Through experience-based learning courses students deepen and possibly alter presently held understandings and assumptions when such classroom experiences allow students to practice skills and reflect on behaviors, actions and activities that simulate "real world" situations (Andresen, Boud & Cohen, 2000). Engaging in "real-world" situations exposes students to the type of emotion-laden interactions that are encountered upon entering the workplace. To date, little research has been conducted that investigates the relationship between experience-based learning courses, reflection and emotional competency. Therefore, this research explored new ground, opening up further discussions as to the role of experiential learning in developing students' emotional intelligence. Sport Event Management, a course conducted at a University in the North Eastern US region with 25 undergraduate and graduate students, was the setting for this empirical investigation into the impact of an experience-based learning course on students' emotional competency. Specifically, a quasi-experimental, mixed methods design was used to determine if students' emotional competency could be developed over the course of one semester when students were not formally trained or instructed in emotional intelligence theory. To aid in the examination of the impact on students' emotional competency development, differences between the experience-based learning course, Sport Event Management, and two courses using more traditional teaching methods were investigated. Differences between experimental and comparison group students' emotional competency were investigated at the conclusion of the spring semester using quantitative (ECI-U) and qualitative (Critical Incident Interview and exit interview) methods. Results from the quantitative measure (ECI-U) supported the contention that an experience-based course can positively increase students' emotional competency over the course of one semester but for graduate students only. However, qualitative results suggested that for both undergraduate and graduate students the impact of an experience-based learning course was more conducive than traditional courses to fostering the social and emotional learning that contributes to emotional competency development. Specifically, the experience-based learning course contributed to students' development of emotional competencies related to self-understanding and their ability to understand and interact with others in an organizational setting.

<p> A primary goal of universities is to maximize student enrollment by improving course curriculum and enhancing specific programs. This is especially a challenge for smaller universities who want to offer specialized and highly diverse electives. This study aims to increase the quality and relevance of electives offered by understanding specifically what attributes students prefer more or less when choosing among alternatives. The results are used to explore how to use limited marketing and student-outreach financial resources to target students that are most likely to enter and complete courses and programs, based in part on their socioeconomic or demographic characteristics. The application is aimed at the economics unit at Michigan Technological University, which offers two programs: an undergraduate economics major and a master&rsquo;s program in applied natural resource economics. Using an efficiently-designed discrete-choice experiment, this study elicits over 700 students&rsquo; stated preferences over a variety of attributes of economics courses related to the natural environment. Students were surveyed, and each student was presented with six different pairwise choice options that were developed based on 36 different alternative courses consisting of 8 attributes, such as class topics, professor rank, time of day, and research requirement. There were three significant covariates (political preference, economic interest, and domestic/foreign status). A latent-class discrete-choice random-utility model is estimated to probabilistically group students into different preference classes. Four preference classes emerge from the results that are highly heterogeneous in terms of the marginal utilities and the probabilities of being in a given class. For example, the largest class (40%) is made up of mostly conservative students, and the smallest class (12%) is made almost entirely of liberal students. While this study and the applicability of the specific results is unique to Michigan Technological University, the use of stated preference surveys and latent-class models is highly flexible and can be applied to any program at any university</p>

<p> Vulnerability is the ability to risk emotional exposure, chance making a mistake, or disclose personal information because the outcome is viewed as favorable. Vulnerability is a highly effective way to build trust with others. Trust is a valued leadership trait within corporate business because it encourages employees to take risks, share information, and ultimately become more effective and productive (Robbins &amp; Judge, 2013). This paper explores the practicing of vulnerability in college-level business classrooms to appropriately prepare business students to become leaders who are able to build trust within the workplace.</p><p> To further understand vulnerability in the classroom and develop a preliminary operational definition of the complex construct of vulnerability, a mixed methods research study was conducted at Sierra Nevada College that included a two-stage factor analysis followed by short interviews with instructors to gain further insight into the data collected. First, students from four randomly selected business classrooms were asked to participate in a study by completing a survey with 18 variables that describe vulnerable, productive teaching techniques. Then, the same survey was distributed to the five classrooms of instructors who were nominated for the 2014 or 2015 Nazir and Mary Ansari Excellence in Teaching Gold Medal award or Teacher of the Year award. The four Nazir and Mary Ansari Excellence in Teaching Gold Metal award candidates and the Teacher of the Year were interviewed for 30-minutes to provide insight and commentary on the findings from the first round of surveys. The goal of this study is to create a preliminary operational definition of the construct of &ldquo;vulnerable teaching techniques&rdquo; and to have an assessment tool to further understand vulnerability in a classroom setting.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze the determinants of charitable giving rates generationally among alumni of a private business college in the northeastern United States, with a focus on three areas: the unique cultural component of giving as it relates to the college and its entrepreneurial focus; the level of connectedness and involvement of the students to the college through co-curricular and affinity activities; and the demographics of the college, including the high number of international students that are attracted to study at this business college. These are examined through Park and Smith&rsquo;s (2007) framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which is an adaptation of Ajzen&rsquo;s (1991) model of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Background data for this study was provided by the Office of Alumni and Friends at Northeast College, which in April 2015 partnered with the Performance Enhancement Group Ltd. (PEG) to administer the <i>Alumni Attitude Study</i>. This survey instrument measures alumni perceptions and attitudes about their alma mater as well as their student and alumni experiences, and served as a basis for this study on alumni charitable giving. In addition, this particular study synthesizes literature related to affinity giving across a broad spectrum of colleges and universities.</p><p>

