IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/krk/eberjl/v5y2017i4p61-89.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Education agents as competitiveness enhancers of Australian universities by internationalisation facilitation

Author

Listed:
  • Anirban Sarkar

    (The Centre of Excellence, Geelong, Australia)

  • Áron Perényi

    (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia)

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this paper is to explore the role of education agents as drivers of competitiveness of Australian Universities by facilitating internationalisation. Research Design & Methods: The paper presents an analysis of semi structured interviews from two international officers of Universities, an education officer with Victorian Government and an education agent with decades of experience. This set of primary data and a comprehensive literature review served as a stimulus for the investigating the role of education agent in the internationalisation of higher education. Findings: It is evident that the agents play an extremely vital role in the internationalisation process and the four key themes that are identified from the interviews are Market Knowledge, Network Facilitators, Financial Interest and Reliance and Trust factor. This is further supported from the analysis of the extant literature. Implications & Recommendations: The paper proposes several key concepts/themes that could be used to frame future investigations into the role of education agents in the internationalisation of higher education. The higher education providers should not neglect the importance of the knowledge that the education agent may offer for recruiting international students or even to establish an offshore operation. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in finding the various themes which are essential to be looked at by the higher education providers in order to further utilise the potential of education agents in the internationalisation process.

Suggested Citation

  • Anirban Sarkar & Áron Perényi, 2017. "Education agents as competitiveness enhancers of Australian universities by internationalisation facilitation," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 5(4), pages 61-89.
    • Handle: RePEc:krk:eberjl:v:5:y:2017:i:4:p:61-89
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://eber.uek.krakow.pl/index.php/eber/article/download/315/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Czinkota, Michael R., 2006. "Academic freedom for all in higher education: The role of the general agreement on trade in services," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 149-160, June.
    2. Charles W. L. Hill & Peter Hwang & W. Chan Kim, 1990. "An eclectic theory of the choice of international entry mode," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 117-128, February.
    3. Gary A Knight & S Tamar Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 124-141, March.
    4. Chetty, Sylvie K. & Wilson, Heather I. M., 2003. "Collaborating with competitors to acquire resources," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 61-81, February.
    5. Anna, Petrenko, 2016. "Мaркування готової продукції як складова частина інформаційного забезпечення маркетингової діяльності підприємств овочепродуктового підкомплексу," Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, vol. 2(1), March.
    6. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    7. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    8. Andersson, P., 2002. "Connected internationalisation processes: the case of internationalising channel intermediaries," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 365-383, June.
    9. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    10. Anoop Madhok, 1997. "Cost, Value And Foreign Market Entry Mode: The Transaction And The Firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 39-61, January.
    11. Czinkota, Michael R. & Grossman, David A. & Javalgi, Rajshekhar (Raj) G. & Nugent, Nicholas, 2009. "Foreign market entry mode of service firms: The case of U.S. MBA programs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 274-286, July.
    12. Marian V Jones & Nicole E Coviello, 2005. "Internationalisation: conceptualising an entrepreneurial process of behaviour in time," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 36(3), pages 284-303, May.
    13. Wilkinson, Timothy & Brouthers, Lance Eliot, 2006. "Trade promotion and SME export performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 233-252, June.
    14. John H Dunning, 1988. "The Eclectic Paradigm of International Production: A Restatement and Some Possible Extensions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31, March.
    15. M Krishna Erramilli, 1991. "The Experience Factor in Foreign Market Entry Behavior of Service Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(3), pages 479-501, September.
    16. Kais Mejri & Katsuhiro Umemoto, 2010. "Small- and medium-sized enterprise internationalization: Towards the knowledge-based model," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 156-167, June.
    17. Gary A Knight & S Tamer Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(4), pages 334-334, July.
    18. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mary M Maloney & Shalini Manrakhan, 2007. "Causes of the difficulties in internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(5), pages 709-725, September.
