What makes better career opportunities for young graduates? Examining acquired employability skills in higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy M.L. Ng ◽  
Jason K. Y. Chan ◽  
Tai Ming Wut ◽  
Man Fung Lo ◽  
Irene Szeto
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model to examine key employability skills that match workplace requirements and foster employability.Design/methodology/approachThis research comprises a cross-sectional study from self-financing institutions in Hong Kong. The current study adopted structural equation modeling to examine key employability skills that match workplace requirements and foster employability.FindingsBased on the empirical findings, the acquired employability skills of young graduates are entrepreneurship, professional development, work with others, self-management, communication and problem solving. Moreover, higher education institutions should work closely with industry stakeholders to get employers engaged with the work-integrating learning (WIL) programs and subsequently equip young graduates for better employability opportunities. In connection with employer engagement, employability skills of communication, problem solving and self-management would be improved. Furthermore, entrepreneurship and problem-solving skills could further be developed for young graduating students working in SME organizations during WIL.Originality/valueAs a notable gap exists in the current literature to examine young graduates' key employability skills in the context and content of Hong Kong self-financing tertiary education, this research explores key employability skills of self-financed young graduates and the relative importance of employability skills across company size using a quantitative approach.

Predicting sustainable consumption of package-free bath products among students in higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvin Patrick M. Valentin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Environmental Behavior ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intention To Purchase

Purpose This study aims to examine the applicability of an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting pro-environmental behavior, specifically the purchase behavior (PB) of package-free bath products, among students in higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach Using a non-experimental survey research design, this study empirically tested an extended TPB model through structural equation modeling. The dataset was obtained through a survey of undergraduate students in three HEIs in the Philippines. Findings Environmental knowledge (EK) predicted attitudes toward purchasing package-free bath products. Attitudes, subjective norms and pro-environmental self-identity (PSI) predicted intention to purchase package-free bath products. Furthermore, the intention to purchase package-free bath products and perceived behavioral control predicted PB of the said item. Research limitations/implications The results imply that the addition of EK and PSI to the TPB is applicable in predicting pro-environmental behavior, specifically the purchase of package-free bath products. Practical implications The results showed how HEIs can encourage their students to purchase package-free bath products. Social implications The results highlight how social and economic factors play a role in promoting or inhibiting pro-environmental behavior among HEI students. Originality/value The findings support the inclusion of EK and PSI to the TPB for an integrative model that aims to improve the prediction of the purchase of package-free bath products.

Analysis of skill gap for business graduates: managerial perspective from banking industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Khurshid Abbasi ◽  
Amjad Ali ◽  
Naila Bibi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Business Graduates ◽  
Skill Gaps ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Managerial Perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the gap between skills expected by managers and skills possessed by business graduates employed by banking industry. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with bank officers under whom fresh business graduates were working. They were asked to indicate the importance of 12 employability skills in the industry and to rate business graduates working under them against these skills. Results are achieved by applying paired samples and independent samples t-tests on data collected from 121 bank officers. Findings Results prove that overall employability skills of the graduates are lesser than expected by the managers. Significant skill gaps were found for listening, problem solving, communication, leadership, interpersonal, analytical, self-management, numeracy and critical thinking. Results also reveal that problem-solving skill of male graduates is superior that that of females. Practical implications The study makes business graduates clear in what skills they are to learn and how it relates to the expectations of managers in banking industry. It helps business schools to revise and improve curriculum of some specialized banking programs according to the needs of the industry. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the skills required by the banking industry out of business graduates. It also identifies the skill gaps for fresh business graduates from managerial perspective in banking industry of Pakistan.

Analysis of financial sustainability indicators of higher education institutions on foreign direct investment

