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Autore Universit degli studi di Trieste

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Index
1. THE QUESTIONNAIRE.

2. THE AIM.

3. DEFINITION.

4. A FIRST IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE: TO BE ONE LIKE NO ONE.

5.A SECOND IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE: COHERENCE THROUGH ALL THE

SOURCES.

10

6. A THIRD IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE: COHERENCE ALONG TIME.

12

6.1 HOW IS THIS CHANGING? IMPROVING OR DECLINING?

13

7. A FOURTH IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE: LEGITIMACY.

16

7.1 PERSONAL LEGITIMACY

7.2 OTHERS LEGITIMACY.
7.3 PERSONAL LEGITIMACY IN COMPARISON WITH OTHERS LEGITIMACY.
7.4 OBJECTIVE LEGITIMACY

17
18
19
22

8.THE VALUE OF THE VALUES.

25

8.1 THE VALUE FOR WHOM?

8.2 HOW TO REPRESENT THIS DIFFERENTIAL?
8.3 CROSSING THESE TWO CONSIDERATIONS.

25
27
27

9. FIRST YES: MEDIAN WITH STANDARD DEVIATION FOR THE VALUES OF

EVERY HTE PARTNER.

30

10. SECOND YES: MEDIAN WITH STANDARD DEVIATION FOR EVERY

STAKEHOLDER.

36

11. THIRD YES: MEDIAN WITH STANDARD DEVIATION FOR ALL COUNTRIES
FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
43

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1. The questionnaire.
In the following pages, You will find the first release of the questionnaire about
image. This questionnaire is the sum of different marketing and semiotic
theories about the image management.
The questionnaire is constituted by 3 sections:
The first one asks about interviewees socio-demographical data.
The second one -from point number 1 to 8- contains information related
to how the interviewee judges the HTE image-brand (about coherence
and legitimacy of the HTE image-brand).
The third one -from point number 9 to 10- is a semantic differential
created to describe various values the HTE image-brand can
communicate.

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Questionnaire to identify the image of the Institute - Companies

Explain in this row the Institute You are referring to
(i.e This questionnaire refers to Malignani Institute)
Personnel Manager
Quality Manager

Male

Production Manager
Marketing Manager

Female
Other ____________________
Age: < 30

31 - 45

46 - 60

> 60

Type of companies:
n. of employees ___________

Field of Production/service _____________________

This Questionnaire should be filled in ONLY to people that know the Institute

1. How have You known about this Institute?

(If You have chosen more than one)

2. Have You collected dissenting opinions ?

Advertisement
Open days
Word of mouth
Friends
Past students
Families
Previous school
Other (specify_____________)
Yes
Only for some aspects
Not at all

3. Do You believe its image has drastically

change during the last 5 years?

Yes
Only for some aspects
Not at all

4. (If You answered positively) how has it changed?

Improving

declining

How?
5. How do You evaluate the reliability of the
Institute?

Low
High
1234567

6. How do others evaluate its reliability?

Low
High
1234567

7. How much do You trust in this Institute?

Low
High
1234567

8. How much others You trust in this Institute?

Low
High
1234567

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Questionnaire to identify the image of the Institute

9. Now please try to identify the values You associate to this Institute
elite

widespread

dynamic

static

traditional

innovative

Technological /hi tech

Handcrafted/ low
tech

theoretical

practice

Merit system- selective

Open not selective

international

local

Flexible
Collaborative with
students

Rigid
Top down /
unidirectional

funny

serious

Care to creativity

Care to
homologation

Reward system

Punish system

Religious

Secular

Individualism

Collectivism

Masculine

Feminine

Structured

De-structure

Similar to others

Different from others

10. Do You know about prices or award taken by this Institute?

Yes

No

Which ones?
Thanks for Your collaboration

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2. The aim.
The aim of a image strategy is to create a unique and coherent image for a
HTE institute toward its different audiences (targets).
So, from this point of view, brand and image can be thought like two
analogous concepts, with parallel behaviors.
The brand-image that people have about an HTE school/institute orientates
expectations that contribute to influence evaluation of the service/output.

