Showing papers in "The Journal of Education for Business in 2007"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors draw on recent survey data to describe the current state of assessment practice in business schools and provide examples on how assessment results can be used to improve curricula.
Abstract: In April 2003, some standards regarding accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International changed. Under the 2003 standards, students had to demonstrate learning achievement; thus, the focus shifted from what teachers taught to what students learned. Survey data indicates that although progress has been made in meeting the new assurance of learning (AoL) standards, many schools still fall short. In particular, schools are lagging in master of business administration (MBA) assessment and in using assessment data to close the loop. In this article, the author draws on recent survey data to describe the current state of assessment practice in business schools. She provides examples on how assessment results can be used to improve curricula. She also provides insight to problems some schools have in meeting the AoL standards.
187 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the results of a survey of current assessment practices at 138 AACSB-accredited schools, including their continuing use of indirect measures, the amount of time that assessment takes, the extent of faculty resistance, and the results that assessment yields.
Abstract: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International adopted accreditation standards in 2003 that required business schools to develop new ways of assessing student learning. In this article, the authors report the results of a survey of current assessment practices at 138 AACSB-accredited schools. Of particular interest among the findings are the assessment methods that schools use, including their continuing use of indirect measures, the amount of time that assessment takes, the extent of faculty resistance, and the results that assessment yields. The findings suggest several directions for future research.
145 citations
Journal Article•
141 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the results of a content analysis based on the responses of 345 interns to the request for specific suggestions for how their employer could improve the experience for future interns enrolled in a business school internship class.
Abstract: In this article, the author reports the results of a content analysis based on the responses of 345 interns to the request for specific suggestions for how their employer could improve the experience for future interns enrolled in a forcredit business school internship class. The findings suggest that clarity of tasks, communication, and expectations around challenging assignments to be completed within a reasonable time frame accompanied by on-going feedback, mentoring, exposure to other parts of the business, and respectful treatment could improve internship effectiveness.
119 citations
TL;DR: Beyond qualitative data from student reflective journals, essays, and anonymous comments, the authors present quantitative evidence of significant differences that support arguments in favor of service learning.
Abstract: Service-learning pedagogy that supports community involvement values and promotes leadership development offers more effectiveness and efficiency for management educators interested in incorporating real-world learning into their courses than traditional internships and cooperative education (P. C. Godfrey & E. T. Grasso, 2000). In this article, the authors argue for service learning as means of integrating real-world learning into curricula. They describe 2 longitudinal examples in an economics course and a management course from 2001 to 2004. Beyond qualitative data from student reflective journals, essays, and anonymous comments, the authors present quantitative evidence of significant differences that support arguments in favor of service learning.
104 citations
TL;DR: This article reviewed the evolution of these concepts in business literature and provided comprehensive definitions, conceptual models, and examples to help clarify and distinguish the concepts so that failures of communication can be avoided.
Abstract: Core competence, distinctive competence, and competitive advantage are 3 of the most important business concepts that managers, researchers, and educators rely on for decision making, pedagogy, and research. However, little attention has been paid to defining these concepts. As a result, they have become buzzwords that are used so frequently that their meanings are often taken for granted but are not fully understood. In this article, the author reviews the evolution of these concepts in business literature and provides comprehensive definitions, conceptual models, and examples to help clarify and distinguish the concepts so that failures of communication can be avoided.
91 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors summarized institutional and program characteristics that are associated with successful service learning programs and suggested that service learning may fit best in business courses where skilled interaction with users is a key learning goal.
Abstract: Researchers have described service learning as an ideal way to integrate experiential education into coursework while meeting community needs and imbuing students with civic responsibility. They have advocated service learning in business as a method to implement course concepts and increase student understanding of the external environment. In this article, the author briefly summarizes institutional and program characteristics that are associated with successful service-learning programs. She reviews research publications related to service-learning implementations in business. The author found that the fields of information systems, management, and marketing have more service-learning applications tied to course-earning objectives than have the fields of accounting and finance. Further, she suggests that service learning may fit best in business courses where skilled interaction with users is a key learning goal.
