Reality check: changes in business students' psychological resources as they move towards graduation

This study examines the trajectory of student psychological resources over the course of business education. Business education should equip students with positive psychological resources so that they can succeed. Most business school programs focus on the development of skills in communication, critical thinking, and quantitative, technological, and functional knowledge, while omitting training that affects students' psychological resources to succeed in business. This study employs the psychological capital (PsyCap) instrument to measure psychological resources. Comparisons of freshmen and seniors showed that freshman scored higher on four of the five PsyCap dimensions. Business students followed for two years showed significant drops in need for achievement and need for feedback. To counter reduced psychological resources, business schools should explore the implementation of training interventions. Future research should replicate longitudinal measures of business student psychological resources that have profound implications for business education.