Video Case Studies in IB Teaching: An Empirical Comparison of Academic and Student Perceptions and Expectations

ABSTRACT

The use of film material has a long tradition in management education and calls for dedicated video case studies date back more than 30 years. Against this backdrop and an incoming student generation that has grown up with digital technology, we assess the current use of stand-alone video case studies in international business (IB) teaching. Using survey data from IB scholars and students, we examine the usefulness of video case studies, the main barriers for and the (un)exploited potential of video case studies. While we find relatively modest use of video case studies in IB teaching to date, we also find strong interest by lecturers and students to expand their use. In particular, there seems to be a student preference and need for real-life, manager-led, and problem-solving video cases.

KEYWORDS:

• Video case studies
• digital
• centennial students
• millennial students
• survey

Acknowledgments

This paper has benefitted from Erasmus+ funding (Open Access Digital Video Case Library for Teaching International Business: Project No.2018-1-BE02-KA203-046832).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ Classifications and boundaries of generations vary. We follow here Francis and Hoefel (2018) who argued that Millennials (or Generation Y) were born between 1980–1994 and compromise the typical postgraduate and MBA student. Centennials (or iGen/Generation Z) were born between 1995–2010 and compromise the typical undergraduate student. Generation X was born between 1960–1979.

² Further information about the project, its activities and timeline is available here: Insert URL if accepted.

³ Neither nationality nor citizenship of a student was collected in the survey. The authors, however, have insight into the demography of their students and accordingly estimate that the sample includes students from more than ten countries.

Additional information

Funding

This paper has benefitted from funding by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union (Open Access Digital Video Case Library for Teaching International Business: Project No.2018-1-BE02-KA203-046832).

Notes on contributors

Filip De Beule

Filip De Beule, PhD, is Professor of International Business at the Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven, Belgium. He is senior member of the Leuven Center for Global Governance Studies, and board member of the KU Leuven Centre for Russian Studies and the Flanders Business School. His research interests include internationalization, international and social entrepreneurship, innovation, and developing economies. He is the syndicate lead for the Erasmus+ funded Open Access Digital Video Case Library for Teaching International Business project.

Andreja Jaklič

Andreja Jaklič, PhD, is Professor and Research Fellow at the University of Ljubljana. Her areas of research include international trade, FDI, GVC, the internationalisation of enterprises, creation of MNEs in transition/emerging markets, innovation and business environment analysis. Her recent publications include articles in Journal of World Business, Journal of Business Research and Service Industries Journal. She served as a board member of the EIBA and is currently a vice president of the AIB–Central and Eastern Europe Chapter.

Aleksandra Kania

Aleksandra Kania, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor at Department of International Competitiveness at Poznan University of Economics and Business. She is a former Rotary Scholar in Mannheim, Germany. For her doctoral thesis on innovative clusters in Baden-Württemberg and Greater Poland she won the first prize in the national competition funded by Wolters Kluwer. Her research interests include international business education, business clusters and regional competitiveness.

Katarzyna Mroczek-Dąbrowska

Katarzyna Mroczek-Dąbrowska, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Poznan University of Economics and Business - Department of International Competitiveness. Her main research areas include international competitiveness of firms and industries, transaction costs and internationalization levels of industries.

Nukhet Vardar

Nukhet Vardar, PhD, is the owner of an edtech company, El Izi UK, London, U.K.; working on adapting her new teaching tool - Brands Whisper'g®- to international markets.She is an academician and a practitioner in International Marketing / International Advertising, working for industry since 1985, while continuing academic interests. Her last academic appointment was as a marketing professor at Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey in 2004. Her publications are in international marketing strategy, brand development; with a special focus on case writing.

Hinrich Voss

Hinrich Voss, PhD is Professor of International Business and Director of Student Education for International Business at Leeds University Business School, UK. He has published in journals such as Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Journal of Economic Geography, and International Business Review and is Associate Editor of Transnational Corporations.