Evaluating Instructors' Perceptions of Students' Preparation for Management Curricula

Evaluating Instructors’ Perceptions of Students’ Preparation for

Management Curricula PATRICIA A. LANIER

JOHN R. TANNER ZHlWEl ZHU

RONALD B. HEADY University of Southwestern Louisiana

Lafayette, Louisiana

nderstanding the skills considered U important by employers can help business educators better develop those skills during their teaching and facilitate the placement of graduates. Delay in the placement of graduates makes the recruitment of new majors more difficult. Because of the nationwide decline of business student enrollment at universities, meeting the needs of business education’s customers (i.e., students and businesses, among others) has become more important. We must understand which skills and abilities our graduates should possess to be fully acceptable “final products” in the next stage of their careers, focus on instruction in the areas that lead to business success, and recruit students that are likely to excel in those areas.

As suggested by Kelley and Gaedeke (1990), the business education process involves the following three stages: recruiting students, retaining and teaching them under rigorous university curricula, and placing them in the business world. Many business organizations are now working to implement total quality management (TQM) and to improve customer service levels to remain com- petitive. This shift in strategic focus affects every aspect of business practice within an organization, including the recruitment of graduates with better

ABSTRACT. A random survey of 166 management faculty teaching in public and private universities in 44 states suggests that incoming management students are deficient in writing, verbal, and mathematical skills. More- over, a majority of the faculty sur- veyed did not believe that the students of today are as motivated to learn as their predecessors. The implication of these findings is that some restructuring of the university educational process may be needed to implement a total quality management approach to teaching.

skills and abilities in the areas of writing, listening, speaking, and math.

For some time, analytical skills have been the most basic skills needed by business professionals. The importance of quantitative skills is widely supported by researchers (Boatwright & Stamps, 1988; John & Needel, 1989; Kotler, 1986). For example, Arora and Stoner ( 1992) revealed that marketing managers perceived analyticalktatisti- cal skills as the second most important in the initial hiring of MBA graduates.

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the importance of communication skills to business professionals across organizations (Disalvo, 1980; Hiemstra, Schmidt, & Madison, 1990; Simons & Higgins, 1993). In a survey conducted by Bennett (1971), respondents agreed that communication skills, in general, played a part in their advance-

ment to a top management position, with 66% saying that those skills had a major effect on their advancement. The three basic business communication skills are writing, listening, and speaking.

The American Assembly of Colle- giate Schools of Business (AACSB) recognizes that business professionals need a professional level of writing skills. It has mandated that written communication skills be expected outcomes of the business school curriculum (Fish- er, 1990). Hollman (1981) conducted in-depth interviews with 25 business professionals who regularly wrote as part of their jobs, and concluded that writing was indeed a crucial part of their work. Corbin and Glynn (1992) described a university writing-across- the-curriculum program developed for marketing majors in which writing stan- dards determined by business professionals were used to evaluate the marketing students’ writing skills.

Of the four communication skills, research has shown that listening is the most used, yet the least taught. In a review of 25 studies conducted during the 1970s, Disalvo (1980) reported that listening was the communication skill perceived by researchers as the most important. Listening has been rated as a skill required for effective management and one of the most important skills a

NovembedDecember 1997 77

business student can have (Cost, Bish- op, & Anderson, 1992).

Strong oral skills are necessary in all professional fields (John & Needel, 1989; Raymond & McNabb, 1993). As stated previously, the AACSB has pro- claimed that “oral and written communications skills are important for success in the business world and are included among the outcomes expected for business graduates” (Fisher, 1990, p. 46). Arora and Stoner (1992, p. 8) suggested that graduates must be able to “defend their ideas with persuasive, log- ical arguments in oral and written communication.” Research has found that inadequate performance in oral communication is one of the most common complaints of business leaders concerning business school graduates (Hansen & Hansen 1995). Additional research supports the contention that oral communication is one of the five most important learning areas for graduating business students (Harper, 1987).

