Roger Ottewill

Communication apprehension in UK and Spanish business and accounting students

Distinguishes between communication apprehension (CA), the fear of actually communicating, and communication development, the ability to maintain and improve performance as a communicator. Indicates that CA needs to be addressed before progress can be made in developing the communication skills of graduates to which employers attach considerable importance. Reports the results of a study comparing levels of CA amongst business and accounting students in the UK and Spain, which confirm the high levels of CA found in North American students but also indicate differences which may be due to cultural and other factors. Considers implications of findings for curriculum design and staff development.

Whatever happened to peer review? Revitalising the contribution of tutors to course evaluation

Highlights the current emphasis on student feedback in the review and evaluation of units/modules at higher education level for quality audit purposes. Expresses the view that, while this is unquestionably desirable and necessary, other stakeholder perspectives are essential to create a balanced picture – in particular, the professional judgments of academic staff. Explains how the principle of peer review informed a pilot project at Sheffield Hallam University, in which two groups of academic staff from different units within the same broad subject area reviewed and evaluated each other’s units. Reports on the background and motivation for the project and on the setting up and management of the review process. Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the process based on feedback from the participants. Indicates some of the cultural and procedural lessons learnt from the project and suggests ways of taking the process forward.

Laying Foundations for Effective Learning from Commissioned Projects in Business Education.

Examines the nature of commissioned projects in business education and the value they hold for key stakeholder groups: students, tutors and clients. Identifies the essence of commissioned projects as being a unique fusion of vocational and pedagogic (problem‐based learning) perspectives. Describes the structure of commissioned projects and argues that this is a necessary but not sufficient condition for their success. Argues that the key to their successful utilisation is the establishment of effective foundations. Identifies these as a strategy for curriculum support; a commitment to the integration of skills and knowledge; a negotiated approach to the specification of learning outcomes; a recognition of the importance of process issues; the development of a framework for applying learning; and an emphasis on the concept of reflective practice.

Management competence development for professional service SMEs: the case of community pharmacy

Over the last two decades there has been a substantial increase in the number and range of service sector SMEs. The management competence of the owner‐manager and/or senior staff is crucial to their success. Developing appropriate competencies presents a particular challenge for professional service SMEs, since the key players are more likely to be motivated by the perceived attractions of professional practice than the commercial and managerial aspects of the enterprise. Drawing upon the experiences of community pharmacists in the UK as an empirical frame of reference, consideration is given to the key management competencies, both operational and strategic, which are required to operate a professional service enterprise successfully. Issues concerning the provision of management training for community pharmacists are also highlighted.

Developing cross‐cultural capability in undergraduate business education: implications for the student experience

Draws on relevant academic literature to explore the nature of cross‐cultural capability and goes on to consider its implications for the student experience in British undergraduate business education. Some of the key issues concerning the design of mechanisms and strategies for integrating cross‐cultural capability within the curriculum are highlighted and discussed with a view to informing what needs to be done to prepare undergraduates for the international business world of tomorrow

Languages in undergraduate business education: A clash of learning styles?

ABSTRACT Undergraduate degree programmes combining language learning with business studies are becoming increasingly popular. While such a development is both understandable and laudable, it gives rise to a number of pedagogic challenges, not least with respect to flexibility of learning style. To succeed, students have to become adept at adjusting their style in line with the requirements of each component of the programme. At the extremes, for language learning high priority needs to be given to, in the terminology of Kolbs learning style inventory, active experimentation and concrete experience, while for traditional disciplines, abstract conceptualisation and reflective observation are of particular importance. Programme designers and deliverers can exploit the need for flexibility to ensure that language learning becomes a fully integrated component of the programme with respect not only to vocabulary and subject matter but also to the learning process as a whole.

East Meets West: Using Multi-Cultural Groupwork to Develop the Cross-Cultural Capability of Tomorrow's International Managers.

Abstract The increasing globalization of business means that those responsible for educating tomorrows managers must give priority to the development of “cross-cultural capability,” comprising an awareness of, and sensitivity towards, cultural differences; cross-cultural business skills; and international management competence. Using multi-cultural groupwork for this purpose on the MSc in International Business course at Sheffield Hallam University, UK, indicates that it can result in enhanced capability, but may also lead to the reinforcing of cultural stereotypes. Successful implementation depends upon tutors confronting the challenges involved. These relate to the discourse of groupwork; group formation; consciousness raising; the handling of cross-cultural disagreements; and the fostering of reflective practice.

Tutors as professional role models, with particular reference to undergraduate business education

As part of the ongoing debate concerning the changing nature of the role of tutors in UK higher education, consideration needs to be given to their professionalism in the broadest sense of the term. In popular vocational areas, such as undergraduate business education, it is important for tutors to reflect on the extent to which and manner in which they might serve as professional role models for students. Particular attention needs to be given to technical competence with respect to not only subject specialism but also pedagogic acumen and course management skills; standards; an ethical imperative; the exercise of autonomy; and reflective practice. Factors which inhibit tutors from acting as role models, such as academic traditions and countervailing pressures, and the implications for students also need to be taken into account.

Changes in the Ownership of Community Pharmacies: Policy Implications

Based on an ‘independent contractor’ model, most community pharmacies have traditionally been owned by self-employed pharmacists running them as small businesses. With the rapid erosion of this pattern of ownership, issues arise for public, professional and commercial policy makers. For health policy purposes, particular consideration needs to be given to options for fully utilizing the expertise of community pharmacists; securing equal access to services; and ensuring rationality and transparency in making decisions about the location of pharmacies.

Student Participation in Educational Research: experimenting with a focus group

Abstract Although much has been written about the contribution of focus groups to educational research in North America, this is not the case elsewhere. In this article the experience of using a focus group to facilitate the participation of first‐year undergraduates in an educational research project carried out within the School of Business and Management at Sheffield Hallam University is evaluated with a view to identifying the issues and highlighting the prerequisites for the successful adoption of this approach to quantitative research. Specifically, consideration is given to the recruitment, commitment, roles, contribution and briefing of focus group members; the provision of incentives to secure the services of a sufficient number of volunteers; the timing and conduct of meetings; and the role of facilitator.