Search

Following the increasing use of online learning among academic institutions worldwide, this study examined the relationships between enjoyment of study, study engagement, learning performance, and informal learning. Based on the intrinsic motivation theory, enjoyment of study is posited to motivate students to engage in their studies and affects their learning performance. In this study, study engagement was used as a mediator between enjoyment of study, learning performance, and informal learning. Data were collected from 137 undergraduate students in a Hong Kong university who participated in online learning for an academic semester. The results indicated that enjoyment of study and study engagement were "positively" related to learning performance and informal learning. Study engagement "partially" and "fully" mediated the relationships of enjoyment of study with learning performance and informal learning, respectively. Theoretical and practical implications for enjoyment of study in online learning are discussed.

This study examines how new ways of learning (NWL) affects students' study engagement and learning satisfaction with online teaching, and whether subject lecturer support moderates the effect of NWL and study engagement on learning satisfaction. Undergraduate students in Hong Kong were invited to complete a survey about their experience of online teaching. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that NWL were positively related to study engagement and learning satisfaction. Subject lecturer support moderated the relationship between NWL and study engagement, which mediated their interactive effect on learning satisfaction. The results imply that academic institutions can transform traditional face-to-face teaching into online teaching that achieves learning satisfaction for students.

In the context of the use of personal response systems (PRSs) in the classroom, the two main motivations of the study were to investigate whether boredom with the devices decreased students' perceived learning and learning satisfaction, and whether teachers' provision of feedback moderated these negative effects. A survey was conducted among 172 business undergraduate students at a local university in Hong Kong. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that perceived learning mediated the relationship between boredom and learning satisfaction. This study found that the negative relationship between boredom with PRSs and learning satisfaction was weaker when teachers provided higher levels of feedback. A key managerial implication for academic educators was that teachers could develop better learning experience to students by providing high quality feedback in PRSs context.

The use of personal response systems (PRSs) to support the learning process is increasing. This study examines the impact of PRSs from individual learners' and instructors' perspectives on individual learners' engagement with PRSs and their learning performance. Data were collected from a sample of 236 undergraduate bachelor of business administration students in the School of Business at a Hong Kong university. The results indicated that the learner interface was important to individual learners' engagement with PRSs and their learning performance. Instructor attitude and technical competence had significant impacts on learning performance. Engagement with PRSs partially mediated the effect of both perspectives on learning performance. Implications for the theory and practice of individual learners' learning performance are discussed.

The authors draw on the taxonomy of managerial competencies to assess the alignment of perceptions between industry practitioners and business academics when profiling managerial competencies required for effective performance in workplaces. Findings show that the set of managerial competency profiles, as viewed by practitioners, generally fit well with the perceptions of business academics as represented in the intended learning outcomes specified in the undergraduate business programs. It suggests that the targeted managerial competencies built around business curricula are largely in sync with the expectations of practitioners. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Based on the diffusion of innovation theory (E. M. Rogers, 1983, 1995), the authors examined the antecedents of the adoption of electronic learning (e-learning) systems by using a time-based assessment model (R. C. Beatty, J. P. Shim, & M. C. Jones, 2001), which classified adopters into categories upon point in time when adopting e-learning systems. Based on a structured questionnaire survey from 143 business organizations, results indicated significant differences in the reasons why adopters decided to adopt e-learning systems. Technical compatibility, top management support, and social pressures had a greater influence on the adoption of the e-learning systems by the early adopters than on the late adopters. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of perceived supervisory support (PSS) and the moderating role of psychological empowerment between benevolent leadership and subordinates’ objective performance (from appraisal report evaluated by immediate supervisors after a year) over time.Design/methodology/approach A sample of 312 employees in a manufacturing plant in the People’s Republic of China was collected. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data.Findings The results indicated that PSS mediated the relationship between benevolent leadership and subordinates’ objective performance. This positive relationship of benevolent leadership and subordinates’ performance was stronger when supervisors exhibited higher levels of psychological empowerment.Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is that the sample was collected from the administrative staff of a manufacturing plant in China. The results may not be generalized in different contexts and professions, given the contextually and culturally specific setting.Practical implications Benevolent leadership appears to be effective in driving the work performance of subordinates.Originality/value The relationships among benevolent leadership, PSS, and work performance of subordinates have shown significant explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between workplace fun, trust-in-management, employee satisfaction and whether the level of fun experienced at work moderates the effects.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of 240 frontline staff in a large-scale retail store in Hong Kong.Findings The results show that trust-in-management mediates the relationship between workplace fun and employee job satisfaction. Additionally, employees who experience a high level of fun in the workplace have a greater effect on workplace fun, trust-in-management and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is that it collects data from a self-reported single source in a cross-sectional survey design.Practical implications Because workplace fun helps organizations promote employee trust and job satisfaction, organizations should provide more enjoyable activities for employees to participate in.Originality/value This study provides a new insight into the effects of workplace fun on employees’ trust-in-management and job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of Honey and Mumford's Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) in Macao. Design/methodology/approach - A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 135 undergraduate students at the Institute For Tourism Studies, Macao, and obtained scores for the four learning styles: activist, theorist, reflector, and pragmatist. Findings - The findings indicated that students scored strong preferences in activist and reflector and attained moderate preferences in theorist and pragmatist. The findings also highlighted the differences in learning styles with respect to students' gender, programme, and the relationship with academic results. Practical implications - The main implications of these findings are that the use of Learning Styles Questionnaire may help individual learners to identify their learning behaviours and determine their skills acquisition for industry. Originality/value - This study identifies the importance of the use of Learning Styles Questionnaire and provides suggestions for teaching and learning in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the perceptions of the importance of the internet to human resource management (HRM) and to understand the existing human resource (HR) practices and needs of the internet to support HRM functions. Design/methodology/approach -- A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from selected public companies quoted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Questionnaires were returned by 147 respondents and used for the analysis. The overall response rate was 29 percent, which was higher than expected. Findings -- The findings indicated that the most frequently cited internet-supported HRM function in the existing literature is recruitment and selection. The results showed that there are no significant organization size differences or significant differences in internet connectivity as far as the perceived importance of the internet to FIR practitioners is concerned. Specifically, helping managers to stay informed is the most important reason for adopting the internet for HR practitioners. Originality/value -- This study has proved that internet-based HR offers enormous opportunities to improve organization performance. This paper introduces the reader to the potential use of the internet to support HRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]