Statement of the Problem

There has been much discussion in the literature on measures of quality university-level education. Evaluation techniques such as the Educational Test- ing Service (ETS) exam and surveys of prospective employers are frequently used by universities. However, few arti- cles have focused on the area of students’ preparation prior to entering the university environment. The perceptions of business professors toward their majors have been studied in accounting (Tanner & Carruth, 1985), finance (Cudd, Tanner, & Budden, 1989), and marketing (Miller & Budden, 1984). As the total quality management concept becomes more widely accepted in high- er education, the issue of students’ preparation for a rigorous university curriculum becomes more critical. Relating graduates’ qualifications as “final products” for the business world to their levels of preparedness for the management education process, we advanced the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis I : We hypothesized that the writing, verbal, and general communication skills of management majors would be perceived as deficient by management faculty members.

Hypothesis 2: We hypothesized that management majors’ math, quantitative, and general reasoning skills would be regard- ed as less than average by management faculty members.

Hypothesis 3: We hypothesized that today’s management majors would be perceived by management faculty members to be less motivated than in the past.

Hypothesis 4: We hypothesized that management majors would be perceived by management faculty as being ill-prepared for college study and for the classes they attend.

Hypothesis 5: We hypothesized that management majors would be perceived by management faculty as possessing an inadequate knowledge of current events.

Hypothesis 6: We hypothesized that management faculty believe that management students are learning applicable concepts and theories in the classroom.

Hypothesis 7: We hypothesized that management faculty believe that work experience and participation in student organizations have a positive effect on management majors’ academic performance.

The successful design and implemen- tation of management curricula partially depend on students’ preparation prior to entering a university. Therefore, the criteria used to measure the skills of entering students should relate to the expec- tations of prospective employers of management graduates. Guided by our 7 hypotheses, we investigated the perceptions of management professors about the academic skills of students majoring in management. Each hypothesis was also examined to determine if differences in management faculty members’ perceptions were the results of type of university (i.e., public or private), their university’s accreditation status (i.e., AACSB), their rank (i.e., professor, associate, assistant, and instructor), their individual tenure status, and finally, their primary individual teaching discipline (i.e., quantitative or nonquantitative). The last five hypotheses are discussed in the section on the homogeneity of the respondents:

Hypothesis 8: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of management faculty at public institutions and management faculty at private institutions.

Hypothesis 9: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of man-

agement faculty at schools that are accredited by the AACSB, and faculty at unaccrecited schools.

Hypothesis 10: There i s no significant difference in the perceptions of the respondents with respect to rank (i.e., faculty members holding the ranks of professor or associate professor have the same perceptions as faculty members holding the ranks of assistant professor or instructor).

Hypothesis 1 I : There i s no significant difference between the perceptions of tenured and nontenured management faculty.

Hypothesis 12: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of management faculty who teach mainly quantitative courses and those teaching mainly nonquantitative courses.

Method

In this study, we sought to obtain management professors’ perceptions of the adequacy of the academic preparation, experience, and motivation of management majors. Questionnaires were mailed to a systematic random sample of 600 management faculty selected from James Hasselback’s management faculty directory. The questionnaire was based on one previously administered to finance, marketing, and accounting faculty (Budden, 1985; Budden, Lake, & Tanner, 1989; Cudd, Tanner, & Budden, 1989). Usable responses were obtained from 166 faculty from 44 states plus the District of Columbia, for a response rate of 27.7%. A widely cited source on survey research indicates that “mail surveys with response rates over 30% are rare, and response rates are often 5 to 10 percent” (Alreck & Settle, 1985, p. 46).

The questionnaire contained 18 Lik- ert-type attitudinal statements. A 5-point scale ranging through I (strong/? disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (neither disagree nor agree), 4 (agree), and 5 (strongly agree) was used to measure the responses. The questionnaire also contained 13 demographic variables and a section ask- ing respondents to rank 10 high school subjects in order of their importance in effectively preparing students for university studies in management.

