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Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7282

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2021

Kevin Sevag Kertechian, Silva Karkoulian, Hussein N. Ismail and Samar Samir Aad Makhoul

This study aims to examine the effect of experience abroad, academic success and university reputation on students' employability in the Lebanese labor market.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of experience abroad, academic success and university reputation on students' employability in the Lebanese labor market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a between-subject design to identify whether academic success, university reputation and experience abroad have an impact on how potential recruiters (i.e. employers) are perceiving student employability. The study uses 16 fictitious applications of business graduates, which differed in grade-point average, university reputation and experience abroad, rated by 784 Lebanese professionals.

Findings

The results suggest that high-performing students with experience abroad and high-performing students from a reputable university are perceived to be more employable. For low-performing students, having completed an experience abroad results in a lower reward in terms of employability.

Research limitations/implications

The present study offers an analysis of students' employability through employers' lens; it offers insights for students on how to be perceived as more employable in a context where competition among future workers is fierce.

Practical implications

The results of this research provide a roadmap for graduates for enhancing their employability in Lebanese markets and offer actionable insights to employers.

Originality/value

The most original contribution of this study is the analysis of university reputation impact on the likelihood of receiving positive feedback during the evaluation process. The impact of two Lebanese universities, one ranked in the QS ranking and one not, was investigated.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2023

Giang Thi Thu Trinh

The topic of student engagement (SE) has received considerable attention in the literature for its robust correlation with many positive educational outcomes in higher education…

Abstract

Purpose

The topic of student engagement (SE) has received considerable attention in the literature for its robust correlation with many positive educational outcomes in higher education (HE). However, among these desirable outcomes, student competencies have rarely been examined despite their importance in employability. While universities are expected to improve graduates' competencies and prepare them to adapt in an uncertain and complex workplace, the results are still limited. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the impacts of SE on student competencies in HE in Vietnam, focusing on the out-of-class environment. It also aims at developing a measurement instrument for out-of-class SE.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on student self-reports, this study collected two different datasets of 492 and 490 undergraduate business students in Hanoi to implement separate exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The measurement instrument of out-of-class engagement was adapted from the literature review and developed based on qualitative research, which combined the four subconstructs of participatory, emotional, cognitive and agentic engagement.

Findings

Findings confirms four subconstructs of SE in the out-of-class context where agentic engagement is a valid and distinct aspect. Findings further show that, among these four subconstructs, cognitive and agentic engagement have significant impacts on all four important student competencies for business students, while participatory and emotional engagement do not.

Research limitations/implications

This study confirmed out-of-class SE has significant positive impacts on student competencies in HE, especially with out-of-class cognitive and agentic engagement. The findings show evidence of different impacts between participatory and agentic engagement, in which while participatory has no impacts on student competencies, agentic engagement significantly contributes to competencies of managing self, communicating and managing people and tasks. This implies different outcomes can be expected from different levels of engagement.

Practical implications

From a managerial point of view, the findings of this study strongly suggest that higher education institutions (HEIs) should view the out-of-class environment as an important extended learning context for students' complete development. Besides, as student out-of-class participatory engagement is not sufficient to the formation of student competencies, HEIs should strengthen out-of-class cognitive and agentic engagement among students. From the leadership perspective, building a good campus environment with various opportunities to involve students in diversified extra-curricular activities is beneficial to university students.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in SE by establishing a theoretical linkage between out-of-class engagement and student competencies and provides sufficient statistical significance. In addition, it validated out-of-class agentic engagement as a separate and distinct subcomponent of out-of-class SE and confirmed the positive impact of out-of-class engagement on student competencies for business students.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 August 2023

Luisa Helena Pinto, Rita Portugal and Patricia Viana

Numerous studies have shown that minority workers are disadvantaged in the labour market due to stereotypes and discrimination. However, published research on résumé screening has…

Abstract

Purpose

Numerous studies have shown that minority workers are disadvantaged in the labour market due to stereotypes and discrimination. However, published research on résumé screening has overlooked the effects of multiple social categorisations pertaining to candidates' gender, education and origin. This study addresses this gap and examines whether the gender, the level of education and the national origin cues mentioned in the résumé affect the perceived employability of candidates.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs an experimental between-subjects factorial design in that 12 résumés varying in gender, education and national origin were rated by 373 Portuguese working adults.

Findings

The results documented a gender premium as women were favoured in interpersonal and job skills but not in job suitability, and an education premium, since higher educated candidates were preferred despite their gender and origin. No meaningful interactions for gender × education × national origin were observed, which suggests that ingroup favouritism and outgroup discrimination in résumé screening can be averted.

