Business Courses Research Articles

Examining the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions at universities of technology in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

High unemployment levels means that graduates are now encouraged to consider entrepreneurship as a career, and it is necessary to understand how entrepreneurship education influences their career choices. We investigated the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions of business management students at selected Universities of Technology (UoT) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We used quantitative research questionnaire to survey the entrepreneurial intentions and skills of students of 224 students enrolled in business courses and had completed a module in entrepreneurship at undergraduate level. Regression analysis of entrepreneurial education variables and entrepreneurial intention was conducted. The findings of this study indicated that Entrepreneurial intention is positively affected by entrepreneurial skills, creativity, leadership, and business experience but negatively by financial knowledge. These results show that while higher levels of financial knowledge have a negative impact on entrepreneurial intention of business students. Therefore, the university curriculum must cultivate traits like resourcefulness, leadership, and ambition which encourages beneficial outcomes of entrepreneurial intention amongst students.

Measuring learning outcomes in cross-cultural relations courses: the case for experiential learning

Purpose Since accreditation bodies emphasize program-level learning goals, there is often less focus on measuring learning at the course level. This study aims to offer a method for using experiential learning exercises to measure student engagement and learning outcomes in cross-cultural relations courses by highlighting which learning outcomes to assess, how to measure the achievement of these learning outcomes, what students learn and the measurement process. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from three sections of the (control group) and (experiment groups). Chi-square independence and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were employed to examine the significant association between these groups. Findings Students perform alike when exposed to various experiential learning methods. However, the lack of experiential learning might hinder students’ understanding of the course material. Consequently, the performance in both learning objectives from the control group was significantly lower than students in the experiment groups. Originality/value This study presents an approach for merging assurance of learning into integrated business courses, and how to use experiential learning exercises as instructional tools for improving and measuring learning. When course-level assessments focusing on developing relevant competencies are well-implemented, they can strengthen related program-level goals.

구조적 토픽 모델(STM) 분석을 활용한 수업 질 관리 방안 연구: A대학교 경영대학 강의평가 결과를 중심으로

This study aims to understand students' perceptions of lectures based on university lecture evaluation results and to analyze the correlation between differences in these perceptions depending on whether the average lecture evaluation scores are high or low, with the overarching goal of improving lecture quality. We employ Structural Topic Modeling (STM) for our analysis, and the findings are as follows. First, seven topics were extracted from our topic modeling: the professor's characteristics, satisfaction with the lecture, the professor's attitude toward the lecture, teaching methods, the difficulty level(complexity) of the lecture content, the pace of the lecture, and class evaluation. Second, there was a clear difference between topics in the higher and lower ranges of lectures evaluation scores. We found that the topics of "the professor's attitude toward the lecture" and "the difficulty level of the lecture content" were most strongly associated with other topics. In short, students in the business programs in our data evaluate lectures based primarily on 'teaching factors'. Thus, instructors teaching business courses should carefully reflect on ways to improve course-related aspects in their teaching. Additionally, for effective course quality management, professors should assess and improve the extent to which they are systematically organizing and preparing course designs in relation to the clarity of their content delivery, the degree of interest they express in their students, the organization of their teaching methods and lecture pace, and lecture evaluations.

