Factors Influencing Students' Motivation to Seek Higher Education—A Case Study at a State University in the Czech Republic.

The quality of universities in the present era is the subject of ever more discussion in the Czech Republic and the EU. Quality is determined both quantitatively and qualitatively, and ever more importance is placed on ratings by students and graduates. The objective of this article is to identify and evaluate factors influencing the motivation of students to seek higher education and their expectations regarding the quality of a university. The data was obtained using questionnaire-based investigation among the students of a state university (n = 293) and was analysed using descriptive and multivariate statistics. The results identified seven factors that influence the motivation and expectations of students, of which the most significant are quality personnel providing instruction, building social status, development of competencies, and the quality of the education process in relation to employment. The recommendations presented can help other universities to implement suitable personnel marketing and to gain sustainable competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]