Postgraduate Business Students Research Articles

Exploring what makes learning meaningful for postgraduate business students in higher education

AbstractWhile research exists on what constitutes meaningful learning, our study reveals the term meaningful is an ill-defined concept that is interpreted in multiple ways, often from a teacher-centric perspective. Less is known about what constitutes meaningfulness in the context of higher education, particularly in business education. This qualitative study seeks to identify postgraduate student perspectives on what is meaningful in higher education to inform the design of authentic and transformative learning experiences. Focus groups were conducted to gain insights into students’ most meaningful learning experiences across four postgraduate business subjects. We conducted a thematic analysis of the student data by inductively coding the transcripts and comments. Students derived the most value from learning experiences that incorporated real-world connections, social encounters, or productive challenges. We also found that students’ discussions of meaningfulness were relatively superficial, suggesting that postgraduate students may not be primed to consider meaningfulness in relation to their learning. We thus problematise the term meaningful and conclude by proposing ‘learning highs’ as a new tentative conceptual frame for future research identifying learning situations in which meaningful experiences occur.

Class participation points and postgraduate business students’ engagement: the case of a UK university

ABSTRACT This article seeks to demonstrate how class participation points enhance students’ engagement in response to the increasing quest for pedagogic practices to enhance engagement. This investigation is based on a six-week field study of three tutorial classes of postgraduate business management students and six semi-structured interviews with two students from each tutorial class in a UK university. The findings suggest that class participation points are useful for enhancing student engagement. Additionally, the study uncovers the role of inclusive learning strategies and autonomous support in complementing class participation points for enhancing students’ behavioural, cognitive, and emotional engagement. In particular, while the methods of class participation points, inclusive learning strategies, and autonomous support facilitate students’ behavioural and cognitive engagement, a supportive climate is considered to enhance students’ emotional engagement. The study also identifies other relevant stakeholders who can work with lecturers to facilitate engagement rather than operating in silos.

Action research to reassess the acceptance and use of technology in a blended learning approach amongst postgraduate business students

Action research to reassess the acceptance and use of technology in a blended learning approach amongst postgraduate business students

Institutional Determinants of College Choice Decisions Among Business Students in Nepal

College choice remains a crucial concern for students and parents, particularly during admissions. The decision students make about their education has far-reaching consequences for their future. This topic has been explored extensively in the literature. However, few studies have focused on institutional factors of students’ college choice decisions in Nepal. Therefore, this study examines institutional determinants/factors which are more significant in college choice decisions. Based on a survey of 385 conveniently sampled undergraduate and postgraduate business students of Pokhara University, the factor analysis results demonstrate four institutional factors: university/college reputation, quality of educational facilities, cost and financial assistance, and employment opportunities as significant factors in college choice decisions. This research aids colleges in marketing themselves to prospective students and understanding what drives individuals to pursue higher education by revealing the most significant institutional factors. Moreover, the study's limitations are discussed and suggestions for further investigation are offered.
 
 

Evaluation of the Egyptian knowledge bank using the information systems success model

The appearance of the coronavirus pandemic had several implications on the educational process, which caused students, at all educational levels, to resort to digital libraries as the available educational opportunity in this challenging time. This study sheds light on the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) as one of the largest digital libraries in the world. It empirically evaluates the EKB, using the updated Information Systems Success (ISS) model proposed by DeLone and McLean (2003), among postgraduate business students in the context of Egyptian universities with a sample of 245 students. The results indicate that all nine hypotheses derived from the research model are supported and significant, contributing either directly or indirectly to the success of the EKB. Hence, the results confirm the validity of the ISS model in measuring the success of the EKB. These findings highlight as well the significance of investing more deeply in digital libraries as a coping mechanism for the educational recovery process from COVID-19 and the importance of creating awareness among students about digital libraries in order to sustain the learning process in a safe environment.

