Exploring the Forms and Features of an Undergraduate General Education Curriculum

Among the largest financial decisions that a person will make, deciding whether to go to college and where to go, are a few of the highest importance. The average yearly cost to attend a four-year private college is $21,235 and to attend a fouryear public institution is$5,491 (2005-06 College Costs 2006). This significant financial investment offers an individual the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge that will last throughout life. More specifically, an undergraduate college education enables an individual to express “thoughts clearly in speech and writing, grasp abstract concepts and theories, and increase their understanding of their world and community” (Why Get a College Degree 2006). But for many, college attendance has a practical purpose, because coveted positions require successful completion of the undergraduate degree. Yet, there are varying views on how a general education curriculum should be defined. The results of a national study undertaken by the Association of Colleges and Universities found that students today require a practical integrated liberal undergraduate education. A liberal education is “a practical education because it develops just those capacities needed by every thinking adult: analytical skills, effective communication, practical intelligence, ethical judgment, and social responsibility” (Greater Expectations 2002, 26). An engaging practical liberal education must prepare students to meet expectations both in college and after graduation, regardless of the chosen institution or course of study (Humphreys & Davenport 2005). An undergraduate education is a combination of three facets of educational focus: the major – which offers depth into a discipline, the electives and/or a minor – which offer a secondary focus or exploration into a range of topics, and the breadth of general education. General education is the “part of a liberal eduation curriculum shared by all students. It provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and forms the basis for developing important intellectual and civic capacities. General education can take many different forms” (Greater Expectations 2002, 25). The purpose of this study is to explore the different forms and features of a general education curriculum. The research questions for this study are, what is being done by the more selective top-tier insitutions? And, what can Long Island regional colleges learn from the general education curriculums offered by the more selective institutions

What is the Role of Business Educators in Preparing Future Leaders

The purpose of the study is to gain insight from experienced and practicing industry leaders, experts in the field of corporate ethics, and philosophy/ethics scholars, as to the value of a business ethics education. Specifically, what are the desired learning outcomes of a business ethics course, as it relates to knowledge, skill and disposition

How to Develop Ethical Leaders: One Professor’s Reflection

This paper reports on one professor’s goal to guide graduate students and to place them on an ethical path. What are the primary steps in helping graduate students develop into senior leaders who are grounded and ethical? This paper allows me to share my experience and to invite others to collaborate on this topic at the 2017 NBEA Conference

Melding Ethical Behaviors into Leadership Expectations: Seeking to Make the Phrase, Ethical Leadership No Longer Necessary

Remember \u27E-Commerce\u27? It was a distinct and emerging discipline. Now E-Commerce concepts are easily integrated into traditional business courses. The term ‘e-commerce,’ seems redundant. YET, we as scholars still maintain a distance between ‘Leadership’ and ‘Ethical Leadership’. When will the phrase, ‘Ethical Leadership,’ fade from the business vernacular as redundant? As scholars, we can study the distinction and seek to meld them so fully that the terms become synonymous. This paper presents an educational path to help leaders see the overlap so that each can develop a personal roadmap to tightly integrate the concepts in to their business practices

Managing the Human Element: The Impact of a Merger or Acquisition

Organizations that are acquired are done so with the intention of improving the economic position of the principals, yet, there are stakeholders who are negatively affected by a change in leadership due to a merger or an acquisition. How a company is assumed or acquired may have a positive impact on shareholders, but a negative impact on employees. The human aspect of mergers and acquisitions, and its impact on people and performance, is the focus of this paper. The authors will discuss the business related human behaviors such as management resistance, employee resistance, organizational transition, communication, and leadership’s role

Managers Look to the Social Network to Seek Information

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to explore how managers selected individuals to serve as information sources. The social context of a for-profit business environment offered opportunity to study information seeking among interacting line-managers. Method. The qualitative methods of social network mapping and interview were used to capture the data. The study was conducted within a stand-alone business unit of a major US-based corporation. A total of twenty-two line-managers participated in the study. Analysis. Content analysis was selected as the data analysis technique. The elements of interest were the themes within the data. Open coding was used to interrogate the data to ensure a systematic approach so that future researchers can replicate the process. Results. Relationship, more than knowledge, can be the reason a line-manager is sought as an information source. In addition to relationship, an individual manager’s knowledge, communication behaviour, cognitive style, and cognitive ability play an influencing role in being selected as an information source. Conclusion. The non-hierarchical flow of information among managers and the reasons managers seek others as information sources further differentiates line-managers as a unique information user group

Does Management Education Need a Facelift? The Intersection of Managing, Leading, and Coaching. Part V: Environmental Scan of Higher Education

This paper is the fifth in a series of five papers that collectively explore management education and its value to workplace preparation. The purpose of this research path is to ensure that management education remains cutting edge and relevant to the needs of organizational leaders and to our students’ professional goals. At the 2021 Northeast Business and Economics Association Conference (NBEA.us) the author set the stage for a five (5) paper multi-phase research agenda. The purpose of this research, Part V, is to explore where coaching knowledge and skill-development currently exists within higher education programs, degrees, and curriculum. This paper reports on the results of an environmental scan. It not only describes the landscape and the intersection of higher education and coaching, but it also offers recommendations to management and business faculty for improving the curriculum so that the growing profession of leadership, management, and executive coaching, can be seamlessly integrated into business education

Business and Animal Rights: What is Anti-Cruelty Law Really About?

The creation of law pertaining to animals within our country is predominately fueled by the direct correlation it has to the well-being of our society as humans rather than the animal. This comes in the form of both economic and social values that we have deemed important to our livelihood. The sentiment for animals shifts when the animal leads to money in our pockets. This theory is explored within this paper

Anti-Discrimination in the Workplace: The Intersection of Mental Health and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Anti-discrimination law focuses on the right of people to be treated equally. A person should not be treated differently based on the person’s gender, national origin, religion, race, ethnicity, or age. Anti-discrimination law include the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Age discrimination Act, The pregnancy discrimination Act, and the Americans With Disability Act. This paper look at the intersection of Mental Health and the ADA

The Value of Spirituality within the Workplace: A Discussion and Proposal for Research

This paper considers the definitions of workplace spirituality, its value, and how the defining foundational concepts are manifested within organizations today. Also, if there is value, what is the process of educating future leaders so that they are prepared to create and sustain workplace spirituality as part of the cultural fabric of their organizations? Last, there is a call for dialogue between management practitioners and theorists as to whether the phrase, Workplace Spirituality, can thrive within the management practitioner’s vernacular. Perhaps it is more effective to refer to the workplace spirituality concepts under their covert labels and avoid using the controversial “S” word