Success factors in interactive media: A dual-perspective study of higher education student recruitment

This research investigates the salient factors influencing the success of interactive media in marketing (IMM) for higher education student recruitment. The qualitative exploratory study examines practitioner and student perspectives to define success and investigate dimensions and measures which influence success outcomes. The study’s findings contribute to research in the relatively unexplored field of higher education marketing at its intersection with interactive media and information systems literature. The central research question is: How is the success of interactive media in marketing perceived by higher education marketing and recruitment practitioners and students? The question is addressed through four research objectives: 1. To investigate the salient variables of IMM which influence success as viewed by practitioners. 2. To investigate the salient variables of IMM which influence success as viewed by prospective students. 3. To investigate influences on prospective student use of IMM. 4. To investigate what assumptions are made by practitioners and how these align with prospective student needs and desires. The research data consists of semi-structured interviews with 19 higher education marketing and student recruitment professionals and 37 first-year undergraduate students in Ireland. Abductive analysis is carried out through Qualitative Content Analysis sensitised by the DeLone & McLean (2003) Information Systems Success Model (IS Success Model). Success is defined from the multi-faceted and constructed perspectives of both research populations. Information quality and system quality, adapted from the IS Success Model are confirmed as influences on success. Service quality is found not to have an influence. Interaction quality is identified as new dimension of success for IMM. Motivating factors are identified which influence use intention of IMM. Facilitating conditions influence actual use of IMM. Findings are strengthened by the underpinning of the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (Venkatesh et al., 2003; Venkatesh, Thong, et al., 2012), and Media Richness Theory (Daft & Lengel, 1986). The research contributes a new model, the Interactive Media in Marketing Success Model, which has implications for theory and practice. The study significantly extends a well-established model while specifying it to a new context. Findings are limited by the scope of the study which is restricted to practitioners within Ireland and current students within one HEI, and by the qualitative nature of the study which does not test the strength of identified relationships. The limitations present opportunities for future studies to build on the current research.

Publisher

University of Galway

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CC BY-NC-ND

cbn

Collections

University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses)