Business School Research Articles

Structuring ethics education in undergraduate business programs: a proposal

This paper examines the role that business schools can play in reducing the occurrence of unethical business practices. Recent experience has highlighted the persistence of unethical conduct, especially in the finance industry, and the limitations of legislation in curtailing this type of conduct. In response, alternative approaches, including self-regulation through industry codes of conduct and firm-based ethics training programs, have increased in importance. But these approaches have also been ineffective. Recognising this, the potential for ethics education at the university level is highlighted. This would reflect an Aristotelian perspective based on virtue ethics where participants in the financial system would possess ‘virtues’ or ‘character traits’ that would cause them to refrain from unethical behaviour because of the education they had received in their business degrees. This raises questions about how to ensure that universities realise this potential on the one hand, and the best way to realise it on the other. The paper argues for a mandatory ethics subject in the core of all business degrees as a condition of accreditation by bodies such as AACSB and EQUIS.

When the dark one negotiates: Sacrificing relations at the altar of money

While evidence suggests the significant role played by personality traits in affecting the usage of inappropriate and unethical negotiation strategies, studies have rarely examined the dark core. Considering, negotiation frequently involves choosing between economic outcomes and relational gains, this research primarily examines the effect of dark core and the mediating role of relational interdependent self-construal (RISC) in affecting the usage of inappropriate negotiation strategies (SINS), at the person level (Study – 1) (n = 283, managers, India). Further, it evaluates the individual and interactive effect of dark core with two situation level variables, namely, Interdependence and Incentives in a dictator game design (Study – 2) (n = 221, business school postgraduates, India). It was observed that, while at the person level, the effects of dark core were significantly mediated by RISC, at the situational level, the increasing degree of interdependence with the actor and the additional economic incentives offered, significantly interacted with dark core to predict the endorsement of a variety of inappropriate negotiation strategies. In summary, the study examines the role of dark core, clarifies its self – interested nature, propensity for favouring economic gains at the cost of deteriorated relationships and highlights the role of two important situational elements in negotiation.

The relationship between love of money, peer influence and personality traits on unethical behaviour of graduate accounting students

Purpose This study aims to analyse the impact of love of money, personality traits and peer influence on the ethical behaviour of graduate accounting students at the University of Ghana Business School. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative research approach to sample postgraduate accounting students who completed a self-administered questionnaire on the variables of interest. Using partial least square–structural equation modelling, the hypothesized relationships were examined based on 328 appropriate responses received for the questionnaire. Findings The empirical findings suggest that peer influence and personality trait, extraversion positively and significantly influence unethical behaviour, whereas the personality traits, agreeableness and openness to experience have a negative and significant relationship with unethical behaviour. The study, however, does not find support for the hypothesized relationships between the love of money, personality traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism) and unethical behaviour. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on unethical behaviour, highlighting how decision-making factors such as love of money, peer influence and personality traits, respectively, influence unethical behaviour explained by the self-justification concept under the social cognitive and moral reasoning theory. This could aid these potential managers in seeking higher reviews on ethical dilemmas. It could also aid the professional body and academics in Ghana particularly to intensify ethical education for students of the profession.

Factors influencing continuance intention in blended learning among business school students in China: based on grounded theory and FsQCA

ABSTRACT This research study aims to explore the factors that influence continuance intention in Blended learning (BL) among business school students in China. By employing a grounded theory approach and utilizing the Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (FsQCA) method, the research investigates the complex interplay of various variables that contribute to business school students’ intention to continue participating in BL programs. The study includes a comprehensive analysis of factors such as self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, task-technology fit, social influence, and satisfaction. The findings provide valuable insights into the factors that drive business school students’ continuance intention in BL, specifically within the business school context in China. Moreover, the study highlights the non-linear relationships and various configurations of these factors that result in high levels of continuance intention. The results contribute to the existing knowledge base and inform educational institutions in designing effective strategies to enhance business school students’ engagement and promote the long-term success of BL initiatives.

Measuring the impact of faculty development programmes on business schools’ performance in Pakistan

Developing quality higher education is essential to increase the prosperity of a country. This research examined the impact of Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) on business schools’ performances in Pakistan, facilitated by the Training and Development Wing of the National Business Education Accreditation Council. Informed by Kirkpatrick’s model, using a mixed methods approach, the perspectives of business school faculty staff were sought on the impact of these programmes in their respective business schools. Data gathered at four points, aligned to the four levels of Kirkpatrick’s model, identified the effectiveness and the positive impact of FDPs as capacity building initiatives in business schools over time, leading to their success in obtaining accreditation.

