Showing papers in "The Journal of Education for Business in 1999"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the learning styles of international students enrolled in an MBA program and found that 80% of the students had learned by the lecture method in their home countries, while only 5% preferred to learn by direct experience.
Abstract: Instructors can help international students to be successful at U.S. universities by determining, then explaining to them, their preferred learning styles. Such knowledge can assist college professors in adjusting their teaching styles to the students' learning styles. In this study, the authors examined the learning styles of international students enrolled in an MBA program. Although 80% of the students had learned by the lecture method in their home countries, the results of the Canfield Learning Styles Inventory (Canfield, 1992) indicated that they preferred to learn by direct experience.
251 citations
TL;DR: This paper surveyed prospective employers and university faculty on their perceptions of the skills and abilities business school graduates should possess to contribute effectively in the new century, and found that significant changes in the skill and abilities expected of business school students in comparison with earlier studies.
Abstract: Prior studies have identified the skills and abilities that employers expect graduates of business schools to possess for entry into the workplace. In general, as the business environment changes, the desired skills and abilities of business school graduates change. For this study, we surveyed prospective employers and university faculty on their perceptions of the skills and abilities business school graduates should possess to contribute effectively in the new century. The findings indicate some significant changes in the skills and abilities expected of business school graduates in comparison with earlier studies. Further, some significant differences between prospective employers and faculty are identified.
101 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the impact that taking one or more courses through distance learning had on student performance in the capstone business class and found that students who earned course credit via distance learning did better in the class.
Abstract: New technology is giving students the freedom to take classes virtually anywhere and anytime. For this article, we examined the impact that taking one or more courses through distance learning had on student performance in the capstone business class. The students who earned course credit through distance learning did better in the class. Further, certain types of distance learning appeared to be associated with even higher grades in the capstone class.
87 citations
TL;DR: This paper used group-member rotation as a means to overcome the free-rider problem in cooperative learning and found that students' final exam scores of students learning through cooperative and traditional strategies did differ significantly across two academic institutions when group members were forced to rotate twice during the term.
Abstract: Cooperative learning (CL) is a process by which students work together in groups to master material initially presented by the instructor (Slavin, 1990) Even with structuring the process, exercises, and groups, there is the potential for a free-rider problem when students do not participate to the best of their abilities Thus, the outcomes of student CL groups can be disappointing for the instructor and frustrating for students Group-member rotation is used as a means to overcome the free-rider problem Final exam scores of students learning through cooperative and traditional strategies did differ significantly across two academic institutions, when group members were forced to rotate twice during the term
83 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a balanced scorecard approach to stimulating and sustaining continuous improvement of business schools has been presented, and the opinions of 38 business school deans on the structure of such a scorecard have been surveyed.
Abstract: Like the enterprises that hire their graduates, business schools are facing rising pressure to increase the value added by their services. To meet this challenge in an era of tightening resources, business schools will need to undergo fundamental changes in the way they operate and continuously seek ways to create future value. This article explains the balanced scorecard approach to stimulating and sustaining continuous improvement. It also reports the opinions of 38 business school deans on the structure of a potentially useful balanced scorecard for a business school. Favorable results were reported in the for-profit sector, and business schools will likely find this approach to be worthy of serious consideration.
70 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined psychological and personal characteristics of management and executive women in relation to job satisfaction to determine if there was, in fact, any difference between the two to use as a basis for explaining the lack of women in upper management.
Abstract: This study examined psychological and personal characteristics of management and executive women in relation to job satisfaction to determine if there was, in fact, any difference between the two to use as a basis for explaining the lack of women in upper management. Results indicate that there were significant differences between the two groups in personality and demographic characteristics. This would mean that some of our assumptions regarding what gives satisfaction to female employees may need to be revised. Implications are that these differences need to be addressed in managerial preparation programs in the workplace and in educational institutions.
62 citations
TL;DR: The importance of accounting knowledge for entry-level accounting graduates was perceived to decrease over time, whereas the importance of computer skills, communication skills, and group skills would increase as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: “Fortune 500” executives were surveyed in fall 1997 to determine their perceptions of the competencies necessary for entry-level accounting graduates. Questionnaires were mailed to 166 companies through selection of every third company from the alphabetical listing. A total of 71 responses was received, for a response rate of 42.8%. Questions focused on the relative importance of skills currently (1997), 5 years earlier, and projecting 5 years into the future. The importance of accounting knowledge for entry-level accounting graduates was perceived to decrease over time, whereas the importance of computer skills, communication skills, and group skills would increase.
61 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effects of span of classroom contact and homework completed on students' performance in a management accounting course and found significant main effects for intelligence and major across all three performance measures.
