Meeting The Needs Of Business: Are We Teaching The Right Things?

Abstract

It may be that business schools are not providing undergraduate business students with the competencies considered most important by company recruiters.  Research from Bentley College and the University of Guelph indicates that graduates and managers find that non-technical skills such as creativity, oral and written communication, decision-making and leadership are least adequately developed in undergraduate business students.  A study out of Wake Forest University indicates that recruiters consider the most important competencies for undergraduate business students to have are: Communication and interpersonal skills, Leadership skills and potential, Ability to work effectively within teams, Adaptability, including dealing with ambiguity, People and task management skills, Self-management skills.  ‘Specific functional expertise’ is listed as only of ‘medium’ importance.  Yet the overwhelming majority of undergraduate business courses cover the functional areas of accounting, finance, marketing, management, economics and information technology.  A variety of delivery approaches from various undergraduate business programs are examined to determine the best way to cover these important topics.