectives to the course.

Students were asked if they would be interested in having internships as a part of their course to which mainly answered positively. They felt that it would be a great opportunity to gain experience if they actually took what they study in the classroom out into an actual workplace where they could apply their knowledge practically. It would prepare them for the challenge of work and gain more skills along the process. It could also look good on their CV when applying for jobs after graduation. Other universities make it compulsory to complete an internship thus opening a gap for UOWD.

When asked if any of the expectations they had prior to joining UOWD has changed, senior students stated that the course does deliver but it could be more diversified. They expected to have a multicultural experience but theres not much interaction between some cultures. They looked forward to extracurricular activities which didnt live up to expectations.

8.2 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH - KEY FINDINGS.

By analysing the results of the online questionnaire, we gain insightful, statistical information on factors affecting loyalty and perceptions of UOWD.

Around half of the surveyed students think lecturers make their subject interesting while 28.57% and 21.43% responded neutral and strongly disagree respectively, implying the quality of teachers at UOWD is on the whole a mixed bag. Over 71% of the students believe that the course is relevant to future employment, something that can be expected to increase the probability of positive word of mouth. 57% think teachers are experts in their fields, 28.57% are neutral, and 14.29% disagree to the same. Teachers expertise is evident through their examples and methods of teaching which is important to provide range and quality. 57.41% believe local employers respect UOWD which they feel is important to secure a job. The marketing major appears to have enhanced students problem solving and analytical skills, as only a mere 7.14% of the surveyed disagree with the statement. 71.43% of the students believe the standards of foreign universities have the best reputations in UAE/Gulf states, which could explain the increasing interest of UAEs high school graduates in UOWD. Over 42% students believe the course content is made relevant to the UAE, 35.71% are neutral, and 21.43% disagree with the same. 70% believe they must be highly self motivated to achieve HDs and Ds. Over 50% agree with the fact that university has good career advisors to assist in guiding them with career counselling whilst over 28% are have a neutral opinion and 14.29% disagree. A large percentage, about 78.57% of the surveyed, believes that this course involves a lot coursework and assignments. However, judging from the otherwise constant outcry of students with regards to the lack of opportunities for practical experience, wed be inclined to think most of these assignments predominantly involve secondary research. Much interestingly, an exactly equal percentage of 36% of the surveyed students strongly agree and strongly disagree with the statement my course has met all of my expectations, while the remaining 29% voted neutral. Since we have found satisfaction to be a very critical variable directly impacting loyalty, this is indeed an issue of concern.

However, it should be borne in mind here that the above results have been derived from a survey of just 32 people, and of those, only 14 completed it in whole. Indeed then, the results should not in any way be considered conclusive.

9.0 RECOMMENDED STRATEGY

After analysing our data and determining the key findings we can formulate strategies for increasing recruitment to the university and creating loyalty of students currently enrolled. The strategies are tailored to each of the 7 Ps of the marketing mix.

9.1 PRODUCT STRATEGY

From our key findings its observed that students are unsatisfied with the course because it offers too many research-oriented assignments and very few, if any, that give the students an opportunity to design realistic marketing campaigns.

We recommend implementing more marketing related subjects in different fields. The same course in UOW Australia offers subjects such as MARK395-Tourism Marketing, MARK-356 Creating & Marketing New Products, MARK-250 Advertising Practice & Creative Strategies and COMM332-Startup of a Socially Innovative Business. Hence, adding these offerings will strengthen UOWDs portfolio providing more courses that have a more practical approach to coursework.[Refer to Appendix 11.1.i. II)].

Another strategy involves differentiating the BBA program from the Marketing program. The BBA program includes a lot of overlap with the marketing program which results in students enrolling in the BBA program and taking the rest of the marketing degree subjects as electives. This takes students away from enrolling in the marketing program. A way to do this is by implementing the above mentioned strategy which will keep the UOWD B.comm Marketing degree unique and differentiated than the BBA degree. .[Refer to Appendix 11.1.i. l]

One of the untapped segments UOWD is unable to exploit is the need for a part-time course schedule to attract students, profiled as Ambitious Ali Dinajad [Refer Appendix 11.1 h]. Since UOWD is already considering to implement part-time BBA degree course schedule (UOWD, 2011), we recommend them to offer a similar approach to B.comm Marketing program. This will allow students to enrol in the part-time courses while being employed in their respective companies. This has been further facilitated in 2007 by the official approval of the government whereby students aged 15 -18 are allowed to work part-time. (DubaiFaq, 2010).

From our competitive analysis we found that three major universities offer internships as a part of their marketing course. This is a gap for the University of Wollongong since we do not provide internships in the Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing course. American University of Sharjah and American University in Dubai find it relatively easy to place internships since they are government funded and have huge influence but an institution such as Canadian University in Dubai have internships too. Thus we recommend a similar approach to be implemented which will not only be beneficial for the universities reputation but also for the students.