Scaling Oral Assessment Authentically

The rise of AI and related threats to academic integrity in a post-pandemic academic environment where most assessments are not invigilated forces universities to revisit the question of how to conduct safe and fair assessments (Dawson, 2022). As invigilated exams and online proctoring have fallen out of favour with university administrators due to cost, space or privacy concerns, oral assessments have found renewed interest (Newell, 2023). These are effective in measuring students' knowledge whilst verifying that the responses truly belong to the student (Joughin, 1998). Though there are many established variations of oral assessment, from viva voce thesis defence to interactive orals (as widely conducted in Law and Medicine), they usually emphasise authentic live interaction between student and assessor. However, the sheer scale of some undergraduate programs (as common in Business Schools) along with the integrated nature of business curriculum requiring marking expertise from different graders makes truly interactive oral exams unfeasible. As a response, a large first-year undergraduate Business course (with student enrolments of between 500-1200 per term) at a G08 institution implemented an authentic recorded oral assessment, which mimics job interview practice. Students were recorded for a set time period while they responded to questions verbally with the resulting video and transcripts being later marked. We utilised an asynchronous, remotely invigilated oral assessment (Baird et al., 2022) for the final exam to improve academic integrity and to further embed transferable skills that is industry relevant whilst increasing student employability. The new assessment format was named ‘Live Recorded Video Exam (LRVE)’. The invigilation process for this exam was conducted on a one-on-one basis where one invigilator checked each student in their groupings. The invigilators were provided with a procedural checklist to follow to be consistent within all the groups. The process involved the invigilator calling the student into a Microsoft Teams channel, verifying the student’s identity, checking their immediate surroundings, sharing the screen of the device that the student was using, providing a password verbally for the student to access the exam questions and then to start the recording for invigilation purposes. Once the recording commenced, the invigilator would leave the meeting room and allow the student to complete the exam independently by articulating their responses. The graders had access to both the video recording as well as the captioned transcript to mark the exam and check for any student misconduct. Students were informed about the exam format through different channels from the teaching team as well as innovative student-led initiatives. They were given various opportunities to prepare throughout the term within established class structures and practice mock sessions. Out of 542 exams, none were reported for violations of academic integrity and the rate of special consideration applications was lower. This is, in part, due to potential problems being rectified during the student check-in process. Surveys conducted after the exam showed the LRVE format was well-received by markers and student representatives in part because of its flexibility, offering a complement to traditional viva voce models and demonstrating its scalability.

Factors Influencing Business Students’ Effort When Studying Mathematics

Each student’s effort is an important factor in achievement. Mathematics is an important subject for business students since there is a strong connection between performance in mathematics and success in business courses. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing a student’s choice of how much effort to put into studying business mathematics by questioning 273 students from two business schools in Norway. There is a considerable variation in the study time. By using a linear regression model, we identify the variables linked to effort. Females, and those who have higher enjoyment of mathematics, exert higher effort in business mathematics. Those with a strong background in mathematics from high school and students with parents who have higher education exert less effort in business mathematics. The attitudes toward mathematics do not seem to considerably affect effort.

Arup Group Limited: putting trust in the trust

Research methodology The data set used to write this case was collected from 83 public sources, including company communications, company journals and reports and the company website, along with newspaper articles, industry reports, scientific articles and case studies. The data set was used to analyse both the industry and firm in which Arup operated to draw conclusions about the firm’s strategy and competitive advantage, specifically, as it relates to trust and knowledge management. Case overview/synopsis Alan Belfield, an employee of Arup Group Limited for 29 years, and the company’s chairman since 2019, had witnessed significant growth since he first joined the firm. Operating globally, Arup had a proud past; since 1946, the company had served 6,931 clients across 143 countries, leading to its important contribution to many world-renowned landmarks within the built environment. From 2018 to 2020, revenue at the global multiservice engineering company had grown almost £250m [1] to £1.809bn. Over the past few years and as 2021 came to an end, the global engineering services industry had experienced a flood of mergers and acquisitions, as the industry grew towards maturity and clients looked for full-service solutions. Arup’s strategy had proven successful in the past, evidenced by its capacity to grow revenues and partake in the design of well-known structures and buildings. However, with the trend towards consolidation, as Arup headed into 2022, how could the firm retain its position as one of the global leaders in the industry over time? Complexity academic level The case can be used in business courses on global strategic management at the bachelor and master levels, as it applies key strategic management concepts within a global context. The case focuses primarily on the transnational corporation (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 2002) and how it creates value through strategy and structure. Instructors who wish to integrate the human resource management aspect into the course are provided with optional material, including an additional reading, along with an assignment question and associated analysis and teaching guidance.

Designing Effective Hybrid Course Curriculum: A Design Science Approach to Gamification and Student Outcomes Validation.

In the modern educational landscape, the integration of gamification into hybrid learning environments has emerged as a promising approach to enhance student outcomes. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive frameworks for designing gamified hybrid courses and validating their impact on student outcomes. This paper proposes a design science-based approach to gamified course design in hybrid learning contexts. Drawing on the principles of design science research, we developed a framework for designing a gamified hybrid course curriculum that incorporates course content, activities, and assessments based on four elements of gamification (achievement elements, utilitarian value, hedonic benefits, and competition). To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted a study with 294 students enrolled in a hybrid business course that implemented the proposed gamification framework. Our findings indicate that all gamification elements of our proposed gamified hybrid courses positively enhance student engagement, achievement, and satisfaction. Ultimately, this paper not only contributes to the 'gamification in education' literature by providing a comprehensive framework for designing engaging and effective hybrid courses but also proposes a roadmap for the application of design science to embed gamification in business course curriculum design within the context of modern hybrid learning environments.

