Using extracurricular activity as an indicator of interpersonal skill: Prudent evaluation or recruiting malpractice?

There is widespread agreement that success in organizations requires more than high intellect. Thus, college recruiters commonly examine job candidates' extracurricular activities in search of “well‐rounded,” emotionally intelligent, and interpersonally skilled students. Intuitively, extracurricular activities seem like valuable student experiences; however, research evidence is sparse, suggesting far more questions than answers. Is participation in extracurricular activity truly linked to interpersonal skill performance? Does leadership experience make a difference? Do extracurricular experiences yield higher skill development? Six hundred eighteen business students and the relationship of their extracurricular involvement to four interpersonal skills were examined. Significant relationships were found and recruitment implications are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Project Management Learning: A Comparative Study Between Engineering Students’ Experiences in South Africa and the United Kingdom

This study explores how engineering students studying project management perceive their learning experiences. To facilitate an understanding of the constituent components of engineering students’ experiences and to understand how these experiences influence preferred learning styles, a comparative study of university students studying engineering in South Africa and the United Kingdom is conducted. The study finds no significant demographic differences in learning experiences across the two student cohorts. However, the South African cohort reports higher levels of overall experiences. They also report higher usage of online learning materials but lower levels of blended learning and individual critical evaluation skills experiences.     

论贫困大学生心理技能的自主训练

当前我国贫困大学生普遍存在较为严重的精神问题和心理问题,如何解决已日益成为高校和社会关注的焦点,心理技能的自主训练对贫困大学生的心理健康、有效学习以及人际交往均具有非常积极的意义。文章构建了高校贫困大学生心理技能自主训练的内容体系和实施策略,以期帮助广大贫困大学生克服心理压力和促进其能力发展。     

The criticality of transferable skills development and virtual learning environments used in the teaching of project management

Studies have found the development of transferable skills and the provision of virtual learning environments (VLEs) to be crucial to students who are learning project management. Taking these factors into consideration, this article explores why project management students have emphasized the importance of these two critical learning and teaching parameters in their developmental needs. The study was conducted utilizing focus groups consisting of 88 students in a UK higher education institution. Overall, we found the existence of five critical and applied themes grouped against transferable skills and the provision of VLEs under which students' needs could be classified.     

Student clubs: experiences in entrepreneurial learning

Student-led clubs that seek to enhance entrepreneurial learning can be found in many universities. Yet, like many areas of extra-curricular activity in entrepreneurship education, their role in supporting learning has not been researched widely. The paper introduces research that addresses this gap and investigates the nature of the learning process student's encounter when they take part in clubs. The study explores the literature on entrepreneurial learning; it examines the different concepts and considers their contribution to understanding student learning experiences. From the literature, a conceptual framework is presented, highlighting the key aspects of entrepreneurial learning relevant for the field research. The methodology is introduced, including a series of qualitative studies and a survey of students. The study focuses on two types of student-led clubs ‘entrepreneurship clubs’ and ‘Enactus clubs’ and provides a comparative analysis. The findings reported show a range of student learning benefits that simulate important aspects of entrepreneurial learning, such as learning by doing, learning through mistakes and learning from entrepreneurs. More nuanced findings are also presented showing differences in learning benefits between club forms and heighten benefits for students taking leadership roles. Ultimately, the paper contributes to research in entrepreneurship by illustrating how student clubs support entrepreneurial learning.     

ACTIVITIES OF MIDDLE MANAGERS — A TRAINING GUIDE

Abstract T his article argues that the teaching of practical management skills could, with advantage, be given more prominence in post-graduate and post-experience courses. If transference of learning is to take place, then the context in which the skills are practised on the job has to be discovered. Six items, selected from a previous research study of what managers do, were given to students enrolled for management courses. The results suggest that trouble shooting, forward planning, and briefing subordinates are important aspects of many managers'jobs. Teachers could ask their own students these questions, (or others of a similar nature) and formulate their practical skills objectives in response to the answers received. Suggestions on how this might be done are provided. If followed, the customer appeal of courses would be considerably enhanced.     

