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.     

Developing International Business Skills Through the Study of Eastern European Transitional Economies—An Inter-Cultural Case Method Approach

Abstract

This paper describes the educational experience of students enrolled on the BA (Hons) International Accounting and Finance degree at the University of Brighton, who undertake a case study visit to Kraków, Poland to study the transition of an economy and an enterprise and at the same time acquire skills relevant for international business. The paper is supported by a questionnaire survey of all five cohorts of students who followed this course. Three of these cohorts have now left the University and are in a position to reflect on their educational experience in the light of the skills required in their current employment. The course is also proposed as a forerunner of an MBA to be followed by the student later in their development.     

A Case Study in Project-Based Learning: An International Partnership

As our world becomes more integrated, international business students should develop skills that match corporations' needs. Moreover, students need hands-on, problem-solving, team-based, critical-thinking skills that companies demand. Students need international business experience but many of them lack the funds or support to study or intern abroad. This article explains how one program developed a project-based course that addressed these skills by partnering with a local consulate office. It lays the framework for using a project-based course, explains the course's development, outlines the necessary and important skills addressed, and provides an agenda for other schools considering such a course.     

A Fast Track to Cultural Immersion

ABSTRACT

The internationalization of the business curriculum remains a priority for preparing students for a global workforce. Business schools continue to stress the importance of semester-long study abroad programs. Yet in colleges and universities with a growing population of non-traditional, working adult students, it is challenging to provide international study abroad opportunities. Options for such intensive immersion are limited and may include non-credit travel, travel as a small part of a credit course, or travel with a trade mission group. In short term international travel, quickly introducing students to culture shock and moving toward some minimal acculturation is the primary goal. This article describes a nine-day study abroad trip to Monterrey, Mexico that quickly exposed students to the local culture via a day-long structured scavenger hunt exercise. Suggestions for implementing such experiential activities into the curriculum of other study abroad programs are provided as well as a discussion of students and faculty learning.     

Project-Based Learning in International Financial Management

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study measures the effectiveness of the signature project-based learning model to assess the enhancement of student engagement. The goal of the signature project is to prepare students to apply critical thinking and collaborative skills; making connections between global financial issues and textbook concepts in application to a significant project completed across the semester. Undergraduate International Finance students were used to describe the impact of the signature project through actions, feelings, and thought. This study provides an initial validation of the signature project in finance, especially, replacing the research written report with a documentary film. Overall, the analysis indicated that three distinct factors were underlying students’ responses to the expected learning outcomes and that these factors were internally consistent.     

Student Complaint Behavior Based on Power Perception

Abstract

This study investigated students' complaint behavior in a higher education service sector. Based on their complaining styles, students were clustered into three groups as passive recipients, private complainers, and voicers. Passive recipients exhibited the highest perceptions of educators' punishment power and legitimate power. They were more likely to be international and undergraduate students. Private complainers possessed high perception of educators' punishment power but moderate perception of educators' legitimate power. Similar to passive recipients, they were more likely to be international and undergraduate students. Distinctively, voicers had the lowest perceptions of both educators' punishment power and their legitimate power. These students were more likely to be domestic and MBA Students.     

Exploring the Differences of Undergraduate Students' Perceptual Learning Styles in International Business Study

More than 45,000 international students are now studying for bachelor programs in The Netherlands. The number of Asian students increased dramatically in the past decade. The current research aims at examining the differences between Western European and Asian students' perceptual learning styles, and exploring the relationships between students' learning styles and their academic achievements in international business (IB) study. One hundred and seventy-two students from a Dutch university participated in the survey research. Western European students significantly outperformed Asian students in academic performances. Significant differences in learning styles were also found between Western Europeans and Asian students in English, second language, business subjects, and group project learning. Besides, in comparison with Asian students, Western European students preferred to learn from hearing words, taking notes of lectures, and getting involved in some classroom experiences such as role-playing. They may benefit more from lecture-based subjects than Asian students. Based on the findings, practical recommendations are offered for instructors in international higher education.     

