1. Factors Influencing International Students to Study at Universities in Taiwan Le Thu Trang Yao-Chuan Tsai* Business Administration, National Cheng Kung University Tainan City, Taiwan The 16 th Asia Pacific Management Conference Kobe, Japan

2. Outline 1.Introduction 2.Literature Review 3.Research Design 4.Data Analysis 5.Conclusions and Future Research

3. 1. Introduction In order to not only compete, but survive, an industry must identify the needs of its potential customers and develop products or services that can meet these needs (Harvey and Busher, 1996). This is true for the education industry as well, which is essentially a service industry directed at people’s minds with students as clients (Harvey and Busher, 1996; Mazzarol 1998). Overseas studying could be the most expensive decision that a student would ever have to make, so the research in this field is necessary (Mazzarol 1998). Background

4. Previous research Previous research surveyed opinions of international students regarding certain factors and considering whether or not the factors were influential on their intention of application for university admissions. For example, Phang (2013) and Chang and Chou (2012) found the factors of scholarship, desired course, institutional image, international environment, language, and future job would affect the international students’ intention to apply for admissions. Previous research did not compute the weights (importance) of those factors which would affect the students’ intention for applying to schools.

5. Taiwan as an example Taiwan’s institutions of higher education have been actively recruiting outstanding international students in the recent years. This could lead Taiwan’s competition status to become Center for Higher Education in Southeast Asia (Higher Education in Taiwan 2012-2013). The number of international students in Taiwan has almost doubled from 2006 to 2011. Purpose This study computed the percentages of certain important factors which would affect students' intention of applying for university admission in Taiwan. We hope to correctly interpret the students’ preferences for choosing universities. The results may contribute to school administration in making proper strategies to attract outstanding international students.

6. 2 Literature Review 2.1 Application intention Intention is often a more realistic measure than merely consideration (Giles and Rea 1999). Also, it has been found that there is a difference between the attraction to an organization and the intention to pursue an employment opportunity (Aiman-Smith, Bauer, and Cable 2001). Srikatanyoo and Gnoth (2002) used the destination intention as the students’ preferential choice of an education destination. After then, Cubillo et al. (2006) proposed some factors that would influence the purchase intention of international students. They defined the purchase intention as a predictor of students’ choices when they consider different elements in their overseas study decisions. This study involved international students’ decision on selecting universities. We use the term application intention to represent the students’ intention of applying for university admissions in Taiwan.

7. 2.2 Factors that might influence students’ application intention NoFactorsReferences 1Scholarship Dian Fu Chang, Wen Ching Chou (2012) 2Low tuition fee Dian Fu Chang, Wen Ching Chou (2012) 3An institutional image Bodycott (2009); Chen & Zimitat (2006) 4A desired program/course Suh Li Phang (2013) 5Language Suh Li Phang (2013) 6International environment Suh Li Phang (2013) 7Influences and recommendation from family, friends and professors Suh Li Phang (2013) Bodycott (2009) 8Collaboration with agencies Dian Fu Chang, Wen Ching Chou (2012) Chen & Zimitat (2006) 9Future Job Cheung, Yuen, Yuen & Cheng (2011)

8. 2.3 Conjoint analysis Green (1970) recognized that conjoint measurement could be applied to marketing problems. Conjoint analysis is a technique used by marketing managers to gain an insight into consumers' preferences for products and services and to predict buyers’ behaviors (Vriens, 2010). Conjoint analysis allows the respondents to consider certain factors (attributes) involved in a decision. By analyzing the results of the respondents’ judgments, the weighted percentages (importance) of the attributes can be measured.

9. 3 Research Design 3.1 Study process Factors Chosen (Literature) Pre-test (Reduce number of factors) Formal Questionnaire Data Analysis (Conjoint analysis, Statistical analysis)

10. 3.2 Pre-test FactorsDefinitionsResults 1ScholarshipThe university provides international students with scholarship or financial assistances. 331 2Desired program/courseThe university provides interesting programs that meet prospective students’ needs. 311 3International environmentThe university and its studying environment allows international students to experience new culture and to meet classmates from different countries. 294 4LanguageThe university provides courses which are taught in both Chinese and English. 286 5Institutional imageThe ranking, reputation, and equipment of the institution are good or not.274 6Future jobThe university and its offered degree allows international students to work in Taiwan after graduation. 271 7Recommendation by othersThe students’ family, friends, and professors recommend them to study at certain universities. 250 8Collaboration with other universities The university collaborates with other universities in the world, including international students’ home countries, and/or provides the exchange students program. 228 9Low tuition feeThe university’s tuition and fee are low.227 Table: Pretest Results A seven-point Likert scale was used to rank each factor’s importance. Fifty international students were randomly selected to conduct the pre-test. The pre-test time period was from 1st to 14th January, 2014.

