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Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Leiv Opstad

The purpose of the article is to gain more insight into factors that can explain students' success in business subjects. The focus is on the connection between performance in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the article is to gain more insight into factors that can explain students' success in business subjects. The focus is on the connection between performance in introductory courses in business mathematics (BM) and business statistics (BS) and success in various business subjects.

Design/methodology/approach

Use of a regression model with administrative data from a business school in Norway over a period of 10 years.

Findings

The findings show a strong correlation, especially in quantitative subjects. The results suggest that statistical skills are more strongly related to academic success than mathematical skills.

Research limitations/implications

The data are collected from only one school. No information on undergraduates' personalities and behaviours is available.

Originality/value

There are limited published studies that have explored the relationship between success in statistics and later achievements in business courses. This is useful knowledge for planning the content of the bachelor's programme.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2024

Jacek Barlik

This study examines the role of values, social causes, PR ethics and sustainability in public relations (PR) curricula in a European country. PR students are asked about the value…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the role of values, social causes, PR ethics and sustainability in public relations (PR) curricula in a European country. PR students are asked about the value of learning imponderabilia versus technical skills needed in the PR industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used for this study is a quantitative online survey among PR students from six public universities with established PR programs. The study is another part of a long-term project about PR education, students' job prospects, the usefulness of PR studies at work and the role of values and technical skills in PR curricula.

Findings

This study shows that the PR students believe that their profession should include broader social issues, like equality, ethics, activism and ESG (ecological, social and governance). Most students report that their curricula cover ethics, sustainability and social responsibility and that these subjects would be useful in their future careers.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the study was conducted in one European country, it may be interesting to scholars and practitioners elsewhere and may be adopted and replicated.

Practical implications

Identifying PR students' needs, expectations and attitudes towards the PR industry and understanding the worldviews of new graduates, with their commitment to social causes and activism, should be helpful to their teachers and instructors, future employers or clients in terms of faster and more efficient onboarding.

Social implications

A better understanding of the current requirements for graduates of PR studies should help them find enough opportunities in the job market and improve the organizational communication of their future employers.

Originality/value

Measuring PR students' opinions on their educational experience, the role of professional skills and socially conscious, ethically oriented classes can contribute to better formulation of PR curricula and may be useful for the PR industry and academia in other countries.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2024

Nancy Bouranta, Evangelos L. Psomas and Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos

Online learning gained ground during the pandemic and has continued to be used in the post-Covid era. Items related to online learning should be included in service quality…

Abstract

Purpose

Online learning gained ground during the pandemic and has continued to be used in the post-Covid era. Items related to online learning should be included in service quality assessment. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of service quality, which includes the online learning dimension, on student satisfaction in higher-education in a blended learning environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 452 valid questionnaires were collected from business undergraduate students enrolled in public universities in Greece. A modified version of HEdPERF is used to evaluate service quality. Due to the extensive use of online learning, an additional dimension was added to the HEdPERF scale which focuses on online education, a field that has not yet been widely examined. Structural equation modeling is used to examine the relationships between service quality, and student satisfaction.

Findings

The research findings verify the six-structure scale of the HEdPERF instrument (non-academic aspects, academic aspects, reputation, access and programs issues and online learning), providing satisfactory results in terms of reliability and validity tests. Service quality dimensions such as academic aspects, access, program issues and online learning are the influential dimensions of student satisfaction in a blended learning context.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has expanded traditional service quality instruments to include the dimension of service quality of online learning.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2024

Sofyan Abu Shriha, Moh’d Anwer AL-Shboul and Samer Abaddi

The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations between the e-entrepreneurial intentions, attitude toward e-entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavior control…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations between the e-entrepreneurial intentions, attitude toward e-entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, attitude toward risk and entrepreneurial knowledge of Jordanian business students to start an online business and the e-entrepreneurial intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 392 undergraduate business students from different Jordanian public and private universities participated in the study. Data were collected using an online survey-based questionnaire (i.e. Google Forms) using emails and social media platforms (i.e. WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.); reliability and validity tests were ensured. This study employs a 50-item questionnaire (distributed online via Google Forms and in two languages) to collect data, utilizing 5-point Likert scales; correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling are used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results showed that the e-entrepreneurship intentions of Jordanian business students are significantly predicted by their attitude toward e-entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial knowledge. One’s attitude toward risk does not influence the ambition to launch an Internet company much. Furthermore, their affiliation does not significantly impact the students' plans to pursue e-entrepreneurship.

Practical implications

The study has important real-world implications, particularly for Jordan. The country could create more jobs and boost the economy by encouraging students to start online businesses and helping small businesses grow. This is especially important in Jordan, where many people, particularly young adults, struggle to find work. Therefore, true need for interventions to foster e-entrepreneurship among business students in emerging economies like Jordan.