The “mythologies” of women at work, interrupted: feminist origins antenarratives from Harvard Business Review and Western University’s The Quarterly, Part I

Purpose The author aims to walk beside the singular privileged class of White women’s suffrage feminist origin story to (re)construct plausible feminist fragmented threads as antenarratives in the context of business management education. To accomplish this (re)assembling of threads, the author examined two North American business trade publications created and used within two business schools, Harvard University’s Harvard Business Review (HBR), established in 1922, and Western University’s The Quarterly Review of Commerce (The Quarterly), established in 1933. Design/methodology/approach The author carefully reviewed almost 4,000 articles from HBR and The Quarterly, focusing on 308 articles that addressed the experiences of complex women. With this subset of collected articles, the author highlighted overlooked details, accidents and errors, generating interest and curiosity about the emergence of these fragmented and paradoxical origins that align with Foucault's histories of errors. By grouping these narrative fragments into themes and conducting a critical discourse analysis that incorporated influences from the external environment, the author reconstructed plural feminist origins antenarratives. Findings The themes discovered, including women as consumers, explicit working women concerns, women as authors/coauthors, diversity and social justice initiatives, and women in higher education/training, are not merely descriptive observations. They are the building blocks for identifying and analyzing the power relations circulating among feminist origins antenarratives within management education circles. These antenarratives include shedding light on women working in capitalist contexts, the educational needs of business women, and men and naming (but not breaking) the “mythologies” of women at work. These findings are transformative to the understanding of plural feminist origins. Originality/value The uniqueness of this work lies in its threefold contributions: moving away from the notion of a singular feminist origin story and instead embracing the complexity of multiple, paradoxical and incomplete origins; shedding light on the spectrum of power relations – ranging from productive to oppressive – that shaped the experiences of women in two management educational circles during the first half of the 20th century; and introducing the concept of inflection points, which underscores the fluidity of knowledge.

Renewable, Flexible, and Storage Capacities: Friends or Foes?

Problem definition: More than 99% of the new power generation capacity to be installed in the United States from 2023 to 2050 will be powered by wind, solar, and natural gas. Additionally, large-scale battery systems are planned to support power systems. It is paramount for policymakers and electric utilities to deepen the understanding of the operational and investment relations among renewable, flexible (natural gas-powered), and storage capacities. In this paper, we optimize both the joint operations and investment mix of these three types of resources, examining whether they act as investment substitutes or complements. Methodology/results: Using stochastic control theory, we identify and prove the structure of the optimal storage control policy, from which we determine various pairs of charging and discharging operations. We find that whether storage complements or substitutes other resources hinges on the operational pairs involved and whether executing these pairs is constrained by charging or discharging. Through extensive numerical analysis using data from a Florida utility, government agencies, and industry reports, we demonstrate how storage operations drive the investment relations among renewable, flexible, and storage capacities. Managerial implications: Storage and renewables substitute each other in meeting peak demand; storage complements renewables by storing surplus renewable output; renewables complement storage by compressing peak periods, facilitating peak shaving and displacement of flexible capacity. These substitution and complementary effects often coexist, and the dominant effect can alternate as costs change. A thorough understanding of these relations at both operational and investment levels empowers decision makers to optimize energy infrastructure investments and operations, thereby unlocking their full potential. Funding: This research was supported in part by Lilly Endowment, Inc., through its support for the Indiana University Pervasive Technology Institute. This research was also supported by Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee. O. Q. Wu thanks Grant Thornton for their generous support. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0068 .

The call for longlife learning: case study on the access program to new audiences “over 23” at the school of technology and management of Lamego

Este estudo investigou as estatísticas de acesso dos alunos admitidos ao Programa Maiores de 23 nos cursos de 1º ciclo da Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Lamego do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, no período compreendido entre os anos letivos de 2006/07 e 2010/11. O objetivo foi, por um lado, o de analisar o percurso destes alunos, a sua segmentação por cursos e os seus níveis de sucesso e, por outro, refletir sobre os desafios colocados com a implementação da Reforma de Bolonha sobre este perfil de alunos. A fundamentação teórica assentou numa análise do quadro regulamentador do Programa de Acesso para Novos Públicos Maiores de 23, das medidas implementadas para adequação à Reforma de Bolonha e dos conceitos de Convergência e Diversificação. A metodologia incluiu a pesquisa bibliográfica para análise/reflexão e a recolha de dados, sujeitos a análise estatística. Os resultados indicam que: i) o Programa tem uma elevada adesão; ii) os alunos matriculados registam um assinalável índice de sucesso; iii) os alunos estão sujeitos a dificuldades e desafios acrescidos, durante o percurso académico, devido às medidas implementadas no âmbito do processo de adequação a Bolonha.

