Business Student Employability: A Review

This assignment examines the crucial question of whether business students are adequately prepared for the workforce. It analyzes five distinct academic articles, each offering insights into the perceived gap between academic skills and real-world job requirements. The review delves into topics like employability skills, industry expectations, the role of practical experience, and the influence of factors such as gender and university attended on graduate employment success.

Are Business Students Work-ready?
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13 November 2017

Jackson, Denise. "Testing a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills and
its implications for stakeholders." Journal of Education and Work 27, no. 2 (2014): 220-242.
This article proposes a model for examining the undergraduate students regarding their
competency level in employability skills. The study compares the current mind gap with the
hypothesis of the authors that the business graduates do not have specific soft skills that are
fundamental to management. The authors reasoned that the employability skills receive much
attention in higher education; however, the performance of the business graduates at work is
below average. To successfully conduct the survey, the authors gathered data from 1008
Australian business graduates using an online survey. The research outcomes found out that
graduates performance was weak in conflict resolution, meta-cognition, management skills,
and decision making. Based on their research findings, the researchers realized that the
competence level of business students at work is determined by various factors. These factors
include the geographical/physical location, background culture, type of undergraduate
educations, and former experience at work. The limitation of the research is that it assumes
that employment is guaranteed once specific non-technical skills are acquired. This article
was significant in providing the factors that could lead to the acquisition of essential
knowledge by the business students which will make them more employable. However,
further research on the shift of non-technical skills to work from the university should be
done seeing that this research had this limitation.
Mitchell, Anne Marie, and Sandra Allen. "A Qualitative Analysis of the Curriculum for
Career-Ready Graduates from the Perspective of Academics and Business Professionals:
China, Europe and the United States." Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice 14,
no. 1 (2014): 100.

The authors of this article consider a qualitative study to examine the course curriculum that
produces work-ready graduates. The survey considered only China, United States, and China
but still, the outcomes could be generalized to other countries. The authors reasoned that
business students could be work ready if they were subjected to the quality of the curriculum.
The authors further assert that the curriculum should focus on the theoretical aspects of
various disciplines in addition to the practical elements such as case studies and business
simulations. The main limitation of this study is the low response rate in which only China
and US and an overall weak response (n=26). This article was useful for it highlights the
fundamental features of curriculum that can make it joyful to the students. Student
participation is an aspect that could enhance the employability of business graduates. This
information suggests that students should actively be involved the course curriculum and that
they should not only acquire theoretical training but should practically implement them in
various aspects of the business.
Tymon, Alex. "The student perspective on employability." Studies in higher education 38,
no. 6 (2013): 841-856.
The author researched to determine the perspective of the student on employability. The
authors explored the responses of over 400 business students from various disciplines. The
authors’ findings showed that students in most cases are unwilling to face the tasks and
problems when they enter the job industry. Furthermore, it is not possible that the graduates
acquire all the needful theoretical knowledge and skills for work completion. Though, the
graduates may lack the business expertise and the real-world knowledge. The author exerts
that academic education is mandatory for jobs, even though it is not the only prerequisite.
The balanced and successful case scenario is for companies to engage graduates with
exceptional theoretical knowledge and excellent practical exposure. This article is of benefit
to the students for it points out that the students should both learn the theoretical and practical

aspect of things. The theoretical knowledge is imparted by the business schools, but still, the
schools are limited in the acquisition of practical knowledge. Thus, the need of experience
should not be disregarded during employment because the experience of the graduates will be
significant in making decisions in tough times.
Wilton, Nick. "Do employability skills really matter in the UK graduate labour market? The
case of business and management graduates." Work, employment and society 25, no. 1
(2011): 85-100.
The author has discussed the significance of the employability skills. The researcher surveyed
the UK job market using graduates from all disciplines in 38 UK higher education institutions
who had graduated four years ago and analyzed the skills that are essential in the job market
and the skills that business education impart. The author examined the existing literature and
found out a gap between the required skills by the industry and the skills that business
schools give. Based on the quantitative findings, the researcher resolved that there is no
straightforward association between employability and employment. Even though skills and
employability can be imparted by the business education, it doesn’t warrant hiring to the
graduates. The graduates will still have to learn much other stuff in the job industry.
Employability is also affected by factors such as gender, social status, and the University
attended. The main limitations of this research are that it utilizes self-assessed rating to
collect data and there is no standard to measure skill results. This article is essential for it
considers both sides of employment and employability. There are specific skills that only
work experience can impart and these the business school cannot provide. Thus, the business
graduates are made employable by the business schools, but still, a gap exists that only the
workplace can fulfill.

Yu, Shaokun Carol, and Natalie Tatiana Churyk. "Are students ready for their future
accounting careers? Insights from observed perception gaps among employers, interns, and
alumni." Global Perspectives on Accounting Education 10 (2013): 1.
In this article, the authors researched to determine the work readiness of graduates with
background accounting, but still, the findings can be generalized to other disciplines as well.
Extant literature on the mind gap of a cross-sectional analysis of all the views of the students,
employers, and alumni regarding the efficiency of accounting curriculum is the basis of the
authors’ research. The authors strongly believe that accounting is a discipline that is vast and
in which people have to develop numerous skills and competencies. These skills can be
learned in the business school. The authors highlighted that business schools are significant
for the imparting of accounting skills in the accounting job market. However, the learning
acquired from the job market could not be undermined as well. According to the authors’
conclusion, a successful combination is an education from the schools of business and the
training and development plans at the place of work. The primary limitations of this research
are that it only considers data from a single institution and doesn’t factor in the perceptions of
the graduate students. The article is essential since it develops the case that there is a
willingness in business students to face the challenges in the business job market. However,
they need to undergo polishing that can only come with the job experience. There doesn’t
exist a substitute for work experience for it enhances the ability of decision making of
individuals.