Originality/value

The goal of this research is to examine Jordanian business students' aspirations to launch Internet businesses in developing nations throughout the digital age. The results offer valuable information on the elements influencing the e-entrepreneurial intents of Jordanian business students. This information may be utilized to create programs and policies that effectively encourage e-entrepreneurship in Jordan.

Details

Management & Sustainability: An Arab Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-9819

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Gazi Mahabubul Alam and Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad

Education can be classified into formal and informal sectors—the first category as a regular schooling system and the latter category as private tutoring. After completing…

Abstract

Purpose

Education can be classified into formal and informal sectors—the first category as a regular schooling system and the latter category as private tutoring. After completing secondary education, students in many countries receive education from private tutoring to get admission into the university. This study examines the effect of private tutoring on university admission and subsequent students' academic achievement at the university level.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data from Bangladesh as a case study, this study employs a two-stage least squares (2SLS) methodology.

Findings

Considering that coaching centers offer services such as private tutoring, this study finds that an informal education for admission greatly helps academic achievement. Students who benefit from informal schooling are more likely to achieve higher grades in subsequent programs.

Originality/value

This study strongly suggests that formal education at the secondary school level is unable to meet the academic expectations that are demanded at the tertiary level. This forces the development of private tutoring, which supports the students from more financially well-off families to perform well at the cost of educational disparity.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2024

Sue Malthus, Carolyn Fowler and Carolyn J. Cordery

Prior research finds that early-career professional accountants (early PAs) are generally dissatisfied with the learning and training opportunities offered during their early…

Abstract

Purpose

Prior research finds that early-career professional accountants (early PAs) are generally dissatisfied with the learning and training opportunities offered during their early employment years, which impacts their career progression. This paper aims to examine whether different learning styles between these early PAs and their qualified accounting employers and trainers diverge.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Kolb’s learning styles inventory and interviews, this study explores the learning styles of early PAs and their employers, examining changes in these learning styles over time.

Findings

This research shows the necessity for different learning styles to be integrated into early PA training and learning, as research participants’ learning styles tend to prefer active experimentation requiring practical examples and self-learning opportunities. In contrast, their senior, qualified accounting employers prefer conceptualisation-based learning styles. As early PAs’ career progression requires them to succeed in employer-supported training, some early PAs change their learning style preferences to progress, whereas others with incompatible learning styles either moved to different employers or reassessed their choice of profession.

Practical implications

To reduce career dissatisfaction, develop and retain competent accountants, early PAs must be supported to learn effectively. By reducing early PAs’ dissatisfaction early PA educators and employers will potentially increase the attractiveness of accounting as a profession.

Originality/value

Few studies interrogate how accounting professionals utilise learning and training post-graduation nor do they examine the learning styles of workplace trainers and learners. This exploratory study uniquely analyses the learning styles of both early PAs and their employers.

Details

Pacific Accounting Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0114-0582

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2024

Swapnil Sharma, Seema Ravindra Singh and Sunita Jatav

An undergraduate civil engineering programme is assessed for its relevance to the building construction sector. Its contrast from the existing curriculum structure is also…

Abstract

Purpose

An undergraduate civil engineering programme is assessed for its relevance to the building construction sector. Its contrast from the existing curriculum structure is also highlighted.

Design/methodology/approach

The curriculum is clustered into 15 groups based on disciplines. A pairwise comparison of groups is conducted by experts from the building construction sector. Expert judgements are analysed using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) to determine the groups' order based on their importance in preparing students for a career in the building construction sector.

Findings

Concrete Technology, Structural Design and Analysis, and Building Technology and Town Planning emerged as the three most essential course groups, followed by Construction and Project Management, Surveying, and Geotechnical and Allied. Foundational Science and Math, Hydrology/Water Resource Engineering, and Computing and Programming came last in the order.

Research limitations/implications

Relying on a curriculum from a specific region, generalizability to other geographical areas is limited. The perspective of building construction sector professionals excludes the views of other stakeholder groups within the sector.

Practical implications

The study allows universities in general to enhance students' job prospects in construction by calibrating course group priorities and aligning skills with industry needs, thereby potentially improving employability, and boosting the industry-academia relationship.

Originality/value

Fuzzy AHP has been utilized by building construction industry experts to assess the relevance of an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. Findings serve as a valuable reference for implementing positive curriculum changes to potentially enhance student employability.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2024

Stefanie Ruel

The author aims to walk beside the singular privileged class of White women’s suffrage feminist origin story to (re)construct plausible feminist fragmented threads as…

Abstract

Purpose

The author aims to walk beside the singular privileged class of White women’s suffrage feminist origin story to (re)construct plausible feminist fragmented threads as antenarratives in the context of business management education. To accomplish this (re)assembling of threads, the author examined two North American business trade publications created and used within two business schools, Harvard University’s Harvard Business Review (HBR), established in 1922, and Western University’s The Quarterly Review of Commerce (The Quarterly), established in 1933.

