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Preparing international students for management school through pathway programs

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Preparing international students for management school through pathway programs

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Preparing International Students for Management School Through Pathway Programs
by
Shaohui Chen

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

August 2021

© Copyright by Shaohui Chen 2021
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Shaohui Chen certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Briana Hinga
Cathy Krop
Mark Power Robison, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2021

iv
Abstract
International students contribute significantly to enrollment in management schools in the US.
With the numbers of international applicants to traditional Master of Business Administration
(MBA) programs shrinking in the past decade and specialized master program become more
popular among international applicants. Management schools in the US compete to attract
younger candidates from foreign countries. Therefore, pathway programs have grown in demand.
These programs aim to prepare international applicants with the sociocultural norms prevalent in
the context into which they are transitioning. They can be a soft-landing platform that younger
candidates from foreign countries leverage to get ready for management school. It is crucial to
evaluate the efficacy of these pathway programs and understand how such bridge programs can
support the organizational goals of a business school. This study examined a pathway program
which aims to prepare international exchange students for management school. The program is
located at a nationally-ranked and internationally recognized business school on the west coast of
the United States. The participants in the program’s student cohort are all from China. The
stakeholders of focus for this study were recent alumni. Data were collected through interviews.
This study utilized the Clark & Estes (2008) gap analysis framework to examine the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational supports that students need to successfully transition to a
management program.
Keywords: pathway program, management school, international student, transition

v
Acknowledgements
First, I would like to thank Global Ed.D. faculty and staff. I would like to give a special
thanks to the innovator of the Global Executive Ed.D. program at USC, which allows an
educational practitioner like myself to find a way to complete a doctorate level of study while
continuing to make impacts in our community. I would also like to thank my Chair, Dr. Robison
for dedicating his time and expertise to guide me along this journey. In addition, to the guidance
provided by my committee, Dr. Briana Hinga, Dr. Cathy Krop. Your feedback guided my
dissertation to new heights and I am eternally thankful. I want to also all the other professors that
I have the privilege to meet in this program. Thank you program director, Dr. Sabrina Chong,
for every piece of advice along this journey. You propelled us through to the very last moment
and you held my hand when I needed it the most.
I am grateful to School of Business at Lakeshore University for supporting and allowing
me the flexibility to further my education and experience the world. Never have I worked for an
organization so supportive of its employees. More specifically, I want to thank Dr. Yunzeng
Wang, the Dean of School of Business who recognized the values of my dissertation studies and
offered me a lot of support. I would also like to acknowledge Tamra Johnson, Abigail Wheeler,
and Jun Wang, for being pillars of support throughout my journey.
The people that I met through this program will forever be in my thoughts. I want to
thank Cohort 6 for the comradery, friendship, debates, and exciting adventures ahead. The
friendly memories and bonds that I formed with them was one of the most precious gifts I
received in this program. Their experience sharing offered me wisdom that I will benefit from for
the rest of my career. I also look forward to enjoying the opportunity to meet the upcoming class

vi
and I feel grateful that I would also be afforded the opportunity to pass down the generosity that I
have received.
I also want to thank my family who gave me space and time to focus on my academic
work. My children gave me the motivation to dedicate my life after this program to the education
industry. Much gratitude to my parents and my parents in law for always being faithful in me,
your unconditional support has been incredibly affirming. Lastly, to my wife, Meichen Zhou. It
is with deep appreciation that I recognize all the steps you took in these last few years to support
me along this academic journey. Your ability to always look into the future and see an endless
path of possibility inspires me. I love you!

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................x
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1
Background of the Problem .................................................................................................2
Importance of Addressing the Problem ...............................................................................4
Organizational Context and Mission ...................................................................................6
Organizational Goal .............................................................................................................7
Description of Stakeholder Groups ......................................................................................8
Stakeholder’ Performance Goals .........................................................................................9
Stakeholder Group for the Study .......................................................................................10
Purpose of the Project and Questions ................................................................................10
Conceptual and Methodological Framework .....................................................................11
Organization of the Project ................................................................................................11
Definitions..........................................................................................................................12
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .........................................................................................13
International Student Enrollment in United States’ Colleges ............................................13
U.S. Management Schools and Experience in U.S. Management Schools .......................17
International Student Adjustment ......................................................................................29
Pathway Programs and Exchange Programs......................................................................36
MBPP Student Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ...........................43
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................55

viii
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................57
Purpose of the Project ........................................................................................................57
Research Questions ............................................................................................................57
Participating Stakeholders .................................................................................................57
Interview and Focus Group Sampling Strategy .................................................................58
Data Collection and Instrumentation .................................................................................60
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................61
Credibility and Trustworthiness .........................................................................................62
Ethics..................................................................................................................................63
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................64
Chapter Four: Results and Findings ...............................................................................................66
Participating Stakeholders .................................................................................................67
Knowledge Results and Findings.......................................................................................69
Motivation Results and Findings .......................................................................................84
Organization Results and Findings ....................................................................................92
Emergent Theme: Attentiveness to Student's Preparation ...............................................103
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Influences ................................105
Chapter Five: Findings, Recommended Solutions, Implementation Plan, and Evaluation .........106
Discussion of Findings .....................................................................................................107
Recommended Solutions .................................................................................................112
Proposed Recommendations and Implementation Plan ...................................................113
Evaluation Plan ................................................................................................................122
Limitations .......................................................................................................................134
Future Research ...............................................................................................................134

ix
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................135
References ....................................................................................................................................137
Appendix A: Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................156
Appendix B: Informed Consent/Information Sheet .....................................................................160
Appendix C: Recruitment Email ..................................................................................................162

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals 9
Table 2: Assumed Knowledge Influences 47
Table 3: Assumed Motivation Influences 51
Table 4: Assumed Organizational Influences 54
Table 5: Demographic Information of Interview Participants (N = 12) 68
Table 6: Assumed Knowledge Influences and Validation Status 70
Table 7: Assumed Motivation Influences and Validation Status 85
Table 8: Assumed Organizational Influences and Validation Status 93
Table 9: Influences and Validation Status 108
Table 10: Validated influences and recommendations 113
Table 11: Recommendation 1: Provide Clear and Effective Support From Staff Throughout the
Program 115
Table 12: Recommendation 2: Incentivize Active Participation in Preparedness Interventions 118
Table 13: Recommendation 3: Tailor Services and Activities to Students With Different
Backgrounds and Needs 121
Table 14: Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions 125
Table 15: Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions 128
Table 16: Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions 131
Table A1: Interview Protocol 157

xi
List of Figures
Figure 1: The organization vision, mission and goals of the School of Business, Lakeshore
University 8
Figure 2: The Five Senses of Successful Transition (Lizzio 2006, p. 3) 39

1

Chapter One: Introduction
In the United States, international students contribute significantly to enrollment in
management schools, where these students account for more than 50% of all applications
(Graduate Management Admission Council [GMAC], 2019). With the numbers of international
applicants to traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs shrinking in the
past decade and specialized master programs increasing in popularity among international
applicants, management schools in the U.S. compete to attract younger candidates from foreign
countries by offering high-value degrees in a shorter time period (Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business [AACSB], 2018). International applicants with little to no work
experience often lack fundamental skills, such as leadership, teamwork, communication,
problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, which are necessary for a successful progression
through management school and essential for satisfactory job placement (GMAC, 2019b).
Therefore, pathway programs have grown in demand. These programs aim to facilitate
international students' proficiency in English while enhancing the academic literacy, critical
thinking, research, and study skills they need to function effectively in higher education.
These programs also familiarize students with the sociocultural norms of the context into
which they are transitioning. They can be a soft-landing platform that younger candidates from
foreign countries can leverage to prepare for management school. Such programs create a
qualified international student pipeline and generate steady revenue for U.S. management
schools. According to Neghina (2016), the university pathway program sector had a $1.4 billion
gross revenue in 2016 worldwide. Given the potential for pathway programs to benefit all
stakeholders, it is crucial to evaluate the efficacy of such programs and understand that the
program goals can align with the organizational goals of a business school. This study examined
2

a pathway program that aims to prepare international exchange students for management school.
The program studied, referred to as Master of Business Preparation Program (MBPP), is located
at a nationally-ranked and internationally recognized business school on the west coast of the
United States. MBPP participants are all from China. This study focuses on the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational support that students need to successfully transition to a
management program. The author provides recommended organizational enhancements in the
areas of knowledge, motivation, and support for the program.
Background of the Problem
International students are important to the research and entrepreneurial leadership of the
United States. By the 2018–2019 academic year, international student enrollment in U.S. higher
education institutions had reached one million students from over 200 countries. The U.S. also
ranks as the top destination country among business school candidates, with 52.6% of global
business school candidates choosing to study in the U.S. (GMAC, 2019e). Meanwhile, the
management school’s global candidate pipeline is shifting east to the Asian-Pacific regions. The
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) exams taken by U.S. candidates dropped from
48% in 2010 to 28% in 2019. The percentage of GMAT exams taken by East and Southeast Asia
candidates increased from 19% in 2011 to 38% in 2019. Exams taken in other regions increased
from 18% in 2011 to 33% in 2019.
The response by U.S. management schools to this market trend has been to develop more
specialized master’s programs to attract international applicants (GMAC, 2020), leading to a
surge in interest in emerging program types. Master of Data Analytics programs has seen the
most growth, with a net increase of 121 programs over the last 5 years. This is followed by a
Master in Management and a Master in Marketing. (GMAC, 2020). While the MBA remains the
3

most highly sought graduate management degree, nearly half of business school applicants
consider pursuing a business master’s program besides an MBA (GMAC, 2019c). Changes in the
applicant pool also increasingly skew toward younger, less experienced candidates. GMAT
Examinees under age 25 now account for half of the exam takers worldwide (GMAC, 2019a).
Another reason that specialized master’s programs have high demands among
international students is that graduate management education (GME) industry has moved to
make specialized master's degree programs STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) – certified. For international students in the United States, Optional Practical
Training (OPT) is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 visas may
work for 1 year on a student visa after completing their education. F-1 students who receive
STEM-designated degrees and who meet other specified requirements may apply for a 24-month
extension of their OPT, giving STEM graduates a total of 36-month of OPT. This allows
students attending STEM-designated master’s programs the ability to stay and work in the U.S.
for up to 3 years after graduation without an H1-B working visa. Employers interested in STEM
graduates are also growing (Campbell, 2018), resulting in a rise in STEM-designated master’s
degrees. Specialized master’s programs and STEM-designated master’s programs often admit
students with less work experience than flagship MBA programs and sometimes attract recent
college graduates from international spaces.
Employers seek professionals with soft skills like working with a variety of people,
thinking critically, and managing a demanding workload (GMAC, 2019b). Management school
preparation programs for international students have gained popularity for students who seek
training on the soft skills and cultural and educational immersion required to succeed in the U.S.
academic environment. Research suggests that university pathway programs foster the
4

development of international and non-traditional students’ academic literacies and study skills as
well as their awareness of sociocultural norms prevalent in the higher education setting (Percival
et al. 2016). These pathway programs all aim to facilitate students’ development of various skills
while addressing student retention and success rates (Goldingay et al., 2016). Existing literature
discusses international students’ challenges during a transition in the U.S. with academic
language (e.g., Andrade, 2006; Araujo, 2011; Wang et al. 2018), academic stress (Poyrazli&
Kavanaugh, 2006), social adjustment (Martirosyan, Bustamante & Saxon 2019; Glass 2012) and
accessing support (Martirosyan, Bustamante & Saxon 2019; Gebhard, 2012).
Given the vast differences in academic pedagogy between Western and Chinese
educational systems, Chinese students in the U.S. face a variety of difficulties transitioning to
graduate programs in the U.S. (Ross & Chen, 2015). Numerous studies have sought to address
these challenges faced by Chinese students and target a variety of areas specific to their
transition, including sociocultural adjustment (Wilson et al., 2020), communication skills (Liu,
2016), active participation (Lu & Han, 2010), and social interaction with non-Chinese peers
(Heng, 2020; Spencer-Oatey, 2017).
Importance of Addressing the Problem
With the growth of Master of Business preparation programs for international students, it
is important to examine how these programs are operated and sustained to develop young
international students’ soft skills in communications, creativity, and leadership. These skills are
essential for obtaining a management degree. The development of sustainable preparation
programs is essential because these programs benefit business schools by providing stable,
qualified applicant pipelines. Further, through such programs, international students transition to
5

desirable master’s programs to better understand the management school academic environment
and a more marketable profile.
Enhancing candidates’ profiles for management programs, such as employability,
communication proficiency, and polished academic readiness, is also an important task. A
specialty master program is often short in duration (9 to 18 months long) with heavy coursework,
which makes it difficult to focus on career development and leadership training at the same time.
Thus, placement rates at graduation and average starting salary are significant factors in
evaluating the success of academic programs and their students. Employment results account for
50% of the U.S. News & World Reports’ ranking of business schools in the nation (U.S. News
Ranking Methodology). Securing work opportunities in the U.S. are also a priority for many
overseas students at U.S. business schools (McFadden & Seedorff, 2017).
This study focuses on the business school at Lakeshore University (a pseudonym for a
major public research university in the Western region of the United States). The specific focus
is a pathway program within the business school that helps international students from China
transition to the United States to secure admission to a leading business school for a master-level
degree program. The School of Business at Lakeshore University faces that its faculty and staff
do not have a clear understanding of student success beyond the revenue generated by the
program. No formal evaluation of this program has yet occurred, and the school needs an
evidence-based means of determining the program's success from a student perspective. It is a
problem because unless the school measures and articulates the efficacy of the pathway program.
It is unlikely that such a program can truly prepare students to transition into a top-ranked
management school. Solving this performance problem would enable the school to calibrate
motivations to expand and upgrade this pathway program in quality and quantity.
6

Organizational Context and Mission
The School of Business at Lakeshore University is a nationally-ranked and
internationally recognized business school on the west coast of the United States. It is the alma
mater of over 16,000 alumni and has provided students with a research-based professional
education in the field of business for nearly 40 years. Positioned as a center of excellence in
research and teaching, the school is ranked alongside national leaders in diversity, international
reach, and opportunities for minority students. The AACSB accredits the School of Business at
Lakeshore University and consistently ranks in the top 100 best business programs for both
graduate and undergraduate degrees. The school of business has the vision to be “an
internationally recognized leader in business education and research.” It is on a mission to
“unlock potential through exceptional educational experiences and foster success in an
innovative and collaborative environment” (School’s 2017–2022 Strategic Plan, p. 2). The
school offers undergraduate business programs and graduate management programs comprised
of a full-time and part-time MBA (STEM-certified), a Master of Professional Accountancy
(STEM-certified), a Master of Finance (STEM-certified), a Master of Science in Business
Analytics (STEM-certified) in addition to Ph.D. programs. In 2012, the School of Business at
Lakeshore University launched a 1-year MBPP to prepare international students from China to
enter top management schools in the U.S. and worldwide.
During their year at Lakeshore University, MBPP students take upper-division
undergraduate courses at the school of business and are encouraged to complete the GMAT or
GRE with preparation program. The graduate admissions staff at Lakeshore University School of
Business guide students through the application. Each year, the school recruits about 60 students
from approximately 25 university partners from China. Each year, nearly 40% of cohort
7

members apply and enroll in graduate studies at the school of business, providing a stable
pipeline of international applicants. After launching in 2012, the program became a steady
revenue source for the school of business. Therefore, increasing enrollment became the main
focus. The 2019–2022 academic year was the MBPP ’s eighth intake. The global pandemic has
significantly impacted recruitment for the following 2 years and gave pause to a critical review
of the program. Despite the research done, the market is changing, and if the school wants to
keep up the program, it will have to be seriously evaluated and enhanced. If done right, the
program may emerge from the pandemic as an internationally recognized leader in this.
Organizational Goal
The goal of the School of Business, Lakeshore University, is that the MBPP will establish
a pipeline to its graduate programs and provide a cultural experience to make it easier for the
graduates of MBPP to succeed. The school’s leadership and program directors established this
goal in January 2020 after an initial meeting outlined several key program areas that needed
improvement. The achievement of this goal will be measured by the results of the MBPP based
on a survey of students in June 2022 and internal data on acceptance rates. Suppose the
organization is not meeting the goal. In that case, it will impede the school’s ability to further
foster relationships with its international partners to attract high-quality candidates to the MBPP.
Evaluating the organization’s performance will enable stakeholders to gather formative data that
can be used to assess the organization’s programming decisions that increase student
development.

8

Figure 1
The organization vision, mission and goals of the School of Business, Lakeshore University

Description of Stakeholder Groups
Many stakeholder groups contribute to the MBPP’s performance success. These include
current students and recent alumni, student advising and support officers, and recruitment and
admission officers. The first stakeholder group is the recent alumni who graduated before June
2020. This group can provide valuable feedback about the current operation of the MBPP and
what contributes to or hinders their completion of the program and success in their first term in a
U.S. graduate business program, particularly in terms of participation factors like communication
skills, active participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. The second stakeholder
group consists of the student advising and support officers who provide sure that academic
advising and make available student services to the cohort. The third stakeholder group is made
9

up of the MBPP’s recruitment and admission officers. This group markets the program to
international university partners. It ensures that the quality of each cohort matches the admission
criteria and that candidates understand the organizational goal of running the program.
Stakeholder’ Performance Goals
The table below provides each stakeholder group’s performance goals, leading to
accomplishing the organizational performance goal.

Table 1
Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
Unlock potential through exceptional educational experiences, and foster success in an
innovative and collaborative environment
Organizational Goal
MBPP will establish a pipeline to its graduate programs and provide a cultural experience to
make it easier for the graduates of MBPP to succeed.
Stakeholder Group 1
Current students/Recent alumni

By January 2023, currently enrolled
MBPP students will succeed in their
first term in U.S. grad business
program, particularly in terms of
sociocultural adjustment factors
such as communication skills,
active participation, and social
interaction with non-Chinese peers.
Stakeholder Group 2
Student advising/Support
officer

By September 2022,
student advising/support
officers will reinforce a
clear plan to monitor
each student’s progress
against key milestones.
Stakeholder Group 3
Recruitment/Admission
officers

By September 2022,
newly incoming
MBPP students and
international
university partners
will understand the
organizational goal
of MBPP.

10

Stakeholder Group for the Study
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders will contribute to the achievement of the overall
organizational goal of the MBPP at the School of Business, Lakeshore University, it is important
to evaluate the progress of recent alumni who graduated before June 2020 in terms of their
performance goal. Therefore, the stakeholders of focus for this study are recent alumni. The
stakeholders’ goal, supported by the dean of the school of business, is that all MBPP students
will, by January 2023, succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program,
particularly in terms of sociocultural adjustment factors like as communication skills, active
participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. Failure to establish an evaluation of
the program’s performance has risks in several areas: (a) confusion among school management
and staff regarding the program’s actual purpose and effectiveness, (b) inability to communicate
regarding performance data with university partners in the students’ home countries, (c) inability
to articulate the program’s performance to attract high-quality candidates, and (d) failure to adapt
to swift changes as needed to ensure the program’s sustainability.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the degree to which the MBPP at the Lakeshore
University School of Business is preparing its students for graduate programs and to provide a
cultural experience to make it easier for the graduates of MBPP to succeed. The analysis focuses
on knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving this organizational
goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all School of Business, Lakeshore
University stakeholders, for practical purposes, the stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis
are recent alumni. The heart of the study is to determine the extent to which these alumni
succeed in their master’s programs, particularly in the key sociocultural adjustment factors of
11

communication skills, active participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. As
such, the following questions guide this study:
1. To what extent is the School of Business at Lakeshore University meeting its goal for
all MBPP graduates to succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business
program?
2. What knowledge, motivation, and organizational supports do MBPP students need to
successfully transition to a master’s program?
3. What are the recommended organizational enhancements in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and support for the MBPP?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis is a systematic, analytical method that helps to
clarify organizational goals and identify the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences on performance. This tool is adapted to an evaluation model and implemented as the
conceptual framework. The methodological framework is a qualitative case study using
descriptive statistics. Assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on the
performance of recent alumni that affect the School of Business, Lakeshore University’s
organizational goal achievement is generated based on personal knowledge and related literature.
These influences are assessed by using interviews, literature review, and content analysis.
Research-based solutions are recommended and evaluated comprehensively.
Organization of the Project
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about the operation of the MBPP.
The organization’s mission, goals, and stakeholders, and the framework for the project were
12

introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of the current literature surrounding the scope of the
study. Topics of management programs, international students’ success in U.S. business schools,
and addresses the necessary preparation of international students. Chapter Three details the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences to be examined as well as the research
methodology including participant selection, data collection, and analysis. In Chapter Four, the
data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter Five provides solutions, based on data and
literature, for closing the perceived gaps as well as recommendations for an implementation and
evaluation plan for the solutions.
Definitions
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT): A computer adaptive test intended to
assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for
use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA program.
STEM: A curriculum based on educating students in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics through an interdisciplinary and applied approach.
Optional Practical Training (OPT): a period during which international undergraduate
and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed or have been pursuing their degrees
for one academic year are permitted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
to work for 1 year on a student visa towards getting practical training to complement their
education.

