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1 – 10 of over 85000Amrik Singh and Shuaibu Chiroma Hassan
Introduction: Skills are vital for the survival of an organisation to meet its objectives through producing goods and services. Due to their importance, they are among the…
Abstract
Introduction: Skills are vital for the survival of an organisation to meet its objectives through producing goods and services. Due to their importance, they are among the sought-after aspects of employment. However, organisations need more skilled employees to bridge the gaps due to disruptions, shifts in consumer demands and needs, and transformations in the global world.
Purpose of the Study: This study aims to identify various skill gap in talent, competencies, and experience emerging in the hospitality sector. It will also present some challenges to the hospitality sector that faces due to the skill gap identified.
Industrial and Academic Justification of the Study: The study examines the needs and challenges from academic and industry perspectives. Hence, it provides significance for academics and industry to apply the findings to address skill gap.
Research Gap: Previous research has focused on different aspects of skills in other countries. This study will look at the issue globally and the recent trends emerging from disruptions and shifts in consumer behaviour.
Results and Findings: Though the study is ongoing, the findings show that specific skill gap exist, particularly in emerging technologies, digitisation, data, robotics, and various job openings from different countries’ perspectives, hospitality, and the tourism industry.
Practical Implications: The findings have implications for the tourism and hospitality industry as a whole, as well as individual organisations. The tourism and hospitality industry should apply these suggestions, such as operational skills, digital skills, and interpersonal skills in various sections of tourism and hospitality organisations
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Sheena Carlisle, Stanislav Ivanov and Corné Dijkmans
This paper aims to present the findings from a European study on the digital skills gaps in tourism and hospitality companies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the findings from a European study on the digital skills gaps in tourism and hospitality companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Mixed methods research was adopted. The sample includes 1,668 respondents (1,404 survey respondents and 264 interviewees) in 5 tourism sectors (accommodation establishments, tour operators and travel agents, food and beverage, visitor attractions and destination management organisations) in 8 European countries (UK, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria).
Findings
The most important future digital skills include online marketing and communication skills, social media skills, MS Office skills, operating systems use skills and skills to monitor online reviews. The largest gaps between the current and the future skill levels were identified for artificial intelligence and robotics skills and augmented reality and virtual reality skills, but these skills, together with computer programming skills, were considered also as the least important digital skills. Three clusters were identified on the basis of their reported gaps between the current level and the future needs of digital skills. The country of registration, sector and size shape respondents’ answers regarding the current and future skills levels and the skills gap between them.
Originality/value
The paper discusses the digital skills gap of tourism and hospitality employees and identifies the most important digital skills they would need in the future.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the auditors’ and accounting educators’ perceptions of accounting education gaps and their impact on audit quality in Egypt.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the auditors’ and accounting educators’ perceptions of accounting education gaps and their impact on audit quality in Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a survey of auditors and accounting educators in Egypt.
Findings
The findings indicate a significant negative relationship between deficiencies in specific skills – namely, decision making, information technology, critical thinking, legal knowledge, problem-solving skills, ethical behavior, ambiguity tolerance, presentation skills, written communication, and cost and managerial accounting skills – and audit quality.
Research limitations/implications
The results provide an auditing professionals’ market perspective of the development of students’ skills in the Egyptian higher education system. Specifically, this research provides insights into what skills auditing firms look for and how much these skills differ from those currently developed by public business schools in Egypt.
Practical implications
The results help auditing firms that want to work in the Egyptian market to identify the training needs for entry-level positions. Specifically, accounting graduates from public schools will need training in critical thinking skills, information technology, and writing and communication skills.
Originality/value
This study extends the accounting literature on the relationship between attributes of accounting graduates and audit quality by examining the impact of accounting graduates’ skills development and audit quality in Egypt.