Design/methodology/approach

The author carefully reviewed almost 4,000 articles from HBR and The Quarterly, focusing on 308 articles that addressed the experiences of complex women. With this subset of collected articles, the author highlighted overlooked details, accidents and errors, generating interest and curiosity about the emergence of these fragmented and paradoxical origins that align with Foucault's histories of errors. By grouping these narrative fragments into themes and conducting a critical discourse analysis that incorporated influences from the external environment, the author reconstructed plural feminist origins antenarratives.

Findings

The themes discovered, including women as consumers, explicit working women concerns, women as authors/coauthors, diversity and social justice initiatives, and women in higher education/training, are not merely descriptive observations. They are the building blocks for identifying and analyzing the power relations circulating among feminist origins antenarratives within management education circles. These antenarratives include shedding light on women working in capitalist contexts, the educational needs of business women, and men and naming (but not breaking) the “mythologies” of women at work. These findings are transformative to the understanding of plural feminist origins.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this work lies in its threefold contributions: moving away from the notion of a singular feminist origin story and instead embracing the complexity of multiple, paradoxical and incomplete origins; shedding light on the spectrum of power relations – ranging from productive to oppressive – that shaped the experiences of women in two management educational circles during the first half of the 20th century; and introducing the concept of inflection points, which underscores the fluidity of knowledge.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2024

Yin Ma, P.M. Nimmi, Maria Mouratidou and William E. Donald

This study aims to explore the impact of engaging in serious leisure (SL) on the well-being (WB) and self-perceived employability (PE) of university students while also…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the impact of engaging in serious leisure (SL) on the well-being (WB) and self-perceived employability (PE) of university students while also considering the role of career adaptability (CA) as a mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 905 domestic undergraduate students from China completed an online survey.

Findings

The findings reveal that participation in SL positively influences WB and PE. Additionally, the results indicate that CA mediates the SL-WB relationship but not the SL-PE relationship.

Originality/value

The theoretical contribution of this research comes from advancing our understanding of sustainable career theory through empirical testing of SL, PE, and CA on WB outcomes within a higher education setting. The practical implications of this study involve providing universities with strategies to support domestic Chinese undergraduate students in enhancing their WB and PE through active engagement in SL pursuits and the development of CA. Moreover, our findings serve as a foundation for future research investigating whether insights gained from domestic Chinese undergraduate students can provide solutions on a global scale to address the persistent challenges of improving student WB and PE.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Lisa Gring-Pemble, Gregory Unruh and Efrat Shaked

Stakeholder capitalism has gained attention among business practitioners and academia, often discussed within the context of corporate social responsibility, ethical practices and…

Abstract

Purpose

Stakeholder capitalism has gained attention among business practitioners and academia, often discussed within the context of corporate social responsibility, ethical practices and values-based leadership. Many societal institutions, including businesses and higher education institutions, have a role to play in the transition toward stakeholder capitalism. This study aims to discuss insights gained from a multiyear research and pedagogical project coordinated among a group of academics and an Israel-based holding company to study the implementation of a values-based leadership process focused on establishing a stakeholder-oriented model in a variety of organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Conducted over a decadal period, this project relied on a qualitative case study methodology. The project was conceived as an exploratory and inductive study examining organizations that implemented a values-based leadership model and a university that used this model for curriculum and pedagogy. Semi-structured interviews, observations of leadership practices and operations, and substantive reviews of organizational documents informed the study’s iterative methodology.

Findings

The case studies presented explore the benefits of a stakeholder capitalism and values-based leadership transformation in organizations and highlight the importance of senior leadership engagement at the outset to set the tone and direction of implementation while also role modeling values-based behaviors for the organization. The utility of aligning the new values-based approach with existing elements of the organizational culture and priorities was also identified in addition to the benefit of individuals linking the new values initiative to their personal values and life. These practices, and a broader stakeholder dialogue on values, helped establish a transition that was inclusive within the organizational hierarchy and in its connections to the larger society. The cases also explored how stakeholder principles and values-based leadership models can be integrated into management education based on the outcomes of the organizational investigations.

Originality/value

These case studies offer insight into the implementation of a values-based leadership framework, which draws on stakeholder theory, in diverse organizations across a for-profit to non-profit spectrum. These studies also provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the implementation of a common values framework in different sectors. The cases further highlight the potential role of business-education sectoral partnerships in educating a workforce that is dedicated to business for good.

Details

Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

Keywords

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