Integrating Learning and Serious Game Design: The Development and Application of the Learning and Game Integration (LGI) Framework using the ‘Blackout’ Serious Game

Serious games are increasingly recognised as effective educational tools capable of simulating complex scenarios that traditional methods cannot replicate. This paper introduces the Learning and Game Integration (LGI) Framework, designed to seamlessly integrate educational content with interactive game design. Utilising the “Blackout” serious game, which simulates real world complex problem, this study demonstrates how the LGI Framework can be utilised as learning intervention to enhance learning by teaching Design Thinking to university students. The framework consists of four stages: Educational Content Integration, Theoretical Underpinning, Case Study Selection, and Game Design. The “Blackout” game enables students to engage with various stakeholder perspectives, deeply analyse problems, and develop innovative solutions under crisis conditions. Preliminary feedback from its implementation in an undergraduate business course (N=753) indicates increased student engagement and confidence in applying Design Thinking concepts. This paper contributes to the field of business education by presenting an innovative approach to teaching innovative problem-solving skills through serious games, emphasising the need for holistic educational frameworks that bridge theoretical learning with real-world application.

Exploring Knowledge and Perceptions of Level Learning Outcomes and Meta-Skills in a Creative Business School Context

Much has been written about the necessity for graduates to be aware of their skill set and transferability for the workplace. Degree programs in Scotland have long relied on guidance from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) on the taxonomy or wording of level learning outcomes (LLOs), which are the building blocks of degrees. More recently, a meta-skills framework created by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) offers clarity around meta-skills and suggests relevant wording, but these do not always align with academic taxonomies. The current research sought to explore the relationship between LLOs and meta-skills further from an academic and student perspective. A qualitative approach consisting of staff interviews and student focus groups from a range of creative business courses was adopted. A thematic analysis revealed gaps in staff and student understanding of LLOs and meta-skill terminology. The findings support the argument that skills should be linked more obviously to modular learning and recommendations are made as to how these could be communicated effectively to aid understanding around the transferability of university-acquired skills to the workplace.

Target Situation Needs Analysis of English Language Skills Required by Syrians in the Arabian Gulf Area

The English language has always been a barrier facing Syrians who aim to find a better life and job opportunities in countries where English has excellent value. This research paper investigates and analyzes the linguistic skills needed by Syrians who are part of the field of business in the Arabian Gulf countries. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach for collecting data and analyzing it through a questionnaire and interviews. This research aims to specify the specific English language needs of Syrian students in countries where English is drastically needed for life and business to help design online English for Business course that aligns with those needs. The study aims to provide descriptive insights into the linguistic challenges faced by Syrian students and to propose recommendations for curriculum development in English for Business. The findings of this study can be useful for English language teachers, developers of curriculums, and policymakers.

Sequence analysis and process mining perspectives to goal setting: What distinguishes business students with high and low self-efficacy beliefs?

This study investigates the relationship between students' self-efficacy beliefs, goal-setting, and learning tactics in an online business course. Using sequence analysis and process mining techniques, we analyzed log data from 209 students to identify distinct learning tactics and their association with self-efficacy beliefs, inferred from initial goal-setting and final grades. Four learning tactics were identified, with significant differences observed between students with high and low self-efficacy beliefs. High self-efficacy students demonstrated more varied and adaptive tactics, including greater use of quizzes and project-focused activities. In contrast, low self-efficacy students and those who didn't set goals showed less engagement and fewer monitoring activities. The project-focused tactic had the strongest correlation with final grades and goal achievement. Goal-setting at the course's start was linked to more effective learning behaviors and better outcomes. The study reveals how students' online learning behavior changes based on initial goal-setting and subsequent reflection. These findings contribute to research on self-regulated learning in online environments and offer practical implications for designing online courses and learning analytics interventions. Understanding these differences enables the development of targeted interventions to improve learning tactics and self-efficacy beliefs among students, ultimately enhancing their ability to achieve learning goals in online educational settings.

