Learning problems in transnational business education and training: the case of the MBA in Thailand

The transnational Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme has been one of the most popular official business training programmes amongst Thai business practitioners. Although the numbers of transnational business schools and MBA programmes are rapidly increasing, the programmes face numerous challenges from both local and global factors. This empirical study discusses the concept of learning in transnational MBA programmes in the Thai business training and cultural context. By investigating experiences from various key stakeholders, the study highlights various problems related to learning style and culture, learning and languages, the transferability of the Western managerial concept to the Thai context, and the value of Western learning resources for Thai business learners. The implication of the results of this study for the management of transnational programmes is that such management needs to respond to local conditions, regional forces and global factors rather than being locked into a standard model.     

Developing International Business Managers Through International Study Visits to China

Globalization is a key factor in the success of business organizations today, impacting many aspects of management performance. Understanding the global business environment has therefore become a key objective in the teaching of international business on Executive MBA programs. Drawing on the theory of experiential learning, this study examines the relationship between program structure and learning activities of an international study visit (ISV) to China and the learning experience for Executive MBA students. The findings indicate that learning experience may be most effective where the structure of an ISV incorporates certain activities that promote experiential and deep-level learning. Educational implications are discussed.     

Toward Deepening Cultural and Language Understanding: The Design and Practice of a Hybrid Business Chinese Course

This article introduces an ongoing effort to use Internet resources in an Advanced Business Chinese for Professionals (ABCP) course in order to deepen learners’ language and cultural understanding. This course blends face-to-face (F2F) classroom instruction and online communications using Brix, an online course management system developed by the University of Hawai‘i. This article starts with the rationale and necessity of a hybrid course for ABCP and presents an overview of a traditional F2F business Chinese class with its strengths and weaknesses. Following the overview, this article outlines the design of a hybrid environment for this course, detailing its structure, content, and instructional processes. Illustrations of the F2F and online alternations in classroom teaching, online tasks with instructor’s guidance and feedback, and online forum discussion for each unit are offered. Experiences gained in this process regarding instructional intervention, projected learners’ learning outcomes, and interactive peer learning through the Internet will also be shared. Reflections and suggestions on aspects that may impact the success of this approach are proposed for future improvement in an ideal hybrid business language course.     

The ethical attitudes of students as a function of age,sex and experience

In this paper, we explore whether the ethical positions of students are firmly entrenched when they enter college, or do they change due to maturity, experience to ethical discussions in coursework, work experience, or a combination of factors. This study compared the ethical attitudes of freshmen and junior accounting majors, and graduate MBA students when confronted with two ethical dilemmas. Undergraduates were found to be more justice oriented than their MBA counterparts, who were more utilitarian in their ethical approach. While males tended to be more utilitarian, they were also more tentative and neutral in their responses. Females expressed more definite ethical positions than males when assessing specific ethical behaviors. Prior exposure to ethics via coursework or employment did not significantly affect ethical attitudes.Susan C. Borkowski is Assistant Professor at La Salle University. Her research interests are domestic and international transfer pricing, and the integration of ethics into business curriculum. She has published articles in theJournal of Management Accounting Research, Woman CPA, andAdvances in International Accounting (forthcoming).Yusuf J. Ugras is Assistant Professor at La Salle University, where he teaches M.B.A. and undergraduate managerial/cost accounting courses. His research interests include cost allocation, performance evaluation, and ethics in business.     

Time compression and MBA behavioral skill acquisition

Trends in master of business administration (MBA) education are favoring coursework offerings in time-compressed environments but without careful examination of learning implications. The academic literature is weak in this area, so the authors conducted a study of 558 MBA students using a behaviorally based pedagogy in management. In contrast to previous research, the authors developed arguments supporting time compression assuming certain boundary conditions. They found that students showed better behavioral learning outcomes in a shortened, 4.5-week semester versus a full 14-week semester. The authors conclude with implications for theory and practice.     

