How Do Universities Adequately Prepare Business Graduates

How do universities adequately prepare business graduates, psychologically and practically to meet the demands of the global environment?

Background to Problem

Present day managers are faced with a business environment that is determined by rapid and unpredictable changes. This may be so due to global competition for markets and scarcity of resources (Neelankavil (1994). These factors have led businesses to demand more from graduates, requiring them to be able to address challenges brought on by the global environment and deal with them as such. Neelankavil (1994) further stated that graduates criticized on the basis that they lack business experience and applicability, which makes the classroom experience of graduates theoretically and conceptually sound but inapplicable in the real world. Companies are trying to eliminate excessive expenses, therefore, they refrain from spending too much money training recent graduates and argue that universities need to deliver courses that reflect what happens in the actual work setting.

Bentley (2002) highlighted that although students are able to graduate with honors, some of these honor graduates see themselves merely as a "tape recorder" just able to repeat what was taught to them and fear entering the real world. Graduates proceed through a number of stages some of which are personal. However, they face stages that are more of a psychological nature and businesses are pointing to tertiary institutions to address these issues.

The psychological development of graduates have to some extent, been left up to the graduates themselves and as a result graduates face a form of psychological resistance when they enter an organization which has a culture different from that which they are accustomed to. Grey (2007) argued that universities are yet to develop an international curriculum that captures an awareness of the diversity of culture and politics that exist within this borderless and ever changing world.

Within the past 10 years businesses, government officials and some academics are of the view that graduates lack some of the basic skills needed to be effective leaders in a globalized environment. This leaves a gap in the development of all career stages which could ultimately lead to productivity problems when graduates enter the working environment Jacobson (1993), Adams (2004).

Significance

This research was done to assess universities within the field of business to determine the extent to which Business graduates possess the hands on skills demanded by the global environment. This research also seeks to determine whether or not graduates are psychologically prepared to do so. This study will highlight the need for the universities and syllabus developers to create and implement courses that address the Business the graduate's psychological