Research of Competitive Pressure on Undergraduates' Intention to Study Abroad in Chinese Non-elite Universities

Abstract

With the development of the Chinese economy, it is difficult to find an ideal job after graduating from undergraduate studies, and more and more students are choosing to take the postgraduate entrance examination. Due to the limited academic resources of non-elite universities, many students encounter relatively more difficulties during the postgraduate entrance examination process. China is the world's largest exporter of international students, and hundreds of thousands of Chinese students choose to study abroad every year. At the same time, there are also fierce marketing challenges for study abroad agents and overseas universities serving Chinese students. In the context of the increasing competitive pressure of Chinese college students, this study conducted an empirical study on the intention of students from non-well-known universities in China. A total of 345 questionnaires were collected in 17 non-elite universities in 4 Chinese provinces, and the results showed that social influence, innovativeness, perceived risk and competitive pressure have significant effects on studying abroad intention. Innovativeness positively moderates the relationship between competitive pressure and students’ studying abroad intention. The results of the study not only provide practical advice for university students to study abroad, but also detailed marketing recommendations for study abroad agents and overseas universities.