Overall objectives of this RIT project included:

To improve student ability to apply suitably logical frameworks and decision models in analysing and solving business problems (using BARD)

To set the above processes within the framework of the development of an academic research project (Integrated T&L and Pedagogic research process)

Narrower key objective:To improve within students the ability to link the implications of applying decision models to the problem in realistic business contexts (LINKIMPLICATION)

Broader objectiveResearch a variety of T&L issues e.g. students’ prior educational experiences, views on the role of the teacher and to

Compare these and student performance in terms of nationality

BARD is an acronym (slightly transposed !) I have developed for a Business Decision – Academic Research approach to tackling my assignments. It should also be used when preparing for in-class case study presentations and elements of it can be used for other group tasks. The main steps are as follows:-

Conduct a wide search for text books but mainly ACADEMIC articles in the relevant area. The purpose is to build our knowledge and understanding of the topic.Synthesise any different perspectives and, where possible, critique some aspects of these (see separate notes in module handbook)

From step 2, develop your own decision model which contains the factors/variables which you think are needed to inform your recommendation i.e. your theory about the way things work in this area. Your model may be very similar to an existing well known model or it may include fewer variables or more variable or different variables. You may develop your model by adapting from several existing models or by developing your own model which is completely original (but only after dismissing existing models in a critique)

By doing this, you are defining the process which will be used to make your recommendation. This definition of a ‘decision pathway’ is a key skill and characteristic of effective managers, consultants and chairpersons of meetings.

In order to make your specific decision, you now need to apply the model variables to the task situation. This means undertaking research to find the data you need for each variable e.g. if you think that the size of a country market is one of the factors which should influence the entry mode a firm should choose, then you need to find data which represents market size.

Produce your recommendation from steps 4 and 5. It is at this point that some students have significant problems i.e. they do not link the two. They do not make explicit the implications of the applied model variable for the decision they make. (This is my concept of ‘LINKIMPLICATION’ i.e. I must be able to see the link between the application of your model variables and your recommendation).

The most extreme case of student failure in this area can be seen when some students provide their decision and then ‘do’ their model afterwards i.e. they guess an answer without using the model to derive that answer. They may show a model but only because the assessment criteria require one (a ‘tick box’ approach)

The ‘mechanics’ of applying the model are less important than showing that you understand the model variables and their implications for the decision. However, the way in which variables are applied may have a big impact on your decision. One option is simply to make a holistic judgement which reflects the explicitly stated implications of applying your model variable. Another may be to try and construct a spreadsheet.One difficulty in applying your model variables is that some will suggest one decision (e.g. type of entry mode) and others a different one i.e. there is likely to be a trade-off situation.

You may need to evaluate the importance of the variables in relation to each other before you feel you can make a decisionNote any other (exogenous) factors not included in your model which might affect your recommendation

Having made your recommendations to the firm in the assignment it is appropriate to reflect on your experience in carrying out the assignment and your contribution to the academic subject e.g. Does your model and methodology have any limitations ? Can you recommend adaptations to your model ?

What most students appear to do when asked to make a recommendation about a marketing/management decision ?

My proposition:

They decide (? How) what they want the answer to be, and then

Justify their answer by listing the arguments for their choice

An analysis of 2009 IM papers generally supported this

Hence the need to place more emphasis on a more rigorous decision process

Integrated T&L and Pedagogic Research Process

Stage 1: Questionnaire for IM students January 2010

Stage 2: Feedback to students on Q1 results

Stage 3: Embedding the BARD approach

Stage 4: Feedback to students on seminar presentations

Stage 5: Questionnaire 2

Stage 6: One-to-One sessions with students

Stage 7: Analysis of student assignment results

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Task: A market entry mode strategy for Steelite in India and Japan

Stage 1: Selected Questionnaire 1 results to the question –

Should Wedgwood enter the Russian or the Mexican market ?

Note: Choosing a suitable benchmarking was very difficult

Stage 2:

Feedback to students

Via Blackboard (shown on slides)

Plus

Via a lecture-discussion input

Actually, none whatsoever !

Actually, the answer does not do this at all

Comments:A large number of reasons are in favour of Mexico but Russia does not seem to be analysed to the same depth. More importantly, the arguments only relate to the environment of countries and do not address the ability of the firm to access and penetrate those markets. Had the student developed a decision model, they would probably have realised that this last issue must be a key factor/variable to be taken into account in making the decision

Actually, the answer does not do this at all

Stage 3: Embedding BARD

Fortnightly group presentations

Stage 4: Feedback to students

Despite the emphasis put on using BARD, it is clear from the feedback sheets I gave on the presentations that many students were still not using this approach fully, even by weeks 8/9.

