Underwriting a quality undergraduate business education by promoting communities of learning

Abstract

Reduced funding of business education at Australian universities has prompted managers to look to full-fee paying international students to try and offset funding shortfalls in their operating budgets. This paper explores the impact of increasing numbers of Non English Speaking Background (NESB) students on the quality of, and student receptiveness to, group work. We believe group work is important to an undergraduate business teaching pedagogy in preparing graduates for the challenges of modern workplaces. Student responses to a series of qualitative and quantitative focus group activities highlighted the 'big issues' they are trying to deal with when they encounter diversity while working in groups. Insights provided by these activities established the basis on which we have made some suggestions to nurture and advance a community of learning within a tertiary business education setting.