Applying Lacan’s four discourse model in career counselling at the postgraduate level

ABSTRACT In this paper, I address Jacque Lacan’s theory of the four discourses, namely, master/slave, university, hysteric and analyst. The four discourses are explored via interviews with five postgraduate business students from a leading Irish business school. Three of the students were prepared to abdicate responsibility for career decision-making to me, thereby suggesting the discourses of the master/slave and university. The remaining two students expected to retain greater control over the career decision-making process which implies a shift in position to the discourse of the analyst. I propose that career counselling should primarily reside in the discourse of analyst, with supporting reference to the discourses of hysteric, university and master/slave. Currently, there is no inclusion of Lacan in career theory.

Predictors of financial satisfaction and its impact on psychological wellbeing of individuals

PurposeIn this study, the author examines the effect of financial knowledge, financial attitude and responsible financial management behaviour on financial satisfaction and investigates the association between financial satisfaction and psychological wellbeing of individuals. The author examines these relationships having controlled for the influence of key demographic variables including age, gender, marital status, income level and employment status of respondents on the predicted relationships.Design/methodology/approachData was gathered by means of a self-administered questionnaire to postgraduate business students from a large public university in Ghana. The hypothesized relationships of the study were tested using the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique.FindingsThe author shows from the structural model analysis using the bootstrapping procedure that financial knowledge, financial attitude and sound financial management behaviour have important implications on financial satisfaction levels of individuals. Further, the author finds financial satisfaction to be an important predictor of the psychological wellbeing of individuals.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the relevance of financial satisfaction on the psychological wellbeing of an individual and identifies some of the dominant factors that are associated with financial satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study examines the concept of financial satisfaction at the individual level and uniquely highlights the psychological implications of financial satisfaction.

Candibod: building an online fitness brand through Instagram communities in the southern hemisphere

Study level/applicability The primary target audience for this teaching case is postgraduate business students, especially students of digital marketing, strategy and e-commerce, social media marketing, entrepreneurship and sports marketing. This teaching case is intended to be used as a case study in postgraduate business programmes such as Master of Business Administration, a specialist masters programme such as MM (entrepreneurship), postgraduate diploma in management, as well as selected executive education programmes. Subject area This case can be used in the subject areas of digital marketing, strategy and e-commerce, social media marketing, entrepreneurship and sports marketing. Case overview This case looks at South African fitness Instapreneur Candice Bodington and how her business trajectory unfolded at the same time of the successful Australian Kayla Itsines. The case begins with Bodington considering options for her brand in January 2020. Following her business, Candibod’s, fast initial growth via Instagram, the case tracks its development while also glancing at the enormous success of Itsines and her Sweat with Kayla app. However, as Bodington faces her own health care, the future and next steps of a brand built on social media becomes less certain. The case ends just a few months later with the unfolding effects of Covid-19 and a whole new host of uncertainties, especially in the fitness industry and Bodington having to reconsider her brand’s options. Expected learning outcomes The learning outcome of this paper is as follows: to understand the challenges of building an online brand. To evaluate the effect of brand communities as a growth strategy. To analyse the impact of social media platforms as a brand-building tool. To critically assess the effect of changing industry dynamics and technology on consumer behaviour. To evaluate how brands can navigate the negative implications of social media. To understand brand differentiation. To understand the strategic decisions associated with brand repositioning. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing. Keywords Digital marketing, Brand building, Social media marketing, Strategic marketing

Action research to reassess the acceptance and use of technology in a blended learning approach among postgraduate business students during the era of exciting technological innovations

Action research to reassess the acceptance and use of technology in a blended learning approach among postgraduate business students during the era of exciting technological innovations

Demographic factors, family background and prior self-employment on entrepreneurial intention-Vietnamese business students are different: why?