13

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
In this chapter, international student enrollment in United States colleges and graduate
management schools is explored. The importance of international student preparation for U.S.
management schools is examined, as their sociocultural adjustment in U.S. academic
environments. Influences shaping U.S. management schools and programs are also examined.
Thereafter, international student recruitment and trends in U.S. management schools are
presented. The chapter concludes with a review of these elements within a framework that
considers the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational support required for
adjustment: English competency, active participation in the classroom, and social interaction
with non-Chinese peers.
International Student Enrollment in United States’ Colleges
This literature review provides an overview of international students in the context of
U.S. higher education.
International Student Mobility Trends in the United States
International students are important to the research and entrepreneurial leadership in the
United States, supporting more than 458,000 U.S. jobs in the 2018/19 academic year and adding
more than $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018 (Institute of International Education (IIE)
2019; NAFSA, 2019; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2019). By the 2018–2019 academic
year, international student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions had increased 145%
from 10 years prior (IIE 2019), with the United States hosting just over a million students from
over 200 countries. Despite international student enrollment growth beginning to exhibit signs of
leveling since 2017, U.S. higher education institutions remain committed to recruiting and
welcoming international students from around the world. Institutions continue to encourage
14

international students to study in the United States through recruitment and outreach efforts that
address prospective student apprehensions, including visa difficulties, the global competition for
talent, the U.S. social and political climate, and the costs of U.S. higher education for the
faltering situation of international student mobility in the U.S (IIE 2019 survey), and ensure that
students are supported to succeed. Faced with an increasingly competitive global higher
education environment vying to attract the brightest students from around the world, institutions
across the United States continue to explore and expand ways to build recruitment pipelines and
work to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for international students(Fall 2019
snapshot survey IIE).
Enrollment Trends
In 1948, the first year that international student enrollment was tracked, 25,464
international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities, which accounted for 1.1% of the
total enrollment at higher education institutions in the United States. By 2019, that number had
grown to 1,095,299 students and represented 5.5% of the total student body enrolled in higher
education within the U.S. (IIE 2019). New international student enrollment in 2018/19 —
students enrolling for the first time at a U.S. institution in fall 2018 — decreased by 0.9%. In
2017/18, new international student enrollment fell by seven percent. Fifty-two percent of
international students come from China and India currently. The growth rate in students from
China slowed to 1.7% in 2018 from a high of 29.9% in 2009. The growth rate in students from
India slowed to 2.9% in 2018 from a high of 29.4% in 2014 (IIE 2020). Possible explanations
include changes on the demand side, particularly the quantitative and qualitative growth of
domestic higher education in countries such as China and India. Also, recent changes in the
political climate in the U.S. may have a deterring effect. International students are confronted
15

with a less welcoming environment and generally hostile attitudes toward immigration (Damme
2018).
The university selection among international students is currently concentrated by
geographic location. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) reports that almost
20% of all degree-seeking international students are clustered within a group of 20 universities
(SEVIS by the Numbers report 2018). California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and Florida
host the most significant number of international students and together welcomed 49.2%
(763,582) of all nonimmigrant students. In 2018, there were 8,744 SEVP-certified K-12 and
Universities in the United States, while only 38 SEVP-certified universities hosted more than
5,000 international students.
Economic Contributions and Impact
The United States and individual institutions have benefitted from international student
enrollment (Martirosyan, Bustamante & Saxon 2019). The continued growth in international
students coming to the U.S. for higher education had a significant positive economic impact on
the United States. International students contributed $45 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018
(U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2019). International student enrollments supported 458,290
jobs in the U.S. economy during the 2018–2019 academic year. For every seven international
students, three U.S. jobs are created and supported by spending occurring in the higher
education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications, and health
insurance sectors (NAFSA 2019). Open Doors (IIE 2019) reported that about 62% of all
international students receive the majority of their funds from sources outside of the United
States, including personal and family sources, as well as assistance from their home country
governments or universities. Students from around the world who study in the United States also
16

contribute to America's scientific and technical research, bring international perspectives into
U.S. classrooms, helping prepare American undergraduates for global careers, and often lead to
longer-term business relationships and economic benefits (Open Doors 2019).
International Student Tuition Revenue and Quality Control
Altbach and Knight (2007) defined internationalization as a chosen institutional response
to globalization. They point out that efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensure quality
are integral to the international higher education environment. Many argue that current
internationalization policies and practices in higher education have developed without much
concern for quality assurance so that an integration of internationalization policies and general
quality assurance practices at institutional and policy levels must be implemented (Damme,
2001). Mamiseishvili (2012) signals the importance of encouraging collaboration between
international student services offices and other academic departments or support services on
campus. The retention of international students should not be viewed as the responsibility of only
international student advisors. Instead, it should become a joint responsibility of faculty,
academic advisors, English language program staff, and student affairs professionals on campus.
Meanwhile, this economic impact is of direct importance to individual institutions, as
evidenced in discourses about international students as economic units, and produces a ready
revenue source for U.S. higher education. Choudaha (2017) and Cantwell (2015) have argued
that higher education institutions recruit international students as a source of cash flow. This
profit potential is a key reason that institutions recruit international students. Institutions must
innovate to balance recruitment with reinvestment in student experiences and outcomes
(Choudaha, R. 2017, Stein, S., & Andreotti, 2016). U.S. Management Schools also heavily rely
on the income from international students to sustain their operations.
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U.S. Management Schools and Experience in U.S. Management Schools
Current Status of U.S. Management Schools
Management education or business schools are public or private institutions that provide
education and training services in the field of management and business at the tertiary level. The
United States does not regulate the degrees awarded by its universities at the federal level. As a
result, the AACSB was created in 1916 to offer quality improvement audit schemes and the
attached certification that is now known as accreditation, accrediting the institutions that are
primarily devoted to management education. This helped the U.S. market of management
education to mature. The dominance of AACSB International in the USA market for higher
education in business is such that nearly all widely recognized business schools are either
members or accredited members of AACSB. AACSB reports having 696 member schools in the
USA as of the 2018–2019 reporting year (AACSB 2019).
Management schools, defined as educational institutions specializing in teaching courses
and programs related to business and management, face major challenges. Management schools
have been, and most likely will remain, one of the major success stories in higher education over
the past decades (Augier & March, 2012). They have continued to experience global expansion
and success, and the growth of business schools is gaining continuous support and resources.
Demand for qualified graduates will only continue to increase, driven by an overall expansion of
the world economy into emerging markets. The trends toward internationalization and
digitalization have pushed business schools to expand their markets, thereby heightening
competition significantly. These challenges stem from a number of significant shifts in the
business education landscape, including the rising importance of rankings and accreditations, the
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increased weight placed on internationalization, the ongoing debate on rigor vs. relevance in
research, the digital revolution, and the significant decrease in public funding (Kaplan, 2018).
Academic quality rankings of American colleges and universities are becoming
increasingly visible. In the highly competitive environment of American higher education, a high
rank is also considered a strategic imperative (Guillotin & Mangematin, 2018) and is worth more
than money. The use of the rankings for marketing higher education institutions is also a tool to
aid enrollment. At the same time, the emergence of accreditation bodies and rankings–—which
rely on standardized evaluation criteria–—has resulted in many schools adopting an
undifferentiated and short-term, me-too approach (Dameron & Durand, 2013). Business schools
often feel the pressure to engage in many strategic tactics that will help elevate their current
ranking. In order to obtain one or several of the main international accreditations (think of the
Triple Crown accreditation of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business [AACSB],
European Quality Improvement System [EQUIS], and Association of MBAs [AMBA]), business
schools have to prove their performance on a series of key performance ratios (Zhao & Ferran,
2016). Instead of focusing on education for the sake of education, management schools now, in
their drive to receive the elusive “top-something” label, began to worry about student yield, job
placement rates, the percentage of a class that donated to the school, research output, and overall
reputation, all variables used by the various media rankings as proxies for quality (Arbesman-
Gold et al., 2016).
These schemes, especially the rankings, also contribute to creating problems and some
tensions within the business model of business schools. Most business schools run their business
model to grow revenues to better their reputation to grow their revenues and so on. Hence, the
heart of the business model is two-fold: funding and reputation. The financial consequences of
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this race for ranking are significant: Costs keep going up, and it is difficult to raise revenues at
the same pace. Leading business schools open up to the outside by attracting students from
abroad, hiring international faculty in the international market for management professors,
partnering with business schools from other countries, opening campuses in targeted cities
abroad, and so forth (Durand & Dameron 2017). Durand & Dameron pointed out that the
common mode of attracting international students is direct recruitment or partnerships. The
“exchange program” is based on an agreement between two or more business schools to
mutually open their doors to visiting students for an exchange of one or two semesters, with
course validation, and may even go further to offer a double degree.
Business schools worldwide have adapted their strategies for introducing the theoretical
and pedagogical consequences of globalization. The issues of multiculturalism and diversity are
increasingly included in the internationalization dialogue (Mitchell & Vandegrift, 2014). Cross-
cultural competence in international business has been defined as an “individual’s effectiveness
in drawing upon a set of knowledge, skills, and personal attributes in order to work successfully
with people from different national cultural backgrounds at home or abroad” (Johnson,
Lenartowicz, & Apud, 2006, p. 530). The growing diversity of the world beyond the classroom,
and the experiences of students of color within the academy, demand close attention to Cross-
cultural competence.
The expanding importance, prevalence, and dominance of AACSB accreditation have
increased research expectations and requirements even at teaching schools. Many faculty
members expect scholarly contributions at accredited schools. This has also contributed to the
expansion of clinical faculty and similar positions at research institutions. They seek to stretch
declining resources to meet demands for teaching and business community engagement while
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meeting research expectations for accreditation (Duhaime &Widman 2017). The shift toward
more scientifically robust research has resulted in business school faculty focusing on questions
that might not be entirely relevant in preparing their graduates for the job market (Clinebell &
Clinebell 2008).
While transnational offerings aim to find new revenue sources, answering student
demand for track internationalization, distance and blended learning is another path to
developing and disseminating management education services. The digital revolution–—with the
emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs),
and Artificial Intelligence (AI)–—is starting to call into question the very idea of knowledge
transmission (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2016). The top-down delivery of contents through formal
classes are being challenged; distance tutoring requires new forms of skill for
teaching/stewarding; group work and discussions still need to be facilitated as before, often with
more input and reviewing of content to fill the gaps in what students have retained from video
viewing and reading on their own. Kaplan & Haenlein (2016) states that digitalization in
management education increases the capital requirements and the costs for business schools that
are already under severe financial stress. It also blurs boundaries and geographies, making it
possible for competitors to enter into distant markets that were once seen as protected local
backyards.
Management schools are facing pressures from fierce competition in the industry. As the
management schools compete for high-level talent to sustain enrollment, the ranking system
plays an important role, which drives business school strategic planning and critical decision
making. The resulting financial pressure has forced many institutions to accept larger numbers of
students. The globalization movement is also forcing U.S. management schools to adapt to
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modern curriculum design. Thus, the international student population has become an important
revenue source for many management schools.
International Student Demographics in U.S. Management Schools
As evidenced through admissions and enrollment trends, the demand for business
education remains high for many degree programs. The demand by students for business
education and the desire by business schools for increased enrollment to increase revenue and
reputation has created a competitive environment for business schools. Professional graduate
programs’ enrollment tends to be counter-cyclical with the business cycle (Bedard & Herman,
2008), therefore amidst a strong economy and reduced international demand, most U.S.
management programs report declines in total applications. Boosting programs in the Asia
Pacific, Europe, and Canada are hurting U.S. programs with shifts in student mobility. For the
fourth consecutive year since 2015, more U.S. full-time 2-year MBA programs report application
declines than growth (GMAC 2019a). While the MBA remains the number one graduate
management degree sought by prospective students, nearly half of business school applicants
consider a business master’s program instead of an MBA.
Between 2010 and 2016, there was a slow erosion of the U.S. market share of non-U.S.
citizen candidates, with U.S. programs’ market share declining just slightly from 62.7% to 60.6%
over 6 years due to the global profile of programs outside the U.S. was on the rise. An
acceleration of the market share decline beginning after TY 2016, between TY 2016 and TY
2019, U.S. market share dropped 12.6 percentage points to 48.0%, marking the first year in
which less than half of non-U.S. citizens score reports were sent to the United States. The main
reasons are global competition and tightened immigration policy adopted by the U.S.
government (GMAC, 2020).
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The global market competition has become focusing on international candidates. With the
global candidate pipeline of management schools shifting to the Asia Pacific Region, U.S.
management schools have responded to this market trend with more specialized master’s
programs to attract international applicants. The growth in specialized master’s enrollment stands
in stark contrast to the enrollment in what many consider to be the flagship program of business
schools, the MBA program. MBA programs continue to enroll more students than specialized
master’s programs, but MBA programs overall have been experiencing slowing enrollment
growth (AACSB DataDirect 2019).
STEM-designated master degree offerings allow international students to work on a
student visa for a 24-month STEM extension to their 12-month OPT period. Management
schools vie with one another to come up with new STEM certificated MBA or specialty master
programs, which are rare to see before 2015. With STEM master programs on the rise among
management schools, 38% of international candidates chose to only apply for the business
master degree program, which emerging program types—masters in data analytics, management,
and marketing—have seen a surge of interest among students. The specialized master’s program
and STEM-designated master’s program often require shorter work experience to enroll than
flagship MBA programs and sometimes attract recent college graduates from international
spaces. GMAT Examinees under 25 years old now account for half of the global exams taken
(GMAC 2019c).
International Student Recruitment and Trends in U.S. Management Schools
International students are quickly becoming the revenue source for the management
school. Schools are using a different mechanism to sustain the international application pool. In
terms of attracting and retaining international students, the notion of international patronage has
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become increasingly significant. In his research, Omoruyi T. (2016) points out that relationship
marketing initiatives have positive implications for retaining international students, including
extra academic support, student integration, etc. He suggests business school managers and staff
members should understand international student dynamics and consider involving students
extended family prior to, during and post-student experience of study as they are often the
financial source for the student and key stakeholders in the student decision-making process.
Essentially, “push” and “pull” factors influence international students’ decisions related
to studying overseas. The push factors “operate within the source country and initiate a student’s
decision to undertake the international study.” In contrast, the pull factors “operate within a host
country to make that country relatively attractive to international students” (Mazzarol and Soutar
2002, p. 82). International students visited university websites and programs while in their home
countries, contacted international program advisors and professors, collected admission and visa-
related documents, and received support and encouragement from their parents to study in the
United States (To et al. 2014). Because international students usually cannot visit overseas
campuses prior to admission, they may have depended solely on the information available on
institutions’ websites. Such perceptions may affect their values and beliefs and may influence
their preparation for enrolling at a U.S. higher education institution (Bista & Dagley, 2015).
The tuition fees of management schools are increasing over the years, making the
accessibility of management education more difficult (Kaplan, 2018). Higher GMAT scores of
existing students increase applications, as do higher post MBA salaries. Elliott & Soo (2013)
found out that U.S. News rankings significantly affect applicants to U.S. MBA programs.
Moreover, the MBA sector operates based on market forces of demand and supply. Some
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employers contribute to the cost of tuition fees. Elliott stated that demand might also be less
price elastic if students anticipate high returns to their investment.
More industry players such as education consultants actively join the race as trends to
attract more candidates to U.S. management schools. The use of agents brings inherent problems
of partial goal incongruence and information asymmetry in the forms of hidden information and
hidden action, and best practice, such as by addressing role clarity, improving coordination,
differentiating their offerings, and ensuring flexibility, to respond to market forces will
increasingly be adopted in agency management, according to Huang et al. (2016). With the
international student population becomes more and more important for the U.S. management
school, the international student’s experience in U.S. management is worth a closer look.
Employer’s Demand and Readiness of International Students
The most important reason for anybody attending management school is career
aspiration. International students face unique challenges when entering the job market in the U.S.
As management schools are fighting for international applicants, they need to pay extra attention
to increasing international graduate employability.
The GMAC (2019b) conducted an annual corporate recruiters survey. The 2019 survey
points out that GME is not the candidate’s goal—it is a means to their goal of employability.
Employers give b-schools high marks for preparing grads with the two skills they say matter
most: problem-solving and working with others. Candidate fit with company culture and fit with
the job opening are the most important hiring decision factors. Quantitative skills, a globalized
mindset, and soft skills are all essential for employability.
Quantitative skillsets and overarching competencies are retained by students in a
traditional business program, which is very important for business. The expectations of
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employers have continued to grow in sophistication and extent, the modalities of instruction and
mentoring have not. Getachew, T. (2018) points out that a business school needs to think of
quantitative business education as owned by all departments, jointly, rather than housed in
separate silos within separate departments. Such a structure would then foster the vision of a
quantitative education that is single, unified across departments.
An internationalized graduate business curriculum helps to prepare students for the global
marketplace by helping to develop a global mindset, which is essential to the success of any
business in today’s world. Graduate business schools are finding it increasingly more important
to internationalize the business curriculum and subsequently assess its effectiveness to
demonstrate that they are indeed preparing managers for the global marketplace (Mccormick &
Stephen, 2016). McCormick & Stephen (2016) study finds that graduate students feel they have
gained the necessary skills to work in the international business environment after taking
globally themed classes. Students who are not employed at multinational firms gained more from
the globally themed classes to acquire the necessary skills and feel more prepared to work in a
global business setting. Internationally themed classes are essential in preparing graduate
students to work in the global marketplace, and equally important, graduate students are finding
value in these classes.
In a 2016 Wall Street Journal survey of executives, more than 90% said soft skills were
more important than technical skills, yet nearly as many said they had a difficult time finding
applicants with the right skills (Davidson, 2016). Coaching capacity, collaborative capacity,
empathy, emotional regulation, work management, open mindset, decisiveness, relationship
management, and persistence are among the most sought-after competencies (GMAC Analysis
2020). Business schools have responded to this demand with increased offerings of soft-skills
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coursework. Curricular developments continue in U.S. business schools, encouraged and
supported by AACSB’s emphasis on ongoing quality improvement.
There is also growing interest in evaluating students’ soft skills as part of the business
school admissions process, as GMAC built a pilot assessment to provide admissions feedback on
critical applicant soft skills. Over the years, business schools and other graduate and professional
schools have used personal statements, letters of recommendation, essays, interviews, and other
informal means to assess applicants’ soft skills. In addition, business schools are often looking
for qualities other than strictly academic ones—such as leadership, volunteerism, and social
responsibility—typically not well predicted by standardized testing. Other schools have
conducted pilot studies to explore the effectiveness of supplementing standardized tests, such as
the GMAT and the GRE tests, with self-ratings and situational judgment tests (Beenen, Pichler &
Davoudpour, 2018).
The principal driving force for international students is the return on investment. Costs
for education are increasing and the marketplace is more competitive, making it more difficult
for bright, motivated international students to secure good jobs. In his study, Kisch (2015) finds
that international students are dealing with issues their domestic counterparts do not have. They
have to adjust to a new country’s norms and culture, learning new skills, and abiding by
numerous regulations to find work upon graduation. Although most international students
initially intend to return home after receiving their degree, many change their minds.
International students find their experiences with career services to be predominantly positive.
The needs of international students—learning to write résumés, interview, and network in the
American way— are very different from those of domestic students.

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New Education Models and Programs Reshaping U.S. Management Schools
With the international student population becomes more and more important for the U.S.
management school, the international student mobility trend has increasingly reshaped U.S.
management schools. The industry is calling for reform on MBA programs, but the improvement
is only scratching the surface. Leaders in the management education field are actively exploring
the new education models.
The earliest business schools in the USA trace their founding to the late1800s, with the
Wharton School of Finance and Economics, founded by Joseph Wharton in 1881 (Spender
2016). Spender’s summary of the history of management education explains the importance of
the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Act in the development of public state universities, which are the
parent institutions of many of the finest business schools in the USA today. During the last
decades, business schools have strengthened their legitimacy and influence (Alajoutsijärvi et al.,
2015). The story of business higher education is a success story; the tuition fees have been rising
twice faster than inflation, and legions of internationals students flocked to business schools
(Fisher, 2019). However, the global financial crisis in 2007 has been questioning the relevance of
business higher education. Criticisms turned into a full-blown legitimacy crisis (Howard et al.,
2012) that led to some deep reflections about the future of business schools and its main
program: the MBA. In addition to the legitimacy crisis, business schools are facing a business
model crisis: leading universities are launching free MOOCs (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2016), and
digitally inclined, most of the millennials are pushing business schools and faculty to change
(Whitaker, et al., 2015). Business schools are forced to rethink their business model and their
specificity. Indeed, massive online courses, accreditations, and rankings are leading to
standardization and homogeneity. So far, the different strategic groups of business schools are
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based on ranking, with the worldwide elite on one side, followed by the national elite, accredited,
and others.
Dramatic marketplace transformations, technological advances, and globalization have
led to entirely new ways of interacting, sharing, learning and doing that challenge the very core
of GME. Responding to today's challenges while balancing relevance, value, and reputation will
require business school administrators to engage in unprecedented amounts of strategic thinking,
creativity, stakeholder engagement, and interpersonal effectiveness (GMAC, 2013). Many
believe consolidation in the business school marketplace is inevitable, and survival is not
guaranteed. However, Business schools do not seem to have practiced what they preached, and
any changes have been only incremental. Reengineering the education model also transforms the
business model. Business schools will be forced to adapt. It is inevitable and might happen
quicker than business schools anticipate because of market forces. Business schools that have the
most to lose already have begun experimenting with the innovation outside their reputation-
based full-time program (Tsung, et al., 2016). Tsung et al. find that innovation and change are
already happening and at a much faster pace. The business model for many business schools has
already shifted to a portfolio model. The growing specialized master’s, part-time MBA,
certificates, and executive education provide business schools with much-needed financial
resources. These peripheral programs enable business schools to diversify the risk of any one
program’s failure. These programs change the pure economic dynamics of schools and the
faculty balance, and the investment strategies of the schools.
Business schools will no longer justify their tuition and fees by highlighting the
knowledge they transmit. Instead, the focus needs to shift to the development of soft skills,
analytical skills, and general know-how. One implication of this idea is that alumni and students
29

can no longer be selected on the basis of their intellectual achievements (grades) alone. Instead,
their ability to work in teams, their communication skills, and their leadership potential need to
be taken into strong consideration. Although business schools can and do provide courses to
further develop such skills, the higher a student’s starting point at the beginning of his or her
studies, the better the final level will likely be. The transmission of knowledge in the form of
traditional lectures will become less important (Kaplan 2018). Kaplan states that highly
specialized information can be obtained easily, and often for free, online. This development will
shift the focus of business school education away from information transmission to the
development of know-how and skills. Alumni and students will evolve from passive consumers
of information into active co-producers. Through the rising importance of group work,
simulation games, role-playing, and active learning, a course will no longer be a one-man show
delivered by a talented faculty member. However, it will progress through the interaction of
students in the classroom. Moving away from traditional knowledge transmission will also
prepare students for the proactive, lifelong approach to learning needed in today’s workplace.
With management schools adopting new business models and education models, the
candidates are adapting the change accordingly. It is challenging for international students to fit
the new model quickly. It is a tremendous task for management schools to provide good
experience and service to prepare and attract more international applicants.
International Student Adjustment
International Student Experience and Educational Impact
Apart from the economic benefits that international students bring to many U.S.
universities, international students have been framed in literature as “cultural resources” (Urban
& Palmer, 2014). There could be multiple opportunities for higher education to facilitate
30

