Graduate Business Education Research Articles

Keeping ahead of the curve: Meeting student needs in graduate business education in the 21st century

Keeping ahead of the curve: Meeting student needs in graduate business education in the 21st century

Identification and Instruction of Important Business Communication Skills for Graduate Business Education

Despite academia's best efforts there still remains a gap in communication skills desired by business practitioners and those delivered by new graduates. The authors suggest that this may be the result of practitioners demanding outcome-based skills and academia teaching basic non-business-specific fundamentals of communications. An examination of the literature suggested that outcome-motivated skills can be successfully taught, but that comprehensive outcome skills sets do not exist. Thus, the authors conducted a thorough review of the literature to identify those outcome-based communication skills that management experts, leadership theorists, business education professionals, communication skills researchers, and business development writers have stated are in greatest need in business organizations. They conclude with recommendations and implications for business management and education.

Business Elites and the Diffusion of US-Style Business Education in Mexico (1955-2005)

This article contributes to efforts documenting the incursion of Anglo-American capitalism into Latin America by looking at the emergence and development of graduate and postgraduate business education in Mexico. By exploring this form of Americanisation, the article offers an indirect study of the emergence of professional managers in a region otherwise dominated by family run firms. The surfacing of graduate and post-graduate degrees in management is part of a general trend of globalization of higher education but their emergence also mirror a move to a more hierarchical structure of business organisations. In other words, these degrees evidence the existence of a large group of salaried managers in Mexico as well as associate with a shift in the creation of local business elites. Archival research (including current writings) combines with unstructured interviews and a database of teaching case studies. The database considers teaching cases looking at multinational companies working in Mexico and cases focusing on Mexican companies. This article therefore hones our understanding of the transformation of Mexican business organisations while linking this process to the interaction between multinationals, indigenous businesses and management education. Note that the research emphasises developments in Mexico City.

Short‐term study abroad: a transformational approach to global business education

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer an approach to global business education that offers a transformative experience for students and results in greater confidence and expertise.Design/methodology/approachA model of global business competence is described, as well as an approach to global business education involving a short‐term study abroad experience. Transformational learning practices were embedded in the course design. Surveys were collected at two different times in the short‐term study abroad course to demonstrate changes in students' confidence and expertise. The first survey was conducted after completing reading assignments and classroom‐based instruction (Time 1) and the second was collected upon returning from the study abroad experience (Time 2).FindingsResults indicated a significant change in students' perceptions of their global business competence from Time 1 to Time 2, indicating the benefits of the short‐term study abroad experience beyond classroom instruction and readings.Research limitations/implicationsFurther clarification regarding the specific short‐term study abroad experiences that had the most impact on student outcomes would further our knowledge of how to design and structure these experiences to maximally enhance global business expertise and effectiveness for business students. In addition, future research may explore longer‐term student outcomes as a result of the short‐term study abroad experience.Practical implicationsBusiness school faculty and administrators may identify practices described in this study that they could incorporate to enhance their global business education courses or study abroad experiences.Originality/valueThis paper builds on transformational learning and global business literature to provide a practical approach to graduate business education. A framework for defining global business competence and pedagogical design principles that promote transformational learning is offered and may be of interest to business school faculty and administrators.

Analysis In Teaching With Cases: A Revisit To Blooms Taxonomy Of Learning Objectives

Analysis, the core of graduate business education is probably one of the least understood and most misrepresented learning activities. Everyone seems to claim that they know it, yet most seem unable to actually define it or practice it. This paper reviews Blooms taxonomy of learning objectives with a special focus on analysis. More specifically, the paper seeks to present a more profound perspective of analysis and synthesis as taught and learned in a typical business course that utilizes case studies. The authors take more of an epidemiological perspective to case analysis which goes beyond the mere rehash of case facts to developing an understanding of all the communication elements in the case and the relationship between the elements for the purpose of synthesizing a new picture that was not obvious before. The paper presents a useful framework for analyzing business cases and recommending and implementing viable strategic options.

Challenges faced by graduate business education in Southern Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the degree of satisfaction and perceived relevance of the Graduate Business Education (GBE) programme at the University of Botswana.Design/methodology/approachA self‐administered questionnaire and face to face interviews were used to collect data from Master of Business Administration (MBA) participants on their reason for studying MBA, level of satisfaction, and the extent to which the skills and experiences obtained correlate with those required by the corporate world. The data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics.FindingsThe majority of the respondents are male adults attending part time MBA classes and working full time in administrative positions in the public and private sectors. The study found that improved managerial skills, career development and broader business insights are major reasons for joining the MBA programme, while employability and economic gains were ranked low as driving forces. Even though the overall satisfaction with the programme is mixed and inconclusive, the MBA programme has assisted participants to develop basic management and administration skills. However, the programme puts greater emphasis on conceptual, technical and analytical skills than on problem solving, innovation, communication and entrepreneurial skills which are perceived to be most needed by employers, implying a relevance gap. What the MBA participants learnt does not correlate with what they perceived to be most needed by employers.Research limitations/implicationsSince the findings are based on perceptions of MBA participants, the conclusions drawn from these findings must be considered tentative and interpreted with care. Future research must include representative sample of all MBA stakeholders such as faculty, students, graduates, employers and administrators to get rich information about quality of inputs, processes and products of MBA programme.Practical implicationsThere is strong need for the MBA programme to integrate traditional management and administrative skills with experiences and skills relevant for today's world of work. Bridging the growing theory‐practice gap requires attracting professors with practical business experience, revising staff recruitment policies and procedures, establishing formal partnership with external organization, and develop long‐term strategies to reduce teaching load and staff turnover.Originality/valueMost of the studies on the relevance and quality of GBE programmes are conducted in western higher education institutions, very little has been done in African universities. This is the first of its kind in the context of Botswana, an important contribution to existing literature and foundation for further advanced studies in the area.