The impact of a shift in organizational role on ethical perceptions: A comparative study

This study investigates ethical decision-making by considering the differences in ethical judgments between undergraduate business and MBA students on selected ethical issues facing employees and managers of today's businesses. The study further investigates differences in ethical judgments between undergraduates and MBAs in terms of a perceived position as an employee or as a manager. The findings indicate that undergraduate students tend to be more ethical than MBA students and that both groups tend to be more ethical when they perceive themselves as managers rather than employees. The authors discuss the implications for both business practitioners and educators.Shohreh A. Kaynama is Associate Professor of Marketing in the School of Business and Economics at Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a Ph.D. in Marketing and the Decision Sciences. Dr. Kaynama has published extensively in numerous National and International proceedings. Her area of research is strategic marketing, consumer behavior, applications of computers and decision sciences in marketing and global marketing. Louise W. Smith is Professor of Marketing in the School of Business and Economics at Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Smith's main professional interest is consumer behavior. Dr. Smith's articles have appeared in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Health Care Marketing, Journal of Marketing Education, Journal of Services Marketing, and Journal of Consumer Marketing among others. Algin B. King is Professor of Marketing in the School of Business and Economics at Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland. He has served on the Faculties of seven universities, publishing numerous articles in National Professional Meetings Proceedings and scholarly journals including Journal of Euro-Marketing, Atlantic Economic Journal. In addition he has served as a business consultant to numerous business firms.     

HRD in the People's Republic: The MBA ‘with Chinese characteristics’?

In this article, we consider Human Resource Development (HRD) in the People's Republic and analyze the value of an MBA in a transitional economy. MBA education is growing rapidly in China, while at the same time business schools in America are facing declining applications and mounting criticisms of the product. Should then the Master of Business Administration (MBA) be valued differently in a developing economy, or is it open to the same criticisms leveled at it in the west? We use the ‘resource-based’ theory of the firm to attempt to answer this question. We trace the development of MBA education in China between 1984 and the present, placing this process in the context of the country's radical educational, economic and political changes. We ask if the Chinese government has adopted the same approach to fostering MBA provision as it has to nurturing business growth. If so, what might we learn about possible future trends in tertiary business education? In order to look more closely at the practicalities of the Chinese MBA, we briefly consider the development of one of the earliest programs in China—the European Union-funded China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).     

Authentic simulated startups: Bringing the real world into the classroom

In this changing world, college graduates require new skills to be successful in jobs that may not yet exist. The authors describe an innovative instructional approach to teaching organizational behavior grounded in Kolb’s model of experiential learning and problem-based learning. Specifically, the sample class is scaffolded across the semester by having student teams create and remain part of an authentic simulated startup business and engage in continual reflection. Data come from surveys of 151 undergraduates across six semesters. Students report developing the ability to work on a team and with diverse people, gaining an understanding of oneself, and learning about real-world business.     

Anderson and Escher’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">The MBA Oath</Emphasis>: Review Essay

Max Anderson and Peter Escher’s The MBA Oath addresses the need for a set of ethical standards to provide guidance to MBA graduates as they go about their everyday professional business. Their oath is relevant to the concerns of others in business but clearly was inspired by the special problems they encountered in the classroom as members of the Harvard MBA class of 2009. The oath and the book itself evolved from the financial meltdown of 2008 for which MBAs often felt that they were being held accountable. Our review begins with the oath itself. Then we turn to the rest of the book in which we have organized our comments around its strengths and weaknesses.     

Strategic conversation quality and engagement: assessment of a new measure

When considering organization strategy‐making and execution from a learning perspective, the role of conversation and engagement is of critical importance, yet little research has been conducted in this area. Recent publications have suggested an increasing role for conversation and dialogue in strategic planning processes. The present study provides initial validity and reliability scores of an instrument for measuring individual conversation quality and engagement skills in a strategic planning context. Participants were managers (n = 204) from four organizations. Results indicate an instrument with highly accurate and consistent measurement scores. Implications for practice and future research are briefly discussed.     

