Contributions & Limitations

Contributions & Future Research

This study has provided insight to the persuasive power of stories in regard to university recruitment. The results of the study provide explanation of how stories can help the idea of higher education and college life become more tangible to prospective students. Stories provide a vehicle for sense making and allow students to visualize themselves fitting in at a particular university. Using stories in recruitment makes the abstract more concrete, which prepares students for the transition into college life and reduces some of the fear an anxiety related to going away to college. This study also provides undergraduate admissions offices with insights on the types of stories students are most interested in hearing or reading about and how these stories should be communicated. Though there are several practical contributions yielded from these results there are theoretical implications as well.

This study used the narrative paradigm as its theoretical foundation and the results have provided evidence of the impact this theory can have empirically. The results of this study provide reason for using stories as a persuasive tool and how this communication phenomenon described by Fisher influences sense making. This study has began to link the narrative paradigm to empirical theories of persuasion by adding more depth and breadth to these pre-existing constructs and creating a more encompassing understanding of the persuasive power of stories.

These theoretical and practical implications have opened the door to several possible future research opportunities. This study only focused on four universities, but research could be done on more universities to examine other effective story topics, channels to communicate with prospective students, and to determine what the national norm is to using stories in recruitment material. These results also provide a foundation for conducting experimental studies that would measure the persuasiveness and effectiveness of stories in recruitment materials and how narratives influence students’ decisions for choosing a university. The results from this study provide evidence of how the communication phenomenon of storytelling can play a persuasive and sense making role in the decision-making process and why it should continue to be studied.

Functional Outline

I. Introduction (1 page)

A. Provide rationale for the study

B. State the goal of the study

C. Preview the paper and create contact with reader

Transition

To better understand the effects of stories on university recruitment, it is imperative to examine how university recruitment works and how stories may compliment this process.

II. Review of Literature (5.5 pages)

Synthesize the literature that is providing the theoretical foundation in position with the context it is being studied.

A. University Recruitment

1. Describe what universities are currently doing to recruit students
2. Explain the problem of students having trouble understanding the intangible idea of higher education.
3. Define relationship marketing

B. The Narrative Paradigm

1. Define the components of the narrative paradigm.
2. Connect how the narrative paradigm compliments relationship marketing
3. Connect how the narrative paradigm can make higher education a more tangible idea for prospective students

C. The Persuasive Power of Stories

1. Explain the social psychology research done with stories
2. Describe how regulatory fit from stories may work to help students feeling they would fit in at a university
3. Explain how stories could be persuasive in recruiting students based on research

Transition

This study is guided by the following research questions: (RQs listed)

III. Method (2.5 pages)

The goal of this section is to describe the data collection process, sample, and research procedures

A. Explain why I used focus groups

B. Sample- Describe sample

C. Procedures- Describe recruitment and focus group procedures

D. Data Analysis- Explain the data analysis and coding process

Transition

These themes focused not only on the persuasiveness and content of the stories, but also the channel and visual aspect of how these stories were presented.

IV. Results (5 pages)

The goal of this section is to explain and provide examples of each theme (Not sure how many themes I will have but it is looking to be around 5). This section will begin by describing the texts that were used as reference points for focus group participants.

A. Theme 1

1. description and definition
2. example for transcripts

B. Theme 2

1. description and definition
2. example for transcripts

C. Theme 3

1. description and definition
2. example for transcripts

D. Theme 4

1. description and definition
2. example for transcripts

E. Theme 5

1. description and definition
2. example for transcripts

Transition

V. Discussion (6-7 pages)

The goal of the section is connect the themes and provide the "so what" element to the results.

A. Use theory to explain the results

B. Describe the persuasive effect occurring and the reasoning behind the focus group responses

C. Provide practical advice for undergraduate admissions offices to consider when developing recruitment material

D. Thread ROL information to remind the reader of the theoretical foundation these results are based on

E. Provide the "why" to the results

F. Include the limitations and contribution section for the paper.

1. point out the theoretical contributions
2. provide practical contributions
3. discuss future research

Transition

Conclusion (1 page)

The goal of this section is to wrap up the paper and give a concise executive summary. I like to call this the red bow on top of the research package.

A. Where we started

B. What we found

C. Where we can go.