9.2 PRICE STRATEGY

Our in-depth interviews and focus groups revealed that a large majority of students strongly felt that some subjects offered in the course were not worth the tuition fee charged, namely the GED subjects (ARTS035, ARTS015, ENVI030 etc). To counter this, we recommend a tiered pricing system which would price subjects based on their level (from 0 through to 300 levels). Truth of the matter is, evenifthe zero-levels were worth their fees, the fact that all subjects right up to the last year of the study are priced the same, customers perceptions of value for their money spent on the GED subjects will be poor. Pursuing this strategy would also result in two additional possible benefits; firstly, individual subject pricing should mean that subjects are also costed separately, enabling management to pick out the most valuable ones and helping in allocating scarce university resources wisely. Second, students can now be expected to follow the intended subject sequence with much regularity, from 0 through to 100, 200, and 300 levels (fees can be incrementally set for all the 3 years and presented as such to the students/parents). Another suggestion with regards to price is to consider adding the cost of a courses textbook to its tuition fees and then providing a copy of it to every student who enrols. To attract new students, and to retain existing ones, students could also be offered price reductions in tuition fees in direct proportion to their performance improvements. The higher they achieve, the greater the reduction in fees.

9.3 PLACE STRATEGY

As tricky as getting this aspect of the business strategy right might be, the place elements can very really make or break anybodys final decision. Also bear in mind that place doesnt solely refer to the physical university campus; any means of access to its resources, online or otherwise, also constitute its place. As far as UOWD is concerned, its physical location is quite convenient with regards to access from Dubai (and even other cities in the region). However, within knowledge village itself, UOWD is spread over blocks 5, 14 and 15. The latter two are significantly far from block 5 and this makes for some intolerable walking (especially) in summer. If all the blocks could be located just next to each other, it would not only greatly reduce inconvenience caused to students, but would give the university a much more integrated, unified look to greatly aid its brand image as well. As of now, since most classes are located in blocks 14 and 15 only, while block 5 appears to be serving the sole role of a recreation centre, a substantial percentage of the students miss out on the events happening in UOWD day in and day out just due to the lack of awareness and poor communication. Elsewhere, since most universities in the region do not offer online training programmes (or blended learning programmes), or for that matter distance learning programmes, UOWD could be among the pioneers in the fields of e-learning.

9.4 PROMOTION STRATEGY

Although students perceive the value of the education and faculty of UOWD to be high, students have a low perception of brand image because of a dull university experience and most do not seem proud to associate themselves as UOWD students [Refer Appendix 11.4]. Promotion strategies will target high school graduates who look for a prestigious qualified university which offers a fun university experience at the same time.

Firstly, we recommend the university to promote itself as a memorable, multicultural environment to attract the freshers (Studious Sam and Social Sara) while providing educational information to the Desperate Dads [Refer Appendix 11.1 h ]through a print advertisement which will feature a collage of various activities undertaken by the Student Representative Council over the past few years. The background will represent a desk on which the pictures are cluttered like a collage with the Graduation Picture as the forefront, which will depict students journey down the memory lane at UOWD. This creates an awareness of an entertaining university experience to the freshers and new recruits and stimulates them to join UOWD and participate in the activities. Furthermore, the bottom right of the print advertisement will have a slogan accompanied by the university logo. This advertisement will be printed in Newspapers, Magazines like Ahlan!, Friday, Masala, etc. which the young generation read.

Secondly, to attract our target students to the marketing degree, two persuasive advertisements will be positioned as Billboards, Posters which would highlight the main aspects marketing degree would offer showing Australian education system through the logo. Moreover, we also recommend a video advertisement to be used which shows students trying to create and market their product but fail to do so effectively and therefore should turn to UOWDs marketing program. This will help to convey the message more clearly to the viewer and promote the B. comm. Marketing Degree.

9.5 PEOPLE STRATEGY

UOWD has taken great pride in its people and is famous for its strength in its employees i.e. its outstanding faculty, efficient staff and hardworking members associated with the university. It has formulated a phenomenal people strategy, which is a documentation of a companys attitude towards and relationship with its employees as well as with the students. Irrespective of its strong strategy, UOWD is unable to create an informal relationship between the administrative staff and students, or create awareness amongst its students regarding the faculty they will be involved with. Unlike post graduate students who have the opportunity to intermingle with the President of the University at the Majlis, held once per semester at block 15, 3rdfloor; hence we recommend that the undergraduate students should also be provided with similar opportunity to network with the President since many are unaware of the universitys senior executives. Furthermore to create good vibe between the faculty and the students, an early semester informal/casual beach trip or an event should be held. This would lead to astrongstudent-professor rapport which will give the students an idea as to what the professor expects and at the same time provide the professor with an insight of students feedback, hence strengthening customer relationship which is an important factor of loyalty.