This study investigates the impact of demographic factors, prior exposure to self- employment and family background on entrepreneurial intention of Vietnamese business students. Three hundred seventy-two undergraduate and post-graduate business students from three universities in Ho Chi Minh City completed a self- administered questionnaire which was analyzed through Independent Sample T-test and One-way ANOVA. Demographic factors include gender, age ranges and education level, family background include parents’ employment status and parents’ immigrant status. Results evidence somewhat higher entrepreneurial intention in male students. Furthermore, students whose parents are self-employed score higher entrepreneurial intention, but the difference is not statistically significant. The same is evidenced for students whose parents are immigrants from rural areas to urban cities versus non- immigrant parents. Prior experience in self-employment also increases entrepreneurial intention, albeit again insignificantly. Age and education levels show practically no impact. These results are in clear contradiction to the state with state of-the art international literature, which evidences significance in all these impact factors.

Teaching double-entry accounting: A simplified scaffolded technique based on cognitive load theory

This paper reports a teaching intervention based on cognitive load theory designed to improve postgraduate business students’ understanding of double-entry bookkeeping. In response to learning difficulties, a simplified scaffolded method of learning was introduced involving: simplifying accounting terminology drawing on familiar non-technical language; simplifying the process of remembering debit and credit conventions using one basic rule; and developing simple scenarios with minimal detail to enable students to grasp foundational principles prior to embarking on more realistic business scenarios. This study contributes to accounting education by demonstrating a scaffolded learning technique that significantly reduces cognitive load resulting in positive feedback from students who overwhelmingly reported improved understanding of key accounting concepts.

Embodied Phronetic Pedagogy: Cultivating Ethical and Moral Capabilities in Postgraduate Business Students

Scholars have debated the issue of how to improve business ethics education so that it impacts managerial practice. We contribute to this discussion by proposing a pedagogy that we denominate “embo...

Triggerfish animation studios: the challenges of financing digital entertainment

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: to critically assess and analyse public and private funding options and determine which private option is best suited to a company (finance – decision-making). To calculate the internal rate of return (IRR) of a project (finance – analytical). To critically assess the underlying structures of traditional and new industries (Strategy/BMI – analytical). To analyse the challenges and disruption potential of intermediated industries (Strategy/BMI – analytical). Case overview/synopsis The Triggerfish case looks at how films are funded in South Africa. The company is currently funding films mostly through government channels, but CEO Stuart Forrest would prefer to independently and privately fund their projects. The case looks at what returns can be expected by investors in film through the “recoupment waterfall” – the means whereby the producers and investors of a film recoup their investments and earn returns. The investment horizons of select private lenders (bank, mezzanine financiers, risk financers and venture capital firms) and public funders are explored. The case also explores the impact that video-on-demand platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, is having on the traditional models of filmmaking. Complexity academic level This teaching case is aimed at postgraduate business students such as Master’s degrees in Business Administration degrees, postgraduate diplomas, executive education or specialist Master’s degrees. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

An SF-MDA of the Textual and the Logical Cohesive Devices in a Postgraduate Accounting Course

The use of cohesive devices in academic discourse not only improves the quality of writing but also enhances our learning experiences. This study aims to explain how the multimodal accounting discourse is constructed by postgraduate business students through the cohesive ties. Halliday and Hasan’s and Halliday’s cohesion analysis schemes were employed in the systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) of the cohesive devices in the multimodal accounting texts. The schemes are based on systemic functional linguistics (SFL) which suits the context of this study as it considers language as a social semiotic resource for making meaning. Its linguistic tools are capable of explaining the way we construct and make meanings. The SF-MDA findings showed the first and most frequently occurring cohesive device type in the orthographic texts was lexical cohesion, in particular repetition of the same lexical items, followed by reference and conjunctions. Lexical cohesive devices were higher in the tables than in the orthographic texts. Conjunctions were only employed in the orthographic texts to signal extension and enhancement relationships. One of the key features that characterize financial statements is the abundance of implicit hierarchically networked lexical ties that bind the separate lexical strings, thereby organizing the discourse of financial statements. The results contribute to our understanding of the complex multimodal meaning-making processes in accounting discourse.