It could be hypothesised that students found this too big a task for a ‘mere’ fortnightly seminar presentation.

However, it should perhaps also be said that the quality of presentations was absolutely superb as was the research underpinning them so that perceived excessive workload is probably not the main reason in most cases.

It is more likely that unfamiliarity with the BARD approach results in a ‘do what you are used to’ approach. This is particularly true when most students are from overseas.

Stage 5:

Questionnaire 2 was posted on to Bb after the module ended. The objectives were threefold:

Obtain student feedback on the module and on different learning activities and, in particular, those used for the BARD approach

Obtain information prior assessment experiences, the experience of working in multi-cultural groups and how they now saw the role of the teacher

Give students a final reminder of the importance of using BARD

The key results in relation to this project are shown below

Before I started this module I understood the meaning of :- Model 

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree%

British 35% 39% 26% 0% 100%23

Chinese 0% 93% 7% 0% 100%15

French 9% 27% 45% 18% 100%22

German 8% 67% 17% 8% 100%12

Average 15% 51% 26% 7% 100%72

Nearly half of French students and ¼ of British did not understand what is meant by ‘model’.

I think the Chinese students’ responses have to be treated with some caution since it became apparent during the module that there was a degree of confusion between the words ‘model’, ‘module’ and ‘mode’. Not surprising since the words appear very similar to someone who normally uses characters.

After studying this module, I now understand the meaning of :- Model 

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

British 65% 35% 0% 0% 100%23

Chinese 33% 67% 0% 0% 100%15

French 41% 55% 0% 5% 100%22

German 67% 25% 8% 0% 100%12

Average 51% 46% 1% 1% 100%72

Stage 6: One to one student discussions were based almost exclusively on checking whether students had used BARD and how they had found it

Stage 7: Analysis of students’ assignments in terms of marks and BARD processes

Evaluation of BARD from the student perspective:

Students like the approach

Students feel the approach produces better work

Students feel BARD encourages deeper learning

Students think BARD helps them structure assignments

Students say they will use BARD in making recommendations in future assignments and decisions in future work situations

Some assignments are outstanding and highly appreciated by industry

On the negative side:Students feel BARD causes too much work

Many students still have significant difficulties in LINKIMPLICATION

Some of the possible explanations include:

Language problems in expressing the link

Thinking that the links are obvious and therefore not stating them explicitly

Not knowing where in their paper to make the link (e.g. at the point of variable application or later as a summary)

Insufficient understanding of the firm (Steelite) to appreciate the implications of the variables for the entry mode decision

Insufficient understanding of the topic to be able to make the connections

Linking the application of the variables to the wrong task

(e.g. a few students confused the international market selection decision (which market to enter) with the international market entry mode decision (how to enter the chosen market). Maybe this is not so surprising given that many of the factors used are the same for both decisions and that Questionnaire 1 related to market selection.

Evaluation of BARD from the teacher perspective:

The standard of student submissions is higher

Some submissions are outstanding and add to subject advancement

BARD differentiates well between student performance

Prior educational experience does not confer advantages or disadvantages BUT

The better performing students are generally somewhat older and have some work experience

Some possible concerns ?The process becomes formulaic and may stifle creativity

Answer ?There seems to be much scope for undertaking the process well or badly and for implementing different process stages in different ways

The scope for Creativity lies in the specific ‘solutions’ suggested

What about foreign students ?

“The reason that there is so little crime in Germany is that it’s against the law” – Lewin, San Francisco Chronicle

Amazingly, German students are the least used to this type of assignment, but

They do everything that you ask or suggest

They come from top notch German Universities (different recruitment pool)

Often they have had other foreign educational experience

Their English is superb

Overall, a similar average performance from Brits, Chinese and French but all these groups exhibited wider variation between students

Evaluation of the Integrated T&L approach

Combining the T&L strategy with research into this pedagogical approach

1. Provides useful information on student progress for teachers and students

(I have a huge amount of data at individual student level)

2. Encourages student understanding of the T&L strategy and hence confidence (eventually) in their ability to cope

3. Encourages student participation in the learning process

BUT Involves a lot of time for staff and students

If anyone would like more information !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do please contact me

Thank you for listening – if you still are !