Journal of Management and Business Education

Building innovation capability in SMEs through university-business collaboration

Marcel H van der Poel — 2024-10-06

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often struggle with company innovation, compared to their larger counterparts. A university-business collaboration (UBC) programme in the north of the Netherlands attempts to increase the innovation capabilities of regional SMEs with the support of graduating bachelor students. The 18-months long Hanze Innovation Traineeship Programme (HITP) combines the graduation phase with a consecutive 12-months traineeship, during which students are meant to implement an innovation at the company. We measure the innovation capacity of the participating SMEs at the beginning of the programme and identify strong and weak points within the organisations. We discuss the outcomes of the HITP for SME innovation and further evaluate the programme’s suitability on the intended student learning outcomes.

An inquiry on the on-the-job training experiences of accounting interns

Erica Angela Fuentes — 2024-11-13

This study examines the experiences of accounting interns during their On-the-Job Training (OJT) program in accounting firms, banking institutions, and government agencies. The research participants, who graduated from the accountancy program in 2022-2023, have completed the OJT program and are currently employed. Using the cognitive apprenticeship theory, the researchers explored the experiences of interns in their PJT. During their OJT, the accounting interns experienced immersive training, practical application, and interactions with colleagues. The on-the-job training experiences of the Accounting Interns contribute to their overall professional development and personal growth through building professionalism, developing workplace skills, employing adaptive resilience, and cultivating reflective learning. The OJT experiences prepare the Accounting Interns for their current job because they have developed positive workplace behaviour and efficiency. The challenges encountered by the Accounting Interns during OJT are unrelated or unfamiliar tasks, problems with social skills, difficulty in task organization, and difficulty adjusting to work culture and protocols. Accounting Interns cope with the challenges during their OJT through self-initiated learning, seeking help from colleagues, building confidence, time management, and observing professionalism. Furthermore, the OJT program combined academic knowledge with practical skills to improve students' career readiness. The experience prepared them for professional challenges in their fields. The findings of this study contribute to the exploration of the accountancy students during their OJT. Moreover, other students can find ways on how to deal with encountered problems as they undergo the OJT program.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for predicting the financial culture of a country

David Borreguero Arias — 2024-11-13

Artificial Intelligence (AI) currently presents different applications that allow, through data processing, the possibility of learning, predicting and adopting solutions in different fields of knowledge including the financial field. This research essay aims to analyze the capacity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and supervised learning to predict the level of financial culture that individuals possess. For this purpose, 11 predictors previously selected for their possible influence on financial culture, are proposed and compared with the target variable (level of financial culture). The results obtained show that each of the 11 individual-level predictors correlate with the level of financial culture that each individual claim to have. In this respect, a general high or very high perception of the target variable is shown. However, considering the accuracy of the reference, the research shows that as the number of predictors is smaller, the accuracy of the reference decreases.

Risk taking as a distinctive intrapreneurial competence among university students

itziar Cerro-Urcelay — 2024-07-10

The development of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial initiatives is a significant factor for the economic and social progress of countries and is having a increasing interest in academic settings. The study was conducted on a sample of 337 Spanish university students from three fields of study (Education, Engineering, and Social Sciences). This work aims to measure intrapreneurial competencies in young Spanish university students, adapting the COIN_CR1 ©2017 scale for this purpose. A quantitative methodology was employed through the administration of self-reported surveys to the selected sample. The results indicate a proper behavior of the model in terms of the number of constituent dimensions and the competencies they encompass. Statistically significant differences were observed in the intrapreneurial competency dimension "Risk Taking", with higher scores among engineering students. This research seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the overall construct of intrapreneurship, intrapreneurial competencies, and the dimensions that form it.

Evolution of public administration and its implication to management and business education

Arthur Kadakure — 2024-10-07

The paper offers a thorough analysis of the historical development of public administration, aiming to gain deeper insights into the current challenges facing the discipline. Utilizing an evolutionary theoretical lens, the study sheds light on the transitional development of Public Administration (PA). Additionally, it discusses the New Public Administration (NPA) and its implications for the integrity of the public administration discipline. Through a comprehensive review of literature, the paper establishes that despite the logical progressions of public administration presented in literature, there is evidence of a recurring identity crisis within the discipline, with significant implications for business education. Furthermore, the paper proposes an ideal concept of a lesson on Public Administration based on current literature, while examining the notion of the dichotomy between political science and public administration. It also argues that the theoretical framework underpinning the development of public administration is likely to evolve due to the dynamic societal consciousness that shapes this discipline. Ultimately, the paper suggests a theoretical framework that may gain traction in management and business education by combining the founding principles of public administration with the contemporary emerging needs of a transitional industrial order.

Integrative Entrepreneurship Education: The Case of EDEM Business School

Colin Donaldson — 2024-07-25

Changing economic landscapes have shifted from industrial innovation to entrepreneurial knowledge-based economies requiring educational experiences based on practice and real-world connections. Whereas much focus has centred on curricular activities to achieve this aim, in comparison there is scant attention paid to the important role that organised and spatially embedded out-of-curriculum activities can afford. We present an innovative and practical initiative that takes a systematic approach to effectively blend diverse elements from both the formal and informal curriculum, providing a holistic and immersive learning experience for aspiring entrepreneurs. By embracing a multifaceted method, the integrated model of entrepreneurship education that we detail aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and excel in today's dynamic business landscape.

Research in business education. Connecting research with the educational challenges of universities

Alicia Blanco-González — 2024-07-09

Research in business education is crucial to address the challenges faced by universities. This research provides evidence to educators and policy makers for curriculum design and identifies best learning practices and helps to develop innovative teaching methods. The European Academy of Management and Business Economics (AEDEM), aware of the importance of contributing to the development of universities, created the Journal of Management and Business Education (JMBE). The aim of this research is to respond to the challenges that researchers are responding to and what are the future challenges in this field. To this end, a systematic analysis of 143 manuscripts published by the journal from its birth in 2018 to 2023 has been conducted. The results suggest important implications for researchers and how the main research themes in this field relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Challenges of Using Multimedia Tools in the Teaching and Learning Process: Instance from a college of Bangladesh

Shamsul Huda — 2024-07-25

The growing acceptance of multimedia-based education among students and its effectiveness are the reasons behind its popularity. Multimedia instruction in the classroom presents several challenges in addition to opportunities. Thus, the study aims to highlight the difficulties of using multimedia resources in the classroom and explore potential solutions. To evaluate the efficacy of multimedia technologies in the current teaching-learning process, the first focus of this study was on how to get data from the teachers and students of Patuakhali Government College (PGC). Second, a questionnaire was used to guide the conduct of six case studies and two focus group discussions (FGDs). In this study, the qualitative research method was employed. It is significant to note that, according to the opinions and data gathered for this study, most educators and students concur that teachers have no interest in implementing multimedia resources in the classroom. Factors such as slow internet connectivity, lack of adequate teacher training, inadequate digital classrooms and inconsistency in teacher-student ratio were identified in the study’s findings. The results of case studies and focus group discussions (FGD) helped to identify the difficulties associated with employing multimedia tools in the classroom. Addressing all these challenges can effectively ensure an up-to-date education system in tune with the global educational landscape.