The Relevance Of Business School Education, What Do You Think?

Many people believe that the focus of graduate business education become increasingly hemmed in, self absorbed and less relevant to practitioners. I wish to determine if these challenges are true.

The financial viability of exporting graduate business education in a developing economy

The popularity of graduate business education around the world has increased the demand for US-based universities to deliver Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programs in other countries. Based on the experience gained in implementing a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored project in Bosnia-Herzegovina to establish a sustainable graduate business education program, this study evaluates the financial viability of offering an MBA program in a foreign location, specifically in a developing country. The results show that program length, size, tuition, and finding the right local partner are some of the key elements to the success of the program.

Seeds of Innovation in Accounting Scholarship

Hopwood and other senior scholars have suggested that accounting scholarship has become stagnant and lacks the spirit of innovation that previously motivated the discipline. In this essay I build on these authors’ assertions to address two questions. First, what causal forces account for this state of affairs? Second, given such forces, what can be done to improve matters? I argue that intellectual stagnancy in accounting scholarship is manifested in (1) excessively derivative research, (2) overemphasis on “career management” among junior scholars, (3) limited scholarly discussion and debate, and (4) too much emphasis on accounting standard setters to define our research and teaching agendas. The causal forces driving the evolution of accounting scholarship over the past quarter century include: (1) large real salary increases for assistant professors in accounting, (2) changes in graduate business education that have de-emphasized doctoral education, (3) a relative shift towards financial reporting in accounting research and teaching, and (4) changes in the way research quality is assessed. Changes in accounting scholarship thus have built cumulatively from individual actions that are locally optimal but have been associated with unintended and unforeseeable cumulative consequences for the discipline as a whole. A final section summarizes several suggestions put forth at a May 2011 strategic retreat for what the American Accounting Association (AAA) can do to improve this state of affairs over the long run.

Sustainability and Graduate Business Education: An Analysis of the Need, Best Efforts to Date, and Curriculum Recommendations

This paper examines the current state of green education by identifyingthe top graduate business programs that offer high quality education,relevant coursework, and sustainable campus-wide operations. The paperbrings to light a strong need for more comprehensive and integratedcoursework within the core curriculum of our nation's top programs.The paper provides the opportunity for enhanced thought leadership byintroducing a series of four classes that represent a cross-section of themost important concepts of sustainability.

Decomposition as a Complex-Skill Acquisition Strategy in Management Education: A Case Study in Business Forecasting

Graduate business education has been criticized for utilizing simplistic teaching strategies that compromise the presentation of real-world complex skills in the classroom. In this article, we propose that complex management functions can be effectively taught using decomposition strategies. We demonstrate the usefulness of this strategy in the domain of business forecasting by comparing the forecast accuracy of students instructed in decomposition (RBF-Instructed) with that of students not exposed to such instruction (Uninstructed), as well as with an expert system called Rule-Based Forecasting (RBF). RBF-Instructed students demonstrated significant improvements over Uninstructed students and were at least as accurate as the RBF system. Our findings suggest that academics engaged in teaching complex domains can benefit from building their teaching environment on a decomposition framework. We further suggest strategies for measuring the effectiveness and endurance of classroom knowledge thus imparted. Implications for academia and practice are discussed and a research framework is proposed.

Business Education: Addressing the ‘What’ Question

In an attempt to diversify the economy and stimulate private enterprise development, government agencies and private institutions in many countries have emphasized the importance of setting up and developing small and medium-size enterprises and promoting entrepreneurship. An important question confronting policy makers, however, is how they can both promote local economic growth and enhance social development. Undergraduate and graduate business education is seen as a prerequisite if the objectives of economic growth are to be realized. This paper calls for a serious evaluation of current business education, particularly in Middle Eastern countries. As US business schools start to encounter numerous problems concerning the validity and viability of business courses and their methods of delivery, critical debates have arisen. The overwhelming majority of business schools in the Middle East are imitations of US schools and hence suffer similar problems. This paper seeks to raise awareness of such debates to stimulate more discussion and so to address issues of concern. Research propositions are formulated to serve as a basis for phase two of this study, which will involve empirical data collection. Thus the contribution of the paper lies in the adaptation of established knowledge and theory to meet specific challenges in the emerging economies of countries in the Middle East and beyond.

