From end to means: Profit as threshold concept in management

• Main Author: Nolasco, Liberty I.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Subjects: Profit
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/8470
• Institution: De La Salle University

The balance between content and practice is disrupted when curriculum development is core concept driven. The thrust of Management and Organization Department of De La Salle University College of Business (DLSU COB), bridging faith and management practice, advocates business value creation instead of profit maximization. This makes any course offered by MOD susceptible to threshold concepts, preventing students to progress from simple to complex learning (Meyer and Land, 2003; 2005). This paper argues that any attempt at overcoming threshold concept will help students transition from orthodoxy to new worldview and, eventually, unify content and practice in different classroom activities. The experience of students belonging to sections C39 and C45 of introductory management course, Management of Organization or ManaOrg, for 2nd term, AY 2013-2014 insinuates profit as threshold concept. To follow up the case, dialogic discourse and network analytic model are used to examine their views of profit, to derive underlying reason(s) and factors influencing their views, to assess effects of profit as threshold concept on student learning and worldview, and to cite the implication of this experience on curriculum development. Data of the study are obtained from focus group discussions (FGDs) and reflection note of the instructor about the results of classroom activities of ManaOrg. Informed consent of students is obtained prior to the conduct of FGD. Results reveal profit as threshold concept in management, influenced in development by the core concept driven curriculum of management as well as by education and personal factors that ingrained mainstream view of profit among students. The transition of most respondents to the new paradigm of profit was influenced by the commitment of DLSU, MOD as well as its Chairperson, and the instructor to global advocacy for responsible management. Reorientation of management curriculum to thrusts giving considerable attention to threshold concepts is necessary.