Students’ perception and attitudes toward faculty image on social networks

Over the last few years, the higher education sector has experienced accelerated market changes, which has led to the development of numerous customer-driven marketing strategies as well as recruitment processes. These changes primarily occur thanks to the millennial generation, who know and use the internet very well ( Hesel and Williams, 2009 ) demonstrating a strong need and desire to connect with other people and cooperate with them ( Lindbeck and Fodrey, 2010 ). Smith (2011) as well as Milićević, Petrović, and Đorđević, (2020) state that the competitiveness of higher education institution should derive from the opportunities students have to access all the information they need very quickly and easily.

Kaplan and Mazurek (2018) define social media as a group of Internet-based applications that allow the users to exchange the content and to participate in interactive communication. Social media provide a very easy way for organizations to connect with the existing and future clients, as well as other interested stakeholders ( Nyangau and Bado, 2012 ; Minocha, 2009 ). Social media are especially important marketing tools for higher education institutions (HEI) ( Constantinides and Zinck Stagno, 2011 ). Higher education institutions mostly use the following social media: social networks (such as Facebook and Instagram), web platforms for online video sharing (such as YouTube and Snapchat), blogs (like Twitter), business-oriented online services (such as LinkedIn), Internet forums, etc. ( Mazurek, Korzyński and Górska, 2019 ). In particular social media are becoming very important for students ( Tezer, et al., 2017 ). Eldegwy, Elsharnouby and Kortam (2018) state that social media enable interactive communication between students, as well as between the students and the employees of higher education institutions, which overall contributes to

• ^*Corresponding author: milena.vukic12@gmail.com

  
  
  

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their positive experience during studies. For example, existing university students share information and their experiences about studying in social media platforms, which may contribute significantly to new students ( De Silva and Rossi, 2018 ). Facebook is the example of the social network that is most accepted by students as it provides them with easy and fast communication with the higher education institution ( Roblyer et al., 2010 ).

Numerous authors define the organizationalimagein different ways.According to Küçüksüleymanoğlu (2015) organizational image is the sum of thoughts and perceptions created in the minds of key stakeholders about the organization and its constitutive elements. Organizational image refers to people’s impressions of an organization and is defined as people’s loose structures of knowledge and beliefs about an organization ( Lievens, 2017 ). Van Riel and Fombrun (2007) state that organizational image comprises of all the interpretations the stakeholders make about an organization. Image is an immediate stakeholder perception founded on impressions toward the organization ( Heding et al., 2009 ; Huang and Lien, 2012 ). In general, the definitions of organizational image take into consideration a cognitive element based on the group of perceived beliefs or attributes of the organization ( Pérez and Torres, 2017 ).

In scientific publications, one can find research by numerous authors regarding the organizational image of higher education institutions. Organizational image of a higher education institution is a perceived image that the public has toward the institution according to their interests and personal experiences ( Nguyen and LeBlanc, 2001 ). Organizational image is an important issue for many higher education institutions due to the competitive environment that conditions a significantly higher level of service quality ( Pérez and Torres, 2017 ). It is an important factor to attract and retain the best domestic and foreign students and prestigious professors ( Drydakis, 2015 ; Faham et al., 2017 ; Kheiry et al., 2012 ; Polat, 2011 ). In other words, the institutional image has a direct impact on students’ value perception, satisfaction and loyalty and it is a very important tool to attract new students ( Brown and Mazzarol, 2009 ; Elsharnouby, 2015 ).

To create a successful image of a higher education institution, it is very important to consult the key stakeholders, and accordingly choose the most appropriate communication strategy ( Küçüksüleymanoğlu, 2015 ). Numerous authors in their research have analyzed relationships among student’s perception and image of higher education institutions ( Alves and Raposo, 2010 ; Pampaloni, 2010 ; Sung and Yang, 2008 ). Küçüksüleymanoğlu (2015) states that the students’ perceptions of the image of the faculty depend on their gender, their socio-cultural activities and their achievements during studies. The results of the research conducted at Australian universities show that the image of the faculty is of great importance for the students, regardless of the students’ age ( Brown and Mazzarol, 2009 ).

Institutional image is usually created as the result of the interplay between two elements, as an integration of the information presented by the higher education institution and the communication instruments ( Mackelo and Drūteikienė, 2010 ). Some researchers indicate that the organizational image of a higher education institution consists of a great number of factors, such as: previous reputation, facilities, courses popularity, atmosphere, tuition fees, professors, theoretical–practical approach, communication between students and professors, number of students and marketing efforts in the online environment ( Fransen and Van Rompay, 2011 ; Galiniené et al. 2009 ; Štefko et al., 2015 ).

According to Simoes and Soares (2010) the Internet has significantly changed the way students obtain information about higher education institutions. Communication becomes more virtual, digital, online, but its purpose remains the same ( Garabinović, 2019 ). Online environment offers higher education institutions various marketing strategies that facilitate the placement of a lot of information and enable two-way communication with the existing and future students ( Alexa, Alexa, and Stoica, 2012 ). A well-designed institution’s website leads to a positive perception toward the higher education institution, i.e., becomes a dynamic marketing tool to attract students ( Foroudi et al., 2019 ).

The main objective of the study is to determine students’ perception towards the image of the faculty on social networks. Also, this paper examined their attitudes and experience regarding faculty social media strategy. Beside this, in the research focus, is impact of social networks on recruiting new students and comparison of faculty usage of traditional communication with a communication trough social network.