|
Print-Friendly
The purpose of this study was to identify a number of competencies relevant to business school students, with students at the California State University Fullerton College of Business and Economics specifically in mind. To this end, in addition to the prevailing literature, the author reviewed the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) standards as well as the mission and goals of the CSU Fullerton business school and the courses it offered at the time the study was designed.
In their standards for accreditation for business administration and accounting, the AACSB (2001) states that planning and evaluation are important to the creation and delivery of high-quality curricula. Their standards require that both undergraduate and graduate curricula cover ethical and global issues; the influence of political, social, legal, regulatory, environmental, and technological issues; the impact of demographic diversity on organizations; and written and oral communication skills. Beyond these guidelines, the AACSB recommends that each school "should set additional requirements consistent with its mission and goals" (p.19).
At the time this study was designed, the CSU Fullerton College of Business and Economics in its mission and goals statement identified the objectives of preparing students to think critically and giving them a range of skills required in the evolving business environment as its major focus. The school aimed not only to prepare students for employment in their areas of expertise but also to provide a multidisciplinary, competency-based education that would incorporate skills in computing, an understanding of both the domestic and international operations on functional areas, and the ability to manage ethically.
At the time of study design, the author was serving on the school's curriculum committee, which was asked to review the curricula with a view to developing a more competence-based program. The competencies that the committee and the office of the dean deemed relevant to the curricula form the focus of the present study. Seven core business school competencies were identified: written communications, oral communications, computer skills, teamwork skills, cultural awareness, ethics, and functional-area competence. This study aims to answer three major research questions:
- Are these seven core competencies important to business students and to the employers of business students?
- Within each competency, what are the most important tasks that business school graduates need to perform?
- Is the College of Business and Economics effectively teaching these competencies?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
|