Incorporating a Short-Term Study Abroad Service Trip for Educating International Entrepreneurship in the BOP Market

ABSTRACT

The bottom of the pyramid (BOP) market has gained importance in international entrepreneurship due to its large market potential. Drawing on the literature of international business education, as well as social entrepreneurship and international entrepreneurship education, we propose a course to educate students how to develop business intimacy with the BOP community. We employ the experiential-learning pedagogical framework and design elements including a short-term study abroad service trip, an entrepreneurship project, and structured reflections. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, we demonstrate that the course facilitates students’ learning in the key areas of international and social entrepreneurship, including the economic and social value of community embeddedness for BOP ventures, the emotional intelligence in interacting with BOP communities, and the attitude toward social entrepreneurship.     

Course-Specific Motivated Learning and Outcomes: The Role of the Perceived Task Value of Course-Specific Assignments

Although the internationalization of curricula has increased steadily over the past 30 years, most universities and business schools have concentrated their efforts on program assessment activities, leaving course-level assessment as a gap in most international business assessment portfolios. To address the gap in aligning course-specific designs with course-specific learning outcomes, the current study focuses on a specific course domain. This study (1) assesses how students' subject-specific motivational beliefs and learning behavior affect their perceived learning outcomes, and (2) examines how students' perceptions of the task value of subject-specific assignments strengthen or weaken the effect of motivated learning on learning outcomes. The results highlight the critical roles of group-based term projects and individual-based IT tasks in strengthening the effect of self-efficacy and deep learning behavior on learning outcomes. International business educators are thus advised to manage students' perceived task value with regard to outcome and effort expectancy. Practicable recommendations are provided for building up students' expectations about desirable learning outcomes in relation to project-specific assignments, and fostering students' beliefs about return-on-efforts through project-specific assessment rubrics.     

The Domains of Undergraduate International Business and International Management Courses in Accredited Schools of Business

ABSTRACT

This study compared undergraduate international business and international management course syllabi from 190 management departments at accredited U.S. business schools. Comparisons revealed considerable overlap in topic areas in the two courses. The findings indicate the need for greater domain clarity and differentiation in objectives, topic areas covered, and textbooks used. Domain clarification could lead to more truthful representation of the two courses, better training and disciplinary grounding of course instructors, more appropriate hosting of the courses in business school departments, and enhanced skill-sets among students in these courses. Finally, clear domain definitions are necessary for reliability and validity in international business research.     

Cross-Functional Globalization Modules

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to present cross-functional international teaching modules. The modules presented in this paper are intended to assist higher education institutions in initiating and implementing the first level of internationalization of the business school curriculum. Although the focus is on achieving a level of global awareness, the paper also addresses how the first stage of globalization leads to advances in the second stage-understanding. Applicable means and methods to initiate the “internationalization” process for business schools in the internationalization process are provided. The paper also addresses the students' perceptions of this process, especially concerning global awareness. Implications, challenges, and recommendations are provided.     

Impact of International Business Education on Ethnocentricity

Abstract

As evidenced by recent surveys of American managers, there is a serious shortage of qualified candidates on the US job market. This shortage is most evident in two specialization areas: high-technology knowledge workers and internationally competent managers. Indeed, American companies rate lack of qualified high-technology personnel as their number one reason for slower than desired business expansion. The other less glamorized, yet serious shortcoming of the American educational system is its inadequate training of cross-culturally competent workers for this truly global post-industrial era. In response to this human resources crisis, realizing that “the future economic welfare of the US will depend substantially on increasing international skills in the business community,” the United States Department of Education began an active campaign of promoting international education and research in several major American universities in the late 1980s. Since 1988, nearly 40 universities have been awarded tens of millions of dollars to engage in such activities as developing formal international business curricula, offering foreign language courses, promoting internationally-oriented research, provoking international education and research dialogues among the faculty, exchange programs between American and foreign universities for students and the faculty and similar activities. This research is a first attempt in evaluating the impact of one such program on the internationalization level of American students. It will be shown that the international education program at one major American university has successfully produced a cadre of more global and less ethnocentric workforce for American corporations.     

Secrets to success: Business skills and knowledge that students find most useful in succeeding in a capstone course simulation

This exploratory research examines students' perceptions of a capstone business simulation game by identifying (a) courses that were most useful in preparing students for the simulation and (b) interpersonal skills students found most helpful when working with teammates on the simulation. Also identified are the simulation's impact on student understanding of business disciplines and additional interpersonal skills training desired by the students. By studying these later topics, faculty members can alter their course design so that students are better prepared for their capstone course simulation. Finally, connections between the simulation participation and attitudes toward employment and career success are explored.     

