Causal mapping of successful brand in Iran higher education (case study: Technical and Vocational University)

This goal of the research is identify, categorize and causally map the components of a successful brand in higher education. This research in terms of purpose; functional, in nature; exploratory-analytical; in data collection method, it is a combined (qualitative-quantitative) method. In the qualitative phase, the components of a successful brand were identified by reviewing the literature and research background and experts' confirmation. Then, using the opinion of experts, these components were categorized. Ultimately, by using a pairwise comparison questionnaire, the required data was extracted from 11 experts of the technical and vocational university, and by using the causal mapping approach, the successful brand model was designed with the integration mental map of the experts. The findings of the qualitative phase showed that a successful brand in higher education consists of 6 components, which were divided into university image, costs and financial matters, university services and facilities, advertising and external communications, planning and success of education and the location of the university. The highest relationship between variables is related to the relationship between university services and facilities with costs and financial items. Then, between the university image variables and university services and facilities. The weakest relationship is between the cost and financial variables with the university image and educational planning and success with costs and financial items. Successful brand consists of university image, costs and financial matters, university services and facilities, advertising and external communications, planning and success of education and the location of the university.