| dc.description.abstract | Competitive advantages strategy discipline has become part and parcel of management practice in institutions of higher learning performance, which largely depends on student's enrollment. Establishment of institutions of higher learning in Kenya within the past few years has increased at a phenomenal rate. The increase has been due to favorable environment and government initiative for establishment of higher learning institutions to accommodate high number of students who have completed high schools. This new establishments have witnessed- cut-throat competition, pushing institutions of higher learning to adopt different competitive strategies to survive. However, most commonly used competitive strategies by institutions of higher learning included; differentiation, cost leadership, innovation and operation effectiveness.The general objective of this study was to determine the effects of competitive advantage strategies on student enrollment in institution of higher learning in North Imenti District of Meru County. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The design was appropriate for this study since it helped to describe the nature and characteristics of selected competitive advantage strategies adopted by the learning institutions on student enrollment. In the study no randomized sampling was carried out since the population was not large, and there were well organized structures where the respondents could easily be accessed. The researcher conducted a census of all the respondents from the sample of hundred and twenty (120) respondents. The study targeted management staff of fifteen (15) institutions of higher learning who were concerned with the student enrollment including ; CEO'S Deans, Registrars, HOD'S , Receptionists and marketing executives. The findings were presented in tables, pie-chart and graphs. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables were measured by employing Pearson Correlation Analysis (PCA).The finding of this study indicated that improving innovation capacity was integral to achieving the high levels of productivity necessary to achieve and sustaining overall competitiveness in student enrollment and retention. Effective cost management through low cost strategy helped to create and sustain competitive position in student attraction and retention. The differentiation models adopted by higher learning institutions should engender the fundamentals of existing courses and tenets of emerging trends to develop unique courses that would attract and retain a sustainable population of learners. As relates to policy frameworks, researcher established that the existing policies would be directed towards fostering innovation and value addition to learners. In terms of operational effectiveness, being effective implied proper use and utilization of resources by learning institutions. | en_US |
