Institutional Choice Research Articles

Systematic study on the choice of higher education institutions in the engineering field

This research systematically examines the factors that influence the choice of higher education institutions in the field of engineering. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature, using the PRISMA 2020 methodology, 98 academic articles were analysed, of which 13 met the established inclusion criteria. The study identifies ten main factors influencing students' decision, the most significant being family, educational and economic aspects, mentioned by 11-12 authors. Individual factors were cited by seven authors, while social and academic environment and gender stereotypes were mentioned by five and four authors respectively. The findings reveal that institutional choice is more influenced by external factors than by personal preferences. The research highlights the persistence of socio-cultural barriers in the selection of engineering careers and emphasises the need for educational policies that address these challenges. The results provide valuable information for educational institutions and policy makers, suggesting the implementation of more robust financial support and career guidance programmes to optimize engineering education.

EXPRESS: Quality, Necessity, or Accessibility? Impact of Dockless Bike Sharing on Ineffective Use of Medical Resources

In recent years, patients have increasing autonomy in medical decision-making. With great autonomy in selecting medical institutions, patients with low-risk diseases (LRD) may opt for treatment in prestigious hospitals, which limits the access of patients with high-risk diseases (HRD) to these hospitals. Moreover, due to limited medical knowledge and a fear of uncertainty regarding diseases, patients with greater medical autonomy may request various unnecessary medical tests to alleviate their health-related anxiety. This study takes a novel patients’ perspective to investigate how dockless bike sharing, which addresses the “last-mile problem” and improves geographical accessibility to medical institutions, affects two types of ineffective use of medical resources: disease-institution mismatch and overuse of medical tests. By introducing the concept of quality-accessibility trade-off in patients’ decision-making processes, we shed light on the psychological mechanism underlying the effect of dockless bike sharing on patients’ medical institution choices. We also introduce a new concept, perceived necessity of medical tests, to explain how dockless bike sharing reduces unnecessary medical tests. In Study 1, we designed a quasi-experiment and applied a difference-in-differences model based on real-world electronic health record data to show that dockless bike sharing increased the likelihood of patients choosing hospitals over clinics and decreased the number of unnecessary medical tests. In Studies 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b, four randomized controlled experiments were employed to replicate the findings and reveal the underlying mechanisms. In sum, we found that dockless bike sharing acted as a “double-edged sword” in terms of its impact on exacerbating disease-institution mismatch and alleviating the overuse of medical tests. This study makes significant theoretical contributions to the Operations Management (OM), sharing economy, and medical resource management literature. It also offers important managerial insights for governments, shared mobility platforms, and healthcare providers.

Addressing the Negative Externalities of Trade: Flanking Policies and the Role of Package Treaties

AbstractThis article examines the rationales for addressing sustainability and social inclusion in trade policy and the tradeoffs among imperfect institutional choices in doing so through ‘flanking policies’. It examines three types of negative spillovers or externalities implicated by trade: material, moral, and social/political. Section 1 defines terms and sets forth the argument. Section 2 typologizes the three categories of negative externalities and then highlights the challenges posed for flanking measures given the reciprocal nature of externalities. It respectively addresses environmental harms and labor and social inclusion concerns. Section 3 assesses different institutional alternatives for addressing negative externalities, dividing them between domestic measures targeted at protecting domestic concerns and international ones, such as package treaties. Section 4 shows how the concept of a flanking measure can be flipped, so that environmental sustainability and social inclusion become the core and trade measures become the flanking policies. Section 5 concludes.

НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВІ ЗАСАДИ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНИХ ПРИВАТНИХ АВТОРСЬКИХ ШКІЛ В УКРАЇНІ

The paper deals with the analysis the legal and regulatory basics for alternative private authoring schools in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of in-depth studies by well-known national scholars, it is determined that authoring schools are educational institutions where educational programs are developed by one author or a team of teachers. It was proved that the existence of alternative private education, including authoring schools and private schools, was supported by the state. The author identifies important legislative initiatives and basic regulations on the development of alternative authoring schools, private schools for the period 1991-2024. It is emphasized that with the adoption of the Concept «New Ukrainian School» and the New Edition of the Law «On Education» and other regulations, the state guaranteed equal access to funding for educational institutions of various types and forms of ownership; distribution of finances in accordance with the principle «money follows the child», autonomy of educational institutions, parents’ choice of a comfortable educational institution for their child’s education, and increase in wages. In recent decades, private elementary schools have become widespread as a type of authoring school in Ukraine.