international students’ active contributions to the university’s strategic goal of global
engagement and internationalization while positively impacting how international students
perceive their higher education experience. Public policy makers also use international students
as “stimulus potential” in the community in which they were educated, adding a global
dimension to existing firms, or in many cases, establishing a new entrepreneurial venture.
International students have more positive views of globalization and the positive economic
impact of the internationalization of education (Owens, et al., 2011).
Many positive outcomes derive from the experiences of international students in terms of
effective educational engagement, personal and social development, and job-related skills (Zha,
Kuh, & Carini, 2005). Many examples in the literature have emphasized the value of U.S. higher
education for international students. For example, Moores and Popadiuk (2011) discussed the
positive factors such as growth and change, social support and building relationships, learning to
navigate host culture, enjoyable activities outside of schoolwork, previous experiences and
preparation, supportive faculty and staff, persevering through hard times, and a sense of
belonging. International students have been found to experience more meaningful, diverse
interactions with other students compared with domestic contemporaries and potentially
enhanced involvement patterns in some facets of campus life (Grayson, 2008)
In its report Integrating International Students, the American Council on Education in its
2012 report noted that “while efforts to recruit international students are on the rise, the data do
not show a commensurate increase in support services for these students.” (p.8). The last decade
of student enrollment in the United States has exposed the lack of readiness among many
campuses in engaging and supporting international students (Choudaha, 2016). Literature about
international students taking deficit approach in relation to the student (e.g., Gautam, Lowery,
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Mays, & Durant, 2016; Sherry, Thomas, & Chui, 2010), framed this student population as
vulnerable while emphasizing what is not working in their experience. Research continues to
demonstrate the ways in which international student voices are generally invisible or silent
within colleges and universities, as well as how international students continue to be
conceptualized as problems or challenges to be addressed within the higher education landscape.
International students struggle in culture adoption (Gautam, et al.2016;), language ability
(Gautam, et al.2016; Sherry, et al., 2010), and discriminatory climates (Lee & Rice, 2007). The
deficit perspective is echoed in U.S. academic media in which particular international student
populations (Chinese international students) are “othered” and portrayed as deficient (Suspitsyna
& Shalka 2016)
Sociocultural Adjustment for International Students
International students who move to the United States to study are faced with a number of
challenges related to academics, social interaction, and emotions. As more countries around the
world (e.g., China, India) offer increasing opportunities that attract international students, critical
scholars are focusing expansive research on academic and social adjustment and acculturation.
Researchers have provided an understanding of the kinds of problems international
students have while adapting to university life, and one of the most discussed is problems with
academic language (e.g., Andrade, 2006; Araujo, 2011; Wang et al. 2018). Language is
repeatedly viewed as the main cause of international students’ difficulties, given the challenging
language demands and the probability that most international students are nonnative English
speakers who may not have previously studied through the medium of English. Language
challenges make it particularly difficult to engage in discussions and communicate effectively in
the classroom. Gebhard (2012) has summarized that students often have trouble understanding
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professors’ expectations and grading style, taking lecture notes, articulating their knowledge on
essay exams and reading textbooks in a timely fashion, comprehending professors, and giving
oral presentations professor questions and interacting in seminar discussions. Language
proficiency was found to be a significant predictor of academic difficulties and academic stress
(Poyrazli & Kavanaugh, 2006).
Researchers also have indicated that international students experience unique challenges
related to their social adjustment and academics and often require specialized support services
(Martirosyan, Bustamante & Saxon 2019). Adjustment in academic settings describes the extent
to which there is a “fit” between students and the academic environment (Andrade, 2006).
International students likely encounter fundamental cultural differences (e.g., classroom norms,
teaching and learning styles, procedures, discourse and communication, and professor-student
and student-student interactions) among education systems (Hung & Hyun, 2010). Many
scholars emphasize that international students’ adjustment in U.S. colleges is contingent on how
well students can establish social networks with various campus groups, including peer groups,
clubs, recreational sports, and other activities that facilitate social involvement on campus
(Hwang, Martirosyan, &Moore, 2016). Chavajay (2013) reported that international students
tended to gain more social-emotional satisfaction from interacting with other international
students than from host-country friends, perhaps because of empathy for feeling like outsiders.
As students establish friendships with other international students and host country peers, study
results indicate that they experience greater social adjustment. During this cultural adjustment
process, international students are faced with managing these academic, social, and emotional
problems. Researchers have ascertained that international students establish a support network of
friends, usually consisting of co-nationals or friends from similar cultural backgrounds (McFaul,
33

2016). However, international students who participate in leadership programs, interact with
others from their own culture and take courses where professors facilitate intergroup dialogue
report more positive perceptions of campus climate. International students who participate in
leadership programs, community service, and campus-organized diversity discussions, interact
with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and take courses with materials on race and
ethnicity report greater levels of learning and development (Glass 2012).
Studies also show that students reach out to the university and larger community to help
them solve problems. For example, students use the international office, trusted academic
advisors, international student clubs, and academic services, such as the writing center, computer
labs, and tutoring services (Martirosyan, Bustamante & Saxon 2019). Even though general
university-sponsored academic support services are available, international students may have
difficulty accessing these services due to a lack of awareness and unfamiliarity with the system.
Because support services are likely not a typical university function in their native countries,
students might be unaccustomed to seeking them out (Gebhard, 2012). Gebhard mentioned that
some students do not understand the value of engaging themselves in the larger university
community or reaching out for the support they need. Some do not necessarily recognize that
they need help.
Another challenge for many students is a lack of familiarity with American intricate
social rules for interacting (Zhou, Frey & Bang, 2011). Zhou et al. (2011) found out that when
international students have limited English proficiency and lack experience and familiarity with
American interactive behaviors, some students find it challenging to make friends and establish a
social network. These students often withdraw into the expatriate community, which appears to
hinder adaptation when the purpose is to avoid interaction. Straker (2016), in his literature
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review on international student participation in higher education first time, argues about framing
research within the sociocultural theory to understand participation in educational contexts, in a
broader context beyond language competence and culture of origin, which turns researchers’
attention to motivation.
Chinese Students’ Communication Skills, Adjustments to American Classroom Culture,
and Social Interaction with Non-Chinese Peers
Chinese students in America face various difficulties in their education in America, such
as language proficiency, emotional issues, and American pedagogy (Liu, 2016). In countries like
China, academic standards often are centered on memorization and task repetition rather than
group work and classroom interaction and participation, making the need for English language
fluency even more essential to academic success. Heng (2020) recognized overlapping
challenges faced by internationals from educational systems in Confucian heritage cultures,
where teachers hold great epistemic and relational authority, and students hold teachers in high
regard and defer to them in China. Being uncomfortable with speaking in class, viewing
professors as having absolute authority, having trouble expressing critical thoughts, having
difficulty answering negative questions contribute to academic difficulties for Chinese students
in the United States.
Ross & Chen (2015) conclude that popular perceptions of Chinese student engagement
are simplistic. Chinese students are not indifferent engagers; rather, their interaction with campus
life needs to be understood as embedded within complex cultural and institutional contexts.
Classroom silence, segregation and instrumentalism – are often understood in cultural terms, and
Ross & Chen described sociocultural values that might influence such behavior. For example,
many Americans tend to use direct communication to turn down invitations, complain, or ask for
35

clarification. However, some Asians, depending on the cultural context, will use more indirect
ways to do these things, such as some Chinese students turning down an invitation to a party by
accepting the invitation with hesitancy, indicating that they likely will not be able to attend
(Gebhard, 2010). The life of Chinese students in the United States is not easy, and that these
students have to endure multifaceted life stresses (Yan & Berliner, 2013).
Spencer-Oatey (2017) found out that many Chinese students are dissatisfied with their
range of friendships and find it more challenging to socialize with students of other nationalities
than other students do. Some also feel that they have greater difficulty than other students in
making friends with non-Chinese students due to a cultural distance and the impact of individual
factors, such as personality, preference for an “easy option,” emotional satisfaction from mixing
with people with a similar back ground and language factors all interact to mitigate against high
levels of social integration. Montgomery (2017) examined three transition types of Chinese
students – academic, social/personal, and linguistic – through participants’ preparation, sources
of institutional support, and coping strategies. Montgomery recommended multi-faceted,
mandatory orientation programs; ongoing workshops and resources beyond orientation; and
improvements to housing and residential life opportunities and experiences. He argued that each
of these interventions could be easily implemented. Making students feel welcomed and valued
as members of campus communities is achievable and should be seen as the responsibility of
every area of campus.
Two key findings are established in Wilson et al. (2020) review. First, international
students who report higher English language ability experience less acculturative stress and
better psychosocial adjustment. Second, international students who perceive higher levels of
social support are better adjusted. Heng (2020) opines that an unbalanced narrative focused only
36

on challenges perpetuates a lop-sided and deficit perspective that portrays Chinese internationals
as problematic and their experiences permanent; instead, we need to see their experiences from a
sociocultural and longitudinal perspective. Without addressing these portrayals of Chinese
internationals, we may inadvertently create negative stereotypes of Chinese internationals being
beset with problems and, consequently, increase prejudice against them (Quinton, 2018). By the
end of their first or second year, Chinese students gain more fluency in speaking and writing in
English, grasp academic norms and expectations, and sustain friendships with American peers
(Heng, 2018b). Heng hopes to offer a more balanced view of them. This is all the more critical in
a COVID19-stricken world where racism against Chinese or Asians has reportedly increased
(Larsson, 2020; Liu, 2020).
Pathway Programs and Exchange Programs
When international students pursue management education, culture and language barriers
and lack of information on programs are obstacles. The incoming students to management school
are younger without much work experience. Therefore, preparation programs and exchange
programs are becoming popular to get international students ready before entering management
school.
Pathway Programs
In 2017, there were over 5.3 million international students globally, up from 2 million in
2000 (UNESCO, 2019). Programs that provide an alternative university entry option for many
local and international students who are unable to access higher education by traditional channels
are proliferated (Neghina, 2016). Pathway programs increase popularity within three broad
perspectives (Marginson, 2016): the trend towards higher levels of participation; increasing
internationalization of higher education and increasing global student mobility; and local
37

sociocultural factors, including national approaches to education system design. University
pathway programs, enabling programs, bridging programs, direct entry programs, sub-bachelor
programs, and foundation programs. The name “university pathway programs” is adopted here
since it is more explicitly indicates the principal aim of these types of programs. University
pathway programs primarily developed and implemented as support mechanisms to foster the
development of international and non-traditional students’ academic literacies and study skills as
well as their awareness of sociocultural norms that are prevalent in the higher education setting
(Percival et al. 2016).
University pathway programs address two of the key concerns of universities worldwide:
student retention and success rates (Goldingay et al. 2016). These pathway programs are all aim
to facilitate students’ development of a variety of skills. Among them is proficiency in the
language used as a medium of instruction, academic literacies, critical thinking, research, and
study skills that students will need to function effectively in the higher education context. These
programs also familiarize students with the sociocultural norms prevalent in the context into
which they are transitioning, and most also cater to student welfare needs (Study Portals and
Cambridge English 2015; Percival et al. 2016). University pathway programs must help students
develop academic language competence and strategic competence (Percival et al. 2016). Another
focus of university pathway programs should be developing students’ awareness of the need to
advance academic knowledge through analysis and evaluation as steps of critical thinking and
well-developed research skills (Kaloustian, 2014).
Lizzio (2006) provides a valuable conceptualization of perceived students’ needs in this
area while integrating different areas. He (2006) suggests a five “senses” model, which focuses
on five areas identified as descriptive of students’ needs. He posits that students’ transition into
38

higher education settings has a better chance of success when these needs are met. Lizzio’s
(2006) visual representation of students’ needs is reproduced above in Figure 2.
Pathway programs offer additional opportunities and channels to broaden the pool of
prospective international students. Taking credit-bearing classes designed to help them acclimate
to U.S. higher education standards and expectations (Bowman, 2019). Bowman points out that
these programs capitalize on the knowledge, skills, and resources already in place throughout the
campus community, and they allow the institution to more fully control the enrollment process.

39

Figure 2
The Five Senses of Successful Transition (Lizzio 2006, p. 3)

Note. Reprinted from First-Year Experience Project: Designing an Orientation and Transition
Strategy for Commencing Students: Applying the Five Senses Model by A. Lizzio, 2006, Griffith
University.

Given that the primary purpose of international pathway programs is to prepare students
for the experience of study at degree level within a higher education institution (HEI), it is
logical to assume that preparation for the academic experience will be coupled with access to
authentic elements of the broader student experience at the destination institution. There is a
40

range of challenges to this which HEIs should consider mitigating in order to ensure that an
authentic and rewarding student experience is available to international pathway students
(Manning, 2018). These challenges include: avoiding ghettoization both academically and
socially and encouraging interaction between international students and home students. Some
other difficulties involving students are linked to students’ emotional and welfare needs and the
reluctance that some students might show in engaging with the socio-pragmatic, discourse,
linguistic, study, critical thinking, and research skills that they need to develop rather than with
what they perceive as more important, that is, discipline-specific content (Goldingay et al. 2016).
Over the last decade, an increasing number of universities have opted to develop strategic
partnerships with private companies that recruit international students and deliver international
pathway programs, including Shorelight Education, Navitas, Study Group, EF Education First,
and Campus Cube International Education Advantage, and Kaplan. However, the contention that
an HEI can best serve and retain international students by outsourcing recruitment, support
services, and instruction to private providers is under debate (Winkle, 2013). It is neither the case
that all HEI in-house led international pathway provision is inherently superior to privately
provided provision. Whether privately run or embedded within institutions, there are clear
negative implications for international pathway program stakeholders if academic quality and
professionalism are not placed as the central goal.
Exchange Programs
There is a growing pressure on university faculty and administration to internationalize
their campuses, curriculum, and classrooms. They need to prepare their students for global work
and global citizenship. Their institutions, programs, and courses should help globalize the higher
education environment and prepare students for global markets (Rizvi, 2015). Rizvi points out
41

that one of the most effective methods of developing an international experience is for students
to join a student exchange or study abroad program.
An exchange program allows students from two universities in two different countries to
spend a semester or two in the other institution while taking courses. Students from the home
university become visiting students in the host university for a limited time to increase their
international exposure. This arrangement is made possible by a student exchange agreement
between the two universities. Typically, home universities have a minimum grade point average
(GPA) requirement for undergraduate students to be eligible for an exchange program. The
students also need to satisfy the minimum requirements of the host university. These
requirements can also include a specified level of proficiency in the host country’s language and
personal statement explaining their intent to pursue the exchange program. U.S. universities have
initiated a fairly large number of international exchange programs in short-term and long-term
formats to attract students to experience the academic environment in a university setting. A
short-term exchange program is also known as a summer/intensive or cultural exchange
program. The students are exposed to an intensive program that increases their understanding of
other cultures, communities, and languages. A long-term exchange lasts six to 10 months or up
to one full year. Participants attend a U.S. university through an F-1 foreign student visa.
Students are expected to integrate themselves into the host family, immersing themselves in the
local community and surroundings.
Students participating in student exchange programs often enjoy and benefit from the
program. Many students feel that the insights developed during the program enable them to feel a
deeper interest in the country of exchange, making them more tolerant and adaptable to cultural
differences. On the academic side, students can choose from a diversified course offering at the
42

host institution, increasing their preparation for the job market or graduate school. Attending an
exchange program is a tremendous advantage for students who intend to pursue a post-graduate
program in the exchange destination country. The grades they get and their behavior during the
exchange period in the host institution give the host institution reliable data points to validate
their ability to become successful in the host institution after graduation.
On the other hand, financial considerations, administration, and cultural difficulties are
the highest perceived drawbacks of an exchange program. Moving to a new country and entering
a new culture can be very challenging. Many students may be confused or stymied by their
differences, especially during the first month of their visit (Zhou, et al., 2008). Many students
feel that going through this difficult time makes them more adaptable and resilient person.
Analyses also show that students who participated in student exchange programs start jobs with
higher salaries and have a higher probability of opting for graduate programs (Messer, & Wolter,
2007).
International exchange programs between U.S. universities and those in foreign countries
are another recent trend. Given budget cuts and increasing competition, U.S. institutions compete
hard for talented and self-funded students (Choudaha, 2017). Giving full or partial scholarships
to international students and increasing the number of exchange students helps increase fee-
paying students. Full-time international or exchange students become natural ambassadors,
whether they stay in that country or return to their home countries. If their experience is positive,
they prefer to apply for graduate programs in those universities. Universities in both developing
and developed nations use student exchange as the first mechanism to increase collaboration
between universities. It is also used to attract full-time international undergraduate students for
increased tuition income and lure graduate students for a more vigorous research program. The
43

presence of international exchange students in a university improves the diversity in the
classroom and the interaction of students with different cultures, developing the intercultural
competencies of the students and helping them become global citizens (Atalar, 2020).
MBPP Student Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
Knowledge and Skills
Performance gaps can be caused by a lack of knowledge and skill (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Mayer (2011) provided a simple definition of learning: “Learning is a change in knowledge
attributable to experience” (p. 14). As Mayer noted, this definition has three components:
learning involves a change in the learner, what is changed is the learner’s knowledge, and the
cause of the change is the learner’s experience. This definition implies that a key goal of learning
is acquiring knowledge and experiences. This study is guided by the stakeholder goal of
currently enrolled MBPP students in their first term in a graduate business program in the United
States. The success will be built upon particular essential competencies accumulated through
sociocultural adjustment during the MBPP journey, such as English competency, active
participation in the classroom, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. The students in the
MBPP are all international students from China, where the academic environment is different
from that of the United States (Leong, 2015). It is important to examine students’ knowledge and
skills to understand if the stakeholder goal is achievable.
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) identified four types of knowledge: factual, conceptual,
procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. Factual and conceptual knowledge are collectively
referred to as declarative knowledge, which is what one must know or be familiar with to
understand and function effectively in a given area. Procedural knowledge refers to knowing
how to do something and the particular skills required to accomplish specific activities.
44

Metacognitive knowledge is awareness of one’s cognition and particular cognitive processes. It
is the type of knowledge that allows one to know when and why to do something. This study
explores students’ knowledge influences based on the different knowledge types. It is important
to explore MBPP students’ knowledge in these different categories to gain a comprehensive
understanding of their knowledge and skills related to the competencies the study explores.
Student Ability to Implement Effective Communication Skills When Interacting With Faculty
and Staff Throughout the Program
Before arriving in the U.S., the influences that generally affect Chinese students’ decision
making are as follows: the desire to experience the Western culture, the quality of the facilities at
the institution, the image and reputation of the school, and external factors such as culture,
family social status, demographics, and marketing activities related to the hosting school (Rudd,
Djafarova, & Waring, 2012). After entering university, the knowledge of the program itself
becomes crucial for student success. Communication skills become essential first in the context
of interacting with faculty and staff, and second as a marketable skill for their future success, as
these skills as among the key soft skills that employers in all types of industries use to
differentiate among candidates (Mitchell, Skinner & White, 2010). International students whose
primary college mentor is a faculty member or student affairs professional demonstrate higher
levels of both socially responsible leadership capacity and leadership self-efficacy than
international students who identify their most significant mentor as another student (Shalka,
Corcoran, & Magee, 2019). This study will explore MBPP students' ability to implement
practical communication skills to prepare for a graduate business program, such as
communication with faculty and staff to obtain necessary help and interactions with peers in and
out of the classroom.
45

Student Ability to Create a Well-Rounded Graduate Program Application
Preparation programs located on the university campus, such as the MBPP, capitalize on
the knowledge, skills, and resources already in place throughout the campus community
(Bowman, 2019). Key features of a graduate program application, such as an effective personal
statement, recommendation letters, a satisfactory GPA, a GMAT or GRE (Graduate Record
Examinations) score, a CV or resume, and researching graduate program admission criteria and
curriculum can be challenging for an international student. The School of Business at Lakeshore
University has ample resources on campus to assist the MBPP students with graduate program
application preparation. Accessing the resources on campuses such as graduate admission
workshops and mentorship programs will support international students with critical knowledge
and skills to apply for graduate programs of study. This study will explore MBPP students'
ability to leverage the available resources and to use them effectively to complete a
comprehensive graduate program application.
Students’ Knowledge of Their Awareness Around American Culture and Immersion of
Campus Culture In and Out of the Classroom
Metacognitive knowledge enables individuals to successfully cope with new situations
and is critical in promoting the transfer of learning. Students can transfer knowledge acquired
from one context to another, such as from MBPP experience to a graduate program, if they are
more aware of the situation as learners, monitor their strategies and resources, and assess their
readiness to perform at the required level. Chinese international students attending American
higher education may face difficulties in language proficiency, emotional issues, and adjusting to
American pedagogy (Liu, 2016). The self-awareness to overcome these challenges is important
for MBPP students to make adequate progress through the immersion, as they need to engage in
46

active participation in the classroom and social interactions with non-Chinese peers. Early
exposure to the campus culture and tackling challenges is beneficial for MBPP students to
prepare and demonstrate their ability to thrive in the new environment. This study will seek to
understand students’ immersion into campus culture to prepare them for future graduate program
studies in the U.S.
Student Self-Reflection About Achieving Their Goals in Preparation for the U.S. Academic
Environment
Metacognition is a key performance factor, as metacognitive awareness and control can
improve learning and performance (Seli & Dembo 2019). The purpose of the MBPP is to
promote practical competence and provide emotional
support while creating a supportive space for students. The program's goal is to prepare
international students by exposing them to the inner workings of an American university
classroom through assignments that focus on classroom expectations and norms. Specifically,
students regularly engage in critical thinking and reflection as part of the course requirements
(Kaloustian, 2014). Taking credit-bearing classes helps international students acclimate to U.S.
higher education standards and expectations (Bowman, 2019). The MBPP is designed with a
similar intention, although students need to reflect on the U.S. academic environment to find a fit
in a U.S. management school. This study will explore the degree to which MBPP students self-
reflect about achieving goals in preparation for the U.S. academic environment.
Table 2 presents the knowledge influences and matching knowledge types of key
stakeholders of MBPP at Lakeshore University.