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-99
Author(s):  
Faris Nasif Alshubiri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Order Theory ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
Financial Sustainability ◽  
Education Expenditure ◽  
Pecking Order Theory ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of financial sustainability indicators of higher education on foreign direct investment (FDI) using empirical evidence from 26 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The basic criterion for determining the financial sustainability of higher education institutions included indicators of income generated by higher education institutions being greater than the operational costs. However, this requires financial sustainability, which depends on financial self-sufficiency without seeking external financial assistance. This situation is affected by investment attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach Three quantitative proxies were used in this study to explain the financial sustainability indicators in higher education institutions of OECD countries: financial expenditures proxy measured by current tertiary education expenditure (CE); efficiency proxy measured by university-life expectancy (ULE) and endogenous growth proxy measured by gross enrolment tertiary ratio (GETR) to show the effect on FDI. Also, this study used six control variables considered an important part of experimental design and refers to contributing factors that were eliminated to clarify the independent variable and a dependent variable nexus. The quantitative data was collected from World Development Indicators (WDI). This study applied a STATA version using panel data techniques for over 15 years from 2001 to 2015 and also used fixed effect (FE) and random effect (RE) estimations to address problems of heterogeneity. To mitigate the endogeneity problem, the generalized method of moments (GMM) was also used. Findings The results of this study were derived from the adoption of financial models applied in higher education institutions to test the financial sustainability indicators. Based on the RE and FE results, a one per cent increase in the current tertiary education expenditure caused about 0.19 and 0.18 per cent increase in FDI in the OECD economies. This positive and significant impact was higher when considering the problem of endogeneity by applying the GMM estimations. FDI grew by about 0.22 per cent when the CE increased by one percent. Meanwhile, there was a significant and negative relationship between FDI and the GETR variable for the FE results but this previous relationship was insignificant for RE estimations. The FDI in OECD economies decreased by about 0.0006 per cent when the GETR increased by 1 per cent. This negative effect became larger when applying the GMM estimations. Finally, the ULE results showed there was a positive and insignificant relationship between ULE and FDI for all estimators. Practical implications The management and analysis of the financial health indicators is necessary to evaluate educational activities but is not sufficient to achieve financial sustainability, which extends beyond the indicators of financial health to encompass factors such as student achievements; research and scientific output; community engagement; productive capacity; quality inputs; risk and infrastructure; and systems. Originality/value This study is considered one of the few existing studies examining the ways in which to achieve financial sustainability in higher education institutions using quantitative financial methods. Specifically, this study adopted Pecking order theory in its analysis of the financial sustainability indicators to clarify whether the financial sustainability indicators of higher education institutions lead to an improvement in the attractiveness of foreign investment in OECD countries in the long run. The findings contribute to the necessity of adopting internal financing sources in accordance with the Pecking Order theory to help achieve financial sustainability growth.

Demonstrating the motivational scale for commitments toward teachers’ turnover intentions using self-determination theory: a case of higher education institutions in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayeda Zeenat Maryam ◽  
Fouzia Ali ◽  
Mehvish Rizvi ◽  
Sadia Farooq
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate the turnover intentions (TIs) among the academic faculty of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan through their motivation and commitment toward the concerned institution. It inspects the relationship of dimensions of motivation including an absence of motivation (AM), extrinsic motivation (ExM) and intrinsic motivation (InM) with the dimensions of commitment including affective commitment (AC), continuous commitment (CC) and normative commitment (NC) and finally the academic's TIs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper used the self-determination theory (SDT), the theory of organizational commitment (OC) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for its proposed model. A sample of 500 academics, working under higher education commission recognized public and private universities in Punjab Pakistan. A structural equation modeling (SEM) conducted for analysis using an algorithm, bootstrapping and blindfolding techniques.FindingsThe outcomes of the research are attention-grabbing, as no direct relationship has been observed between the dimensions of motivation and TIs except InM. The dimensions of commitments are mediating the relationship between motivation and TIs with high significance value. The results reveal a significant adverse effect on TIs through two dimensions of commitment.Research limitations/implicationsAs it is the case of a developing country like Pakistan therefore the finding cannot generalize to developed countries.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research may lead the policymakers and practitioners of HEIs and controlling body to retain their competent teachers.Social implicationsThis research can help the private sector to develop strategies about the retention of their competent teachers within the institutions that not just value the institution but also will be much beneficial for the students and society.Originality/valueThis paper is identifying how motivation is related to TIs and the role of commitment in it at HEIs. Still, no research has been conducted considering this avenue of SDT, OC and TPB

Training and development climate and administrative employees' productivity in higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Tristen Balwant ◽  
Rebecca Mohammed ◽  
Riann Singh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Employees ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to investigate mediating mechanisms in the relationship between the training and development climate at higher education institutions and administrative employees' productivity. Organizational identification theory and the job demands-resources model are used to investigate supervisor support, employees' motivation to learn and employee engagement as mediators.Design/methodology/approachSurvey research was used to collect data from 289 administrative staff members employed at five higher education institutions in Trinidad and Tobago.FindingsThe findings supported the hypothesized mediating role of supervisor support, employees' motivation to learn and employee engagement in the relationship between organizations' training and development climate and employee productivity.Social implicationsProductivity is a major problem in Trinidad and Tobago. In Trinidad and Tobago's higher education sector, productivity deficiencies are particularly problematic because of the gradual reduction in government subsidies. Therefore, higher education institutions must improve productivity, particularly administrative employees' productivity, in order to compete with local and international tertiary education institutions. This study contributes to Trinidad and Tobago's society by showing the importance of both a positive training and development climate and supervisor support to influence administrative employees' affective states and productivity in tertiary education institutions.Originality/valueThis study adds to existing research on training and development and employee productivity by introducing novel and theoretically sound mediators to clarify how the relationship between a higher education institution's training and development climate and its administrative employees' productivity unfolds.

