Business and Management Internships

Improving Employability through Experiential Learning

Kawana Johnson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000406832
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Careers

Research shows that internships are the dominant form of experiential learning used in business schools worldwide, providing practical insight into a job role for students and enhancing their employability.This book provides practical resources that practitioners and students can use to maximize the overall internship experience by explaining business education, internships, skill development, and employment outcomes. It also includes material to assist in the development or enhancement of internship programs to create a high-quality internship course while providing guidance on reflecting and evaluating the learning gained from the experience. Including quizzes and short activities, this book can be used as a companion text for any student participating in an internship, or as a guide that practitioners in this field can use to help design their own internship program and course content.Business schools are increasing their focus on experiential learning and are encouraging faculty to incorporate internships into their existing curriculum. Linking theory, history, and practice, this book is ideal reading for students participating in an internship for academic credit and as a guidebook for business school practitioners who wish to start or improve their existing academic internship program.

1 History of Business Education

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

Edmund Burke

The Early Years

For many, the name “Wharton” symbolizes prestige, superiority, and excellence in business education. That symbolism is rightfully placed with its identification as the formal establishment of undergraduate business education in the United States (Hugstad 1983). Since the founding of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1881, undergraduate business education has seen tremendous growth. By 1924, 117 colleges and schools of business existed (Hayes & Jackson, 1935), and by 2011 that number grew to more than 13,000 (Fernandes, 2011). Between World War I and World War II, large corporations were developed, business and social status became more intertwined, and women were granted access to business education representing 17% of business degrees by 1928 (Hugstad, 1983). Over the years, the study of business progressed from a trade to a rigorous and respected profession that was formally introduced to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the 1930s (Jackson, Davis, & Harvey, 2019). By 1950, business school education had produced more than 76,000 baccalaureate degrees and more than 363,799 by 2015, making business one of the most popular degree programs in the nation (Kensing, 2013; National Center for Education Statistics, 2016).

Gordon-Howell Report

In the 1950s, a period of “self-criticism and examination” (Hugstad, 1983, p. 10) of the business school led to the development of two landmark studies, The Education of American Businessmen: A Study of University-College Programmes in Business Administration by Professor Frank C. Pierson and Higher Education for Business by economists Robert A. Gordon and James E. Howell (“Gordon-Howell,” 2009; Schoemaker, 2008; Zimmerman, 2001). These studies, funded by the Carnegie Foundation and the Ford Foundation, respectively, addressed concerns among critics citing uncertainty about the future of business education and its overall impact (“Gordon-Howell,” 2009; Schoemaker, 2008; Zimmerman, 2001). Of the two reports, the Ford Foundation study, led by economists Robert A. Gordon and James E. Howell (later known as the Gordon-Howell Report), were the most dismal, prompting their reference to business education as an assembly of vocational schools with narrow curriculum; ineffective staff; low-quality students; and a faculty that focused more on consulting than research, theory, and ethics (“Gordon-Howell,” 2009; Hugstad, 1983; Schoemaker, 2008; Zimmerman, 2001). The effects of this report were felt in business schools around the world and scholars began suggesting that business education do a better job focusing on the student’s entire career and not just the first job (Zimmerman, 2001). Overall, the Gordon-Howell Report produced in-depth research while providing more than $30 million to address business education reform (Morsing & Rovira, 2011; Schlossman, Sedlak, & Wechsler, 1987).

The recommendations included an increase in the general education content of undergraduate studies, elimination of concentrations and streamlining of the number of required courses, a shift in teaching methods, and higher standards in the student admission process (Gordon & Howell, 1959). In addition, scholars believed that more faculty with doctorate degrees in the social sciences and quantitative fields where necessary to increase training in quantitative analysis and the behavioral sciences (Morsing & Rovira, 2011). At that time, corporate managers used elaborate quantitative tools developed during the war to run their companies; therefore, it was important to ensure that business graduates were equipped with these skills (Morsing & Rovira, 2011). This approach caused business educators to focus more attention on technical expertise and less on developing socially aware graduates (Morsing & Rovira, 2011). The Gordon-Howell Report contributed to substantial changes in business education between 1960 and 1980, causing the discipline to became a more valued component of higher education (Porter & McKibbin, 1988).