Abstract: Because the training of students in critical thinking, analytic skills, and problem solving has become a top education priority in recent years, this study investigates the effects of span of classroom contact and homework completed on students' performance in a management accounting course. Three measures of a student's performance were investigated: the total points earned on all four exams, total points earned on exam multiple-choice questions, and total points earned on exam problems. After controlling for intelligence, sex, and major, this study found a significant main effect for class length when the total exam points earned and the points earned on exam problems were analyzed. However, this main effect was no longer significant when the points earned on multiple-choice questions were examined. As expected, there were significant main effects for intelligence and major across all three performance measures.
61 citations
TL;DR: This article found that women performed significantly lower on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) than men and there was no discernible difference in overall MBA performance (graduate GPA).
Abstract: A difference in educational attainment has long been held as a major factor in the imbalance among men and women in upper business management. Women are far less likely to achieve graduate business degrees, and conventional blame usually includes a gender bias in MBA admissions criteria. This study reviews the issues and changing trends in this area, focusing on 269 recent MBA students (120 female, 149 male), finding that though the women performed significantly lower on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test), there was no discernible difference in overall MBA performance (graduate GPA).
59 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined peer and self-assessment as alternatives to instructor assessment of class participation in the MBA strategy course and found that the use of peer assessment provides a necessary feedback to students and instructors.
Abstract: The desire for increased student involvement in the learning process extends to the arena of assessment. This study examined peer and self-assessment as alternatives to instructor assessment of class participation in the MBA strategy course. Data from three samples did not provide unequivocal support for their use in formal grading procedures. However, the study suggests that the use of peer assessment provides a necessary feedback to students and instructors and supports the broader objectives of class participation.
58 citations
TL;DR: Results show that satisfaction levels did not vary significantly across student segments in distance learning programs.
Abstract: In an empirical study, the predominant needs of 2 contrasting groups of students in distance learning programs were investigated. One group was composed of traditional, on-campus students. The other was composed of nontraditional, off-campus students from a rural area. We administered a survey to 95 distance learning students to determine their primary educational needs, and completed a contrasting analysis to determine if accessibility of the instructor and satisfaction levels varied across groups. Results show that satisfaction levels did not vary significantly across student segments.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the question from the perspective of the four major stakeholders in the curriculum design process and propose a new approach to IS curriculum design, which takes into consideration the diverse goals of the stakeholders and balances the coverage of IS fundamentals with currently popular applications.
Abstract: Curriculum designers for undergraduate information systems (IS) programs are faced with a dilemma—should the curriculum stress the basic fundamentals of the IS field, or should it stress the current “fad” applications? This article examines the question from the perspective of the four major stakeholders in the curriculum design process. The result of this investigation is a new approach to IS curriculum design. This approach takes into consideration the diverse goals of the stakeholders and balances the coverage of IS fundamentals with currently popular applications.
TL;DR: Legal issues that may be of concern to both employers and business schools are examined in connection with internships.
Abstract: Internships provide opportunities for business students to learn about life in the “real world” without the commitment of a full-time position. Although much attention has been directed to the benefits of internships to students, business schools, and employers, there has been little discussion of the legal ramifications. This study examined legal issues that may be of concern to both employers and business schools.
TL;DR: This study investigated how well a particular simulation did in achieving course objectives and compares its performance to the textbook and papers used in the course and suggests that the degree of involvement in the simulation had an effect on simulation-specific learning objectives as well as more broadly defined course learning objectives.
Abstract: A simulation, like any pedagogical tool, must be evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in achieving course objectives. This study investigated how well a particular simulation did in achieving course objectives and compares its performance to the textbook and papers used in the course. Compared to the textbook and the papers, students consistently gave the simulation the highest ratings on several learning-related measures. In addition, it was found that the simulation had the strongest associations with a set of measures designed to assess general course learning objectives. Further, the results suggest that the degree of involvement in the simulation had an effect on simulation-specific learning objectives as well as more broadly defined course learning objectives. We recommend the prudent use of simulations and suggest that professors regularly undertake a comparative outcome assessment of the instructional tools they are using in their courses.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe how a critical-thinking-skills approach can be used to teach any business course and illustrate this point with a case study of an advertising principles course.
Abstract: Business educators are being asked to prepare students for a rapidly changing world in which much business content becomes obsolete every few years. How can they prepare students to be lifelong learners capable of facing challenges as yet unspecified? The answer does not lie in a continually changing curriculum, but in one that prepares business graduates to change and to learn the things they need throughout life. An exciting approach to creating such a business graduate focuses on critical thinking skills. This article describes how a critical-thinking-skills approach can be used to teach any business course and illustrates this point with a case study of an advertising principles course.