Frontiers in Operations: Optimal Genetic Testing of Families

Problem definition: Through the laws of inheritance, knowing an individual’s genetic status informs disease risk for family members, but current protocols for deciding whom to genetically test only consider one person at a time rather than design an optimal testing plan for the entire family. Methodology/results: We develop a Markov decision process framework for maximizing the net benefits of genetic testing that integrates a Bayesian network of genetic statuses, with a functional representation of cost-effectiveness. Our model provides a contingent sequence of family members to test one at a time, that is, a plan that dynamically incorporates new test results, revealed sequentially at random, to decide who next to test. In the general case, we show that optimal stopping follows a structure with two-sided thresholds, previously known only for individual testing. Although the optimal testing sequence, in general, is contingent on the family test results, in the special case of sibling-only tests we can identify this sequence a priori. Our numerical case study, which was conducted in a realistic BRCA1/2 testing setting, demonstrates that an optimal policy significantly improves cost-effectiveness over existing policies. Thus, our framework offers a promising and powerful new approach to genetic testing. Managerial implications: In an optimal policy, prioritizing testing family members who might otherwise not have been tested can lead to an overall improvement in familial health value, surpassing even the most cost-effective existing protocols. From a management perspective, healthcare organizations and insurance companies can potentially save costs by implementing this approach for such families. History: This paper has been accepted in the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Frontiers in Operations Initiative. Funding: D. Adelman is grateful for financial support from Booth School of Business. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0057 .

Managing School Climate for Teachers’ Job Performance in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State

This study investigated managing school climate for teachers’ job performance in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Four research questions and four null hypotheses were used for the study. A Descriptive Survey Research Design was used for the study. The population of this study comprised 6,893 teachers in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. A sample of 1,379 teachers representing 20% of the 286 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State was used for the study. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the study. The research instrument that was used in this study was a 20 items self-structured questionnaire titled: Managing School Climate For Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (MSCTJPQ). The instruments were validated and reliability index was determined by the use of Cronbach alpha reliability statistics tool which yielded 0.82. The statistical tools used for answering the research questions was Mean and Standard Deviation; while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 Alpha level of significance. The findings of the study showed that; Leadership practices, Collaborative culture, Professional development and Teachers’ well-being enhance teachers’ job performance in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Based on the findings, the study therefore conclude that effective management of the school climate plays a pivotal role in enhancing teachers’ job performance in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The study therefore recommended that; Rivers State ministry of education should invest in leadership training for school administrators to enhance their skills in creating and sustaining a positive school climate. Effective leadership sets the tone for a supportive and collaborative environment. Also, Rivers State school administrators should foster the creation of PLCs where teachers can collaborate, share ideas, and support each other's professional growth and also, involve teachers in decision-making processes related to school policies, curriculum development, and other relevant matters. This collaborative approach enhances the overall school climate.

Principals’ Management Skills and School Academic Achievement

School management skills are seen as the dominant indicating factors for the success of the school, such as academic achievement. This study examines the relationship between management skills and academic achievement in the respondents’ schools in Leyte Division, utilizing a descriptive research design. Questionnaires and documentary analysis were used in gathering the relevant data. The school principals with at least three years of experience were involved in the study. The weighted mean and Pearson correlation coefficient were used in the data analysis. Results revealed that the principals had very high management skills in technical, conceptual, human relations, administrative and supervisory, resource generation and fiscal management, and networking and linkages. Overall, the school principals possess the necessary management skills to govern the school. On the other hand, the academic achievement of the selected schools was categorized as moving towards mastery. This indicates that the schools had their best practices in place. Moreover, findings showed that there is no significant relationship between management skills and school academic achievement. For the continual improvement of quality education, future studies, including additional variables such as schools’ ICT facilities, may be correlated with school achievement.

Management and Control Tools in Student Professional Integration Performance: A Case Study of Graduates from the School of Economics and Management at Yaound é Second University in Cameroon

