The impact of learning outcomes in business education: assessing value, relevance and graduate ability in a multi-country study of employers and business graduates

This paper discusses critical findings from a two-year EU-funded research project involving four European countries: Austria, England, Slovenia and Romania. The project had two primary aims. The first of these was to develop a systematic procedure for assessing the balance between learning outcomes acquired in education and the specific needs of the labour market. The second aim was to develop and test a set of meta-level quality indicators aimed at evaluating the linkages between education and employment. The project was distinctive in that it combined different partners from Higher Education, Vocational Training, Industry and Quality Assurance. One of the key emergent themes identified in exploratory interviews was that employers and recent business graduates in all four countries want a well-rounded education which delivers a broad foundation of key business knowledge across the various disciplines. Both groups also identified the need for personal development in critical skills and competencies. Following the exploratory study, a questionnaire was designed to address five functional business areas, as well as a cluster of 8 business competencies. Within the survey, questions relating to the meta-level quality indicators assessed the impact of these learning outcomes on the workplace, in terms of the following: 1) value, 2) relevance and 3) graduate ability. This paper provides an overview of the study findings from a sample of 900 business graduates and employers. Two theoretical models are proposed as tools for predicting satisfaction with work performance and satisfaction with business education. The implications of the study findings for education, employment and European public policy are discussed.

Satisfaction with knowledge and competencies:a multi-country study of employers and business graduates

This study critically discusses findings from a research project involving four European countries. The project had two main aims. The first was to develop a systematic procedure for assessing the balance between knowledge and competencies acquired in higher, further and vocational education and the specific needs of the labor market. The second aim was to develop and test a set of meta-level quality indicators aimed at evaluating the linkages between education and employment. The project was designed to address the lack of employer input concerning the requirements of business graduates for successful workplace performance and the need for more specific industry-driven feedback to guide administrative heads at universities and personnel at quality assurance agencies in curriculum development and revision. Approach: The project was distinctive in that it combined different partners from higher education, vocational training, industry and quality assurance. Project partners designed and implemented an innovative approach, based on literature review, qualitative interviews and surveys in the four countries, in order to identify and confirm key knowledge and competency requirements. This study presents this step-by-step approach, as well as survey findings from a sample of 900 business graduates and employers. In addition, it introduces two Partial Least Squares (PLS) path models for predicting satisfaction with work performance and satisfaction with business education. Results: Survey findings revealed that employers were not very confident regarding business graduates’ abilities in key knowledge areas and in key generic competencies. In subsequent analysis, these graduate abilities were tested and identified as important predictors of employers’ satisfaction with graduates’ work performance. Conclusion: The industry-driven approach introduced in this study can serve as a guide to assist different types of educational institutions to better align study programs with changing labor market requirements. Recommendations for curriculum improvement are discussed.

Qualitative Responses to Pre-employment Drug Testing in the Foodservice Industry

Employee substance abuse has long time been a topic of concern for the hospitality industry. Operating under the assumption that drug-users, and associated undesirable behavior, can be eliminated from the hiring process, many operations have adopted pre-employment drug-testing policies. Despite being represented across the industry as a major target of effort and resources, it is suggested that the perceived sensitive-nature of the subject has somewhat hindered access to qualitative information. The purpose of this research was to assess and explore the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of both management and employees in the foodservice industry regarding pre-employment drug-testing and its impact on work performance. Through the use of a phenomenological survey, qualitative data was collected then used to identify themes in participants’ perceptions of such screening policies and their effects. Results and implications of these findings are discussed.

Integração ensino e serviço: dizer e fazer saúde na atenção básica

The current discussion on Education and Health has shown the need for greater integration between health services and academia, and this issue has been addressed by researchers in the area as being of great importance. How do we say what we need to do? The National Policy on Education Permanent Health proposes the dissemination of pedagogical skills at SUS, so that the public health clearance to constitute an area of teaching and learning in work performance. This study aimed to know how is the process of integration between education and health services in primary health care, from the knowledge on the role of mentors in the training of undergraduate students in the healthcare field in UFRN. Qualitative Methodology possible, from the use of the techniques of Semi-Structured Interview and Direct Observation of achieving this goal. The analysis of data taken from the Hermeneutic-Dialectic Approach, taking as mediators knowledge of the areas of Education, Health Education and Public Health, showed that the performance of preceptors constitutes an important strategy to enable the integration of teaching and service, and the professionals involved in the preceptorship educate themselves while they educate. The educational process is permeated by knowledge and experiences heterogeneous, highly favorable to the training of students and professionals factor. Innovative educational practices proven capable of starting the mediation of preceptors and other professionals involved in the Work Programme Education for Health, extend learning. The curriculum components Integrated Activity of Health, Education and Citizenship, and Tutorial Program for Integrated Health Work chosen as the basis for this experiment set, for preceptors, the need to seek new knowledge, allowing each actor transcend its specific area of academic training and interact with other areas, which makes learning interesting, enjoyable and meaningful.