Secondly, through the interviews we conducted we were able to gauge a need for assistance especially in the degree planning where most of the students faced problems (which most of the students found challenging) and required personal help. Therefore, under such circumstances, hiring a professional academic advisor, solely for the purpose of consulting the students regarding the planning of their degree is beneficial. On an important note, to benefit from sustainable comparative advantage the academic counselor should not be part of the faculty but a specialist dedicated to this field. This facility could also be provided online to exploit technical advancement as mentioned in the KSF (2.5) which would result in customer satisfaction and a brand image of providing high quality service.

9.6 PROCESS STRATEGY

Process plays a vital role in gauging the quality and efficiency of an organisation, it is a sequential consumption of resources required to convert inputs into outputs. The process approach currently incorporated by UOWD includes the timeline of the degree from the application to the graduation. Along with the manual enrolment UOWD has also facilitated online enrolments which has helped in reducing the time and energy cost experienced by the registration staff, hence increasing the overall productivity. There are yet a few grey areas that require improvements, thus the strategy for a new and improved website portal would be beneficial to both the UOWD staff and the students. As it is now, the front page of the UOWD website is very cluttered, and there are links located in certain places that make it difficult to navigate. An improved version of the UOWD website would have drop down menus and less information displayed on the main page. Links within the drop down menus would allow for smoother navigation into each of the degree offerings. By having links to different faculties - by using the same concept as the UOW website potential/current students, parents and teachers can gain insight into the faculty of interest. Students have also had problems with regards to the sites provided to them for academic purpose, which require separate logins that are time consuming. By using myUOWD as the main academic portal, the site can branch out into a link that encompasses a merge between mySols, uowMail and WebCT. As a form of e-learning, audio lectures can also be uploaded on myUOWD after the lectures have taken place, especially for those students that missed the actual lecture and those that visit virtual classrooms. This would allow for the ease of access, enrolment process and even focus on the simplicity of an academic portal with a powerful engine driving it.

9.7 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY

The UOWD Logo is an important brand asset that falls under physical evidence. However, it does not play an important brand image to students. Most students have no idea about the significance of the logo, thus finding it meaningless and unattractive. The best strategy recommended for this would be to opt for a logo change preferably to a more attractive one like the one designed. [See Appendix Logo 11.5] The new logo outlines the map of Australia and has UOWD written in the maps outline. The main colors blue, yellow and red being significant and symbolic colors of the university, would remain unchanged from the new logo. The blue and red would come from the flag which is layered in the wordings on the logo. The background of the Australia map would be filled with royal yellow pattern. This brings out the emphasis of your Australian University in Dubai, being more attractive and simply unique. The new recommended logo can be adapted on hoodies, mugs, pens, t-shirts and library book bags as a way of promoting and creating a new changed brand image of UOWD.

Physical Evidence also includes the facilities that are provided by the university, which are the lounges, bean bags, games rooms etc. UOWD have an effective strategy which looks forward to continuously improving their facilities to enhance university life experience. The most recent improvements would include the library extension, creation of a new ladies lounge and multipurpose hall designed especially for events and other activities. This strategy does positively affect student perception of the university making them more loyal and satisfied.

.

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11.0 APPENDIX

11.1 TABLES

a) PESTEL ANALYSIS

AREA REVIEWED

FACTOR

POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EFFECT?

Political

-Most universities are private owned

-Government doesnt play a major role

-Quotas with immigration (on intl students)

+No government intervention in UOWD

-Limit on intl students UOWD can accept

Economical

-Slow movement from recession

-Low Interest rates

-Stable Exchange rates

Inflation rate (CPI) fallen than in earlier years

-Increased unemployment

-Education market:

200> Universities and other institutes

-Free Zone

+Opportunities to increase premises (Block14) when interest rates are low [cheaper loans]

+Cheap to employ staff

-Huge competition UOWD faces in education market

-Relatively easy for new competitors to come in

-Recovering from fall in enrollments in previous semesters

Social

-Population in UAE: more expats than locals, higher no. of teens

-Career attitudes moving towards commerce also depending on job opportunities

-Mix culture in the UAE

+Great no. of potential customers

+UOWD a business university

+Multicultural environment in the university

Technological

-Improved facilities

-Everything done over the internet

-Social Networking

-Online methods of communication

+UOWD Website

+e-Learning and online databases for students

+SOLS

+ WiFi, Computer Labs

+Advertising online (Facebook, Twitter etc)

Environmental

-Located in Knowledge Village

-Far from the city

-Metro/Public Transport/Shuttle Bus services

+academic environment in KV

+transport services for students

-competition among colleges in KV

Legislation

-Visa requirement

-Application for Student Visa

-Accreditation from Education Ministry

+Quality students being enrolled

-Procedures involved for Student Visa

Sources:

Interview with Mr. Rajesh Chandrasekharan,

Government of Dubai website. Available: (http://www.dubai.ae/en.portal),

Trading Economics. (2010). UAE Economy Statistics. Available: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?symbol=AED. Last accessed 18th February 2011.

b) STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS

Stakeholders

Interests

Importance

Initiatives/Actions

ITC Group

Provide high quality education.

Creating a link between UOW and UOWD.

HIGH

Attract domestic and international students to UOWD

Provide a total educational experience.

