Integrating Business Disciplines using a Team-Based Approach

Abstract

This chapter reports on the pilot of an innovative approach to business education that was instituted at a small university in the United States. In the program, students were divided into three learning cohorts. Each group was encouraged to learn as a community while taking three integrated classes. Teams competed within their cohort and cohorts competed against other cohorts. Students took introductory managerial accounting, introductory computer information systems and introductory management in the first semester and financial management, operations management and an introductory marketing course in the second semester. The program was designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice by helping students gain a better appreciation of how business functions are integrated. After the first semester, an anonymous survey revealed some useful insights that could be incorporated to enhance such programs. The structure of the program, its benefits, limitations and insights from the survey are reported in this chapter.

Citation

Asare, K.N., McKay-Nesbitt, J. and LeMaster-Merrick, A. (2014), "Integrating Business Disciplines using a Team-Based Approach", Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations (Advances in Accounting Education, Vol. 15), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 135-165. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1085-462220140000015006