First Capital Bank: The internationalisation of a Malawian bank into a regional player in Southern Africa

Subject area of the teaching case The subject area is international business and strategy. The case allows scope for the following areas: internationalisation, market strategy, emerging market multinational companies, and doing business in Africa. Student level The primary target audience for this teaching case is postgraduate business students such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), or postgraduate management programmes. The case is primarily designed for use in courses that cover strategy or international business. Brief overview of the teaching case This case centres on the international growth strategy of FMBcapital Holdings Group (FMB), the Malawian commercial banking firm. The case finds the founder and current group chairman, Hitesh Anadkat, in 2016, as he and the FMB board are about to decide on the next move in their Southern African strategy. Since opening the first FMB branch in Malawi and becoming the country's first commercial banker in 1995, Anadkat and his team have ridden a wave of financial deregulation across the region to successfully expand into neighbouring Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique. Now, an opportunity to gain a foothold in Zimbabwe means the leaders must decide (1) whether they want to continue to grow the FMB footprint across the region, or focus on their integration and expansion efforts within existing markets; and (2) how they will realise this strategy. Expected learning outcomes International expansion – identifying the need to expand into new markets; identifying the combination of internal strengths and external conditions that make international expansion viable; and identifying and analysing each possible new market(s) and the decision-making process involved. Political, social and economic factors in Africa – understanding how these external institutional factors present constraints, risks and opportunities for internationalisation and hence shape strategy; understanding that these factors may vary significantly across countries on the continent (in spite of their geographic proximity) and in some cases, within a single country; and understanding that by selecting markets with extreme socially and politically volatile contexts, the risk of a worst-case scenario transpiring (in which institutional forces trump business strategy) is appreciable. Combination of resource- and institutional-based approaches – recognising that successful internationalisation requires capitalising upon both internal resources and institutional mastery. Choosing expansion strategies – assessing the type of new market entry (e.g. greenfield or acquisition of existing operations) and its adequacy for penetrating a new market. Using networks and local partners – to substitute and enhance the benefits that originally flow from a small (and sometime family-established) business, with an emphasis on acquisition of skills and networks in foreign countries. Regional integration – optimising business operations through a sharing or pooling of resources and improved capital flow between subsidiaries, in some instances by taking advantage of economies of scale (this extends to enhancing the reputation and awareness of a brand across a wider region). Family businesses – identifying the value that can be gained through establishing a family business with the support of many “close” stakeholders while also noting the limitation that exist as expansion and growth is required.

Scale development and validation for measuring business-to-business Wasta relationships

PurposeManagers of multinational enterprises (MNEs) from developed economies are often cautious to understand the cultural environment where they do business. This is predominantly true in developing economies, and even more so in certain Arab countries where MNEs have limited knowledge and experience. The purpose of this study is to report on the development of a research instrument that is applicable to Arab business culture, following the 2011 Arab Spring. The investigation draws on data from three different groups of people, i.e. leaders (business professors and leading politicians), business people and postgraduate business students, all of Palestinian nationality. The article examines the Arabic culturally based business structure called Wasta, a system that relies on social networks and the reciprocal exchange of favors. A research instrument is developed to measure three dimensions of Wasta across these three different groups of people and examines their influence on relationship satisfaction and organizational performance. The findings reveal that the groups are affected differently by these dimensions and see different utility in Wasta. Such insights may be useful for MNE practitioners when entering Arab countries, when seeking to employ younger Arabs and when partnering with Arab businesses or dealing with government officials.Design/methodology/approachResearch paperFindingsThis study has focused on the impact of Wasta on relationship satisfaction and on relationship performance for three different groups of individuals: business people, students and leaders. It was hypothesized that higher levels of each component of Wasta would contribute positively to relationship satisfaction, and that the latter would in turn lead to higher relationship performance. Findings generally supported these hypotheses with some variations among groups. Furthermore, it was predicted that the model would be relevant to all three groups, but would be structured differently reflecting their different views of business. The findings of this study help answer our research question about the socio-economic, cultural and political factors that influence the business process involving Arab and non-Arab business managers.Originality/valueOriginal paper

