In-module student engagement with business professionals
In-module student engagement with business professionals
Emily Crosbie (Leeds University Business School)
Project overview
The project will research the impact on students of two specific forms of interaction with business professionals within modules.
The interactions are:
1) a 2hr set of “mini-mentoring” group discussions between business professionals and 1st year UG students
2) a 3hr “business challenge” activity in which PG students are supported by business professionals to solve a business issue.
These are both currently delivered through the Leeds University Business School management department’s Leaders in Residence programme (https://business.leeds.ac.uk/divisions-management/doc/leaders-residence)
It will examine the impact of the interactions on the students – for example, whether they are a catalyst for students to take up other employability opportunities to prepare for their futures.
The research approach
Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected following two Leaders in Residence events in semester 1 2023, through:
- A survey of student attendees
- A focus group with student attendees
- A survey of Leaders in Residence
- A focus group with module leaders
The Leaders in Residence programme was established in the LUBS Management Department around 10 years ago. Since then, informal feedback has been collected from students who have attended “mini-mentoring” and business challenge events. This indicates that the interactions with business professionals give valuable “real-world” insights, develop employability skills, and encourage students to seek out further development opportunities, helping to prepare them for the future beyond their studies.
This project will give us a better understanding of the benefits gained by students from their exchanges with the Leaders in Residence.
It will help us to design the interactions that future cohorts of students have with our volunteer business professionals.
A case study will be developed to share the good practice identified. This will aim to support colleagues more widely to develop or enhance in-module interactions with business professionals.
LUBS management department's twitter - @UoL_Management https://twitter.com/uol_management
If you would like to find out more about the project contact Emily Crosbie (E.Crosbie@leeds.ac.uk)
Each fellowship has a project sponsor that helps the fellows achieve impact across the institution. The sponsor for this fellowship is
Project start date: 1 September 2022