77 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe active learning experiences in a course on business negotiations that serve the dual purpose of teaching students to negotiate and sharpen their critical-thinking skills, which is one way to promote higher order thinking skills.
Abstract: Many writers argue that it is necessary to develop critical thinking skills in business students because these skills are needed to deal with the increasing complexities of real-life problems. Although the goal appears to be laudable, it is not always clear how to go about achieving it. In this article, the authors describe active learning experiences in a course on business negotiations that serve the dual purpose of teaching students to negotiate and sharpen their critical-thinking skills. In the current atmosphere of resource constraints, it is unlikely that separate courses can be set up for improving critical-thinking skills. A course on business negotiations, suitably designed to incorporate appropriate active-learning experiences, is one way to promote higher order thinking skills.
73 citations
TL;DR: The business college at University of West Florida is currently in the throes of implementing an assessment initiative to develop student learning outcomes, design assessment devices to measure learning, analyze the measurement results to identify learning shortfalls and establish feedback mechanisms to modify the curriculum to address the shortfalls as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The business college at University of West Florida is currently in the throes of implementing an assessment initiative to develop student learning outcomes, design assessment devices to measure learning, analyze the measurement results to identify learning shortfalls, and establish feedback mechanisms to modify the curriculum to address the shortfalls. The authors reflected on the current state of the process, including initial findings and corrective actions taken, and compared the lessons learned about assessing critical thinking and assessment in general with results found in the literature.
63 citations
TL;DR: Assessment of enrollment, attrition, grade distribution, faculty evaluation, course evaluation, and explicit achievement of learning objectives across the various instruction modes shows student performance on class assignments to be equivalent across the three instruction modes.
Abstract: In this article, the author presents empirical results concerning the effectiveness of campus, online, and hybrid (i.e., a mix of campus and online) instruction in business education. The sample is derived from graduate students enrolled in economics, computer information systems, and finance courses at a regional university. The author investigates assessment of enrollment, attrition, grade distribution, faculty evaluation, course evaluation, and explicit achievement of learning objectives across the various instruction modes. Results show student performance on class assignments to be equivalent across the three instruction modes. Holding ability, effort, and demographic considerations constant, students enrolled in online courses scored over 4% lower on the final exam than campus or hybrid students.
58 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied MFAT-B performance for its relationship to grade point average (GPA) and to general intellect to determine if the correlations between the variables were significant, given that the test is intended to reflect business knowledge.
Abstract: Accrediting bodies, including Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—International (AACSB), require evidence that business schools fulfill their stated missions. This often involves using the Major Field Achievement Test in Business (MFAT-B). In this article, the authors studied MFAT-B performance for its relationship to grade point average (GPA) and to general intellect to determine if the correlations between the variables were significant, given that the test is intended to reflect business knowledge. As expected, business core GPA was a significant predictor of MFAT-B performance. However, contrary to expectations, other GPAs and intellectual aptitude predicted the test scores equally well. Most important, student motivation was also associated with MFAT-B performance, and it enhanced prediction even after the authors accounted for other indexes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that the most important factor that affected student performance was their competence in speaking English, and they used regression analysis for the study, which showed that students who participated in class discussions and who were on leave from their jobs outperformed other students.
Abstract: In this study, the authors found that the most important factor that affected student performance was their competence in speaking English. The sample was a group of 864 business and economics students in United Arab Emirates. The authors used regression analysis for the study. The results of the study showed that students who participated in class discussions and who were on leave from their jobs outperformed other students. Missing many lectures and living in a crowded household negatively affected student performance. The results of the study also showed that nonnational students outperformed national students, and female students outperformed their male counterparts.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a theoretically sound model explaining the behavioral intentions of students to apply teamwork skills they learn in business courses, and empirically test the theoretical model empirically.