This scientific essay focuses on management control tools in the performance of students' professional integration: the case of graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Yaoundé II (Cameroon). It is part of an authentic and current theme with regard to the use of internal control tools and the evaluation of the functioning of services in higher education. What is problematic here is the level of student unemployment and the need for the student to find a professional integration into the labour market. In view of this, we formulated our research problem in the form of a question as follows: What are the management control tools that determine the performance in the successful professional integration of students in the human resources management specialty? Around this main question, there is a lack of effectiveness and a lack of efficiency in the pedagogical system to manage the value-cost couple allowing students in higher education to obtain a job at the end of their academic career. In the methodological framework of our investigation, we used both the quantitative and qualitative methods. The fieldwork carried out by means of a questionnaire was carried out on a sample of (one hundred) 100 students holding a Bachelor's degree in Management Sciences from the classes of 2021 and 2022 from the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Yaoundé II; Data collection was conducted from 04 January to 28 March 2024. At the end of the survey, despite the government's efforts to facilitate the professional integration of students, it appears that only 30% of operational management control tools are made available to graduates to get a job, which is insignificant to facilitate the performance of the successful professional integration of graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Management. The main results obtained show that the quality of mobilization of market management tools; the value of the tools to support the management of the company and the evaluation of a model of management control tools guarantee the performance of the professional integration of graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Management. At the end of our analysis, we have suggested some possible solutions, namely: policies must seek to obtain results in the context of the objectives set, university governance must break with idleness and waste, human resources management (HRM) must adapt to a better organization for the successful professional integration of graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Management.

EXPLORING THE POWER OF GENERATIVE AI: ENHANCING BUSINESS EMAIL WRITING SKILLS FOR L2 LEARNERS

L2 learners at higher education often face difficulties in writing business emails in English, which hinder effective workplace communication and academic success. Therefore, higher education institutions should educate their learners about business email literacy. This study analysed how thirty-one business degree Malay students at a public university in Malaysia utilized generative AI tools for composing business emails. These participants presented their reflection investigation on the application of generative AI in business email writing for their group class assignment for English for Business Communication. This study's research approach included a qualitative document analysis on PowerPoint presentation slides of the participants, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal three themes emerged from the study; Theme 1: Preferred generative AI, Theme 2: Optimising generative AI prompts for business email writing, and Theme 3: Ethical usage of AI. Theme 1 has three sub-themes; user friendliness, relevant business contexts and quality generated texts. The results showed that all groups had different AI tools due to their personal choices. Theme 2 has two sub-themes; prompts for external email and prompts for internal email. The participants used generative AI tools for idea expansion and paraphrasing. These L2 learners also wrote specific prompts for different types of email. Two emerging sub-themes of Theme 3 are writing assistance and best practices on ethical usage of generative AI. The participants stressed the significance of understanding plagiarism and effectively using generative AI tools. Learners should be educated on intellectual property and ethical AI tool usage. Higher education institutions should integrate these tools into their courses to enhance business email writing skills and prepare students for AI-driven workplaces, fostering ethical and effective usage.

Первенство российских практик управления персоналом на примере горнорудного дела в Республике Башкортостан

The article discusses the management activities of the first Bashkir entrepreneurs in the mining industry in the Southern Urals are considered. Social policy and work with personnel at mining factories of the 18th century are analyzed. The primacy of Russian management practices in comparison with the school of scientific management of F. Winslow Taylor is argued. The research method is a comparative analysis of approaches to management, including leadership styles, practices of motivation and stimulation of personnel. The purpose of the study is based on a comparative analysis of the main provisions of the teachings of F. Winslow Taylor, Henri Fayol (20th century) and the management practice of I. B. Tverdyshev (18th century) to show that the management activities of the miners of the Southern and Middle Urals for many decades and even centuries anticipated the scientific achievements of the classics of management theory. The practical significance of the study is the study of Russian experience in personnel management using the example of mining, a historically developing industry in Bashkortostan; research into the activities of I. B. Tverdyshev as the founder of the Bashkortostan mining plant management system, based on the structural principles of division of labor, standards of control, hierarchy, consistency and delegation of authority, socially responsible management.

Factors affecting quality of education during pandemic: lessons learnt and way forward

PurposeThe pandemic brought by COVID-19 in March 2020 shook the entire world, compelling everyone to remain indoors. Most B-Schools were unprepared for such a situation and did not have the resources to carry out the teaching and learning activities. B-schools then adopted online and hybrid modes of learning to impart education to their students. The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting the quality of education along with lessons learnt and lessons to be left behind, using qualitative method.Design/methodology/approachThe factors affecting the quality of education were drawn from the literature, and 18 faculty members were interviewed. The study uses a descriptive method, where interviews were conducted, and each interview was recorded, with an explicit permission of respective faculty member and coded and categorized to identify themes.FindingsThe significant contribution of this study is that it highlights? Through the learnings and experiences of the pandemic? What will work in the future for business schools. The use of online teaching-learning sessions and softwares, namely, Turnitin and Grammarly will not fade away. Faculty will use various engagement tools such as quizzes and simulations to improve the learning and quality of education in the post-pandemic era. Various interactive and online tools emerged during the pandemic which allowed faculty to use diagrams and infographics in their teaching, and this helped the faculty to cater to students with different learning styles.Originality/valueThis study will provide B-Schools, faculties and leaders an input for improving the quality of online education. The present study provides an empirical contribution to the factors affecting online education and its quality, by highlighting the perspective of faculty members with the help of qualitative study. These factors make a clear and strong indication that education in the future will be partly online, wherein a lot of e-learning resources will be used by faculty to impart quality education.