Strategically Assessing International Business Course-Specific Learning Aims

Abstract

During the past 30 years, there have been calls for universities and business schools to internationalize curriculum, students and faculty. As most U.S. business schools have added international components to their respective programs, the assessment of these programs was subsequently recommended from accreditation and competitive perspectives. To sustain competitiveness, business schools must expand their program assessment activities and rigorously conduct assessment at the course level as well. We propose a model of international business course assessment that links learning aims to delivery methods and reviews two separate approaches based on that model.     

Developing critical thinking through student consulting projects

The authors present survey results from faculty at 44 universities on the role of student consulting projects in developing business students' critical thinking. They conclude that students can improve critical thinking by engaging in guided primary and secondary research to inform their business assumptions that underpin business planning and financial modeling in consulting projects. Results also suggest that instructors newer to the practice of using student consulting tend to emphasize objective results (e.g., application of disciplinary skills and research methods), whereas experienced users seem to focus on the subjective consulting process (e.g., managing client relationships and evaluating information quality and fit for the project).     

Does educational gamification improve students’ motivation? If so,which game elements work best?

Educational gamification is a growing field. The authors answer the following important questions: (a) To what degree does educational gamification, in general, increase students' perceived motivation in learning? (b) To what degree do specific game elements impact perceived motivation in learning? and (c) Are the benefits of gamification limited to or enhanced in participants with specific demographic characteristics? A survey of organizational behavior students' perceptions (n?=?124) investigated how participating in a gamified course motivated students overall and examined the individual effect of specific game elements. Of the participants, 67.7% reported that the gamified course was more or much more motivating than a traditional course. Correlational data indicated that being a member of any measured demographic (e.g., gender, age, student status) was not a barrier to finding gamification motivating.     

Educating the Global Manager

Abstract

The culturally diverse classroom would seem to be the ideal resource that educators can tap to develop their students' cross-cultural competence and bridge different cultures. However, evidence from the education literature suggests that students typically do not benefit from classroom diversity and that, in general, there is a lack of cross-cultural interactions between different cultural groups on campus. In this paper, we provide an integrated framework for developing students' cross-cultural competence by drawing on the cultural diversity in the classroom. The framework incorporates established and frequently used strategies for developing cross-cultural competence, as well as additional strategies that we have devised (such as diversity audits, self-awareness and ‘other’-awareness tools, student-generated cases and virtual linkages). We explain how this approach uses cultural diversity inherent in the classroom as a basis for students' awareness and understanding of cultural differences, knowledge of other cultures and the application of skills.     

An Empirical Study of Student Willingness to Study Abroad

Companies wish for universities to provide business students with international education and awareness. Short- and long-term study-abroad programs are an effective method by which this is accomplished, but relatively few American students study abroad. In response to these facts, this study develops hypotheses that predict student willingness to study abroad and tests the hypotheses using a survey of over 300 primarily business undergraduate students at a public Midwestern university. Results indicate a significant difference between student willingness to study abroad short-term versus long-term. Results also show that personal, situational, and location variables influence students' willingness to study abroad, though completing an international business class had no effect. Implications for international business scholars are discussed.     

Developing an International and Technology-Driven Business School Program

Abstract

Academics and practitioners alike have voiced their concerns about how to continuously improve the quality of education in the business school. Two central issues that have received recent attention are (1) how to address a rapidly changing and increasingly global economy, and (2) how to infuse technology into the business school curriculum. Both of these issues are changing at break-neck speed, whereas the academic environment, by its very nature and structure, is struggling to meet these demands ata much slower pace. We attempt to offer solutions to these major issues by developing an action plan for international business and technology. One key factor in developing global and technological programs in business schools is the input of its stakeholders-the international and technological business community. In this study, we report the results of an investigation of the international business and technological community's perceptions of the skills they require of recent business school graduates. A total of 126 business organizations provide insights for business schools to develop action plans to address international and technological needs. A discussion and implications of our findings provides an initial avenue for schools to follow in their strategic planning for the future.