Instill brand awareness and build UOWD position.

Relationship management and strategic communication with future students.

Customers

A degree of high value and recognition that leads to higher studies or employment.

A caring, pleasant, secure experience surrounded with facilities of high quality.

Fine academic support and teaching standards.

A strong University brand image to take pride in.

HIGH

Quality accredited programs

Focus on satisfying students and completion.

Ensuring employment.

Offering scholarships.

Employees

A well managed successful and financially stable university.

A university with a positive outlook for the future.

Thriving careerdevelopment

HIGH

Reward and pay schemes.

Promotions

Training courses

Friendly and diverse atmosphere of colleagues.

Businesses

Students possessing precise capabilities and skills to be recruited.

Creating partnerships.

Assisting with research that may prove beneficial to their organisation.

HIGH

Providing internships.

Employing students after completion of degree.

Suppliers

Short, efficient and understandable information technology enabledprocesses.

Chances to deepen/expand current relationships with the university.

HIGH

Procurement policies.

Community

A university that is well established, successful and raises the standards of recruits, improving employment in the city and creating business; boost the economy.

MOD

Supporting the universitys plans

Taking part in cultural or environmental events the university

Families

A high standard of education for their children.

A safe environment.

Employable opportunities after graduation.

MOD

Background check.

Focus on children finishing degree and finding employment.

Media

Success of university.

What activities the university takes part in.

Any accomplishments.

Accolades.

Breaking news.

MOD

Advertise UOWD.

Promote through campaigns.

Publish articles in newspapers.

c) PORTERS FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK.

Threat of new entrants

The scope for tertiary education in Dubai and other emirates is rapidly evolving. With free zones like Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai Academic City providing encouragement and active support and also the relative ease to obtain a license from the KHDA to set up a campus, many universities are opening up. In addition to these, there are universities that offer online courses which prove to be a threat because it provides ease and less time consuming ways to study such as University of Phoenixs courses. However not many new institutes that are set up have local or international accreditation. Getting their courses accredited even locally is a difficult process. UOWD, however, being a firmly established university, have the benefit of providing dual accreditation. Therefore the threat from new entrants is moderate.

Bargaining power of suppliers

The qualified faculty that provide education to the students are perhaps the biggest suppliers. Their bargaining power is high since teachers with the specific qualifications they possess are rare, and they can switch jobs any time they are dissatisfied. There are many universities that provide students with a marketing undergraduate course. However the threat from suppliers is moderate, because although many universities are suppliers, the possession of qualified staff is important to maintain quality of the degree. Therefore retention through employee satisfaction and payment methods is important.

Bargaining power of buyers

The landscape of the competition among universities in the Middle East is interesting to look at. There are various universities and institutes offering a range of courses. The buyers (customers) have a lot of choices. Buyers have the utmost power because if they are unsatisfied with UOWD they can switch to another university they find more appropriate to their needs. In the case of UOWD, the students are separated into centre for learning English courses, undergraduate, postgraduate and as of recently PhD. The bargaining power of the students are high because there are many other universities offering the same range of courses under the undergraduate and postgraduate category, and some are in direct competition with UOWD, like the American University of Sharjah and American University in Dubai. Customers have more power since they can evaluate the differences in prices and costs. Between some universities the switching costs are low, so the threat from bargaining power of buyers is high.

Threat of substitutes

It is also important to consider the threat from substitutes which is another important consideration while observing growth rate of the industry. In terms of threats to UOWD, if a student is unable to get a university education there are other institutes that offer marketing courses, accounting courses etc that cater specifically to a certain area of study which could help them in getting certain qualifications required for their job. However the security and credibility of an accredited, quality degree would not be the same. Therefore the threat of substitutes is medium.

Competitive Rivalry

In this industry, there is countless number of rivals but only some prove to be direct competition in terms of accreditation and experience etc. the directness depends on the price, promotions and core competencies. There are many universities in the middle east, we analyse the top 5 that are directly competitive with UOWD offering similar course. There are even options for online courses which customers look to, for convenience and ease. The threat from competition is high

Overall, from analyzing the industry using the Porters framework, its observed that the threat from new entrants is moderate, suppliers have a relatively moderate bargaining power whereas the bargaining power of buyers are high and there is intense competition faced by equally well established universities and substitute products which indicates that on the whole industry profitability is low.Sources:

Personal Interview with Mr. Rajesh (Marketing External Relations)

Customer interviews.

Websites:

- Dubai, 2011, Education[online]. Available: http://www.dubai.ae/en.portal?topic,ctz_edu,0,&_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=topic

- KHDA. Available: http://www.khda.gov.ae/en/default.aspx

Personal experiences.

d) COMPETITOR ANALYSIS.

American University

of Sharjah

American University

In Dubai

Canadian University

of Dubai

Abu Dhabi University

University of Wollongong in Dubai

Product

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Marketing

Number of subjects in course:

20 core subjects + 11 marketing specific subjects + 6 minor electives & 1 major elective

+

A compulsory internship program.

