This paper explores whether any of the traditional aspects of Chinese culture discussed in the marketing and cross-cultural literature still apply to today's generation of Chinese students in the seemingly westernized location of Hong Kong. It finds that most of the traditional cultural beliefs are still endorsed although Hong Kong students also felt that they were quite independent, individual and creative-within the framework of respecting traditional values. The paper then discusses (on the basis of presenting the same set of students with the findings of this part of the research) how foreign universities might adapt their courses and programs to meet the cultural needs of Hong Kong students. It was found that universities need to adopt a delicate balance between respecting traditional Chinese values and concepts, and encompassing more westernized beliefs and attitudes which enable the students to learn in an environment which enables them to express their creativity and individualism, within a fundamentally quite conservative cultural environment. The value of the research is that it will help foreign universities position their programs and courses for this quite complex and subtle market.
[Copyright of Journal of Marketing for Higher Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J050v13n01_09]

Over 300 Foreign (non Hong Kong) universities deliver undergraduate degree programs in Hong Kong either on campus in that city or via distance education (or both). Although this topic has been studied from a variety of perspectives, the issue of why Hong Kong students might switch from one locally provided foreign university program to another has not been researched despite evidence of it being common. The current research found that students switched to another university if it offered a wider range of course delivery modes, if they could fast track their degree and if they were failing at the existing university. Increasingly, to be successful in competitive markets such as Hong Kong, foreign universities need to deliver their programs in a wide variety of modes, provide high levels of administrative and academic support, and ensure that they assist their students as much as possible. If they do not, students are likely to move to another provider. These findings have complex and far-reaching delivery ramifications for foreign universities wishing to survive in competitive markets such as Hong Kong--and elsewhere--where there is a high degree of competition amongst universities and a stressed economic situation which could force students to adopt quite ruthless consumer behaviour in regards to their university provider.
[Copyright of Journal of Marketing for Higher Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J050v15n01_02]

This research identifies a range of issues and factors which impact on the formation of initial expectations developed by local university students wishing to study for a foreign degree program in Hong Kong. Key factors were foreign university Internet sites, exhibitions, agents and associations, brochures and friends. This is one of the first times this kind of research has been undertaken relating to the delivery of foreign programs within the home country, as previous research has tended to focus on study abroad, where the student travels to the foreign country to undertake a degree program. The research also considers how expectations change over time, as students undertake their study for a foreign degree program in Hong Kong, and develops the concept of continuous formation of expectations whereby students mould change, rebuild and continually revisit their expectations of the university program as they undertake a wide range of subjects. This part of the research is quite new and indicates the volatile and changeable nature of the educational service encounter. Both parts of the research are of value not just in regard to the location of the data collection but potentially further afield as an indicator of formative factors regarding expectations and in regard to the concept of continuous formation of expectations.
[Copyright of Journal of Marketing for Higher Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J050v14n01_01]

Hong Kong has one of the busiest higher education sectors in Asia with eight universities and a network of institutes, colleges and associations. It is also a hub of international educational activity with many foreign universities and other educational bodies participating in various forms of strategic alliances with a range of Hong Kong based education based providers. The aim of this paper is to analyse and evaluate the range of alliance options (universities, institutes, associations, colleges and so on) available to foreign universities in Hong Kong, compare these briefly to the rest of China, and discuss how these various options can be accessed by foreign universities wishing to enter the Hong Kong market via the strategic alliance mode of entry. The paper notes that each type of alliance option has particular features which may be of relevance to particular foreign universities, depending on their entry aims and objectives. The paper also notes that because these entry options are somewhat different from the rest of China, previous research relating to that country cannot easily be applied to Hong Kong, thereby suggesting that country based entry models need to be developed to assist foreign universities to enter differing markets. These various entry models can later be developed into a model which may be able to identify entry issues of commonality between countries, and differences which may be expected.
[Copyright of Journal of Marketing for Higher Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J050v11n03_03 ]