Understanding undergraduate students’ experience: a content analysis using NSSE open-ended comments as an example

This study demonstrates how a qualitative content analysis method may be used to help understand undergraduate students’ experience. We examine and rationalize the methodological concerns regarding content analysis of open-ended comments in the qualitative study. We describe a data analysis technique, using qualitative responses from National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as an example, and highlight the findings in a thematic way to convey how undergraduate students perceive issues that challenge them to develop skills, awareness, and confidence, as well as the potential factors that influence student engagement and future success. Finally, we provide potentials of how these findings can be utilized to improve student experience, limitations of this study as well as suggestions for future research.     

How project management office leaders facilitate cross‐project learning and continuous improvement

The purpose of this study is to shed light on how project management office (PMO) leaders facilitate cross‐project learning and continuous improvement. Twenty leaders of PMOs were interviewed; findings were validated by two focus groups. The research reveals that PMO leaders facilitate cross‐project improvement by embedding accumulated knowledge from past project experiences into project management routines that are utilized across multiple projects. The research also points to the phenomenon of “red light learning,” where lessons learned sessions can be enculturated as punitive, undermining individual and organizational learning. Recommendations focus on enhancing the social capital of the PMO leader and improving the quality and quantity of reflective practice over the course of the project life cycle.     

A Direct Comparison of the Learning Outcomes from Training Programs and Job Experiences in Malaysian Organizations

ABSTRACT

In organizational settings, employees learn mainly through performing their jobs and by attending training programs. Empirical evidences that compare on the types and extent of learning occur from these two methods, however, are lacking and thus worthwhile examining. Hence, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among one hundred seventy-five employees from various firms in Malaysia. This paper reports findings from the survey which addresses two main research questions: (1) What are the differences and similarities in learning outcomes of job experiences and formal training programs? and (2) Which method is superior? The respondents were asked to rate, using a five-point scale, five learning outcomes attributable to formal training programs and job experiences: recognition, job knowledge, communication and interpersonal skills, job quantity and quality, and independence and flexibility. The mean rating shows communication and interpersonal skills as the first-ranked learning outcome from both methods. On the other hand, recognition was ranked the lowest. T-test results indicate a significant overall superiority of job experiences over formal training programs. These and other findings imply important considerations in designing job and training in organizations. This paper calls upon organizations as well as individual employees to re-examine their approaches to workplace learning in order to obtain a synergetic learning impact from both job experiences and formal training.     

Home and away: preparing students for multicultural management

University business schools are key providers of future managers, and in the UK, business and management students are an increasingly international and diverse body. How do their learning experiences draw on these resources of diversity and multiculturalism to prepare students for working in a global economy? This article draws on two studies of business and management undergraduate students at a new UK university. Each was in a different university school, using different research methods. Both came to similar conclusions; that strongly ethnocentric attitudes prevailed among home, UK students, systematically leading to feelings of exclusion and disadvantage among international students, whatever and wherever their origins. However, in terms of gaining understanding and skills in the field of multiculturalism, it was the international students who had the advantage. The implications for preparation of students for careers in the global economy are explored, and the positive results of some subsequent initiatives discussed.     

Youth sports and the emergence of chameleon leadership

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived youth sports experiences of a sample of 20 North Carolina managers to determine how interpersonal skills developed through youth sports impact managing change. The data resulted in an emerging theme of a fearlessness approach to change situations, labeled chameleon leadership for this research study. The discovered theme offered information toward leadership and management skills used to manage complex organizations and diverse individuals within the realm of sports and work environments to enhance productivity in today's diverse and complex organizations.     

浅析高职公共英语大班教学中的问题及对策

笔者根据自身的教学经验指出了高职公共英语大班教学的弊端,包括大班教学不利于师生互动,教室空间过大,放音效果不好,课堂纪律差,教学模式单一,难以照顾到全体学生。应根据学生的英语语言能力编班,激发学生的求知欲和学习兴趣,培养学生自主学习的能力,加强师生生生互动等。     

探讨高校学生管理工作中的有关问题

本文主要从影响学生发展的各种因素、教师应具备的素质和要求、开展学生工作的体会和感受三个方面来探讨高校学生管理工作中出现的问题,并结合自己对学生管理工作的感受和看法,就学生和教师自身表现出的问题作以全面分析,以促进学生在学习交流期间的长期发展。     