Advancing the case for creativity through graduate business education

We describe an MBA course focusing on creativity and innovation in organizations. Drawing on the creativity literature and experiential learning theory, the theoretical foundations of the course are discussed. Core aspects of the course include reading articles from academic journals and business periodicals, engaging a wide variety of experiential activities, keeping a personal journal, and completing two individual projects. We sought to understand the effect of the course on students’ perceptions of the importance of creativity for organizations, their own creativity and self-perceptions of creativity, as well as their perceptions of the utility of journaling. Data were collected at the beginning and end of the course to examine these issues. The results suggest that the course had a positive influence in each case. These results are discussed and thoughts for future research are provided.

Current Trends And Future Considerations Of Higher Education In Business

Graduate programs in business, while still highly regarded, are under increased scrutiny by both business academics and the corporate world. There is growing evidence that graduate business programs are not responsive to the needs of the business community. The complexity and global nature of business today requires that schools must provide their graduates with not only traditional managerial skills, but also skills relating to the interpersonal and conceptual. These essential skills include the ability to team build, to effectively communicate ideas, and to embrace cultural diversity. To remain relevant and viable, business schools must assess not only their teaching, but also the content of their research. Their focus should be on establishing criteria of excellence that benefits not the business school or faculty, but rather those that hire their graduates. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the basic assumptions of graduate business education today, and provide recommendations for enhancing its relevance in today’s complex business environment. Perspectives that influence these trends are analyzed and include the changing mission of graduate programs in business as well as the debate over specialization versus integration of graduate business courses.

MBA Student And Alumni Ratings Of Critical Skills In Graduate Business Programs

Newly matriculating MBAs, recent MBA graduates, and MBA alumni were surveyed with respect to program and curriculum issues and opinions concerning nine skills deemed to be critical for graduate business education. At the time of matriculation, MBA students were surveyed concerning how important the skills were to them. The students were also surveyed immediately after graduation, and asked how successful the program had been in developing these skills. The final analysis group was MBA alumni who were asked to identify the most improved and most important skills. Between-group comparisons of results concerning these nine skills will be presented along with other results reflecting evaluations of program attributes.

Graduate Business Education Web Sites

Graduate Business Education Web Sites

Does Graduate Business Education Contribute to Professional Accounting Success? (Retracted)

We investigate the value of graduate business education in learning tacit knowledge and achieving professional accounting success. Archival (n = 5,932) and survey (n = 2,941) data from managerial accountants employed at 2,525 North American companies in three industries (publishing, paper, and chemical) indicate that job performance evaluations (JPEs) of those who hold either a Master's of Accountancy (M.Acc.) or M.B.A. degree are generally higher than non-master's (NM) degree accountants. We find some evidence that professionals with master's degrees, as compared to NM professionals, have higher levels of two forms of tacit managerial knowledge (TMK): self and others. The results also suggest that M.Acc. and M.B.A. degrees contribute to success differentially throughout the professionals' careers. Specifically, a M.Acc. degree provides greater benefit than a M.B.A. degree in the early and middle career years, while an M.B.A. degree provides greater benefit than a M.Acc. degree in later career years. The results indicate that M.Acc. and M.B.A. degrees contribute to success by increasing specific types of knowledge and enhancing ones' ability to learn.

Global MBA

Graduate business education is becoming increasingly international. However, the complexity of creating truly integrated, cross-country curricula has stifled the development of innovative degree programs, leading most institutions to rely on the tried-and-true semester-abroad model. This article makes the case for a significantly more integrated joint curriculum, such as that embodied in the GlobalMBA Program http://GlobalMBA.unf.edu jointly developed by the Fachhochschule Köln, Germany; the Université de Provence, France; and the University of North Florida, United States. In order to stimulate other consortia to create integrated international programs, the paper identifies several sources of difficulty inherent in designing such programs and provides recommendations for overcoming them, resulting in a blueprint for program creation.

Business and Community: Integrating Service Learning in Graduate Business Education

For the past five years at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver a community service or service learning component has been included in the Values in Action class (now Values-Based Leadership), a core MBA course that integrates ethics, law, and public policy perspectives on business issues. This paper summarizes the educational philosophy and the mechanics of this required component. Few empirical studies have been conducted to gauge the perceived value and impact of a service learning requirement on students. Thus, several surveys were conducted to understand better the choices made by students as well as the impact of the requirement on students. Preliminary results reveal generally a positive effect on students, including some evidence that such a service learning requirement may influence students to make a greater lifetime commitment to community service.

Delivering a Graduate Marketing Course in France: Observations, Experiences, and Pedagogic Rules

This essay describes the experience of an American professor who taught a graduate Marketing course in France. In addition to describing the experience, unexpected and/or problematic pedagogic issues encountered are identified and discussed. Based upon this experience and extant literature, ten pedagogic rules are proposed as a guide to future exchanges. Adherence to these rules should ameliorate some of the potentially problematic aspects of delivering graduate business education abroad. Special emphasis is placed on four areas, academic and cultural preparation, expectations, conduct, and relationships.