The effects of social media on Gen Z’s intention to select private universities in Malaysia

Abstract

The Private Universities (PU) sector in Malaysia is growing. Newly incoming students’ requests in the education sector are demanding and encouraging. Increased of number of players offering educational services are competing among to attract students. The PU’s in the country are increasing pressure on competing to recruit students and their sustainability is relying on students’ intake and retention rates. Students have more preferences now days to select the PU in Malaysia on their choice. Social media(SM) has become prominent basic tool and a prestige of social interaction, along with networking between students and society. The use of SM is very highly spread among students and their life without SM is almost unthinkable. Most of the PU’s in Malaysia uses the SM for reason to attract their targeted students, but they are not too serious on their social media contents and their effectiveness. There are also indications that Generation Z becomes core to students’ markets as this age cohort of begins to join universities in HEI. The PU’s should acknowledge the needs and wants of the Gen Z, able to socialize with them through SM and use the SM for promotion and marketing. There is a gap to explore the effectiveness of universities social media contents that influence the Gen Z students’ intention to make decision in selecting private universities in Malaysia because of lack of studies and information. For this purpose, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was adopted and modified accordingly as the basis for the research study.