The demands of today's ever-changing work environment often require that employees engage in intellectual risk taking (IRT) by being resourceful, trying new things, and asking questions even at the risk of making a mistake or feeling inadequate. This research seeks to identify variables that increase student IRT. Controlling for individual differences in motivation known to affect IRT (i.e., self-efficacy and learning goal orientation), we find that perceptions of work methods autonomy and high instructor expectations increase student IRT. Using a sample of 241 students, this study finds that the more autonomy students perceive they are given and the higher they perceive instructor expectations, the more metacognitive behaviors they will engage in, and ultimately, the more intellectual risks they will take. These results have important implications for management educators who seek to prepare students to succeed in their careers.

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