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Masters Bring Business Benefits - Proved By Finnish Managers
Abstract
In this empirical research paper, I seek to answer the question: How does working life benefit from UAS master’s theses? My goal is to demonstrate how master’s students of the Degree Programme in International Business Management (IBMA) at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Finland bring business benefits to organizations with their master’s theses as work development projects. For this purpose, I collected and analyzed qualitative data from 91 organizations during the period of 2007-2016. This qualitative, thematic analysis shows that organizations benefit from UAS master’s theses. The benefits proved by Finnish managers are very tangible ones, such as internationalization strategies, digital marketing plans, market research and analysis, training programs, communication plans, and so on. The empirical contribution of this paper is significant to employers of UAS master’s graduates, UAS business educators, and educational policy makers. The findings increase the awareness and competitiveness of UAS master’s graduates in the job market. Furthermore, they show how and why business and academic collaboration is critical.
... I assume that an organization emerges through social interactions of people [34,35,46,47] and that it is a jointly constructed reality (i.e., the human relations paradigm). An organization is a complex, socially constructed system, not a static, solid thing or an objective or pregiven reality. ...
... The societal impacts of universities and HE could be fostered by solving real-life business problems (cf. [34,35,53]) and developing business organizations. 8. ...
... Morley has set up a research agenda for the university of the future and argues that gender, academic values and standards, environmental sustainability, critical knowledge, and opportunity and wealth distribution topics will need to be addressed [75] (pp. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Standaert argues that the network society brings a fundamental paradigm shift in HE [76] by shifting learning from place to space. ...
In our complex and highly connected world, educating for life—that is, educating students with knowledge, skills, and competences infused with practical wisdom (PW) and ethical and moral values—is essential. The paper seeks to answer the question: how could university education facilitate the progress to a wiser and better world? The methodology involves case study research (CSR) based on both secondary and primary data. The missions, visions, and values of fourteen public Finnish universities are analyzed for PW. The findings demonstrate that universities, by becoming more open, unbounded, and enacting organizations, and by enhancing collaboration with businesses, could foster the cultivation of PW in higher education (HE). The novelty of this paper is the creative communication of the case study, where kairos, logos, pathos, and ethos are used to explore a new reality for HE. The article contributes to the contemporary discourses in the literature on the future of HE. Educators in HE need to transform from knowledge workers to wise leaders, wisdom workers, creators, empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. The context of the case study research makes it difficult to generalize. Therefore, international, comparative research is used to complement the findings. The eight-stage change process applied to universities and HE could help in solving the urgent problems of society and facilitating progress to a wiser and better world.
... On the other hand, Jakubik [21,22,23] argues that master graduates from the UAS develop more practical skills wanted in business, gain more practical knowledge, and acquire more practical business competences than master graduates from USC because of the strong collaboration of UAS with the business community during the master's thesis process. Her research is based on feedback from 91 organizations in Finland during the period of 2007-2016 on UAS master students' skills, knowledge, and competence development during their thesis writing process as work development project. ...
... Internationalization of the Finnish HEIs is another challenge for HE policy makers and leaders. Furthermore, they need to foster stronger connections with businesses to make possible WBL, PBL, identifying and solving real, complex and wicked business problems, and this way developing creativity of their students [19][20][21][22][23]. Suggestions for HEIs to develop required skills demanded by the industry include: creating clear learning objectives; developing curricula and instructional strategies; delivering instructions; embedding ongoing assessment; providing appropriate interventions; and tracking outcomes and learning [26, p. 8]. ...
In the creative or mind economy, there is an increased demand for creative, educated human capital (HC) capable of solving challenging, wicked problems of our time. This paper seeks to answer the question how higher education (HE) in Finland can answer the demand of work life for creative minds. The main approach is to explore, on the one hand, the labor market’s demands for knowledge, skills, and competencies of future employees and on the other hand, discuss whether the current Finnish HE institutions (HEIs) are capable of supplying future employees with the required creativity skills. The findings show that while needs for creativity of future employees are continuously increasing at work, in HE there is not enough attention paid on cultivating creativity of the future generation. The paper contributes to the discourses related to the renewal of HEIs and it offers implications for HE policy makers, HEIs’ leaders, managers, educator, and researchers.
... Universities are generally seen as a transitory time from teenage into adulthood and a transitory space from school to employment that unites several functions in the eyes of future professionals and their employers. Higher Education campuses incorporate scientific and research functionality, involving students and postgraduates in university and business research projects (Jakubik, 2018). Universities serve as a place to gain a "sense of expression freedom, academic progress that is intensified by the technology development and by the latest informatics technology being involved into the learning process and its evaluation" to increase the employability and added value of the entry-level talent (Shtaltovna, 2018, p. 102). ...