11. Pre-test results shown by a graph

12. AttributesLevels 1Scholarship Yes No 2Desired program/course Yes No 3Institutional image Yes No 4Language Yes No 5International environment Yes No 6Future job Yes No Table: Attributes and Attribute-Levels 3.3 The design of attribute-levels

13. The meanings of each attribute-level 1) Scholarship Yes : The university provides scholarship for you. No: The university doesn’t provide scholarship for you. 2) Desired program/course Yes: The university provides interesting courses that meet prospective students’ desire. No: The university doesn’t provide interesting courses that meet prospective students’ desire. 3) Institutional image Yes: The ranking, reputation and the equipment of the institution are good. No: The ranking, reputation and the equipment of the institution are not good. 4) Language Yes: The university provides courses which taught in both Chinese and English. No: The university doesn’t provide courses which taught in both Chinese and English. 5) International environment Yes: You can experience new culture and meet classmates from different countries. No: You can’t experience new culture or meet classmates from different countries. 6) Future job Yes: A degree from this university will ensure you to have more opportunities to work in Taiwan after graduating from the university. No: A degree from this university will not ensure you to have more opportunities to work in Taiwan after graduating from the university.

14. 3.4 Questionnaire Design Fractional factorial design was used to reduce the number of combinations, while still maintaining orthogonally among the levels (Hair et al. 1998) 10 out of 64 (=2 6 ) combinations were taken in the formal questionnaire design. Similar to Aiman-Smith and Bauer (2001), “application intention” was asked by using the statement: “I would apply for admissions to this university.” Formal questionnaires were presented in three languages: English, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese. Demographic data (gender, age, marital status, nationality, educational program, major) were collected in order to check if there are any different preferences among demographic data.

15. 14710 Scholarship: Yes Desired Course: No Institutional Image: No Language: No International Environment: No Future Job : Yes Scholarship: YES Desired course: YES Institutional image: YES Language: YES International environment: YES Future Job: YES Scholarship: YES Desired course: YES Institutional image: NO Language: YES International environment: NO Future Job: NO Scholarship: YES Desired course: YES Institutional image: NO Language: YES International environment: YES Future Job: YES Rank:____________ 258 Demographic Data: Gender (M, F) Age Marital Status Nationality Educational Program Major Scholarship: NO Desired course: NO Institutional image: NO Language: YES International environment: YES Future Job: NO Scholarship: NO Desired course: YES Institutional image: YES Language: NO International environment: NO Future Job: NO Scholarship: NO Desired course: YES Institutional image: NO Language: NO International environment: YES Future Job: YES Rank:____________ 369 Scholarship: NO Desired course: NO Institutional image: YES Language: YES International environment: NO Future Job: YES Scholarship: YES Desired course: NO Institutional image: YES Language: NO International environment: YES Future Job: NO Scholarship: NO Desired course: YES Institutional image: YES Language: NO International environment: NO Future Job: YES Rank:____________ Formal Questionnaire

16. 4. Data Analysis Sample data 210 international students currently enrolled in Taiwan were given questionnaires, but six out of them were either filled out improperly or not returned. Time: 02/15/2014 – 03/25/2014 Data Analysis Methods Statistical Analysis (using SPSS 16.0) Descriptive Statistic Hypothesis Testing Conjoint Analysis (using Excel 2013) 4.1 Sample Data and Analysis Methods

17. BackgroundCharacteristicsTotal (n = 204)Percentage Gender Male9748% Female10752% Age Under 203117% 21 – 3016882% 31 – 4053% Marital Status Single18792% Married178% Divorced00% Educational Program Extension4020% Undergraduate6632% Master9145% Doctor73% Major Management6435.6% Finance 2914% Science and Engineering 4422% Literature and Art 3218% Others 3517% Table Characteristics of the Respondents 4.2 Descriptive Statistics

18. Table Nationalities of International Students NATIONTotal (n= 204)Percentage Vietnam5728% Malaysia4622% Indonesia3218% Thailand189% Philippines126% Korea105% Mongolia105% Hong Kong84% Russia63% Haiti52%

19. Attribute-LevelScores 1Scholarship (Yes)1.0 2Language (Yes) 0.74 3International Environment (Yes)0.73 4Desired course (Yes) 0.70 5Future Job (Yes) 0.63 6Institutional Image (Yes) 0.52 7Institutional Image (No) 0.48 8Future Job (No) 0.31 9International Environment (No) 0.27 10Language (No) 0.26 11Desired course (No) 0.20 12Scholarship (No) 0.00 Table: The Scores of Attribute-Levels 4.3 Conjoint Analysis The respondents’ rankings were converted to scores, and then normalized into the range of 0 to 1. Scholarship (Yes) has the highest score of 1. Scholarship (No) has the lowest score of 0.