Originality/value

The findings endorse a multidimensional view of perceived employability by investigating candidates' skills and job suitability from the viewpoint of the decision-makers, which extends our understanding of résumé-screening discrimination. This is critical to prevent hiring discrimination at an earlier career stage, which can increase youth employment and enhance the integration in the labour market of local minorities such as women, inexperienced workers and second-generation immigrants.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 February 2020

David W. Drewery, Robert Sproule and T. Judene Pretti

The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between a lifelong learning mindset and career success. A lifelong learning mindset is a way of approaching one's work…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between a lifelong learning mindset and career success. A lifelong learning mindset is a way of approaching one's work with curiosity, strategic thinking, and resilience. Career success refers to objective (e.g., number of promotions) and subjective (e.g., job satisfaction) indicators of progress and fulfillment in one's work.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies are presented. Both studies draw from an accounting and finance program at a Canadian university. In study 1, data were collected from students (n = 62) and their supervisors at the end of a four-month co-operative education (co-op) work term. In study 2, data were collected from graduates (n = 148).

Findings

Results suggest that developing a lifelong learning mindset enhances both objective and subjective career success. Participants' lifelong learning mindset was associated with objective career success in both studies (supervisor-rated performance in study 1 and number of promotions in study 2). Lifelong learning mindset was associated with subjective career success in study 2 (job satisfaction, work engagement, and job-related self-efficacy) but not in study 1 (experience satisfaction).

Originality/value

This article presents the first empirical examination of the relationship between a lifelong learning mindset and career success. Insights from the article highlight the fact that educators and workplace managers might work together to promote a lifelong learning mindset for current and future workers.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1991

Marc S. Mentzer

As a business grows, its managerial hierarchy gains new layers, and top management finds it more difficult to control those toward the bottom of the chain of command…

Abstract

As a business grows, its managerial hierarchy gains new layers, and top management finds it more difficult to control those toward the bottom of the chain of command. Multinational corporations are so large (and still growing) that they tax all organizational control mechanisms, including the traditional hierarchy, matrix structures, loose coupling, corporate culture, and personnel rotation. The applicability and drawbacks of each of these mechanisms are surveyed as they relate to the dilemma of management control in the multinational corporation.

Details

International Journal of Commerce and Management, vol. 1 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1056-9219

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2023

Hana Krskova and Yvonne Breyer

The purpose of this paper is to examine individuals' levels of work ethic amongst current and recent university attendees across three countries. This article presents the results…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine individuals' levels of work ethic amongst current and recent university attendees across three countries. This article presents the results of a survey of 537 respondents from the United States of America, Korea and China, thus extending the previous research into work ethic, often conducted from a Western perspective. The comparative study aims to enhance the understanding of cross-cultural and gender differences and similarities whilst probing for the levels of work ethic amongst the respondents.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative research method was adopted because the authors' aim was to probe similarities and differences across three societies. Multiple analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were utilised to explore gender and country-related differences. Cluster analysis was applied to probe for segments highly similar to each other in the levels of work ethic of the respondents.

Findings

The results confirm the hypothesised differences between countries as well as across gender groups, with American females having the highest levels of work ethic, closely followed by Chinese males and females. Three distinct segments – low, medium and high levels of work ethic – were found in all three countries, indicating that there are individuals in each of the societies who could benefit from strategies for increasing the individuals' levels of work ethic.

Originality/value

Novel gender comparisons of the three country groups revealed American females as having the highest levels of work ethic and Korean females the lowest, whilst the identification of clusters of low, medium and high levels of work ethic provides evidence of the need to increase levels of work ethic to enhance productivity, regardless of the country of origin.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2021

Justin Greenleaf and Brent Goertzen

This case study explores student learning outcomes from a student-led eService-learning (SLESL) course. The researchers interviewed 12 participants in addition to evaluating final…

Abstract

This case study explores student learning outcomes from a student-led eService-learning (SLESL) course. The researchers interviewed 12 participants in addition to evaluating final reflection papers. Data analysis yielded three general categories including leadership insights, personal growth and development, and overcoming community obstacles. Leadership insights were comprised of five emergent themes such as leadership lessons learned, collaboration, communication, influence, and other leadership theories. Personal growth and development included seven themes such as personal challenge, personal awareness, practical application, personal affect, personal self-efficacy, self-efficacy toward future involvement, and service-learning insights. The final category, overcoming community obstacles, was encompassed by three themes including community challenge, insights about others, and innovation. Transferability of the findings along with implications for practice are discussed.