Nonresponse Bias

A problem with surveys of this type is nonresponse bias. According to Arm-

78 Journal of Education for Business

strong and Overton (1977), late respondents to a survey are expected to be similar to nonrespondents. In the absence of nonresponse bias, early respondents to a survey instrument should be similar to the latest respondents (i.e., there should be no significant difference between the earliest and the latest respondents). In an attempt to identify nonresponse bias, the responses of the first 25 respondents were compared with those of the last 25 on all questionnaire items. For quantitative variables, the two groups were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test, a powerful nonparametric test that requires no assumptions about the dis- tribution of the sample. For categorical variables, the Pearson Chi-square test of independence was used to determine the impact of early and late responses on the sample. The results of these analy- ses are summarized in Table 1. Of the 42 variables compared, significant differences were found on only one of the Likert variables. Thus, there was very little evidence of nonresponse bias.

Findings

Respondent Characteristics

In Table 2, we present a demographic profile of the respondents, who repre- sented a relatively wide geographic area. The majority taught at public, state-supported universities with 20,000 students or less, and with 400 or fewer management majors. More than two thirds taught at universities accredited by the AACSB. Faculty ranks were relatively evenly distributed from assistant to full professor, with a wide range of teaching experience, and with the majority holding a doctoral degree. More than three fourths were males, and about two thirds were tenured faculty. The respondents taught a wide range of subjects, the majority in the OB/HR/Policy area. Almost 85% spent less than 50% of their time on research, and slightly less than three fourths spent more than 50% of their time teaching.

Based on the uniform coverage of a wide variety of respondents demonstrat- ed in Table 2, the following results were found to be representative of the attitudes of U.S. business school faculty in general.

Faculty Perceptions

The respondents’ perceptions of management majors, presented in Table 3, are broken into eight general categories, including writing, math, and verbal skills, reasoning ability, communications skills, motivation, preparation, and other areas, referred to as nonfunctional

areas. The majority of the management professors perceived entering management majors as having poor writing skills, and more than 43% felt that students graduating in management still did not exhibit good writing skills. Almost 67% of the respondents believed that high schools were not doing a good job of developing verbal

~~

TABLE 1. Testing for Nonresponse Bias: A Comparison of Early and Late Respondents

Variables x? p value

Likert stutements Students entering management as a curriculum generally have poor

writing skills. High schools seem to do a poor job of developing verbal skills. Entering students in management seem to be prepared for the rigors

Management students today are as motivated as they were when I

Work experience contributes positively to a student’s academic

Management majors generally have a good knowledge of important

Management graduates will be able to apply classroom knowledge

High schools emphasize math skills enough for students in

Students entering management as a curriculum generally have good

Management majors in my classes come to class prepared. Participation in student organizations contributes to a student’s

Quantitative skills are generally lacking in students who choose

Management majors have poor reasoning ability. Management graduates are better communicators than other

Universities should emphasize communication skills even if it

My college emphasizes communication skills enough for its

Management students exhibit good writing skills. Management students are good listeners. Demographic vuriubles University size Number of management majors Type of university AACSB accreditation status Academic rank Highest degree earned Years teaching experience Gender State Tenure status Main teaching area Average teaching load Percent research time Percent teaching time

of college study.

first entered college.

performance in college.

current events.

to real-world situations.

management.

verbal skills.

academic performance.

management as a major.

business graduates.

means decreasing quanitative skills.

business students.

