ERIC Number: EJ879101
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-5629
EISSN: N/A
Service-Learning by Doing: How a Student-Run Consulting Company Finds Relevance and Purpose in a Business Strategy Capstone Course
Robinson, David F.; Sherwood, Arthur Lloyd; DePaolo, Concetta A.
Journal of Management Education, v34 n1 p88-112 2010
A challenge for undergraduate learning in strategy is that the students lack professional work experiences. Without a rich background of experience, many strategic management topics are difficult to grasp. Our solution has been to develop a strategic management capstone course that combines service-learning and problem-based learning. The experiential design puts students in charge of a consulting company serving struggling local nonprofits and small businesses. By consulting, students have access to strategic decision makers and learn to understand the missions of their organizations. Students acquire a sense of urgency to solve strategic problems and develop a commitment to improving their community. In this article, the authors describe their motivations for the course design and how service-learning enhances the design's efficacy. In addition, the authors explain the use of a matrix structure for the student consulting company, how the company operates, and the strategic process consultation approach its consultants use. This study also describes the student leadership structure and just-in-time lecture technique that enables the instructor to provide on-demand instruction. The authors conclude by explaining the assessment system of quality checks, presentations, and reflection papers that allows instructors to maintain student learning in a very flexible and student-driven learning system. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Strategic Planning, Small Businesses, Problem Based Learning, Service Learning, Nonprofit Organizations, Student Leadership, Teaching Methods, Undergraduate Students, Lecture Method, Quality Control
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A