Abstract: On the basis of a selfefficacy framework, the authors present a theoretically sound model explaining the behavioral intentions of students to apply teamwork skills they learn in business courses. The model links variables at least partially controllable by faculty in a classroom setting to students' behavioral intentions to use teamwork skills. The authors empirically tested the theoretical model. The results show that vicarious team experience and team member support significantly affected team conflict self-efficacy. Team conflict self-efficacy influenced career outcome expectancy and current team outcome expectancy. Both outcome expectancies affected behavioral intentions to use team skills in a significant way. The authors also discussed the pedagogical implications of the results.
TL;DR: The authors examined possible reasons for these writing deficiencies and offered evidence that a modified context-based approach, the glossing approach, and consistent error marking can reduce the number of sentence-level errors students make.
Abstract: Business professionals and instructors often view writing skills as one of the most important qualifications that employees should possess. However, many business employees, including recent college graduates, have serious writing deficiencies, especially in their ability to use standard English. As a result, American businesses spend billions of dollars annually to remediate these writing deficiencies (College Board, the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges, 2004). In this article, the authors examine possible reasons for these deficiencies and offer evidence that a modified context-based approach, the glossing approach, and consistent error marking can reduce the number of sentence-level errors students make.
TL;DR: The authors examined business students' perceptions of themselves and their peers of the same and different majors on several traditional dimensions of academic performance and personal characteristics and found that business students exhibited substantial perceptual biases in their perceptions of students in a major other than their own.
Abstract: In this article, the authors examined business students' perceptions of themselves and their peers of the same and different majors on several traditional dimensions of academic performance and personal characteristics. The authors found that business students exhibited substantial perceptual biases in their perceptions of students in a major other than their own. Although there is a surprisingly high level of agreement in the students' perceptions of the various business majors—consistent with stereotypic portrayals of the different majors—there is also substantial evidence of positive self and in-group biases.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a curriculum for the design of the undergraduate accounting core with an emphasis on fundamental skills rather than the technical orientation featured in many programs, organized in six levels: careers in accounting, essential skills, accounting foundations, service learning, specialization, and the role of accounting in society.
Abstract: Various accounting professional organizations, such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants, have issued repeated calls for change in accounting education. However, few groups have consulted accounting academics about the purpose, structure, or content of the accounting curriculum. In this article, the author offers a suggestion for the design of the undergraduate accounting core with an emphasis on fundamental skills rather than the technical orientation featured in many programs. The suggested curriculum can operate within existing general education and business core requirements. It is organized in six levels: careers in accounting, essential skills, accounting foundations, service learning, specialization, and the role of accounting in society.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effect of gender on the learning experiences of students majoring in business and found that the attitudes and experiences of male and female business students were significantly different.
Abstract: In this article, the authors examine the effect of gender on the learning experiences of students majoring in business The development of behaviors and attitudes, which will affect the professional practices of graduates, is crucial in the education of business majors Given that the use of group work and other forms of innovative learning is increasing in business classes, the growing acceptance of group work raises the question of whether men and women experience these assignments differently From focus-group and survey data, the authors found that the attitudes and experiences of male and female business students were significantly different
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed 6 representative business journals for the periods 1970-1972, 1980-1982, 1990-1992, and 2000-2002 and found that all journals experienced an increase in the average number of authors per article, a dramatic decrease in the percentage of articles authored by a single author, and a significant increase in their percentage of 2 or 3 coauthored articles.
Abstract: Universities and colleges of business have experienced evolving missions and accreditation pressures that have increased the emphasis on the scholarly endeavors of the faculty. In this article, the authors reviewed 6 major representative business journals for the periods 1970-1972, 1980-1982, 1990-1992, and 2000-2002. During this period, all journals experienced (a) an increase in the average number of authors per article, (b) a dramatic decrease in the percentage of articles authored by a single author, and (c) a significant increase in the percentage of 2 or 3 coauthored articles.
TL;DR: The authors investigated personal beliefs and values and opportunism variables that might contribute to the academic dishonesty of American and Hong Kong master of business administration (MBA) students and found that Hong Kong students tended to be less theistic, more tolerant, more detached, more negatively oriented, more relativistic, less achievement-oriented, and more humanistic-oriented than were their American counterparts.
