Business School Research Articles

AI for learning unleashed: Pioneering generative AI in education at the University of Miami

The University of Miami (UM) is at the forefront of integrating generative AI into education, spearheaded by Ann M. Olazábal, Interim Dean of the Miami Herbert Business School. This case study explores the dynamic landscape of AI adoption at UM, highlighting both the innovative potential and ethical challenges. The university has embraced AI tools like Adobe Firefly and Copilot, aiming to enhance learning experiences and internal processes. However, the misuse of AI for academic dishonesty poses significant dilemmas. The case contrasts two MBA students' approaches to AI: Alex, who uses AI to shortcut his studies, and Jordan, who leverages AI to deepen her understanding and enhance her learning. The narrative underscores the need for ethical AI use and the importance of fostering critical thinking and creativity. Ann’s strategic vision includes forming an AI task force to explore AI’s organizational impacts and potential use cases, such as a smart assistant for student curriculum planning and an AI-powered entrepreneurship lab. The case concludes with a discussion on balancing innovation with academic integrity and the challenges of centralized IT governance. The case serves as a foundation for classroom discussion including a comprehensive examination of the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI in higher education.

Exploring the Relationship Between Operations Management Practices and Students’ Satisfaction in the Canteen at Mabolo National High School

This descriptive-correlational study scrutinized the operations management and senior high school students’ satisfaction with the canteen inside the Mabolo National High School. Also, the relationship between the two variables was explored. Four hundred eighty-nine (489) respondents were chosen conveniently to participate in the data gathering using a modified tool validated by the experts and obtained 0.7346 internal consistency. Weighted mean and Pearson correlation coefficient were employed to analyze the data and yield valuable findings. Findings unveiled that students were satisfied with the personnel's treatment, the proactive approach of the canteen to provide fresh and healthy products, the products being served, and the processes of the canteen to maintain a quality service. Also, the study found that the operations management practices of the canteen have a significant relationship to the students’ satisfaction. Improving operations management is critical in meeting customer needs and leading to satisfaction. Consequently, maintaining and enhancing customer satisfaction can be attained by ensuring that the quality of products, processes, employees, and proactive measures is exceptional. Furthermore, future researchers can pursue other variables, such as canteen facilities, food prices, food tastes, and food preferences, for future studies as they might influence overall customer satisfaction.

Skin or Skim? Inside Investment and Hedge Fund Performance

Hedge fund managers contribute substantial personal capital, or “skin in the game,” into their funds. Although these allocations may better align incentives, managers may also strategically allocate their private capital in ways that negatively affect outside investors. We find that funds with more inside investment outperform other funds within the same family. This relationship is driven by managerial decisions to invest their own capital in their least-scalable strategies and restrict the entry of new outsider capital into these funds. Our results suggest that insider capital may work as a rent-extraction mechanism at the expense of fund participation of outside investors. This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance. Funding: This work was supported by Columbia University and the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2024.4984 .

Opportunities and Challenges of Sustainable Innovation for Climate Change Mitigation in Companies: A Systematic Literature Review

ABSTRACTThe escalating environmental degradation and tightening regulations worldwide since the 1990s have heightened environmental concerns among organizations, necessitating innovative and sustainable responses to climate change. This article aims to explore opportunities and challenges of sustainable innovations for mitigating climate change within companies. A systematic literature review was conducted, encompassing 42 articles from 2005 to 2022. Most studies originate from European countries, particularly from institutions like Sapienza University of Rome, Jinan University, and Amsterdam Business School. Notable authors include Rosa Maria Dangelico, Ans Kolk, and Jonatan Pinkse. The most cited journals include Business Strategy and the Environment, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Sustainability (MDPI). Identified opportunities for companies embracing climate change mitigation through innovation include enhanced image and competitiveness. Challenges comprise high implementation costs, ambiguous sustainable development guidelines, partnership scarcity, technological risk uncertainties, consumer acceptance concerns, deficient tools for low‐carbon product development, and the sociotechnical system's influence. Moreover, companies face hurdles like reliance on supply chain complementary capabilities and regulatory uncertainties. Future research should prioritize less costly sustainability practices and examine the sociotechnical factor's impact on sustainable innovation adoption. Prohibitive investment costs hinder companies from embracing these practices, highlighting the need for cost‐effective alternatives. Understanding the sociotechnical dynamic's role in driving or obstructing sustainable innovation adoption is crucial for comprehensive analysis and effective strategy development.

