Competitive Development Strategies of the Educational Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

In the current market conditions a special role is played by the choice of the development strategy of the educational institution of higher education; the future of this organization depends on the choice of the optimal competitive strategy. The purpose of the study is to suggest the areas of development, on the basis of which educational institutions of higher education will reach a competitive advantage, based on the choice of the optimal competitive strategy. In the article we used general philosophical, general scientific and economic methods of study. The article considers the modern condition of the market of educational services of higher education in Russia. The definition of competitiveness is suggested taking into account the peculiarities of the functioning of educational institutions of higher education. The price (cost) and non-price factors of the competitiveness of educational institutions of higher education are presented. Based on the study of Russian and foreign economic literature, we identified and classified the factors affecting the competitiveness of educational institutions of higher education. Due to the fact that the competitiveness of the educational institution of higher education is the unity of external and internal factors, affecting the level of competitiveness, it is suggested to take into consideration the factors, which influence the competitiveness of individual structures (departments, centres, faculties and branches), which are the parts of the educational institution. We analyzed the competitive development strategies of educational institutions of higher education and suggested the most optimal strategies in order to slow the decline and to accelerate the ascent of both educational institutions and the education sector in general. The directions are suggested, by following which both educational institutions of higher education and the education sector as a whole will reach the competitive advantage.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s7p389