On purpose: leading manufacturing at Shonaquip social enterprise

Learning outcomes The case introduces students to aspects of operations management (OM) and management theory and provides examples of the real-world challenges facing a practitioner. It requires students to think about the operational manager’s responsibilities and how organisational context influences choices and possibly even fit within an organisation. Case overview/synopsis In this case, a factory lead protagonist presents her OM challenges and choices within a for-purpose, rather than for-profit, a social enterprise in South Africa. The context presented unusual constraints that required thoughtful adaptation and judicious choices. The case introduces students to aspects of OM and management theory and provides examples of the real-world challenges facing a practitioner. It requires students to think about the operational manager’s responsibilities and how organisational context influences choices and possibly even fit within an organisation. Complexity academic level The case is aimed at postgraduate business students studying OM. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 9: Operations and logistics.

Kauai: Extending a fast-food brand into traditional retail as a growth strategy

Subject area of the teaching case The case can be used in the subject areas of marketing, strategy, business model innovation in an emerging market. The case introduces a practical example of brand extension as a growth strategy employed by an existing brand to secure additional revenue channels and customer touch points. Student level This teaching case is aimed at postgraduate business students such as Master's degrees in Business Administration degrees, postgraduate diplomas, executive education, or specialist Master's degrees. Brief overview of the teaching case Kauai is a health restaurant with 150 stores across South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, more than 50% of which are franchise-owned. An acquisition of the original Kauai quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain by Real Foods in 2015 leads to a complete rebrand and overhaul of its product offering and store experience. Since the acquisition, the business operates as a startup with few formal processes and KPIs in place to drive performance. Despite the obvious success the team is battling with the factors that need to be considered to ensure that they can scale adequately to realise full potential. Plus how should they position the existing brand effectively within the FMCG space to maximise the contribution of brand equity to its success? Expected learning outcomes –The understanding around the business model of a strong, existing brand entering a highly competitive and price-sensitive FMCG. –Analysing the marketing strategy and brand identity approaches that could be used. –An understanding of the brand extension strategy that could be implemented in light of various challenges. –Understanding how retail marketing works in an emerging market context.

Stakeholders Perception and Attitude Based Framework for Developing Responsible Management Education (RME) Programs

Contributing to the efforts to foster business postgraduate students development toward becoming responsible business leaders is the goal of this study by examining the state of responsible management education in business postgraduate programs in Sudan. We examined perceptions and attitudes toward responsible management and its education among postgraduate-level students and constructed a comprehensive framework appropriate for developing responsible management education programs in under-developed countries. This study’s data were gathered via a structured questionnaire answered by 106 postgraduate business students from the largest four Sudanese business schools and facilities. The students were distributed among the management, finance, and marketing fields. The students exhibited affirmative corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions and attitudes with a heightened focus on acting ethically and a diminished focus on financial considerations. A key lesson learned from this study is the need for the continued development of CSR and general ethics across business school curriculums in Sudan.

Yuppiechef: from clicks to bricks – an omnichannel approach for a South African business

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: understanding online, traditional and omnichannel retail and the challenges and benefits of each method; evaluating the effect of consumer buying behaviour on a company’s growth strategy; assessing the effect of changing industry dynamics and technology on consumer behaviour; and understanding the role of consistent customer experience across different retail mediums. Case overview/synopsis This case looks at Yuppiechef, a successful e-commerce business, and their move from “clicks to bricks” with the introduction of retail stores. Founder and CEO of Yuppiechef, Andrew Smith, shares the current business status and considers how to maintain the brand’s culture with the growth of retail and being an omnichannel pioneer. Complexity academic level The primary target audience for this teaching case is postgraduate business students, especially students of digital marketing, strategy and e-commerce. This teaching case is intended to be used as case study in postgraduate business programmes such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), a specialist masters’ programme such as MM (Entrepreneurship), post-graduate diploma in management (PGDip), as well as selected executive education programmes. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.