E-learning strategies of higer education institutions: an exploraty study into the influence of environmental contingencies on strategic choices of higher education institutions with respect to integrating e-learning in their education delivery and support processes

Looking back at the main research question of this thesis ¿how do higher education institutions differ in their strategic choices with respect to integrating e- Learning into their educational delivery processes and how can these differences be explained?¿ the results of this study showed that higher education institutions that prefer a worldcampus strategy, considerable enhance the flexibility in delivery of education by using e-Learning. They do so because they aim for increasing access, i.e. for attracting more students and in this way generate more income. By doing so, it is expected that these higher education institutions are better prepared to respond to an environment that is becoming increasingly more market-oriented and competitive. An environment in which it is expected that higher education institutions have to compete for students in order to generate more and diversified revenue streams to fund their primary and secondary processes. As already can be seen in different countries (e.g. Australia) governmental funding is declining. This means that higher education institutions have to find additional ways to generate income. By focusing on new student demands, such as lifelong learners, as well as on using e-Learning to offer education to this new group of students as well as to the traditional 18-24 years old students, higher education institutions can increase their income and by doing so, are expected to have a better chance to survive the coming decades.