Innovations and Competitiveness of Business Schools of Two Women's Colleges in Metro Manila

1. Innovations and
Competitiveness of Business
Schools of
Two Women's Colleges in
Metro Manila
By:
FREDERICK A. HALCON
Assistant Professor and Chairperson,
Milleret School of Business & Management for Women (MSBMW),
Assumption College
Lecturer,
International Business Economics and Diplomacy (I-BEAD) &
Entrepreneurship & Franchise Management Department (EFMD)
St. Scholastica’s College Manila

2. “When you educate a man you
educate an individual;
when you educate a woman
you educate a whole family.”
–Robert Morrison MacIver
(1882-1970), Scottish sociologist

3. Innovative
Business
Education

4. Teresita Sy-Coson
AB & BSC Business Administration
Fortune Magazine’s 39th
Most Powerful
Woman in Business
Margarita Fores
BSC Accounting
Restaurateur, CIBO and Café Bola

5. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
• The Research Problem***
• Research Gaps from the Review of Literature***
• Methodology***
• Summary of Results
• Conclusions & Recommendations [Proposed
Model]
***as revised after the proposal defense last March 11, 2010

6. CHAPTER I
The Research Problem

7. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
To what extent do the two
selected women’s
colleges in Metro
Manila, particularly
their business schools,
employ innovations in
their programs in
gaining
competitiveness?

8. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1. To identify
innovations
practiced by
each women’s
college in order
to gain
competitive
advantage in
their business
programs
The proponent of this research acting as coach of AC MSBMW studenits in the JFINEX
competition last September 2010. The case study research design suggests
the use of “participant-observer” method as one of its data gathering methods.

9. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
2. To develop, generate
and propose an
empirically testable
theory and propositions
on innovation and
competitiveness based
on available literature
and relevant data from
the women's colleges,
with their schools of
business/commerce as
cases
The proponent and his colleagues in the MSBMW office preparing for Day 1 of
PAASCU visit (September 2008). The case study database includes
investigation of archives (such as documentation in the form of
photographs) as part of the data to be analyzed.

10. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
3. To highlight the
best or emerging
practices or salient
features of each
school of business
The proponent’s International Busienss & Economics (IBE)
students (batch 2009) of Assumption College
preparing for their thesis defense
St. Scholastica’s College students attending a lecture on the
Science, Ethics and Business of Stem Cells
(July 2010) Photo courtesy of : Dr. Joanne Miranda, Associate
Professor, SSC

11. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Lopez’s Model of Strategic Delivery of Women’s Business Education (2008). Milleret
School of Business & Management for Women.

12. OPERATIONAL
FRAMEWORK***
Independent Variables
Innovations in:
-Content Development and Enrichment
-Methodologies Development
-Materials Development
-Research
-Co-Curricular Projects
-Faculty Development and Enrichment
-Student Care and Coaching
-Industry Networking
Dependent Variable
Empirically Testable Model or
Framework in Innovation
as a strategy for Competitiveness of
Women's Colleges
***Intervening Variables are removed, as revised after the proposal
defense last March 11, 2010

13. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
• There is a need for women’s colleges to
innovate their business programs or
course offerings through content,
methodologies and materials development
and other related areas to remain
competitive in the industry given their
business strategy.

14. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
• Innovation is
needed by these
women’s colleges’
business schools in
order to compete in
the field of business
education.
Students of MSBMW in action
(Curricular and extra-curricular programs)

15. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
• There is no difference between the
innovation employed by Assumption
College and St. Scholastica’s College in
the delivery of business courses/subjects
as assumed by the proponent of this
research.

16. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY &
RESEARCH VALUE
• For advocates of women empowerment
• For competency building to gain competitive advantage
• For academicians and school administrators
• For strategy formulation
• For future researchers

17. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
• Limited to the Schools of
Business of the Two Women’s
Colleges:
– Assumption College’s Milleret School
of Business and Management for
Women (MSBMW)
– St. Scholastica’s College’s School of
Commerce

18. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
• Case study research
methodology
• Theory building using
case study research
strategy (Eisenhardt,
1989 & Yin, 2003).
– Qualitative data
analysis

19. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
• WORD OF CAUTION or DISCLAIMER: What may
be considered as innovative by W.C.s in this study
may be deemed as ordinary practices by their
university counterparts and/or other larger
institutions of higher education endowed with larger
networks of resources within their reach.

20. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
DELIVERABLES

21. CHAPTER II
Research Gaps from the Review
of Related Literature and
Studies

22. SYNTHESIS & RESEARCH GAPS
• Social changes in the Americas
and Europe brought WCs to
Philippine shores in the 1900s.
– Historical perspective: Only single
women who desire to become
teachers are allowed the privilege of
higher education
– STIGMA: Teachers are typically
unmarried women
• WCs started as schools for
teachers. Iskul Bukol's resident teacher, Miss Tapia, is an archetype of a
teacher assumable to be a graduate of a woman's college. Iskul
Bukol is a situational comedy that ran from 1977 to 1988 in
Philippine television.

23. SYNTHESIS & RESEARCH GAPS
• Women’s colleges to make themselves
more relevant started offering business
courses.
– Stitt-Gohdes (1998)  teaching
methodologies
– Stitt-Gohdes, Crews and McCannon (1999)
 logical situations, hands-on activities
– Lorange (2002)  business education evolve
from axiomatic to pioneering and value-
creating

24. SYNTHESIS & RESEARCH GAPS
Scrimshaw (2006) → WCs empower women than
their coed counterparts
Lopez (2008) → Strategic Delivery of Women’s
Business Education
Rose (2009) → Innovation is needed to enhance value
of students upon graduation
Brown (2009) → WCs are learning institutions that are
open and empower women
Bumatay (2009) → Management education should
shift from classical approaches to experiential
methods

25. SYNTHESIS & RESEARCH GAPS
• Minor Research Gap: Measurement of
Innovation is unclear
• Identification of Major Research Gap
– Are there studies on Educational Innovation? YES
– Are there studies on Educational Institutions? YES
– Are there studies on Business Education? YES
– Are there scholarly articles on women’s studies? YES
– Are there studies on Educational Innovation in Business
for Women? None so far.

26. CHAPTER III
Methodology

27. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Inductive case study
research
– in-depth investigation of a
single individual, group,
or event to explore
causation in order to
identify underlying
principles
• Qualitative data
– Triangulation Method:
Archives, Interviews and
Participant-Observer

28. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Case study (Yin, 2003 & Eisenhardt, 1989)
– Does not require behavioral control of events
– Focuses on contemporary events (innovations /
best practices / salient features)
– Examination of a phenomenon in real-life setting;
phenomenon and context are not clearly evident

29. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Common critique/misconception to
case studies (Yin, 2003):
– Provide little basis for scientific
generalization
– ANSWER: They are only generalizable
to theoretical propositions (or
universes).

30. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Descriptive Method or
Descriptive/Narrative Case
Study (Yin, 2003)
– deemed appropriate due to
the fact that there are only two
women's colleges whose
schools of
business/commerce are under
study

31. POPULATION & RESPONDENTS
• For the semi-structured interviews,
respondents will be faculty members of the
Schools of Business/Commerce of AC &
SSC:
– Full-time (40 hours a week)
– Half-time (20 hours a week)
– Part-time (3 to 15 hours a week) in AC; (3 to 9
hours) in SSC

32. POPULATION & RESPONDENTS
• Semi-structured
interviews will be
audio/video recorded
for transcription
purposes with the aid
of a Research
Assistant. Semi-structured interviews with Prof.
Rubyrose Barrientos (Information &
Communication Technology; Operations
Research) [July 10, 2010]

33. POPULATION & RESPONDENTS
• Thirteen (13) professors were
interviewed:
– Assumption College MSBMW
• BARRIENTOS, Rubyrose
• BALURAN, Fe (Chairperson,
Accountancy Program)
• CORTES, Myrna
• LOPEZ, Ma. Corazon (MSBMW
Dean)
• ORJALO, Victoria (Former MSBMW
Dean)
• SALITA, Gilda Socorro (Chairperson,
Entrepreneurship/Tourism/Marketing
and HRDM )
• SALVANA, Ria Teodora
Semi-structured interview with Prof. Ria Salvana
(Business Communication) of AC [July 10, 2010]

34. POPULATION & RESPONDENTS
• Thirteen (13) professors were
interviewed:
– St. Scholastica’s College School
of Commerce
• CHING, Remedios (College Dean)
• GUANZON, Gloria
• MAURICIO, Delfin (Chairperson,
EFMD)
• MENDOZA, Aldrin
• MIRANDA, Joanne
• NAYVE, Ruben, Jr., (Chairperson,
IBEAD) Semi-structured interview with Prof. Aldrin Mendoza of SSC's
IBEAD Department. Prof. Mendoza is also connected with the
Corporate Communications Department of PAGCOR.
[July 24, 2010]