Justicia organizacional, desempeño laboral y discapacidad

Este artículo expone los resultados de una revisión documental de los conceptos de justicia organizacional, desempeño laboral en relación al colectivo de personas en situación de discapacidad. La pesquisa se efectuó en bases de datos bibliográficas de acceso abierto y restringido a textos completos y referenciales en línea, textos impresos en bibliotecas de instituciones de educación superior. Los hallazgos fundamentan la evidencia del nivel de incidencia que tienen las acciones de las empresas en las percepciones de justicia organizacional de sus empleados y la relación que existe entre estas y el desempeño laboral. Sin embargo, esta correlación ha sido establecida en trabajadores sin limitaciones o restricciones en sus funcionamientos, pero no en empleados con alguna situación de discapacidad y menos aún en el contexto colombiano.

Aceitação e uso de ambiente virtual de aprendizagem no contexto de um curso de capacitação para servidores públicos

This study aimed to examine how students perceives the factors that may influence them to attend a training course offered in the distance virtual learning environment (VLE) of the National School of Public Administration (ENAP). Thus, as theoretical basis it was used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the result of an integration of eight previous models which aimed to explain the same phenomenon (acceptance/use of information technology). The research approach was a quantitative and qualitative. To achieve the study objectives were made five semi-structured interviews and an online questionnaire (websurvey) in a valid sample of 101 public employees scattered throughout the country. The technique used to the analysis of quantitative data was the structural equation modeling (SEM), by the method of Partial Least Square Path Modeling (PLS-PM). To qualitative data was the thematic content analysis. Among the results, it was found that, in the context of public service, the degree whose the individual believes that the use of an AVA will help its performance at work (performance expectancy) is a factor to its intended use and also influence its use. Among the results, it was found that the belief which the public employee has in the use of a VLE as a way to improve the performance of his work (performance expectation) was determinant for its intended use that, in turn, influenced their use. It was confirmed that, under the voluntary use of technology, the general opinion of the student s social circle (social influence) has no effect on their intention to use the VLE. The effort expectancy and facilitating conditions were not directly related to the intended use and use, respectively. However, emerged from the students speeches that the opinions of their coworkers, the ease of manipulate the VLE, the flexibility of time and place of the distance learning program and the presence of a tutor are important to their intentions to do a distance learning program. With the results, it is expected that the managers of the distance learning program of ENAP turn their efforts to reduce the impact of the causes of non-use by those unwilling to adopt voluntarily the e-learning, and enhance the potentialities of distance learning for those who are already users

Palkitsemisen vaikutus kaupan alan myymälähenkilökunnan työmotivaatioon ja työsuoritukseen

Palkitseminen on yksi keskeisimmistä työmotivaatioon ja työsuoritukseen vaikuttavista elementeistä. Tässä kvalitatiivisella tutkimusmenetelmällä laaditussa Pro gradu-tutkielmassa tutkitaan palkitsemisen vaikutusta kaupan alan myymälähenkilökunnan työmotivaatioon ja työsuoritukseen. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää millä tutki-muksen kohdeorganisaation nykyisillä kokonaispalkitsemisen keinoista on merkittävin vaikutus myymälähenkilökunnan työmotivaatioon ja työsuoritukseen. Lisäksi tutkimus havinnollistaa, millaisilla muilla palkitsemisen keinoilla pystytään vaikuttamaan myymälähenkilökunnan työmotivaatioon siten, että sen vaikutus heijastuu positiivisena impulssina myös työntekijän työsuoritukseen. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys on rakennettu kokonaispalkitsemisen ja työmotivaation ympärille ja näkökulmia peilataan sekä yksilön kokeman oikeudenmukaisuuden, että yrityksen strategisen palkitsemisen näkökulmista. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan nähdä, että tulokseen sidottu palkitseminen on yksi keskeisimmistä työsuoritukseen vaikuttavista palkitsemisen elementeistä myyntityössä. Työsuoritukseen ja työmotivaatioon pystytään vaikuttamaan myös itsenäisellä työskentelytavalla, uramahdollisuuksilla ja ammatillisen kehittymisen mahdollisuuksilla. Kohdeorganisaation kokonaispalkitsemisen mallia tulisikin muokata vastaamaan entistä paremmin näitä indikaattoreita, jotta kokonaispalkitsemisen malli toimisi strategisen palkitsemisen näkökulmasta mahdollisimman optimaalisella tavalla.

