The study outcomes show a much better image among the male graduate alumni than the female graduate alumni. According to Goni et al. (2015), there is a variation in the performance level among the male and female students in a learning institution. In situations where the male students perform better than the females, they tend to have a more positive image. A better image among the male graduate alumni in Qatar University than the females is attributed to the academic level of performance. The male graduates are performing better than the female. Biasness is an issue that equally impacts the variation in the institution's image among the male and female graduate alumni. In a male-dominated university, the females will have a less positive image of the institution (De Jaqer and Gbadamosi, 2010). Another outcome is a variation in perception between the national and non – national graduate alumni. The national graduate alumni have a better image of the University than the non-national graduate alumni. The national alumni will tend to compare the resources and experience in the University with what they experience at home (Arpan, Raney and Zivinuska, 2003). Lack of resources makes them develop a negative image, especially when their home institutions offer much better experiences (Baozhen, 2008). The issue of discrimination equally arises among the non-national graduate alumni. In situations where they have been victims of discrimination, they have a negative image of the University (Polat, 2011). That is not the situation for the national graduate alumni who are less likely to be victims of discrimination and bad experiences.
One of the key findings from the investigation is that the university's image is less favorable as the level of study increased. There is a better image among the diploma graduate alumni when compared to the master's graduates. Also, there is a better image among the masters when compared to the Ph.D. graduate alumni. According to Alves and Raposo (2010), there is a variation in the satisfaction and loyalty of students under the various programs in a learning institution. The variation in satisfaction is what creates the image of the learning institution. Diploma students in most universities are not accorded the needed attention when compared to Ph.D. students. The variation creates a distinction in the perception and image of the university. Azoury, Daou, and Khoury (2014), in their investigation, support the outcome of having a less positive image as one moves up the program ladder. They posit that the satisfaction of the students is what creates the difference. Ph.D. learners have access to most of the resources that are restricted to graduate students. Some libraries are set aside for undergraduate students in several universities, giving them a different satisfaction and experience from the postgraduate students.
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The main factor that affect Qatar University’s image is the institutional ability to produce graduates who have efficiency in particular sets of skills. These skills may include, problem solving skills, initiative and enterprise skills, workplace performance skills or even self-management skills. As showcased by Akareem and Hossain (2012), the qualification of students and their backgrounds significantly contribute to the definition of quality of education. The qualification of students, in this case, is in regards to the qualities and skills obtained from the university. UNESCO (2016) defines the quality of education curriculum as one that enables students to acquire and develop the skills, knowledge, and values and the associated competencies and capacities that enable them to lead a successful and productive life. Therefore, factors such as problem-solving and decision-making skills, initiative and enterprise skills, self-management and soft skills, and workplace performance skills are elements of quality of education that affect the Qatar university image, as it would in any other university in the world. Prospective students and potential employers often look for such skills in the graduates from universities in order to make their respective decisions and thus affecting the university image in the process, i.e., the more the students with such desirable skills, the better the university image.
Through a graduate alumni perspective, research findings show that there are specific skills, aptitudes and abilities that lead to a high image perspective of a university. These skills include graduate’s ability to think critically solve challenges and create meaningful connections in the society. Graduate Students who acquire leadership skills and have the ability to positively contribute to the society also portray a positive image about a university.
As stated above, all elements of the quality of education and a quality curriculum or method of teaching ought to contain such skill-building elements. The graduate alumni are concerned about these skills because graduate institutions and potential employers often look for a fine blend of competencies and soft skills (Majid et al., 2012). According to Gupta (2009), some of the soft skills include communication, problem-solving, decision-making, self-motivation, as well as time-management skills. Graduate institutions and potential employers perceive that professional and technical skills alone are not enough to attain organizational objectives and goals (Mitchell et al., 2010) since they are expected to be involved in divergent leadership as well as decision-making activities. Hodges and Burchell (2003) depicted that more than 80% of the top ten skills that potential employers look for included soft skills such as willingness and ability to learn, cooperation and teamwork, passion and energy, interpersonal communication, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, the alumni are mostly concerned about acquiring these soft skills because it affects them directly in regards to getting admittance into post-graduate programs as well as attaining employment at prominent organizations (Wats & Wats, 2009). As such, the better the delivery of soft skills by the Qatar University, the better its image.
There are several limitations experiences in the study. One is that of the sample size. The sample size used in the investigation consists of 260 participants. The power of the study is on the ability to detect an effect in situations where there is none for detection (Faber and Fonseca, 2014). Not having a large sample size in the investigations results in type two errors, making the outcomes skewed. The action results in a decline in the power of the investigation. Another limitation is that the study only targeted graduate alumni. That entails students that graduated from diploma, master's, and Ph.D. programs from the university. The issue is a limitation because the outcomes will be based. There is a need to include a wide range of views in the research, such as the faculty workers.
Future studies should embark on the study of factors beyond academic reputation that affect the university image. Some of these factors may include cost and availability of financial aid packages, level of parents’ education, campus location, availability of certain assemblages, and other non-academic related factors. This would help shed light on other extrinsic non-academic factors that affect the university perception and image. There is a need for future studies to focus on the university's image from the point of view of undergraduates and graduate students. The undergraduates and graduate students are in direct connection with the university. They can provide information about their experiences in the university, which will create the needed image. Lastly, future studies need to equally focus on the university's image from the perspective of the facility members and the staff. The working staff builds on the rapport of the university. They have information on the benefits that they get and that contributed to the image of the institution. The viewpoint of the recruiters should be included in future studies as they are in close connection with the facility's functioning. They can narrate if the university's effectiveness in the university is fit to build on a good image.
References
Alves, H. & Raposo, M. (2010). The influence of university image on student behaviour. International Journal of Educational Management 24 (1), 73-85.
Arpan, L., Raney, A., & Zivinuska, S. (2003). A cognitive approach to understanding university image. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 8 (2), 97-113.
Azoury, N., Daou, L. & Charbel, K. (2014). University image and its relationship to student satisfaction – case of the Middle Eastern private business schools. International Strategic Management Review, 2 (1), 1-8.
Baozhen, X. (2008). Chins international students' perceptions and attitudes toward seeking psychological counseling services: A qualitative exploration. University of Minnesota, Ph.D thesis, DOI-B, 327509,1981.
De Jaqer, J., & Gbadamosi, G. (2010). Specific remedy for specific problem: Measuring service quality in South Africa higher education. The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning, 60 (3), 251-967.
Faber, J. & Fonseca, L. (2014). How sample size influences research outcomes. Dental Press Journal od Orthodontics, 19 (4), 27-29.
Goni, U., Wali, Y., Ali, H. & Waziri, M. (2015). Gender differences in student’s academic performance in colleges of education in Borno State, Nigeria: Implications for Counselling. Journal of Education and Practice, 6 (32), 107-114.
Polat, S. (2011). The relationship between university students’ academic achievement and perceived organizational image. Retrieved from http://www.faqs.org/Periodicals/201101/2316854171.html . Accessed 26 May 2021.