Bachelor of Business Administration specialised in Marketing

Number of subjects in course:

18 core subjects + 13 marketing specific subjects + 3 electives (of which one is an Internship course)

Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing

Number of subjects in course:

18 core subjects + 17 marketing subjects (of which one is an internship course) + 3 free electives + 2 major electives.

Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing

Number of subjects in course:

29 core subjects + 8 marketing specific subjects + 9 electives.

Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing

Number of subjects in course:

21 core subjects + 8 marketing specific subjects + 5 electives.

Quality

-Accreditation

Entry Requirement

Local:

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research

International:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (USA).

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

IGCSE, GCSE, GCE:

Minimum 8 subs with 4 Cs and 4 Bs.

TOEFL:

- IBT:

Min score of 71.

- CBT:

Min score of 197.

- AUS Institutional TOEFL:

Min score of 530.

Local:

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research

International:

Southern Association of Colleges & Schools.

International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education

IGCSE/GCE

Combination of seven subjects (O/AS/A) or four subjects (AS/A) with grade C or above.

TOEFL:

- Institutional TOEFL minimum score of 550.

- IBT:

Min score 79-80 + writing skills range 24-30.

Local:

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research

International:

No international accreditation.

IGCSE/GCSE:

- 7 subjects at ordinary level with minimum score of C.

- minimum score of D and E for AS/A respectively

TOEFL:

- IBT:

Min score of 61- CBT Min score of 173

Local:

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research

International:

Ministry of Education in all GCC countries and Jordan

IGCSE/GCSE:

- 7 subjects at either O level or AS/A2 and minimum grade of C for O level, D for AS and E for A2.

TOEFL:- ADU Institutional TOEFL score of 500+

- IBT:Min score of 61

Local:

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.

International:

Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).

IGCSE/GCSE:

- 7 Ordinary level subjects with minimum 3Bs and 4 Cs.

- 4 AS level subjects with grade C or above.

- At least 2 A levels subjects with no grade less than D.

TOEFL:

- IBT: minimum score of 71

- CBT: minimum score 195

- PBT: minimum score of 525

Price

AED 307,360 for the course.

AED 356,700 for the course.

AED 227,550 for the course.

AED 158,670 for the course.

AED 173,400 for the course

Place

Sharjah, UAE

Next to Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE

Behind Shangri-LA Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Knowledge Village, Dubai, UAE.

Physical Environment

- residential halls

- student center

- cafeteria

- outdoor courts

- sports field

- car park

- laboratories

- library

- post office

- car park

- cafeteria

- residence halls

- open air sports facilities

- student center

- car park

- gym

- access by metro

- state of art theatre

- tennis court

- outdoor courtyard

- gym

- Recreational area.

-cafeteria

- car park

- access by metro

- own campus.

- library

- car park

- residence halls

- laboratories

- Span of 3 blocks under UOWD (largest in Knowledge Village).

- Games room

- E-games room

- Student lounge

- Multi purpose hall

- Computer laboratories

- Library

- Quiet Study Area

- Coffee Planet

- Food Court

- Easy access by metro and public bus.

- Metro shuttle to station provided

- Car park

By analyzing the competitors in terms of their product offering, entry requirements, price, location and other factors in comparison to UOWD, points of competitive advantage and gaps can be identified. UOWD is the only university who offers a Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing degree whereas everywhere else its a part of Business Administration. Each university has local and international accreditation except AbuDhabi University which has no international accreditation. In terms of prices, American University of Dubai has highest tuition fees. Most of the competitors entry requirements constitute of 7-8 O level subjects of grade C and above whereas UOWD states 7 O levels with 3 Bs and 4 Cs are required. This states a generally higher standard than the rest. American university of Sharjah have the relatively largest campus. UOWD has a competitive advantage with its dual accreditation, affordable prices, convenient location and multicultural environment. A gap is identified in the provision of internships. Most of the competitors state that students need to complete an internship to graduate in the marketing course but UOWD does not offer any such internships.

Sources:

Websites:

American University of Sharjah (http://www.aus.edu/)

American University in Dubai (www.aud.edu)

Canadian University in Dubai (www.cud.ac.ae)

AbuDhabi University (www.adu.ac.ae)

Middlesex University in Dubai (www.mdx.ac)

University of Wollongong Dubai (www.uowdubai.ac.ae)

e) PERCEIVED VALUE for UOWD.

Perceived value

UOWD

Products Value

Accredited by both Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Australian Universities Quality Agency.

Recognized by businesses high chance of job opportunities.

UOWD alumni have prominent job positions in both public & private sectors of the economy.

Undergraduate classes are all during the day till 5:30 which is suitable.

Service Value

Small batches in each class, so that each students needs and doubts are taken care of.

Classes are of maximum 2 hours so as to not tire students.

Use of technology like projectors and visual aid to present matter to students more aptly.

Situated in a calming environment among other universities.

Image Value

UOWD is renowned for its integrity, credibility and quality.