47

Table 2
Assumed Knowledge Influences
Knowledge type Assumed knowledge influence
Procedural

Student ability to implement effective communication skills when
interacting with faculty and staff throughout the program
Procedural Student ability to create a well-rounded graduate program application
Metacognitive

Students’ knowledge of their own awareness of American culture and
immersion of campus culture in and out of the classroom
Metacognitive Student self-reflection about achieving their goals in preparation for
U.S. academic environment

Motivational Influences
In addition to knowledge, motivation is a key influence on performance (Clark & Estes,
2008). Motivation-related influences are pertinent to be explored in the context of currently
enrolled MBPP students succeeding in their first term in U.S. graduate business programs. The
study will specifically focus on their sociocultural adjustment in terms of effective
communication skills, active participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers.
Students’ goals, beliefs, feelings, and perceptions determine their motivation-related behaviors
and, in turn, academic performance. A student’s motivation is visible via the behavioral indices
of choice, level of activity and involvement, persistence, and management of effort (Clark &
Estes, 2018). Motivational constructs serve as foundational factors for individuals’ likelihood of
engaging via choice, persistence, and mental effort, such as self-efficacy, task value, attributions,
etc. The two constructs explored in this study are utility value expectancy and self-efficacy.

48

MBPP Students’ Value for Increasing Classroom Involvement
According to expectancy-value theory, learning and motivation are enhanced if the
learner values the task (Eccles, 2006). Eccles and colleagues argued that the value of the task for
facilitating one’s immediate or long-range goals or external rewards (utility/value) is a critical
predictor of engagement in desirable behaviors. Understanding the importance and utility value
of the work or learning can help learners develop positive values (Pintrich, 2003).
Utility value is determined by how well as task fits into an individual’s goals and plans or
fulfills other basic psychological needs. Since MBPP students plan to succeed in top U.S.
graduate business programs, classroom involvement is assumed to have high utility value
because it is required to perform well in the North American academic environment. Lu and Han
(2010) discussed factors affecting Chinese students’ classroom involvement in North America.
At the top of the list are language, the influence of traditional U.S. culture, and social, economic,
political changes (Lu & Han, 2010). Individuals need soft skills, such as communication skills and
leadership skills in and out of graduate business classes, as both business educators and employers
identify soft skills as the number one differentiator for job applicants in all types of industries
(Mitchell, 2010; Deepa & Seth, 2013). During their undergraduate program at Lakeshore University,
MBPP students are enrolled in upper-division courses at the school of business, which provides them
opportunities to be immersed in the U.S. academic environment. In the U.S. college context, students
are encouraged to engage in critical thinking and reflection as part of the course requirements
(Kaloustian, 2014). This study will explore whether the MBPP has effectively enhanced students’
task value related to classroom involvement and participation and the degree to which they engage in
these behaviors in their graduate programs.

49

MBPP Students’ Confidence in Their Ability to Effectively Communicate With Non-Chinese
Peers
Bandura's (1993) social cognitive theory postulated that perceived self-efficacy affects an
individual in all aspects of life, including educational experiences. According to social cognitive
theory, self-efficacy beliefs provide the foundation for human motivation, well-being, and
personal accomplishment (Pajares, 2006). Self-efficacy specifically refers to the belief in one's
ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. Unless people believe that their
actions can produce the outcomes they desire, they have little incentive to act or to persist in the
face of difficulties. High self-efficacy can positively influence motivation. Self-efficacy beliefs
are important as they help to predict extra effort and persistence required to succeed, resulting in
the continued development of skills and personal efficacy.
Liu (2016) pointed out that language proficiency impedes school performance and
attenuates individuals’ confidence in social communication. In this regard, a lack of social bonds
causes self-segregation. The MBPP capitalizes on the knowledge, skills, and resources already in
place throughout the campus community. MBPP students have direct access to U.S. resources,
such as faculty, staff, and peer domestic students. The GMAC (2019b) Corporate Recruiters
Survey pointed out that the goal of GME is to ensure candidates’ employability in the fields of
business practice. Communication becomes an essential skill for business graduate program
candidates both inside and outside of school. This study will explore MBPP’s effectiveness to
increase students’ efficacy to communicate with their U.S. peers effectively.
MBPP Students’ Confidence in Increasing Their Academic Success Through Sociocultural
Adjustment
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Self-efficacy beliefs help foster the outcome one expects. Higher expectations for success
and perceptions of confidence can positively influence learning and motivation (Eccles, 2006).
Self-efficacious students work harder, persist longer, persevere in the face of adversity, have
greater optimism and lower anxiety, and achieve more. Learning and motivation are enhanced
when learners have positive expectancies for success (Pajares, 2006).
MBPP students have different academic backgrounds and come from various partner
universities. The MBPP matches the students as they take upper-division business courses in
accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems management, marketing and
operations, and supply chain management. Biermeier (2017) established that students faced
challenges in bridge programs, including efforts associated with self-regulation and self-efficacy,
which helped them be successful during their first year and potentially set them up to be
successful in the future. The real U.S. business school experience expands students’ horizons.
Students may encounter multifaceted difficulties in completing academic courses, such as
adjusting to a new life and culture. This study will explore MBPP students’ confidence in
increasing their academic success and what external support sources will help them overcome
obstacles and establish internal coping mechanisms through sociocultural adjustment in their
future graduate program studies.
Table 3 presents the motivation influences and matching motivation construct of the
MBPP at Lakeshore University.

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Table 3
Assumed Motivation Influences
Motivation construct Assumed motivation influence
Utility Value MBPP students’ value for increasing classroom
involvement
Self-efficacy MBPP students’ confidence in their ability to effectively
communicate with non-Chinese peers
Self-efficacy MBPP students’ confidence in increasing their academic
success through sociocultural adjustment

Organizational Influences
Above and beyond the knowledge and motivation influences, organizational influences
determine whether stakeholders can successfully perform their roles in the organization and
achieve their goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Organizational context and culture are two critical
aspects to unpack in understanding the organization’s influence on individuals. The sociocultural
theory of learning guides how individual mental functioning is related to the cultural,
institutional, and historical context (Scott & Palincsar, 2006). Organizational influences can be
categorized into two units of analysis: cultural models and cultural settings (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models are shared mental schema or normative understandings of
how the world works or ought to work and are often automated. Cultural settings are specific
contexts where behavior is enacted. Both organizational influences categories will be reviewed
next.

52

The School’s Culture of Fostering an Environment for MBPP Students to Effectively Practice
and Enhance Communication Skills
Learning tasks similar to those common to the individual’s familiar cultural settings will
promote learning and transfer (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Social interaction, cooperative
learning, and cognitive apprenticeships (such as reciprocal teaching) facilitate the construction of
new knowledge (Scott & Palincsar, 2010). Learning is social in nature, and the individual
interacts with others in a specific social context.
Liu (2016) pointed out diminished support from peers and a lack of opportunities to
practice and increase verbal fluency in English and to discuss academic content in greater depth
create barriers for Chinese international students’ communication skills to improve. This lack of
a social network can lead to deteriorated school performance, and the ensuing cycle makes it
increasingly difficult for Chinese international students to thrive in American colleges and
universities. The MBPP’s goal is to promote the cohort environment. Including MBPP students
in upper-division classes during their last undergraduate year means they are immersed in
classroom and extra-curricular activities. This study will explore the MBPP’s effectiveness in
fostering an environment for students to practice and enhance communication skills with non-
Chinese peers.
The School’s Culture of Promoting Social Activities Among All Students
A sociocultural perspective focuses on the influence that social interactions and culturally
organized activities play have on learning. Targeting training and instruction between the
individual’s independent performance level and their level of assisted performance promotes optimal
learning (Scott & Palincsar, 2010). After international students’ initial “cultural shock,” their
challenges shift to academic issues. Financial, social, and religious challenges may persist throughout
their student experience (Gautam et al., 2016).
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MBPP students are exposed to different social activities that are inclusive of all
undergraduates at the university. The social activities include those offered by more than 450
student organizations, sports events on and off campus, a lecture series, an arts community, and
one-of-a-kind campus events. Chris and Peggy (2018) point out that students who participated in
major-based organizations or leadership programs had larger, less dense, more diverse social
networks that are particularly advantageous to social mobility. Students who participated in
campus organizations related to their cultural heritage had networks built of friends from all
cultures, creating a greater sense of belonging and attachment to the university (Chris & Peggy,
2018). This study will explore the MBPP’s culture in promoting social activities among all
students and the degree to which Chinese international students participated in these activities
and found them beneficial.
The School’s Provision of an Open-Door Policy for MBPP Students to Interact With Key
Staff, Faculty Members, and Currently Matriculated Students
The MBPP promotes the open-door policy, and students are encouraged to approach the
school’s staff and faculty members to establish relationships. The program invites matriculated
graduate program students to serve as student ambassadors to interact with students in the
MBPP. Shalka and colleagues (2019) reiterated that it is important for campuses to structure
international student programs and services to intentionally foster students’ meaningful
connections with professional role models early on. Through the students’ experience, this study
will explore the effectiveness of the MBPP’s open-door policy in ensuring students effectively
interact with other key stakeholders at the School of Business, Lakeshore University.
The School’s Provision of Effective Incentives for MBPP Students Who Actively Participate in
Activities and Demonstrate Improvement on Communication Skills
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Research indicates that goals motivate and direct students (Pintrich, 2003). MBPP staff
embed incentives to encourage MBPP students’ participation in school-organized activities and
reward them when demonstrating communicative or academic improvement. Helgeson and Patil
(2014) found that extrinsic incentives directly affect participation and performance. This study will
explore the MBPP’s effectiveness in a culture setting to improve participation and performance with
proper incentives.
Table 4 presents the organizational influences and matching organizational construct of
the MBPP at Lakeshore University.

Table 4
Assumed Organizational Influences
Organizational influence category Assumed organizational influences
Cultural Model Influence 1 The school’s culture of fostering an environment
for MBPP student to effectively practice and
enhance communication skills
Cultural Model Influence 2 The school’s culture of promoting social activities
among all students
Cultural Setting Influence 1 The school’s provision of an open-door policy for
MBPP students to interact with key staff, faculty
members, and current matriculated students
Cultural Setting Influence 2 The school’s provision of effective incentives for
MBPP students who actively participate in
activities and demonstrate improvement on
communication skills

55

Conclusion
In this chapter, a review of related literature was conducted to provide the reader
necessary historical background of international student Enrollment and Mobility Trends in U.S.
Colleges and its management schools. Within this context, additional literature discussed
criticism of U.S. management schools' current status and new education models and programs in
this study. The literature review summarized the literature related to international student
adjustment, especially the Chinese students’ adjustment in preparation to the management school
in the U.S, such as communication skills, adjustments to American classroom culture, and social
interaction with non-Chinese peers. The literature review studies various factors around pathway
programs and exchange programs, focusing on the benefit and executions of such programs. The
literature review concluded with a review of the literature related to the stakeholder group in
areas of knowledge, and motivation, and organizational influences.
To describe the literature broadly, there’s an increasing popularity in pathway programs
and exchange programs to get international student ready for the 21st-century management
school. As the management education and employer demand for the soft skills from international
students, there is currently much research documenting the gap between employer expectations
and skills developed in the common pathway programs, establishing that pathway programs need
to develop skills that lie outside traditional academic areas, and that are, by nature, multifaceted
and intangible. In the current study, this creates a need for an evaluation that exams relevant
theories of how students change during a preparation program, as well as their academic and
professional growth within sociocultural transitions in a U.S. academic environment. The
overarching learning and motivation theories discussed in this chapter establish needs
specifically among international students for more procedural and metacognitive knowledge
56

about how to gain academic success through sociocultural adjustment and organizational cultures and
structures that foster and facilitate successful preparation program implementation.
A review of these areas suggests several assumed knowledge, motivation, and
organizational needs to successfully sustain effective pathway programs that prepare
international students for management school. The following chapter discusses these assumed
needs and links them with the research methodology employed in this study to understand better
and assess those needs.

57

Chapter Three: Methodology
Purpose of the Project
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the degree to which the MBPP at School of
Business, Lakeshore University is preparing international students for success in a graduate
management program. The analysis focuses on knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences related to achieving this organizational goal. While a complete evaluation project
would focus on all School of Business, Lakeshore University stakeholders, for practical purposes
the stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis are recent alumni.
Research Questions
The following questions that guide this study:
1. To what extent is the School of Business at Lakeshore University meeting its goal for all
MBPP graduates to succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program?
2. What knowledge, motivation, and organizational supports do MBPP students need to
successfully transition to a master’s program?
3. What are the recommended organizational enhancements in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and support for the MBPP?
Participating Stakeholders
Since launching in 2012, the MBPP at School of Business, Lakeshore University, has
recruited students from its Chinese university partners each year. The class of 2020 was the
MBPP’s eighth intake. The school recruited 63 senior students from 25 university partners in
China of Lakeshore University. All students exchanged to the U.S. through MOU between
Lakeshore University and its foreign partner institutions. The male and female ratio is 45% to
55%. The stakeholder goal is that, by January 2023, currently enrolled MBPP students will
58

graduate from the program and succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program,
particularly in terms of sociocultural adjustment factors like communication skills, active
participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. The school established the MBPP
through a partnership with a top-ranking university in Wuhan, China, in 2012. The partner
portfolio has grown to 65 universities in the Pacific Rim, mainly in mainland China. The number
of alumni has grown to approximately 400. The participating stakeholders are the 128 graduates
from 2018 and 2019. The study did not seek feedback from graduates before 2018, as they have
completed their studies in graduate business programs. Their experience in the MBPP is no
longer fresh, and their sociocultural adjustment has been affected by factors other than
experience in the MBPP after multiple years of school life or career advancement.
Interview and Focus Group Sampling Strategy
Each year, 40% of MBPP cohort members enroll in graduate studies at Lakeshore
University School of Business, providing a stable pipeline of international applicants. Another
50% to 60% of cohort members enter graduate business programs in other management schools
in the U.S., and only a few members go to other countries for their graduate programs of study.
The study focused on the MBPP graduates who stayed in the U.S. for their graduate programs, as
the program is designed to prepare students to enter U.S. business graduate programs. The
participating stakeholders, who graduated from the MBPP in 2018 and 2019, were divided into
two mutually exclusive groups (strata): graduates who stayed in Lakeshore University and
graduates who went to other universities in the U.S. To select from each group (stratum),
maximum variation sampling was used, covering a wide range of cases: students from different
universities, from different cities, from different family backgrounds, and with different prior
academic performances (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). An equal number of participants were
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recruited into the two exclusive groups. I started the interviews as soon as the initial sample of
stakeholders was recruited for both strata, aiming to interview the same number of people in each
stratum so that the study results are not biased by those students who preferred their MBPP and
Lakeshore University experience enough to stay for graduate study. When I was reasonably
assured that further data collection would yield similar results and served to confirm emerging
themes and conclusions, the data collection reached its saturation. And I achieved data saturation
at the 12
th
interview. (Guest, Bunce & Johnson, 2006).
Interview and Focus Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale
The interview candidate needs to have completed the MBPP and entered into a business
graduate program in the U.S. The study centers on evaluating MBPP alumni success in their first
term in a U.S. graduate business program. Each year, MBPP cohort members join a group chat
on WeChat (a multi-purpose messaging and social media app developed by Tencent), and the
group is still live for graduates from 2018 and 2019. Also, MBPP graduates took an exit survey
administered by the School of Business, Lakeshore University, and the contact info on the survey
is relatively current. The contact list with the email addresses of all the alumni should be
accessible from the survey. I announced the research via email and recruited the participants via
email, WeChat (a popular Chinese social media platform), and phone call. I also used the most
active alumni from each class to contact graduates from the two cohort of focus. A snowball
sampling approach (Noy, 2008) was adopted in the second attempt since not enough potential
participants volunteers upon the initial request., After each interview, the volunteers were asked
to identify one or more additional classmates with whom he or she still has contact and who may
be willing to participate in the study. Snowball sampling is successful considering Chinese
students’ organic social networks and social dynamics. They usually do not want to come
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forward and participate in research studies because they do not want their identity to be exposed
without a significant level of trust. Snowball sampling helps for this situation as they ask for a
reference from people known to each other.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
Data was collected through interviews. Qualitative data analysis was utilized to assess the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) influences on success in the MBPP. The
purpose of the interviews is to enter into the participants’ perspective with the assumption that
the perspective is meaningful, knowable, and able to be made explicit (Patton & Patton 2002).
Program evaluation interviews aim to capture the perspectives of program participants: their
experiences in the program, their knowledge about the program, their expectations and the
changes participants perceive in themselves as a result of their involvement in the program. The
methodology of interviews is ideal for assessing how the MBPP helps its graduates succeed in
their first term in U.S. graduate business programs, particularly in terms of sociocultural
adjustment factors like communication skills, active participation, and social interaction with
non-Chinese peers.
Interviews
Semi-structured interviews with each participant were conducted virtually on Zoom. All
interviews were conducted in a private session. The interviews were formally scheduled for an
anticipated one-hour duration. The interviews were conducted in English unless the interviewee
requests to be interviewed in Mandarin. If this is the case, I (fluent in Mandarin) provided
forward translation during the interview and translated the recording into English in the script
through a professional scripting service.
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A conversational strategy was used within an interview guide approach. Interview guides
were employed in the interviews with candidates who stayed at the graduate program (Appendix
A). Responses provided insight into KMO influences experienced or perceived by students.
Interviews were video recorded and transcribed. The recording allowed me to focus on the flow
of the interview and ask follow-up questions to delve deeper into the interviewee’s responses.
This combined strategy offered the interviewer flexibility in probing and in determining when it
is appropriate to explore certain subjects in greater depth, or even to pose questions about new
areas of inquiry that were not originally anticipated in the interview instrument’s development
(Patton & Patton, 2002). A follow-up interview of participants was conducted after the initial
round of the interview is completed, when necessary. With the interviewee’s permission, data
was stored electronically on a password-protected computer. [The instrument used in an
appendix is provided in Appendix A]
Data Analysis
This study utilized an assessment of qualitative data. Data were collected through in-
depth, qualitative interviews to assess KMO influences upon preparing international students for
management school through pathway program. Zoom recordings were made of interviews.
Those recordings were transcribed, and responses to open-ended questions were analyzed for
common themes. I engaged in qualitative coding (Harding, 2013), and developed both a priori
and emergent codes. Interviews were transcribed and coded into salient themes that aligned with
the identified and emerging knowledge, motivation and organization categories. Analytic tools
were used to think through the data.

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Credibility and Trustworthiness
Data was collected with adequate engagement in data collection. Items and questions
posed through interviews were constructed from existing literature relevant to pathway and
exchange programs, as well as sociocultural adjustment for international students. All interviews
with study participants were conducted privately and data collected in confidence. Two cohorts
were interviewed and the research purposefully sought variation in sample selection to allow for
a greater range of application of the findings until data become saturated. All interviews were
conducted privately and data collected in confidence (Merriam & Tisdell 2016). Respondent
validation was adopted in the research to rule out the possibility of misinterpreting the meaning
of what participants say, which was also an important way of identifying my biases and
misunderstandings. However, participants’ feedback was no more inherently valid than their
interview responses (Maxwell, 2013).
A challenge in this research was that the MBPP students are all international students.
There are differences in background and status between potential interviewees and me. An
interviewee's answers may be misinterpreted or missed if I used a different cultural or gendered
lens. For instance, international students are shy and will not want to open up without an
established trusting relationship. University staff members are usually perceived as intimidating
and distanced. Interviewees may hesitate before answering questions or engaging in
conversations even with full disclosure and assurance.

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Ethics
I am responsible for ensuring participants understand the nature of the research, know the
risks it poses, and are not forced either covertly or overtly to participate. A sheet informing
participants of their rights is important and is provided. I explained in the email participation
invitation that respondents and interviewees are assured confidentiality as a precursor to their
contributions, and participation in this study is completely voluntary. Participants were informed
that the interviews will be recorded for transcription and coding, and they do not have to answer
any questions they do not want to. If participants did not want to be recorded, handwritten notes
were taken.
Besides authoring the study, I am employed at the university’s school of business as
director of international relations and director of graduate admissions. I collaborate with
university extension, undergraduate program staff, and the graduate admission team on enrolled
MBPP student performance issues. I report to the dean of the school of business. As the director
of international relations of School of Business, Lakeshore University, I am directly in charge of
MBPP marketing, recruitment, and partially involved in program admission. By working with
the graduate program admission team as its director, I also have influence over MBPP students’
graduate program admission and scholarship decisions. The power and influence that reside with
my current position may make MBPP students feel a potential conflict of interest, which may be
intimidating for some of them. However, I do not have any supervisorial power over MBPP
graduates after they have entered into a graduate program.
The colleagues at Lakeshore University and students in the MBPP could have been
confused if the purpose of the study and the author’s role as a researcher were not disclosed
properly. Interviewees may feel more comfortable talking to a member of their group; therefore,
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my researcher’s role as an insider may have been less threatening and served as an asset (Rubin,
2012). However, the management of the school of business was concerned that I might be caught
up in internal crosscurrents and politics. As such, I was transparent about the goal of the research
and actively communicated with colleagues to articulate the purpose of the study. My personal
background and growth story also provide relevancy to the interviewee: I came to U.S. for
graduate program after completing my undergraduate program from China. I empathize with
international students in terms of the obstacles they face, and I echo the very challenges that they
face during the sociocultural transition.
Limitations and Delimitations
As a peer and colleague in the field, my interpretation of data may be subject to bias.
Further bias may result from me holding the position of director of international relations and
director of graduate admissions at the school. This may introduce an informality in the
interviews because participants may react personally to me, rather than to the questions posed.
Potential biases were explored and inventoried by me prior to the collection and interpretation of
interview data.
The COVID‐19 health crisis affected international student mobility in academic year
2020–2021 and possibly in years to come. According to COVID-19 Snapshot Survey (2020)
more countries will impose travel restrictions on countries with COVID‐19 cases, international
higher education exchange will likely experience long‐term effects, including decreasing
numbers of students studying abroad and of inbound international students and global
partnerships with universities (COVID‐19 Snapshot Survey Series 2020). MBPP students who
graduated in 2020 and 2021 faced uncertainty in pursuing graduate programs of study in the U.S.
due to COVID-19 and may decide to halt or postpone their studies. The study may have missed a
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potential participating stakeholder group due to the consequences of COVID-19. The majority of
2020 MBPP alumni also have studied online for a portion of their graduate business study, which
would make their classroom experience different and affect the results of this study.