TL;DR: A survey of 240 faculty members in its undergraduate programs representing 193 higher education institutions in the United States suggests that during the period 1991-1996 information systems education programs have undergone dramatic changes to include coverage of the Internet, networking, and client/server-related topics.
Abstract: To keep up with the fast-changing world of information technologies (IT), information systems (IS) education programs need to be assessed regularly in terms of curriculum and teaching methods. This article reports the results of a survey of 240 faculty members in its undergraduate programs representing 193 higher education institutions in the United States. Analyses of the data suggest that during the period 1991-1996 these programs have undergone dramatic changes to include coverage of the Internet, networking, and client/server-related topics. Meanwhile, traditional IS courses in such areas as mainframe operating systems, COBOL programming, and decision support systems have declined in importance. The information provided in this article should be valuable to IS educators and curriculum designers and could aid practitioners in their understanding of IS graduates. It also sheds some light on the future of IS education programs.
TL;DR: The authors showed that participants' ethical standards declined significantly over a 4-week period after exposure to an ethics module incorporated into a management course, indicating that the effects of such training appear to be short-lived.
Abstract: Previous research suggests that integrating a limited amount of ethics training into a business course can have an immediate positive impact. However, this study suggests that those results give false hope, because the effects of such training appear to be short-lived. Subjects' ethical standards declined significantly over a 4-week period after exposure to an ethics module incorporated into a management course.
TL;DR: This article found that nontraditional students were significantly different from traditional students in communication apprehension and a personality variable, tolerance for ambiguity, which may have implications for developing communication skills programs in accounting programs.
Abstract: Although accounting programs are attempting to improve students' communication skills, communication apprehension may be hindering those efforts. This exploratory study investigates a largely ignored group in business education research: nontraditional students. The survey of accounting majors described in this article found that nontraditional students were significantly different from traditional students in communication apprehension and a personality variable, tolerance for ambiguity. Apparent gender differences also have implications for developing communication skills programs.
TL;DR: This article investigated the characteristics of portrayals of organizations and individuals in principles of marketing textbook cases and found that the textbook portrayal of the U.S. workplace in many respects does not match the characteristics in the actual workplace.
Abstract: Through content analysis, this study investigated the characteristics of portrayals of organizations and individuals in principles of marketing textbook cases. Results show that the textbook portrayal of the U.S. workplace in many respects does not match the characteristics of the actual workplace. We advocate incorporation of gender, ethnic, and racial diversity in cases in future textbook editions.
TL;DR: It is suggested that faculty need to understand the nature of new technology-enabled teaching environments, appreciate the opportunities the environment affords, and rethink their teaching assumptions and paradigms accordingly.
Abstract: This article describes the high-technology classroom in terms of both physical and virtual space. Information technology is crucial in expanding the walls of the physical classroom to create a “virtual” space for learning. The article takes a communications-based perspective to suggest that faculty need to understand the nature of new technology-enabled teaching environments, appreciate the opportunities the environment affords, and rethink their teaching assumptions and paradigms accordingly. In addition, the article briefly describes how administrators and faculty can create a culture that supports and encourages the change process needed for full-scale and effective use of the new teaching capabilities that are being created.
TL;DR: The authors used survey data from different economic principles courses to examine two related questions: 1) whether students view e-mail as a substitute for or complement to other methods of contacting faculty, and 2) whether infrequent users view email as a complement to existing means of contact.
Abstract: This article uses survey data from different economic principles courses to examine two related questions. First, the impact of certain variables is analyzed, including both student-specific characteristics and those of the student's economic principles course, regarding the frequency of e-mail use. Second, the article considers whether students view e-mail as a substitute for or complement to other methods of contacting faculty. No matter the frequency of use, e-mail appears to be a viable substitute. Only infrequent users, however, appear to view e-mail as a complement to existing means of contact.
TL;DR: A group-Socratic teaching method and an interactive lecture style were compared for their effect on students' examination performance in an introductory financial accounting course and there was no statistically significant difference in attitudes toward the accounting profession or the course.
Abstract: This article describes a study in which a group-Socratic teaching method and an interactive lecture style were compared for their effect on students' examination performance in an introductory financial accounting course. The effect of teaching method on students' attitudes toward the accounting profession and the course was also analyzed. An ANOVA design was used to test for differences between experimental and control groups of undergraduate students. The results provide no evidence that either method of instruction results in significantly higher scores on examinations; nor was there any statistically significant difference in attitudes toward the accounting profession or the course.
