William A. Drago

The Interdependence of the Factors Influencing the Perceived Quality of the Online Learning Experience: A Causal Model:

A structural model of the drivers of online education is proposed and tested. The findings help to identify the interrelated nature of the lectures delivered via technology outside of the traditional classroom, the importance of mentoring, the need to develop course structure, the changing roles for instructors and students, and the importance of designing and delivering course content on the enhancement of the online learning experience. The results support an integrated, building-block approach for developing successful online programs and courses.

Virtual Communities and the Assessment of Online Marketing Education

Online education has created a “virtual community” learning environment. Effective assessment of this new learning environment is paramount to providing quality education and may provide insights to effective management of virtual communities in the business world. A model of online education effectiveness is proposed and then empirically investigated. Dimensions included in this model are student-to-student interactions, student-to-instructor interactions, instructor support and mentoring, information delivery technology, course content, and course structure. Measures of these dimensions were then analyzed and found to be significant predictors of the variance in students’ evaluations of the global effectiveness of the online educational experience.

Vark preferred learning styles and online education

It has become evident that students have diverse preferred learning styles and effective instructors must design and deliver courses to meet the needs of those students. This study investigates the four physiological learning styles of visual, aural, read‐write and kinesthetic as they apply to online education. Findings suggest that online students are more likely to have stronger visual and read‐write learning styles. Further, read‐write learners and students that were strong across all four learning styles were likely to evaluate course effectiveness lower than other students while aural/readwrite learners and students that were not strong on any learning style were more likely to evaluate course effectiveness higher than other students.

Reflecting on reflection: scale extension and a comparison of undergraduate business students in the United States and the United Kingdom

In the Peltier, Hay, and Drago (2005) article titled “The Reflective Learning Continuum: Reflecting on Reflection,” a reflective learning continuum was conceptualized and tested. This is a follow-up article based on three extensions: (1) determining whether the continuum could be expanded, (2) further validating the continuum using additional schools, and (3) determining whether the continuum could also be applied to undergraduate business education. The findings from a study of U.S. and U.K. students show that the revised scale is valid and reliable and that U.S. students in the sample universities rated their educational experience higher and were more likely to use reflective thinking practices.

Course content or the instructor: which is more important in on‐line teaching?

Explores the impact and relative importance of course content and the role of the instructor on measures of effectiveness for online courses. Uses items from a standard questionnaire to form measures of the quality of course content, the instructor’s role in facilitating the course and a number of global effectiveness measures. Suggests that the results vary depending on the global effectiveness measure being assessed, and identifies the questions which are of greatest importance.

The effects of class size on effectiveness of online courses

This study sought to determine the effect of class size on the evaluation of teaching effectiveness for on‐line courses using a standard student evaluation survey instrument. The data set consists of all MBA courses taught online during an academic year at a large, regional Midwestern university in the U.S. Several simple regression analyses are performed with class size as the independent variable. Dependent variables analysed were global course effectiveness and summated indices representing “building blocks” of online effectiveness. These include course content, instructor support, course structure, student‐to‐student interaction and instructor to‐student interaction. Results indicate no significant relationship between class size and global course effectiveness. In addition, class size showed some significance in predicting instructor support and course structure. Unexpectedly the direction of this association was positive suggesting that larger classes lead to higher levels of instructor support and greater perceived course structure. A comparison to traditional courses is also provided.

Leadership characteristics and strategic planning

Looks at the relationship between strategic planning and leadership characteristics, claiming that, in most research, leadership characteristics are seen as a dependent variable. Carries out a survey of 91 firms (through questionnaires sent to Chief Executive Officers) using a 7‐point Likert scale to measure responses. Performs varimax rotation and regression analysis to analyse the results. Focuses on three specific characteristics ‐ power/control, creativity, and people/dependence ‐ and attempts to establish the impact these characteristics have on plan intensity (the degree to which organization members are guided by an established plan) and the use of direction‐setting tools such as mission/vision, long‐term objectives, short‐term objectives and action planning. Reviews some literature in the separate fields of strategic planning and leadership, drawing together various strands to suggest that leadership characteristics are important predictors of plan intensity within organizations and that they will also be strong predictors on how direction‐setting tools are used within the organizational planning process. Discusses the findings as they link into the three leadership factors mentioned. Mentions, also, the planning index and how it relates to planning intensity. Concludes that leadership characteristics are strong predictors of planning intensity and planning tools. Notes limitations of the study.

When strategic alliances make sense

Suggests that strategic alliances have become a popular competitive weapon, yet knowledge of when effectively to use this interorganizational relationship remains scarce. Examines the use of strategic alliances in the information technology industry. Develops several propositions for the effective use of this competitive weapon, based primarily on the matching of the benefits of strategic alliances to existing and forecast situational characteristics of the information technology industry.

Business process re‐engineering: lessons from the past

Examines problems that have arisen over the past four years in the application of business process re‐engineering (BPR) to “real world” companies. Major problem areas include lack of sufficient preparation, problems associated with implementation, organizational weaknesses, weaknesses inherent in BPR and problems that develop in the aftermath of BPR. Then provides guidelines to minimize the emergence of these problems and improve the potential for success of future re‐engineering efforts.

Predicting organisational objectives: role of stakeholder influence and volatility of environmental sectors

Investigates the link between stakeholder influence and environmental sector volatility on organizational objectives. Uses a questionnaire survey (with findings drawn from 86 firms listed in Industrial Compustat) to determine the three most important long‐term objectives for the organization and the level of influence five different stakeholder groups have on strategic decision making. Reports that three significant associations were revealed between stakeholder influence and profitability. Performs Pearson correlation tests to provide validity and stepwise regression to determine the predictive power of stakeholder and environmental sector volatility on objectives. Finds that customer influence was the only stakeholder group which failed to be significantly linked to any organizational objectives. Concludes that both stakeholder influence and environmental sector volatility are important in determining organizational objectives. Notes limitations of the study due to the small sample size and recommends areas for further research.