How Business Schools Support Students Pursuing Entrepreneurship: Insights from Nepalese Students

This study explores how Nepalese business schools are supporting students’ entrepreneurial aspirations and how they can further support student entrepreneurs. The study employed a qualitative research approach to gather students' perspectives on the effectiveness of current support systems. A total of seven interviews were conducted with students from two selected business schools. From the collective responses of the students, 8 prominent roles emerged, which were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that business schools have been supporting their entrepreneurial students by imparting the theoretical knowledge required for entrepreneurship, complemented by providing platforms to apply the gained theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, nurturing their entrepreneurial skills through training and mentorship, facilitating the networking opportunity, and establishing the on-campus incubation centre. However, despite the continuous efforts of the business school, findings also revealed that there are many areas to be improved and given attention to motivate students to act on their entrepreneurial ideas. Findings suggest that Business schools should give more emphasis to funding Students’ business Ideas and modernising the method of teaching. This research contributes to an understanding of fostering entrepreneurship through business education in the context of business schools in Nepal.

Approaches for Integrating Sustainability in Business Schools – Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

Approaches for Integrating Sustainability in Business Schools – Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

The contribution of quality management practices to student performance: Mediated by school culture

School management is responsible and accountable for implementing educational policies into practice effectively and efficiently to provide quality education. Simultaneously, school management can grasp the core features of the whole school process and identify the relationship among three variables: quality management practices, school culture, and student performance. The current study aims to explore the school principals' perception about quality management practices and its relationship with school culture and student performance in the public secondary schools of Punjab province, Pakistan. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the study adopted an exploratory sequential mix-methods research design. The researcher conducted a systematic literature review of sixty-three previous studies and interviews with eleven school principals for the qualitative data. Based on results obtained from the qualitative phase, a questionnaire was prepared and dispatched to 150 school principals to get quantitative data. Successively 120 valid responses were received. SEM analysis was performed to get quantitative results. The study's preliminary conclusion demonstrated a positive connection between quality management and student performance in public secondary schools, and quality management was also a significant predictor of school culture. Further, school culture served as a complete mediator between quality management and student performance.

Lessons from business education's online transition: A Saudi Arabian case study

We survey business school faculty and students from a major Saudi Arabian university that transitioned to online learning because of the COVID-19 lockdown. This study leverages the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework to explore the factors influencing faculty and student willingness and acceptance of online learning as we move to a post-COVID-19 new normal. We use partial least square structural equation modeling to examine the factors that impact faculty and student satisfaction and their behavioral intention to the continued use of online learning in the future. The results of the study indicate that when faculty perceive that e-learning improves their teaching performance and effectiveness (performance expectancy) and find that online teaching tools are relatively easy to use (effort expectancy) then they are more open to consider online teaching and using digital tools even after the pandemic. Further analysis, however, indicates that as faculty perceive a greater loss of control in the classroom, they are less likely to consider teaching/learning online courses and using digital tools in the future. Like faculty, students value online learning when they perceive it helps improve their learning and performance (performance expectancy) and find that e-learning tools are easy to use (effort expectancy) but in contrast to faculty, image, and peer pressure (Social influence) also plays an important role in their acceptance of online learning. Additionally, the changing classroom dynamics, specifically the professor-student power equation under online teaching, is less of a concern for students as compared to faculty.

Recaudo: a sustainable restaurant with roots in passion and entrepreneurship

Learning outcomes Upon completion of this case study, students will be able to understand Recaudo's contribution to sustainability; analyze circular economy principles in Recaudo's operations; understand Recaudo's contributions to Sustainable Development Goals; exploring Recaudo's role in social innovation. Case overview/synopsis The purpose of this case study is to understand sustainability practices in a Mexican microenterprise that employs fair trade, circular economy and local cuisine. Despite implementing these practices, the founder aims to expand impact and further professionalize them. The study poses questions to enhance her proposals in social innovation and aims to reach business schools and entrepreneurs initiating enterprises. Complexity academic level This case study can be useful for undergraduate students majoring in fields such as business administration, entrepreneurship, sustainability studies and hospitality management; for postgraduate students pursuing advanced degrees in areas like sustainable business management, social entrepreneurship and development studies; and for professionals and practitioners in the restaurant industry, sustainability consulting firms and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focusing on sustainable development. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Service Oikos as a complex self-perpetuating system: a bibliometric study of service ecosystems

