Family Support and University Choice Decision: A Strategic Perspective in Private Higher Education

Abstract

Rising competition among private higher education institutions has made university choice decisions increasingly important. This study aims to examine the influence of family support on university choice decisions and to explore its strategic implications within the context of higher education. The research adopts a quantitative approach using survey data collected from 200 students enrolled in Majalengka University. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings indicate that family support has a positive and significant effect on students’ university choice decisions. These results confirm the importance of social support mechanisms in educational decision-making processes. From a strategic perspective, the findings of this study indicate that family driven decision making dynamics may contribute to shaping preferences toward higher education institutions. However, this study does not directly examine broader institutional outcomes; therefore, the strategic implications should be interpreted with caution and require further empirical investigation. Drawing on Social Support Theory and the Resource-Based View, this study focuses on how family support functions as a social resource influencing university choice decisions within a strategic higher education context. The results provide important implications for management this institution in developing more effective student recruitment strategies. This study extends the strategic management perspective by positioning family support as a strategic social resource influencing institutional competitiveness in university choice decision.