Is considered in high esteem by government, businesses, students, alumni.

Tradition of excellence.

Employees Value

Combination of staff that are recruited both locally as well as internationally.

Wide spread knowledge in teaching as well as extensive experience in industry and business.

Conducted lots of research and received recognition for it.

Sources: UOWD website (www.uowdubai.ac.ae), Customer interviews, Personal experiences.

f) NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR UOWD (MASLOWS HIERACHY OF NEEDS)

1) Psychological needs.

- Food > food court, cafes, vending machines available.

- Water > water dispensers, vending machines available in every building.

- Shelter > university is in a safe, enclosed building.

2) Safety needs.

- safe environment

- medical facility available

- security guards monitoring the area

- security cameras located in all buildings

3) Social needs.

- meet new people

- friendly atmosphere

- different cultures

- a course that can help learn more about the field of marketing.

- working with real companies to get a feel of the subject.

- student services

- career counseling

- tutoring

4) Esteem needs.

- a university to be proud of.

- status.

- to have a degree thats recognized internationally.

- pride to have worked on a real live case study in marketing subjects.

5) Self Actualization

- make the right choice, right course which determines path of life, career.

- Graduate with high distinction and to get a job with reputed company.

Sources: Customer interviews, Personal experiences.

g) NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR UOWD.

NEED

HOW UOWD / B.COM MARKETING PROGRAMME DELIVERS

Need for quality tertiary education

All those whove completed primary and secondary education naturally wish to progress on to a bachelors degree that consolidates and builds upon past education. The B.Com marketing programme fulfils this need by offering a comprehensive degree thats received dual accreditation.

Need for recognition

To be recognised for the skills and competencies that an individual possesses, it is essential in todays competitive landscape to back them up with a bachelors degree, at the least. All of UOWDs undergraduate degrees more than fulfil this need and are renowned regionally for the same.

Need for interaction

During the course of acquiring this education, students feel a pressing need to belong to, and be identified as part of a group. Social needs, though not really emphasised on all the time, are of paramount importance. Note here its not only healthy peer interaction thats important, but close relations with professors and tutors are also critical to a pleasant university experience. UOWD plays host to more than 80 nationalities, and makes sure to provide ample opportunity for students to mingle and socialise by organising parties, sports festivals, cultural gatherings, etc.

Need for accessibility

Most students (and/or their parents) would prefer to be in close proximity to their university, and not so only in the physical sense, but also in terms of access to university resources on the web. A campus located far from residence (or possibly even abroad) would mean significant expenditure on commuting costs and/or lodging. Since most students are on definitive budgets, this factor can be a crucial variable affecting the final choice of institution. UOWDs central location at the heart of the education industry in Dubai (I.e. knowledge village) makes for very convenient access for students from the all of Dubai, and even from the region at large.

Need to secure employment

The ultimate aim of pursuing a degree for most students boils down to enhancing prospects of full-time employment. Even despite students being given to understand a degree doesnt invariably guarantee a permanent job; theyd expect a good university to help them with finding one. To this end, UOWD has a dedicated unit in its career centre that is committed to sourcing employment opportunities for students, and it also regularly organises career fairs inviting employers to interview students on campus.

Need for practical experience

A major aspect of getting ready for the workplace involves gaining first-hand experience of industry standard practices and learning how to actually implement textbook theories in real-life scenarios. Even as employers are reluctant to take on fresh graduates, those with any sort of practical experience as opposed to a purely theoretical education will definitely be preferred. As such, the B.Com Marketing programme at UOWD does involve a lot of projects and assignments as part of its compulsory coursework, but most of these are based either on purely hypothetical situations or on previously researched-on material.

Need for networking

This is slightly different from the need for belonging as is mentioned above; people who are actively looking for opportunities to network are keen on establishing ties with others who might be of possible benefit to them, in business or otherwise. UOWD does indeed provide a platform for this as it brings together students, teachers, and industry professionals from various walks of life to one location, day in and day out.

Need to unwind and relax

An imperative function any good university performs is to offer its students opportunities to relax and wind down, as they more than need (and expect it) given the work-load and intensity of work at tertiary education level. UOWDs offerings in this regard are among the best in competition, and include 2 games rooms, an expansive student lounge, and other facilities common to knowledge village such as vending machines, a large food court, etc.

Need for a creative outlet

As is generally thought, and as was confirmed from our interviews and focus groups, most students enrolling in a marketing degree associate it with a substantial amount of creative work; designing adverts, developing marketing campaigns, and the like. Those with a natural inclination towards arts and creativity, then, were most likely to opt for the B.Com Marketing specialisation. UOWDs programme could maybe do better at providing its students an outlet to unleash their creativity, as students have complained about activities not being engaging enough and being very book oriented.

Sources: Student interviews and focus groups, personal experience

h) PROPOSED SEGMENTS

Student Profiles

Student

Character description

Studious Sam

Fresh high school graduate completed all 13 years of study and is very job focused and looking for a university that has good career opportunities and ties with businesses that helps to gain practical experience. Hes hardworking and overall achieves high grades in all academic work.

