The dynamics of experiential learning: Microprocesses and adaptation in a professional service INV

In international new ventures (INVs), experiential learning happens in quick succession and across a wide number of diverse contexts. Yet, we lack an empirical understanding of the microprocesses through which INVs learn and adapt in their foreign expansion. Understanding those microprocesses is important because timely adaptation can save the venture time and resources, thus promoting sustainable growth. In this study, we investigate the dynamics of experiential learning and adaptation in the internationalisation process of an INV in the professional service sector. Findings from our study illustrate that the firm applies deliberate experiential learning by developing, revising, and finalising criteria for important dimensions in the international growth process, and adapts its internationalisation practices accordingly. We further show that deliberate experiential learning is predicated on an actively and closely monitored learning process, involving critical evaluation, adjustment of criteria, and acceptance of affordable mistakes, as opposed to learning by default.     

The case of flow and learning revisited

Many business schools are criticized for being ineffective in helping students learn proper management skills and knowledge. Flow theory has been cited as being helpful in many learning environments in that flow experience can enhance student learning. The authors conducted a study of 315 students in an undergraduate operations management (OM) class to assess learning outcomes and flow experience. Results show that student learning performance and flow are related. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided.     

Completion deadlines,adaptive learning assignments,and student performance

The authors examine effects on student performance, from applying different deadline strategies to online assignments in face-to-face principles of macroeconomics courses. Students in one section were required to complete weekly adaptive learning assignments. Students in the second section were required to complete the adaptive assignments only before each of the three exams administered in the course, thereby giving students more control over when to complete them. The findings show that the presence of rigid deadlines detracted from student participation with the adaptive learning assignments. However, the assignments contributed positively to performance in the traditional assessment categories of homework and exams.     

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.     

LearnSmart,adaptive teaching,and student learning effectiveness: An empirical investigation

Facing the growing number of digital natives entering the classroom, business professors look for innovative ways to enhance the student learning experience. The authors focus on the online interactive learning tool LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill, New York, NY), and examine its impact on student learning effectiveness by testing the direct and indirect relationships among perceived competence, perceived challenge, instructors, perceived value, and satisfaction with LearnSmart. Constructionism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. About 215 students at a public university in the United States took the survey and 197 valid responses were received. Regression analysis results showed that the use of LearnSmart improved students' perceived competency, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart, as well as their satisfaction with LearnSmart. Perceived value was also found to mediate the impact of perceived competency on satisfaction with LearnSmart, and the instructor played a significant role in facilitating and improving student learning. Perceived challenge impacted student's perceived value of using LearnSmart, but it did not influence satisfaction with LearnSmart.     

Using classroom game play in introductory microeconomics to enhance business student learning and lecture attendance

The author examined whether game play improves students’ comprehension, attendance, and exam performance. The author designed three games; 120 students in introductory microeconomics classes participated in these experiments. The evidence showed that game play enhances students’ attendance, comprehension, and exam performance. It also showed that attendance and exam performance are positively correlated, implying that game play enhances students’ exam performance due to improved attendance. While game play is a fun, lively, and creative way to teach economics and improve students’ attendance, comprehension, and exam performance, in light of higher costs, instructors should decide whether the benefits of conducting game play outweigh the costs of using this method.     

Investigating antecedents of task commitment and task attraction in service learning team projects

The authors investigated the antecedents of team task cohesiveness in service learning classroom environments. Focusing on task commitment and task attraction as key dependent variables representing cohesiveness, and task interdependence as the primary independent variable, the authors position three important task action phase processes as mediators in the analyses. Overall, results provide strong support for hypothesized relationships. Task interdependence in student teams significantly influences task cohesiveness through these action phase processes. The authors highlight important implications for faculty who are interested in how to best structure student teams, particularly when course projects incorporate service learning.     

Understanding how employees understand customers: A commentary essay

Young, Meterko, Mohr, Schwartz, and Lin empirically examine how service employees interpret behavioral cues and assess customers' satisfaction in the context of a large healthcare system. This commentary explores the authors' contribution to the multidisciplinary service quality literature. The commentary also considers how Young et al.'s findings align with important, emerging work in the healthcare domain.     

Multiple student learning objectives in basic business statistics: Strategies,assessment, and recommendations

The basic business statistics course is ideal for incorporating multiple objectives related to program learning goals common at most business schools. Along with quantitative reasoning skills, activities are described that allow the measurement of student outcomes related to oral communication and ethics. Strategies include the hidden curriculum approach, term projects involving real data, class presentations, and an emphasis on the ethical use of statistics. These approaches are implemented across multiple sections over multiple semesters, illustrating the untapped potential of this course for achieving multiple learning goals as well as how results can be used to refine assessment methods and improve instruction.     

Comparative effectiveness and student choice for online and face-to-face classwork

The authors examined learning and task choices made by students when the same interactive course design was used online and face-to-face. A survey was administered in an operations management course covering both conceptual and quantitative topics. Course grades were compared and correlations were measured to determine relevant relationships. Results showed that online students performed equally as well as face-to-face students. The most important task choice for face-to-face success was regular class attendance, whereas for online students it was completion of interactive worksheets. Passive textbook reading was neither chosen as often, nor significant to student success. Minimal uncertainty was important to success, with self-discipline, clarity of instructions, and virtual presence of an instructor most important.     

Captivate: Building blocks for implementing active learning

In this study, the authors propose a set of key elements that impact the success of an active learning implementation: content delivery, active learning methods, physical environment, technology enhancement, incentive alignment, and educator investment. Through a range of metrics the authors present preliminary evidence that students in courses implementing these elements learn more while exerting similar effort, demonstrate greater understanding of course content, and establish closer connections with fellow students as well as instructors.     