Serviços e trabalho no sector bancário : Um estudo do (des)empenho e satisfação no trabalho em dois balcões de uma instituição bancária

Quem faz e garante a qualidade dos serviços prestados são as pessoas, muito mais do que os ambientes, os processos e as tecnologias. Nesse sentido, o nosso trabalho procurou analisar sociologicamente o (des)empenho e satisfação dos funcionários bancários, factores que conduzem à prestação de "serviços-produto" de qualidade, com um nível significativo de acompanhamento, evidenciando a relação entre a satisfação dos empregados e o correspondente reflexo na satisfação dos clientes. Através da análise de dois balcões de uma instituição bancária procurámos identificar os níveis de satisfação existentes e os factores envolvidos. Optámos por realizar um estudo de caso, descrevendo as características das agências, e procurámos identificar os factores sócio-organizacionais responsáveis pela satisfação/insatisfação dos empregados, abordando aspectos como a organização do trabalho, a qualidade de vida, os problemas de saúde/doença, os relacionamentos interpessoais, as remunerações, o reconhecimento. A "servicialização" de que a banca tem vindo a ser objecto, tal como outros sectores económicos, foi igualmente abordada na nossa investigação, analisando-se a relação de serviço e o modelo de competência preconizados no sector bancário, actualmente reconhecido como um sector dedicado à prestação de "serviços-produto". Os processos informais que medeiam as regras e as práticas concretas de trabalho, enquanto "espaços sociológicos" nos quais se concretizam diferentes formas de negociação, continuamente accionadas pelos actores (trabalhadores bancários), também foram objecto de observação, dada a sua importância como geradores de possibilidades de redefinição dos limites e alcance estratégico dos recursos do grupo profissional dos bancários. ABSTRACT; People are responsible for the quality of services, much more than ambient, procedures and technologies. Our project tried to analyse through the sociological point of view the performance and satisfaction of bank employees and the factors which are responsible for “services-product" of quality, with high attendance standing out the relation between employees’ satisfaction and clients' satisfaction. Analysing two branches of a bank we tried to identify the satisfaction level and other connected factors. We opted to make a case study describing the branches' characteristics, trying to identify the socio-organizational responsible factors for satisfactionIno satisfaction of employees, dealing with aspects such as work organization, life quality, health/illness complaints, employees’ relationship, wages and reconnaissance. The bank sector and other financial sectors are becoming a "service area", so, our research pointed out the service relations and the competence model seen in the bank sector. The "actors" (bank employees) were observed and interviewed, because they are the main responsible for the informal procedures, the norms and practical work methods, inside the “sociological spaces” where different negotiation procedures occurred, generating new limits and strategic ranges for the resources of the professional group of bank clerks.

Aceitação e uso de ambiente virtual de aprendizagem no contexto de um curso de capacitação para servidores públicos

This study aimed to examine how students perceives the factors that may influence them to attend a training course offered in the distance virtual learning environment (VLE) of the National School of Public Administration (ENAP). Thus, as theoretical basis it was used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the result of an integration of eight previous models which aimed to explain the same phenomenon (acceptance/use of information technology). The research approach was a quantitative and qualitative. To achieve the study objectives were made five semi-structured interviews and an online questionnaire (websurvey) in a valid sample of 101 public employees scattered throughout the country. The technique used to the analysis of quantitative data was the structural equation modeling (SEM), by the method of Partial Least Square Path Modeling (PLS-PM). To qualitative data was the thematic content analysis. Among the results, it was found that, in the context of public service, the degree whose the individual believes that the use of an AVA will help its performance at work (performance expectancy) is a factor to its intended use and also influence its use. Among the results, it was found that the belief which the public employee has in the use of a VLE as a way to improve the performance of his work (performance expectation) was determinant for its intended use that, in turn, influenced their use. It was confirmed that, under the voluntary use of technology, the general opinion of the student s social circle (social influence) has no effect on their intention to use the VLE. The effort expectancy and facilitating conditions were not directly related to the intended use and use, respectively. However, emerged from the students speeches that the opinions of their coworkers, the ease of manipulate the VLE, the flexibility of time and place of the distance learning program and the presence of a tutor are important to their intentions to do a distance learning program. With the results, it is expected that the managers of the distance learning program of ENAP turn their efforts to reduce the impact of the causes of non-use by those unwilling to adopt voluntarily the e-learning, and enhance the potentialities of distance learning for those who are already users

From the workplace to the classroom:examining the impact of self-leadership learning strategies on higher educational attainment and success

Self-leadership is a concept from the organisational and management literature broadly combining processes of self-goal setting, self-regulation and self-motivation. Research has typically focused on the impact of self-leadership on work performance outcomes, with little attention to potential benefits for learning and development. In this paper, we employ a longitudinal design to examine the association of a number of processes of self-leadership with higher educational attainment in a sample of business students (N = 150). Self-reported use of strategies related to behavioural, cognitive and motivational aspects of self-leadership were measured in the first semester of the academic year, and correlated with end-of year grade point average. We found that in particular, self-goal setting, pro-active goal-related behaviour, behaviour regulation and direction, motivational awareness, and optimism were all significant predictors of educational attainment. We discuss implications for educational research and for teachers and tutors in practice.

Factores motivacionales en empleados de empresas del sector de la construcción en Colombia

Este trabajo tiene como propósito determinar los factores de motivación en los trabajadores de la industria de la construcción en Colombia, tomando como muestra una población de empleados de la ciudad de Pasto, Colombia. Inicialmente se revisaron artículos científicos de diversos países que estudian los efectos de factores motivadores, desmotivadores, características intrínsecas y extrínsecas, relacionados con el rendimiento laboral. De esta forma se identificaron los factores que conforman la base del instrumento “Study Of Motivators And Demotivators Affecting The Performance Of Employees In The Construction Industry–Questionare” entregado a 190 empleados. Los resultados fueron clasificados, mediante un software estadístico SPSS.

Skills in the XXI Century Guidance: An Approach to the Costa Rican Reality

During a long time, the term competence has been used in different fields. Among those fields, and one of the most important, we can mention the educational system, from preschool to university levels. The term has to be understood as one person integral behavior, making him/her able to enter the labor force in the most competitive way. Within the university realm, experts have tried to include the model of competences as a transversal axle into the teaching-learning process. In European universities, such model has been implemented in most of them. In Latin America universities, on the other hand, it has been used in a good number of countries. The importance of early detection of competences among target populations in education has been widely discussed. However, it has been highlighted the necessity of considering romantic or subjective competences, which seem to lack of value in this complex and competitive actual world. The term competence has been classified as genetic competence, or common and specific competence. The latter is related to the knowledge scope. Within the counseling field, specifically, the general and specific competences are deemed highly appropriate for good a work performance. This article focuses on the main antecedents of competences and analyzes this approach from counseling field perspective. In regards to this specific aspect, a survey with professionals in counseling was carried out. Such a survey ends up dealing with some of the competences considered unavoidable for an accurate performance of professionals in counseling. It is important to mention that the competences of the survey mainly point out to genetic competences rather than to specific competences.

Application of the essential work of fracture method in ranking the performance in service of high-density polyethylene resins employed in pressure pipes

High-density polyethylene resins have increasingly been used in the production of pipes for water- and gas-pressurized distribution systems and are expected to remain in service for several years, but they eventually fail prematurely by creep fracture. Usual standard methods used to rank resins in terms of their resistance to fracture are expensive and non-practical for quality control purposes, justifying the search for alternative methods. Essential work of fracture (EWF) method provides a relatively simple procedure to characterize the fracture behavior of ductile polymers, such as polyethylene resins. In the present work, six resins were analyzed using the EWF methodology. The results show that the plastic work dissipation factor, beta w(p), is the most reliable parameter to evaluate the performance. Attention must be given to specimen preparation that might result in excessive dispersion in the results, especially for the essential work of fracture w(e).