Social Sara

High school graduate done with 11 years of study and looking to join a university right away which does not have foundation programs. Looking for a diverse atmosphere and wide range of facilities. Mostly interested in joining with friends and for the status of being associated with a prestigious university.

Ambitious Abdul Kadir

Emirati student who is just done with high school and decides to enter the workplace but discovers the need for a higher level of education and is interested to find an internationally accredited university.

Nerdy Nikita

A student who is interested in gaining knowledge about practices in the MENA region and a degree with recognition in the UAE/gulf regions. Shes hardworking and has high academic achievement levels.

Fernando the follower

A graduate of high school who has no proper goals set and has not decided what to do in life. He is a follower, and ends up going on the same path as his friends, thus these students are easy to attract and retain since they have no interest in the education they are gaining.

Desperate Dads

Parents who influence students university decisions and want them to stay closer to home. Strict at looking at quality of the lecturers and degree. Not too interested in the fun and extracurricular activities. Looks at the reputation, accreditation and credibility.

Sources: personal observations

i)COURSE COMPARISON.

I) UOWDs BBA course vs Bcomm Marketing course.

Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing

subject listing

Bachelor of Business Administration

subject listing

ARTS015

INTRODUCTION TO UNI LIFE

ARTS015

INTRODUCTION TO UNI LIFE

ARTS017

ISLAMIC CULTURE

ARTS017

ISLAMIC CULTURE

ENVI030

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY

ENVI030

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY

ARTS035

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

ARTS035

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

MATH015

FOUNDATION MATHEMATICS A

MATH015

FOUNDATION MATHEMATICS A

CSCI015

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

CSCI015

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

STAT015

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

STAT015

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

LAW101

LAW,BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

LAW101

LAW,BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

IACT201

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CITIZENS RIGHTS

IACT201

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CITIZENS RIGHTS

PSYC015

INTRODUCTION TO PYSCHOLOGY

PSYC015

INTRODUCTION TO PYSCHOLOGY

ACCY100

ACCOUNTING A

ACCY100

ACCOUNTING A

ACCY102

ACCOUNTING B

ACCY102

ACCOUNTING B

COMM110

BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS

COMM110

BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS

COMM121

QUANTITATIVE METHODS 1

COMM121

QUANTITATIVE METHODS 1

ECON101

MACROECONOMIC ESSENTIALS

ECON101

MACROECONOMIC ESSENTIALS

ECON111

INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS

ECON111

INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS

FIN221

INTRODUCTORY BUSINESS FINANCE

FIN221

INTRODUCTORY BUSINESS FINANCE

MARK101

MARKETING PRINCIPLES

MARK101

MARKETING PRINCIPLES

MGMT110

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT

MGMT110

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT

MGMT316

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

MGMT102

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

COMM351

BUSINESS ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE

MGMT314

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

MARK217

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

MARK217

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

MARK270

SERVICES MARKETING

MARK270

SERVICES MARKETING

MARK343

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

MARK343

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

MARK344

MARKETING STRATEGY

MARK344

MARKETING STRATEGY

MARK201

APPLIED MARKETING RESEARCH A

MGMT389

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

MARK202

APPLIED MARKETING RESEARCH B

MGMT201 OR MGMT206

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR OR MANAGING HR.

MARK301

INTERNET APPLICATIONS FOR MARKETING

ECON216

INTERNATIONAL TRADE THEORY AND POLICY

MARK333

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

ECON332

MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS AND OPERATIONS

ELECTIVE

ACCY211

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING II

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

By comparing these two courses its evident that BBA comprises mostly of five key marketing subjects, MARK217, MARK270, MARK343 and MARK344. Under the marketing program, the main subjects of the course are these 4 subjects plus 4 more subjects MARK201,MARK202,MARK301 and MARK333. BBA allows for 4 electives and if these subjects are taken. Students are able to complete a marketing course while being in BBA.

Sources: www.uowdubai.ac.ae

II) UOWDs Bcomm marketing course vs UOW Bcomm marketing course

University of Wollongong in Dubai

Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing

subject listing

University of Wollongong

Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing

subject listing

ARTS015

INTRODUCTION TO UNI LIFE

ACCY111

ACCOUNTING FUNDAMENTALS IN SOCIETY

ARTS017

ISLAMIC CULTURE

COMM101

PRINCIPLES OF RESPONSIBLE COMMERCE

ENVI030

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY

COMM121

STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS

ARTS035

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

ECON101

MACROECONOMIC ESSENTIALS FOR BUSINESS

MATH015

FOUNDATION MATHEMATICS A

FIN111

INTRODUCTORY PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE

CSCI015

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

MGMT110

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT

STAT015

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

MARK101

MARKETING PRINCIPLES

LAW101

LAW,BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

(plus a choice from)

COMM113

BUSINESS ORIENTED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

IACT201

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CITIZENS RIGHTS

. ACCY112

ACCOUNTING IN ORGANIZATIONS

PSYC015

INTRODUCTION TO PYSCHOLOGY

ECON111

INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS

ACCY100

ACCOUNTING A

MGMT102

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

ACCY102

ACCOUNTING B

(plus one capstone subject from)

COMM331

SIMULATION OF A SOCIALLY INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE.

