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Draws on relevant academic literature to explore the nature of cross‐cultural capability and goes on to consider its implications for the student experience in British undergraduate business education. Some of the key issues concerning the design of mechanisms and strategies for integrating cross‐cultural capability within the curriculum are highlighted and discussed with a view to informing what needs to be done to prepare undergraduates for the international business world of tomorrow

As part of their attempt to embed their teaching more firmly in the ‘real world’ of business, some university tutors have incorporated ‘commissioned’ or ‘live’ projects into their learning and teaching strategies. These projects enable students to make a direct contribution to their business clients while simultaneously fulfilling key educational objectives. Drawing on their experience of the use of commissioned projects on an MSc in International Business (MSclB) course, the authors analyse in detail both the potential benefits and the problems that arise in implementing such schemes. In this paper, they outline some of the key features of the MSclB course, focusing on the commissioned project component; indicate the reasons for using commissioned projects from the point of view of both tutors and students; describe and evaluate the methodology used to generate data for informing the identification and discussion of issues; and explore a number of key factors for tutors and students in the use of commissioned projects. The paper thus raises awareness of the nature of commissioned projects as a pedagogic tool and of what needs to be done if their contribution to the enhancement of students' understanding of the business world is to be maximized.

Examines the nature of commissioned projects in business education and the value they hold for key stakeholder groups: students, tutors and clients. Identifies the essence of commissioned projects as being a unique fusion of vocational and pedagogic (problem‐based learning) perspectives. Describes the structure of commissioned projects and argues that this is a necessary but not sufficient condition for their success. Argues that the key to their successful utilisation is the establishment of effective foundations. Identifies these as a strategy for curriculum support; a commitment to the integration of skills and knowledge; a negotiated approach to the specification of learning outcomes; a recognition of the importance of process issues; the development of a framework for applying learning; and an emphasis on the concept of reflective practice.

The role of work-based learning (WBL) in the development of student employability skills is well researched. Although universities have responded positively to both the opportunities and challenges of WBL, there is still a sense that demand outstrips supply for WBL opportunities in higher education. Many institutions, therefore, are offering work-related learning (WRL) as a substitute for WBL. An interesting question is to what extent WRL can generate similar learning outcomes to WBL, given the role of WBL in bridging the gap between higher education and the workplace and providing real world authentic learning experiences. This chapter will review an approach to WRL within the “Venture Matrix” (VM) at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, and compare and contrast student learning outcomes with those identified in the WBL literature. The chapter will reflect upon the common approaches to WRL in business education, the nature of knowledge and skills development in these approaches, and the extent to which WRL can be used as a substitute for WBL.

This chapter argues that one of the key criticisms of contemporary business education relates to its approach to knowledge construction, and the prioritising and privileging of disciplinary-based propositional knowledge in the core curriculum. It is suggested that, in general, business education has been slow to respond to the changing conditions and nature of knowledge creation outside of the academy, and it is posited that a recognition of this “new knowledge” is crucial when developing the skills and attributes identified as being important in the workplace. It is further argued that, although project and work-based learning opportunities should be expanded within the higher education (HE) curriculum as a way of making learning more relevant to the business world, of equal importance is how this knowledge is fused with disciplinary-based propositional knowledge within the majority of modules or educational experiences a student is exposed to. By way of illustration, the findings of a small scale research project examining student learning from a “live” company project will be examined. It is concluded that by incorporating authentic learning approaches more extensively within the curriculum, which expose students to or enable them to develop aspects of the “new knowledge”, and then leveraging these broadly across the curriculum, business educators can forge a knowledge synthesis and support skills development that will go some way to bridging the expectations gap between universities and business.