Understanding the user satisfaction and loyalty of customer service chatbots

The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot is emerging as a significant corporate customer-facing application, potentially increasin customer service efficiency while reducing costs. However, little work has sought to assess the quality of service they provide consumers. This study applies the e-service quality by incorporating conversational AI quality to predict users' satisfaction and loyalty to customer service chatbots. The proposed model was empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 219 users responding about their perceptions of customer service chatbots. The findings indicate that AI chatbot service recovery quality and AI chatbot conversational quality significantly influence user satisfaction. On the other hand, core AI chatbot service quality and satisfaction significantly influenced chatbot user loyalty. This study contributes to researchers and practitioners by proposing and evaluating a more comprehensive chatbot e-service quality that combines both fundamental (core service and service recovery qualities) and human-like (conversational quality) aspects of e-service. The results are of value in devising future AI chatbot services and related strategies.     

Understanding organization-customer links in a service setting in Russia

This study examines the effect of management commitment to service quality on customer satisfaction through the mediating links of service climate and core and relational service performance in a high-power distance culture. Data were collected using a survey distributed to the FLEs and customers of branches of a Russian retail bank. Study findings demonstrate that branch service climate mediates the management commitment to service quality – service performance relationship and that this indirect effect is stronger on core service performance relative to relational service performance. Contrary to expectations, our findings demonstrate the importance of relational service performance relative to core service performance as a mediator of the branch service climate – branch customer satisfaction relationship. Implications of these novel findings and future research directions are discussed.     

Understanding the antecedents of collateral learning in new product alliances

Recognizing that strategic alliances represent an important means for developing knowledge in critical arenas such as new product development, the authors advance the notion of collateral learning that assesses knowledge acquisition internal to a firm in the alliance. To examine its antecedents, the authors build on the behavioral theory of the firm and propose strategic importance and performance vulnerability as the motivational components and organizational similarity and alliance experience as the awareness components advocated in the theory. Results from 133 alliance firms suggest that both the motivational and awareness components are important in influencing collateral learning in new product alliances. Specifically, to develop collateral learning, firms should have extensive alliance experience and an acknowledged stake in their alliance partners. The results also support the theorized U-shaped relationship between organizational similarity of the alliance partners and collateral learning. Thus, collateral learning is facilitated when organizations are either similar or dissimilar, while medium levels of organizational similarity facilitate collateral learning to a relatively lower extent. Although performance vulnerability is found to be associated negatively with collateral learning, extensive alliance experience can attenuate this negative effect.     

Reorienting consumer education using social learning theory: sustainable development via authentic consumer pedagogy

The paper illustrates the growing interest in understanding consumer behaviour through a social learning theory (SLT) lens, and explains the recently launched United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Then, the discussion turns to an overview of a recently developed ESD/SLT integrated theoretical framework, which is then applied to consumer education via an authentic pedagogy. The paper highlights the rich potential of authentic intellectual work in the form of observational learning by augmenting ESD within authentic consumer education curricula.     

略论如何在会计模拟实验教学中运用合作学习教学方法

本文针对会计模拟实验课程的特点,提出如何在会计模拟实验教学中运用合作学习教学方法,培养学生合作精神和团体意识,提高学生的综合能力.     

Experiential Learning in International Business via the World Wide Web

Abstract

The article describes the implementation of Internet-based experiential projects within an international-business classroom setting and summarizes students' perceptions and attitudes towards the assignments. While the projects were shown to increase students' international business skills and abilities, students reported that the assignments were difficult and only mildly enjoyable. The paper discusses trends in business education and relates them to specific assignments designed to enhance learning outcomes.     

International service learning in the business curriculum: Toward an ethic of empathy in a global economy

In the context of business education, International Service Learning (ISL) programs introduce students to social responsibility and help them develop a sense of solidarity with individuals living in a different context from their own. But even ISL programs that strive for reciprocity and co-create projects with community partners still reinforce a microcosm of the power asymmetries present in the global economy. As an alternative to traditional ISL models involving direct service, I propose a model of ISL that eliminates the direct service component and instead emphasizes listening and learning abroad. In this model, local knowledge is expert and then students engage in advocacy in their home countries. Herein, I present a current course—Marketing for Social Change: The Uganda Project—as an example of the alternative ISL model designed to address the structural inequalities and wealth disparities brought by globalization.     

Perceived value of interactive digital textbook and adaptive learning: Implications on student learning effectiveness

The authors studied the perceived value of an interactive digital textbook LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY) and examined its implications on adaptive learning and student learning effectiveness. Constructionism and constructivism provided the theoretical foundation. Data were collected from an American public university over three semesters. Multiple regression analysis results show that LearnSmart improves students’ perceived competency and their satisfaction with LearnSmart, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart. In addition, perceived value of LearnSmart varies across different course delivery formats and devices, while perceived challenge has no influence on perceived value. Pedagogical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Understanding how consumer education impacts shoppers over time: A longitudinal field study of unit price usage

There remains a lack of empirical evidence for what constitutes effective consumer education around unit pricing in grocery stores, despite researchers continually highlighting the importance of such education. Much of the early work on unit pricing describes self-report estimates of usage, or results of simulated shopping studies which can lack external validity. The current research reports one of the first longitudinal field experiments to examine the impact of consumer education on unit price usage over time, and is based on shoppers' actual grocery spending. Shoppers receiving consumer education displayed progressively higher levels of savings across the first six weeks of the study to a peak of about 17–18%, declining to around 11–13% by the end of the study. Savings were achieved by shoppers from all income levels, and increased with the provision of personalized comparative feedback. The study offers theoretical insights and important practical implications for retailers and policy makers.