Students' experience of Working in Diverse Engineered Groups: Panacea or Pandora's Box?

Group work has been widely adopted in business schools and is lauded for having various pedagogic merits. Yet there is considerable debate as to how to best form groups to achieve benefits while mitigating difficulties. Within this paper we examine the use of an engineered group allocation method for student groups undertaking a yearlong group project within a second year undergraduate research methods module. We address two primary research questions: 1. What were students’ experiences of the engineered group experience? 2. What impact did the group allocation method have on students’ learning? We undertook in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=22) lasting between 15 to 47 minutes. All students who undertook the module were invited to participate in the research. The interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis was performed. While prior work has highlighted the problems of free-riding we provide an analysis of phenomenon we have termed forced-riding. Forced-riding captures the phenomenon in which students are excluded from contributing, or force others not to contribute. We argue that this is rational behaviour, and can be in part attributed to the heterogeneity resulting from the engineered allocation method. The central value of this paper is that it gives priority to student voice, highlighting the manner in which students’ perceive their group working experiences. We conclude the paper with the presentation of a matrix of variable contribution. To our best knowledge, this is the first presentation of such a matrix, and we contend that it has value for a range of stakeholders

Knowledge sharing in Higher Education

The use of student group working has become prevalent within higher education, and is often adopted within the discipline of Business and Management where it has been recommended as an effective vehicle for the sharing and development of students' tacit and explicit knowledge. Within this thesis it is contended that a greater understanding of students' experiences and perceptions of knowledge sharing during group work will assist educators in designing pedagogic activities that enhance knowledge sharing, potentially increasing students' learning and attainment. Few scholars have investigated knowledge sharing amongst students during group work within the United Kingdom. Within this thesis, the field of knowledge management is adopted as a theoretical lens to explore knowledge sharing during group work amongst business and management students enrolled on taught programmes within Bangor Business School, Bangor University. The first study presents the results of a quantitative survey that explores the relationship between undergraduate and postgraduate students' interpersonal trust relationships and their willingness to share and use tacit knowledge during group work. The second study presents the results of focus groups undertaken with undergraduate and postgraduate students. The study focuses on exploring students' experiences and perceptions of interpersonal trust relationships, tacit knowledge sharing and group allocation methods during group work. The third study presents an action research project concerned with influencing explicit knowledge sharing and use amongst undergraduate students enrolled on a third year undergraduate Human Resource Management module. It presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a pedagogic activity intended to influence electronically mediated inter-group explicit knowledge sharing. Individually and as a composite, these three studies present insights into students' experiences and perceptions of knowledge sharing during group work. Based on the findings, a number of recommendations for educators, and the wider business and management community are offered, and opportunities for future research are highlighted

Capacity development for civil service reform in Croatia

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Three ways to stop students using ghost writers

You might not believe in ghosts but you should believe in ghost writers. According to recent research, many students have only a sketchy understanding of what plagiarism actually is. Some engage in dishonest practices to get their work done. A quick internet search reveals a number of opportunities to procure essays on a range of topics, and at reasonable prices. But when students take credit for work that is not their own it devalues academic qualifications and reduces the confidence we can have in the ability of graduates. A 2010 study by the business lecturer Bob Perry examined the extent and reasons for academic misconduct among 355 undergraduate and 122 postgraduate students at one school in one academic institution. It found that 14% of undergraduates and 6% of postgraduates in the study admitted that they had looked for essays online, and seven students admitted purchasing and submitting these essays. While this was clear evidence of the use of ghost writers in one department, a sector wide examination would be necessary to determine the full extent of the problem

