Mind the gap: Requisite business competencies Preparing business graduates for their disrupted future workplace
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Abstract
In this era of hyper-competition and accelerated change, university business schools (UBSs) are criticized for “losing their way”. The departure point of this reproach seems to be expectation from stakeholders, including professional bodies, employers and accreditation bodies, that business schools need to deliver graduates with transferrable, employability and professional skills, ready for business, as they graduate. Disenfranchised stakeholders are principally aggrieved about the lack of sufficient focus on employability competencies and in particular soft (general, professional, inter-personal) skills development. Studies of the extant literature indicate a sluggish response to the request for soft skill competencies in business curricula. A meta-analysis of hundreds of current job specifications, reconfirms UBS’s responsibility in this regard. Through thematic analysis, this study develops a three-sector typology of as departure point for curricula re-engineering, and for future research. UBSs and development professionals (HR, managers, performance managers and training-and-development officers) will benefit from the expanded view on enterprise, soft skills and digital competencies (now combined into gaia prima competencies). Finally this study provides recommendations for provide future research agendas.