An Analysis of Business Education Recruitment Strategies over the Past 25 Years: Then and Now

Abstract This article provides a review, analysis, and synthesis of recruitment strategies for business education from the flourishing 1970s to today's declining enrollments and program suspensions. A historical overview, continuing challenges, and best practices for business education recruitment are discussed. A large shift in business education programs has occurred throughout the country over the past 25 years. A once-flourishing field cycles back and forth into survival mode as colleges and universities have suspended business education programs for lack of enrollments, or often times, merged business education with other program areas to make the best use of resources in an effort to save business education. The negative pressure from administration can be devastating to business education programs, not to mention, business education faculty. While not extensive, a lot of research has been done on recruitment strategies in business education (FFBE, 2008; Liddel & Frances, 1999; Lynch, 1986; Mentz & Whiteside, 2003). Successful recruitment is critical to the continued existence of business education in postsecondary institutions. Publications often serve as manuals and suggestions for why business education programs are critical and why recruitment and retention are imperative; but they do not often explain how to maintain the programs or how to recruit and retain students. Most current articles give the reader the impression that the need for business education recruitment is obvious, but the articles seldom compare and contrast specific strategies that have been used in past recruitment for business education. An assessment of those recruitment strategies is necessary to determine the future direction for effective recruiting efforts. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to review, discuss, assess, and synthesize the major research findings on recruitment strategies for business education. The primary focus of the research addresses recruitment strategies from the high enrollment era of business education in the 1970s to the declining enrollments of today's programs. The synthesis includes an analysis and discussion of best practices and changes over the past 25 years that have been proposed and used in recruitment for business education. While the study focuses on business education programs and recruitment of business education students at postsecondary levels, it is necessary to address programs and recruitment at the secondary level as well. Introduction Business education began with the need to prepare office workers for clerical duties. American independence and industrial growth brought a need for the government to establish business courses in school curricula as businesses created more specialty areas such as bookkeeping, records management, and letter writing. Business education has also fulfilled a vital role in socializing students as consumers in society- teaching ethics, money management, and other business concepts needed in life. The content area of business education has changed over the past half century as a result of changing times and technologies. At the secondary level, business education has typically consisted of business subjects such as bookkeeping (accounting), shorthand, office administration, typewriting, general business, data processing, and computer applications. At the postsecondary level, business education has typically referred to secretarial programs and business teacher education programs; although, the general view of business education might also refer to any business administration program such as marketing, accounting, finance, and management. After all, business education is teaching for and about business. Hence, business education is notably versatile and can take on several directions; perhaps a broader perspective will strengthen recruitment efforts and business education programs. …