TL;DR: The authors examines quality-related initiatives in the education sector to determine if education is keeping pace with business and argues for accelerated national efforts to improve education, and the emergence of the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence is discussed in detail.
Abstract: During the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a high level of quality-related activity in the U.S. business sector. This article examines quality-related initiatives in the education sector to determine if education is keeping pace with business and argues for accelerated national efforts to improve education. The emergence of the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence is discussed in detail.
TL;DR: The authors examines the forces driving change in MBA programs and the proactive agendas instituted by some institutions to address the needs of industry, which has turned back the tide of criticism of business schools that was prevalent earlier in the decade.
Abstract: Business degrees, considered prestigious in the early 1980s, declined in prestige in the early 1990s. Currently, however, the trend is reversing again. What has turned back the tide of criticism of business schools that was prevalent earlier in the decade? This article examines the forces driving change in MBA programs and the proactive agendas instituted by some institutions to address the needs of industry.
TL;DR: Teachers are encouraged to examine their assumptions about learning and understand two very different philosophies for how people learn to use software: a systematic approach and a minimalist approach.
Abstract: This article encourages teachers to examine their assumptions about learning and understand two very different philosophies for how people learn to use software: a systematic approach and a minimalist approach. The systematic approach has a comprehensive thoroughness appealing to teachers who feel obligated to assure student mastery of basic software operation. It may sacrifice deeper understanding of software operation in favor of instructional precision and maximum learning support. The minimalist approach focuses more on the work context and the student experience than on the software features. The self-conscious examination of problem-solving processes and application of advanced software concepts to realistic business problems have been shown to be effective for prospective business teachers.
TL;DR: The social aspects of this learning process, especially with regard to learning in the distance mode, are described, which identify critical components of learning success in programs that aim to link traditional university education with corporate life at an international level.
Abstract: This article summarizes student and instructor experiences in an innovative MBA program designed for working executives. We describe the social aspects of this learning process, especially with regard to learning in the distance mode. We note the challenges and opportunities of distance learning for students and faculty, and we identify critical components of learning success in programs that aim to link traditional university education with corporate life at an international level.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the progress and current situation of academic women accountants and provided information concerning gender-specific employment experiences and found that gender inequity within accounting academe may still exist.
Abstract: This study examined the progress and current situation of academic women accountants and provides information concerning gender-specific employment experiences. Results indicate that gender inequity within accounting academe may still exist. For example, the percentage of female faculty has increased to only 22.3% of the total. Further, the percentage of respondents (n = 188) in the senior ranks (34.3%) is much smaller than the percentage in the junior ranks (64.7%). Additionally, those surveyed were asked to respond to questions concerning their discriminatory experiences with regard to gender, age, and race. The majority of women had encountered gender-related discrimination, and 60% of minorities surveyed cited instances of race-related discrimination. Implications of these findings are discussed.
TL;DR: A team template for faculty who have avoided giving students team assignments because they are unsure of how to proceed or who have tried putting students into teams but with unsatisfactory results is described.
Abstract: This article describes a team template for faculty who have avoided giving students team assignments because they are unsure of how to proceed or who have tried putting students into teams but with unsatisfactory results. The template's three components include an introduction to teamwork, the development of team member expectations, and an assessment instrument. The components are integrated and thus provide a systematic approach to incorporating teamwork in the classroom.
TL;DR: The authors reported the results of a national survey of finance professors and their perceptions of student preparedness in writing skills, verbal skills, communication skills, reasoning ability, motivation, and general preparation.
Abstract: A key to the quality of finance graduates is the preparedness of the students when they enter the program. This study reports the results of a national survey of finance professors and their perceptions of student preparedness in writing skills, verbal skills, communication skills, reasoning ability, motivation, and general preparation. Findings indicate that finance students are generally perceived to be weak in writing, verbal, and math skills and consequently provide a teaching challenge for finance professors. Comparison with the results of a survey conducted roughly 10 years ago indicates that most of these deficiencies remain and some have even worsened.
TL;DR: Moorhead State University offered an MBA class in the fall semester of 1997, using interactive television (ITV). Three separate classrooms were used. as mentioned in this paper describe their experiences and findings in delivering a graduate-level course using ITV in combination with a class homepage and e-mail.
Abstract: Moorhead State University offered an MBA class in the fall semester of 1997, using interactive television (ITV). Three separate classrooms were used. Fourteen students were at two remote classroom sites, and 10 students were in the campus classroom with the instructor. We describe our experiences and findings in delivering a graduate-level course using ITV in combination with a class homepage and e-mail.