3. Definition.
The brand is1 a vector of sense able to carry values (and this is its immaterial
nature). For example, when a person sees the jeans brand Levis, it
immediately brings in his/her mind values like freedom, virility and pleasure.
The brand never tells directly its values, but tells them through some stories,
through some tales. And so, in this case, the brand Levis tells its freedom and
its pleasure creating and communicating some events or stories about its
nature (You can think the stories told in the Levis advertisings, for example.
But advertising is only just one of the communication ways). Obviously this
immaterial nature must be constantly linked with the material nature. And
so, as regards the HTE, we cant communicate something that is incoherent
with the true nature of a HTE course.
The brand -thanks to material and immaterial natures- is able to be an
intermediary between the business/ bureaucratic world (ruled by rational
elements) and the consumer world (ruled by emotions).

References:
Andrea Semprini , La marca (The brand) , Milano, Franco Angeli editore ,1996.
Jean-Marie Floch, Semiotics, marketing e communication, Milano, Franco Angeli editore, 1997.
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As we will see, it is possible to measure the HTE image quality thanks to:
The measurement of its oneness (see the chapter To be one like no one).
The measurement of its coherence through all the sources (see the chapter
Coherence through all the sources).
The measurement of its coherence along time (see the chapter Coherence
along time).
The measurement of its legitimacy (see the chapter Legitimacy).
The measurement of its values (see the chapter the value of the values).

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4. A first important consequence: to be one like no one.

The Brand material nature and the brand immaterial nature allow a brand to
be unique and different from the others.
This differentiation can be seen in the last point of the values list of the
questionnaire about image:
Similar to others <----->Different to others
Here we will show You the results HTE by HTE, because every HTE course has
an own story.
It was considered the arithmetic mean in a 1 to 9 scale, where:
1 means This institute is completely similar to the others
9 means This institute is completely different to the others.

HTE institute*

Arithmetic mean
(1 to 9)

Bulgaria

6,222
(On 54 valid reply)

Italy

7,461

(Borsellino)

(On 65 valid reply)

Italy

6,753

(Malignani)

(On 73 valid reply)

Lithuania

3,877
(On 57 valid reply)

Spain

5,9
(On 63 valid reply)

*=In Country alphabetic order.

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5. A second important consequence:

coherence

through all the sources.

A brand strategy should show a unique and coherent image2 through all the
instruments and sources that it uses; otherwise consumers could be confused
by multi-different images. This is the main axiom of the integrated
communication theories.
This theoretical point can be observed in question number 2 of the
questionnaire about image:
Have You collected dissenting opinions?
Here we will show You the results HTE by HTE, because every HTE course has
a own story.

The coherence is one of the most important features that a HTE image should have. In fact people usually trust in a brand-image
only if it is coherent.
In other words:
- An HTE image, for be trusted by people, should be in keeping with what the HTE really is (see Legitimacy).
- An HTE image, for be trusted by people, should be in keeping with its past communications (see Coherence along years)
- An HTE image, for be trusted by people, should be coherent in all its different ways of communication (see Coherence among
different resources).

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HTE institute*

Yes, there were dissenting

opinions about its image

Bulgaria

29 yes on 54 replies
53,7 %

Italy

5 yes on 36 replies

(Borsellino)

13,8 %

Italy

8 yes on 42 replies

(Malignani)

19 %

Lithuania

14 yes on 65 replies
21,5 %

Spain

16 yes on 43 replies
37,2 %

*=In Country alphabetic order.

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6. A third important consequence: coherence along time.