0.2 165 0.7878

0.9089

0.5378

0.8992

0.8 I87

0.1441

0.0151

0.2886 0.5054

0.2 1 66

0.0747 0.7109

0.1473

0.0520

0.6679 0.1932 0.9 I50

0.8582 0.3660 0.6503 0. I376 0.9856 0.4400 0.5956 0.469 I 0.6655 0.7756 0.1617 0.6646 0.0930 0.0930

NovenzbedDecember 1997 79

TABLE 2. Demographics of Respondents, in Percentages

Category % Category %

Geographic breakdown East South Midwest West

University size 0-10K students 10-20K 20-30K 3040K

> 50K 40-50K

Number of majors None 1-200 201400 401-600 60 1-800 800- 1,000 > 1.000

Type of university Public university Private university

AACSB status Accredited Not accredited

Time on teaching 50% or less More than 50

19.0 31.0 28.0 22.0

100.0

47.8 32.9 10.6 5.0 3. I 0.6

IOO.O

3.7 45.6 21.9 13.1 8.7 1.2 5.6

100.0

69.6 30.4

100.0

68.6 31.4

100.0

27.5 72.5

100.0

Faculty rank Instructor/lecturer Assistant professor Associate professor Professor

Highest degree Doctorate Less than doctorate

Gender Male Female

Teaching experience > 6 years

9-12 12-15 15-18 18-2 1 > 21

6-9

Tenure status Tenured Nontenured

Main teaching area OB/HR Prodquant.

Time on research 50% or less More than 50

6.2 26.7 37.3 29.8

100.0

82.6 17.4

100.0

79.5 20.5

100.0

14.9 15.5 16.1 10.6 11.2 9.9

21.8 100.0

66.5 33.5

100.0

64.4 35.4

100.0

84.7 15.3

100.0

skills, and over 56% felt that entering management majors did not have good verbal skills (see Table 3).

The respondents were generally non- committal about whether management majors were better communicators than other business majors, but more than half felt that communications skills should receive more emphasis in business degree programs, even if it meant less emphasis on quantitative skills. However, this would seem to conflict with their beliefs concerning whether or not their respective universities are placing enough emphasis on communication skills for business students, because almost half (44.4%) said that there was

enough emphasis in this area. Slightly more of the respondents disagreed than agreed with the statement that management students are good listeners (29.4% vs. 21.2%), with almost half remaining noncommital. These findings would generally support Hypothesis 1.

With respect to the math and quantitative skills of management majors, the perceptions of the respondents were again of some concern. High schools were perceived as not placing enough emphasis on math for students pursuing careers in management, and those students' quantitative skills were perceived as inadequate, lending support to Hypothesis 2.

The respondents were relatively evenly divided with respect to the reasoning ability of management majors. with almost 40% undecided. With respect to Hypothesis 3, management faculty were again fairly evenly distributed, with slightly more (39.7%) saying that today's majors were not as motivated as the respondents were when they were in college.

Almost half of the respondents felt that entering management majors were not sufficiently prepared for college study, generally supporting Hypothesis 4.

With respect to Hypotheses 5, 6, and 7, 82% felt that work experiences con- tributed to academic performance, and more than 70% felt the same way about participation in student organizations. Also, 58% felt that management graduates would be able to apply what they had learned in the classroom. The respondents generally did not believe that management majors had a good knowledge of important current events (see Table 3 ) .

Respondent Homogeneity

In an effort to attain a measure of the homogeneity of the respondents' perceptions, various hypothesis tests were performed on selected demographic groups. Tests of significance were performed on each Likert statement to determine if differences existed, at the .05 level of significance, among the various demographic groups. The results of these tests are shown in Table 4.

The eighth hypothesis tested for significant differences between management faculty at public and at private universities. Faculty at both did not believe that management majors were better communicators than other business students or that management majors were particularly good listeners. Both groups felt that more emphasis should be placed on communications skills, even if it meant decreasing emphasis on math. However, though both groups felt that their colleges emphasized communications skills enough for business students, management faculty at private institutions showed a stronger level of agreement with this statement than did faculty at public institutions. Faculty at both public and private institutions were


TABLE 3. Management Faculty Perceptions of Management Majors’ Skills

Statement

Statements about students’ writing skills I . Students entering management have poor writing skills. 2. Management graduates exhibit good writing skills.