Learning Approaches and Outcome‐Based Teaching and Learning: A Case Study in Hong Kong,China

Outcome‐based education is a pedagogical process which focuses on the achievement of certain specified results. Outcome‐based teaching and learning (OBTL), therefore, is concerned with curriculum design and ensuring that the contents, delivery, activities, and assessments are all aligned to help facilitate students to attain specific intended learning outcomes. This study explores whether and how outcome‐based teaching impacts on the learning approaches of one cohort of undergraduate business students at a university in Hong Kong, China to undergo outcome‐based teaching, newly introduced as part of a university‐wide policy to adopt OBTL. The learning approaches of these business students were measured using John Biggs's (1987 Biggs, J. 1987. Student approaches to learning and studying, Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.  [Google Scholar]) Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) to determine whether these students tended to favor surface learning approaches, deep learning approaches, or achieving learning approaches upon initial entry into the university. Changes in learning approaches were tracked, after a semester's exposure to OBTL, through survey and focus group interview methods. Findings indicated a significant amount of transference between learning approaches deployed by these students, demonstrating a high level of adaptability.     

Managerial Problem-Solving Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study

ABSTRACT

The literature suggests that North American business-people differ from their Latin American counterparts with respect to specific behavioral traits. Our particular interest is in problem solving and in effecting changes in behavior to achieve better problem-solving capability. The purpose of the present study is to assess whether there are differences in problem-solving styles between two culturally different groups of managers registered in MBA Programs: Anglo American and Latin American. Using Kolb's (1984 2006) Learning Style Inventory, it was found that Anglo American managers tended to be relatively action-oriented, “Convergers” (they emphasize decision-making and use deductive reasoning), while Latin American managers tended to be reflection-oriented, “Assimilators” (they emphasize planning and like to create models in their analyses) in their problem-solving styles. The positive and negative aspects of each style are discussed and suggestions for improved decision-making are offered.

RESUMEN. La literatura sugiere que los empresarios norteamericanos difieren de sus contrapartes latinoamericanos, en lo que atañe a ciertos trazos comportamentales específicos. Nuestro interés particular se orienta a la solución de problemas e implementación de cambios comportamentales, con el propósito de adquirir habilidades específicas para la solución de problemas. El propósito de este estudio es evaluar si existen diferencias entre los estilos empleados para solucionar problemas entre diferentes grupos culturales de gerentes matriculados en Programas MBA angloamericanos y latinoamericanos. Usando el sistema de estilos de Kolb (1984 2006) denominado Learning Style Inventory, descubrimos que los gerentes angloamericanos tienden a orientarse con bastante frecuencia en la acción, los llamados ‘Convergentes’ (que hacen hincapié en la toma de decisiones y el uso del razonamiento deductivo), mientras que los gerentes latinoamericanos tienden a volcarse a la reflexión, los llamados ‘Asimiladores’ (que hacen hincapié enplanear y les gusta crear modelos en sus análisis), como característica de sus estilos para solucionar problemas. Discutimos los aspectos positivo y negativo de cada estilo, y hacemos sugerencias para mejorar la toma de decisión.

RESUMO. A literatura sugere que os homens de negócios norte-americanos diferem de seus colegas latino-americanos em traços comportamentais específicos. Nosso interesse particular recai sobre a resolução de problemas e a introdução de mudanças de comportamento para obter uma melhor capacidade de resolução de problemas. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar se existem diferenças nos estilos de resolução de problemas de dois grupos culturalmente diferentes de gerentes matriculados em cursos de MBA: anglo-americanos e latino-americanos. Utilizando o inventário LSI (learning style inventory) de Kolb (1984 2006), constatou-se que os gerentes anglo-americanos tendiam a ser relativamente orientados para a ação, “convergentes” (eles enfatizam a tomada de decisões e o raciocínio dedutivo), enquanto os gerentes latinoamericanos tendiam a ser orientados para a reflexão, “assimiladores” (eles enfatizam o planejamento e gostam de criar modelos em suas análises) em seus estilos de resolução de problemas. Os aspectos positivos e negativos de cada estilo são discutidos, e sugestões para melhorar a tomada de decisões são oferecidas.     