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Chapter Four: Results and Findings
This study explored the KMO influences to evaluate the degree to which the MBPP at
School of Business, Lakeshore University is preparing international students for success in a
graduate management program. The gap analysis framework by Clark and Estes (2002) was
applied to validate the assumed influences by evaluating the gaps between actual performance
and desired performance goals. The validity of the assumed influences was analyzed using data
collected from interviews.
Chapter Two discussed the identification of assumed KMO influences through an in-
depth review of existing literature. Chapter Three presented the conceptual framework as well as
the methodology and research plan for this study. Results and findings from data analysis are
presented in this chapter and organized in the categories of knowledge, motivation, organization,
and an emergent finding with a synthesis analysis in the end.
The following three questions guided this evaluation study:
1. To what extent is the School of Business at Lakeshore University meeting its goal for all
MBPP graduates to succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program?
2. What KMO supports do MBPP students need to transition to a master's program
successfully?
3. What are the recommended organizational enhancements in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and support for the MBPP?
To answer these questions, I assumed 11 a priori influences about the participants' KMO
factors that might have contributed to the stakeholder's success in graduating from the
management program on time. The influences were validated based on the following three
principles: (a) the influence was validated if and only if 80% or more of the participants
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confirmed it, (b) the influence was partially validated if and only if 50% or more of the
participants confirmed it, and (c) the influence was not validated if less than 50% of the
participants confirmed it.
In general, the research findings validated eight and partially validated three out of 11 a
priori influences. These influences were assumed to be critical to success in their master's
programs, particularly in the key sociocultural adjustment factors of communication skills, active
participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. Moreover, several important themes
were discovered within the few of the assumed influences, and there was one new, and
previously unanticipated emergent theme found. The new emergent theme was discussed in its
own section.
The remainder of this chapter discusses research results in greater detail. The chapter is
organized by the three main categories of findings: KMO factors. First, knowledge findings are
discussed following the order of assumed influences. Second, motivation findings are described.
Next, the chapter presents organizational findings. Within each section, I highlighted important
themes that emerged within the assumed a priori influences. Finally, the one emergent theme is
explained and discussed. The chapter ends with a brief summary of all research findings.
Participating Stakeholders
Interview Participants
The participating stakeholders were the 128 graduates from 2018 and 2019. Out of the
128 potential participants, more than 20 indicated their willingness to participate in an in-person
interview regarding the research topic and provided their contact information. According to the
criteria stated in Chapter Three, 12 were invited. In total, 12 interviews were conducted. All
interviews were conducted via Zoom in a period of three months. The duration of the structured
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interviews ranged from 45 minutes to 1 hour. All of the interviews were transcribed through
professional service.
Error! Reference source not found. shows the demographic information of the
interview participants. For the consideration of confidentiality and easy reference, pseudonyms
have been assigned to the interview participants. Since all of the interview participants are
graduates from 2018 and 2019, the ages of the participants are between 23 and 25 years.

Table 5
Demographic Information of Interview Participants (N = 12)
Variable Pseudonym Gender
Enroll in graduate studies at Lakeshore
University
CP (Emily) Female
M.Z. (Ava) Female
L.Z. (Fred) Female
S.Z. (Joe) Female
S.W. (Gary) Male
YX (Simon) Male
YY (Kris) Male
Enroll in other management schools in the U.S.
L.Z. (Zora) Female
J.X. (Young) Male
XL (Lillian) Female
L.Z. (Jennifer) Female
Enroll in other management schools in the U.K. Z.Z. (Rebecca) Female

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Knowledge Results and Findings
The knowledge part of the study sought to understand students' immersion into campus
culture to prepare them for future graduate program studies in the U.S. and focused on exploring
the degree to which MBPP students self-reflect about achieving goals in preparation for the U.S.
academic environment. Furthermore, this section also examined participants' ability to maintain
proper communication skills and ability to use the available resources. Five knowledge
influences were identified based on Anderson & Krathwohl's (2002) taxonomy of knowledge
types that include factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. The study
specifically assumed two procedural and two metacognitive influences. All influences were
validated, and there were no new influences discovered. Table 6 presents a summary of assumed
knowledge influences and their validation status.

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Table 6
Assumed Knowledge Influences and Validation Status
Assumed knowledge influence Validated Partially
validated
Not
validated

Student ability to maintain proper
communication skills when interacting
with faculty and staff throughout the
program
X

Student ability to use the available
resources provided by the MBPP and
Lakeshore University to achieve a well-
rounded graduate program application
X

Student knowledge of their awareness
around American culture and immersion
of campus culture in and out of the
classroom
X

Student self-reflection about achieving their
goals in preparation for success in the
U.S. academic environment
X

Student Ability to Maintain Proper Communication Skills When Interacting With Faculty
and Staff Throughout the Program
The first assumed knowledge influence was classified as procedural knowledge, and it
was assessed through interviews alone. This influence was the following: Student ability to
maintain proper communication skills when interacting with faculty and staff throughout the
program. The interview question that helped with the validation of the assumed influences was:
How effectively did you communicate with faculty and staff at MBPP?
Participants were further probed on the details of their responses, including their
reflection on the differences of communication approach they used when they joined the
program versus when they graduated or when they were in the master program. In what follows,
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a few significant themes are outlined to provide evidence for the validation of this procedural
knowledge influence mentioned above. This item was validated by the data collected from the
interview.
Effectiveness When Communicating With Faculty and Staff at MBPP
Ten out of 12 participants mentioned that their communication with faculty and staff was
effective at MBPP. Nice out of 12 participants expressed that the school environment makes
them feel at home, and the friendly staff makes it easy for them to communicate with. For
instance, Gary said that "both the staff and faculty members of the program showed us great
enthusiasm and care." Gary continued that "It was our first time arriving in the United States, and
we felt their enthusiasm. They gave us positive guidance regarding issues on academics and
lifestyle." Notable figures, such as Emily, Rebecca, and Fred, just to name a few, spoke
passionately about their experience communicating with faculty members. Emily described it as
follows: The faculty members remembered the student names and remembered your majors and
where you were from. That really makes me feel at home and definitely feel closer.
A few participants recalled course registration process provides a suitable environment
and opportunity to force them to practice effective communication. Among all the participants,
Zora was the least active in communicating with faculty and staff; she expressed that: I would
only interact with them when I had to register for classes. In general, I seldom take the initiative
to interact with faculty and staff members. Rebecca, Ava, Fred, and Gary all benefited from the
course registration process. Ava described it as following:
Universities in China usually pre-arrange courses required to take by students. However,
we get more freedom in selecting courses in America, where we get to take courses we
are interested in. In the beginning, I didn't know how to select classes and did not know
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exactly which classes were suitable, but there were faculty staff members who specialize
in that to help me. After 1 year, I became more familiar with the process of selecting
courses.
Proper guidance provided by the school and a soft-landing environment to foster a
relationship with the incoming MBPP students are important. During the program's orientation
stage, a series of essential events helped students feel at ease at adjusting themselves to a new
environment. The registration process can the first step for students in the program to transition
into American academic settings.
Email communications with faculty and staff are essential to success in the management
program. Six out of 12 participants explicitly pointed out the importance of learning the etiquette
and professional approach of effectively utilizing email to communicate in the academic
environment. Kris was the one vocal about this experience "During my time at MBPP, in order
to build a better knowledge foundation, I've learned how to properly communicate with my
professors via email by using the correct email format and etiquette. MBPP program provided
me an opportunity to understand better ways of communication with my professors." And Fred
also echoed with "We were able to communicate via Facebook and email even when the faculty
staff members are busy." An effective communication refers not only to students' verbal
communication, but the way one gets along with people, the manner of dealing with people, and
how one conducts oneself with others is part of the communication skills and etiquette norms for
the students to learn part of the transition.
Communication Approach Improvement and Communication Strategy Improvement
Eleven out of 12 participants expressed their improvement on communication approach
and strategy. In discussing communication approach improvement compared with when they
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freshly joined MBPP, six of the participants shared their positive experiences. Rebecca
mentioned that "The foundation I've gotten from the MBPP program has allowed me to take the
initiative to communicate and interact with my professors in my graduate program" Kris
responded to this probe from another perspective, which is "I was able to better practice my
presentation skills and group collaboration skills during my time at MBPP." Ava also echoed
with the same improvement. On the other hand, Young talked about another skillset: MBPP
helped me build up my confidence in speaking to native English speakers. One of the most
important lessons I learned from the MBPP is that people have different English accents.
Nine participants positively discussed their improvement in communication strategy. The
improvements are on multiple fronts. Emily noted that she would "let them know my difficulties
and we will work it out together;" Zora and Simon talked about "actively reaching out to
communicate with professors" or "brave enough to ask professors;" Jennifer points out about
"the increase of communication with my professors, focusing less on right or wrong answers, but
instead focusing more on expressing my thoughts in general;" and Lillian's improvement is
"learned to ask for assistance from the respective and corresponding faculty and staff;" Fred and
others expressed the improvement around "became more independent and active dealing with
such communication methods." It is clear that MBPP program has helped the student to improve
communication approach and develop a certain communication strategy as a transition.
Adopting Specific Communication Strategies to Engage Conversation
Ten of the 12 participants discussed them adopting a new communication strategy to
engage in conversation with faculty and staff, and peer students. It is interesting to observe how
students at MBPP adept themselves with sociocultural adjustment. For example, students with
better communication skills, such as Rebecca and Simon, talked about starting a conversation
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with finding similar topics of interests and hobbies or engaging in communicating and talking
more about China. People with modest communication preparation expressed different strategies
to engage in conversation. Gary mentioned his ability to find common topics with the locals, and
Fred expressed his strengths and knowledge in certain areas. Folks without skillful
communication focused on academics with small groups, such as Kris, Joe, and Ava. Finally, the
most introverted one among the participants, Zora, uses a rational thought process and prepared
phrases or vocabulary to express thoughts and text messages.
Complete Transition in Terms of Proper Communication Skills During MBPP
Fifty percent of participants expressed that they have completed the transition and did not
find communication approaches any differences in the master program compared to MBPP. A
few even expressed that they communicated less with the faculty and staff in G.P. less than in
MBPP due to the nature of the graduate program with more international students. Emily,
Lillian, Gary, and Simon expressed that "were not many changes in my communication
approach" in management school. Young mentioned:
I think during the time, only three or four people were native American. Therefore, I
don't have too much experience hanging out with peer American students during my
graduate program. MBPP helped me build up my confidence in speaking to native
English speakers.
Zora also talked about her experience:
When I was in my undergraduate program, I had more communication with the faculty
and staff members. When I was in my graduate program, I had less and restricted
communication with my professors. As my advisor is Chinese, we would interact in
Mandarin, and our main form of communication was via email.
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Overall, all participants demonstrated a vast knowledge of maintaining proper
communication skills when interacting with faculty and staff throughout the program. They
shared significant insights, including personal experiences, that fully validated the assumed
influences related to their procedural knowledge. This knowledge was assumed to play an
important role in the stakeholder's capacity to adjust sociocultural skills, such as communication.
Moreover, the participants' procedural knowledge confirmed that the MBPP program efficiently
prepares students with adequate skills to transition to a master's program successfully.
Student Ability to Use the Available Resources Provided by the MBPP and Lakeshore
University
The second assumed knowledge influence is the student's ability to use the available
resources provided by the MBPP and Lakeshore University. It was classified as procedural
knowledge and was assessed through a combination of interviews. The interview question that
further supported the validation process was: How did you approach difficult tasks, such as
completing a graduate application by using resources offered by campus or by the program? This
question was followed by a number of probes that focused on how did what students learned in
the program help them navigate their time in a graduate program? This item was validated by the
data collected from the interview.
Students Gained the Ability to use the Available Resources Provided by the Program and the
University
All 12 participants express their ability to use resources, not only completing a graduate
application effectively but also in other areas. Emily, Young, Fred, and Jennifer all shared their
experience using professors' office hours to gain help and obtain feedback. Emily mentioned
using the connections built with faculty members to improve academics; Young and Lillian
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talked about doing extensive research online using resources provided by the school. Ava even
memorized her experience using the professor's help to get a doctor's appointment. Lillian has an
awareness of her transition from peer advising to staff advising.
In summary, the theme highlighted above seemed to play a crucial role in preparing
students with adequate skills to obtain help when needed during their management school
journey. The themes make a strong case for validating the assumed procedural influence and
providing important details for future recommendations to help students navigate any foreign
campus.
Student Knowledge of Their Awareness Around American Culture and Immersion of
Campus Culture in and out of Classroom
The third assumed knowledge influence: student knowledge of their awareness around
American culture and immersion of campus culture in and out of the classroom was classified as
metacognitive knowledge and validated by interviews. The interview question that helped with
advancing the validation of the influence was the following: Please describe your experiences
interacting with your peer American students in your current graduate program. Two probes
were particularly helpful in providing additional information to supplement this question. They
were:
• Probe1: Tell me about the most memorable experience when you interacted with your
American classmates.
• Probe 2: Did your experience in the MBPP prepare you for effective interaction with the
American peers in the classroom.
This item was validated by the data collected from the interview.

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MBPP Prepares Students for Effective Interaction With Their American Peers
Nine out of the 12 participants responded positively that MBPP prepares them with
effective interaction. However, eight participants expressed a trend of transition that they
gradually adapted to the environment. (need a quote). Fred talked about his experience:
Due to cultural differences, life in China consists more of traditional cultural elements.
However, I had to adapt to the American culture here. For instance, I had to learn ways of
communicating with my classmates, interactions during events, and interactions with
American roommates.
Many students felt the same way as Emily and Gary that "I was actually nervous at first; it is just
the general meeting with my advisor." Ava experienced not only nervousness but "a little lost
when I first came to America because it was a new learning environment and a different
education system." Young talked about "when I first arrived here, I did feel a bit awkward to
visit dean's office or situations similar like this."
All of them concluded that the year spent with MBPP helped them with the transition to
interact with their American peers effectively. Rebecca expressed that "During my time at
MBPP, my confidence to interact with local American students have improved." Emily echoed
with that, "Definitely, my experience in the MBPP program helps me better communicate with
the group members." Kris is not shy about sharing his excitement: During my time studying in
the MBPP program, I had more effective interactions with local American students. Practice
makes perfect because MBPP provided me a process of adaptation in the new environment.

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Group Discussion and Working With Members From Different Backgrounds Is a Major
Way for Campus Culture Immersion
Almost all the participants mentioned that the group discussion played a vital role in
helping them immerse with campus culture in and out of the classroom. Eleven participants
shared direct evidence about the group discussion. Emily's experience was:
The way I used to be more engaged with my American classmates is through assigned in
the same group. Of course, it's useful. You need to discuss and talk every week about
your project. My groupmates actually helped me a lot with the presentation. They helped
me with the grammar because they know I am an international student.
Zora mentioned that "The mandatory assignments force me to break through my comfort zone
and to have open and transparent communication with my American classmates." Rebecca
reinforced this trend with experience such as:
I've also gradually learned how to make foreign students accept my opinions. At the
beginning of my studies, I would be as prepared as I can. That way, I could better
persuade the other non-Chinese students during my communication with them.
Working with group members from different backgrounds also helps the transition. Seven out of
12 discussed how they benefit from the diverse background of the group members. Simon
commented on the "synergy of multiple cultures working together." Emily, Jennifer, Rebecca,
Lillian, and Young all share about their positive experience. Young mentioned:
In the U.S. I need to talk to people in a completely different language and cultural
background. When I talked to the Americans, I gradually built up my confidence. I am
now able to express my thoughts in a more complex way.
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Five participants mentioned their unpleasant experiences due to cultural differences, and they all
learned from them. This lesson helped to enhance student's knowledge of their awareness of
American culture. Rebecca reflected with:
Due to cultural differences, my communication with non-Chinese peers has been difficult
in the beginning. I think I would need to first acknowledge that I intend to communicate
with non-Chinese peers, and I think what's important is that I need to use my strong
foundation of knowledge to gain the trust of my non-Chinese peers.
Jennifer shared her reflection with an unpleasant experience:
I did a project with a student who was from India, and due to cultural and personality
differences, there were conflicts and different opinions; therefore, we weren't able to
achieve mutual understanding and decisions.
Overall, all participants demonstrated a strong awareness of American culture, and the program
helped them with the immersion of campus culture in and out of the classroom. They presented a
solid desire and development of the ability to transition around the campus environment, and the
program sufficiently prepares the students with this important metacognitive knowledge before
entering top management schools.
Student self-Reflection About Achieving Their Goals in Preparation for Success in the U.S.
Academic Environment
The fourth assumed knowledge influence, which is student knowledge of their own
preparation for success in the U.S. academic environment, was classified as metacognitive
knowledge. It was validated by interviews alone. The interview question that helped with
advancing the validation of the influence was the following: How do your academic experiences
in the U.S. compare to your experiences in China? One probe was particularly helpful in
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providing additional information to supplement this question. It was: what is an example of a
skill or knowledge area you purposefully improved to help you succeed in the U.S. academic
environment?
As introduced in Chapter Two, Metacognition is a crucial factor in performance, as
metacognitive awareness and control can improve learning and performance (Seli & Dembo
2019). The MBPP aims to promote practical competence and provide emotional support while
creating a supportive space for students. The program's goal is to prepare international students
by exposing them to the inner workings of an American university classroom through
assignments that focus on classroom expectations and norms. Specifically, students regularly
engage in critical thinking and reflection as part of the course requirements (Kaloustian, 2014).
Three themes related to this influence have been identified and will be discussed below.
MBPP Provides Students With an Effective Foundation in Achieving Their Goals to Succeed
in the U.S. Academic Environment
All 12 participants responded with a firm answer that MBPP provides an effective
foundation for them in multiple ways. Emily started her response with:
The MBPP program already helped me establish a good foundation suitable for me and
for my needs. I was already prepared for my graduate program, and I know the way it
works. It's sort of preparing you for your graduate program, and since the system is the
same, once you figure it out, you can have the best use of your graduate program.
Many students responded in a similar way. For example, Kris talked about 'I was then able to
understand the student life and learning environment better.' Young mentioned that the "MBPP
program helped me fit into the new culture and build my confidence in asking questions in my
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master's degree program." Gary's answer is comprehensive and represents the common reflection
from the participants:
This year at MBPP has provided us with great assistance, and the program has helped us
better adapt to the lifestyle of a graduate student. When we started our journey as
graduate students, we have then had more self-confidence. This year of study at the
MBPP program provided us with certain familiarity with the American education and
learning environment and a better understanding of professors' language and teaching
methods.
It is evident that MBPP provides students with an effective foundation in achieving their
goals to succeed in the U.S. academic environment.
Students Are Clear About Their Reflection of the Difference Between the Academic
Environment in China and the United States
Nine of the participants discussed their clear reflection. They all agree that in American,
students are more actively involved in the class. Simon started with:
The way of learning in class is totally different here than in China, where the teacher
gives instructions on what to do and how to do it. However, it's more about discussion in
the classroom in the states, which encourages students to talk and think more.
Furthermore, teamwork has not been the priority in Chinese universities.
At university in China, Emily talked about not as much communication between student and
advisor, and Gary agreed with "there is a difference between American professors and Chinese
professors." Most of the responses converge on the theme that there will definitely be several
months of incompatibility and challenge in adapting for those who did not participate in
programs similar to MBPP.
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Some students mentioned the cultural and operational nature of the difference between
the education system in China and the U.S. Joe expressed that universities in China usually pre-
arrange courses required to take by students. However, students get more freedom in selecting
courses in America, where they get to take courses they are interested in. Fred talks about his
unfamiliarity with the quarter system and course schedules in the U.S. He had a more profound
reflection:
The American education system taught me different effective learning methods.
Professors will not spoon-feed knowledge to the students but will teach more learning
methods, including how to better utilize resources to complete assignments, encouraging
research and individualism. In China, professors teach us all the content, and we had to
depend on our memory, but the knowledge learned was deeper. Both education systems
have their own advantages.
With students have a clear reflection of the difference between the academic environment in
China, and the U.S., it is easier for them to adapt into norms of academic settings in the U.S.
Students Are Preparing Themselves With Academic Skillsets for Their Success in the U.S.
Academic Environment
Ten participants actively discussed their self-reflection on their academic skills. The
skillsets that students mentioned are essential in academic preparation. Simon and Lillian both
mentioned critical thinking skills, which is definitely encouraged more than just absorbing
knowledge from your professor. Simon mentioned thinking in another approach to find solutions
and an interdisciplinary study approach in the U.S. academic environment. Presentation skills
come up many times in the dialogue. Emily, Zora, Rebecca, Kris, Fred, and Simon all talked
about enhancing such skills. Simon gave a particular example:
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When I went to work, I realized this is what I learned from the MBPP program. The
professors always assigned PowerPoint projects and presentations. So, when I started
working, my supervisor gave tasks similar to what I've learned in the program, such as
constructing a PowerPoint or do a presentation which I feel more confident with them
now.
Some students found that MBPP equipped them with some practical knowledge to prepare for
management school study. Kris mentioned financial models and valuation analysis. Joe talked
about multiple factor regression and statistics, and Rebecca discussed specific marketing courses
during the MBPP year that were helpful. However, most of them adopted broader skills. Emily
talked about self-learning. She reflected:
I feel like the professors here mainly lead you to the point, but they don't tell you how to
get to the point and what you would expect at that point. For me, I feel that they increase
my interest in something. Through projects, homework, and my own research, I can find
that out by myself.
Both Rebecca and Lillian discussed reading English papers and composing long papers. Rebecca
forced herself to learn and understand academic readings. She recollected that skill allowed her
to better adapt to a 25,000-word academic paper in the graduate program.
In summary, the theme highlighted above verified the way students reflect on themselves
about achieving their goals in preparation for success in the U.S. academic environment. The
themes make a strong case for validating the assumed metacognitive influence and providing
important details for future recommendations to help students gain academic skillsets before
entering management schools.

