Country of origin as a source of sustainable competitive advantage: the case for international higher education institutions in New Zealand

The lucrative higher education market has intensified the competition among higher education providers as they aggressively promote their institutions to international students. In this study, we explore the factors which are important to Chinese international students when deciding on a study destination and higher tertiary education (ITE) institution. The results of this study provided the impetus to understand the factors which can be a source of sustainable competitive advantage for New Zealand and its ITE providers in the highly competitive Chinese market. Strategically, the results revealed New Zealand must maintain its position as a provider of quality higher education and build upon two unique distinctive capabilities: its comparatively low cost and reputation of being a safe country. Additionally, it would be strategically advantageous to build close collaborations between the Government and the institution to attract overseas students.