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Employers are continually looking for graduates who show an understanding of people with diverse cultures, languages, and religions. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how participation in study abroad enhanced the interculturality of undergraduate business students. Participants included two cohorts of U.S. students participating in a short-term biennial study abroad program in China. The data were student' scores on The Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES), a 52-item Likert scale spanning nine dimensions: continuous learning, self-awareness, exploration, interpersonal engagement, world orientation, relationship development, hardiness, positive regard, and emotional resilience. The IES was completed pre and post trip. Additional data were collected from the students' open-ended journals that they wrote while participating in the study abroad program. Quantitative findings revealed that mean scores increased significantly between Time 1 (pre trip) and Time 2 (post trip) for most dimensions of the IES. Qualitative findings showed that three main themes impact student experiences: Travel, Memories, and Culture. Additional qualitative findings revealed that the Enjoyment and Challenges that students experience as part of a formal study abroad curriculum enhanced attainment of learning outcomes.

Persistent concerns about college graduates' foundational skills for workforce preparedness compels educators to continue exploring ways to address them. Although effective communication is widely regarded as essential for entry-level professionals, which skills matter most may vary. Employers' satisfaction with communication skills also shifts over time. This study compares regional employers' and undergraduate business majors' satisfaction with given communication skills and their perceptions about various skills' importance. Results showed students rank importance and satisfaction similarly, and students' satisfaction with their skills exceeded employers'. Regressions showed student satisfaction with specific skills predict their perceived importance. Implications for curriculum development are discussed.

Ongoing employer concerns about communication skill deficits and workforce readiness among college graduates have prompted this regionally-based study comparing survey results between 2015 and 2018 that identified oral and written communication skills that regarded as critical to career success by local employers. Results examine the areas where employer perceptions about communication skill importance and satisfaction had changed, particularly in areas addressed by communication course outcomes adopted by a regional public undergraduate business program. Results indicate that dissatisfaction declined in skills directly addressed by communication curriculum, and in some areas satisfaction levels improved. Implications for aligning undergraduate curriculum to regional workforce needs are discussed.

Synchronous hybrid delivery (simultaneously teaching on-campus and online students using Web conferencing) is becoming more common in higher education. However, little is known about students' emotions in these environments. Although often overlooked, emotions are fundamental antecedents of success. This study longitudinally examined the role of students' emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom), perceptions of control, value, and success in synchronous hybrid learning environments. In particular, the investigation assessed students' self-reported enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom as predictors of their program achievement and successful technology use. Students were recruited from synchronous hybrid MBA and MPA programs. Control-value theory of emotions was used as the theoretical framework. Paired samples "t"-tests revealed that the achievement domain, compared to the technology domain, yielded higher mean scores for control, value, enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom. In addition, mixed ANOVAs indicated an interaction effect in which group means for program boredom were significantly higher for on-campus students than for online students. Intercorrelations in each domain showed that perceived success was positively related to enjoyment and negatively related to anxiety and boredom. Technology-related anxiety was also found to fully mediate the positive effect of control on perceived success in using technology.

Synchronous hybrid delivery (simultaneously teaching on-campus and online students using web conferencing) is becoming more common; however, little is known about how students experience emotions in this learning environment. Based on Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of emotions, the dual purpose of this study was first to compare synchronous hybrid students who attend online versus on-campus in terms of control, value, emotions and perceived success and second to compare students' degree of emotional activation in the domains of programme achievement and technology use. Survey data from 101 graduate business students revealed that online students reported significantly higher levels of technology-related anger, anxiety and helplessness. Furthermore, in comparison to their on-campus counterparts, online students more clearly separated their emotions in terms of programme achievement and technology use. Emotions related significantly to students' perceived success for both programme achievement and technology use, and mediated the effects of control and value appraisals on perceived success.

The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill for graduates of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programmes; however, as synchronous hybrid learning becomes more common, business schools may find it challenging to assess students' proficiency in this core area. An additional layer of complexity is added by the burgeoning enrolment of international students in this technology-enriched learning environment. The objective of this exploratory study was to examine the relationships among attendance mode (online vs. on-campus), student nationality (domestic vs. international) and oral communication assessment scores in a synchronous hybrid MBA programme. Quantitative data from 202 hybrid MBA students collected over 12 semesters revealed domestic students were rated as more proficient orators than international students when assessed face-to-face. These results, however, were not replicated when students were assessed in a synchronous online environment. Furthermore, the results indicated that international students received higher scores when their oral communication skills were assessed online compared to face-to-face. Conversely, domestic students who were assessed face-to-face had higher mean scores than the domestic students who were assessed online. The findings are discussed with respect to teaching and learning in hybrid environments, technology-mediated assessment design and accreditation practices in non-traditional programme delivery modes.