scholarly journals Sustainable leadership in higher education institutions: social innovation as a mechanism

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaisar Iqbal ◽  
Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Sustainable Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Performance

Purpose Considering the vital role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainable development goals, this study aims to examine how and when sustainable leadership (SL) influences sustainable performance by examining social innovation (SI) as a mediating mechanism and managerial discretion (MD) as a boundary condition based on upper echelon theory. Design/methodology/approach This study is cross-sectional in nature. The authors adopted a cluster-sampling approach to collect data from 500 employees of HEIs in Pakistan and China. The response rate for this study was 52.63%. As the proposed model is complex, the authors used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the research hypothesis. Findings The empirical findings confirm the presence of SI as a competitive partial mediator between SL and sustainable performance. Nevertheless, the findings of this study do not suggest a higher positive effect of SL on SI in the presence of high MD. Research limitations/implications The study evaluated the role of SL and SI in fostering sustainable performance from the perspective of employees in HEIs in China and Pakistan. Before the empirical evidence can be generalized, there is a need to conduct similar studies in other parts of Asia and Western countries as well. Practical implications This study presents implications for higher education leaders and policymakers at the national level to foster the sustainable performance of their institutions. Social implications The current evidence reveals the effectiveness of SL in achieving the social goals of HEIs through SI. The recommendations presented in this study can have an impact on society, providing it with a sustainable future. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to examine the mediating role of SI on the relationship between SL and sustainable performance. The present study also provides pioneering empirical evidence about the negative effects of MD in the context of HEIs.

Can adaptive–academic leadership duo make universities ready for change? Evidence from higher education institutions in Pakistan in the light of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aamna Tariq Mukaram ◽  
Kashif Rathore ◽  
Mukaram Ali Khan ◽  
Rizwan Qaiser Danish ◽  
Syed Sohaib Zubair
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Readiness For Change ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Adaptive Leadership ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In rapidly changing global village, individuals, organizations and the society are faced with various unforeseen challenges every day, and these challenges continuously trigger and test the instincts for survival, and higher education is of no exception. In the context of today’s most critical uncertainty, i.e. COVID-19, the purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of two leadership styles, i.e. adaptive and academic leadership, and assessing readiness for change among higher education institutions (HEIs) of Punjab, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted to collect data from 404 permanent faculty members in the public sector universities identified using stratified random sampling. The hypotheses developed were tested using co-variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings As per the findings, both leadership styles as exogenous constructs and the presence of organizational learning capability as mediators contributed positively in crafting organizational readiness for change (ORC) among HEIs in the course of unpredictable circumstances. Practical implications The COVID-19 episode globally has reiterated the importance of change, and the role of leadership in this regard cannot be undermined. This study, for that matter, stresses on the importance and benefits of academic and adaptive leadership dealing with uncertainties or change and the readiness of HEIs for change. Several institutions faced challenges in doing so, and the transition was not smooth, except for institutions where leaders were the differentiating factor. On top of it, institutions that had timely invested in digital systems and had enhanced organizations learning capacity survived in these turbulent times. Originality/value COVID-19 has placed tremendous challenges on HEIs to adapt with the rapidly changing conditions. Hence, this study is unique in understanding the academic and adaptive leadership styles in context of ORC. This study further helps in understanding that how public sector universities that are already influenced by stringent bureaucratic structures react to change.

Protecting intellectual property from insider threats

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-202
Author(s):  
Hyungjin Lukas Kim ◽  
Anat Hovav ◽  
Jinyoung Han
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Theory Of Information ◽  
Protecting Intellectual Property

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a theory of information security intelligence and examine the effects of managers’ information security intelligence (MISI) on employees’ procedural countermeasure awareness and information security policy (ISP) compliance intention. Design/methodology/approach A survey approach and structural equation modeling is utilized. Partial least squares (WarpPLS 6.0) and nonlinear algorithm are employed to analyze and examine the hypotheses. In total, 324 employees from companies in South Korea participated in the survey, which was conducted by a professional survey service company. Findings MISI positively affects employees’ awareness of information security procedural countermeasures; information security knowledge and problem-solving skills have positive effects on procedural countermeasures awareness; MISI increases employees’ compliance intention through procedural countermeasure awareness; and information security procedural countermeasures positively affect employees’ ISP compliance intention. Research limitations/implications This study proposes a theory of information security intelligence and examines its impacts on employees’ compliance intentions. The study highlights the mediating role of information security procedural countermeasures between information security intelligence and employees’ compliance intentions. Practical implications Managers should improve and explicitly demonstrate information security knowledge and problem-solving skills to increase employees’ ISP compliance intention. To protect the organization’s intellectual capital, managers should champion the development and promotion of PCM, rather than leave these functions to the information security group. Originality/value This is the first empirical study to propose and validate MISI.