MBA Teaching Challenges in a Changing Political and Economic Environment: A Case Study of MBA Teachers and Students in Poland

Master of Business Administration (MBA) education was introduced to Poland in the early 1990s with the purpose of preparing business practitioners for effective management and leadership in a market economy and increasingly globalizing marketplace. Due to individual, institutional, and national factors; adjusting teaching to address the complex needs of business professionals has proved to be challenging and often problematic for Polish faculty. The purpose of this paper is to examine these challenges in the context of Poland's nondegree MBA programs and to explore potential solutions. The main conclusion of this paper is that adjusting teaching is a slow and complex process that cannot occur without substantial changes in values as well as proactive leadership and collaboration at the individual, institutional, and national levels.     

Firm Resources and Host‐Country Factors Impacting Internationalization of Knowledge‐Intensive Service Firms

In the era of the global economy, knowledge‐based services are becoming important sectors of the service industry. Services offered by a university are knowledge‐based services. Universities are in the service business, and they play a key role in creating and disseminating knowledge through teaching, research, and related services that cross domestic borders. The current research focuses on the internationalization of US MBA programs. The internationalization of US MBA programs refers to the delivery of knowledge‐based services beyond the domestic borders. The main objective of our research is to examine the effect of an organization's (e.g., a US business school) resources and a host country's attractiveness on the internationalization of knowledge‐based services offered by a firm (a US business school). Using data gathered from MBA programs of US colleges and universities, theÊstudy findings show that internationalization is influenced by human capital, prestige and reputation, management's willingness, and foreign market attractiveness. The results of this study offer practical insights for US business school leaders. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Critical service learning across two required marketing classes

Business service learning projects have the potential to be a state-of-the-art instructional laboratory to teach and apply theory and make a substantial impact on the community. In this article, the author presents a service learning project that is embedded in two consecutive required courses of the marketing major and has been conducted and expanded by consecutive marketing teams over the last four years. The project follows a critical service learning pedagogy in that it redistributes power among stakeholders, promotes the development of authentic relationships, and works for social change. Insight is provided for other business faculty engaging in service learning projects.     

The comprehensive business exam: Usefulness for assessing instructional and student performance outcomes

The authors explore the results of the Comprehensive Business Exam (CBE) administered to business majors during their senior-year business capstone course. The study results identified students' SAT and grade point average as a predictor of CBE performance, and variables that explain the correlation between CBE performance, SAT score, and grade point average are discussed. This study expands the research stream by demonstrating how faculty can use CBE information to more deeply assess student learning at both the course and instructor level than is possible with the Major Field Test for Bachelor's Degree in Business.     

Prosperity Game to Teach Global Competitiveness to University Students

SUMMARY

A Prosperity Game was designed and conducted to provide an experiential learning alternative to traditional lecture-based course material in a first-year MBA class. The students played US and Japanese business, government, and other roles, and experienced ethical, political, social, financial, and competitiveness issues in the context of a global marketplace. Student journals provided an indication of the success of the method through comments that described the depth of experiential learning in a simulation environment.     

Use of mental models and cognitive maps to understand students’ learning challenges

Mental models and cognitive maps have been used in college business education as an instructional design technique, assessment tool, and learning strategy. The authors propose a novel use of mental models and cognitive maps as a device to elicit students’ challenges in learning the domain knowledge of a course. Such usage is illustrated in a management information systems course. This student-focused approach can help instructor to better understand students’ learning challenges and enhance teaching effectiveness.     