Abstract: In this article, the authors investigated personal beliefs and values and opportunism variables that might contribute to the academic dishonesty of American and Hong Kong master of business administration (MBA) students. They also compared American and Hong Kong MBA students with respect to their personal beliefs and values, opportunism, and academic dishonesty variables. Results showed that American MBA students who were idealistic, theistic, intolerant, and not opportunistic were likely to behave ethically. Hong Kong MBA students who were idealistic, intolerant, positive, and not opportunistic tended to act morally. Hong Kong students tended to be less theistic, more tolerant, more detached, more negatively oriented, more relativistic, less achievement-oriented, and more humanistic-oriented than were their American counterparts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the validity of performing assurance of learning (AOL) activities at the degree program level and the major level (e.g., accounting, finance) for three learning goals: management-specific knowledge, problem solving, and communication.
Abstract: In this article, the author examines the validity of performing assurance of learning (AOL) activities at the degree program level (e.g., bachelor's level) and the major level (e.g., accounting, finance). She examines 3 learning goals: management-specific knowledge, problem solving, and communication. The results strongly suggest that the AOL activities for the management-specific knowledge-learning goal occur at the major level. However, program-level AOL activities are appropriate for the communication-learning goal. The evidence, although inconclusive, indicates the need for AOL activities related to the problem-solving learning goal at the major level.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the recruitment practices of business and the curricula of MBA programs comparing general MBAs with MBA degrees with specialization, and empirically examine whether employers prefer a general MBA or an MBA with a specialization.
Abstract: A trend in master of business administration (MBA) programs has been to offer more specializations beyond the traditional broad MBA. In this article, the authors explore the recruitment practices of business and the curricula of MBA programs comparing general MBA degrees with MBA degrees with specialization. The authors empirically examine whether employers prefer a general MBA or an MBA with a specialization. On the basis of an analysis of 758 employment advertisements and 27 MBA programs being offered by universities, the authors found a disconnection between what employers appeared to want and what business schools offered.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors study how attitudes and perceptions toward software piracy differ among university students in a cross-national context, and propose a set of acceptable usage polices to protect valuable intellectual property in a global information technology environment.
Abstract: Students' attitudes and perceptions regarding the use of unlicensed software are important to educators and businesses. Students have a proven propensity to pirate software and other intellectual property. By understanding how attitudes and perceptions toward software piracy differ among university students in a cross-national context, educators and business leaders will be better at communicating acceptable usage polices to protect valuable intellectual property in a global information technology environment.
TL;DR: The authors compared business journal ranking systems from 6 countries and found that the French and United Kingdom ranking systems were different from each other and from the systems in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, and the United States.
Abstract: The authors compared business journal ranking systems from 6 countries. Results revealed a low degree of agreement among the systems, and a low to moderate relationship between pairs of systems. In addition, the French and United Kingdom ranking systems were different from each other and from the systems in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, and the United States. The authors discuss results from a cultural embeddedness perspective. They provide conceptual implications and managerial implications for business schools.
TL;DR: The ERP technical knowledge framework provides an excellent starting point for IS instructors who attempt to expand their ERP courses or create a complete ERP program that will meet the needs of the industry.
Abstract: In this article, the author proposes a body of knowledge that the educators can use to incorporate the technical aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) into an information systems (IS) program, encapsulated as the ERP technical knowledge framework. To illustrate the application of this framework, the author discusses a course sequence that could be applied in a 4-year undergraduate degree program in ERP. The ERP technical knowledge framework provides an excellent starting point for IS instructors who attempt to expand their ERP courses or create a complete ERP program that will meet the needs of the industry.
TL;DR: Significant increases in self-management skills posttraining and favorable student reactions to the tutorials were revealed and follow-up data on a subset of participants 2 years later indicated additional significant increases in use and perceived usefulness of self- management skills.
Abstract: Learning the skills of self-management is an essential task for students in the 21st century. A total of 223 undergraduate students participated in 4 self-management tutorials that presented the co...
