Developing civic-mindedness in undergraduate business students through service-learning projects for civic engagement and service leadership practices for civic improvement
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Asian Journal of Business Ethics
Publication Date
9-2015
Volume
4
Issue
1
First Page
73
Last Page
99
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Keywords
Service-learning, Service leadership, Civic engagement, Civic-mindedness, Self-determination theory, Intergroup contact theory
Abstract
Projects that challenge students to practice service leadership for civic improvement can address the aim of developing civic-mindedness in undergraduates. We conducted two qualitative studies. First, we investigated the learning experiences of four teams of undergraduate business students, who undertook semester-long course-embedded service-learning projects in partnership with four Hong Kong-based social enterprises. The students described five modes of civic engagement as project purposes, mentioned applying six types of service leadership practice for civic improvement, and described eight types of developmental outcome within the domain of civic-mindedness. Comparisons suggested that besides relational support through training and guidance, empowering infrastructure, opportunities to exercise autonomy, and opportunities to demonstrate competence, three project-related features that varied between projects were important in fostering civic-mindedness. These were direct contact with grassroots-based beneficiaries; the experience of making a tangible difference; and linking the campus with the wider community. A second qualitative study indicated that course-embedded team projects with these features that were undertaken in mixed teams that included freshman and senior year business students fostered civic-mindedness for both categories of student.
DOI
10.1007/s13520-015-0044-0
Print ISSN
22106723
E-ISSN
22106731
Publisher Statement
Copyright © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Snell, R. S., Chan, M. Y. L., Ma, C. H. K., Chan, C. K. M. (2015). Developing civic-mindedness in undergraduate business students through service-learning projects for civic engagement and service leadership practices for civic improvement. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 4(1), 73-99. doi: 10.1007/s13520-015-0044-0