<p>Abstract The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how department chairs described the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on content and availability of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona. The following research questions guided this study: RQ1: How do department chairs describe the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on the content of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? RQ2: How do department chairs describe the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on the availability of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? RQ3: How do department chairs feel that ethics education can be improved in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? R4: How have postsecondary business schools in the state of Arizona changed their ethics curriculum in response to recent corporate ethics scandals? The sample for this study was 9 department chairs out of 40 in postsecondary schools in Arizona that offer business degrees. It was important for the purpose of this study to focus on department chairs, because of their direct involvement in the management of their business degree programs (i.e., design and accreditation of required curriculum), faculty, and business schools. The Hosmer and Kiewitz managerial ethics theory provided the foundation of this research. The data analysis procedure chosen was the thematic analysis from the triangulation of three data sources. The results found that a higher number of participants perceived that recent corporate ethics scandals did have an influence on content and availability of ethics education. Keywords: ethics, education, business, management, Arizona, scandal, corporate, social responsibility, post-secondary education

The use of collaborative methods in the college classroom is increasing in popularity due to an interest in more active forms of learning, increased recognition of the value of the experience of adult students, and the demand by organizations for workers who can work productively in a group. The purpose of this case study was to look at collaborative learning from the perspective of one aspect of student differences--cognitive style as defined by Witkin's field-independence and field-dependence. This research involved the analysis of data obtained from interviews, classroom observations, student evaluations, and questionnaires from 28 management students from Quinsigamond Community College. Analysis of the data, through qualitative and quantitative methods, revealed that in this study cognitive style did not make a difference in student perceptions of the effectiveness of the instructor or of a group based learning methodology. Field-independent students described their behavior more in terms of task roles, while field-dependent students reported themselves more in terms of maintenance roles. While field-dependent students in this study seemed to place a value on the sharing of tangible resources and the social aspects of the collaborative experience, the field-independent students were more apt to lead the discussion by asking questions that stimulated the collaborative conversations. There was no statistical difference between five prior years of non-collaborative student evaluations of this teacher and those of the collaborative class, nor did cognitive style seem to make a difference in the way that the students evaluated the instructor. The data on cognitive style and the students' satisfaction with the method of reaching consensus were inconclusive due to a lack of agreement on the construct of consensus within collaborative learning and limitations in the methodology. Field-dependent, field-independent and mixed cognitive style students all rated the field-dependent students as the most helpful to their own learning. Replication on a larger scale or with an emphasis on other aspects of individual student differences such as race, gender, age, grade point average etc., was recommended.

This study explores higher education's role in meeting small business employees' continuing education needs. There is a growing need for the interpretation of knowledge in small business today. To stay competitive, and even to survive, businesses need a more rapid dissemination and application of knowledge. This challenge for small businesses is being created by changing skill requirements in the workplace, an aging workforce, a worsening labor shortage, demographic changes (including more women, immigrants, and minorities), and international competition. The challenge for small businesses is further emphasized by the Hudson Institute in Workforce 2000 when they predict that new jobs and most of the new wealth over the next decade will have to come from non-manufacturing small businesses. They predict that many of these new jobs will require much higher skill levels than the jobs today. On-the-job-training programs in small businesses often lack the structure and content needed by employees. Many small businesses neither have the expertise to develop continuing education programs adequate to meet their employee needs, nor the resources to purchase programs outside as larger businesses do. These are important gaps. Small businesses see the tasks of educating their employees particularly urgent as they prepare for the demands of the changing economy with their limited resources. This study will provide necessary data about current and future small business employees' continuing education needs. It will be of interest to higher education institutions who wish to participate in employee continuing education for small businesses. It is a demand survey that identifies key training issues and gaps, and provides detailed information on the nature of the demand of small businesses for employee continuing education. Fifty-six different eastern Massachusetts small businesses from thirty-one different communities were surveyed through structured personal interviews. The results suggest that small businesses consider employee continuing education to be an important function of their business. They would like to work more closely with higher education institutions in closing the gaps in their employees' continuing education needs.