Attitudes of undergraduate business students toward sustainability issues

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Eagle ◽  
David Low ◽  
Peter Case ◽  
Lisa Vandommele
Keyword(s):  
Business Students ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Student Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
James Cook ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Purpose – This paper aims to report on findings from the first phase of a longitudinal study of undergraduate business students’ attitudes, beliefs and perceptions concerning sustainability issues. Design/methodology/approach – To improve understanding of the potential effects of changes in the curriculum, business students enrolled during the academic year prior to a redesigned, sustainability-informed, curriculum were surveyed. Familiarity with key sustainability terms was tested using a semi-structured questionnaire applied across two campuses of James Cook University, Australia. Quantitative data were complemented by use of open-ended questions that yielded qualitative insight into a range of student knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and normative influences relating to sustainability and climate change. Findings – Findings reflect naïve awareness of the potential impact of individual contributions to sustainability and environmental challenges. They reveal a tendency to regard major issues as beyond personal control and to view solutions as being the responsibility of others. This is coupled with reluctance to consider major lifestyle changes. Social implications – Universities are increasing their focus on sustainability-related issues and the ways in which these can be effectively communicated via curricula. This paper carries implications for this societal agenda, particularly in relation to the need to address disconnections between awareness of issues, personal relevance and effective strategies for addressing sustainability issues. Originality/value – The findings shed fresh light on the attitudes and behavioural dispositions of undergraduate business students and could help guide the development and delivery of curriculum content.

Developing business students’ intercultural competence through intercultural virtual collaboration: a task sequence implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Ferreira-Lopes ◽  
Iciar Elexpuru-Albizuri ◽  
María José Bezanilla
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Task Sequence ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Intercultural Relationships ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Purpose Allowing for interaction with foreign cultures without the need to travel, intercultural virtual collaboration represents a potential tool to develop business students’ intercultural competence. This study aims to explore students’ perceptions towards the implementation of a research-based task sequence in a project in which undergraduate Business students from Spain collaborated virtually with undergraduate business students from The Netherlands during a semester. More specifically, this paper investigates what intercultural competence indicators were mostly developed by the sequence implemented; how much each task from the sequence in question developed different intercultural competence indicators; and how much students enjoyed participating in each task. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through after-task reflection questionnaires. A quantitative analysis of Likert-type questions was carried out and open-ended responses were used to illustrate findings. Findings Results reveal that the task sequence developed different dimensions of students’ intercultural competence and, particularly, fostered a positive attitude towards intercultural relationships, increased students’ cultural knowledge and awareness and equipped students with skills to work in diverse teams. It also showed that as complexity grew along the sequence, the average students’ perception of their intercultural competence development tended to decrease. The majority of students’ very much liked participating in the different tasks. Originality/value Designing telecollaborative projects can be very challenging and understanding the learning potential of different pedagogical strategies for virtual collaborative environments can help teachers to take better-informed decisions.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate business students: a longitudinal study on academic motivation, engagement and attachment to university

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Pasion ◽  
Eva Dias-Oliveira ◽  
Ana Camacho ◽  
Catarina Morais ◽  
Raquel Campos Franco
Keyword(s):  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Purpose This study aims to explore whether the COVID-19-related circumstances hindered these academic-related variables. Design Methodology Approach The authors surveyed two groups of undergraduate business students (42% male) who completed the questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of the semester. One group of students attended only face-to-face classes in the 2018/2019 academic year (n = 126) and the other group transitioned to online classes because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the 2019/2020 academic year (n = 99). Findings The findings show no statistically significant group differences between the pre- and post-test in students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, feelings of attachment to the university and engagement dimensions of absorption and vigour. Nevertheless, a moderate negative effect was found in the dedication engagement dimension. Practical Implications The authors discuss the main results in terms of some practices that may contribute towards attenuating the effects of future emerging pandemics in the higher education setting. Originality Value The COVID-19 pandemic imposed a rapid transition to online instruction in education institutions worldwide. However, it remains unclear to date how students’ engagement, motivation and attachment to the university were negatively affected by the first COVID-19 outbreak.