TL;DR: Results evidenced that students whom the authors required to complete a case analysis received significantly higher grades on their comprehensive final examination and their perceptions of their learning experience were significantly higher with respect to communication, software use, and the ability to apply statistics to business decisions.
Abstract: The authors evaluated the effect on learning of using case studies in business statistics courses. The authors divided students into 3 groups: a control group, a group that completed 1 case study, and a group that completed 3 case studies. Results evidenced that, on average, students whom the authors required to complete a case analysis received significantly higher grades on their comprehensive final examination. Their perceptions of their learning experience were also significantly higher with respect to communication, software use, and the ability to apply statistics to business decisions.
TL;DR: In this article, a scale development study was conducted to measure the dimensions of entrepreneurship in business schools, and the authors found that the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) deans must reassess the school's mission, nourish entrepreneurship, reward and support opportunity creation and discovery.
Abstract: The recent positions of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the European Foundation for Management Developments (EQUIS) on the value of entrepreneurship suggest a more entrepreneurial perspective in a business school's culture and strategic processes for obtaining and sustaining a business school's reputation. The study consists of scale development to measure the dimensions of entrepreneurship in business schools. Results suggest that AACSB deans must reassess the school's mission, nourish entrepreneurship, reward and support opportunity creation and discovery, and link entrepreneurship with the school's strategy.
TL;DR: The design and implementation of courses in 2 different schools at the master of business administration and undergraduate levels are described, which involved schematic models in the teaching methodologies, but each emphasized a different model for analysis and synthesis.
Abstract: . In this article, the authors discuss the need for integrative, multidis- ciplinary courses in value creation. They describe the design and implementation of courses in 2 different schools at the master of business administration (MBA) and undergraduate levels. Both courses involved schematic models in the teach- ing methodologies, but each emphasized a different model for analysis and synthesis. The Customer Value Funnel (CVF) was an innovative strategic tool used to find com- petitive advantage. Major strengths of this framework were simplicity, pragmatics, and an interfunctional perspective. The verti- cally tiered value chain was a supply chain network adaptation of M. Porter's (1985) horizontal value chain. This model enabled students to creatively consider activities that could be implemented in the organiza- tion and the supply chain members' firms to create value. n this article, we will discuss (a) the need for integrative, multidisci- plinary courses on value, (b) the devel- opment of the courses and innovative orientations to students' learning about value, and (c) an understanding of how organizations create value. In his seminal article, Levitt (1960) stated that successful organizations do better at creating and adding more value for their customers than the compe- tition does. The organizations' heads hope that the selling price of the prod- uct (delivered value) will exceed the costs, resulting in a profit for the firm. To accomplish this objective, business experts define target markets; research and understand those markets; develop goods, services, and ideas that fulfill
TL;DR: The authors suggest several key considerations for decision makers, including the possibility that some institutions will be unable to continue to offer studies in business education, and possible implications in terms of accreditation, faculty, and funding for regional state universities and smaller institutions maintaining affiliation with churches or other religious organizations.
Abstract: In recent years, the competitive environment for business education has been rapidly changing. Although 1st-tier schools and colleges of business generally resolved accreditation issues long ago, other institutions are increasingly considering specialized accreditation as a strategic tool in the competition for students and institutional prestige. In this article, the authors examine the roots of this trend and propose possible implications in terms of accreditation, faculty, and funding for regional state universities and smaller institutions maintaining affiliation with churches or other religious organizations. The authors suggest several key considerations for decision makers, including the possibility that some institutions will be unable to continue to offer studies in business education.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review the lack of educational focus on metathinking and suggest several tools for improving the decision-making process and for skill building in metathinkings.
Abstract: Most managers do not receive formal training in metathinking—that is, they are not trained formally in thinking about thinking or in thinking about deciding. In this article, the authors review the lack of educational focus on metathinking and suggest several tools for improving the decision-making process and for skill building in metathinking. The tools include two experiential exercises that facilitate learning in metathinking.