35. SAMPLING DESIGN
• Theoretical sampling (Eisenhardt, 1989)
– Random selection is neither necessary nor
preferable in doing case studies
– Respondents are chosen purposively
– Statistical tools (random sampling and
inference-making) are not applicable
– BEST RESPONDENTS: Faculty members of
both schools

36. MEASUREMENT AND
INSTRUMENTATION
• Semi-structured interview questionnaire
• Use of multiple sources of data
• Creation of a case study “database”
• Maintenance of chain of evidence
– Pictures, memoranda, letters, other archives

37. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• Entering the “field” (Eisenhardt, 1989):
– Interviews with AC and SSC
Business/Commerce faculty members
– Photographs and Audio/Video Recordings
– Collection of exhibits as part of the archives
– Field notes
– Transcription of interviews

38. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• Processing and analysis of data
– Transcription of data
– Matching of interview responses, archives and
notes
– GENERAL ANALYTIC STRATEGY (Yin,
2003): Use of tables/matrices or “empty
shells” to summarize qualitative data to reach
theoretical saturation (Glaser, 1978)

39. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• Processing and analysis of data
– GENERAL ANALYTIC STRATEGY: Use of
tables “empty shells” to group responses
among the two schools enables the proponent
to perform within-case and cross-case
analyses

40. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• Processing and
analysis of data
– No standard “cookbook”
procedure in analyzing
qualitative data for case
studies unlike statistical
analysis for quantitative
data

41. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• Theoretical saturation
– Similar responses are then grouped together 
Shorter tables/content imply common and
coherent responses among interviewees
– Glaser (1978) stated that when building theory, it
is necessary to gather data until each category is
“saturated”
• No new or relevant data emerge in the process

42. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• To strengthen validity and to
prevent researcher’s bias
(participant-observer method)
or “to go native” (in social
science research):
– Full-time faculty member in
AC
– Chairperson, Corporate
Business & International
Business Programs
The researcher participating in a decision-
making process in Assumption College
In-Service Training Program (May 2010)

43. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• To prevent researcher’s
bias (participant-observer
method) and to strengthen
internal & external validity:
– Lecturer / Part-time
faculty of the IBEAD
Department (2010-
present)
– Former Lecturer of the
EFMD Department
(2005)
The researcher teaching Principles of Economics
with Taxation & Agrarian Reform to a Third Year
class of IT students in SSC (July 2010)

44. ANALYSIS OF DATA
• Multiple Sources of Evidence
– Archives, Interviews and Field Observations
(triangulation) for matching purposes
• Within-case analysis
– Grouping of similar responses from interviewees
coming from the same school; use of “empty shells”
(Yin, 2003) or 2x2 matrices (Eisenhardt, 1989)
• Cross-case analysis
– Pinpointing similarities and differences of the
responses and archives gathered

45. ANALYSIS OF DATA (Yin, 2003)
• Construct validity: Multiple sources of evidence
• Internal validity: Pattern matching, linking of
interviews to existing/gathered evidence →
explanations
• External validity: Establishing the degree or field of
generalizability: Business schools of WCs
• Reliability: Develop case study database

46. THEORY BUILDING PROCESS
(Eisenhardt, 1989)
STEP ACTIVITIES DONE BY PROPONENT
Getting Started Preliminary Review of Related Literature; Search
for research gaps
Selecting Cases AC and SSC Schools of Business/Commerce
Crafting
Instruments/Protocols
Drafting and using of semi-structured interview
questionnaire
Entering the Field Participant-observer method; note taking;
collection of artifacts for database; interviewing (3
months)
Analyzing Data Grouping of similar responses and matching of
evidence from case study database (within-case and
cross-case) using “empty shells”.
Shaping Hypotheses Noting of prominent responses and evidences
Enfolding Literature Comparison of Results of Interviews with Literature
Reaching Closure Theoretical saturation

47. CHAPTER IV
Summary of Results

48. PRODUCING A CASE STUDY
DATABASE
• CAVEATS:
– Yields a mass of qualitative
documents; Intensive documentation
and transcription
– Time-consuming
• Proposal Writing (September
2009 – January 2010)
• Revisions to Proposal (April-May
2010)
• Fund-raising (January 2010-May
2010)
• Parallel data-gathering (June-
August 2010)
• Transcription and analysis
(August -September 2010)

49. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Within-case Analysis for AC
– As seen and noted from various data
sources:
• Strong grounding in Theology for Business
Students (12 to 21 units of Theo)
• Webbing
• TFCD format in syllabi-making (until 2009)
• Whole Brain Thinking (WBT) and Self-
Social Mastery (SSM) as foundation courses
for First Year student

50. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Within-case Analysis for AC:
– Industry practitioners are seen as partners in
education
– Use of case analysis in imparting knowledge in
business courses (verified by RRL)
– “Asian perspective” in business and
management is being brought to the classroom
– Mentoring of achievers and underachievers

51. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Within case analysis (for SSC):
– Music and Arts education for ALL business
students
– Synthesis: a one (1) unit course required for
all graduating students; week-long activity that
uses action-based, problem-based learning
• Use of problem trigger
– i.e. social transformation and social issues

52. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Within case analysis (for SSC):
– Use of concept maps in their syllabi to link key
ideas; lifelong learning or “metacognition” or
learning about learning
– Women's issues are encouraged in
integrating lessons
– Grounding on Theology (12 units); Ora et
Labora (Prayer and Work)
• Social Responsibility and Ethics in
Business Education

53. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Within case analysis (for SSC):
– The School of Commerce's I-BEAD program
is the only existing program in the Philippines
that combines International Business (IB),
Economics and Diplomacy courses
– EFMD program is the only existing program
that combines both entrepreneurship and
franchise management.

54. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Cross-case analysis
– Unique to AC: HRMD & Tourism Mgt.
– Unique to SSC: EFMD, I-BEAD, Business
Information & IT, Financial Management
– Common degree offerings in both schools are
• Marketing Management
• Corporate Business and/or Management

55. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Cross-case analysis
– In both schools concerned:
• Both schools claim that there are linkages with
industry partners and practitioners
• Part-time faculty members are typically industry
practitioners; partners in education
• Strong grounding on theology

56. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Cross-case analysis
– In both schools concerned:
• Training programs for faculty and staff (F&S
Development)
• Manageable class size → AC and SSC face
almost similar conditions in terms of enrollment
(AC has 900+; SSC has 1000+)
– Degree offerings are also found in the
universities → girls tend to go where the boys
are
– Thus, professors / administrators tend to be
“nurturing” to address needs of students

57. INNOVATIVE FEATURES IN
BUSINESS EDUCATION
• Cross-case analysis
– In both schools concerned:
• In terms of student and faculty research, “baby steps” are
undertaken to establish and improve a strong research
culture.
– AC: Action research such as feasibility
studies as theses; faculty members are
encouraged to write and publish in the in-
house journal
– SSC: Theses mentors are required to
attend a thesis protocol seminar.
• Both schools have in-house journal publications.

58. CHAPTER V
Conclusions & Recommendations

59. CONCLUSIONS
• Curriculum
Investigation and
Teaching
Methodologies
– For AC: Webbing, Self and
Social Mastery (SSM) and
Whole Brain Thinking
(WBT)
– For SSC: Problem-based
learning (PBL), Music and
Arts Education for ALL
students (not just Business)
– For both schools: Strong
grounding on Theology: 12
to 21 units
FOREX101 : A webbing of concepts inInternational Finance and
Selected Topics in International Business. Event was organized
by the graduating class of AC’s IBE students Batch 2010. The
proponent served as the professor in both subjects.
Music and Arts are taught to
all students in St.
Scholastica’s College not only
to their students in the School
of Commerce

60. CONCLUSIONS
• TEACHING
METHODOLOGIES.
The use of information
and communication
technology (ICT) is
considered to be an
innovation by the
respondents of the study.
(i.e. e-modules in
coordination with CWC).
The proponent of this research (center) attempts to
learn new technologies by uploading his department’s
activities to the online school calendar online.
(May 2010)
Faculty & Staff In-Service Program held every last week of May.

61. CONCLUSIONS
• LINKAGES
– Knowledge
transfer
continuum
between
academe and
industry partners
– Industry
practitioners are
part of the faculty
lineup
(i.e. Dr. Eduardo Morato, Jr. of
AIM, Prof. Neil Angelo
Halcon of BSP, Prof. Aldrin
Mendoza of PAGCOR, etc)

62. CONCLUSIONS
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS EDUCATION
Another form of innovation that can be incorporated in business education
in women's colleges is the integration of social responsibility discussed in
the light of the philosophy of their respective foundress—St. Scholastica
and St. Marie Eugenie de Brou: Strong grounding on Theology.

63. Institutional Social Development
Programs of Women’s Colleges
AC MSBMW Faculty Members and
students help the staff of a rural
hospital setup a computer database
and give ICT training for their
operations.
Assumption Students taking
their Integrated Summer Study
Program in Infanta, Quezon
(2006)
SSC’s Citizen’s Watch for
Good Governance
Launched: July 2010

64. CONCLUSIONS
• SERVICE-ORIENTED
ADMINISTRATION:
– Small student population size:
– Class size: 15 to 35 students (makes webbing
and interaction with others possible and
practical)
– Coordinating functions performed by faculty:
“nurturing”.

