It’s often said that students attend business school because they want good jobs when they graduate. Naturally enough, they tend to focus on class work that will help them reach that goal. However, classroom learning can take them only so far. As business school faculty, it’s up to us to make the necessary link between classroom theory and how it is applied in the workplace. When this link is made, students learn more and retain better. Seeing their studies “in action” makes it stick.
During my time at Bentley, I took a variety of business courses. We all know that to be a successful business person in today’s world, you need a variety of skills and exposure to many different ways of thinking.
In one class, Professor Tim Anderson introduced the talking stick.
He explained to us that it was an ancient tradition. Whoever held the talking stick was the person talking. They could hold on to it as long as they wanted, say whatever they wanted and everyone else had to allow them to speak and not interrupt.
Dear Bentley Community,
Imagine this scenario.
You’ve just started your first job out of college and you get this inter-office mail from your new boss: “Has our client answered the questions we had for our report?”
Panic sets in. You’re working on a number of reports. Which one? And how should you respond? You hardly know the new boss — would an in-person update be too informal? Is inter-office mail too slow?
Most published research in the IS field is quantitative, analyzing measurable, verifiable quantitative data and evidence. How can the alternative — qualitative research — be promoted for IS?
Research on millennials, conducted by Bentley University and others, consistently indicates that more mentoring, hands-on opportunities for learning, and a comprehensive grasp of technology are all initiatives that can benefit millennial career preparation while in college.
When all three come together, as they have recently at Bentley, it presents an unusual opportunity for students to gain insights into how to enhance their career success.