scholarly journals Graduates Competence Assessment on Employability Skills: Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Fuad A. A. Awwad
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Equation Modeling

This article examines the necessary skills that students need as they graduate and enter the labor market, such as effective communication, relationship building and teamwork, leadership and management, and creative and critical thinking, among others. Some debate exists over the level at which college students develop their employability skills and the degree to which higher education institutions are effective at preparing their students to meet labor market requirements. Therefore, to offer additional insights into the debate, this study investigates the perceptions of College of Business Administration (CBA) students in the United States of their employability skills and how they developed those skills. Using a Likert-scale survey, 303 student-participants self-reported their skill levels in different employability skill competency areas. Confirmatory factor analysis was one of the structural equation modeling techniques used to explore and measure the skills that undergraduate students needed for employment. In the United States, higher education has become more expensive and students are graduating with considerable debt. Therefore, higher education institutions must be willing to address the issue of employability after graduation and find new and improved ways to develop their students’ ES, such that abilities to conceptualize that had the strongest influence on employment.

scholarly journals Exploring Student Readiness to MOOCs in Jordan: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

10.28945/4542 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 223-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Samed Al-Adwan ◽  
Naser Khdour
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Readiness ◽  
Technical Competency ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Aim/Purpose: The current study has been carried out to reveal students’ readiness to utilize MOOCs at higher learning institutions in Jordan. Background: Higher education institutions around the globe are shifting rapidly to reach learners worldwide by providing open education. In accordance with this universal effort, Jordan is committed to offering open access education that allows learners to access knowledge through the Internet and has launched one of the first Arabic “Massive Open Online Course” (MOOC) platforms in the Arabic region. Thus, students must be prepared and ready for this innovation in education. Nonetheless, MOOCs have been incessantly discussed and have faced wide criticism as an insufficient amount of research has been conducted on students’ readiness to be involved in MOOCs. The level of tertiary students’ preparation to utilize and attend MOOCs as a source of learning is unclear. Methodology: Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model of students’ readiness for MOOCs. Convenience sampling was used to distribute a paper-based questionnaire to the students of three Jordanian universities during a period of four months from May to September 2019. Out of 700 distributed questionnaires, a total of 537 responses were returned giving a response rate of 76.7%. Out of the returned questionnaires, 69 responses were reported incomplete as most of the questions (>80%) were left unanswered; these 69 questionnaires were eliminated from any further analysis. As a result, a total of 468 questionnaires were valid for statistical analysis. Contribution: This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by examining the perceptions of higher education students in Jordan toward MOOCs. The current study extends the continuing debate about MOOCs with respect to determining which factors influence students’ readiness to participate in these courses. Specifically, this study investigates both the cognitive and psychological influential factors that determine the readiness of Jordanian students to adopt MOOCs. The proposed theoretical framework for this research is based on the work of Yu and Richardson, who developed the model of Student Online Learning Readiness (SOLR). SOLR is comprised of three forms of competency assumed to be important in examining students’ readiness for online learning. Specifically, these competencies are (1) social competency represent skills, capabilities, and a sense of control, which is necessary for managing social situations and developing and sustaining relationships, (2) communication competency, “the ability of an individual to demonstrate knowledge of the appropriate communicative behavior in a given situation”, and (3) technical competencies, “self-efficacy in technology”. Furthermore, the research model includes an additional competency: self-management of learning, “the degree to which a student perceives himself/herself as being self-disciplined and is able to engage in a greatly autonomous learning setting.” Findings: The results obtained from the SEM revealed that students’ readiness to accept MOOCs in their learning is significantly influenced by four types of competency: social, technical, self-management of learning, and communication. Recommendations for Practitioners: Facilitators of MOOCs should take into account that technical competency can be enhanced by recognizing that technical competency related to online learning should be developed, taught, and constantly reinforced at every educational level as a life skill. Additionally, facilitators and developers of MOOCs should be prepared to find methods to support and inspire student participation, and to recognize the importance of learning skills in the MOOC environment. Furthermore, facilitators and developers of MOOCs should increase the social presence of fellow participants in MOOCs, which in turn facilitates the attainment of collaborative learning. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers may use well-established theories related to investigating online learning usage in exploring students’ readiness to use MOOCs. Impact on Society: A study like the current one would be beneficial for higher education institutions in Jordan to determine the key factors that influence students’ readiness and in turn develop active strategies to address students’ needs in order for them to adopt MOOCs. Future Research: Further studies may include additional factors to better measure students’ readiness to use MOOCs. The additional factors can be revealed by utilizing a qualitative method. Thus, additional studies may employ a mixed-method approach (both quantitative and qualitative) to accurately identify additional factors that may influence student readiness to student readiness to MOOCs and to offer a more holistic understanding of readiness.

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