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Summary of Knowledge Findings
Overall, the research participants exhibited deep knowledge regarding the four
knowledge influences assumed before the study took place. These influences were generated
based on an extensive literature review, and the interview participants successfully validated all
of them. Based on the content analysis from the interviews, all themes seem especially
important. They are 1) Student ability to maintain proper communication skills, 2) Student
ability to use the available resources, 3) Student's awareness around American culture and
immersion of campus culture, and 4) Student self-reflection about preparation for success in the
U.S. academic environment. This study assumed that procedural knowledge and metacognitive
knowledge would be significant for the stakeholder's capacity to prepare for management school
success and the research findings confirmed this stipulation.
Motivation Results and Findings
The motivation portion of the study aimed at understanding what caused participants to
start in the critical sociocultural adjustment factors of communication skills, active participation,
and social interaction with non-Chinese peers. Seli and Dembo (2019) stated that motivation is
influenced by various internal and external factors. Among them, there are personal beliefs and
perceptions as well as sociocultural influences. Rueda (2011) argued that motivational beliefs
often stem from others with whom we interact in social settings. This means that motivation is
context-specific and depends heavily on organizational culture. Three critical motivational
factors were identified as assumed to impact MBPP students' capacity to prepare for
management school's success: self-efficacy and utility value. All study participants validated all
influences through interview questions, and there were no new influences that have emerged.
Table 7 shows a summary of assumed motivation influences and their validation status.
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Table 7
Assumed Motivation Influences and Validation Status
Assumed motivation influence Validated Partially
validated
Not
validated
MBPP students' value for increasing
classroom involvement in their
first term U.S. grad business
classes
X
MBPP students' confidence in their
ability to communicate with non-
Chinese peers effectively
X
MBPP students' confidence in
increasing their academic success
through sociocultural adjustment in
first-term U.S. grad business
classes
X

MBPP Students' Value for Increasing Classroom Involvement
The first assumed motivation influence was utility value. As discussed in Chapter Two,
Eccles and colleagues (2006) argued that the value of the task for facilitating one's immediate or
long-range goals or external rewards (utility value) is a critical predictor of engagement in
desirable behaviors. The following question validated the utility value construct: What do you
see as the value of actively engaged in the classroom? A few context-specific probes followed
this. Nine participants said that they value actively engaged in the classroom. This motivational
influence is fully validated by the research and data collection. Below these two realities are
described more in detail.
Value of Actively Engaging in the Classroom
Eight of the participants confirmed positively their value of actively engaged in the
classroom. One confirmed with evidence on how he values active engagement in the classroom.
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Emily expressed that you will pay more attention if you are more active in the class. Rebecca
talked about the value as active engagement would generate more guidance from professors in
the classroom. Joe discussed the utility value as practical as active participation greatly impacts
getting better grades in class. Young talked about how important it is to express yourself to
others in the classroom. His experience is that students can even hear on-time feedback from the
professors. Fred logically analyzes the logic of active participation in the classroom:
I think actively participating in class discussions, activities and answering questions are
very important. If I was able to follow my professor's guidance, answer and ask
questions, reflect on the content, I'd get a better grip and memory on the knowledge
learned, which means I'm able to save more time on revising after class. This has been
very effective in my understanding of the course material and revision of exams. MBPP
program taught me logical thinking skills that were different from memorizing content in
China...
Majority of MBPP students values active participation in the classroom as confirmed by this
research.
Gradually Transition in Active Classroom Participation
Students may value the active classroom engagement; however, it takes time for some
students to adjust with active participation. As part of Fred's analysis, he mentioned, "this is a
gradual process that cannot be achieved immediately." Emily expressed her frustration: "I was
terrified to talk in front of all my classmates. What if you are wrong, but that was not the point."
Rebecca also echoed with the fact that "During semester two and semester three, I was able to
learn the ways to participate in classroom discussions slowly effectively."
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The utility value of this motivational construction that MBPP students value active
participation in the classroom is fully validated by the research and data collection.
MBPP Students' Confidence in Their Ability to Communicate With Non-Chinese Peers
Effectively
The second assumed motivation influence was self-efficacy, which is one's own belief or
confidence that one can successfully complete a specific task (Parajes, 2010). The study assumed
that MBPP students are confident in their ability to communicate with non-Chinese peers
effectively. The specific question that supported the validation of self-efficacy was:
• How do you feel about your ability to communicate with non-Chinese peers students?
Two probes were particularly helpful in providing additional information to supplement this
question. They were:
• Probe1: Please tell me about a specific time when you had successful interactions with
non-Chinese peer students.
• Probe 2: Please tell me about a specific time when your interactions with non-Chinese
peers failed.
This motivational influence was only partially validated by the research and the data
collection.
Confidence to Communicate With Non-Chinese Peers Before MBP
Eight participants have confirmed that their confidence to communicate with non-
Chinese peers before MBPP is weak. Emily was not shy talking about her experience:
It's of course more challenging and difficult to communicate with non-Chinese peers
because we were from different backgrounds. Before that, I didn't know how to because I
actually didn't communicate with non-Chinese students in my Chinese university.
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Rebecca talked about "lack of confidence;" both Zora and Kris talked about the confidence have
been average and can only maintain casual conversations. Fred experienced with "I couldn't
understand my classmates because my American classmates used slang in conversations." Kris
expressed that there were cultural differences that have affected or caused some difficulties in
our interactions.
Confidence to Communicate With Non-Chinese Peers After MBPP
Half participants have confirmed that their confidence to communicate with non-Chinese
peers after MBPP has been increased. However, half participants have confirmed that their
confidence to communicate with non-Chinese peers after MBPP has been still challenging. No
matter the level of their confidence, their experiences of communicating with non-Chinese peers
were also mixed. Emily, Young, Fred, and Lillian expressed that they are confident to
communicate after MBPP. Lillian stated that her communication skills improved rapidly due to
the interaction with local American students. Fred gave a clear example of his improvement:
After a year of transition in MBPP, I better understood the American culture. Therefore I
knew what topics to interact with my American students about. The conversations I've
learned weren't limited to oral communication, but it was communication via emails and
text messages as well. In the beginning, I wasn't too sure of the slangs and abbreviations
used by my American classmates, however as I've gotten to learn more as I slowly
integrate into their social circle. I realized that American peers are very accepting of us if
we show an effort to adapt to their culture and habits.
Rebecca, Zora, Kris, and Joe expressed that they are still not confident communicating with non-
Chinese peers after MBPP. Rebecca stated that it was still challenging for her to communicate
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smoothly with other non-Chinese peers after three quarters. Joe even voiced that he would not
proactively engage with non-Chinese peers.
In summary, the study participants only partially validated that the MBPP students are
confident to communicate with non-Chinese peers. Eight participants mentioned explicitly that
their confidence to communicate with non-Chinese peers before was low. However, only four
participants disclosed that they are pretty confident to communicate with non-Chinese peers after
MBPP. Another four participants disclosed that their confidence to communicate with non-
Chinese peers after a full year of study at MBPP.
MBPP Students Are Confident in Increasing Their Academic Success Through
Sociocultural Adjustment in First-Term U.S. Grad Business Classes
The third assumed motivation influence was also self-efficacy. The study assumed that
the MBPP students are confident in increasing their academic success through sociocultural
adjustment in first-term U.S. grad business classes. The specific question that supported the
validation of self-efficacy was:
• How confident were you as you begin your first-term graduate business studies?
One prob was particularly helpful in providing additional information to supplement this
question. It was:
• Did you anticipate any particular challenges, and were you able to overcome
them?
This motivational influence was fully validated by the research and the data collection.

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MBPP Students Are Confident in Increasing Their Academic Success Through Sociocultural
Adjustment
Ten participants, without hesitation, confirmed their confidence in increasing their
academic success. Among many students who expressed their positive experience about MBPP
program, Rebecca mentioned:
Graduate programs are usually a year or a year and a half long; therefore, if it wasn't for
MBPP, I would've taken longer to adjust and adapt to the graduate program course
content.
Kris also confirmed that the MBPP program had laid a good knowledge foundation for his first
semester at graduate school. Stay in the management program at Lakeshore University also helps
with the feeling of self-efficacy. Fred stated:
I became more confident in my graduate program and this was because the professors
were from the MBPP program, and there was also a cross-over of content that I've
learned before, so the process was easier as well.
Lillian echoed with:
I am considered a confident person. I could cope with my academics and be able to
communicate with my professors fluently. I would think that without the transition
provided by the MBPP program, my studies would've been more challenging.
The majority students validated that they are confident in increasing their academic
success through sociocultural adjustment.

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Able to Overcome Particular Challenges
Except for four participants who did not encounter any challenges, all participants talked
about their experience of navigating to overcome particular challenges. Each student's challenges
are different. Emily discussed time management:
I joined not only the student association but also the ambassador team. I was also trying
to graduate early, I was taking five classes per quarter. I had a hectic schedule, and I had
to maintain my participation. I need to be as involved as promised.
Some students talked about challenges around academic preparation. Rebecca stated that
my papers lack concrete academic research. Zora mentioned that encountering courses that are
heavily graded on exams was her challenge. Ava talked about taking an additional math course
to satisfy the math prerequisite. Fred said that adapting to a different syllabus structure with
many quizzes was a challenge.
Some students discussed challenges around cultural adoption. Joe talked about
management of teamwork has been one of the biggest challenges. Young overcame the challenge
to gradually learned the new culture. Fred said that participate in class was a big challenge. Gary
shared his experience with a vivid example:
I think graduate students are more diligent and participated more actively in classroom
discussions compared to undergraduate students. I was motivated by the hard work of
these students to participate more in classrooms. For instance, in one of the courses in my
first quarter as a graduate student, students were required to give a two to three minutes
presentation and every session. Since students who presented were chosen randomly, I
actively prepared and read class materials before each class.
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MBPP program helped the students increasing their academic success through
sociocultural adjustment. The KMO item is fully validated by the data collection of this research.
Summary of Motivation Findings
In conclusion, participants successfully expressed their motivational beliefs behind
preparing for management school study with transition through a year at MBPP. These findings
confirmed my assumptions about student's utility value of actively engaged in the classroom.
Moreover, all participants indicated that they are confident, and some even mentioned that they
are highly confident in increasing their academic success, and students partially validated that
they are confident to communicate with non-Chinese peers. This indicates that the students
possess high self-efficacy. Furthermore, several participants mentioned that their confidence
comes from seeing the success that they have achieved. This confirms the Seli & Dembo (2019)
assertion that success raises an individuals' self-efficacy while failure lowers it.
Organization Results and Findings
The organization portion of the study, following Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001)
categorization of organizational influences, focused on examining a variety of organizational
models and settings assumed to play an important role in allowing students to reach their
performance goal successfully. As explained more in detail in Chapter Two, cultural models are
values, beliefs, and norms that an organization shares, while cultural settings are physical
manifestations of such cultural models. Cultural settings can take the form of policies, resources,
and people. Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) explained that organizational models, commonly
refer to as organizational cultures, exist and are formed in organizational settings and that the
two are "manifestly interconnected" (p.48). Thus, because organizational factors can either help
or hinder stakeholders' performance, I aimed to understand how school functions when managing
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MBPP program from culture setting and culture modeling perspective. Data obtained from
interviews validated the two organizational models assumed about the school of business at Lak
University. However, the two influences concerning the organizational settings of the school of
business at Lak University were only partially validated. Table 8 displays a summary of assumed
organizational influences and their validation status.

Table 8
Assumed Organizational Influences and Validation Status
Assumed organizational influence

Validated Partially
validated
Not
validated
The school's culture of fostering an
environment for MBPP student to
practice and enhance
communication skills effectively

X

The school's culture of promoting
social activities among all students

X

The school's provision of an open-
door policy for MBPP students to
interact with key staff, faculty
members, and current matriculated
students

X

The school's provision of effective
incentives for MBPP students who
actively participate in activities and
demonstrate improvement in
communication skills

X

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The School Has the Culture of Fostering an Environment for MBPP Student to Practice
and Enhance Communication Skills Effectively
The first assumed organizational influence was a cultural model related to fostering an
environment for MBPP students to practice and enhance communication skills effectively. The
question validated the presence of such culture:
• Did you have sufficient opportunity to practice and enhance your communication
skills when you were in the MBPP program?
The question, in all instances, was followed by the same probe:
• Please share some examples of circumstances when you successfully practice these
skills?
No documents were reviewed while validating this influence. All 12 participants validated the
influence.
When students discussed the culture model, various opportunities to practice and enhance
communication skills effectively and different circumstances surfaced. I captured a snapshot of
the student experience. Young started by talking about the environment forced him to speak in
English. Zora, Ava, Simon, and Lillian also talked about the learning environment being in
English. Zora mentioned:
During the MBPP program, I was provided a platform to interact with local American
students and created an opportunity for me to interact with them. MBPP has provided
group assignments that improved my communication with other non-Chinese classmates.
Some professors would encourage us to participate in workshops and talks. We've been
very clear with our academic goals and communication, allowing my classmates and me
to better interact on our future career development.
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Jennifer, Gary, Kris, and Rebecca stated that they attended many networking and
exchange events. Jennifer that she was able to enhance her communication with local
thanksgiving dinner and office hours with professors. Gary expressed that:
The program offered various activities for us to better interact and communicate with
local professors and students. During each quarter, there was a gala that was held at the
school. I was able to participate in this event during my year at MBPP. This event was
my first time interacting with the current graduate students and my professors outside of
class, and I realized it was a very different experience. My professors provided me a lot
of advice on academics and life. The graduate students provided me a lot of career and
workplace advice.
Emily discussed her unique immersion experience serving as a member of the ambassador team:
I also joined the undergraduate ambassador team. I'm not alone. I have the president, the
advisor, the ambassador advisor. I have my teammates, and we have meetings. They
definitely helped me prepare. Through this opportunity, I get to network with other
professionals and alumni. This opportunity sometimes pressures me because it's
communicating with your peers and communicating with professionals.
The perception from the students and data collected from the research validated the KMO item
that the school’s culture of fostering an environment for MBPP student to practice and enhance
communication skills effectively.
The School's Culture of Promoting Social Activities Among All Students Is Strong
The second assumed organizational influence was a cultural model concerning the
school's culture of promoting social activities. I assumed that the school provides robust social
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activities for MBPP students, and the promotion of the activities is adequate. The following
question validated the second cultural model:
• How robust are the social activities among students in the MBPP program?
The question, in all instances, was followed by the identical probes:
• Were there enough activities, and do you feel you are aware of them?
• Please describe one or two examples of activities you enjoyed?
No documents were reviewed while validating this influence. Eight participants validated the
influence. These are a few ways in which the study participants described the robustness of the
social activities: "hold a lot of social events," "social activities offered were sufficient," "events
organized by MBPP have outstanding quality," the quantity is a lot. The quality is good too," and
"the social activities were robust."
The MBPP Students Are Aware of the Robust Social Activities Provided by the School
The school's welcome back party, the dean's house party event, and the Halloween Party
are voted among the most memorable event and enjoyed by the many participants. Gary's
comments represent most of the student's feedback:
I think there were sufficient activities, and we were notified of these activities on time. I
think it was a great element that regardless of whether it was an American or Chinese
holiday, there were corresponding activities hosted by MBPP. I think visiting the dean's
house was a great event. I could feel that our dean is very approachable. At the same
time, I connected with various professors and students there that would help establish my
social network. During my studies in China, it was rare for us to reach higher
management faculty members.
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Emily, Rebecca, Zora, and Lillian all emphasize the positive experience with orientation. In
addition, Rebecca shared her experience about school's social activities and the orientation
events:
I was aware of these social events as the school has emphasized events promotion and
would promptly notify us of the upcoming events held by the school. In addition, during
orientation events, I was able to understand American campus life holistically. I also like
the networking events on campus as these events have been very laid-back and have had
a more relaxing atmosphere than Chinese networking events.
Students Actively Participate in Events to Improve Awareness or Communication
Students carry different motivations in actively participating in various social events. Try
to improve cultural awareness and improve communication skills are common themes among
students. Some of them behave in such a way unconsciously, but they all benefit from this
behavior. For example, Gary expressed that "I am personally an introvert, but the American
learning environment has urged me to interact with others." Jennifer was one of the participants
who did not confirm the robustness of the hosted social activities by the school with comments
of "extracurricular events did not provide as much access to MBPP," however, she shared her
experience of attending a social activity by herself:
I participated in a local thanksgiving dinner hosted by the university staff, which allowed
me to understand better the local culture. a thanksgiving dinner with a local family
allowed me to familiarize myself with the local American culture better.
Emily also confirms with a similar experience that she felt connected to the festivals and
through the events and activities. In addition, young had a unique opportunity to join the
university concert band, and it is clear that he benefited from such social activity:
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I played snare drum for the percussion music. Although I was very nervous as an
international student, the professor there made me feel very welcome. Moreover, when I
tried to transfer to the American culture, he helped me make many friends in the concert
band. Even now, I still have connections to the members of the band.
In conclusion, the author was able to verify the culture modeling perspective of the
school. The school fosters an environment for MBPP students to practice and enhance
communication skills effectively. Moreover, The school's culture of promoting social activities
among all students is strong.
The School's Provision of an Open-Door Policy for MBPP Students to Interact With Key
Staff, Faculty Members, and Current Matriculated Students
The third assumed organizational influence was a cultural setting concerning the School
of Business provision of an open-door policy for MBPP students to interact with key staff,
faculty, and currently matriculated students. The study assumed that students felt that school care
about their progress. More specifically, the study stipulated that MBPP's open-door policy is
sufficiently utilized. The question validated the presence of such a culture setting: To what extent
do you think that the school cared about your progress as a student? Each participant was also
probed about their comfort level of utilizing the open-door policy with a couple of examples. The
influence was partially validated by six study participants who confirmed that the school cares
about their progress in their minds. Furthermore, five participants mentioned that their
experience was negative. Jennifer said that "the staff, in general, did not show as much care."
Zora expressed that, "I think the school does not care much about our needs as some students
have encountered situations," Kris emphasis that, "I think the school has a room of improvement
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in term showing the care." Both Young and Lillian rated the school 6 out of 10 in its care about
student's progress.
The Open-Door Policy for MBPP Students
Nine participants confirm their awareness of the school's open-door policy for MBPP
students and its effectiveness. Three participants were aware of the policy but did not think
highly of the implementation of the policy. Among the three who did not have a positive
experience, Zora was the most vocal one:
I think this policy hasn't been effective. First of all, I've experienced staff not being at
their offices when I visit. Secondly, even when I have access to the open-door policy, the
conversation was really one-sided. This happened to my other classmates as well. I think
they don't have a full understanding of the information, therefore, providing misleading
responses. Therefore, I realized they have not been very serious in understanding our
needs. Instead, they have been only expressing their perspectives.
Among the participants who have a positive experience, the feedbacks are pretty similar.
For example, Gary talked about, "I was aware of the policy. The school's staff members are very
enthusiastic. If we approach them for help, the staff members have been very welcoming with
our requests." Lillian expressed:
I was aware. I have always been in contact with the faculty members and staff through
this policy. I think the professors at the business school have helped me out a lot. For
example, the faculty and staff members were able to help me when I had questions on
personal statements and scholarships.
In summary, the study participants only partially validated the culture setting of the
school's open-door policy and its care about MBPP student's progress. Six participants
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mentioned that they think the school's concern and care have been very comprehensive.
However, almost all of the participants implied that they are aware school's open-door policy.
Specifically, three participants said that the policy has not been effective, and the school did not
actively promote such policy.
The School's Provision of Effective Incentives for MBPP Students Who Actively
Participate in Activities and Demonstrate Improvement in Communication Skills
The fourth assumed organizational influence was a cultural setting concerning the
school's provision of effective incentives for MBPP students who actively participate in activities
and demonstrate improved communication skills. Clark and Estes (2008) stated that individuals
need information and training to reach their performance goals. Hence, this study assumed that
the MBPP students need to actively participate in activities to improve communication skills.
The presence of effective incentives for MBPP students to actively participate in the event to
improve on their communication skill was validated by the following question:
• To what extent did you participate in activities where you could utilize your
communication skills?
The question, in all instances, was followed by the same probes:
• Did you benefit from these events?
• Were you aware of incentives encouraging you to participate?
• How effective were the incentives?
No documents were reviewed while validating this influence. This influence was partially
validated on the basis of the interviews. Although almost all of the participants confirmed that
they aware of the incentives to encourage them to attend activities to enhance their
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communication skills, half of the participants either did not participate actively or found the
activity helpful. Also, half of the participants did not care much about the incentives provided.
Quality of the Activities for MBPP Students to Participate to Improve Communication Skills
The feedback from the participants is mixed with positive and negative experiences split
half and half. Kris, Lillian, and Fred all agreed that they were very helpful. Fred mentioned that
these events were more organized, informative, and done in a very institutional way. Emily and
Joe both shared good experiences participating in the events hosted by the school. Joe said that:
These events are indeed beneficial. I was able to actively and effectively interact with my
professors through these events. At the same time, these events have also enriched my personal
free time to a certain extent.
On the other hand, Young talked about that in terms of developing communication skills,
these events are not enough and not very helpful. Zora echoed that: I did not participate in other
events except for those which were mandatory. However, even if I participated in those events,
my goal would be to see and learn how others communicate.
Gary stated his concern that as stress in academics increased, his participation in these
events was less. Rebecca shared her frustration:
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate a score of 4. This is because I did not participate in
those events as much. Subconsciously, I am afraid to interact with others in the setting of
these events.
The feedback on the quality of the activities for MBPP students to participate to improve
communication skills is mixed with half of the participants gave the positive feedback.