Statistical Analyses of the Attitude of Interested Parties to Marketing Strategies of Azerbaijan Universities

Purpose: The purpose of this study , which examines the quality of educational services and the attitude of interested parties to the marketing strategies applied to increase this quality, is to determine the satisfaction provided by the quality of educational services defined by revealing the expectations of stakeholders in the position of customers from these educational services during the application of the marketing strategy related to educational services. When studying in the context of the quality of education in Azerbaijan, the main purpose of the study is to study the attitude of stakeholders to the marketing strategies applied in the education sector of our country. Method: Our study is made up of people who are over 16 years old and are studying in Azerbaijan's higher education institutions. The questionnaire method used for data collection will be effective in obtaining direct information from the respondents. The survey process was carried out in a visual form. 409 people participated in the survey. Most of the respondents are between 16-40 years old. In order to avoid any loss of information, it was mandatory to answer all the questions that will be used in the analysis, and for this reason, the mentioned 213 respondents answered all the main necessary survey questions. The data collection process took place from January 8, 2024 to January 28, 2024. The survey consists of 56 questions and is divided into 2 parts: demographic questions and statistical questions. Quantities corresponding to the questions were calculated in SPSS. Results and Discussion: By evaluating the results and impact of marketing strategies in the field of education in Azerbaijan, it can help to create prospects for development in the field of education and cooperation of interested partners in the region. Also, the main goal is to develop and analyze marketing strategies in the field of education in Azerbaijan and to clarify the role and influence of stakeholders in this process. All this can contribute to the development of more effective educational marketing strategies and a better education system. Research Implications: The conducted research and the results obtained through the research have a number of both theoretical and practical significance. So, since the application of marketing strategies in education and the attitudes of interested parties to these strategies - students and consumers - are comprehensively investigated, the results of this research will be more optimal. In this sense, the research carried out was prepared considering the level of satisfaction of the students, the factors affecting the choice of the educational institution, and the quality variables in education as factors affecting the marketing strategies in education.

Impact of integrated marketing communication strategies on choice of higher education institutions

In today’s fiercely competitive realm of higher education, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) have emerged as a crucial approach for institutions to effectively connect with prospective students. This study examines the influence of IMC strategies on students’ choices of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangalore, India. Using a descriptive research design, data were gathered via a structured questionnaire from a sample of 384 students. The findings reveal notable disparities in perceptions of IMC based on gender, academic discipline preference, and institution type. Interestingly, age does not yield significant differences in IMC perceptions. A positive correlation (0.632) between IMC perceptions and choice of HEIs underscores the importance of customized strategies in attracting and engaging students. IMC strategies such as digital marketing, social media engagement, content marketing, alumni engagement, and student ambassadors significantly influence the choice of HEIs with the variance of 0.315, 0.523, 0.394, 0.619, and 0.298, respectively. Further, IMC strategies such as digital marketing, social media engagement, alumni engagement, partnership with influencers, and student ambassadors significantly influence the selection of disciplines with the variance of 0.298, 0.642, 0.497, 0.421, and 0.234, respectively. In essence, this study emphasizes the pivotal role of effective IMC strategies in higher education choice decision-making and provides actionable insights for institutions seeking to refine their marketing approaches.

Return to Europe? Institutional choice, outsider status, and Britain’s response to the Ukraine War

The European response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is characterised by an emerging division-of-labour between NATO and the European Union (EU). By reducing the substitutability of organisational frameworks, this makes life more difficult for outsiders – like the post-Brexit United Kingdom – which find themselves on the outside of key decisions. Drawing on interviews with policymakers, this article shows how Britain has engaged with EU security policy following the Ukraine War. It shows how the EU/NATO division-of-labour undermined the viability of Britain’s post-Brexit break with EU security policy and brought about a concerted effort to engage from the outside, including efforts to lead by example, establish new frameworks, and coordinate through informal channels. The findings help explain how seismic events can shape institutional choice and thus the costs of remaining on the outside, and they showcase the diversity of means available for external engagement.