A brand strategy should show a coherent image along time; otherwise
users/customers could feel betrayed.
This theoretical point can be seen in questions number 3 and 4 of the
questionnaire about image:
-Do You believe its image has drastically changed during the last 5
years?
-How?
We underlined drastically, because a little change is normal and desirable
(indeed a company should be abreast of the times), but if there is drastically
change the consumer could feel betrayed by the brand.
Here we will show You the results HTE by HTE, because every HTE course has
a own story.

HTE institute*

Yes,

there

was

drastically change
Bulgaria

39 yes on 56 valid reply

69,6%

Italy

30 yes on 64 valid reply

(Borsellino)

46,8%

Italy

23 yes on 41 valid reply

(Malignani)

56%

Lithuania

43 yes on 64 valid reply

67,1%

Spain

25 yes on 58 valid reply

43,1%

*=In Country alphabetic order.

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6.1 How is this changing? Improving or declining?

The number in the tube is the number of replies.

Bulgaria

"Not compiled"

"Declining"

40

"Improving"

10

20

30

40

50

Italy - Borsellino

31

"Not compiled"

"Declining"

27

"Improving"

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10

15

20

25

30

35

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Italy - Malignani

23

"Not compiled"

37

"Declining"

13

"Improving"

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Lithuania

15

"Not compiled"

"Declining"

49

"Improving"

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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Spain

43

"Not compiled"

"Declining"

21

"Improving"

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10

20

30

40

50

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7. A fourth important consequence: legitimacy.

The legitimacy of a HTE-Brand is as produced (by HTE) as recognized (by the
target-audience).
And so: only if a HTE institute has an excellent quality and efficiency (keep
along the time), and only if target-audience recognize these quality and
efficiency, then a certain grade of legitimacy shall born.
In this sense legitimacy can be considered as a concept with two faces:
-

The former is the trust. Trust is the emotional face of legitimacy (how
do you feel the credibility of the brand).

The latter is the reliability. Reliability is the objective and rational face
of legitimacy (how do you rational think the credibility of the brand)

This theoretical point can be seen in the questions number 5, 6, 7, 8, 10;

assembled in this way:
-

Point 5+7 = personal legitimacy

Point 6+8 = others legitimacy

Point 10 = objective legitimacy

For be more specific:

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7.1 Personal legitimacy

This theoretical point can be seen in questions number 5 and number 7:
-

5. How do You evaluate the reliability of the Institute?

7. How much do You trust in this Institute?

It was considered the arithmetic mean in a 1 to 9 scale, where:

1 = lowest personal legitimacy.
7 = highest personal legitimacy.

HTE institute*

Personal legitimacy
Questions n.5 & n.7
(from 1 to 7)

Bulgaria

5**
4,4***

Italy
(Borsellino)

5,3
5,4

Italy
(Malignani)

5,0
5,0

Lithuania

5,7
5,5

Spain

5,6
5,7

*=In Country alphabetic order.

**= Question number 5 average.
***=Question number 7 average.

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7.2 Others Legitimacy.

This theoretical point can be seen in questions number 6 and number 8

6. How do others evaluate its reliability?

8. How much others trust in this Institute?

It was considered the arithmetic mean in a 1 to 9 scale, where:

1 = lowest personal legitimacy
7 = highest personal legitimacy

HTE institute*

Others legitimacy
Questions n.6 & n.8
(from 1 to 7)

Bulgaria

4,6**
4***

Italy

4,8

(Borsellino)

Italy

5,7

(Malignani)

5,6

Lithuania

5,3
4,7

Spain

5,2
5,1

*=In Country alphabetic order.

**= Question number 6 average.
***=Question number 8 average.

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7.3 Personal legitimacy in comparison with Others

legitimacy.

