CHOICE CRITERIA AMONG THAIS TOWARDS CHOOSING AN INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM IN THAILAND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Universities and institutions around the world, including Thailand, are offering international master‘s business program. Both public institutions and private institutions are competing to maximize their students‘ enrollment. At the same time, the demand of higher education is diminishing due to aging population and declining fertility rate. In order to attract potential students, it is essential for universities to understand consumer behaviour behind Thai students‘ choices toward international master‘s business degree. Thus, the research objectives of this study are to determine criteria for choosing an international master‘s business program among Thais, to determine the criteria posing the greatest influence on Thai students‘ choice in the selection of an international master‘s business program among Thais, to determine factors influencing overall satisfaction of an international master‘s business program among current students in Thailand, and to determine factors influencing the likelihood to recommend an international master‘s business program to others. This study adopted a quantitative research approach featuring online anonymous questionnaire. The total sample size of the study was 360, which can be divided into Thai students currently enrolled in Thai university (83.6%), and foreign brand university (16.4%). Multiple regression analysis showed that social norm and alumni network has the strongest influence on overall satisfaction of an international master‘s business program among current students in Thailand followed by location/traveling convenience and tuition fee (p<0.05). In term of spreading recommendation, the factors posing the greatest influence found in the study were location/traveling convenience and tuition fee followed by social norm and alumni network (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis also rejected that self-efficacy and reputation, and courses have statistically significant influence on students‘ satisfaction level, as well as, on their likelihood to recommend the business program to others. Although the study was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that social norm and alumni network, and location/traveling convenience and tuition fee play a key role in determining students‘ satisfaction and their tendency to spread positive words of mouth.