Educational Marketing in the Latin American Context: An Executive MBA Case

ABSTRACT

This paper provides Latin American Executive MBA students' approaches to studying, achieving profile, preferences and perceptions of instructional methods used in teaching marketing courses and educational marketing segments based on their preference ranking of instructional methods and approaches to studying. Results indicate that, in general, these students have a strong need for excellence, and for gaining status with experts. Their approach to studying is directed first at understanding what they learn, and then at doing well in their courses. Results also indicate that such students strongly prefer courses using participative instructional methods, such as case studies, to the instructor-dominated lecture method. Thus, there appears to be a gap between the types of instructional methods now being emphasized in MBA classrooms and the methods preferred by the students. These students can be placed into four distinct segments, namely Technology Sophisticated Learners, Academic Success Seekers, Degree Seekers and Instructor-Oriented Learners. Managerial implications from the results are drawn both for the administrators and for the faculty members teaching in an EMBA program.

RESUMEN. Este estudio ilustra el enfoque do los estudiantes latinoamericanos de MBA Ejecutivo sobre las materias de estudio, trazado de un perfil, preferencias y percepción de los métodos de enseñanza utilizados en los cursos de mercadeo y mereadeo educacional en base a sus preferencias, que se utilizaron para desarrollar un sistema de clasificación de los métodos y enfoques de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. De acuerdo a los resultados, los estudiantes sienten una gran necesidad de alcanzar la exceleneia, y de adquirir renombre junto a los expertos. Ellos encaran sus estudios eonsiderando prioritaria la función de comprender lo que aprenden, y tienen como meta secundaria el obtener buenos resultados en sus cursos. Además, los resultados también indican que estos esludiantes prefieren claramente usar métodos de enseñanza participativos–tales como los estudios de caso–al método disertivo dominado por el profesor. Consecuentemente, nos parece que existe una brecha entre los métodos de enseñanza que se están implementando en las salas de aulas de los cursos de los MBA, y los métodos preferidos por los alumnos. Estos estudiantes pueden dividirse perfectamente en cuatro segmentos, o sea, Estudiantes de Tecnologías Sofisticadas, Buscadores de éxito Académico, Buscadores de Diplomas y Estudiantes Orientados por el Instructor. En el estudio trazamos las implicancias administrativas inherentes a estos resultados, así como para los docentes que están enseñando el programa EMBA.

RESUMO. Este trabalho apresenta a visão de estudantes do MBA Executivo da América Latina, em relação ao estudo, à formação do seu perfil, às preferências e às percepções dos métodos didáticos utilizados nos cursos de marketing e nos segmentos educacionais dc marketing, baseados no ranking de suas preferências pelos métodos didáticos e pelas abordagens do estudo. Os resultados indicam que, em geral, estes estudantes buscam rigorosamente a excelência e a conquista de status através de especialistas. A sua abordagem do estudo está direcionada. primeiramente, ao conhecimento e, em segundo lugar, ao sucesso do seu desempenho. Os resultados também indicam que tais estudantcs preferem nitidamente os cursos que utilizam o método didático participativo, como o estudo de casos, ao método de ensino tradicional expositive Assim. parece haver uma lacuna entre os tipos de métodos didáticos atualmente sendo enfatizados nas aulas de MBA e entre os métodos preferidos pelos estudantes. Estes alunos podem ser classificados em quatro segmentos distintos: Aprendizes da Alta Tecnologia, Perseguidores do Sucesso Acadêmico, Perseguidores de Títulos e Aprendizes Orientados por Instrutor. As implicações gerenciais, a partir dos resultados, são delineadas tanto para os administradores quanto para os membros do corpo docente que ensinam no programa de MBA Executivo.     

Structuring assignments to improve understanding and presentation skills: Experiential learning in the capstone strategic management team presentation

In the strategic management course, students select, analyze, and present viable future alternatives based on information provided in cases or computer simulations. Rather than understanding the entire process, the student's focus is on the final presentation. Chickering's (1977) research on active learning suggests students learn more effectively when participating in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The authors highlight instructional changes with students, gathering primary data independently and later comparing findings in a team-based scaffolding process. Statistical analysis of students' self-reported understanding scores both before and following the experiential intervention support the benefits. Qualitative comments by the students, embedded librarian, faculty, and business practitioners also indicate improved learning resulted from course modifications.