EFFECT OF EXTENDED MARKETING MIX ELEMENTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE CHARTERED UNIVERSITIES IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

A comprehensive plan specifically created for attaining a firm's objectives is known as a marketing mix strategy. It offers a strategy for achieving marketing goals. Private Universities are facing competition from public universities, Tertiary institutions which includes National and Local polytechnics under government sponsorship. This competition has resulted to low enrolment and decreased graduates in some Private Universities. Private Universities being purely in a service industry apply extended marketing mix elements such as processes, people and physical evidence to increase their student enrolment. The general objective of the study was to investigate the effect of extended marketing mix elements on the performance of private universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of processes, people and physical evidence on the performance of private universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was anchored on marketing mix model, consumer/customer behavior model and resource based theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 1867 respondents comprising of academic and administrative staff from 9 chartered private Universities in Nairobi City County, out of which a sample of 330 was selected. Questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection. Simple and Multiple Linear Regression analysis was done with aid of statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 to assess the relationship between variables. F-statistics, Correlation analysis and 𝑅2 were used for testing hypothesis. Results are presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. Diagnostic tests such as Multicollinearity, Heteroscedasticity and Normality tests were carried out. From the study there was significant effect of process on performance according to administrative staff with a regression coefficient of 0.556, p-value 0.000<0.05). Further, there was significant effect of people on performance according to academic and administrative staff regression coefficient of 0.456 and 0.833 respectively with P-value of 0.000<0.05. Finally, there was significant effect of physical evidence on performance according to academic and administrative staff regression coefficient of 0.218 and 0.932 respectively with P-value of 0.032 and 0.000 <0.05.) The study concluded that process, people and physical evidence had a significant effect on performance of private universities in Kenya. The study recommends that private universities should develop and implement extended marketing mix elements that enhance processes, engage, people who are qualified and maintain appropriate physical facilities to ensure increased performance. The findings are useful to universities to help them in designing effective extended marketing mix strategies that boost performance. The study findings also contribute to theory on extended marketing mix elements and performance in private chartered universities in Nairobi City County.