Relationship between Corporate Identity and Potential Students’ Inclination: A case of Institute of Higher Learning in the East Coast Region of Malaysia

The institutes of higher learning (IHL) especially in East Coast Region of Malaysia need to be ready for the challenges of market liberalization and globalization. With stiff competition from private institutes of higher learning, IHL need to be prepared at the forefront level. Although the public institutions have begun to develop and implement corporate identity programs as part of their corporate strategies, the elements contributing to the success of these universities in their implementation have not been measured. This study analyzed the relationship between the elements of corporate identity with the Potential Students’ inclination of Institutes of Higher Learning in the East Coast Region of Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to 661 respondents from the state of Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang. The sample size was based on the Krejcie and Morgan Table. Meanwhile, the market condition elements in the Corporate Identity Model developed by Melewar and Jenkins in 2002 were used as a primary research framework to probe into the potential students’ inclination on the preferred IHL. The findings highlight the importance for IHL to intensify their effort in marketing and propagating corporate identity to the stakeholders as visibility will ensure the sustainability of IHL, which can be later translated into dependability from the government.