Internship in a business school: expectation versus experience

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the value of internship as a function of the disparity between the initial expectation from the internship and its actual experience. The perceived internship experience has been evaluated through the expectation confirmation theory (ECT). Design/methodology/approach A sample of 106 students pursuing Master of Business Administration in a business school in India were administered a questionnaire to assess their expectations and experience before and after the internship. The self-designed questionnaire based on review of extant literature on internship included items related to supervisor–intern exchanges, significance of prior classroom academic preparation, prior work experience and perceived learning value. Students’ assessment scores on the internship project were taken as the outcome variable. Findings Pre- and post-analysis of perceived internship value indicated a positive expectation disconfirmation. The result indicates that “Positive Expectation Disconfirmation” has a significant direct relationship with overall satisfaction with internship. Structural equation modeling further revealed that perceived quality of the supervisor–intern exchange has a significant relationship with perceived internship value. Perceived significance of classroom academic preparation has a weak negative relationship with both perceived internship value and internship performance. Perceived internship value has a weak positive relationship with internship performance. Originality/value It is first time an attempt has been made to look into the issue of internship from the ECT.

Mentoring and skill development in e-Internships

“…Furthermore, mentors can support goal setting and achievement. This would be in line with work that has shown that the “perceived value of the supervisor-intern exchange has a significant relationship with perceived internship value” (Neelam et al , 2019, pp. 92).…”

“…Prior research has shown that when interns have a clear understanding of what they need to achieve, they are more likely to be both effective and satisfied (Kapareliotis et al , 2019). The lower the discrepancy between internship expectations and the actual experience, the higher interns' satisfaction (Neelam et al , 2019). This suggests that communication before and during the internship (e.g.…”

“…However, many employers and academics are aware that interns seek guidance, encouragement and help during their traditional internship experience, while they are hoping to be “given plenty of scope for experimentation, autonomy and learning during internship” (Neelam et al , 2019, p. 101). E-internships potentially provide room for experimentation, autonomy and learning.…”

The effectiveness of applied learning: an empirical evaluation using role playing in the classroom

“…In addition, the application was tested in the graduate-level educational environment, so findings are not generalizable to other student levels or fields of study. However, findings are in-line with various other studies that reported similar benefits of applied learning techniques (Brown et al, 2018;Silva et al, 2018;Bhattacharya and Neelam, 2018). Larger samples using a variety of applications should continue to be explored.…”

“…Hence, it is important that future managers first study different aspects of a decision, then consider them in totality and not in isolation. Several opportunities do exist for advanced learning in applied settings, such as internships, residencies and practical learning courses such as capstone projects with industry clients (Brown et al, 2018;Silva et al, 2018;Bhattacharya and Neelam, 2018). However, this option of applied learning is also available for basic and intermediate courses to meet the changing demands of the student.…”