20. Option 4 (all 6 factors have ‘YES’ levels) and Option 10 (all factors have ‘YES’ levels, except International Image) are the two favorite choices by international students.

21. The Weight (Importance) of Each Factor

22. 4.4 Comparison for Demographic Data Demographic VariablesCharacteristicsScholarshipDesired courseInstitutional ImageLanguageInternational EnvironmentFuture job Total 35.6%*18%2%17%16%11.4% GenderMale33%*21%3%17%14%12% Female37%*16%0%18% 11% Marital StatusSingle35%*18%2%17%16%11% Married37%*16%1%17%14%15% AgeUnder 2036%*17%2%17%16%12% 21 – 3032%*21%0%20%17%10% 31 – 4048%*16%1%17%10%8% NationalityVietnam34%*18%2%17%15%13% Malaysia34%*23%3%13%16%11% Indonesia40%*17%1%15%14%13% Thailand41%*14%3%12% 18% Philippine31%*25%8%21%8%6% Korea19%17%1%39%*21%4% Mongolia38%*11%1%23%25%1% Hong Kong45%*3%6%17%21%7% Russia30%*11%9%18%22%10% Haiti31%*5% 26%24%10% Educational ProgramExtension31%*21%1%22%20%5% Undergraduate30%*18%3%17%18%14% Master41%*17%1%16%13%12% Doctor39%*17%3%14% MajorManagement39%*16%0%17%16%13% Finance27%*20%2%15%20%15% Science and Engineering42%*19%4%14%10%12% Literature and Art30%*24%3%21%18%5% Other35%*14%0%20% 11% Table: Sample Statistics by Demographic Data The number with “*” represents the highest percentage in each row.

23. Demographi c Variables CharacteristicsScholar ship Desired course Institutional Image LanguageInternational Environment Future job Total 35.6%*18%2%17%16%11.4% GenderMale33%*21%3%17%14%12% Female37%*16%0%18% 11% Marital Status Single35%*18%2%17%16%11% Married37%*16%1%17%14%15% AgeUnder 2036%*17%2%17%16%12% 21 – 3032%*21%0%20%17%10% 31 – 4048%*16%1%17%10%8% NationalityVietnam34%*18%2%17%15%13% Malaysia34%*23%3%13%16%11% Indonesia40%*17%1%15%14%13% Thailand41%*14%3%12% 18% Philippines31%*25%8%21%8%6% Korea19%17%1%39%*21%4% Mongolia38%*11%1%23%25%1% Hong Kong45%*3%6%17%21%7% Russia30%*11%9%18%22%10% Haiti31%*5% 26%24%10% Educational Program Extension31%*21%1%22%20%5% Undergraduate30%*18%3%17%18%14% Master41%*17%1%16%13%12% Doctor39%*17%3%14% MajorManagement39%*16%0%17%16%13% Finance27%*20%2%15%20%15% Science and Engineering 42%*19%4%14%10%12% Literature and Art30%*24%3%21%18%5% Other35%*14%0%20% 11% Testing the Difference of Two Proportions (2 Populations)

24. Two-Sided Testing (the influence of scholarship on master and undergraduate)

25. 5. Conclusions and Future Research Conclusions: This study uses conjoint analysis to investigate the important weights of the 6 selected factors that might influence international students’ selections of universities in Taiwan. The strongest influencing factor is “scholarship”, followed by “desired course”, “language”, and “international environment” ( these 3 factors have the same rank), then followed by “future job”, and finally the weakest influencing factor is “institutional image”. In addition to the conjoint analysis of sample data, the testing of statistical hypothesis is applied to test the significance of certain sample results.

26. Some Further Research: “Scholarship” is the most influencing factor which accounts for 35.6% weight in this sample study. “Scholarship” has only 2 levels in this study. Further study should refine its levels into several levels in order to estimate the international students’ preference (intention) of application more accurately. This study presented a hypothesis testing example. Another research can be conducted by completing statistical testings of the sample results among demographic data. A complete, summarized statistical results would lay a solid foundation for the school administration use, especially for universities in making proper strategies of recruiting outstanding international students.

27. Thank you for your listening!