Alina M. Zapalska

The paper presents specific examples of leadership training practices and educational activities that have been successfully implemented in an undergraduate program at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The purpose of this study is to illustrate a model of experiential learning that facilitates leadership development in an undergraduate program. The integration of cadets’ learning in a classroom, during students’ engagement in service learning, community engagements, internships, and extra-curricular activities allows cadets to develop necessary leadership skills required for graduation and employment in the future. A structured experiential learning environment allows students to discover their own styles of self-leadership and explore new leadership approaches. Concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation are exercised in the learning communities that include faculty, coaches, students (peer groups) and the community they serve

Studies on the development of critical thinking skills with specific curriculum materials and instructional methods are few and have been highly theoretical and far removed from practical concerns and applications. This paper contributes to the existing literature on critical thinking pedagogy by providing examples of written assignments that are designed using the 21st century Bloom’s taxonomy model to contribute to critical thinking development. The step-wise development of critical thinking skills approach is provided. The paper argues that both focus on real problems and issues and provision of clear unambiguous instructions are critical fundamentals of critical thinking skills development. The paper also illustrates how to develop critical thinking assignments by providing five examples of course assignments within business education.

The objective was to identify the firms’ short-run and long-run strategies that contributed to firms’ development, job creation and economic growth of local economies, and employees’ and customers’ satisfaction across all Butler’s stages of development. The results indicate that the firms have been successful supporting environmental sustainability, conservation of natural resources, and protection of cultural elements of local communities. During the Covid-19 shutdown, the female entrepreneurs assessed past strategies, invested in development and production of new and better-quality products and services, advanced employees’ and entrepreneurial skills, and transformation of digital and production infrastructure. The study identified the importance of government policies critical for entrepreneurship success, particularly during global crises. The paper illustrates several lessons focused specifically on fostering a supportive work environment that enables firms to endure through and successfully recover from market shocks or global crises. The study concludes that all female entrepreneurs were experienced, motivated, visionary, goal-oriented, and innovative regarding their entrepreneurial undertakings while focusing on understanding the needs and maximizing employee and customer satisfaction. The resiliency they developed enabled them to stay focused on their goals and maintain successful operations while facing insufficient financial and non-financial support, market challenges, and global crises.