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Effectiveness of the Incentives
The school is trying to encourage students to participate in activities to practice and
enhance communication skills. Six out of 12 participants did not think the incentives are
effective. Therefore, this theme is partially validated. Zora was vocal about comparing to the
incentives, the opportunity cost to participate in the hosted events was too high. Kris shared his
experience: I was aware as I know there were free food, souvenirs, and application fee waiver. I
think whether having these incentives or not wasn't very useful to me.
Jennifer shared similar thoughts that the incentives did not mean much to her as she
chose to participate in the events that I am interested in regardless of the incentives. Both Lillian
and Young had very similar feedback: I do not feel they are effective. I would still go to the
events without the incentives. For other students, the incentives might not be enough.
Fred suggested during the interview that to improve the effectiveness of the incentives,
the school should organize these events with incentives based on students' needs and schedules.
Per the data collected from the research, this organizational support influence is only partially
validated.
Summary of Organization Findings
In summary, the study participants fully validated the two cultural models assumed about
the school: (a) culture of fostering an environment for MBPP students to practice and enhance
communication skills effectively and (b) culture that of promoting social activities among all
students. However, the participants only partially validated the two cultural settings influences
assumed about the school: (c) provision of an open-door policy for MBPP students to interact
with key staff, faculty members and current matriculated students and (d) university's provision
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of effective incentives for MBPP students who actively participate in activities and demonstrate
improvement on communication skills. The new emergent theme is discussed below.
Emergent Theme: Attentiveness to Student's Preparation
Throughout the interviews, two students among the participants constantly expressed
their positive experience in the MBPP due to their good foundation built before the program.
However, one participant was disappointed about her experience at MBPP due to her fitness to
the program. This theme was not assumed before the study. However, because of its presumed
significant impact on the evaluation of the success of MBPP, it can be categorized as an
emergent theme.
Good Fundamentals Help to Transit in the United States
Two students among the participants constantly expressed their positive experience in the
MBPP due to their good foundation built before the program. Jennifer mentioned about "There
has not been direct preparation as I had a solid foundation before coming to America; therefore,
my interaction has been natural" Simon shared:
When I was at the university back in Hebei, China, I joined a lot of projects and
connected with foreigners. I was a translator for the international relationship department
for my university. When I went to the states, it took me a short time to adapt to the new
environment because of the good fundamentals.
Their response throughout the interview demonstrated with a clear trend that good fundamental
before the program helps the student transit experience. Simon expressed that "I really enjoyed
my life in the U.S., and I learned a lot here." Jennifer echoed with, "I've always been confident
even before the start of the program, and there weren't any specific challenges."
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When discussed about their experience to communicate with non-Chinese peers, Simon's
response was:
I can communicate well with them, but its' still challenging when it comes to topics like
politics and the American culture. However, in general and for other topics, we often
have happy and effective discussions.
Jennifer acknowledged that her ability to communicate with non-Chinese peers is relatively
strong and has been going smoothly.
The Least Prepared Student May Struggle in the Program
One participant constantly expressed her disappointment in the MBPP due to her
foundation built before the program. When Zora reflected on her academic experience, she
mentioned, "I wasn't able to adjust with the course's challenges, " She followed up talking about
one of her challenges was encountering courses that are heavily graded on exams. When
discussing class participation, she shared: I think it was not as important. Unless it was a forced
or mandatory participation, I think the value from in-class participation has not been as
impactful. Zora voiced that she was less confident in increasing her academic success and stated
her average confidence to communicate with non-Chinese peers after MBPP. Zora could not
evaluate the robustness of the social activities as she did not participate in MBPP social events.
She was vocal about her feelings: I think the school does not care much about our needs as some
students have encountered situations where they had to do mandatory classes in MBPP. This has
led to having a negative atmosphere among the student community.
The needs of students who arrive well-prepared from the undergraduate experience in
China have demonstrably different needs from the normative student in the program. Similarly,
the least prepared student struggled in the program. So, the program needs to be attentive to
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students' preparation to ensure proper alignment--and may need to vary its offerings if the level
of preparation amongst the students is disparate. Thus, I labeled this feature Attentiveness to
Students’ Preparation.
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Influences
In conclusion, data obtained from the interviews fully validated eight out of 11 a priori
influences, partially validated two influences. Additionally, one emergent theme was discovered.
All knowledge influences and all motivation but one influence were validated. This
indicates that study participants did have the necessary knowledge and motivation needed to
succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program. Furthermore, the study validated
both of the cultural models assumed about the school itself. This is to say that the School of
Business at Lakeshore University was especially successful in creating a welcoming and
supportive environment that contributed to student's improvement of critical skillsets to succeed
in their master's programs, particularly in the key sociocultural adjustment factors of
communication skills, active participation, and social interaction with non-Chinese peers.
However, the research findings did not fully validate the two organizational influences
concerning the school of business: two cultural setting influences were partially validated.
Chapter Five will discuss the research findings more in-depth. It will also highlight the
specific key factors that improve the efficacy of the MBPP program with a clear evaluation and
propose a set of promising transferable practices that could suit other organizations experiencing
similar problems of practice. Finally, each generalizable recommendation will be described with
its implementation strategy and required human and financial resources.

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Chapter Five: Findings, Recommended Solutions, Implementation Plan, and Evaluation
The purpose of this evaluation study was to examine the degree to which the MBPP at
School of Business, Lakeshore University, achieves its goal of having 90% of its alumni
graduate from a business graduate program by June 2022. The research relates to a more
significant problem of practice: evaluating the efficacy of such programs and understanding how
the program goals can align with the organizational goals of a business school. Using Clark and
Estes (2008) and Rueda (2011) as a framework this study examined the KMO influences
assumed to play a critical role in the stakeholder's capacity to prepare international exchange
students for management school. Chapter One described the problem of practice and the
stakeholder of focus and embedded the study in the three research questions:
1. To what extent is the School of Business at Lakeshore University meeting its goal for all
MBPP graduates to succeed in their first term in a U.S. graduate business program?
2. What KMO supports do MBPP students need to successfully transition to a master's
program?
3. What are the recommended organizational enhancements in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and support for the MBPP?
Chapter Two reviewed existing literature focused on international student enrollment and
international student adjustment topics. that chapter also surveyed several hypotheses explaining
Chinese students skills & adjustments, pathway & exchange programs, management school in
the U.S., and international student in management schools. Chapter Two ended with identifying
and describing the assumed KMO influences to be validated through the study. Chapter Three
described the research methodology and outlined the plan for the study. Chapter Four reported
the findings from the qualitative data obtained from the interviews and its analysis.
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This chapter clarifies the findings from the collected raw data, interprets the validated
needs and rationale, presents recommended solutions, implementation plan, and evaluation of the
plan based on the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006) model. The conclusion of this chapter
focuses on a brief discussion of the study's limitations, challenges, and suggestions for further
research about using pathway programs to prepare international students for management school.
Discussion of Findings
As mentioned in Chapter Four, the study fully validated eight and partially validated
three of 11 a priori influences that span across the KMO categories. Within almost every
category, several important themes were highlighted to support the validation of the 11 assumed
hypotheses. Additionally, one emergent theme was discovered. The emergent theme reinforced
the idea that attentiveness to students’ preparation is equally important in implementing pathway
programs to prepare the international student for management school. Table 9 summarizes all 11
a priori influences reported in Chapter Four and the new emergent theme together with their
validation status.

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Table 9
Influences and Validation Status
Gap analysis
component
Assumed influence Validated Partially
validated
Not
validated
Knowledge
Student ability to maintain proper
communication skills when interacting
with faculty and staff throughout the
program
Student ability to use the available
resources provided by the MBPP and
Lakeshore University to achieve a well-
rounded graduate program application
Student knowledge of their awareness
around American culture and
immersion of campus culture in and out
of the classroom.
Student self-reflection about achieving
their goals in preparation for success in
the U.S. academic environment
X

X

X

X

Motivation
MBPP students' value for increasing
classroom involvement in their first
term U.S. grad business classes
MBPP students' confidence in their ability
to communicate with non-Chinese peers
effectively.
MBPP students' confidence in increasing
their academic success through
sociocultural adjustment in first-term
U.S. grad business classes
X

X

X

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Gap analysis
component
Assumed influence Validated Partially
validated
Not
validated
Organization
The school's culture of fostering an
environment for MBPP students to
practice and enhance communication
skills effectively
The school's culture of promoting social
activities among all students
The school's provision of an open-door
policy for MBPP students to interact
with key staff, faculty members, and
current matriculated students
The school's provision of effective
incentives for MBPP students who
actively participate in activities and
demonstrate improvement in
communication skills

X

X

X

X

Emergent
Theme

Attentiveness to Student's Preparation

X

The knowledge section of the study focused on examining whether the MBPP graduates
possessed sufficient knowledge about maintaining proper communication skills when interacting
with faculty and staff throughout and how they navigate to use the available resources provided
by the MBPP and Lakeshore University. Moreover, this section also explored the stakeholder's
awareness around American culture and immersion of campus culture in and out of the
classroom and their self-reflection about achieving their goals in preparation for success in the
U.S. academic environment. All four knowledge influences were validated. Each student
exhibited a vast knowledge about the ability to use the available resources provided by the
program and the university. Several participants shared personal stories that provided strong
evidence for improving communication approaches and adopting communication strategies.
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Additionally, most participants described the ability to communicate with faculty and staff at
MBPP. Half of the students expressed completing the transition in terms of proper
communication skills during MBPP. The knowledge section of the study also validated that
MBPP prepares students for effective interaction with their American peers. The students stated
that group discussion and working with members from different backgrounds is a major way for
campus culture immersion. Students are clear about their reflection of the difference between the
academic environment in China and the U.S., and most students prepare themselves with
academic skillsets for their success in the U.S. academic environment. Finally, all 12 participants
confirm that MBPP provides students with an effective foundation in achieving their goals to
succeed in the U.S. academic environment.
The motivation portion of the study was aimed at understanding how, if at all, MBPP
students valued classroom participation and whether they were confident in communicating with
non-Chinese peers and in sociocultural adjustment. More specifically, the study assessed the
motivational constructs: the student utility value and their self-efficacy. All of the assumed
influences were fully validated or partially validated by all study participants. Students value
active to engage in the classroom, and they experience gradual transition in active classroom
participation. The study participants shared that their confidence in increasing their academic
success through sociocultural adjustment. They can overcome particular challenges and are
intentionally adding skillsets that can increase their academic success. Finally, the interviewees,
collectively, shared that their confidence to communicate with non-Chinese peers before MBPP
is weak, but only half have confirmed that their confidence to communicate with non-Chinese
peers after MBPP has been increased.
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The organization section of the study examined exactly two organizational models and
two organizational settings assume to play a critical role in the school's capacity to reach the
performance goal. The MBPP graduate can enter and complete management school successfully.
The two assumed organizational models concerning the school culture were fully validated,
whereas the two assumed organizational settings concerning the school were partially validated.
The study participants confirmed that the school had created a strong culture that promotes social
activities among all students. This, in part, was possible because the MBPP students are aware of
the robust social activities provided by the school, and students actively participate in events to
improve awareness or communication.
Moreover, the study also validated that the school fosters an environment for MBPP
students to effectively practice and enhance communication skills. However, on the school level,
participants were divided on their perspective of that school care about their progress.
Specifically, the students partially validated the notion of the school's provision of an open-door
policy for MBPP students to interact with key staff, faculty members, and currently matriculated
students. Finally, the students partially validate the assumed influence concerning the school's
provision of effective incentives for MBPP students who actively participate in activities and
demonstrate improved communication skills. The feedback from the participants is mixed with
positive and negative experiences on the quality of the activities for MBPP students to participate
in improving communication skills and the effectiveness of the incentives to participate in such
activities.
In addition to validating the assumed KMO influences, the study discovered one
emergent theme labeled attentiveness to students’ preparation. Students who arrive well-prepared
from the undergraduate experience in China have demonstrably different needs from the
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normative student in the program. Similarly, the least prepared student struggled in the program.
This theme was categorized as the organizational influence or asset. This asset consists of, once
again, the department's ability to create a climate to be attentive to students' preparation to ensure
proper alignment--and may need to vary its offerings if the level of preparation amongst the
students is disparate.
The study validated all knowledge influences assumed to prepare the students for
management school through MBPP. In addition, the study validated two organizational
influences concerning the school's culture modeling and partially validated two influences
concerning the school's culture settings. Furthermore, the study found one emergent theme that
also seemed to play an essential role in the success of the MBPP. That theme, labeled
attentiveness to students’ preparation, is a feature that relates to the school's organizational
culture and its policies and practices.
Recommended Solutions
Data analysis highlighted several key factors that played a significant role in closing the
gap in preparing MBPP students for an effective transition. Proposed recommendations focused
more on motivation and organizational influences. These factors are MBPP context-specific
practices that are a matter of instance. The first recommendation is to provide clear and effective
support from staff throughout the program. The second recommendation is to incentivize active
participation in preparedness interventions. The third recommendation is to tailor services and
activities to students with different backgrounds and needs. Table 10 compiles the list of
practices specific to MBPP.

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Table 10
Validated influences and recommendations
Recommendations Gap analysis factor Gaps to be addressed
Provide clear and effective
support from staff
throughout the program
Organization: Culture Setting The school's provision of an
open-door policy for
MBPP students to interact
with key staff, faculty
members, and current
matriculated students
The school's provision of
effective incentives for
MBPP students who
actively participate in
activities and demonstrate
improvement in
communication skills
Incentivize active
participation in
preparedness interventions
Motivation: Self-efficacy
Organization: Culture Setting
MBPP students' confidence
in their ability to
communicate with non-
Chinese peers effectively.
The school's provision of
effective incentives for
MBPP students who
actively participate in
activities and demonstrate
improvement in
communication skills
Tailor services and activities
to students with different
backgrounds and needs
Organization: Culture Setting Attentiveness to Student's
Preparation

Proposed Recommendations and Implementation Plan
Among all the validated influences and the one emergent theme, a few key factors turned
out to be significant in the stakeholder's ability to prepare for management school, specific to the
MBPP operation at Lakeshore University.
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Recommendation 1: Provide Clear and Effective Support From Staff Throughout the
Program
The first proposed solution is to provide clear and effective support from staff throughout
the program. According to Mamiseishvili (2012), the retention of international students should
not be viewed as the responsibility of only international student advisors. It is important to
encourage collaboration between offices of international student services and other academic
departments or support services on campus. Montgomery (2017) recommended multi-faceted,
mandatory orientation programs; ongoing workshops and resources beyond orientation.
This first solution addresses both the organizational culture setting construct and
procedural knowledge construct, as findings suggest that students gradually adapt to the
environment, which is a trend of transition in cultural immersion and classroom participation.
Therefore, the college should create such a culture of support to help this transition. In this study,
75% of interviewees "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that the college has effectively created an
open-door policy for MBPP students to interact with key staff, faculty members, and currently
matriculated students. However, 50% of participants "disagree" to the extent that the school cares
about their progress, indicating that there is room for the school to provide extra supports to the
program students. Therefore, there is room for improvement.
Nurturing a culture that supports student success requires systematic approaches and
additional resources. First, the dean's office needs to understand the gap and dedicate resources
to drive this initiative under the guidance of the school leadership. The head of the graduate
program office will take on the overall responsibilities, supported by school leadership,
administrators, and faculty members. The dedicated staff, after the inception, will identify
program content and articulate learning objectives in recruitment presentations, marketing
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materials, and interactions with prospective students. In addition, the program needs to orient
students with clear expectations of learning objectives and outcomes in addition to participation
requirements. It is also worth noting that implementing the supportive initiative will not take
longer than other recommended solutions. The school has nurtured a culture of support for other
flagship programs. It is estimated that 2–3 months is necessary if the staff are motived and
focused.

Table 11
Recommendation 1: Provide Clear and Effective Support From Staff Throughout the Program
Recommendation 1: Provide clear and effective support from staff throughout the program
Responsible unit Steps for implementation Timeframe
Graduate Program Office Identify program content
and articulate learning
objectives in recruitment
presentations, marketing
materials, and interactions
with prospective students.
One month
Graduate Program Office Orient students with clear
expectations of learning
objectives and outcomes
in addition to participation
requirements.
Two months
Dean's Office Designate an individual as
the primary manager of
the program and specify
other office contacts for
different areas of support
(e.g., class registration,
visa support, university
technology access, etc.).
Two months

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Recommendation 2: Incentivize Active Participation in Preparedness Interventions
Individuals tend to choose to pursue tasks that are aligned with their interests, and there
are clear connections between people's interests and performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). In
the study, all 12 participants confirm that MBPP provides students with an effective foundation
in achieving their goals to succeed in the U.S. academic environment. All of them value such
preparedness. Only 50% of the participants confirm the confidence in their ability to
communicate with non-Chinese peers effectively, which is an essential skill set for them to
demonstrate success in their future study and career planning. Meanwhile, most of the interview
participants confirmed that there are rooms to improve the quality of MBPP students' activities to
improve communication skills. Moreover, interview participants also emphasized that the
incentives to motivate them to participate have not been effective.
In order to incentivize active participation and provide proper interventions, there are two
groups of existing resources at school to leverage. First, Graduate students can serve as mentors
to the MBPP students, paired with academic interests/ personal interests. Meanwhile,
undergraduate students can join quarterly cultural exchange events and facilitate opportunities
for paired MBPP buddies to join local activities to foster cultural immersion. The staff needs to
monitor and intervene appropriately with an incentive system established to encourage students
to pursue events independently with their buddies. MBPP students and buddies should arrange
their activity twice a quarter to foster cultural immersion. A budget can support the mentor
system and the buddies system. Staff can formulate a plan for recognitions, such as quarterly and
annual awards, review the current status and identify areas for improvement.
The timeframe for implementation of the incentivized active participation will be around
12 months. The initiative takes a tremendous amount of staff contribution and administration.
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During the first month, the staff should define the policy on the mentor program and buddies
program and identify resources to pair with the MBPP students. In the second month, the pairing
will take place with close monitoring. Implementation is set to follow in the third month, a
pointing system with clear criteria and a transparent process should be developed.

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Table 12
Recommendation 2: Incentivize Active Participation in Preparedness Interventions
Recommendation 2: Incentivize active participation in preparedness interventions
Responsible unit Steps for implementation Timeframe
MBPP staff Pair MBPP students with
graduate students based
on academic interests/
personal interests.
Graduate students will
serve as mentors to the
MBPP students, provide
individualized feedback
on graduate application
materials, guide MBPP
students through setting
and achieving goals, and
work with the students to
foster other soft skills
necessary for graduate
management program
readiness. A budget is
provided to mentors each
month to take out their
mentees to coffee.
12 months
MBPP staff Pair undergraduate students
with MBPP students
based on academic
interests/ personal
interests. Conduct
quarterly cultural
exchange events and
facilitate opportunities for
buddies to join local
activities to foster cultural
immersion. MBPP
students and buddies
should arrange their
activity twice a quarter to
foster cultural immersion.
An incentive system is
established to encourage
students to pursue events
on their own with their
buddies.
12 months
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Recommendation 3: Tailor Services and Activities to Students With Different Backgrounds
and Needs
Throughout the interviews, an emergent theme was discovered. Good fundamentals help
students transit in the U.S., and the least prepared student may struggle in the program.
Therefore, attentiveness to student's preparation is necessary. Proper guidance from the school
and a soft-landing environment to foster a relationship with the incoming MBPP students are
essential. Most of the participants confirm that during the program's orientation stage, a series of
important events helped them feel at ease at adjusting themselves to a new environment. The
registration process can be the first step for students in the program to transition into American
academic settings.
There are four action steps to implement the proposed solution. First, survey incoming
cohort to understand each student's academic preparedness and sociocultural readiness, noting
prior academic performance. MBPP staff needs to administer the survey and interpret the survey
result. Second, MBPP students should be given a list of course options for selection before
course registration sessions and a tutorial on selecting the suitable courses for each track. A set
of undergraduate courses based on the students' graduate academic track should be pre-
determined. Third, offer and incentivize involvement opportunities based on academic interest
and invitations for academic events. Finally, the program should provide support for students
with poor academic performance through one-on-one conversations with staff and utilize the
existing peer advising networks to support the correction.
The timeframe for implementation of the suggested solution will be around 12 months.
During the first month, the college and its MBPP staff should identify a set of undergraduate
courses to match the students' graduate academic track and understand each student's academic
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preparedness and sociocultural readiness. In the next 6 to 12 months, implementation will be
carried out to offer involvement opportunities based on academic interest and grant invitations
for academic events. Any poor performance issues will be intervened by the program staff
properly.

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Table 13
Recommendation 3: Tailor Services and Activities to Students With Different Backgrounds and
Needs
Recommendation 3: Tailor services and activities to students with different backgrounds
and needs
Responsible Unit Steps for implementation Timeframe
MBPP staff Survey incoming cohort to
understand each student's
academic preparedness and
sociocultural readiness,
noting prior academic
performance.
One month
MBPP staff Develop a set of
undergraduate courses based
on the students' graduate
academic track. MBPP
students should be given a
list of course options for
selection before course
registration sessions and a
tutorial on selecting the
suitable courses for each
track.
One month
MBPP staff Offer and incentivize
involvement opportunities
based on academic interest
and invitations for academic
events. An incentive system
can be combined with a
point system.
12 months
MBPP staff Provide support for students
with poor academic
performance through one-
on-one conversations and
the utilization of existing
peer advising networks.
12 months

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Evaluation Plan
In evaluating the effectiveness of training programs, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006)
proposed an approach of four sequential levels when evaluating programs: reaction, learning,
behavior, and results. This model, however, is widely applicable to evaluations of policy
programs or interventions. This study employs Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick's four-level approach
to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of the proposed solutions. In this study, the
reaction is how people involved respond or react to the policy, in this study, the student of the
MBPP program. Learning, the second level evaluates if the participants' knowledge and skills
have improved or their attitudes have changed. Behavior, the third level, looks at how the
behavior change has happened because of the implementation of a program. Fourthly, the results
are the consequences of the implementation of a policy. Each of these four levels is critical and
has an impact on the next level.
Level One: Reaction
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the reaction is a measure of customer
satisfaction, and measuring reaction is important because it provides valuable feedback,
comments, and suggestions. In this study, the reaction is MBPP student's satisfaction and
engagement with the proposed interventions. In order to analyze student's reactions to the
recommended solutions, Smile check and surveys will be used to measure the clear and effective
support from staff throughout the program, monthly log and buddies report will be used to
collect pairing feedback on active participation and when to intervene with incentives, and pre-
program student self-assessment and staff's 1:1 meeting with struggling MBPP students will
guide the staff to provide tailored services and activities to students with different backgrounds
and needs.
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Level Two: Learning
Learning is the extent to which "participants change attitudes, improve knowledge, and
increase skill." (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016. p. 22). Meanwhile, it is crucial to evaluate
knowledge, skills, commitment, and confidence before and after implementing a training or
policy program. In this study, post-orientation knowledge, surveys, and reports from pairing
activity will be used to determine participants' attitudes, interest, commitment, and confidence
related to the proposed solution. Meanwhile, MBPP staff's review and end-of-quarter course
reflection measure how the staff can intervene with tailored services and activities to students.
Level Three: Behavior
In evaluating policy programs, behavior refers to changes in behavior after implementing
the program by comparing before and after. Both surveys and interviews are effective methods to
collect behavior changes from target student groups, associated staff members, and other
observers. In this study, surveys, Buddy evaluation, and mentor assessment will be used to
identify motivational and behavioral changes of program students. In contrast, observations will
be used to find out changes in study habits.
Level Four: Results
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006), the results of interventions can include
reduced turnover, improved quality, and increased production. Meanwhile, it is critical to
measure results before and after the interventions. In this study, improved self-reported scores,
student grades are the key indicators to focus on.
Suggested Evaluation Plan
Using the four sequential levels model, Table 14 provides an overview of the suggested
evaluation plans for the first proposed recommendations: provide clear and effective support from
staff throughout the program. Using the four sequential levels model, Table 15 provides an overview
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of the suggested evaluation plans for the second proposed recommendation: incentivize active
participation in preparedness interventions. Using the four sequential levels model, Table 16 provides
an overview of the suggested evaluation plans for the third proposed recommendation: tailor services
and activities to students with different backgrounds and needs.

