What do international students really want? An exploration of the content of international students’ psychological contract in business education

Sarbari Bordia, Prashant Bordia, Michael Milkovitz, Yaxi Shen, Simon Lloyd D. Restubog

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

International students have a substantial presence in western business schools. Yet, research on international students’ experiences remains sparse. Following recent calls to understand the international student–educational institution relationship, we examine the content, formation, and fulfilment of their psychological contract. We conduct a qualitative study of international students in two Australian business schools with large international student cohorts. The findings indicate that international students use social and institutional sources to create the contract, which, when fulfilled, leads to positive educational and psychological outcomes. Our research contributes to the business and international education literature by identifying the key content of the contract. We also highlight the interconnected roles of three tiers of the institution–academic staff, business school and university–in fulfilling the contract. Knowledge of international students’ psychological contract will help business schools better manage the student–institution relationship and create a sustainable international student expansion strategy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1488-1502
Number of pages15
JournalStudies in Higher Education
Volume44
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 3 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • International students
  • business education
  • international education
  • management education
  • psychological contract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

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