How institutions of higher education function as business enterprises in the global market of the USA

Master Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Economics / Business: General, grade: -, University of Lincoln, language: English, abstract: The aim of the dissertation is to explore the American system of higher education from a business point of view with special reference to a private small-sized college. Associated with the connection between higher education and business issues the American system is examined regarding the business fields of economics, organizational structure, human resources and marketing, whereby major importance is put on student recruitment and sports as being particular marketing tools within the American system of higher education. The first three chapters will illustrate these facts in a descriptive form for reason of setting the scene. The study considers the illustration of the descriptive formulated theory in the form of a case study about Benedictine College located in the US (KS, Atchison) in chapter five. This case study is developed upon a detailed primary research, which took place between the duration of three months at the college itself. This part of the dissertation primarily employs the use of observation, interviewing and statistical data as primary research methods as an evidence base for the case study findings. The case study provides a detailed view into the real-life business of an institution of higher education. Conclusions are drawn about how the college has used the theoretically discovered particularities of American institutions of higher education.