Table 14
Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions
Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Identify program content
and articulate learning
objectives in
recruitment
presentations,
marketing materials,
and interactions with
prospective students.
Prospective students
contact agents or
program managers for
more information.
Prospective students
apply to the program
and engage with
contacts throughout the
pre-arrival process.

Measurement Tool:
Number of interested
students
Number of applications
Prospective MBPP
students buy into the
program aims and
begin to work towards
the learning objectives
and prepare mentally
and physically for the
program.

Measurement Tool: In
pre-program
assessment, students
indicate that they
utilized FAQs and
other marketing tools
to prepare for the
program."
Prospective MBPP
students begin to
form a relationship
and build trust with
the MBPP manager
and the university.

Measurement Tool:
In pre-program
assessment,
students report
having built a
relationship with
the MBPP
manager."
1. Increased motivation
to participate.
2. Increased self-
efficacy in the
student's application
and arrival process.

Measurement Tool: In
pre-program
assessment,
participants report a
positive experience
with the application
and pre-arrival
process. "

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Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Orient students with clear
expectations of
learning objectives and
outcomes in addition to
participation
requirements.
MBPP students take a
pre-program self-
assessment on their
knowledge and skills
related to the program
learning objectives and
outcomes.

Measurement Tool: Pre-
program self-
assessment"
Observation of faculty
members during
announcements of
public recognitions

MBPP students agree to
participate in the
program fully and have
a clear idea of what
they need to work
toward.

Measurement Tool:
Students sign an
agreement to
participate fully and
acknowledge learning
objectives and
outcomes."
MBPP students can
set goals based on
these learning
objectives and
outcomes.

Measurement Tool:
Goals are set with
mentors and
reported to
program manager
in the monthly
log."
MBPP students are active
participants throughout
their MBPP year and are
receptive to any
interventions utilized.

Measurement Tool:
Participation records,
student grades, ability to
ask for help, etc."

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Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Designate an individual
as the primary manager
of the program and
specify other office
contacts for different
areas of support (e.g.
class registration, visa
support, university
technology access,
etc.)
MBPP students respond
positively to knowing
that there is an open-
door policy.
MBPP students respond
positively to contact
introductions from
different offices.

Measurement Tool:
Smile check survey
post-orientation."
MBPP students know
how to utilize an open-
door policy during the
primary manager office
hour period.
MBPP students know
whom to contact in a
variety of situations.

Measurement Tool: Post-
orientation knowledge
check through survey.
MBPP students
utilize an open-
door policy during
the primary
manager office
hour period.
MBPP students
approach the
appropriate staff to
address and meet
their needs.

Measurement Tool:
Behavioral
observation
Log office hour
attendance.
MBPP students feel
supported.
MBPP students feel at ease
when they meet a
challenge.
MBPP student issues are
resolved in a timely
manner.

Measurement Tool: Self-
reported scores at the end
of the program.

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Table 15
Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions
Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Pair MBPP students with
graduate students
based on academic
interests/ personal
interests. Graduate
students will serve as
mentors to the MBPP
students, provide
individualized
feedback on graduate
application materials,
guide MBPP students
through setting and
achieving goals and
work with the students
to foster other soft
skills necessary for
graduate management
program readiness. A
budget is provided to
mentors each month to
take out their mentees
to coffee.
MBPP students are
happy with
mentor pairing.
MBPP are
responsive to
meet monthly
with their mentor.

Measurement Tool:
Mentor pairing
smile sheets
Meetings are
reported on time
in the monthly
log. "
In order to facilitate
consistent learning for
MBPP students, a
curriculum built on
learning objectives for
each month should be
developed and utilized
by each mentor.
Monthly topics may
include
1. Writing a Professional
Resume
2. Perfecting your
Personal Statement
3. Speaking about
strengths & weaknesses
in an interview
4. Building resilience

Measurement Tool:
Mentees check in each
month to confirm the
meeting took place and
to reflect on session
learning objectives.
Assessment items follow each
of the competencies
outlined in the program
curriculum learning
objectives. Each MBPP
student assesses themselves
on their level of skill
acquisition before
participating in the
program. Each MBPP
student + each student's
mentor assesses the student
post-program to measure
the student's growth and to
provide a more holistic
view of the student's skill
acquisition.

Measurement Tool: Self-
reported scores at the end
of the program. Compare
pre-program to end of the
program to measure student
perceived growth. Compare
student and mentor
assessment at the end of the
program for alignment."
MBPP students
increase their
graduate program
academic and
cultural
readiness.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported
scores at the end
of the program.
128

Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Pair undergraduate
students with MBPP
students based on
academic interests/
personal interests.
Conduct quarterly
cultural exchange
events and facilitate
opportunities for
buddies to join local
activities to foster
cultural immersion.
MBPP students and
buddies should arrange
their activity twice a
quarter to foster
cultural immersion. An
incentive system is
established to
encourage students to
pursue events on their
own with their
buddies.
1. MBPP students
are happy with
buddy pairing.
2. MBPP are
responsive to
attend cultural
activities.
3. MBPP students
are responsive to
communications
from buddies.

Measurement Tool:
Buddy pairing
smile sheets
Buddies report
communication
with MBPP
students. "
In order to facilitate
consistent learning for
MBPP students, cultural
immersion learning
objectives are outlined,
and additional activities
that align with
objectives are
recommended.
Examples of cultural
exchange events hosted
by the program include
an escape room,
American culture trivia
night, walking the tight
rope course, etc.
Additional independent
activities could include:
a day at the beach,
going to a movie,
exploring L.A., attend
an on-campus event
together, join an on-
campus club together,
etc.

MBPP students actively
engage with peer
undergraduate students both
in and out of the classroom.

Measurement Tool: Buddy
evaluation of MBPP study
at the end of the program.
Professor evaluation of
MBPP students in-class
participation.

MBPP students
increase their
self-efficacy with
regard to social
interaction
amongst peers.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported
scores at the end
of the program.

129

Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Measurement Tool: In
order to receive points,
MBPP students log their
participation and
answer questions to
reflect on how this
activity helped them
understand aspects of
American/university
culture.

130

Table 16
Suggested Evaluation Plans for the Proposed Solutions
Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Survey incoming cohort
to understand each
student's academic
preparedness and
sociocultural readiness,
noting prior academic
performance.
MBPP staff are aware of
varying student needs.

Measurement Tool:
Pre-program MBPP
student self-assessment
Prior academic records
(e.g., GPA, language
assessment score)"
MBPP staff understand
student levels of
preparedness and
implications.

Measurement Tools:
MBPP staff review and
analyze pre-program
assessment."
MBPP staff identify
differences in student
needs.

Measurement Tools:
MBPP staff make
recommendations for
individual students."
MBPP students feel that
enhanced and
individualized
programming and
interventions have
been offered.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported scores at
the end of the program.
"
Develop a set of
undergraduate courses
based on the students'
graduate academic
track. MBPP students
should be given a list
of course options for
selection prior to
course registration
sessions and/or a
tutorial of how to
select the right courses
for each track.

MBPP students have a
clear understanding of
course options based
on graduate program
interest.

Measurement Tool:
MBPP students come
prepared to course
registration session.

MBPP students reflect on
how each course
contributes to their
academic and
sociocultural readiness.

Measurement Tool:
End-of-quarter course
reflection."
MBPP students are
committed to courses.
MBPP students can
participate in preparing
their academic plans.

Measurement Tool:
MBPP student grades
Participation recorded
after class
registration."

MBPP students report an
increase in academic
self-efficacy.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported scores at
the end of the program.
"

131

Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
3. Offer and incentivize
involvement
opportunities based on
academic interest and
invitations for
academic events.
Incentive system can
be combined with
point system.
MBPP students have a
clear understanding of
ways to supplement
academic experience
with learning outside
the classroom.

Measurement Tool:
MBPP student
participation in one
external academic
event a quarter

MBPP students reflect on
how this activity
helped them achieve
academic goals outside
of the classroom.

Measurement Tool:
MBPP student end-of-
quarter course
reflection."
MBPP students seek out
opportunities that will
enhance their learning
on their own.

Measurement Tool:
Receive verbal
confirmation during
Spring quarter check-
in
MBPP students report an
increased desire to
seek out opportunities
that will enhance their
learning.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported scores at
the end of the program
4. Provide support for
students with poor
academic performance
through one-on-one
conversations and the
utilization of existing
peer advising
networks.
Academically struggling
students are receptive
to interventions
proposed by program
manager.

Measurement Tool:
Struggling MBPP
students accept
invitation for a 1 on 1
meeting with program
manager
Struggling MBPP
students reflect on their
previous quarter
performance and levels
of engagement with the
program. They discuss
issues with program
manager, provide
feedback to manager,
and discuss solutions
for improvement.

Measurement Tool:
Struggling MBPP
students comes
prepared to check-in
meeting with responses
to reflection prompts
Struggling MBPP
students utilize peer
advising programs.
Struggling MBPP
students implement
solutions discussed
with manager.

Measurement Tool:
Participation in peer
advising program.
Noticeable improvement
to student grades
MBPP students feel
supported by the
program and staff.
MBPP students are able
to utilize existing
academic resources
available to enhance
academic performance.
MBPP students become
active participants in
their own
development.

Measurement Tool:
Self-reported scores at
end of program"
132

."
Proposed action steps Reaction
(Level 1)
Learning
(Level 2)
Behavior
(Level 3)
Results
(Level 4)
Struggling MBPP
students verbally
respond that they are
open to utilizing peer
advising opportunities

133
134

Limitations
There are several potential limitations in this study. First, the study focuses only on
Chinese students using the pathway program to prepare them for management school. It does not
cover the international students from the region outside of China. The non-Chinese international
student may have different behaviors or needs compare to the Chinese student. Second, during
the data collection phase, the limitation was a language barrier. All interviewees speak Mandarin,
and specific concepts did not have equivalent meanings when the ideas were
translated from one language to another. Additionally, all participants speak English as a
secondary language, and some concepts and words may not have beeb entirely clear to them.
Careful selection of a Mandarin and English transcriber had to be made to accommodate
student's accents and the ways that Chinese speak English. Third, the study focuses on one single
business school and may not be able to depict a complete picture of other business schools in the
U.S. which are operating a pathway program to prepare international students for management
school, as there could be differences due to geographical and economic factors.
Future Research
One of the key delimitations of this study was that it was context-specific to the School of
Business at Lakeshore University. As such, this study examined only one set of practices,
motivations, and behaviors exhibited by one college and one department. In order to get a
complete picture of what other promising practices exist and how they apply in a variety of
different settings, future research could examine other business schools or universities that are
using pathway programs or exchange programs to prepare the international student for
management school.
Another necessary delimitation was that this project focused on one stakeholder group:
graduates from MBPP. However, as described in Chapter One, other groups of key stakeholders
135

are important to consider. For instance, investigating university staff who are related to MBPP
operations could yield important information as well. Learning about their subjective experiences
in managing the program may provide valuable insights into preparing international students in
terms of sociocultural adjustment factors like communication skills, active participation, and
social interaction with non-Chinese peers.
Conclusion
This study aimed to explore how to prepare young international students for management
school through a pathway program and evaluate the effectiveness of the MBPP program at the
school of business, Lakeshore University. This qualitative project adopted a case study approach
and examined the KMO influences assumed to play a critical role in operating a successful
pathway program to prepare international students for management school. Through content
analysis of the conducted interviews, most assumed influences were validated, and three
practices were recommended to address the performance gaps. The first solution is to provide
clear and effective support from staff throughout the program. The second solution is to
incentivize active participation in preparedness interventions. Lastly, the third solution proposed
is to tailor services and activities to students with different backgrounds and needs.
Although many studies have been done to explore pathway programs to prepare
international students, few have explored root causes and efficient way to transition students in
management schools, particularly in the key sociocultural adjustment factors of communication
skills, active participation, and social interaction with local peers. The extant literature relies
more on identifying the challenges rather than results found through systematic and well-
designed surveys and interviews. Moreover, many of the suggestions or proposed solutions were
not tested in a real-world setting. It is also rare to find from published research that an
136

administrator of such a program performs implementation and evaluation of solutions. Therefore,
this study could potentially provide a different angle and be an exciting addition to the literature.
As the international student population has experienced rapid growth over the last three
decades, management schools in the U.S. have been accepting a large percentage of international
students into their master's programs. The school administrators face serious challenges related
to student development, including policies and regulations, funding, quality and credibility,
student enrollment, and, importantly, recruitment and retention of high-quality profile enhancing
students. A lot can be done to leverage pathway programs to enhance the preparedness of the
young international students, such as the solutions proposed in this study. In addition to existing
research that examines pathway programs as a pipeline to convert international students into
recruitment channels, the study advocates for a view of the Pathway program as complex and
collaborative among school management, staff, and students.

137

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156

Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Interview Protocol – [current students/recent alumni who graduated before June 2020]

Respondent (Name): _______________________________________________

MBPP Class year: __________

Management School Currently Attending: ___________________

Location of Interview: ____________________________________________________

Time in / Time Out: _________________________________________

Introduction
Thanks for meeting with me today. I am conducting this exercise as part of my dissertation
research with my doctoral program at USC, exploring: Prepare International Students for
Management School through Pathway Programs. I anticipate taking no more than 60 minutes of
your time, and I have 11 questions for your consideration.

Your participation is completely voluntary. We can skip any question you want at any time, and
you may stop the interview at any time. Any identifiable information obtained in connection with
this study will remain confidential. Your responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym)
and maintained separately. If you are comfortable with it, I would like to record our conversation
and the recording will be destroyed after it is transcribed. Do you have any questions? Ready to
begin?

157

Table A1
Interview Protocol
Knowledge
type
Training programs
knowledge influence
Interview questions
Procedural

Student ability to
maintain proper
communication skills
when interacting with
faculty and staff
throughout the program

How effectively did you communicate with
faculty and staff at MBPP? Probe: When you
reflect on the communication approach you
used when you joined the program versus
when you graduated, were there differences? –
Extra Probe: versus in the master program??

Procedural Student ability to use the
available resources
provided by the MBPP
and Lakeshore
University to achieve a
well-rounded graduate
program application.

How did you approach difficult tasks, such as
completing a graduate application by using
resources offered by campus or by the
program? Probe: Did what you learned in the
program help you to navigate your time in a
graduate program?

Metacognitive

Student knowledge of
their awareness around
American culture and
immersion of campus
culture in and out of
classroom.

Please describe your experiences interacting
with your peer American students in your
current graduate program. What strategies
are/were most useful for engaging with your
American classmates?
Probe: Tell me about the most memorable
experience when you interacted with your
American classmates.

Probe: Did your experience in the MBPP
prepare you for effective interaction with the
American peers in the classroom?

Metacognitive Student self-reflection
about achieving their
goals in preparation for
success in the U.S.
academic environment
How do your academic experiences in the U.S.
compare to your experiences in China? Probe:
What is an example of a skill or knowledge
area you purposefully improved to help you
succeed in the U.S. academic environment?

158

Motivation
construct
Assumed motivation influence Interview questions

Utility Value

MBPP students’ value for
increasing classroom
involvement in their first
term U.S. grad business
classes
What do you see as the value of actively
engaged in the classroom?

Self-efficacy

MBPP students’ confidence in
their ability to communicate
with non-Chinese peers
effectively
How do you feel about your ability to
communicate with non-Chinese peers
students? Probe: Please tell me about a
specific time when you had successful
interactions with non-Chinese peer
students. Second probe: Please tell me
about a specific time when your
interactions with non-Chinese peers
failed.

Self-efficacy

MBPP students’ confidence in
increasing their academic
success through sociocultural
adjustment in first term U.S.
grad business classes
How confident were you as you begin
your first-term graduate business
studies? Did you anticipate any
particular challenges, and were you
able to overcome them?

Organizational
influence
category
Assumed organizational
influences

Organizational influence assessment
(to be completed in your Inquiry course)
Cultural Model
Influence 1
The school’s culture of
fostering an environment for
MBPP student to practice
and enhance communication
skills effectively
Did you have sufficient opportunity to
practice and enhance your
communication skills when you were in
the MBPP program? Probe: Please
share some examples of circumstances
when you successfully practices these
skills?

Cultural Model
Influence 2
The school’s culture of
promoting social activities
among all students
How robust are the social activities among
students in the MBPP program? Probe:
Were there enough activities, and do
you feel you are aware of them? Probe
two: Please describe one or two
examples of activities you enjoyed?

159

Cultural
Setting
Influence 1
The school’s provision of an
open-door policy for MBPP
students to interact with key
staff, faculty members and
current matriculated students
To what extent do you think that the
school cared about your progress as a
student?
Probe: Were you aware of the school’s
open-door policy for MBPP students?
Did you feel comfortable utilizing the
open-door policy? Probe two: Please
describe one or two examples?

Cultural
Setting
Influence 2
The school’s provision of
effective incentives for MBPP
students who actively
participate in activities and
demonstrate improvement on
communication skills
To what extent did you participate in
activities where you could utilize your
communication skills? Probe: Did you
benefit from these events? Probe two:
Were you aware of incentives
encouraging you to participate? Probe
there: How effective were the
incentives?

160

Appendix B: Informed Consent/Information Sheet
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education / Waite Phillips Hall
3470 Trousdale Parkway / Los Angeles, CA 90089

Information / Facts Sheet for Exempt Non‐Medical Research

Prepare International Students for Management School through Pathway Programs

You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.

Purpose of the Study
This study is to exam a pathway program operated which aims to prepare international exchange
students for management school at a nationally-ranked and internationally recognized business
school on the west coast of the United States. The research focus on the knowledge, motivation,
and organizational supports that students need to successfully transition to a management
program.

Participant Involvement
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be invited to participate in a [60]-minute Zoom
interview. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, and if you do not want
to be recorded, handwritten notes will be taken.

Alternatives to Participation
Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with the school will not be affected
whether you participate or not in this study.

Confidentiality
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential.
Your responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. The
Recording will be deleted once they have been transcribed. The data will be stored on a
password-protected computer in the researcher’s laptop and dropbox for three years after the
study has been completed and then deleted.

The members of the research team, and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research
studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects. When the results of the research are
published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable information will be used.

Investigator Contact Information
Principal Investigator: Shaohui Chen via email: shaohuic@usc.edu / any additional contact
information or Faculty Advisor: Mark Power Robison via email: mrobison@usc.edu /
Phone: 213-821-5607

161

IRB Contact Information
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089‐0702, (213) 821‐5272 or upirb@usc.edu

Would you like to participate in the study?
If you agree to participate in the study, please reply this email with your name and an interview
will be coordinated accordingly. If you do not want to participate in the study, you may ignore
this message.

162

Appendix C: Recruitment Email
Subject: Research study invitation

As you [may] know, my name is Shaohui Steve Chen and I work at the school of business as
director of international relations and interim director of graduate admissions. You may not know
that I am also pursuing a Doctor of Education degree at the University of Southern California and am
researching how to prepare international students for management school through pathway
programs, specifically through MBPP program. With [the] dean’s support, I would like to ask for
your participation in this study as part of my dissertation. Your perspective as a recent graduate of
the program is valuable and will help determine the recommended organizational enhancements in
the areas of knowledge, motivation, and support for the program.

If you agree, you are invited to:

Participate in a possible follow-up interview. Interviews will be conducted some time after your
acceptance of this invitation. They will last no more than 60 minutes and be held in a mutually
agreed upon place. Interviews will be recorded for transcription and coding and you do not have to
answer any questions you do not want to. If you do not want to be recorded, handwritten notes will
be taken.

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Your identity as a participant will
remain confidential at all times during and after the study. If you have any questions about this
study or your possible participation, please contact me at shaohuic@usc.edu. Should you wish to
speak with my dissertation chair, please contact Mark Power Robison via email:
mrobison@usc.edu.

Thank you for considering contributing to this study. I hope to make valuable contributions
to both institutional goals and my academic interests in management education with your
collaboration and participation. If you wish to participate, please let me know via email.

Sincerely,

Shaohui Chen
Doctoral Candidate, University of Southern California

Abstract (if available)

Abstract International students contribute significantly to enrollment in management schools in the US. With the numbers of international applicants to traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs shrinking in the past decade and specialized master program become more popular among international applicants. Management schools in the US compete to attract younger candidates from foreign countries. Therefore, pathway programs have grown in demand. These programs aim to prepare international applicants with the sociocultural norms prevalent in the context into which they are transitioning. They can be a soft-landing platform that younger candidates from foreign countries leverage to get ready for management school. It is crucial to evaluate the efficacy of these pathway programs and understand how such bridge programs can support the organizational goals of a business school. This study examined a pathway program which aims to prepare international exchange students for management school. The program is located at a nationally-ranked and internationally recognized business school on the west coast of the United States. The participants in the program’s student cohort are all from China. The stakeholders of focus for this study were recent alumni. Data were collected through interviews. This study utilized the Clark & Estes (2008) gap analysis framework to examine the knowledge, motivation, and organizational supports that students need to successfully transition to a management program.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Chen, Shaohui (author)

Core Title Preparing international students for management school through pathway programs

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Degree Conferral Date 2021-08

Publication Date 08/09/2021

Defense Date 07/20/2021

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag international student,management school,OAI-PMH Harvest,pathway program,transition

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Robison, Mark Power (committee chair), Hinga, Briana (committee member), Krop, Cathy (committee member)

Creator Email chenshaohui@gmail.com,shaohuic@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15722212

Unique identifier UC15722212

Legacy Identifier etd-ChenShaohu-10028

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Chen, Shaohui

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu