An investigation into talent shortages in the Australian procurement profession

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-587
Author(s):  
John Hopkins ◽  
Amrik Sohal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Future Market ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Skills Shortage ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Managing Risk

Purpose Whilst the role that procurement plays in today’s organisations is becoming increasingly strategic, recruitment into the discipline in Australia remains a significant challenge, and this has led to a serious ongoing skills shortage. By combining the findings from an online survey of Australian practitioners, with a set of face-to-face interviews with procurement recruitment specialists, the purpose of this paper is to establish a set of possible reasons for the skills shortage, before making suggestions as to how this shortage may be addressed. Design/methodology/approach This empirical study combines the findings from an online practitioner survey with structured interviews with recruitment age]ncies. Mixed method approaches like this give researchers an opportunity to combine different research design elements, from individual mono-methods, in an attempt to address research questions in a more detailed manner. Findings The procurement professionals participating in the online survey underlined an ability to manage relationships, working effectively with individuals and teams/groups, managing risk, legal knowledge and an understanding of how procurement connects with the other disciplines within an organisation, as being the most critical skills needed by a procurement professional. With no direct pathway into this profession from higher education, the recruitment agencies intimated that finding graduates who were trained and prepared for this career was challenging, in an area where young skilled professionals are direly needed. Interestingly, whilst a number of practitioners indicated a “lack of professional experience/workplace awareness” as being a barrier to graduate employment in this profession, when asked whether the organisation they worked for had a graduate programme, internship or co-op programme that places students within the workplace, only 30 per cent of those questioned confirmed that they did. Research limitations/implications These findings extend the existing body of literature, identify a number of gaps and underline the need for continued research into this strategically significant profession. Practical implications The results are of great significance to universities and other degree-awarding higher education institutions, highlighting a demand for skilled graduates in an area that is not currently serviced by existing educational packages, presenting a possible future market opportunity. There are additional implications for human resource managers, practitioners and policy makers, and this research raises awareness of the need for change. Originality/value The procurement discipline is attracting an increasing level of academic interest, but there are a lack of studies exploring the reasons behind the talent issues experienced by firms recruiting into this discipline. This paper directly addresses the talent shortage and is the first research to discuss that the lack of a clear career pathway between higher education, and the procurement profession, might be one of the key factors.

Australian business graduates’ perceptions of non-technical skills within the workplace

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 457-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Roepen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Graduates ◽  
Full Time Employment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore non-technical skills from the perspective of Australian business graduates who had recently made the transition from higher education into full-time employment. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was applied through the use of an online survey containing closed and open-ended questions pertaining to graduates’ perceptions of the relative importance of non-technical skills, as well as graduates’ overall confidence levels in displaying these skills within the workplace. Data were analysed and further explored through 12 follow-up qualitative semi-structured interviews by using a constant comparative approach to identify common themes and factors. Findings The study revealed that the non-technical skill of self-management was reported as the most important skill for graduates who were managing the transition from higher education into the workforce. The non-technical skills which were classified to be associated with workplace socialisation and familiarisation were rated higher than those which were classified as being related to task completion. Practical implications Graduates commencing employment within a new workplace environment can benefit from the strategies reported, which assisted with the processes of workplace socialisation and familiarisation. Originality/value Perceptions of non-technical skills, from the perspective of graduates who are managing the transition process from higher education into full-time employment remains a relatively unexplored area within existing literature. This study reveals new insights into the experiences of graduates who are likely to be engaged with the issues surrounding the disparity between the expectations of higher education, industry, and the graduates themselves.

Creating conditions for sustainable degree apprenticeships in England

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-714
Author(s):  
Stan Lester
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
High Level ◽  
Funding Environment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a study funded by the Edge Foundation, an independent educational charity, to investigate what is needed in order for English higher education to operate degree apprenticeships (DAs) on a sustainable basis.Design/methodology/approachThe study, conducted in 2019–2020, took the form of a literature review, semi-structured interviews with employers, institutional staff members and apprentices in three fields, and an open online survey.FindingsThis study illustrates a high level of support for DAs amongst those who are involved in them, whether as educators, employers or apprentices. Degree Apprenticeships aid public-sector recruitment, support progression routes and social mobility within the existing workforce, and contribute to recruitment and productivity in public services and economically critical industries. Practices in the organisation and delivery of apprenticeships are variable, but a clear need is illustrated for strong institution–employer partnerships, integration between on- and off-the-job learning, expansive workplace learning environments, and co-ordination of assessment and quality assurance. There is also a need for external bodies to provide a consistent policy and funding environment.Practical implicationsThe findings illustrate the need for strong partnerships, for programmes that are designed from the ground up as apprenticeships, and for effective integration of apprentices into the organisation's working environment.Originality/valueThis study updates and adds to the literature on DAs and work-integrated higher education. It emphasises three aspects that have hitherto been given little attention: the value of DAs for public-sector recruitment and for creating social mobility within the existing workforce, and the importance of ensuring apprenticeships are aligned with organisational objectives.

scholarly journals Teaching innovations in Asian higher education: perspectives of educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the teaching innovations that have been implemented in higher education institutions in Asia and the perspectives of educators on them. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 educators who were affiliated with 23 higher education institutions in ten Asian countries/regions. The interviews covered information about the teaching innovations of the participants’ institutions, the characteristics of the innovative practices and the participants’ views on them. The relationships between the characteristics of institutions and their teaching innovations were also examined. Findings The results showed that the teaching innovations included two main categories, namely, those which involved the use of advanced technologies and those which did not. The innovations that involved the use of advanced technologies were mainly from larger institutions, while the other category was mainly from smaller ones and had been practised for less than 1.5 years. Differences were also identified between the two categories in terms of the aims and importance of innovations, innovative features, the evaluation of innovations and improvements needed for them. Originality/value The results highlighted that technology is only one of the many aspects of teaching innovations, which is different from the view prevailing in the literature. They also suggested that differences in the scale of institutions (in terms of number of students) possibly influences the kind of teaching innovations adopted.

ICT and sustainable tourism development: an innovative perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisha Ali ◽  
Andrew J. Frew
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Tourism Development ◽  
Stakeholder Relationships ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
Electronic Distribution ◽  
Information And Communication

Purpose – The aim of this research is to foreground information and communication technology (ICT) as an innovative approach for sustainable tourism (ST) development of destinations. ICT is the technology required for information processing which facilitates data processing, information sharing, communication, searching and selection. This paper concentrates on the Abernathy and Clark model and its usefulness in applying ICT as innovative in managing ST. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to destination managers and to eTourism experts. Destination managers were selected as they were identified as the person responsible for the overall management of a Destination Management Organisation. eTourism experts were identified as someone who possesses special expertise, knowledge and skills on ICT applications to tourism and offered expertise on which ranged from such areas as electronic distribution, recommender systems, user-generated content, online communities, mobile technology, technology acceptance, tourism networks and Web 2.0. This was followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings – These ICT tools were found to be innovative for information management and distribution for critical decision-making. Innovation was fostered through the use of ICT for ST by leading to a better understanding of the tourism product, monitoring, measuring and evaluating, forecasting trends, developing partnerships and engaging and supporting stakeholder relationships. ICT would provide novel ways of approaching marketing, energy monitoring, waste management, and communication for destinations. Originality/value – This research is important in demonstrating the value that technology can have to ST and further develops the work on tourism innovation theory.

Framing the role of higher education in sustainable development: a case study analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Marwa Biltagy ◽  
Doaa Gamal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should play a fundamental role in achieving the international 2030 sustainable development (SD) agenda. Quality education is the fourth of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and one of the targets related to this is to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD. Therefore, the SDGs provide a motive for HEIs to integrate SD concepts into their day-to-day practices. This study aims to introduce a framework for HEIs’ sustainable development assessment. Such a framework guides HEIs and educational leaders to support their countries’ commitments to achieving the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study analysis of the role and successful techniques of HEIs in achieving SD in three countries, namely, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Primary data was collected by semi-structured interviews with three Cairo University officials, while secondary data was collected by reviewing the universities' official websites, reports, publications and related papers. This study introduces a novel framework for HEIs' SD analysis and assessment, which guides HEIs and educational leaders to support SD to fulfill their countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs. This framework is based on the following five categories: strategic direction and institutional working practices, supporting students, supporting university staff competencies, supporting society's stakeholders and networking and sustainable campus. Consideration is given to the potential role of HEIs to support SD in each of these areas. Findings Cairo University could learn from the novel and pioneer practices of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and the University of Tokyo to fill in the gaps it has in different roles. It can also put more effort into adopting the suggested higher education programs of Egypt's Vision 2030. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to a case analysis comparing three countries, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Second, this study has not considered school education, which is equally essential in countries' SD. Practical implications HEIs can use the framework and the findings in this paper to evaluate their current roles in supporting SD, identify the gaps and take actions accordingly to address their weaknesses. Originality/value The paper compares three universities, one in each of the case study countries. It draws conclusions that identify ways in which the paper's framework and findings can guide SD practice in HEIs internationally, especially those in the developing world.

Exploring the student perspectives on the barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Rana
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Teacher Relationship ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe present study aims to gauge the perspectives of students on the difficulties they faced during online learning during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) technique.Design/methodology/approachThe current study employed IPA, and it was conducted among the students enrolled for professional courses in the government, private and deemed-to-be universities in Uttarakhand, India, using semi-structured interviews for the purpose of data collection.FindingsThe findings have been grouped under five parts referred to as “superordinate themes” or “barriers” which comprises learning in an online class environment, online learning in the home environment, student–teacher relationship in online learning, technical hindrances in online learning and health issues in online learning. These superordinate themes were further grouped under sub-themes.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study focused on the students of various private, public and deemed-to-be universities of the Uttarakhand region and represents the higher education sector only and did not tap the primary, secondary and vocational education. The students of academic courses or degree courses like arts, commerce, basic sciences and humanities, etc. were not included in the research study. Hence, the study lacks generalizability.Practical implicationsThe research findings of the present study have implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), teachers, students and policymakers.Originality/valueThe present study addresses the methodological gap by offering a new line of research where IPA has been used as the methodology to determine the barriers of online learning in the COVID-19 situation, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the studies have used it so far to ascertain the barriers to online learning from the student perspective.

scholarly journals Workplace exercise programmes – how organizational factors influence employee participation

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 37-39
Author(s):  
Anna Little ◽  
Russell Wordsworth ◽  
Sanna Malinen
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Employee Participation ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Leadership Support

Purpose Past research identifies many positive outcomes associated with workplace exercise initiatives. Realizing these outcomes is, however, dependent on securing sustained employee participation in the initiative. This study examines how organizational factors influence employee participation in workplace exercise initiatives. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes data from 98 employees who were provided with the opportunity to participate in a workplace exercise initiative. Data were collected via an online survey as well as semi-structured interviews. Findings The paper shows that organizational, rather than individual-level, factors had the greatest impact on employee participation in workplace exercise initiatives. Leadership support for well-being was particularly important and had a significant effect on participation frequency. This relationship was moderated by employee perceptions of employer intentions, such that the more genuine and caring an employer’s intentions were perceived to be, the more likely employees were to participate. Our findings also show that perceived employer intentions have a significant direct effect on employee participation. Research implications We extend research on employee participation in well-being initiatives by considering the influence of organizational, rather than individual-level, factors. Practical implications This research is of practical significance as it highlights the importance of positive leadership in fostering physical well-being in the workplace. It reinforces that sustained participation in workplace exercise initiatives requires deliberate planning, promotion and support from organizational leaders. Originality/value Most studies of workplace exercise and well-being initiatives focus on individual barriers to participation. Our study highlights the important role of leadership support and perceived intentions as organizational influences on employee participation.

Medical student and psychiatrist perceptions towards a psychiatric career

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-323
Author(s):  
Thomas Flamini ◽  
Natasha R. Matthews ◽  
George S. Castle ◽  
Elliot M. Jones-Williams
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate perceptions towards a career in psychiatry among medical students and psychiatrists and identify how recruitment into the specialty may be improved. Design/methodology/approach This study locally compares medical student and psychiatric doctor responses to a structured online survey and structured interviews with key managerial figures in the Humber NHS Foundation Trust. Findings Comparison across two main areas (pre-decision exposure to psychiatry and reasons for considering a psychiatric career) found that both students and doctors were influenced to make a choice about a career in psychiatry during medical school. Medical students found compatibility with family life to be more important when considering psychiatry, whereas doctors cited content-based reasons as significant pull factors. Stigma and fear of being harmed deterred some students from choosing a career in psychiatry. Structured interview responses reiterated the importance of pre-medical school and undergraduate mentorship in bolstering future recruitment to psychiatry. Practical implications Medical students perceive certain career issues differently to their postgraduate counterparts. Widening the content-based appeal of psychiatry and optimising the medical school experience of the specialty via varied and high-quality placements may be a key step towards tackling the national shortfall in qualified psychiatrists. Originality/value This is the first published study comparing medical student and psychiatric doctor perceptions of a career in psychiatry.

The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luluk Lusiantoro ◽  
Bernardinus Maria Purwanto ◽  
Rokhima Rostiani
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Opportunistic Behaviour ◽  
Small Business Leaders ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis research aims to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour of small business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with six small business leaders from various sectors to explore and better grasp the unprecedented phenomenon. An online survey on small business owners and managers in Indonesia was then employed as the main study, resulting in 291 valid responses for further analysis. The data were analysed using regression on SmartPLS 3.0 software.FindingsThis research finds that organisational mindfulness and social learning have positive and significant associations with the ability of small business leaders to discover and exploit opportunities. The path analysis suggests that organisational mindfulness plays a pivotal role as it also partially mediates the relationship between social learning and opportunistic behaviour.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This work also contributes by emphasising the critical linkages between internal and external capabilities triggered by small business leaders to survive the pandemic.

The relationship between higher education students' perceived employability, academic engagement and stress among students in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 744-762
Author(s):  
Yin Ma ◽  
Dawn Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Chinese Higher Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Employability ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeWith a focus on Chinese higher education students, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between students' perceived employability and their levels of academic engagement and stress.Design/methodology/approachThe study engaged 1,155 students from three universities in China. Students responded to an online survey, reporting their confidence in relation to their perceived employability, academic engagement and stress in life. The authors employed structural equation modelling to explore students' confidence in each employability attribute and to assess perceived employability relation to academic engagement and perceived stress.FindingsThe results suggest that self-perceptions of employability are positively associated with students' academic engagement and negatively associated with perceived stress. Perceived employability mediated the majority paths.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to examine perceived employability in line with academic engagement or stress and the first study to do so in China.

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