A context for teaching with technology in management, leadership, and business

Abstract

In May 2000, Scott Cook Chairman of Intuit Incorporated stated, “We’re still in the first minutes of the first day of the Internet revolution” (Levingston 2000, para. 2). Almost 20 years later it seems likely that educators are still in the early days of an ongoing change to new pedagogical techniques, modalities, and norms that draw upon technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, smart campuses and cities, the Internet of things, robots, and others. Many management and leadership educators have integrated technology into their classrooms in step with developments over the past few decades, evolving their pedagogy with the advent of video, computers, the Internet, virtual worlds, smartphone applications (apps), and social media. Distance education that uses online learning management systems (for example, Moodle, Blackboard, and Canvas) and apps form part of many management and leadership programs, whether presented in online, hybrid, or face-to-face formats. The context of management, leadership, and business education is not just related to the technologies used in higher education. Students require preparation for leading, managing, and collaborating in workplaces that rely on technology and increasing virtual work with peers, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders using technology to facilitate communication and support organizational effectiveness (Bligh and Riggio 2012). Management and leadership are increasingly delivered through or by technology. Consider the example of Uber (Kahai 2018), where employees receive instructions and feedback from an app. The evolving world of technology and its critical role in the global economy for leaders, managers, and business professionals starts with learning. This handbook combines insights from research and practice to provide a reflection on the current use of technology in higher education management, leadership, and business courses and programs, providing glimpses of the future. The chapters in this volume were written by experienced practitioners using technology in novel and effective ways in their management and leadership classes (undergraduate and graduate), as well as by researchers reporting and reflecting on studies and literature that can guide instructors on the challenges and benefits of teaching with technology. This book is not limited to practice, literature, or research but instead considers all three to highlight the synergy of using technology in education.