Presentation at the HEA-funded workshop 'Exploring innovative approaches to experiential teaching and learning in management decision making education'
This one day workshop provided a platform to critically examine various innovative approaches to experiential teaching/learning in Management Decision Making in order to provoke and stimulate educators. The workshop consisted of invited speeches, participants’ presentations, group debate and discussion, and panel Q&A. There were also opportunities for professional networking and socialising.
This presentation is part of a related blog post that provides an overview of the event:
For further details of the HEA's work on active and experiential learning in the Social Sciences, please see: http://bit.ly/17NwgKX
2. Set up August 2013
Move to Mast House January 2014
Approximately 500 students: 370 PGT, 130 PGR
PGT (masters): general business and specialist
Conversion/cognate: MBM, IS/ISCM/IL, Finance, Marketing,
HRM
Attract students – educational experience and career progression
Need to restructure and rejuvenate - Experiential Education in
Management Decision Making
3. QAA Subject benchmarks: Masters degrees in business
and management (2007)
Prepare students for management or professional
practice or develop people in those roles
“educate individuals as managers and business
specialists, and thus improve the quality of
management as a profession”
“add value to first degrees by developing in individuals
an integrated and critically aware understanding of
management and organisations, and assist them to take
effective roles within them.
4. Improving quality of profession and take on
effective roles requires decision making skills
and specifically:
“..able to solve complex problems and make
decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate
decision-making techniques including
identifying, formulating and solving problems:
and the ability to create, identify, and evaluate
options; the ability to implement and review
decisions
5. Integration between theory and practice
Capitalise on current and prior experiences
Opportunities to reflect on their knowledge, experience, and
practice, particularly through peer interaction
Modify and develop own and others’ business practices
Assignments include immediate application of knowledge
and skills within organisations
6. National Centres for Universities and Business (2014) –
Career Portfolios and the Labour Market for Graduates
and Postgraduates in the UK (Report for HEFCE).
Gap between higher education and work requirements
– inadequate preparation of recruits
Employers need knowledge but also – practical and
generic skills, management (project and people)skills,
work readiness, flexibility
Joint responsibility- business and universities
7. Chief Executives from business school
graduates: problem-solving, connect different
aspects of business, think holistically, deal with
uncertainty and ambiguity
Barriers:
Accreditation – standardised and compartmentalised
curricular content
Staff lack of real business experience
Academic research – theory rather than practice -
irrelevant
8. Strong presence of decision-making in curricula
Broad range of experiential learning opportunities
embedded in programmes
Creativity in accreditation and embrace
professional practice
Academics with broad experience – work,
consultancy, business and professional placements
Research with impact – effects on business and
wider society