3. High schools do a poor job of developing verbal skills. 4. Students entering management have good verbal skills.

5. Management majors are better communicators than others. 6. Colleges should emphasize communication skills more. 7. My college emphasizes communication skills enough. 8. Management students are good listeners.

9. High schools emphasize math skills enough.

Statements about students’ verbal skills

Statements about students’ communication skills

Statements about students’ math skills

10. Quanitative skills are lacking. Statement about students’ reasoning ability 1 1. Management majors have poor reasoning ability. Statement about students’ motivation 12. Management students are as motivated as I was. Statements about students’ preparation 13. Students in management are prepared for the rigors of college. 14. Management majors come to my class prepared. Statements about students’ nonspecific skills 15. Work experience contributes to academic performance. 16. Management majors have knowledge of current events. 17. Managements graduates are able to apply classroom knowledge. 18. Participation in student organizations helps performance.

Respondents (YO) Strongly disagree Disagree Neither Agree agree

Strongly

2.5 5.0

2.5 6.2

1.9 9.5 5.0 1.9

11.9 2.5

I .3

13.7

6.8 6.2

3.7 6.2 1.2 1.2

5.6 38.1

10.6 51.5

24.5 15.1 25.0 21.5

48.7 15.5

31.9

26.0

39.8 34.8

5 .o 49.8 13.1 5 .o

26.7 37.5

20.0 23.0

50.9 22.6 25.6 49.4

20.0 28.6

39.4

28.0

34.8 31.7

9.3 32.9 21.3 22.4

51.5 18.8

48.1 16.8

20.8 33.3 39.4 20.6

17.5 40.4

23.7

27.3

16.1 25.5

37.9 9.9

50.9 52.8

13.7 .6

18.8 2.5

1.9 19.5 5 .0

.6

1.9 13.0

3.7

5.0

2.5 1.8

44. I I .2 7.5

18.6

uncertain as to their students’ reasoning ability, motivation, and whether or not they came to class prepared, but both groups felt that entering management students were not well prepared for the rigors of college study. Both faculty groups felt very strongly about the positive contributions of work experience and participation in student organizations to academic performance, and neither group believed that their management majors knew very much about important current events. Lastly, more management faculty at private universities than at public ones felt certain that their majors would be able to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations (see Table 4).

The next hypothesis tested was that there were no significant differences between the perceptions of management faculty at accredited (by the AACSB) universities and those at nonaccredited universities. Faculty at both accredited and nonaccredited universities felt that management majors were entering college with poor writing skills and gradu-

ating without much improvement; both groups did not believe that high schools were doing an adequate job of developing the verbal skills of management majors. Faculty at both types of institutions said that there was not enough emphasis on math in high schools and that quantitative skills were lacking in students who majored in management, but faculty at accredited universities felt more strongly about it. Both groups were relatively uncertain about the reasoning ability of management majors, and both were negative with respect to the preparation and motivation of their majors, as well as their students’ knowledge of important current events. Although both groups were strongly convinced about the ability of their students to apply what they learn in the classroom and about the positive contributions of work experience, and partici- pating in student organizations, faculty at nonaccredited institutions had stronger beliefs about the positive effects of participation in student organizations. Neither group believed that

their students had a good knowledge of important current events (see Table 4).

The next hypothesis tested whether there were significant differences between the perceptions of faculty with ranks of professor and associate professor (the senior ranks) and faculty holding the ranks of instructor and assistant professor (the junior ranks). Overall, these two rank-related groups had basi- cally the same perceptions of their students (see Table 4).

The next hypothesis was that there were no significant differences between the attitudes of tenured and nontenured management faculty toward their students. Both faculty groups felt that entering management majors and management graduates had poor math, writing, and verbal skills, and that their majors were no better communicators or listeners than any other business students. And, though both groups agreed that more emphasis should be placed on communications at the risk of dropping some emphasis on quantitative skills, the tenured faculty was less concerned

November/Decetnber 1997 81

about the current degree of emphasis on communications skills at their institutions. Both groups disagreed that their majors had poor reasoning ability, but they felt that the students were neither motivated nor prepared for college study. Both groups also saw work experience and participation in student organizations as positive influences on academic performance, and felt that their majors would be able to apply college knowledge to real-world situations, with the nontenured faculty showing significantly more agreement than the tenured faculty. Again, neither group believed that their majors had good knowledge of important current events.