Leadership Styles and Change Readiness: Improving Employee Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant organizational changes, particularly in higher education institutions in Indonesia, leading to a transition to distance learning and remote working arrangements. This study examined the effects of different leadership styles, i.e., authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire, on employee performance, focusing on the mediating role of change readiness. Data were collected from 42 business schools in Yogyakarta using a survey method, and the results were analyzed using the SmartPLS 3.0 application. The results indicate that while authoritarian leadership positively affects change readiness, it does not significantly improve employee performance. Conversely, democratic leadership positively influences both change readiness and employee performance. Laissez-faire leadership has a positive effect on change readiness but does not significantly improve employee performance. The study concludes that change readiness significantly mediates the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance, highlighting the importance of adaptive leadership in managing organizational change during the pandemic. Keywords:Authoritarian Leadership, Democratic Leadership, Laissez-Faire Leadership, Change Readiness, Employee Performance

Deep Learning of Transition Probability Densities for Stochastic Asset Models with Applications in Option Pricing

Transition probability density functions (TPDFs) are fundamental to computational finance, including option pricing and hedging. Advancing recent work in deep learning, we develop novel neural TPDF generators through solving backward Kolmogorov equations in parametric space for cumulative probability functions. The generators are ultra-fast, very accurate and can be trained for any asset model described by stochastic differential equations. These are “single solve,” so they do not require retraining when parameters of the stochastic model are changed (e.g., recalibration of volatility). Once trained, the neural TDPF generators can be transferred to less powerful computers where they can be used for e.g. option pricing at speeds as fast as if the TPDF were known in a closed form. We illustrate the computational efficiency of the proposed neural approximations of TPDFs by inserting them into numerical option pricing methods. We demonstrate a wide range of applications including the Black-Scholes-Merton model, the standard Heston model, the SABR model, and jump-diffusion models. These numerical experiments confirm the ultra-fast speed and high accuracy of the developed neural TPDF generators. This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance. Funding: H. Su received research funding support from Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University. M. V. Tretyakov was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [Grant EP/X022617/1]. D. P. Newton received research funding support from the School of Management at Bath University. Supplemental Material: The online appendices and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01448 .

Institutionalizing international internships in business education: an action research approach to overcoming barriers and driving systemic change in Norwegian business schools

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the institutionalization of international internships in business education through action research (AR), addressing the scarcity of research on overcoming institutional barriers and driving systemic change. Using AR at the meso-level in two Norwegian business schools, we investigate challenges and processes involved in incorporating international internships into curricula. Our multiple-case study explores contrasting experiences, organizational structures, and institutional practices within Norway’s context. We reveal the interconnectedness of regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional pillars in institutionalizing international internships through meso-level AR, proposing a theoretical model emphasizing internationalization strategy drivers, practices of education and engagement, and organizational dynamics. Practical implications include fostering a culture of global competence development, promoting active learning and innovative pedagogy, and encouraging shared responsibility for internationalization among academic and administrative staff. We emphasize the need for continuous reassessment and adaptation of institutional processes and strategies to align with evolving demands and best practices.

Does an Attendance Policy Positively Impact Staff and Student Wellbeing? A Case Study Exploring Attitudes Toward a University of Surrey Attendance Policy

ABSTRACT This investigation reviews the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) attendance policy, requiring students to meet the Senior Personal Tutor (SPT) to determine reasons for absences and to provide support for the student. Research was conducted to achieve four objectives; to understand student and staff attitudes toward the attendance policy, to identify reasons for student absence, to evaluate the effectiveness of registers as a tool for wellbeing intervention and to evaluate the impact of the policy on staff wellbeing. A qualitative approach assessed staff and student views of the policy and findings connect student absences with staff and student wellbeing, indicating that attendance monitoring can improve a student’s sense of belonging. The study provides a framework for using learning analytics to support student and staff wellbeing, draws attention to the role of the SPT and contributes to literature connecting student attendance with staff and student wellbeing.

Impella versus VA-ECMO for the treatment of patients with cardiogenic shock: the Impella Network Project – observational study protocol for cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses

IntroductionThe treatment of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) encompasses several health technologies including Impella pumps and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). However, while they are widely used in clinical practice,...