Cognitive ability in matching with strategic uncertainty: An experimental study

Strategyproof mechanisms have become the predominant choice for educational institutions. However, both laboratory experiments and empirical evidence highlight the persistent occurrence of strategic misreporting, leading to adverse consequences. This underscores the need to examine the reporting strategies of students, particularly those with varying cognitive abilities, across different decision environments. We present an experimental comprehension test of reporting strategies using computerized opponents to precisely control the levels of strategic uncertainty. The results reveal that removing strategic uncertainty does not significantly affect truth-telling rates. However, subjects with median cognitive ability are more truthful under strategic uncertainty, especially when information is incomplete. Additionally, providing information about priorities has a negative and significant impact on truth-telling rates. The findings of this research demonstrate that constructing a simplified market environment using computerized agents and providing relevant feedback to students can effectively enhance their understanding of the matching mechanism and nudge them to make optimal strategy choices.

Digital Marketing Strategies and Student Decision Making: The Role of Brand Awareness

The increasing number of higher education institutions in South Africa has led to intense competition in attracting and enrolling potential students. Digital advancement has made potential students rely on the internet to seek information to make an informed decision regarding their choice of higher education institutions. The study aimed to investigate how digital marketing strategies affect prospective students' decision-making process when choosing private higher education institutions.The cluster sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 363 Questionnaires were collected from five private higher education institutions students, namely, Richfield, AAA School of Advertising, Rosebank, MANCOSA, and Varsity College in South Africa. The study utilised IBM SPSS to analyse the data. Ethics clearance was done by the researchers. Verbal consent was provided by the respondents.The results indicated that search engine optimisation (SEO), email marketing (EM), content marketing (CM), and social media marketing (SMM) were all found to have a statistically significant relationship with student decision-making.The results offer the private higher education institutions in South Africa the opportunity to adopt and invest in digital marketing strategies -such as search engine optimisation content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing, to influence potential students’ decision-making on enrolment. This study contributes to the discussion on the digital marketing impact on business performance and extended the theory of the persuasive knowledge model.

Collaborating with external partners for student success at small institutions

AbstractSmall institutions must be agile and creative in successfully sustaining and expanding in today's higher education climate. Collaborating with external partners is an excellent choice for small institutions whose funding and staffing are limited. Our intention with this article is to focus on collaboration with external partners including parents/family, alumni, businesses, and others, sharing best practices, impact on student success, and additional information to help a wide variety of colleagues who work at small institutions. Our hope is that this article will give readers some practical ideas for implementing and expanding partnerships to benefit the small institution. Benefits may include marketing reach, brand management, revenue generation, and expanded opportunities for students, enhanced services, and more.

Variables Influencing Participants’ Choice of Training Institutions for Training Program

This study compares variables influencing Participants’ choice of training institutions for participant program in Kathmandu Valley. Choice of training institutions for training program is taken as dependent variable. Costs, locations, academic career goal, training institutions affiliations and environment are independent variables. The primary sources of data are utilized to reach the opinions of respondents with respect to choice of training institution for training program in Kathmandu Valley. The survey is based on one hundred respondents. To obtain the purpose of the study, structured questionnaires are framed. The regression models are projected to trial the significance and impact of variables affecting choice of the training institutions for training program in Kathmandu Valley. The result shows that location, environment and Training Academic affiliation are positively connect to choice of training institutions for training program. It signifies that better the environment and Training Academics affiliation higher would be the choice of liked training institutions. The result also shows that more proper the location of the training institutions, greater is the chance of selecting the training institutions for training program. The regression result shows the cost, environment and training institutions affiliation have positive impact on choice of training institutions for training program. In the same manner, the beta coefficients for carrier goal and locations have significant positive impact of the selecting training institutions for training program, which is significant at 5 percent level of significance. Overall, the selecting of training institutions for training program in Kathmandu Valley is affected by the carrier goals followed by the location.

The information content of retail order flow: Evidence from fragmented markets

We examine the information content of off-exchange retail order flow relative to off-exchange institutional and on-exchange order flow. We use alternative sources of retail order identification and account for the fact that market opacity affects the order routing choices of both institutions and the brokers who sell retail orders. After controlling for volume effects, we find that retail order flow is more informed than off-exchange institutional order flow. Off-exchange price discovery comes mostly from retail order flow. However, on days with greater Robinhood activity, the information content of retail order flow drops. Our results reconcile some mixed findings in this literature.