Factors influencing academic performance in quantitative courses among undergraduate business students of a public higher education institution

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 12-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwish Abdulrahamn Yousef
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Multiple Regression Analysis ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
English Language ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Teaching Style ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Language And Communication ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impacts of teaching style, English language and communication and assessment methods on the academic performance of undergraduate business students in introductory quantitative courses such as Statistics for Business 1 and 2, Quantitative Methods for Business, Operations and Production Management and Operations Research in a non-Western setting. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 750 undergraduate business students in third- and fourth-year classes at the UAE University (UAEU). Descriptive statistics were used to gain some insights into the demographic and educational characteristics of respondents and their opinions regarding the importance of the three factors of concern to their understanding of quantitative courses material, along with multiple regression analysis that was used to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings The results of the present study indicate the importance of the teaching style in terms of the way the lecturer speaks and the pace of presenting the material, in addition to the structure of the lecture in understanding quantitative course material. Additionally, availability and contents of the material on the course website play an important role in helping undergraduate business students understand the subjects of quantitative courses. The study revealed that the UAEU undergraduate business students are, to some extent, uncomfortable in reading printed textbooks and writing reports on quantitative topics in English. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that both teaching style and English language and communication have a great influence on the academic performance of UAEU undergraduate business students. Research limitations/implications The paper has a number of limitations. For instance, the sample was taken only from students in a single university. Moreover, this study focuses on the business students and in turn, it excludes students of other colleges. On the other hand, it has a number of implications for administrators, instructors and researchers. Administrators should pay special attention when setting admission standards. Instructors teaching quantitative courses should prepare well-structured lectures and deliver them at a reasonable pace to allow students the time to understand them. They should also pay attention to the way they speak. For researchers, this study will indicate the need for further research to confirm or refute the results of the present study. Originality/value The present study is the first attempt to investigate the impacts of the three factors of concern on the academic performance of undergraduate business students in introductory quantitative courses in a public university setting in the UAE context.

A shift towards self-transcendence: can service learning make a difference?

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Irina Petrovskaya
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students ◽  
Test Control

Purpose This paper aims to answer a question whether a course that combines in-class teaching and the out-class elements of service learning can shift students’ values from self-enhancement to self-transcendence. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a pre-test-post-test control group research design. Two groups of the first year undergraduate business students who took the course served as the experimental groups (N = 79), and two groups of the second year students served as the control groups (N = 73). Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-40) was used to measure values, and a t-test was applied to compare value scores at the beginning and the end of the course. Findings A statistically significant value change toward self-transcendence was found in one of the two experimental groups, and no change was registered in the control groups. Analysis of the course activities and participation suggests that the change was brought about by the variations in the volunteering experiences. Originality/value This study contributes to the research that focuses on the outcomes of service learning. The research on how service learning affects values, especially pro-social ones, is currently limited. The present study suggests implications for further research and discussion on the possible ways to promote the values of self-transcendence through educational activities.

Undergraduate business students’ perception of auditing: impact of proximity and knowledge on auditors’ stereotype

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Espinosa-Pike ◽  
Edurne Aldazabal ◽  
Itsaso Barrainkua
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
The Core ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Purpose This study aims to explore undergraduate students’ stereotypes of auditing and the influence of knowledge of the profession and its sources on the stereotype. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a questionnaire distributed among 360 undergraduate business students at 21 higher education institutions in Spain. Findings The study reveals that undergraduate business students consider auditors competent and ethical. Auditing is viewed as an interesting and rigorous activity, which requires high responsibility and contributes significantly to society. Students perceive that the auditing career is difficult but contributes to professional development. The knowledge acquired through business studies influences the creation of a positive image of the profession and of auditors. Practical implications The profession could benefit from the fact that having more information about the profession improves students’ perceptions of it. The provision of auditing courses through the degree and related activities to increase the visibility of the profession during the first years of the degree could improve the auditor stereotype and enhance students’ intentions to enter this profession. Originality/value Previous studies have analyzed the image of the accounting professional as a homogeneous professional status. This study specifically addresses the image of auditors, who are at the core of the traditional accounting domain. It analyzes the influence of sources of knowledge (academic training, having familiars and media) on auditors’ stereotypes. Moreover, it provides evidence concerning the perceptions of the new generations (Gen Z).