    19. Sanjeev Agarwal & Sridhar N Ramaswami, 1992. "Choice of Foreign Market Entry Mode: Impact of Ownership, Location and Internationalization Factors," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 23(1), pages 1-27, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nataša Kobal & Roberto Biloslavo & Matevz Raskovic, 2018. "SME Internationalisation in the United Arab Emirates: Home-Host Country Characteristics and the Role of Cultural Distance," MIC 2018: Managing Global Diversities; Proceedings of the Joint International Conference, Bled, Slovenia, 30 May–2 June 2018,, University of Primorska Press.
    2. Surdu, Irina & Mellahi, Kamel, 2016. "Theoretical foundations of equity based foreign market entry decisions: A review of the literature and recommendations for future research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 1169-1184.
    3. Maldea, Radu-Andrei, 2023. "Winning when Going Global – On the Role of Heritage and Strategic Moves for Internationalization Endeavors of Start-ups," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 8(2), pages 532-568.
    4. Oskar Villarreal Larrinaga, 2010. "The Dodecagon of Internationalisation: A Theoretical Integration Model," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 3-24.
    5. Wrona, Thomas & Trąpczyński, Piotr, 2012. "Re-explaining international entry modes – Interaction and moderating effects on entry modes of pharmaceutical companies into transition economies," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 295-315.
    6. Mehmet Demirbag & Martina McGuinness & Hüseyin Altay, 2010. "Perceptions of Institutional Environment and Entry Mode," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 207-240, April.
    7. Demirbag, Mehmet & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W., 2009. "Equity-based entry modes of emerging country multinationals: Lessons from Turkey," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 445-462, October.
    8. José Pla-Barber & Fidel León-Darder & Cristina Villar, 2011. "The internationalization of soft-services: entry modes and main determinants in the Spanish hotel industry," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 5(2), pages 139-154, June.
    9. Laufs, Katharina & Schwens, Christian, 2014. "Foreign market entry mode choice of small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic review and future research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1109-1126.
    10. Saeed Samiee & Constantine S. Katsikeas & G. Tomas M. Hult, 2021. "The overarching role of international marketing: Relevance and centrality in research and practice," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(8), pages 1429-1444, October.
    11. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2008. "Factors affecting perceptions of the choice between acquisition and greenfield entry: The case of Western FDI in an emerging market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 5-38, February.
    12. Quer, Diego & Claver, Enrique & Andreu, Rosario, 2007. "Foreign market entry mode in the hotel industry: The impact of country- and firm-specific factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 362-376, June.
    13. Sabina Tasheva & Bo Bernhard Nielsen, 0. "The role of global dynamic managerial capability in the pursuit of international strategy and superior performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    14. Aliouche, E. Hachemi & Schlentrich, Udo A., 2011. "Towards a Strategic Model of Global Franchise Expansion," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 87(3), pages 345-365.
    15. Ripollés, Maria & Blesa, Andreu, 2012. "International new ventures as “small multinationals”: The importance of marketing capabilities," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 277-287.
    16. Baum, Matthias & Schwens, Christian & Kabst, Ruediger, 2015. "A latent class analysis of small firms’ internationalization patterns," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 754-768.
    17. Jisun Yu & Seung-Hyun Lee & Kunsoo Han, 2015. "FDI motives, market governance, and ownership choice of MNEs: A study of Malaysia and Thailand from an incomplete contracting perspective," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 335-362, June.
    18. Fuming Jiang & Subramaniam Ananthram & Jizhong Li, 2018. "Global Mindset and Entry Mode Decisions: Moderating Roles of Managers’ Decision-Making Style and Managerial Experience," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 413-447, June.
    19. Hernández, Virginia & Nieto, María Jesús, 2015. "The effect of the magnitude and direction of institutional distance on the choice of international entry modes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 122-132.
    20. Lo, Fang-Yi & Bui, Quang-Tuan & Huarng, Kun-Huang, 2023. "The pace of international expansion for digital multinational enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intermediary; education agents; higher education; internationalization; education export; international competitiveness; recruiting international students;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q20 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - General
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:krk:eberjl:v:5:y:2017:i:4:p:61-89. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Piotr Stanek, PhD. (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aekrapl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.