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Timothy Oluwafemi Ayodele, Oluseyi Joshua Adegoke, Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu and Olaitan Olaoye
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the soft skill gap of graduate employees, as well as the factors influencing the skill gaps of real estate graduates in the employment of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the soft skill gap of graduate employees, as well as the factors influencing the skill gaps of real estate graduates in the employment of real estate firms in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were employed for the study. Close-ended questionnaire served on real estate employers in the two major property markets of Nigeria: Lagos and Abuja. From a total of 343 questionnaires administered, 172 (59.7%) questionnaires were retrieved. While data from the graduate employees were obtained via a web-based survey sent out to a total of 558 graduates, 119 (21.33%) responses were received. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed in the data analysis.
Findings
The findings showed that employers had high expectations for soft skillsets relating to responsibility, administrative, listening and communication skills. These have respective mean scores of 6.38, 6.33, 6.31 and 6.31 on a seven point scale. However, the results revealed significant skill gaps with skills such as logical thinking, business negotiation, responsibility and marketing. Further, the analysis revealed that factors influencing the skill gap, in decreasing order of influence, are training/professional mentors/remuneration, personal preferences/industry characteristics and curriculum/faculties.
Practical implications
Real estate graduate soft skills are investigated to uncover areas of emphasis and skill gaps. These outcomes could serve as important feedbacks for stakeholders towards improving real estate teaching and curriculum. The findings could also assist real estate graduates to know employers areas of emphasis in relation to graduate employability skills.
Originality/value
Extant studies have reiterated and evaluated the soft skills gaps based on the perceptions of employers, faculties and institutions of higher learning. However, there is the need to investigate the perception of graduate employees, being the recipient and major stakeholders in the training process.
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Nadana Abayadeera and Kim Watty
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generic skills that are important for the career success of accounting graduates in Sri Lanka from the perspectives of university…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generic skills that are important for the career success of accounting graduates in Sri Lanka from the perspectives of university educators and employers.
Design/methodology/approach
Bui and Porter's (2010) expectation-performance gap framework was modified to match with the context of the current study. Data collected via questionnaire survey was analysed for non-parametric tests: the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney test, using SPSS version 20, and quantified the expectation-performance gap and its components.
Findings
The major finding of this research is that the main cause for the expectation-performance gap, as identified in the analysis of the constraint gap is university educators’ low confidence in teaching the required generic skills for career success of graduates. However, university educators are aware of the employer expectations of graduate accountants in terms of generic skills. Employers indicated that many of the generic skills are not achieved by the accounting graduates.
Practical implications
Findings of this study reflect the importance of expanding the accounting curricula by embedding and assessing generic skill development activities. In addition, it is vital to develop the capacities of university educators in terms of teaching and assessing generic skills in accounting degree programmes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature as one of few studies that investigate the generic skills development of accounting graduates in Asia, particularly in Sri Lanka.
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Glorianne Borg Axisa and Ruben Paul Borg
The construction industry is one of the major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP, 2022), but it provides numerous valuable opportunities to contribute to the reduction…
Abstract
Purpose
The construction industry is one of the major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP, 2022), but it provides numerous valuable opportunities to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (IPPC, 2023). Innovation within the industry and the adoption of sustainable practices are key to achieve this. This is possible with the contribution of highly knowledgeable professionals and skilled workers. However, different countries, including Malta are facing skill gaps and resource shortages. The purpose of this paper is to define the existing skill gaps and mismatches in climate change adaptation in the built environment in Malta. The research focuses on the positionality of the professionals working in the sector as they operate within a legal framework guided through various policies, and through their role and responsibility, they are in contact with the other stakeholders in the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The data generation strategy used in this study involved a pragmatic approach through a mixed method research methodology, namely, interviews, a questionnaire and a focus group discussion. The three tier scaffolding approach in the data generation strategy allowed for a progressive validation of the data generated.
Findings
The research indicates that the professionals in the sector are aware of their roles and responsibilities to address climate change in their practices, and they have the disposition to acknowledge the need of continuous professional training. Moreover, this study points out that the professionals in the built environment sector are concerned about other gaps within the industry and not solely by skill gaps. Their responsibility to address climate change through greener solutions is often hindered by fragmentation in the system including bureaucratic procedures, clients’ demands, lack of enforcement and general education of the need to address and adapt climate change among the general public. The professionals appeal for an overhaul in the “culture” of the construction industry through a comprehensive rather than a piecemeal approach. This research puts in the limelight the need of a comprehensive strategy to address skill gaps and mismatches in accordance with the need for climate change adaptation as the ultimate challenge rather than addressing different issues separately within the sector.
