MARKETING MIX FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PARENTS’ DECISION MAKING ON SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO STUDY AT PRIVATE KINDERGARTEN IN SURAT THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aimed to study 1) the level of marketing mix factors in the parents’decision making on sending their children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province, 2) the level of parents’ decision making on sending their children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province, 3) to find the relation between
marketing mix factors and parents’ decision making on sending their children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province, and 4) to study the marketing mix factors that influenced the parents’ decision making on sending their children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province. The samples were the parents
of students at private kindergarten in Surat Thani rovince, the academic year 2014, 335 persons by using a stratified sampling method. The research instrument was the
questionnaire which was the index of item-objective congruence (IOC) was between 0.60-1.00 and reliability = 0.97. The data analysis were percentage, mean and
standard deviation. The hypothesis testing analyzed by Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analysis.

The results found that the marketing mix factors in the parents’ decision making on sending children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province, overall there was the average at a high level ( x = 3.94, sd. = 0.52) Considering by each factor, found that the staff of the private kindergarten was at the highest level ( x = 4.20, sd. = 0.59). About the parents’ decision making on sending children to study at private kindergarten in Surat Thani province, overall, there was the decision at a high level. By the alternative decision was the highest level.

The hypothesis testing found that all of the marketing mix factors were positivly related with parents’ decision making on sending children to study at the private
kindergarten in Surat Thani province at the statistical significance level of 0.05. The product (X₁), the physical evidence (X₇), the staff (X₅) , the promotion (X₄) and the price (X₂) could be predicted for the decision making on sending children to study at the private kindergarten in Surat Thani province at 61.40% of the variance. The predictive equation can be written the raw scores and the standard scores are as follows: 

The predictive equation of raw scores

Y = .372 + .256(X₁) + .213(X₇) + .186(X₅) + .145(X₄) + .123(X₂)
The predictive equation of standard scores

Zy = .233(Zx₁) + .227(Zx₇) + .182(Zx₅) + .158(Zx₄) + .130(Zx₂)