Engineering a Woman: Marketing Opportunities and Challenges in India

Abstract

Engineering plays a key role in supporting the growth and development of a country's economy as well as in improving the quality of life for citizens. Most of developed countries witnessed economic growth with the contribution of women in engineering field. In developing countries like India women remained under-utilized resource. Women in engineering are probably the single best investment that can be made in the developing world. There is clearly room for improvement – not only in recruiting women into engineering, but also in retaining and promoting those women who wish and do enter the profession. This study was designed to investigate a perception and determination of undergraduate women towards accessing Engineering Education. The study has highlighted women's perceptions and experiences on accessing engineering education through institute's Marketing Mix strategies which enables women to take up strategic positions to enjoy success in engineering education and career. Findings of this study revealed that women students in engineering are better satisfied and act of referring services/program to others is higher than men students in terms of numbers for a particular set of marketing mix applied to gender. A qualitative research survey through a structured questionnaire for the students who are studying or have recently completed their engineering education from reputed engineering institutes affiliated to the North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, India was conducted. The study discloses women's approach to engineering education in terms of marketing mix; program, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence and process. Women tended to rate most the marketing criteria as having a higher level of importance than men. Women needed more communal support while making decision making of selection of engineering education. The survey is delimited to the engineering education belonging to North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon and Khandesh region, a rural part of India. Findings of the study will be useful for the institutes and direct and indirect service providers of engineering education in developing a communication program and should be utilized and integrated into all aspects of the marketing program to attract women in engineering.