Capacity development for civil service reform in Croatia

When it comes to reform to “New Public Management” (NPM), Croatia‟s need to deal with inherent challenges (Antwi and Analoui, 2010) is not unique. The major challenge for public administration has been to create the supporting mechanisms to cope with cultural and economic changes, and to implement public policies (Wilson, 1887; Taylor, 1911; Stoker, 2006). Prior to ascension to the European Union Croatia‟s need to strengthen the capacity of its civil service in order to support the creation of a politically neutral, professional and honest civil service to ensure the premises for real transformation in the public sector has been on the table (Analoui, 2009). Public sector reform is invariably related to the establishment of human resource departments and the capacity building (CB) of staff and management through human resource development programmes (Antwi and Analoui, 2010; O‟Flynn, 2007; Analoui, 2007)

Engaging students in group work to maximise tacit knowledge sharing and use

We investigated how students' interpersonal trust relationships impact on their willingness to share knowledge during group work and whether there is one best method of group allocation to maximise knowledge sharing. Through focus groups with 32 undergraduate and postgraduate students, we found: i) participants had limited experience of sharing skills; ii) they were more frequently engaged in sharing their beliefs, values and ideas; iii) while interpersonal relationships impacted upon the degree to which knowledge sharing took place, the major contributing factor was participants' desired outcomes. Participants identified different advantages and disadvantages for the same allocation methods depending on their motivations for attending their courses. We conclude that the most equitable approach to group work is to allow students to choose the allocation method most appropriate to their needs. Findings can assist educators in making informed decisions about group work to increase student engagement, and support cognition-based trust to enhance knowledge sharing

Leadership and knowledge management in UK ICT organisations

Purpose While it is well known that leadership can play an important role in engendering effective knowledge management activity, relatively little is known about which styles of leadership are most appropriate for this task. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to theory by exploring dimensions of leadership as presented by Avolio and Bass (Transformational, Transactional and Passive‐Avoidance Leadership) and the dimensions of organisational knowledge management activity as presented by Maier and Mosley through a survey of primary knowledge managers from information and communications technology (ICT) organisations in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the results of a quantitative survey of 111 primary knowledge managers from ICT organisations in the UK. Findings The key finding is that when primary knowledge managers within organisations adopt the Transformational and Transactional leadership styles, there is a notable increase in knowledge management activity. Given the results, the authors argue that organisations must be cognisant of the leadership style adopted by their knowledge managers and that it is important that both the Transformational and Transactional leadership styles are mastered and can be employed by knowledge managers within organisations. Originality/value The paper provides analysis of two well‐known leadership styles and a full range of knowledge management activity, providing insights for practitioners and theorists alike

The rise of the machine: Twilight of the autonomous academic

We propose that for many academics in the United Kingdom (UK), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are now a machine: faceless, controlling and nearly all-powerful. This we credit to the rising tide of managerialism (Alvesson & Spicer 2016), that has focussed on maximising efficiency whilst minimising costs (Marginson 2012). This yearning for efficiency stems from increasing competition, consumerism and marketisation of Higher Education having a negative impact on students and staff (Kinman & Jones 2003). As a result, the focus in UK HEIs has shifted to reducing costs, managing KPI’s, and the enactment of strategies which views teaching and knowledge as a product (Baldwin & James 2000). We explore the impact of these changes on academics and their ability to enact their autonomy when engaged in teaching activity. To that end, we present findings from qualitative interviews with twenty-two Business school academics from across three different Business schools in the North of England. We demonstrate that the increase of managerialism has led to a scenario where many decisions are expected to follow a policy or procedure, creating a climate of mechanisation. As a result, the process of teaching and learning becomes a production line and knowledge is packaged into gift-wrapped consumable portions on conveyor belts. In turn, this negatively impacts on academics’ feelings of self-worth, value and makes them question their contribution to the teaching and learning process. Further, we find that increased bureaucracy, which is an output of managerialism (Meyer 2002) constricts academics to the point where they feel they have little or no freedom to engage with students as individuals. The effect of these changes on academics and management education is profound, one of the key findings from this paper suggests that academic autonomy, control and support is lost or marginalised as courses are developed and marketed centrally with little thought or foresight about the student experience or the impact this will have on academics