Why students don't read and management theories

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The other day, I overheard a conversation between two professors in the lunch room, discussing their concern that students never do the required reading. I went down memory lane to recall my experience at university and I must admit, I also had the same ‘sin’. I read the textbooks, no doubt, but rarely picked up the extra reading. I do understand the reading could be very useful but I did not feel the need. I have been thinking about this issue for a while, trying to come up with an explanation. I would like to present my thoughts on this in this article, using some accounting and management analogies.

The lack of training

The first thing that came to my mind is the reading ability of students. My former lecturers used to provide a list of the required reading in the study guide but never actually explained how the students should approach them. This is comparable to a manager setting a bunch of goals for staff but never discussing how the staff should tackle the challenges.

I think lecturers believe that the reading ability of the students is pretty much given, like a manager assuming staff members already know what to do. The staff are confused, they feel the goals are forced onto them, hence they grow resistant. Students probably view the reading similarly. Academic journals are very ‘academic’. The use of terminologies and advanced statistical techniques confuses the students. They can not comprehend the articles, growing fear of them, and neglect them as long as they can. This builds up as a habit in the first year of study and will have a long-lasting impact during the entire degree. Not to mention international students, who come from a different educational backgrounds, like me, may not come across a journal article before they come to Australia.

To resolve this problem, the managers and the lecturers should give staff and students training and the opportunity to provide feedback. Just because the staff knows how to do the daily tasks, it does not mean they can apply them to the goal at hand. Students know how to read, but they may not read effectively. Training will help to build confidence in facing the goals and reading; while feedback provides a two-way communication channel for staff and students to voice their concerns. This should also encourage the managers and lecturers to adjust so everyone can achieve common ground. This method will take some time from other activities, but the foundation in reading is so valuable, it worth the effort.

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The lack of measurement

My lecturers always stated the importance of reading was to expand our knowledge. I am not challenging that. However, I think the lack of following up and discussion on the reading disincentivises students. If the lecturers do not discuss the articles anytime during workshops and tutorials, is it worth the time to read? Please be mindful that we are talking about 18-19 years old students, who may have had the chance to leave their local neighbourhood for the very first time to attend university. There is a world of distraction around them.

Sadly, I also often see this phenomenon in the business world. The management team set up ambitious strategies but never stop to assess the performance later on. Honestly, I don’t see the point of doing that. It is like running blind. Management may have forgotten that they get what they measure. They cannot achieve the desired outcome when they don’t even know where they are at. Furthermore, if unsuccessful strategies are not assessed, the burden of their ineffectiveness will hinder the organisation’s performance and the ability to compete against rivals. Staff will start to lose trust in management. Talented staff will leave and money will run dry.

For lecturers, to get students’ attention, it is important to include reading in the learning activities. Students must be aware of how the reading pieces are linked to assessments in their studies, and how they will discuss ideas in the articles in classes. For managers, during the planning phase of any strategy, it is crucial to spend some time thinking about the targeted results and formulating appropriate performance measures. Only by measuring the outcomes of strategy implementation, do we know if we are heading in the right direction.

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The lack of motivation

When lecturers insist students must do the reading because they have to. This attitude builds a wall between them. The lack of context leaves a void in the students’ minds. In order words, ‘because they have to’ is simply not enough to encourage students to do more reading.

Explaining the context should go a long way in motivating students to explore the discussed topics. This can be done by helping students to connect between the reading pieces, how they are linked to the current and future subjects, and their current and future expertise. I think a combination of academic and non-academic sources should help, too. As mentioned above, not every student is comfortable with academic literature. Once they understand a simple piece, they are more likely to go on and discover more.

Managers can fall into the same pitfall. They tell staff what the organisation will do but not why the organisation does so, or they may paint the explanation poorly and vague. If staff cannot connect their work with the strategy then they will not care. It is sad but true.

Management needs to keep in mind that their strategies are carried out by staff. If the staff don’t buy in or don’t care, the strategies are destined to fail. To prevent this from happening, thoughtful consideration must be given to performance measurement and rewards. The measures must reflect the goals at heart, whereas the rewards must be comprehensive (pay, official recognition, extra holiday, professional development). Pay can be an attractive reward in this inflationary period, but other scenarios may require a different combination.

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In summary, if managers/lecturers want their staff/students to take on the strategy/additional reading, they need to give a compelling reason, measure the work accordingly, and seek to provide training and feedback. Eventually, the effort will bear fruits.