65. Changes in
Students'
Profile in Schools of
Business/Commerce
In Women's Colleges
Changes
In
Curriculum
Adoption and Use
of Computer
Technology
Whole Brain
Thinking,
Self & Social Mastery,
Problem-Based
Learning,
Music & Arts
Industry
Linkages
&
Corporate
Practitioners
Responsible
Business
Education
Innovative
Business Education
In Women's
Colleges
Vision-Mission
Educational
Philosophies

66. THEORETICAL
PROPOSITIONS
Proposition No. 1: Innovations in the curriculum
are made by the administrators of the schools as
they take into account the changing profiles of
their students.
Proposition No. 2: Academic linkages are
established, strengthened and nurtured when
industry practitioners become part of the faculty
line-up of a business school.

67. THEORETICAL
PROPOSITIONS
Proposition No. 3: Responsible business is emphasized in
the curriculum and activities of the business schools of
the women's colleges, given their respective Vision-
Mission statements.
Proposition No. 4: Women's colleges, specifically their
schools of business/commerce, adopt to changing
technology to make business education more timely and
relevant to the needs of the students and the industry.

68. TRIANGULATION OF CONSTRUCTS
ICT WBT SSM PBL CSR
/Theo
Small
Popn
Practitioners
Partners in
Educ
Is it in the
archives?
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Was it
mentioned in
the semi-
structured
interviews?
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Was it
recorded in
the field
notes?
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
METHODOLOGY Respon-
sible
Business
Education
Svc
Oriented
Admin
Industry Linkages

69. COMPARISON TO EXTANT
LITERATURE
Methodology
-Sabio (2009): Technology and social learning
styles for women learning business
-Business School Admission (2009) identifies
experiential learning as a common methodology
of teaching business

70. COMPARISON TO EXTANT
LITERATURE
Responsible Business
-CSR is a mandated course requirement by CHED
Memo #39 s. 2006 in Business programs.
-It is organic for Catholic schools to integrate concepts
of Responsible Business in Theology classes with the
help of faculty and lay partners. Community
dimension is emphasized (Halcon, 2009)...as well as
human dignity and rights (Stabile, 2005).

71. COMPARISON TO EXTANT
LITERATURE
Service-oriented management
-Brown (2009) states that WCs are institutions that
empower women
-Sabio (2009) encourages faculty members to embrace
students' different learning styles; know their students
better
-Diamond (2009) states that WCs are institutions that
encourage women to be active agents in the world
despite the threat of coeducational institutions.

72. COMPARISON TO EXTANT
LITERATURE
Academic Linkages
-Lopez (2008) states that industry networking makes
business education more relevant to the needs of the
outside world. Ties should be nurtured and preserved
with the practitioners.

73. RECOMMENDATIONS
• INCLUDE METRICS:
Empirically test the model
with statistics; propose
standard rubrics
• Replicating the same data
gathering procedure,
inclusion of the Schools of
Business/Commerce of
other Women’s Colleges:
– Miriam College,
– College of the Holy Spirit

74. RECOMMENDATIONS
• Innovations may be undertaken not only by
women’s colleges but also by their coed
counterparts. Replicating the same data
gathering procedure involving more schools
will enable the researcher to:
– Investigate and test any significant differences
– Increase the “generalizability” and robustness of
the model

75. RECOMMENDATIONS
• Further explore studies that will investigate whether
business education should be made gender-sensitive
or not.
– Women's way of thinking vs. Business is for
everyone
• Women’s education (in general) in developing
countries paves the way for national progress [delayed
marriage, less children, entrepreneurial ventures,
economic growth, better health] (Todaro & Smith, 2006);
(USAID, 2005).

76. PHOTO CREDITS
Mr. Don Jeffrey A. Halcon
Prof. Gilda Salita
Prof. Ariel Geronimo
Prof. Rubyrose Barrientos
Dr. Joanne Miranda
Prof. James Que
International Business & Economics Society (IBES) of
Assumption College
www.ssc.edu.ph
www.assumption.edu.ph
www.facebook.com

77. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Merci beaucoup! (French)
Vielen danke! (German)
That in all things, God may be glorified!

78. DEDICATION
To the loving memory of
Leonardo A. Halcon
(January 31, 1940 – March 4, 2005)
My Dad & I (August 1986)