PurposeThis study aims to address the following research questions: (1) What are the theoretical frameworks and areas of study that influence the development of service ecosystems? and (2) To what extent does a service ecosystem align with the theoretical concepts presented in other research contexts within the study areas, thereby transforming the fundamental structure of the core concept?Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a bibliometric systematic literature review, analyzing 280 papers from a sample of 52 journals listed in the Association of Business Schools (ABS). The review covered the period between 2004 and 2022, and we utilized co-citation analysis, multi-dimensional scaling analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) on a total of 2,614 citations.FindingsThis study employs co-citation analysis to identify the conceptual structure of the service ecosystem based on highly cited papers. Additionally, we utilize multidimensional scaling (MDS) to uncover key approaches driving service ecosystem research. Through HCA and network analysis, we examine the research scope and its development, emphasizing theory-driven approaches. By combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, we explore the interrelationships between scope, domain and evolution. This comprehensive analysis allows us to delve deeply into the study of service ecosystems. To broaden the research scope, we propose a conceptual framework for comparing the main components of a service ecosystem. The current paper clarifies the service ecosystem's intellectual structure, including service performance, humanistic approach, sustainable innovations and service reflexivity and reformation and proposes a prospective research framework for specialists and researchers by introducing a metaverse service ecosystem.Originality/valueFor the first time, the findings of this study shed light on processes that facilitate the flow of technologies, business models and markets through social structures, ultimately contributing to social change. In service-based systems, the development and application of a more humanistic approach within and surrounding social service ecosystems are crucial as they evolve. Therefore, adopting a dynamic and multifaceted approach offers valuable insights into the drivers of value creation.

Mamaearth IPO: the pricing dilemma of a startup

Learning outcomes After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to recognize essential considerations for the initial public offerings (IPO) decision, compare different types of fundraising options for startups, evaluate the free pricing regime for IPO pricing, examine the pricing process of IPOs, explore the issue of valuation of IPOs and assess the decision choices of the founder regarding IPO given the trade-offs and market conditions. Case overview/synopsis The case study explores the dilemma of Ghazal Alagh, the co-founder and chief innovation officer of Mamaearth, a direct-to-consumer babycare and skincare unicorn, regarding its IPO decision. Mamaearth had filed the draft offer document with SEBI in December 2022, and Ghazal was busy engaging with the investment bankers for the upcoming IPO. However, the weak market sentiments and shelving of IPO plans by many startups were forcing her to think about facing the possibility of postponing the IPO or continuing the IPO process but at lower valuations. The case study provides an opportunity to explore a startup’s financing choices. It allows for discussion of various IPO challenges from the perspectives of founders, venture investors, regulators, investment bankers and new IPO investors. Complexity academic level This case study is best suited for senior undergraduate- and graduate-level business school students in courses focusing on entrepreneurship, corporate finance, financial management, strategic management and investment banking. Subject code CSS1: Accounting and finance. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Entrepreneurship Education as Panacea to Job Creation among University Graduates: A Case of ZCAS University

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that entrepreneurship education can have on entrepreneurial outcomes by the graduates from ZCAS University. The author aimed to investigate the perceived influence that various entrepreneurship education courses have had on a cohort of 76 graduates from the University’s School of Business that were pesuing Bachlor’s degree in Business Administration, Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneusrhip, bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance, bachelor’s degree in Accountaning. Methodology: A questionnaire with semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews was administered to 75 responsents via google forms. Findings and results indicate that entrepreneurship education is slowly having an impact on graduate entrepreneurship intentions as a progressive number of graduates accounting for 33% engaged themselves in entrepreneurship which ultimately has the potential to create jobs and and have a positive impact on economic development. Findings: The findings provide valuable insights for educators, policy makers and graduate entrepreneurs. Stakeholders such as government, local authorities and sponsors/parents could use this study to make better choices in relation to the education of future graduate entrepreneurs. The study therefore recommends among others inclusion of significant course content on entrepreneurship and investment in non-business and management related programmes of study. Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study provides an empirically rigorous insight into a relatively neglected area of entrepreneurship education research. It provides valuable data for stakeholders involved in both the supply and the demand side of the entrepreneurship education process. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that entrepreneurship education can have on entrepreneurial outcomes by the graduates from ZCAS University. The author aimed to investigate the perceived influence that various entrepreneurship education courses have had on a cohort of 76 graduates from the University’s School of Business that were pesuing Bachlor’s degree in Business Administration, Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneusrhip, bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance, bachelor’s degree in Accountaning. Methodology: A questionnaire with semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews was administered to 75 responsents via google forms. Findings and results indicate that entrepreneurship education is slowly having an impact on graduate entrepreneurship intentions as a progressive number of graduates accounting for 33% engaged themselves in entrepreneurship which ultimately has the potential to create jobs and and have a positive impact on economic development. Findings: The findings provide valuable insights for educators, policy makers and graduate entrepreneurs. Stakeholders such as government, local authorities and sponsors/parents could use this study to make better choices in relation to the education of future graduate entrepreneurs. The study therefore recommends among others inclusion of significant course content on entrepreneurship and investment in non-business and management related programmes of study. Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study provides an empirically rigorous insight into a relatively neglected area of entrepreneurship education research. It provides valuable data for stakeholders involved in both the supply and the demand side of the entrepreneurship education process.