This disguised case features a marketing major, Susan Lafleur, who presented Professor Higgins, the Department Chair, with a dilemma. She needed a petition signed to enroll in a capstone course while simultaneously taking a prerequisite course. She received an employment offer from a prestigious overseas corporation, which required a baccalaureate marketing degree. Higgins informed Susan that the prerequisite courses had never been waived previously. Further investigation revealed that Susan had a marginal academic record. Higgins's quandary involved maintaining academic standards, College policy, and compassion for the student. Decision making, motivation, and psychological contract research were applied. What should Higgins do?

Leadership is a management tool to direct effective achievement of goals. Historical investigation can provide a valuable lens for the study of leadership styles. To that end, this study examines the disparate approaches of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott as they raced to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole. The objective of this study is to analyze the leadership techniques used in these expeditions, and to determine how they shaped the outcome of each. The process of tacit knowledge and experience coalesces and fosters both leadership and action that are not only communication-oriented and value-driven, but also rooted in growth mindset and reflexivity. Both concepts proved to be imperative to the success of both Amundsen and Scott's expeditions. Ultimately, the experiences, choices, and eventual fate of polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott provide a unique view of the human endeavor that holds valuable lessons for leaders in a variety of professional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employers are continually looking for graduates who show an understanding of people with diverse cultures, languages, and religions. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how participation in study abroad enhanced the interculturality of undergraduate business students. Participants included two cohorts of U.S. students participating in a short-term biennial study abroad program in China. The data were student' scores on The Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES), a 52-item Likert scale spanning nine dimensions: continuous learning, self-awareness, exploration, interpersonal engagement, world orientation, relationship development, hardiness, positive regard, and emotional resilience. The IES was completed pre and post trip. Additional data were collected from the students' open-ended journals that they wrote while participating in the study abroad program. Quantitative findings revealed that mean scores increased significantly between Time 1 (pre trip) and Time 2 (post trip) for most dimensions of the IES. Qualitative findings showed that three main themes impact student experiences: Travel, Memories, and Culture. Additional qualitative findings revealed that the Enjoyment and Challenges that students experience as part of a formal study abroad curriculum enhanced attainment of learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing employer concerns about communication skill deficits and workforce readiness among college graduates have prompted this regionally-based study comparing survey results between 2015 and 2018 that identified oral and written communication skills that regarded as critical to career success by local employers. Results examine the areas where employer perceptions about communication skill importance and satisfaction had changed, particularly in areas addressed by communication course outcomes adopted by a regional public undergraduate business program. Results indicate that dissatisfaction declined in skills directly addressed by communication curriculum, and in some areas satisfaction levels improved. Implications for aligning undergraduate curriculum to regional workforce needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill for graduates of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programmes; however, as synchronous hybrid learning becomes more common, business schools may find it challenging to assess students’ proficiency in this core area. An additional layer of complexity is added by the burgeoning enrolment of international students in this technology-enriched learning environment. The objective of this exploratory study was to examine the relationships among attendance mode (online vs. on-campus), student nationality (domestic vs. international) and oral communication assessment scores in a synchronous hybrid MBA programme. Quantitative data from 202 hybrid MBA students collected over 12 semesters revealed domestic students were rated as more proficient orators than international students when assessed face-to-face. These results, however, were not replicated when students were assessed in a synchronous online environment. Furthermore, the results indicated that international students received higher scores when their oral communication skills were assessed online compared to face-to-face. Conversely, domestic students who were assessed face-to-face had higher mean scores than the domestic students who were assessed online. The findings are discussed with respect to teaching and learning in hybrid environments, technology-mediated assessment design and accreditation practices in non-traditional programme delivery modes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Synchronous hybrid delivery, defined as a course option where mutually exclusive groups of online and on-campus students are taught simultaneously using real-time audio and video technology, is becoming more common in higher education. This paper reports on a study whose objective was to investigate how online versus on-campus attendance in synchronous hybrid graduate business programs affects the relationships among students' need satisfaction, motivation, and perceived success. Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory was used to guide the analyses and interpret the results. Survey data involving 112 hybrid graduate business students revealed that need satisfaction significantly predicted several categories of motivation, which in turn predicted perceived success. For online students, perceived favorability of online and on-campus delivery was significantly correlated with key dimensions of need satisfaction and perceived success. The results also indicated that there are few significant differences on types of motivation and psychological needs between online and on-campus hybrid students; an exception was that online students reported significantly lower levels of relatedness than their on-campus counterparts. Differences based on attendance mode, may not be as substantial as was once thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]