The Use of Repertory Grid Analysis and Importance-Performance Analysis to Identify Determinant Attributes of Universities

In the increasingly competitive Australian tertiary education market, a consumer orientation is essential. This is particularly so for small regional campuses that compete with larger universities in the state capitals. Campus management needs to carefully monitor both the perceptions of prospective students within the catchment area, and the (dis)satisfaction levels of current students. This study reports the results of an exploratory investigation into the perceptions held of a small regional campus, using two techniques that have arguably been underutilized in the education marketing literature. Repertory Grid Analysis, a technique developed fifty years ago, was used to identify attributes deemed salient to year 12 high school students at the time they were applying for university places. Importance-performance analysis (IPA), developed three decades ago, was then used to identify attributes that were determinant for a new cohort of first year undergraduate students. The paper concludes that group applications of Repertory Grid offer education market researchers a useful technique for identifying attributes used by high school students to differentiate universities; and that IPA is a useful technique for guiding promotional decision making. In this case the two techniques provided a quick, economical and effective snapshot of market perceptions, which can be used as a foundation for the development of an ongoing market research program. Practical steps for such a program are summarized.