This chapter focuses on the role of universities in cultivating students' capabilities to sustain their careers in the changing world of work and to flourish in life through their personal becoming. First, the chapter outlines the ecosystems of universities. Next, it presents the challenges and opportunities society and the world of work pose to universities. This chapter introduces a novel framework that shows how the academic and operational competencies lead to the life-world becoming of students and contributes to the existing university ecosystems theory. Based on the explored literature and the authors' long-term experience in higher education, this chapter also outlines the implications for educational researchers, practical implications for educational practitioners, and broader society.
... The case study presented in this paper is a practical example of collaborative learning, where the manager as master's student is the focus, where the student, the university tutor and the tutor from business interact, and where the master's thesis is directed to organisational development in a real, authentic business environment ( Jakubik, 2017). During business and university collaboration, not only does the HC of master's students develop, but businesses also benefit from the master's thesis of UASs ( Jakubik, 2018). There are specific solutions, products, frameworks and guidelines developed for organisations. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a case about the emergence of human capital (HC) during the master thesis as a work-based learning project.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study uses data from 107 master’s students 2007–2011 and feedback from 91 managers as business advisors 2007–2016.
Findings
The findings show direct contributions of higher education (HE) to intellectual capital (IC) in organisations through the enhanced HC of managers.
Originality/value
The case contributes to the emerging new, fifth stage of IC research by demonstrating how HC develops beyond the boundaries of an educational institution; how it influences an organisation’s IC and how 91 business advisors, as external stakeholders, assessed the achievements and value creation of HE.
This chapter considers the opportunities for greater collaboration among the various actors operating within a career ecosystem. The chapter begins by advocating for greater collaboration between university career advisors and graduate recruiters before introducing the State Progress Checklist (SPC), which consists of nine themes grouped into three endeavor elements of potential, agendas, and effects. Next, the chapter presents fifty questions for university career advisors and graduate recruiters to consider. Each actor can initially consider these questions separately before being discussed further in a meeting with both actors present. Additionally, the chapter explores the opportunities for five additional actors to operate collaboratively for the sustainability of the career ecosystem, including (i) students, (ii) lecturers, (iii) alums, (iv) professional bodies, and (v) national governments. Finally, the chapter concludes with four lived experience insights, providing concrete examples illustrating the opportunities for enhanced collaboration among the various actors.
When looking at academia and the job market, a persistent issue continues to cast a shadow over the future of graduates and the workforce alike. The problem at hand is the enduring divide between universities and employers, a chasm that often leaves graduates ill-prepared for the demands of the modern workplace. Academic scholars, career advisors, and graduate recruiters grapple with the challenge of equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed for sustainable career success. This divide not only impedes the career prospects of graduates but also leaves employers struggling to find the talent they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Strategic Opportunities for Bridging the University-Employer Divide offers a solution to a pressing problem. For academic scholars seeking innovative answers to this enduring challenge, this comprehensive guide marries theoretical insights with real-world applications, providing a roadmap to bridge the gap between education and employment.
For career advisors and graduate recruiters, this book offers a treasure trove of actionable strategies to prepare students for the university-to-work transition, attract early career talent, and assess person-organization fit. It does all of this while drawing on the invaluable insights of lived experiences to provide a holistic approach. Strategic Opportunities for Bridging the University-Employer Divide is the compass that will guide academia and recruiters alike toward a future of harmonious collaboration, better employability, and sustainable graduate careers.
This descriptive, single, intrinsic case study seeks to answer the following questions: Why should business practitioners and educators work together in solving business problems? How are the business problems of companies handled in a master’s degree programme in Finland? The case study is based on multiple sources of documents collected and developed during the ten years of the programme. It demonstrates that solving authentic business problems in a learning community of business practitioners, i.e. students, as well as educators, i.e. teachers and thesis advisors, leads to solutions that satisfy practitioners, educators, and the business community. This case is an example of how solving business problems together contributes to the better performance of businesses and a better society in Finland.
Hello everyone. The publishers have given me permission to upload chapter four and the contents pages. Unfortunately, I am unable to share any other chapters for copyright reasons. There is however a large amount of material on my YouTube channel marksaundersonresearchmethods.
Mark
Ylemmät ammattikorkeakoulututkinnot työmarkkinoilla ja korkeakoulujärjestelmässä. (The university of applied sciences master's degree in the labor market and higher education system
- K Ojala
Ojala, K. (2017). Ylemmät ammattikorkeakoulututkinnot työmarkkinoilla ja
korkeakoulujärjestelmässä. (The university of applied sciences master's degree in the
labor market and higher education system). https://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/134665.
https://www.utu.fi/fi/Ajankohtaista/mediatiedotteet/vaitostiedotteet/Sivut/vaitostutkimu
ksen-mukaan-ylemmat-amk-tutkinnot-tarjoavat-osaamista-mutta-eivatkilpailukykya.aspx. Accessed: 24.12.2017.
University of Applied Sciences in a Regional Ecosystem of Innovations
- P Tulkki
Tulkki, P. (2008). University of Applied Sciences in a Regional Ecosystem of Innovations. In
Laine et al. 2008, pp. 119-128.