Yes Bank: Innovation in money transfer

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Narasinha Sawaikar
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Money Transfer ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Subject area Banking, Emerging Markets, Innovation. Study level/applicability Undergraduate Business students and MBA students. Case overview This case describes the creation of YES MONEY: a domestic remittance service for migrant workers. Broadly, the case is about conceiving and deploying an information and communication technology-based solution for financial inclusion. It describes how Anand Bajaj, chief innovation officer at YES BANK, created a solution for migrant workers who wished to send their money to their families in rural India. Expected learning outcomes Gaining a better understanding of the process of creating new services, especially in the banking industry. Understanding the context in which YES BANK operated when it created YES MONEY. Drawing general lessons that can be applied to innovation, especially in emerging markets. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

scholarly journals Caught in the Web: The Impact of Library Instruction on Business Students’ Perceptions and Use of Print and Online Resources

2003 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn V. Lombardo ◽  
Cynthia E. Miree
Keyword(s):  
Business Students ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
Web Resources ◽  
Print Materials ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students ◽  
The Web

Many business students rely heavily on the Web for research, in part because of their unfamiliarity with the breadth of their library’s business resources (online and in print). This study sought to determine whether library instruction could impact undergraduate business students’ attitudes and use of three information formats: print materials, library databases, and Web resources. Over the course of a semester, pre-/postinstruction questionnaires were collected from ninety students enrolled in a business capstone course. Results indicate that after library instruction, students held more favorable attitudes toward print resources and used them in their research more than they had initially expected.

Marketing social selling jobs: a re-labelling strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuna Kim ◽  
John S. Talbott
Keyword(s):  
Business Students ◽  
Job Descriptions ◽  
Job Responsibilities ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Job Information ◽  
Marketing Social ◽  
Job Candidates ◽  
Customer Need

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether communicating recent changes in the sales profession, shifting from a performance-focused model to a customer need-focused model, to job candidates by re-labeling job descriptions can increase job candidates’ interest in pursuing sales jobs. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments using job candidates (undergraduate business students) were conducted at two public US universities to examine: whether job candidates use job title or job description to determine their interest in pursuing jobs and whether terminology used in the job description affects job candidates’ interest in pursuing sales jobs. Findings Results show that job candidates’ interest in pursuing jobs are affected by job titles more than the actual job responsibilities. Further, job candidates’ interest in pursuing sales jobs is affected by terminology used in the job descriptions, where customer need-focused (selling-focused) terminology increases (decreases) interest in pursuing a sales job. Practical implications Sales jobs have been recognized as one of the hardest job positions to fill. Results from this paper can help recruiters develop effective strategies to improve job candidates’ interest in pursuing sales jobs, especially the emerging social selling jobs. Originality/value Contrary to most extant research that investigates resistance toward sales jobs by examining job candidates’ idiosyncratic characteristics, this paper adopts a branding and consumer learning perspective and examines how job candidates’ interest in pursuing a job is influenced by their ability or willingness to process job information.

scholarly journals Service Learning And Business Education: Distinctions Between Undergraduate And Graduate Business Students

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Cleamon Moorer, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Adult Students ◽  
Business Education ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
Graduate Business Students ◽  
Learning Projects ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Research on service learning in business education often enumerates its efficacy and overall value. The focus on business students attitudes toward service learning offers insight into program design and implementation of service learning into business curricula. This study investigates the distinctions between undergraduate and graduate business students attitudes related to service learning in the business college of a Midwestern liberal arts university. A survey was distributed to a total of 210 students in three of the colleges undergraduate and graduate business courses respectively. Students assessed their motivation, preparation, and skills to meet and fulfill service learning projects. Results of this study reflected that graduate business students possessed greater levels of commitment and skill sets to perform service learning projects. These data support an ideology that undergraduate business students may need more social development and academic preparation to gain the maximum benefit from service- learning projects. Traditional-age undergraduate business students were surveyed; thus responses to survey questions could have differed greatly if the undergraduate business students surveyed were non-traditional-aged or returning adult students.

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