When are Graduate Business Students a Reasonable Proxy for Nonprofessional Investors?

Author(s):  
W. Brooke Elliott ◽  
Frank D. Hodge ◽  
Maarten Pronk ◽  
S. Jane Kennedy
2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Brooke Elliott ◽  
Frank D. Hodge ◽  
Jane Jollineau Kennedy ◽  
Maarten Pronk

We investigate a key assumption underlying much of the experimental research in financial accounting that graduate business students are a good proxy for nonprofessional investors. To conduct our investigation, we categorize recent experimental studies in financial accounting, based on the relative level of integrative complexity inherent in each study's task. We then conduct experiments using two tasks, one that is relatively low in integrative complexity and one that is relatively high in integrative complexity, and compare the responses of two groups of M.B.A. students and nonprofessional investors. Our results suggest that using M.B.A. students as a proxy for nonprofessional investors is a valid methodological choice, provided researchers give careful consideration to aligning a task's integrative complexity with the appropriate level of M.B.A. student. M.B.A. students who have completed their core M.B.A. courses and are enrolled in or have completed a financial statement analysis course are a good proxy for nonprofessional investors in tasks that are relatively low in integrative complexity. Though less definitive, the majority of our tests also suggest that these students are a good proxy for nonprofessional investors in tasks that are relatively high in integrative complexity. However, care must be taken when using students in the first-year core financial accounting course. In tasks that are relatively low in integrative complexity, these students perform similarly to nonprofessional investors except when they are asked to make an investment decision. In tasks that are relatively high in integrative complexity, these students acquire information similarly to nonprofessional investors, but they do not appear to integrate the information in a similar manner.


1995 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
Granger Macy ◽  
Joan C. Neal

This study examined the effectiveness of conflict-generating decision-making techniques in the college classroom. Utiliz ing constructive conflict in classroom exercises may affect decision-making quality and student reactions. This study of undergraduate and graduate business students found significant difference in both the quality of the decisions and in student reactions to the techniques. The findings and discussion indicate the potential for appropriate use of structured decision-making techniques in the classroom.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Johnson

This article reports two experiments testing how managers' capital allocation decisions are affected by where and to whom they report corporate social responsibility (CSR) information. Drawing on accountability theory, I predict that managers allocate more money to CSR activities when that information is reported in a dedicated CSR report that is intended for all stakeholders, compared to settings where it is reported in a financial report or when the information is intended specifically for capital providers. I find support for this prediction using graduate business students (Experiment 1) as participants, but not Mechanical Turk workers (Experiment 2). However, exploratory analyses indicate that my prediction is supported in Experiment 2 among millennial participants and that this result is attributable to participant age rather than work experience or preferences for CSR. This generational difference between millennials and non-millennials is consistent with recent research suggesting millennials are particularly sensitive to accountability pressures. JEL Classifications: G31; G41.


2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoo-Seong Song

Objective - In developing marketing strategies for the Business & Economics Library (BEL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC), a survey was designed to answer the following questions: • Should BEL develop marketing strategies differently for East Asian business students? • What services do graduate business students want to receive from BEL? • With whom should BEL partner to increase visibility at the College of Business? Marketing research techniques were used to gather evidence upon which BEL could construct appropriate marketing strategies. Methods - A questionnaire was used with graduate business students enrolled at UIUC. The survey consisted of four categories of questions: 1) demographics, 2) assessment of current library services, 3) desired library services, and 4) research behavior. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing to answer the three research questions. Results - East Asian business students showed similar assessment of current services as non-East Asian international business students. Survey results also showed that graduate business students had low awareness of current library services. The Business Career Services Office was identified as a co-branding partner for BEL to increase its visibility. Conclusion - A marketing research approach was used to help BEL make important strategic decisions before launching marketing campaigns to increase visibility to graduate business students at UIUC. As a result of the survey, a deeper understanding of graduate business students’ expectations and assessment of library services was gained. Students’ perceptions became a foundation that helped shape marketing strategies for BEL to increase its visibility at the College of Business. Creating marketing strategies without concrete data and analysis is a risky endeavor that librarians, not just corporate marketers, should avoid.


2002 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary N. Powell ◽  
D. Anthony Butterfield ◽  
Jane D. Parent

There has been a considerable increase in the proportion of women managers in recent years, from 21% in 1976 to 46% in 1999, and a call for “feminine leadership” to capitalize on this increase. The present study examines whether there has been a corresponding change in men’s and women’s stereotypes of managers such that less emphasis is placed on managers’ possessing masculine characteristics. Data from 348 undergraduate and part-time graduate business students indicate that although managerial stereotypes place less emphasis on masculine characteristics than in earlier studies [Academy of Management Journal 22 (1979) 395; Group and Organization Studies 14 (2) (1989) 216], a good manager is still perceived as predominantly masculine.


1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine E. Hynes ◽  
Vinita Bhatia

The purpose of this study was to determine graduate business students' pref erences for the business communication course curriculum. Two hundred fifty- five graduate business students who had taken a core course in managerial communication were surveyed, 86% of whom are employed. The most highly rated course topics were making presentations, writing memos and letters, lis tening and interpersonal communication, impromptu speaking, and business report formats. The topics rated least important were international business communication, using technology, and managing diversity. The most fre quently suggested additional topics were job interviews, team building, writing manuals/policies/procedures, and ethics.


Author(s):  
Paul Mihalek ◽  
Anne Rich ◽  
John Speir

Russia, once isolated from the Western world, is now encouraging trade and direct investment. Currently, there is substantial interest by foreign investors, including those in the U.S., to invest in Russian enterprises. The increasing globalization of business, in general, and specifically with Russia, requires managers to develop a better understanding of the cultural background and ethical reasoning of the individuals who are involved in multinational business. This paper presents the results of a research study comparing Russian graduate business students with U.S. graduate business students. Survey questions were used to obtain responses related to five business activities.The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are differences in the ethical beliefs of graduate business students in Russia and the United States. Predications of the responses were based on the four cultural dimensions delineated by Hofstede. The questions asked replicated the study conducted by Nyaw and Ng (1994) and the statistical analysis includes a discussion on outlier and bracketing effects. Our study shows differences between Russian and U.S. graduate business students in ethical behavior in the areas of job security, health and safety, tolerance for unethical behavior towards customers and suppliers and toward business rivals. However, the differences are not always predicable based on Hofstedes theories.


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