The thesis is devoted to the substantiation and development of theoretical and methodological support, scientific and methodological bases and practical recommendations for managing the competitiveness of the university in the market of educational services.
The author has improved the conceptual and categorical apparatus of research of problems of university’s competitiveness management on the basis of substantiation of author’s definitions of basic concepts. The university’s competitiveness is defined as its ability to adapt to changing competition conditions in a particular market segment by improving the economic efficiency of its activities and a high degree of customer demand for graduates and certain university services (educational, scientific), which for quality and cost characteristics are more attractive than the educational products of competitors. University’s competitiveness management is seen as influencing one’s own competitive advantages to achieve the best market position. Competitive advantages are concentrated in the financial and economic, personnel, marketing, infrastructure and socio-political spheres and are determined by the quality of educational services. Risks of educational services market participants are defined as a set of potentially threatening circumstances that can lead to adverse organizational and socio-economic consequences, material and reputational losses for educational services market entities (state, higher education institution, individual, household, employers).
The thesis systematizes and meaningfully concretizes the classification of risks of the university by the characteristics: causes, types of activity, market educational services participants, external and internal factors, primary and secondary characteristics. The use of this classification creates the preconditions for the identification of potentially threatening areas, allows to identify the place of each type of risk in the activities of the educational services market and focus on their managerial influence. The approach is tested at the stage of substantiation of strategy and tactics of activity of subjects of the educational services market.
The study provides a comprehensive assessment of the values and motives of the state, university, graduates and employers as subjects of the of educational services and the labor markets, which allows to identify and assess contradictory processes in the formation and management of university competitiveness, to determine the relevance of professional trajectories. and expectations of labor market demand graduates and employers.
The analysis allowed to propose a set of criteria for assessing the level of competitiveness of the university in the market of educational services, which generally characterize the expectations of providers and consumers of educational services. Qualitative measurement involves assessing the specific features of educational services and research activities of the university, the professional competence of graduates, which together determines the university’s ability to respond flexibly and quickly to environmental challenges (economic, social, political, environmental, technological, legal and other changes).
Based on the study, a mechanism for managing the competitiveness of the university in the educational services market, which is characterized by a set of organizational, legal and socio-economic forms, principles, factors influencing the process of managing the competitiveness of the university to improve the entry of graduates into the labor market, ensuring the competitive advantages of higher education institutions in the educational services market, application of modern information and management technologies in education.
The scientific and methodical bases of substantiation of the system of directions and measures directed on increase of university’s competitiveness in the educational services market which is based on modernization of university’s management, attraction of potential of interaction of business structures, the state and local governments on the basis of balance of interests, integration of university in the world educational space are formed.
The thesis offers scientific and methodological support for developing a strategy for overcoming the risks of the university, which includes: identification of risks of the university, choice of risk management methods, risk management strategy and overcoming them, implementation of the developed strategy, evaluation of the results of risk management of the university and adjustment of the strategy; the proposed approach is aimed at improving the accuracy of strategic objectives and creating conditions for their achievement based on the quality of resource provision, the relevance of management tools for planning and controlling in the education system.
