THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENTIATION FOCUS STRATEGIES TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AT PRIVATE ISLAMIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The purpose of this study was to analyze the implications of the application of a differentiation focus strategy to the institution's competitive advantage to private Islamic education, especially to SDIT Ar-Raihan Bantul and SDIT Luqman Al-Hakim Yogyakarta. To understand the implication, this research used a qualitative approach, with phenomenological types of study and multi-site designs. The findings showed that the implications of applying the strategy to institutional competitive excellence to Private Islamic education were as follows: 1) effective leadership in organization of educational institutions; 2) education system that is unique and conducive to the development of the basic potential of students; 3) more images on good school, thereby increasing public trust; and 4) work culture positive in supporting school excellence in a sustainable way.