Instagram Use and the Admission Process of the Selected Higher Learning Institutions in Dodoma City.

Abstract

Enormous revolutions in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) contribute to change in the way business are conducted. This paradigm shift also affects the business service sector. This study examines Instagram use in the admission process in selected HLI’s in Dodoma city. Specifically, it will investigate Instagram usage in Higher learning institutions' admission process in Dodoma city; and examine the factors that influence the adoption of Instagram in higher learning institutions' admission process in Dodoma City. The study employed a mixed approach using a cross-sectional design where data were primarily collected through a survey and supplemented by the interview method. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic characteristics while the multiple regression method was used to analyze quantitative data. Data collected from interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The findings reveal the increase in Instagram usage in the admission process among HLI’s in Tanzania. Similarly, the findings reveal that factors that influence students to adopt Instagram include social interaction, self- presentation, and Institution identification and familiarity. Furthermore, the findings show that institutions join Instagram for institutional identification and familiarity. The study suggests that the government enact regulations that enforce HLI’s use of social media in the admission process which will also attract students across the globe. The study recommends that HLI’s and other academic institutions in Tanzania should open an Instagram account for the admission process. It also suggests posting updated and relevant content to the users and responding promptly to the customer's inquiries.