Personal values and moral reasoning: An empirical study

This exploratory study examined the personal values (using the Rokeach values survey) and moral reasoning (according to the DIT-2 P-scores) of a sample of 51 students taking business courses at a Canadian University in Winter 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. The mean P-Score of the sample was 32.16 with females having a mean P-score (37.4) significantly higher (at 5% level) than the males (mean of 28.62). Health was ranked as the most important terminal value, followed by Family Security and Self-Respect while Honest was considered as the highest-ranking instrumental value, followed by Responsible and Ambitious. Female respondents considered the value of Self-Respect to be of more priority than the male respondents. The results suggest that most of the respondents (66%) according to the Musser-Orke classification, place emphasis on social than on personal goals and thus on serving others rather than themselves. No significant correlation was, however, detected between the respondents’ P-Scores and either their social terminal or moral instrumental value scores.

Moderating Effect of Government Policy on the Relationship between Training Practices and Performance of Bachelor of Business Courses Graduates from TVETA Accredited Universities in Kenya

Moderating Effect of Government Policy on the Relationship between Training Practices and Performance of Bachelor of Business Courses Graduates from TVETA Accredited Universities in Kenya

Back to the Future: Implementing Large-Scale Oral Exams

We did something unthinkable: we used an oral exam in our undergraduate business analytics course where course enrollment exceeded 600 students. ConVOEs, Concurrent Video-Based Oral Exams, are assessments conducted through a learning management system whereby all students simultaneously engage in an exam and submit a video of themselves responding to each question. By limiting the time frame over which the assessment can be completed, ConVOEs resemble a sort of conversation, as students must respond in real time to each question and demonstrate their understanding of course material in their own words. The conception of this format, though initially motivated by the shift to online learning during the pandemic, is particularly relevant as richer forms of communication are highly sought by employers yet absent from many business courses, and serves to highlight the old adage, “Everything old is new again.”

Enhancing Self-Regulated Learning through Flipped Classroom and Gamification in Applied Computer for Business Courses

This study examined the impact of a flipped classroom with gamification on students' self-regulated learning (SRL) among students in the Applied Computer for Business course. Research questions addressed: (1) How does this approach affect students' SRL? (2) What are students' perceptions of this method? A mixed-methods approach was employed, using pre- and post-implementation questionnaires, open-ended questions, and interviews. Results indicated a significant increase in SRL across all dimensions, with the mean SRL score improving significantly (p < 0.05). The content analysis results showed that 85% of students were satisfied with the instruction, and 78% believed the approach enhanced their learning management skills. The findings suggested that the success of the flipped classroom with gamification depends on providing adaptation support, ensuring internet access, selecting suitable content and activities, and addressing individual differences. Instructors are advised to offer clear explanations, precise gamification planning, and utilize online platforms for real-time updates to enhance the effectiveness of this approach.

Learning approach and learning effect of undergraduates in blended learning of business courses: Evidence from China

Research on implementing blended learning in higher education has been extensive, but there is limited research on the relationship between students' entry characteristics, learning approaches, and learning effects, particularly in business education. This study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in a blended teaching environment, surveying undergraduate students in Shanghai who were enrolled in business courses in the same semester. The study analyzed the connection between learning approaches and learning effects using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and students’ exam scores. The research findings revealed that students with deep learning approaches achieved higher average scores than those with surface learning approaches. Students' gender, age, academic year, academic background, and whether a course was mandatory or elective were found to have a significant relationship with their learning approaches. Furthermore, students' gender, age and academic year were significantly related to their final exam scores. However, there was no significant difference in the academic performance of students with different learning approaches, and certain exam formats and scopes may not influence quantitative learning effects. Based on these findings, curriculum developers in business education can consider offering general courses to underclassmen to help them gain a comprehensive understanding of their chosen field, encouraging upperclassmen to take cross-disciplinary courses, and urging instructors to utilize blended teaching methods to enhance teaching effectiveness.

Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT): Boon or Bane – A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Abstract: Interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increased dramatically since the launch of ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) in November 2022. While ChatGPT has captured the imagination of students and educators alike, several concerns have also emerged (Torrey et al., 2023). In this study, the researcher conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis that focused mainly to the range of ChatGPT by obtaining interrelated data from peer-reviewed publication or journals searched through the academic databases and meta-search engines (Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCO, and OVID). With the initial samples of 21 ChatGPT studies, ten (10) were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Conceptual translation was used to express the research findings. The data from each theme were synthesized and integrated to create a synthesis that represented the category as a whole. ChatGPT is here to stay, and individuals would undoubtedly use it for the rest of their lives. Integrating ChatGPT in a variety of settings, including education, particularly in business courses, offers numerous opportunities to improve learning experiences, personalize instruction, and rethink educators' roles. This change, however, poses restrictions classified as intrinsic and usage-related issues that make assessments, digital literacy, and ethical considerations challenging. To realize ChatGPT's full potential in education and overcome these barriers, stakeholders should develop solutions for ethical and equitable adoption in a naturally based and proactive approach.

Does B2B salespeople’s love of money attitude mediate the relationships between a growth mindset, a fixed mindset, grit, and job performance?

Purpose To most people, money is a motivator, which is robustly true for salespeople. A high love of money attitude predicts university students’ poor academic performance in a business course and cheating in laboratory experiments and multiple panel studies, but money (income) itself does not predict dishonesty. Extrinsic reward undermines intrinsic motivation. Very little research has incorporated the grit construct in the sales literature and explored the relationship between grit and the love of money. Further, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset may also impact salespeople’s job performance. This study aims to explore a brand-new theoretical structural equation model (SEM) and investigate the relationships between individual characteristics (growth and fixed mindsets and grit orientation) and job performance directly and indirectly through a mediator – salespeople’s love of money attitude. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Qualtrics and collects data from 330 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople across several industries in the USA. This study uses a formative SEM model to test this study’s hypotheses. Findings First, there are significant correlations among grit, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, revealing no construct duplication or redundancy. Second, both a growth mindset and grit indirectly enhance job performance through the love of money attitude – a mediator, offering a brand-new discovery. Third, counter-intuitively, a growth mindset and grit do not directly improve job performance. Fourth, grit is significantly and negatively related to the love of money attitude, adding a new twist to this study’s theoretical model. Fifth, a fixed mindset undermines job performance directly but is unrelated to the love of money. Overall, B2B salespeople’s love of money attitude (employee demand) undermines sales personnel’s self-reported job performance (organization demand) in the organization and employee’s supply and demand exchange relationship. Originality/value The findings reveal that a growth mindset, a fixed mindset and grit contribute differently to sales personnel’s love of money attitude and job performance in this study’s theoretical model. The love of money serves as a mediator. A commonly accepted belief is that money is a motivator. Money (income) itself and the love of money attitude are two separate constructs. This study’s novel discoveries provide the essential missing monetary-aspirations-to-job-performance link in the literature – ardent monetary aspiration undermines self-reported job performance. This study offers inspiration to help decision-makers make happy, healthy and wealthy decisions and improve performance.

Perceptions of Teachers on Bilingual Education in Business Education

In the process of global integration, international cross-cultural business interactions are becoming closer, and the importance of English as an international lingua franca continues to grow. Business programmes aimed at developing both business and foreign language skills are faced with the challenge of adopting bilingualism teaching. The study adopts qualitative and quantitative research methods, mainly using literature method (referring to relevant domestic and foreign literature materials and related information retrieval), and questionnaire survey method to conduct questionnaire surveys with students and teachers in Jiangsu University of Technology. The paper intends to probe specific aspects of bilingual teaching and to give suggestions for effective ways to carry out bilingual teaching for Business Majors. This study finds that at present, in the process of bilingual teaching of business courses, there are problems or challenges such as students’ difficulties in studying in bilingual environment, insufficient studying teaching in bilingual resources and materials, cross-cultural adaptation problems, etc. In order to address these problems, programmes such as enhancing teacher preparedness, developing curriculums, developing teaching resources, providing student support services, and reviewing evaluation and assessment are proposed.

Comparative analysis of student evaluations: Exploring the effects of course modality and type in graduate business courses

This study compares student evaluations across face-to-face and online modalities, as well as qualitative versus quantitative courses, in a large sample of graduate-level courses from 2008 to 2023 at a US business school. The findings reveal significantly lower course and instructor evaluation ratings despite similar class performance in online modality. Quantitative courses received notably lower satisfaction ratings than qualitative courses. Importantly, when accounting for modality and course type, grades do not influence student evaluations. Maintaining fair comparisons by restricting evaluations solely to the same modality and course type is crucial for assessing college professors’ teaching quality through student evaluation ratings.