ABSTRACT

Positioning strategy and ranking are critical issues in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape. Unless there is conceptual congruence between positioning strategies and rankings, the signals may become diffused and confusing for prospective students. This paper seeks the congruence between positioning strategies and ranking. Since without a validated typology of positioning strategies, such congruence cannot be sought, this paper firstly aims to develop an empirically derived typology of positioning strategies for HEIs. The population consists of HEIs in the UK. Content analysis was used to analyze the WebPages of HEIs to identify positioning bases, and congruence and contradictions between those positioning bases and ranking were identified by correspondence analysis. As a result, a new positioning typology consisting of eight bases, which are top of the range, campus life experience, internationalization, teaching excellence, research quality, graduates prospects, location, and value for money, was identified. In conclusion, HEIs are categorized into three different groups as Leaders and Challengers, Followers, and Nichers and Cost Leaders, and recommendations about how to guarantee congruence between positioning strategy and ranking were made. HEIs should choose positioning bases in line with their rankings since congruence strengthens the position in the minds.

摘要

在竞争日益激烈的高等教育格局中，定位策略和排名是关键问题。除非定位策略和排名之间存在概念上的一致性，否则这些信号可能会变得分散并且让未来的学生感到困惑。本文寻求定位策略和排名之间的一致性。由于没有经过验证的定位策略类型学，就无法寻求这种一致性，因此本文首先旨在开发一种根据经验得出的高等教育机构定位策略类型学。人口由英国的高等教育机构组成。采用内容分析法对高校网页进行分析，找出定位依据，并通过对应分析找出定位依据与排名之间的一致性和矛盾性。因此，确定了由八个基地组成的新定位类型，这些基地是顶级的、校园生活体验、国际化、卓越教学、研究质量、毕业生前景、地理位置和物有所值。总之，将高校分为领导者和挑战者、追随者、利基者和成本领导者三类，并就如何保证定位策略和排名之间的一致性提出了建议。高校应该根据自己的排名选择定位基地，因为一致性会加强在心目中的地位。将高等教育机构分为三个不同的组：领导者和挑战者、追随者、利基者和成本领导者，并就如何保证定位策略和排名之间的一致性提出了建议。高校应该根据自己的排名选择定位基地，因为一致性会加强在心目中的地位。将高等教育机构分为三个不同的组：领导者和挑战者、追随者、利基者和成本领导者，并就如何保证定位策略和排名之间的一致性提出了建议。高校应该根据自己的排名选择定位基地，因为一致性会加强在心目中的地位。