Purpose This research examines the challenges of teaching a research-based capstone unit in Master of International Business (MIB) programmes, focusing on coursework students with limited research training. It explores how a curriculum redesign, informed by backward design and advance organizers, can enhance learning clarity, coursework integration and engagement. To further support the collaborative requirements of the unit, this study introduces a group work contract designed to clarify task allocation prior to collaboration and encourage active participation. This research aims to equip educators with a holistic set of actionable strategies for improving capstone units in MIB and similar professionally oriented programmes, boosting graduate employability while providing tools to manage group dynamics effectively. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an autoethnographic qualitative approach, this study leverages the first author’s dual role as a former student and current teaching assistant. The research applies backward design to structure the research-based capstone curriculum and uses advance organizers to develop teaching materials, while also implementing the group work contract. Through iterative reflections, student evaluation surveys, analysis of past student correspondence and observed outcomes, the research evaluates how these strategies align learning objectives with assessments and group management. This practitioner-informed model emphasizes dual scaffolding, covering both academic and collaborative aspects, to bridge gaps in research comprehension and application. Findings Student evaluations of teaching and unit results indicate higher satisfaction with the upgraded research-based MIB capstone curriculum compared to the previous taught-based model. Survey results confirm that capstone objectives were met, with a majority of students believing the skills developed will support their future careers, which represents a significant improvement over the previous taught-based curriculum. Regarding the collaborative scaffolding, the implementation of group work contracts increased motivation by clearly defining responsibilities, thereby reducing free-rider conflicts. The contract served as a constructive tool for guiding students and offering a proactive alternative to peer evaluation forms. Originality/value This research uniquely combines backward design and advance organizers in the redesign of the MIB capstone unit by offering a dual learner-instructor perspective. It provides actionable and student-centred strategies rarely addressed in the literature on research-based capstones. In addition, this study offers practical implications for managing group assignment conflicts through the strategic use of group work contracts.
Fang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.