Evaluation of the competitive landscape of a regional U.S. university's MIS program

Abstract

The recent economic downturn has affected numerous industries and regions within the United States. The field of education has been just as vulnerable as statewide budget cuts have forced some U.S. educational institutions to make significant changes to their offerings. Some MIS programs have been especially encumbered by the double shock of a decline in student interest resulting, in part, from the dot.com bubble burst and now, a period of economic recession. Although recent articles have indicated a rise in technology related jobs and have labeled technology jobs as "recession-proof", university student enrollments in the U.S. have not kept pace with the changing headlines. In MIS classes, professors advocate the strategic implementation of technology to the field of business to enhance competitive strength. One of the tools that is often extolled as a means of evaluating the competitive landscape is that of Porter's Competitive Forces Model. However, although the field of education is a competitive field, minimal research has been conducted using Porter's framework as a means of strengthening an educational program's position nationally, let alone, internally. In this paper, the authors propose utilizing Porter's model as an evaluative tool in the higher educational landscape. The paper begins by examining the current economic condition in the field of Management Information Systems (MIS) followed by an examination of current research in higher education utilizing Porter's Competitive Forces Model. Porter's Model is slightly adapted to fit the educational environment and the framework is then applied to the competitive environment of a MIS program at a regional four year university in the United States. A plan for enhancing the program is proposed based upon the findings of the evaluation.