How Baby Boomers Value Their Learning Experiences as Consumers of a Florida Community College's Educational Services
The purpose of this study is to present a grounded analysis that fills gaps in the higher education literature on the concept of educational consumer value and perceptions that support that consumer value. Specifically, the study focuses on the learning experiences of older adult students who attend...
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Florida State University
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-2355 |
| Summary: | The purpose of this study is to present a grounded analysis that fills gaps in the higher education literature on the concept of educational consumer value and perceptions that support that consumer value. Specifically, the study focuses on the learning experiences of older adult students who attend community colleges and examines value as a factor in the consumer behavior of these students. The study takes into consideration a convergence of national trends and phenomena in higher education: the increasing number of adults age 38-58 (Baby Boomers) attending community colleges; the related issues of marketing community colleges as a commodity; and emerging value systems as they relate to adult experiences and motivations in higher education institutions. This study presents a grounded theory of how Baby Boomers as older adult students value their present learning experiences as consumers of community college educational services. The grounded theory is based on a manageable, focused, and major operationalized research question in a substantive and local setting: How do Baby Boomers value their learning experiences as consumers of a Florida community college's educational services? An understanding of Baby Boomer consumer behavior and the processes that drive the behavior could be used to help develop programs and marketing plans for those community colleges interested in attracting and retaining the aging Baby Boomer market. Over the course of a year a total of 20 Baby Boomers ages 41 to 54 (17 attending community college and 3 not attending community college) in two separate settings were interviewed for the study. The concept of Self-identity Modification (SIM) emerged as a major influence in the consumer valuing process of the participants of this study. SIM is a simple self-change model that describes how participants reinvent how they see themselves utilizing the community college as the modifying agent. Analysis indicated that a successful self-identity modification (SIM) appeared as a significant value influence and expectation to participants as consumers of community college educational services. The 7 dimensions that support the SIM process appear to fit well in the framework of existing consumer value models. === A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. === Summer Semester, 2004. === May 17, 2004. === Consumer behavior, Older Adults, Marketing, Means/Ends Theory, Customer Value Hierarchy === Includes bibliographical references. === Beverly L. Bower, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ralph S. Brower, Outside Committee Member; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Daniel J. Flint, Committee Member. |
|---|