Originality/value
The paper is to define the existing skill gaps and mismatches in climate change adaptation in the built environment in Malta. By identifying these skill gaps and mismatches, it would be possible to devise an action plan to iron-out such hindrances as part of a broader climate action adaptation strategy.
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Timothy Oluwafemi Ayodele, Timothy Tunde Oladokun and Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu
The global shift in the traditional skills required of real estate graduates has led to an increased demand for employees who have the required skills and competencies. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The global shift in the traditional skills required of real estate graduates has led to an increased demand for employees who have the required skills and competencies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate employment considerations of real estate firms and analyse employers’ skill expectations and the observed skills possessed by the graduate employees. This study also analysed the self-assessed soft skill levels of the graduate employees, thereby establishing the skill gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were sought from real estate employers in the two dominant real estate markets of Nigeria: Lagos and Abuja, and real estate graduate employees who have had a minimum of six months working experience in real estate firms. Data collected were analysed using statistical techniques such as frequency, percentages, mean, correlation, multivariate analysis of variance, paired-samples t-test and independent samples t-test.
Findings
The findings of this study revealed that employers’ soft skills expectations were high with skills such as responsibility, administrative, listening, communication, business negotiation and work ethics. Based on employers' observed skills, there were significant skill gaps with respect to soft skills such as responsibility, business negotiation, logical thinking, marketing and dispute resolution. An analysis of the core skills reveals employers' preference for technical competencies in valuation, agency, property management, marketing, report writing and landlord and tenant laws. However, graduate employees possessed significant skill gaps with regards to technical skills such as valuation, property investment analysis, feasibility and viability appraisal, market research methods and facility management.
Practical implications
An understanding of the skill gaps will provide useful feedback to professional bodies, regulatory boards, institutions of higher learning, faculty members and other stakeholders regarding deficient skill areas, especially for curriculum review, development and training in the real estate sector.
Originality/value
There is a paucity of information about employers' skill preferences and the skill gaps in the real estate sector.
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Cathy Hart, Grazyna B. Stachow, Andrew M. Farrell and Gary Reed
This paper seeks to identify the skills gaps associated with retail employees in SME and multiple retail companies, and to investigate the potential training and business…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to identify the skills gaps associated with retail employees in SME and multiple retail companies, and to investigate the potential training and business implications that arise from these skills gaps, from the point of view of retail employers.
Design/methodology/approach
Research was conducted within one geographical region and across five counties within the UK. Telephone and face‐to‐face interviews and focus group workshops were conducted, resulting in responses from 52 retailers.
Findings
The key issues and areas of concern to emerge were: the industry image and impact on recruitment and retention; employee and management skills gaps; and barriers to training.
Research limitations/implications
The findings highlight the need for UK retail industry to raise the image of the sector, to identify the skills sets for specific roles, and to clarify the retail qualifications and training required delivering these.
Originality/value
Succeeds in identifying the skills gaps associated with retail employees in SME and multiple retail companies and in investigating the potential training and business implications arising from these skills gaps.
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The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on employability and skill gap in the context of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) education in India. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on employability and skill gap in the context of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) education in India. This paper provides an overview of the critical themes and identifies research gaps for future investigations.
Design/methodology/approach
Published empirical studies were reviewed and thematically analysed using NVivo 11 Pro.
Findings
In addition to technical aptitudes and skills, organisations also seek other attributes that are associated with employability, such as communication, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills. Communication is an important skill frequently cited in the literature. Additionally, themes related to reasons for skill gaps are identified.
Practical implications
Soft skills and non-technical aptitudes should be emphasised in MBA education. Furthermore, significant reforms in MBA education programmes should be implemented in India to make graduates industry-ready.
Originality/value
Several studies have been carried out to verify the existence of and reasons for skill gaps amongst MBA graduates in India. Through integrative literature review, the issue of skill gap is discussed. Future research directions are also recommended in this paper.
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