Social Innovation in a University: Accelerator Programs of a Center for Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippine Setting

The paper traces the managerial plans and decisions made towards the development of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines under the auspices of the School of Business and Economics and Santa Clara University's Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship in California. Using the action research approach, the Center and its two Accelerator Programs namely the Global Social Benefit Institute Boost and Online Accelerator Programs were studied. Participants for the first cohorts were called Potential Social Enterprises (PSEs) and Mature Social Enterprise (MSEs) for the Boost and Online Accelerator Programs, respectively. A total 27 PSEs and 5 MSEs joined the first cohort. Few scholars have studied accelerators that support social enterprises. In contrast to incubators, accelerators expose social entrepreneurs to market forces and provide the intense process of mentoring, education, and expansion of networks which have a lasting impact on participants. Overall, both Boost and Online Accelerator Programs proved effective in developing the competencies of the social enterprises. The results presented in this paper covers the period of implementation from the time the center was launched in February 2018 to February 2019. This study will cover the progress towards the center's goals, verifiable indicators, activities conducted, survey results, key insights and initial recommendations moving forward. The findings of the study support similar findings of other authors that accelerators for social enterprises play an important role in developing social ventures. Accelerators can contribute to the development of new ventures at several stages.

Functional heterogeneity in digital entrepreneurial teams and pivoting: the role of digital agility

PurposeThe rapid development of digital technologies drives digital entrepreneurs to pivot, a behavior that allows entrepreneurs to adjust original opportunities and explore new opportunities. This study aims to investigate the effect of the structural characteristics of digital entrepreneurial teams, the functional heterogeneity, on pivoting from the perspective of digital agility. Moreover, this study also examines the moderating effect of knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachTwo-phase survey data were sourced from Chinese digital entrepreneurial teams through the entrepreneurial networks of MBA programs of a Chinese business school and entrepreneurial support organizations in China. The sample of 272 teams with 708 entrepreneurs was collected to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe functional heterogeneity of digital entrepreneurial teams, including industry background heterogeneity and occupational experience heterogeneity, positively impacts pivoting by providing heterogeneous knowledge and resources. Moreover, this relationship is mediated by the digital agility of the digital team, and knowledge sharing moderates the relationship between functional heterogeneity and digital agility.Originality/valueWhile existing studies have mainly focused on the external factors, this study empirically investigates the team-level internal factors of digital pivoting in digital entrepreneurial teams, enriching the research perspective of pivoting. Moreover, the current study bridges the literature on digital agility with pivoting, broadening the theoretical mechanism of pivoting and expanding the theoretical boundaries of digital agility.

Investigating the link between students’ learning intentions and their learning outcomes: A clustered randomised controlled trial

We investigate the impact of repeated contextual nudging on task com- pletion and performance within the setting of traditional face-to-face education, adding to a literature which has focused on non-contextual nudges, provided contextual nudges in online learning settings, or used one-time nudges. We undertake a clustered randomised controlled trial on first-year Business School students at Heriot-Watt University, employing weekly nudges during tutorials to encourage students to establish learning intentions for the upcoming week. We rule out significant treatment effects from the nudging intervention on tutorial attendance, the most important predictor of final marks of all intermediate outcomes that we consider. We are unable to make causal statements on the effects of the intervention on final marks. Nonetheless, this experiment yields valuable insights into the dynamics of repeated contextual nudging within traditional educational settings as well as shedding light on aspects of student behaviour.

