Strategic insights into the critical success factors online for-profit educational providers: case study

Amber A. Smith, Alan D. Smith and William T. Rupp

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2014, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-32

Abstract: The last decade has seen a dramatic growth of online educational service providers (OESPs) and a major paradigm shift from the traditional mode of instruction. Within a knowledge-based information-intensive society, or education, the internet has allowed for accessibility to convenient and affordable educational opportunities for self-improvement. Chief about these OESPs is the University of Phoenix (UOP), which older, part-time students seeking the skills vital to success in this information-intensive environment. This creation of virtual learning communities has redefined the strategic success factors that managers must operate in. The Apollo Group, Inc., established in 1976, provides higher education to a non-traditional student population through its four subsidiaries: UOP, Institute for Professional Development, The College for Financial Planning Institutes, and Western International University. As its largest subsidiary, UOP accounts for roughly 85% of the Apollo Group's revenues. This case study documents and creates a forum for discussion on the critical success factors via a traditional financial and strategic analysis of the OESP-based industry.

Keywords: business strategy; case study; online education service providers; OESPs; University of Phoenix; UOP; critical success factors; CSFs; virtual learning; virtual communities; online communities; web based communities; higher education; e-learning; electronic learning; financial analysis; strategic analysis. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=64113 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijbisy:v:17:y:2014:i:1:p:1-32

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Business Information Systems from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().