ESSENCE AND TYPES OF BENCHMARKING MARKETING POTENTIAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article examines the essence of the concept «benchmarking» and the views of various scholars on its interpretation. The definition of benchmarking is analyzed in the field of higher education. Comparison of competitive analysis and benchmarking after its signs has been conducted in terms of management and marketing space, and the main differences between them have been identified. The feasibility of using benchmarking simultaneously with competitive analysis has been proved. An individual vision of benchmarking as a management tool has been proposed. The types of benchmarking, which exist in modern scientific literature, are analyzed, as well as proposed the use of types of benchmarking on the personal, micro-, meso-, macro-levels. Within the personal level, it is suggested to use personal benchmarking as a tool for comparing the personal characteristics of staff within the programs of development of personnel and organizations in general, with the absence of negative management decisions regarding the identified negative professional competencies of the individual. The article defines a goal (experience exchange, not employee critique) and personal benchmarking properties (focus on the employee's personal qualities, confidentiality of the conduct, lack of responsibility on the part of the employee for benchmarking results, benchmarking conduct with a minimum separation from work). The behavior of the managing staff during personal benchmarking conduct, and the variants of information collection are outlined. To manage the marketing potential of higher education institutions, it is proposed to carry out benchmarking on the key resources of the marketing potential, namely: personnel, educational-scientific, innovative, material-technical, communicative, integrated social responsibility and financial support. The quantitative reference values, which characterize the effectiveness of each key resource of marketing potential in a higher education institution, are determined. The results of benchmarking on the key resources of marketing potential are the basic data for managing the marketing potential of higher education institutions.