Determinants of enforced and voluntary tax compliance: Adopting slippery slope framework

Research aims: This research aims to scrutinize the influence of factors impacting voluntary tax compliance and enforced tax compliance using the variables of power of authorities and trust in authorities.Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employed a research sample of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) taxpayers in the Special Region of Yogyakarta represented by business school students, utilizing a questionnaire survey via Google Form with a purposive sampling method. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 60 questionnaires, with 59 questionnaires that could be processed. Data analysis was then carried out using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.Research findings: The results of this study demonstrated that using the slippery slope framework theory, trust in authorities was positively associated with voluntary tax compliance, while the power of authorities was negatively associated with voluntary tax compliance. Trust in authorities, however, did not have any impact on enforced tax compliance. Additionally, the power of authorities exerted a positive effect on voluntary tax compliance.Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study provides an understanding of the factors influencing tax compliance by referring to the slippery slope framework theory. Apart from that, this research field is still relatively underexplored in Indonesia.Practitioner/Policy implication: This study can be used to determine the factors driving and inhibiting MSMEs' taxpayer compliance so that it can be used as input and consideration to improve services related to taxpayer compliance further.Research limitation/Implication: This study can serve as a valuable resource for future research and the generation of new ideas. Also, it can be utilized as a reference in educational materials pertaining to aspects that promote taxpayer compliance.

Sexism in business schools (and universities): Structural inequalities, systemic failures, and individual experiences

Sexism in business schools (and universities): Structural inequalities, systemic failures, and individual experiences

Managing business during global economic crisis: the case of Global Gadget Limited, Bangladesh

Learning outcomes The primary objective of this case was to grant the students an exposure to the students regarding how to manage a retail business during an economic crisis. In this case, all three of the aforementioned objectives as the students were given opportunity to dissect the business process through business model canvas, find out the key success factors and more importantly, were encouraged towards cost cutting behaviour by presenting the real-life dilemmas that were faced by an actual entrepreneur. Furthermore, the students were shown the importance of stakeholder management through this case, as support is very much needed for the retailers from macro-economic and micro-economic level. Case overview/synopsis This case study is the story of Global Gadget Limited, a premium retailer of cell phones and other relevant devises, which is located in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The story is revolving around the challenge that Mr Shahadat Hossain Dipto, the owner of Global Gadget is facing over the past two years. Dipto mainly runs his business by selling budget phones from brands like Oppo, Xiaomi, Samsung and Vivo to the middle class and lower middle-class people of Bangladesh, who are very much cost conscious. To persuade these customers to buy his phones, he offers discounts, free gifts, equated monthly instalment services (a monthly instalment plan for the customers who cannot afford to pay the full amount when buying the phone) and sometimes even lottery. In the process, if he can sell more phones, these brands reward him with attractive commissions and all the necessary supports that help him run the business with marginal profit. However, due to the Russia–Ukraine war, he is now in crisis as the resulting economic crisis is causing a price increase on these phones, while drying out his customer’s pockets. This case study is designed to teach the students the importance of product segmentation, inventory management, cost management and relationship management to the students and future entrepreneur, so that they can understand, what does it take for an entrepreneur to survive an economic crisis. Complexity academic level This case study is aimed at undergraduate, masters’ students in business schools and Master of Business Administration students or short course executives and for the students of entrepreneurship education programme. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS3: Entrepreneurship.

Scalable competitive intelligence education through micro-learning and micro-credentials

It is essential for students, both inside and outside the business school, to learn business information literacy skills to make ­evidence-based decisions. To address this need, faculty from a large public university developed a competitive intelligence digital module using micro-learning and micro-credentialing concepts designed to be scalable for use in many disciplinary areas. During the pilot, students in a first-year Management course and a senior capstone Engineering Technology course were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the content’s utility and usability. This paper presents the results of this survey to determine student perceptions and if there are any disciplinary differences.

Business education and its paradoxes: Linking business and biodiversity through critical pedagogy curriculum

AbstractThe Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, launched during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in December 2022, encourages governments, companies and investors to publish data on their nature‐related risks, dependencies and impacts. These disclosures are intended to drive businesses to recognise, manage and mitigate their reliance on ecosystem goods and services. However, there is a ‘biodiversity blind spot’ that is evident for most organisations and business schools. Business education rarely addresses the root causes of biodiversity loss, such as the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. As the dominant positioning of Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG) presents biodiversity in anthropocentric instrumental terms inadequate for addressing ecosystem decline, we posit that a more progressive and transformative ecocentric education through ecopedagogy and ecoliteracy is needed. Both approaches include the development of critical thinking about degrowth, the circular economy and conventional stakeholder theory to include non‐human stakeholders. Using comparative case studies from Northumbria University, the University of Hong Kong and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, we illustrate how business education can be transformed to address biodiversity loss, providing theoretical guidance and practical recommendations to academic practitioners and future business leaders.