Bulgaria

4,3

Others

4,7

Personal

4,1

4,2

4,3

4,4

4,5

4,6

4,7

4,8

Italy - Borsellino

4,9

Others

5,35

Personal

4,6

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4,7

4,8

4,9

5,1

5,2

5,3

5,4

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Italy - Malignani

5,65

Others

Personal

4,6

4,8

5,2

5,4

5,6

5,8

5,4

5,6

5,8

Lithuania

Others

5,6

Personal

4,6

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4,8

5,2

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Spain

5,15

Others

5,65

Personal

4,9

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5,1

5,2

5,3

5,4

5,5

5,6

5,7

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7.4 Objective legitimacy

This theoretical point can be seen in question number 10:
- Do You know about prices or award taken by this Institute?
It was considered the rate and the number of the yes and no replies, HTE
by HTE.

Bulgaria

51

Number "No"

Number "Yes"

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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Italy-Borsellino

14

Number "No"

51

Number "Yes"

10

20

30

40

50

36,5

37

60

Italy - Malignani

37

Number "No"

35

Number "Yes"

34

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34,5

35

35,5

36

37,5

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Lithuania

12

Number "No"

43

Number "Yes"

10

20

30

40

50

Spain

53

Number "No"

Number "Yes"

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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8.The value of the values.

Until now we have saw, for every HTE, if there is a unique and coherent image,
and its consequences. In short, we have saw if any HTE has, or not, a brand
strategy and an image culture.
But it was said, also, that a brand carries some values. Now is the moment to
see how these values are.
This consideration can be done thanks to the semantic differential analysis
(the second part of the questionnaire about image).
For the semantic differential we need to consider:
1) The value for whom?
Country and/or HTE courses and/or stakeholder and/or they both.
2) How to represent this differential?
Median with standard deviation and/or rate of replies for every point.

8.1 The value for whom?

COUNTRY BY

HTE PARTNER

COUNTRY

ANALYSIS OF THE SIMILAR PUBLICS ALL COUNTRY FOR

(ITALY, SPAIN,

DATA COME FROM (ALL POTENTIAL

ALL HTE COURSE

ETC)

EACH EXPERO HTE STUDENTS,

FOR ALL

PARTNER

ALL TRAINEES

STAKEHOLDERS

(DATA ARRIVED

STK, ETC)

-NOT

CONSIDERING THE FROM SPAIN-

STAKEHOLDERS: ALL

- NOT

STAKEHOLDERS

STUCOM, FROM

- NOT

ITALY-MALIGNANI, THE COUNTRIES

CONSIDERING THE FROM ITALYHTE COURSE

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CONSIDERING
- NOT

BORSELLINO,

CONSIDERING

ETC..)

THE HTE COURSE

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These data could

In this way we can In this way we

In this way we can

be interesting to

see the image

can see if there

see if there are

identify a Country values associated

are common

common elements

Bias:

at every HTE

elements

amongst all the

For example: in a

institution by all its amongst all the

Country all the

own stakeholders. HTE similar

stakeholders use

stakeholders.

with difficulty the

questionnaires.
We could find an
HTE questionnaire

extremes of the

We could find an Bias.

value scale.

HTE stakeholder (For example: if the

Bias.

most part of the

But we have,

(for example: all questionnaires have

except for Italy,

the potential

only 1 HTE institute

students tends to replies between the

for country.

give a

Structured and De-

And only one HTE

theoretical

structure semantic

institute is not

image value

differential, then

representative for

associated to the maybe this semantic

the reality of a

HTE courses.)

whole Country.

blank or medium

differential was not

understood.

In short, we have
too few data to do
a scientific
comparison.

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8.2 How to represent this Differential?

Median with

The median with standard deviation is a excellent and

standard

intuitive method to represent similar data.

deviation

The median could give a general idea of the trend.

Rate of reply for The rate for every point for every single semantic differential
every point.

is more suitable with heterogeneous data.