Effective Visualization of Radar Data for Users Impacted by Color Vision Deficiency

Abstract Color vision deficiency (CVD) is a decreased ability to discern between particular colors. Eight percent of genetic males and half a percent of genetic females have some form of CVD, with many in the radar community falling into this group. When presenting data on a two-dimensional plane, it is common to use colors to represent values via a colormap. Colormap choice in the radar community is influenced by the ability to highlight scientifically interesting features in data, institutional choices, and domain dominance of legacy colormaps. The problem with these current colormaps is that many do not project well for those with CVD (i.e., green next to red). In working with the CVD community to address this problem, multiple colormaps for moments such as equivalent reflectivity factor and Doppler velocity were created for users with forms of CVD such as deuteranomaly, protanomaly, protanopia, and deuteranopia using Python tools such as colorspacious and viscm. We show how these colormaps can improve interpretability for four cases: a mesoscale convective system, a pyrocumulonimbus storm, a wintertime midlatitude cyclone, and widespread storms with a large bird migration. These new radar equivalent reflectivity factor, Doppler velocity, and polarization colormaps are designed to highlight rain, frozen precipitation, nonmeteorological targets, and velocity-based items, are perceptually uniform, and are visually friendly for those with CVD.

Weak party system institutionalization and autocratization: evidence from Tunisia

ABSTRACT Why do party systems remain weak in transitioning countries in ways that can hamper the democratization process? We answer this question through a case study of Tunisia, which was the only success story of the Arab uprisings. Tunisia has experienced a process of autocratization since President Saied's presidential coup in 2021. Utilizing a historical institutionalist framework, we conducted interviews with 15 leaders from the major political parties. We find that, in contrast to conventional wisdom, the strong party institutionalization under authoritarian rule did not lead to an institutionalized party system after authoritarian rule ended. We attribute this dynamic to the inability of regime-successor parties to institutionalize, perpetuating democratic vulnerabilities inherited from authoritarian rule. We also find that too-powerful civil societies can be detrimental to transitions. The labour union, UGTT, acted as a de facto veto player and limited the ability of cabinets to implement reforms. Furthermore, leftist parties could not benefit from the UGTT's base. The 2011 revolution was a critical juncture that could have facilitated the establishment of an institutionalized party system. However, the political elite's institutional choices put additional challenges on parties. The weakness of the party system in turn contributed to President Saied's self-coup and dismantling of Tunisia's democratic institutions.

Social networks - help or hindrance in patient care

Abstract Background/Introduction After the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in the time people dedicate to social networks. Throughout periods of local and international lockdowns, these platforms became recognized as quicker and more effective tools for communication across various fields. Purpose We aimed to conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of deploying an information system to improve the communication process between patients and healthcare specialists. Methods A questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was utilized, completed by 43 patients or their relatives admitted between January 1, 2024, and January 31, 2024 in a cardiology ward of a tertiary centre. Results Among all participants, a proportion of 65% was represented by middle-aged women from urban areas, with 68.4% holding higher education degrees and 31.6% with secondary education. A vast majority (98%) reported using at least one social network daily for both professional and personal reasons. Eighty-three percent believe that doctor-patient interactions on social networks are ethical and regard it as a secure and effective method for communicating with healthcare professionals. Feedback from social networks did not significantly influence the selection of doctors or medical institutions. However, social network advertising notably affects the choice of medical specialists or institutions, with 48% of respondents indicating they sought out the most prominently featured hospitals or doctors on these platforms. Despite this, 72% of respondents were unaware of personalized advertising strategies or that such messages are often crafted by public relations firms. Most found social network communication with medical staff suitable for follow-ups (92%) but not for initial assessments or determining diagnostic procedures (81%). Still, there was reluctance to rely exclusively on social networks for choosing medical services. Conclusions Patients and their families are open to receiving medical information and communicating with healthcare providers through social networks. However, a limited understanding of the technologies employed to boost the visibility of specific content or endorse procedures on social media could expose patients to skewed information. Responsible regulation of medical information and advertising is imperiously needed.