COMM110

BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS

COMM332

START UP OF A SOCIALLY INNOVATIVE BUSINESS.

COMM121

QUANTITATIVE METHODS 1

COMM333

APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH OR SOCIAL INNOVATION.

ECON101

MACROECONOMIC ESSENTIALS

COMM334

INTERCULTURAL APPLICATIONS OF SOCIALLY INNOVATIVE COMMERCE

ECON111

INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS

(major marketing subjects)

MARK205

INTRODUCTORY MARKETING RESEARCH.

FIN221

INTRODUCTORY BUSINESS FINANCE

MARK217

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

MARK101

MARKETING PRINCIPLES

MARK270

SERVICES MARKETING

MGMT110

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT

MARK333

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND ADVERTISING

MGMT316

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

MARK344

MARKETING STRATEGY

COMM351

BUSINESS ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE

(plus 18cp from the following)

MARK250

ADVERTISING PRACTICE AND CREATIVE STRATEGIES.

MARK217

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

MARK301

INTERNET APPLICATIONS FOR MARKETING.

MARK270

SERVICES MARKETING

MARK305

ADVANCED MARKETING RESEARCH.

MARK343

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

MARK317

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MARKETING.

MARK344

MARKETING STRATEGY

MARK320

SOCIAL MARKETING.

MARK201

APPLIED MARKETING RESEARCH A

MARK343

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING.

MARK202

APPLIED MARKETING RESEARCH B

MARK356

CREATING AND MARKETING NEW PRODUCTS.

MARK301

INTERNET APPLICATIONS FOR MARKETING

MARK395

TOURISM MARKETING.

MARK333

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

ELECTIVE

The subjects highlighted under the UOW marketing program are subjects that current students of UOWD wish to have in their course offering as its very practical and offer to be very challenging and provide different aspects of marketing.Sources: http://www.uowdubai.ac.ae & http://www.uow.edu.au

11.2 ORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS:

a) COMPANY BACKGROUND.

UOWD was the first Australian university in Dubai to be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research and was established in 1993. It currently serves to over 3000 students from approximately 110 nationalities, 60% students are from the Asian subcontinent and 40% from other countries, and students ages range from 16 to 55. It is located at Dubai Knowledge Village in the free trade zones campus in that offers facilities for training and learning institutions. UOWD offers facilities such as student lounge, 3 faculties, library, administrative building, food court, residential services to students and also arranged shuttle buses that are take students to and from the nearest metro station and is available every 10 minutes. UOWD It offers English programs, Certificates of Proficiency programs, Undergraduate programs, Postgraduate programs, and Postgraduate Research Programs. It has dual accreditation which is an indication of international recognition and quality of UAE and Australian standards, which is important to locals and expatriates when choosing a university and during job recruitment.

Source: Lecture by Vice President Mohamed Khalifa

b) THE BUSINESS STRATEGY:

UOWDs strategy is to take the education standards and student facilities to the next level.

c) UOWD AS A BRAND:

UOWDs journey started as an Australian Institute located opposite Al Mulla Plaza where it offered English language courses. In 2000, it moved to Jumeirah road and was able to create a strong presence and awareness due to its image and recognition and in 2005, it moved to its current location, Dubai Knowledge Village, that marked a breakthrough for UOWD as student numbers increased significantly, new programs were added, new amendments to the curriculum were made, students were more exposed in terms of extra curricular activities and today UOWD is considered a vital part of Dubai due to its reputation as a committed educational institute.

Source: Coffee table book

d) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

Source: Mrs Jenny Knowles (Program Director)

e) STAFF:

UOWD current employs approximately 250 (190 full time staff and 55 part time staff) members from 30 different countries.

The council academic accreditation (CCA in the UAE) has taken an initiative to hire developed human capital i.e.: lecturers/professor. They must atleast have a PhD (or must be supervised by PhD graduate) which makes a real difference in terms of quality.

To maintain their quality productivity Center for academic support and professional development organizes workshops that guides/assists staff to refresh statistics, teach them how to use technologies such as blackboard systems, to research and write and how to support PG students in their research. These workshops occur every other week during Spring and Autumn semesters and is optional.

An issue that has been recognized around the world is that even though lecturers/professors might have the requirements and knowledge to be a lecturer, it is equally important for a lecturer/professor to be able to pass on information an effectively and efficient and interesting manner teaching skills.

ULT (University learning and training) an Australian system that offers a specific teacher training program that focuses on teaching skills and this program offers a masters degree.

Source: Interview with Mrs. Jenny Knowles (Program Director)

f) THE PORTFOLIO OF PRODUCTS:

Degrees offered by UOWD are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Re