For the last hypothesis tested, no significant differences were found between the perceptions of management faculty teaching primarily quantitative subjects and those teaching primarily nonquantitative subjects. Both groups felt that management majors had poor writing and verbal skills. Fac- ulty teaching quantitative subjects did not feel that management majors were better communicators than other business graduates, whereas significantly more of the nonquantitative faculty felt that they were. The nonquantitative faculty respondents strongly agreed that more emphasis should be placed on communication skills, even if it meant decreasing emphasis in the quantitative area, whereas the quantitative respondents disagreed. Both groups agreed that their universities were placing enough emphasis on communications skills, and both groups did not feel that management students were good listeners. Both groups felt that management students were not adequately prepared for the rigors of college study and that they did not come to class prepared, and both groups also felt that current management students were not as motivated as in the past. Those faculty teaching quantitative subjects felt very strongly that their majors had good reasoning ability, whereas the nonquantitative respondents disagreed with this (see Table 4).

Overall, there was remarkable agreement between all demographic group- ings of the faculty. This agreement was so strong that, indeed, it was difficult to


TABLE 4. Means and Two-Tail Probabilities of the Attitudes of Management Professors Toward the Skills of Their Majors as Compared in Selected Categories

Type institution ACCSB accredited Mean response** Mean response**

Public Private Prob. Yes No Prob

Statements about students’ writing skills I . Students entering management as a curric-

ulum generally have poor writing skills. 2. Management graduates exhibit good

writing skills. Statements about students’ verbal skills

3. High schools seem to be doing a poor job of developing verbal skills.

4. Students entering management as a cunic- ulum generally have good verbal skills.

Statements about students’ communication skills

5. Management majors are better communicators than are other business graduates.

6. Universities need to emphasize communication skills in business degree programs even if it means decreasing emphasis in quantitative skill areas.

7. My college emphasizes communication skills enough for its business students.

8. Management students are good listeners.

9. High schools emphasize math skills Statements about students’ math skills

enough for students wishing to pursue careers in management.

10. Quanitative skills are generally lacking in students who choose management as a major in college.

Statement about students’ reasoning ability 1 1. Management majors have poor

Statement about students’ motivation 12. Management students today are as moti-

vated as when I first entered college. Statements about students’ preparation 13. Entering students in management

reasoning ability.

seem to be sufficiently prepared for the rigors of college study.

class prepared. 14. Management majors come to my

Statements about students’ nonspecific skills 15. Work experience contributes posi-

tively to a student’s academic performance in college.

16. Management majors generally have a good knowledge of important current events.

17. Management graduates will be able to apply knowledge obtained in the classroom to real-world situations.

18. Participation in student organizations contributes positively to a student’s academic performance in college.

3.69 3.67

2.62 2.94

3.70 3.71

2.56 2.61

2.97 2.94

3.32 3.52

3.01 3.45 2.86 3.02

2.53 2.40

3.54 2.27

3.01 2.88

2.77 3.00

2.64 2.76

2.74 3.00

4.17 4.06

2.48 2.55

3.38 3.78

3.74 4.02

,925

,029”

.944

,755

,793

,355

.01 I * ,207

,439

,099

.38 I

,229

,474

. I 1 I

,540

,620

.007*

,050

3.71 3.64 .657

2.65 2.86 ,147

3.72 3.66 .741

2.46 2.70 ,190

2.92 3.04 ,355

3.27 3.64 ,077

3.02 3.42 .020* 2.89 2.92 .81 1

2.47 2.54 ,668

3.61 3.18 .009*

3.01 2.90 ,467

2.83 2.80 ,893

2.67 2.66 .997

2.75 2.94 ,248

4.1 1 4.18 ,693

2.47 2.58 ,420

3.40 3.68 ,058

3.72 4.06 .016*

“Significant at the .05 level. Note. Mean response is based on scale ranging through 1 (srrong/y disagree), 2 (disqree) , 3 (tieifher distzgref or agree) 4 (agree), and 5 (strongly agree).