Details

Journal of Leadership Education, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1552-9045

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2012

Diane H. Parente, John D. Stephan and Randy C. Brown

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether managers can acquire strategic skills using management education methods in lieu of experience. It demonstrates that…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether managers can acquire strategic skills using management education methods in lieu of experience. It demonstrates that experienced‐based pedagogical methods can be effective in developing traditional skills or “hard” skills and “soft” skills such as interpersonal communication, which then facilitate the acquisition of strategic skills.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses data from questionnaires and achievement scores from capstone classes to determine whether exposure to an experiential technique called large‐scale simulation can lead students to acquire traditional, soft and strategic managerial skill sets.

Findings

The results show that soft and traditional skills are complementary and together lead to better acquisition of strategic skills and also imply that mastering soft skills may enhance the mastery of traditional skills.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of the research stems from the use of students as research subjects. While this limits generalizability, it is important to remember that many such students go on to be successful managers in large and small organizations, partly due to their educational background. Replicating these findings with graduate and executive students is required.

Practical implications

A key practical implication is that organizations may be able to effectively supplement their own experienced‐based developmental efforts for their managerial personnel with course‐based learning.

Originality/value

The paper's findings support an option for many firms, although this has not received much direct empirical support. Additionally, the results support the increasing emphasis placed on soft skills, suggesting that development of strategic skills may help managers grasp the bigger‐picture implications.

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2018

Meena Chavan and Leanne Carter

The purpose of this paper is to explore the expectations and reality perspectives accrued in a preliminary management course and understand if they impart and embed real-world…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the expectations and reality perspectives accrued in a preliminary management course and understand if they impart and embed real-world skills and develop work readiness.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data collected for the research were qualitative. A total of six focus groups were conducted with a total of 52 students enrolled at a large metropolitan university in Australia. NViVO was used to code and analyse the data.

Findings

The study found that at the commencement of university studies, the expectations were simple like, making new friends, getting around the campus and settling well into the university culture, which over time extended to getting a part-time job, securing internships, memberships of associations, desire to participate in exchange programs and get work-ready by the close of the first year. The research outcomes show that those who held a part-time job while studying demonstrated a better understanding of the preliminary management subject matter taught in class and obtained better grades. Primarily, the preliminary management course did not specifically impart work-ready skills and it would be fitting to embed employability skills in the management curriculum from the commencement of their programs in the first year.

Research limitations/implications

Qualitative research is used to comprehend a research problem from the outlook perspectives of the local population it involves. The limitations of this methodology includes no objectively verifiable result, adept interviewing skills for interviewers, slow and time consuming during interviewing process and intensive category process also as qualitative inquiry is normally open-ended, the participants have more control over the content of the data collected.

Practical implications

The lack of skill mismatch and graduates who are not work-ready incurs significant economic and social costs. A number of policy implications emerge due to university-labour market links and skills mismatches and the impact on students and the labour market. The rise in unemployment and the skills mismatch seen after the economic crisis requires immediate attention. Job creation is crucial but so is the need to develop graduate with appropriate matching skills and qualities to do the job. Mandatory internships, apprenticeships and on-the-job training for university students would help. Governments can provide financial incentives and subsidies to organisations providing the above services and working cooperatively with the universities to get students work-ready. Universities must raise the educational requirements over time as jobs become more complex. Universities can build communities of practice with the assistance of this scheme to enable students to interact with the industry professionals. An additional year of vocational training could be recommended for the graduating students. This would help the young graduates to get work-related skills. Wheelahan et al. (2015) state that building better links between education and work can help provide a more rational approach to vocational development. They propose the use of vocational streams and productive capabilities in the education system and labour market to achieve this.

Social implications

This requires a combined effort from all stakeholders. A systematic approach needs to be adopted. First, the gap between the knowledge provided by the universities and the skills required by the employers need to be reduced. Second, the employers and the universities should keep a watch on the labour market and develop strategies to meet the dynamic requirements of the labour market collaboratively. Third, career guidance will help inform students make a career choice to match the labour market opportunities. This should be a part of the policy agenda for responding to the lack of work-ready graduates in the labour market.

Originality/value

Learning and teaching activities must include industry interface and engagement right from the first year at university. The main findings from this research indicated the need for better understanding of first-year students’ expectations. The two significant student expectations that emerged were “need for collaborations” and “industry interface”.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

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