For every single The rate could give a more precise and detailed idea for
semantic

every singular reality.

differential

8.3 Crossing these two considerations.

Now, crossing these two considerations, and so these two tables, it will obtain
this value table:
COUNTRY BY

HTE PARTNER

COUNTRY

ANALYSIS OF THE SIMILAR PUBLICS ALL COUNTRY

ALL

(ITALY, SPAIN, DATA COME FROM (ALL POTENTIAL

FOR ALL HTE

ETC)

COURSE FOR

- NOT

EVERY EXPERO HTE STUDENTS,

PARTNER

ALL TRAINEES

ALL

(DATA ARRIVED

STK, ETC)

STAKEHOLDER

- NOT

Values CONSIDERING FROM THE

THE

SPANISH HTE

STAKEHOLDER COURSE, FROM

CONSIDERING
THE COUNTRIES

ITALY-MALIGNANI - NOT

- NOT

HTE COURSE,

CONSIDERING FROM ITALY-

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STAKEHOLDER:

CONSIDERING
THE HTE COURSE

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THE HTE

BORSELLINO,

COURSE

ETC..)

NO

YES

YES

We have too

The median with

The median with In this case we

YES

few data to do standard deviation standard

have

a scientific

is an excellent and

heterogeneous

comparison.

intuitive method to excellent and

MEDIAN
WITH

deviation is a

data, and so

represent similar

intuitive method to the rate for

data.

represent similar

each point is

data.

more suitable.

STANDARD

But the

DEVIATION

median, in this
case, could
give a general
idea of the
trend of all the
values.

RATE FOR
EVERY POINT.
FOR EVERY
SINGLE
SEMANTIC
DIFFERENTIA
L

NO

NO

NO

We have too

The median with

The median with The rate for

few data to do standard deviation standard

every point for

every single

a scientific

is clearer than rate deviation is

comparison.

of reply.

clearer than rate

semantic

In fact in rate of

of reply.

differential is

reply for every point In fact in rate of

for every single

reply for every

more suitable
with

semantic differential point for every

heterogeneous

there are too many single semantic

data; like in

data; that could

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YES

differential there

this case.

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generate confusion. are too many

(next step)3

data; that could

generate
confusion.

In this moment we have not this kind of data. Next step means that could be interesting in the future to
develop this point of the table.
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9. First Yes: median with standard deviation for the

values of every HTE partner.
Here we will present You the graphics about the values of every HTE Expero
partner (the first yes in the value table). In these following pictures there will
be a graphical representation of the median going through all values.
At your right we put the standard deviation (SD) . If the standard deviation is
low, then it means that the collected data are well grouped around the average
value. If the standard deviation is high, then it means that the collected data
are very distant.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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10. Second Yes: median with standard deviation for

every stakeholder.
Here we will present You the graphics about the values assigned by every
stakeholder (the second yes in the value table). It will be consider only the
stakeholder (all companies, all disadvantaged trainees, all families of
disadvantaged trainees, all organizations, all potential trainees, and all
trainees), without considering countries and HTE courses.
In this way it can be seen if there are common elements amongst all the HTE
similar stakeholders.
We could find an HTE stakeholder Bias (for example: all the potential
students tend to give a specific theoretical image value associated to the HTE
courses).
In these following pictures there will be a graphical representation of the
median going through all values.
At the right we put the standard deviation (SD). If the standard deviation is
low, then it means that the collected data are well grouped around the average
value. If the standard deviation is high, then it means that the collected data
are very distant.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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SD: standard deviation.

N: Number of completed questionnaires.

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11. Third Yes: median with standard deviation for all

Countries for all stakeholders.
Here it will present You the graphics about the values assigned by all Countries
and by all stakeholders (the third yes in the value table).
In other words, we will show You firstly all the data collected on the basis of all
Countries, secondly all the data collected on the basis of all stakeholders.
In this way it can be seen if there are common elements amongst all the
questionnaires.
We could find an HTE questionnaire Bias; for example: if the most part of the
questionnaires have blank or medium replies between the Structured and Destructure semantic differential, that could represent a lack in the
questionnaire.
In these following pictures there will be a graphical representation of the
median going through all values.

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