Rank Tenured? Teaching area Mean response** Mean response** Mean response**

Senior Junior Prob. Yes No Prob. Quant. Nonquant. Prob.

3.66

2.92

3.66

2.57

2.98

3.38

3.32 3.15

2.58

3.30

2.9 I

2.9 I

2.70

2.96

4.25

2.58

3.70

3.83

3.69

2.62

3.72

2.58

2.95

3.39

3.06 2.79

2.44

3.54

3.00

2.8 I

2.67

2.75

4.08

2.46

3.41

3.82

,816

.030*

.719

.9 I2

,830

,964

,121 .004*

,377

.I56

,521

,597

,838

,183

,349

,369

.043*

,965

3.64

2.68

3.68

2.58

2.95

3.42

3.03 2.85

2.47

3.55

2.98

2.84

2.10

2.78

4.08

2.46

3.38

3.85

3.76

2.80

3.74

2.57

2.98

3.3 1

3.37 3.02

2.52

2.78

2.94

2.83

2.63

2.9 I

4.24

2.59

3.74

3.78

,432

,411

,708

,972

324

.6 I3

.043* ,183

,776

,097

,802

,967

.64 1

,407

,363

.319

.012*

,603

3.53

2.19

3.70

2.68

2.72

2.8 1

3.35 2.9 I

2.49

3.39

3.19

2.79

2.61

2.68

4.14

2.68

3.58

3.79

3.77

2.68

3.69

2.52

3.10

3.7 I

3.03 2.90

2.48

3.50

2.84

2.87

2.7 1

2.89

4.13

2.40

3.46

3.85

,090

,434

.987

.28 1

.003*

,000“

,054 .94 1

,972

,485

,015”

.683

.518

,180

,973

.035*

,409

.68 1

find subgroups that deviated significantly from the norm within the individual segments of the study.

Conclusions

Our study’s results indicate that management students are perceived to lack written, verbal, and quantitative skills and are especially weak in communications skills. The perception that communication skills are inadequate in both entering management students and management graduates suggests the need for a significant restructuring of the teaching process at both the high school and college levels.

The perceptions reported by management faculty are consistent with the general criticisms of the quality of college-level education and with those previously reported by faculty members in the areas of accounting (Tanner & Car- ruth, 1985), finance (Cudd, Tanner, & Budden, 1989), and marketing (Miller & Budden, 1984). In addition, the results of this research show that management faculty are remarkably consistent in their perceptions: With few exceptions, they universally agreed that the ‘.verbal, writing, and mathematical skills of entering management students are not adequate.

These findings are important because current management curricula do not specifically teach, or even encourage, the development of these skills, although the business community clear- ly wants management graduates to have them. The principles of total quality management force us to conclude that there is a design flaw in the management education process: The incoming “raw material” is known to possess certain defects that are unacceptable in the “finished product,” yet the process is not designed specifically to reduce or elim- inate those defects. This concern is accentuated by the finding that only 58.4% of the faculty are convinced that management students would be able to apply their classroom knowledge to business situations.

However, the management faculty’s perception of the motivation of current management students suggests that responsibility for the students’ lack of preparation may not be the fault of their

November/December 1997 83

high school instruction as much as the students’ drive and ambition. Only 32.5% of the faculty believed that management students are as motivated now as they were when the faculty attended school.

In summary, whether students are viewed as raw material, customers, or co-workers, faculty perceptions suggest that “teaching as usual” needs to be reexamined in its entirety.

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Evaluating Instructors' Perceptions of Students' Preparation for Management Curricula