Review of book Multiuse Wetlands Governance- Challenges and Institutional Choices by Dinesh K Marothia

Review of book Multiuse Wetlands Governance- Challenges and Institutional Choices by Dinesh K Marothia

Developing safety-zone rules: Based on an institutional choice framework

Under Section 11 of the Artemis Accords, signatories propose the establishment of safety zones to prevent harmful interference and emphasise the imperative to develop relevant rules in the future. However, existing research fails to shed light on whether the chosen institutions by signatories are suitable for addressing safety-zone issues and which institutions should be developed to tackle future safety-zone concerns. Current theories, such as institutional design theory, do not comprehensively summarise the various types of institutions and strategies for their selection. Therefore, this paper presents an institutional choice framework to address these research gaps. Within this research framework, establishing international institutions is perceived as a selection process among different types of institutions. Drawing from previous studies, the framework outlines sixteen distinct institution types, six crucial features of institutions, and three strategies for selecting suitable institutions. After proposing the framework, this study employs it to analyse existing safety-zone rules, identify the optimal institution of safety zones, and devise strategies for making institutional choices. The contribution of this study lies in advancing institutional design theory and facilitating research on safety-zone rules while providing insights for constructing international institutions in other domains.

The association between internet use and the choice of medical institution among Chinese older adults

BackgroundAs older people have complex medical needs and still encounter challenges in accessing online health information, the relationship between Internet use and the choice of medical institution made by them is unclear, and we aimed to examine this relationship.MethodsData from the newly released 2020 China Family Panel Survey database were used. Furthermore, we used descriptive statistics to analyze the background characteristics of the sample and a logistic regression model to estimate the impact of Internet use on the choice of medical institution made by older adults. We conducted a stratified analysis to explore the influence of different characteristics on the relationship between Internet use and the choice of medical institution.ResultsTotally 4,948 older adults were included. Multivariate logistic regression showed that, compared to non-Internet users, Internet users were less likely to choose community health service centers over general hospitals (P < 0.001, OR = 0.667, 95CI%: 0.558–0.797). The subgroup analyses found that Internet use only had an impact on the choice of medical institution in older adults aged 65–69 years, those with partners, those with primary or secondary education, those residing in urban areas, those without medical insurance, those with a self-rated health status as average or healthy, those with unchanged or better health trend, and those without chronic disease. The effect of Internet use on the choice of medical institution did not differ by sex, satisfaction, or trust in doctors.ConclusionInternet use may significantly affect older adults’ tendency to choose general hospitals to meet their daily medical needs. The subgroup analyses indicated that different characteristics of older people affected this association.

Parental Perceptions Upon Receiving Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability for their Child in Nigeria

This study examined Nigerian parents’ perceptions upon receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or an Intellectual/Developmental Disability (IDD) diagnosis for their child. Using a cross-sectional design, this study surveyed Nigerian parents via a questionnaire containing a modified version of the Family Interview Schedule (n = 247) to examine how parents experienced stigma, their knowledge about ASD/IDD, and their perceived cause of ASD/IDD. Descriptive statistics indicated that the majority of surveyed parents experienced stigma and believed that autism could be cured. Furthermore, results from a stepwise linear regression demonstrated that parents’ level of education significantly influenced their experiences of stigma, their choice of institutions for seeking initial help, their perception of the seriousness of the disorder, and the impact of others’ belief in the transmissibility of their child’s condition on child’s condition could be transmitted significantly affected their experiences of stigma. Results are discussed, and implications for policy, research, and practice are provided.

Language Choice and attitudes in Public Institutions: The case of the University of Maroua

This study sets out to investigate on language choice and attitudes in public institutions. The study intends to scrutinize the factors that account for the language choice made by some language users at the University of Maroua, i.e., to choose any other languages different from the two official languages. To do this, a random sampling of 250 participants was used. The instrument used is a questionnaire with a purely sociolinguistic undertone. Spolsky’s (2009) Language Management and Fishman’s (1972) Domain Analysis backed up the study as frames. At the end of the analyses, it has been shown that, students, the teaching staff (involving some university Administrators) and the support staff have some positive and negative attitudes following the language choices made in relation with where the communication takes place as well as the language situations such as enabling mutual intelligibility, social inclusion/exclusion, intimacy and showing identity, solidarity and work coordination.