STRATEGIC VALUE OF EFFECTIVE INTERNAL MARKETING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The article examines the role of internal marketing in institutions of higher education and the basic principles of building its marketing strategy. The authors claim that internal marketing is an important strategic tool in ensuring the effective operation of a higher education institution (HEI) in constantly changing conditions. It helps increase the motivation and satisfaction of employees and students, contributes to the creation of a unified corporate culture, as well as directly affects external marketing. A critical literature analysis revealed that there are hardly any Ukrainian studies on the topic of internal marketing in the higher education institutions, but there are extensive studies on classical enterprises. Therefore, the authors of the article focus attention on the differences between institutions of higher education and enterprises of the classical type. The main ones turned out to be values (enterprises work for maximum profit and are targeted at market development whereas higher education institutions create an academic community and develop science), target audience (in contrast to enterprises in the internal environment, and in addition to employees, higher education institutions have a pool of students), as well as the fact that HEIs provide long-lasting services, when they regularly interact with the recipient of services, unlike classic enterprises. The article also examines the key differences in internal marketing and its components between higher education institutions and classical enterprises, where the most important factor is the availability of students as a category. Besides, the authors consider internal marketing of higher education institutions and highlight such features as personalization, duration in time and recurrence. The article also suggests possible steps for creating a strategy of internal marketing of higher education institutions, probable problems as well as their solutions during the implementation of the strategy. The biggest problem, according to the authors, may be the passivity of the HEI collective, their resistance to transformations. As a conclusion, the effective implementation of an explicit internal marketing strategy can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of a higher education institution, attracting and retaining the talented staff and students of higher education, as well as improving its overall image in the educational and scientific segments.