The Theoretical Analysis of the Allocation of Family Control Rights B Oc17 2014 | Page 2

J. Cai, T. Loo

In this paper, our aims are to explore the influence of the national image on the image of its tertiary education
among non-nationals and on their choice of location for study. We present a conceptual model of how the image
of the nation impacts on the image of tertiary education that a country provides based upon Ajzen & Fishbein’s
(1980) “theory of reasoned action” and we refine and test this with empirical data from China & India.

2. International Tertiary Education
The predominant trend in international tertiary education has been an increasing flow of students from developing to developed countries. Students go abroad to study because they are interested in the advanced degrees and
the promise of individual advancement that education provides (McMahon, 1992). Furthermore, they are interested in the higher prestige offered by a foreign degree. They expect higher lifetime income and an ability to
raise their economic and social status after graduation. In this sense, students are not just buying degrees; they
are buying the benefits that a degree can provide in terms of opportunity for employment and social advancement. On the side of the host nation, overseas students are welcomed because their participation enriches the
learning environment for both students and faculty. They also bring in a substantial amount of fee income to the
university while contributing to the economy of the host nation via spending in the local communities. Furthermore, when they go back to their home countries, they act as ambassadors for the host country.
Services differ from products in four ways: intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability of production and consumption and perishability (Dotchin & Oakland, 1994; Zeithaml et al., 1985; Shostack, 1977). While many services have associated products, tertiary education is mainly intangible in