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Sense of belonging critical to business Â鶹´«Ã½ experience

The Department of Marketing is currently conducting a multi-phase study examining the sense of belonging for undergraduate business Â鶹´«Ã½s, exploring factors that contribute to belonging, such as academic and social support and the feeling of fitting in with the business college community. Seeking to understand how a sense of belonging among business Â鶹´«Ã½s influences academic performance, retention and overall satisfaction with their university experience, faculty members hope to shed light on the importance of a sense of community for undergraduate business Â鶹´«Ã½s and provide recommendations for business colleges. The research involves more than 15 WMU faculty researchers and two Â鶹´«Ã½ research assistants.

According to previous research by many scholars, a Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s sense of belonging can depend on variables such as connection to peers, perceived empathy of faculty members, as well as membership in a variety of demographic groups.

The WMU research team created an online survey for Â鶹´«Ã½s taking courses at the Haworth College of Business and analyzed the responses of 1,141 Â鶹´«Ã½s—approximately one third of the college’s Â鶹´«Ã½ population. The survey instrument consisted of open- and close-ended questions, and investigated Â鶹´«Ã½s’ sense of belonging within the business college community.

The results indicate that faculty support, peer support, institutional support and perceived fit with the institutional environment have positive and significant effects on Â鶹´«Ã½s, and that the higher a Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s sense of belonging, the more likely they are to persist to graduation.

The study highlights the need for more research, but there are some initial findings that begin to provide a roadmap for educators looking to better understand and promote belonging among Â鶹´«Ã½s.

• Faculty and staff support matters greatly to Â鶹´«Ã½s. This support can come from helping Â鶹´«Ã½s navigate their academic journeys, but also through non-academic behaviors such as empathy, accommodation of needs and learning Â鶹´«Ã½s’ names.
• Given the importance of peer support on sense of belonging, faculty should consider ways to build peer support and relationship building into the classroom. Group projects, pair-and-share discussions and collaborative exams are commonly used techniques. Research should be conducted to examine how these and other innovative techniques make Â鶹´«Ã½s feel supported by and connected with their peers.
• Students should be encouraged to engage in activities that help them feel a greater connection to the academic community. Encouraging co-curricular and academic activities that align with their interests is helpful.
• Greater future research focus should be placed upon peer-to-peer support, given its role in fostering a sense of belonging. How can Â鶹´«Ã½s best support one another, and how can they be encouraged to do so? Which peer-to-peer factors best produce a feeling of fit?

The study’s findings are of particular importance in light of declining high school Â鶹´«Ã½ populations and an increasing number of post-pandemic high school Â鶹´«Ã½s considering alternatives to college. Higher education institutions must pay more attention than ever to attracting and retaining Â鶹´«Ã½s. How can everyone make Â鶹´«Ã½s feel welcome, cared about and supported from the moment they put down their financial deposit until they graduate and transition into their life as an alum?

This research substantiates the importance of sense of belonging among undergraduate Â鶹´«Ã½s at a business college. A second, qualitative phase of the research is now underway and will use focus groups to explore the multi-dimensional aspects of belonging further. The bottom line: A sense of belonging is critical to promoting positive outcomes for business Â鶹´«Ã½s. Business colleges should consider implementing programs and interventions that enhance Â鶹´«Ã½s’ sense of belonging, particularly for those Â鶹´«Ã½s that may experience feelings of marginalization or disconnection from the academic community.