Porter McKibbin Report

Almost 30 years later, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance, commissioned another study to examine the future of management education from a more holistic view (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 2017; Porter & McKibbin, 1988). The Porter McKibbin Report, one of the most comprehensive studies of management education to date, identified complacency as the primary barrier that business schools face in their efforts to successfully move into the 21st century (Dalton, Earley, Hitt, & Porter, 2009). This study furthered the findings from the Gordon-Howell Report and shed light on the need to bring more attention to developing student skills and other personal characteristics (Porter & McKibbin, 1988). What made this study unique is the inclusion of viewpoints from corporations and third-party providers, areas that Gordon and Howell predicted would play a significant role in business education in the years ahead (Porter & McKibbin, 1988). In the Porter McKibbin Report, deans and faculty saw a wide gap in skill development while student perception was in conflict possibly due to their overall lack of work experience (Porter & McKibbin, 1988). Human resource professionals and other corporate employees reported the same concerns and strongly suggested that the business curriculum be enhanced to address these issues (Porter & McKibbin, 1988).

Accreditation

In the early 1900s, educational practices were scrutinized causing a systematic reevaluation of the mission, values, and benefits of business education. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) was established in 1916 to address these concerns and promote higher education for business worldwide (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 2017; Hayes & Jackson, 1935). Today, AACSB remains the oldest accrediting organization for business schools worldwide and has long been considered the highest level of business school accreditation with only 25% of business schools in the United States achieving this status (All Business Schools, 2017; Shiffler & Bowen, 2015).

The first set of AACSB business school standards was developed in 1919, and throughout the years, multiple updates have been made to meet the needs of the changing business education environment. To date, the most significant changes occurred in 1991, 2003, and 2013 (Miles, Franklin, Heriot, Hadley, & Hazeldine, 2014). The 2013 standards identified three themes for improvement: innovation, impact, and engagement (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 2016; Kosnik, Tingle, & Blanton, 2013; Miles et al., 2014). The new standards suggest that business school’s experiment with new teaching methods; demonstrate how their institution and students are positively impacting business and society; and incorporate more real-world experiences into the curriculum (Kosnik et al., 2013).

AACSB accredited schools are required to participate in a self-evaluation and a peer review to ensure that they uphold standards that fall under the following four categories: (a) strategic management and innovation; (b) students, faculty, and professional staff; (c) learning and teaching; and (d) academic and professional engagement (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 2016; Dumond & Johnson, 2013). Standard #13 specifically addresses the need for business schools to provide experiential learning opportunities.

For any teaching and learning model employed, the school provides a portfolio of experiential learning opportunities for business students, through either formal coursework or extracurricular activities, which allow them to engage with faculty and active business leaders. These experiential learning activities provide exposure to business and management in both local and global contexts .… They … may include field trips, internships, consulting projects, field research, interdisciplinary projects, extracurricular activities, etc. (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 2016, p. 38)

The 2013 standards also included the AACSB core values – ethical behavior among students, faculty, and administrators; a collegial environment; and a commitment toward social responsibility – as requirements for accreditation (Miles et al., 2014). These changes were significant for business schools around the world, prompting deans to re-evaluate their mission, their business relationships, and their strategies for delivery of a quality business education curriculum to the students they serve.

The new standards brought about positive change to individuals and their ability to have their opinions considered; yet deans faced more pressure than ever to shape the culture of their business school while acquiring more external funding to support new initiatives (Miles et al., 2014). In addition, a number of opponents have questioned the value that AACSB accreditation brings to business education (Dumond & Johnson, 2013). Some of those concerns include its suitability for the competitive nature of business education; its role in hindering the schools in their ability to adapt to change but maintain the status quo; and questions regarding whether it works for or against professionalism (Julian & Ofori-Dankwa, 2006; Pfeffer & Fong, 2002; Trank & Rynes, 2003). Advocates cite the value it places on quality and advances in business education; the clear distinction between purpose and strategy; and the external endorsement that it provides to prospective students, faculty, and employers (Romero, 2008; Zammuto, 2008; & Trapnell, 2007). Further research is needed to elaborate on the overall impact of these changes. However, Miles et al. (2014) found the standards to be flexible enough to potentially enhance the global influence of business education for years to come.

Other prominent business accrediting organizations include the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) (Roller, Andrews, & Bovee, 2003). The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (2017) was established in 1988, with a focu...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• About the Author
• Preface
• 1 History of Business Education
• 2 Internships and Their Impact on Business Education
• 3 The Skills Gap
• 4 Ideas and Strategies for a Successful Internship Program
• 5 Internship Courses in a Changing Environment
• 6 The Future of Business Education and Employment
• Appendices
• Index