基于价值网的高校BOT项目合作管理模式探讨

随着BOT项目公司参与高校基础设施项目运营的情况日益增加,对在校大学生的管理出现教育主体缺位的现象日趋严重。目前,对于高等教育投资主体多元化情况下的这一新问题尚无深入的研究成果。现运用利益相关者理论,通过紧密性和权力性两个维度对高等教育管理的利益相关者进行了分类,并对实施BOT项目公司和高校对大学生的联合教育和共同管理模式的必要性进行了论述,进而构建了基于高等教育管理价值网的合作管理模式,并对实施合作管理模式进行了策略分析。研究表明:高校学生公寓合作管理模式的核心是打造价值创造平台,通过项目公司和高校的联合教育,发挥各成员的核心能力,使得在校大学生的核心价值不断增长,从而实现各个利益相关者满意度的最大化。研究成果不仅为高校BOT项目的开展和实施提供了理论指导,也为大学生的培养工作开拓了新思路。     

Developing soft skills to manage user expectations in IT projects: Knowledge reuse among IT project managers

This research explores information technology (IT) project managers' reuse of knowledge associated with soft skills when managing user expectations. Through interviews with IT project managers, several themes emerged: novelty of problems, conditions within the organization, types of available knowledge, and methods for reusing knowledge. Within this study, we discovered the need for additional research on how social norms and organizational conditions encourage or inhibit knowledge reuse. Furthermore, we identified a difference in the usefulness of knowledge captured in formal repositories according to levels of project management experience. The findings confirm, extend, and illuminate the current research associated with knowledge reuse in IT project management.     

The negative effects of delays in information exchange: Looking at workplace relationships from an affective events perspective

Although timely exchange of information is critical to organizations, it often fails to happen. In this paper, we present a conceptual framework for understanding how delays in information exchange negatively impact employee outcomes. Using affective events theory, delays are conceptualized as workplace events. In contrast to prior delay research, we adopt a temporal perspective for studying employees' experiences during a delay and how these experiences influence interpersonal behavior. We suggest that how employees appraise and experience delays depends, critically, upon the coworker and his or her behavior during the delay. We also identify a set of situational and dispositional factors that are important for predicting when delays in information exchange are likely to undermine coworker relationships and when they are not. Throughout the paper, we develop propositions to guide research and human resource management practice.     

Promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainable development through management development: What can be learned from international service learning programs?

In this article, we discuss how the human resource development (HRD) function can support corporate sustainability strategy by designing and implementing leadership development programs incorporating international service learning assignments. We describe “Project Ulysses,” an integrated service learning program that involves sending participants in teams to developing countries to work in cross‐sector partnerships with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and social entrepreneurs, supporting them in their fight against pressing global problems. We present the findings of a narrative analysis of learning stories produced by Ulysses participants. Understanding how participants make sense of, and learn from, their experiences abroad provides us with insights into how service learning programs can help managers to develop the knowledge, skills, and mind‐set that will enable them to successfully support a company's global sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. We conclude by discussing the implications for leadership development, specifically how organizations can incorporate a responsibility and sustainability focus in their management development programs.     

体育院校学生辅导员工作中“度”的运用

随着学生管理工作赋予辅导员的责任越来越大,笔者根据多年的辅导员工作经验,探讨了体育院校的学生管理工作要根据学生的特点把握好"度",做好学生的心灵导师。     

基于“大学生创新性实验”浅谈软件项目推进与管理

文章首先简要介绍了在校大学生申报"大学生创新性实验"的一些技巧;然后阐述了如何稳步推进项目并合理管理项目;最后总结了本次"创新性实验"的一些心得体会及其经验之所得。     

四步教学法在测量技术与应用课程改革中的应用

高职教育的突出特点在于培养高素质、高技能的应用型人才。对于教师,重要的是如何在有限的时间内提高教学效果,提升学生的动手操作能力,这就要求我们在教学方法上有所突破,寻找并探索与"测量技术与应用"课程最为贴切的教学方法。而经过长期的教学改革,发现"四步教学法"比较符合高职高专学生的学习特点,学生在完成项目的过程中,观察、讨论、质疑、总结、提升,并在实践过程中巩固理论知识,环环相扣。有效的提升了学生的独立思考、大胆创新的方法能力和组织管理及与人相处的社会能力。