Business Literature Analysis Paper

Introduction

With the development of the global economy, education is also developing rapidly. More and more people have the opportunity to enter university. Public sector universities are accountable to authorities on the skills acquired in their graduates. These skills that graduates have mastered before they work, but employers find a gap between academic performance and generic skills. It restrains any participant from being titled as work ready. This idea becomes the reason to write this literature review. The scope of this review is to identify the connection and link between higher education curriculum and the development of generic skills that make a student employable. The literature is based on seven peer-reviewed academic articles, which highlight different generic skills and condition of universities in developing those skills. The literature review consists of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Also, the body is divided into three sections: The definition of graduate attributes (GA), the reasons for paying attention to GA domains of graduate attributes, and finally the relationship between GA and employability

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Description of Graduate Attributes (GA)

Barrie,2006, pg 3. Found out that graduate attributes are gradually being recognized as the abilities and knowledge of graduates and outside the subject-gratified expertise related in different settings, developed from finalizing university education. GA are the knowledge, abilities, and qualities that an institution of higher education decides that they should formulate specific skills during their learning experience at the university. The attributes represent the core achievements in the university learning and go beyond the disciplinary capability or practical knowledge. In a similar study, (Bowden et al. 2000, cited in Barrie,2006, p. 3 ) found out that GA is the academic, individual and transferable abilities that graduates have a chance to develop and part of their learning in a university.

Graduate attributed varied but centered toward critical outcomes including skills, ethical values, and attitudes. Often, the components of graduate attributes are not well defined that leaves the statement open to interpretation. Moreover, graduate attributes are the qualities that organize university graduates as agents of social decency in the indefinite future. (Buck & Curely, 2010 cited by Tudy, 2017, p 52) Further details that they are not merely taught in universities, but established over meaningful practices and the manner of learning and thinking. A university might identify a current capacity to develop their students on the path; however, the attributes are unique to each graduate. Students will have individual starting point, growth, and experiences while the university will play the role of shaping each student at a personal level.

Reasons for Paying Attention to GA Domains of Graduate Attributes

University education is associated with various domains that may include critical thinking, intellectual development, creativity and economic benefits (Steur, Jansen & Hofman, 2012.). The vastness of the areas illustrates show that selections need to be done to prevent the perception that merely entailed everything learned by the graduate. Various authors suggest a restricted approach to the number of domains that they deliberate on intellectual development. The inclusion of reflective thinking, scholarship and good citizenship covers a considerable choice of the intellectual development of graduates (Barrie, 2006 cited by Steur, Jansen & Hofman, 2012, p 9). Graduate profiles are established considering the over-arching characteristics that a graduate might have and complement it with discipline and profession abilities.

Some of the domains lack theoretic foundations since they are founded on the previous listing of areas. Consequently, whichever skills set and attributes are as worthy as the other, and they, therefore, fail to report the standards that the graduates are anticipated to accomplish. Paying attention to GA domains assists to provide a specific impression for the expected level of graduate programs and help in deciding the appropriate guidelines concerning the predicted level for particular skill or attribute (Wheelahan, 2003 cited by Steur, Jansen & Hofman, 2012, p 8). Moreover, intellectual development involves a marked transformation among graduates distinct by thinking and a diverse approach to social issues and different way of positioning oneself. Therefore, skills development assists graduates to address gradually complex circumstances, although this does not involve changing the direction of thinking.

Reflective thinking model was inspired by cognitive and constructive development, which centered on knowledge construction (Steur, Jansen & Hofman, 2012.) Therefore, each attains their stage, and few might achieve different times and the highest stage.

The Relationship between GA and Employability

Graduate employability is an upcoming issue because of the rising disparity between acquired graduate skills and from institutions of higher learning and the desired skills by employees (Holmes, 2013 cited by Steur, Jansen, E., & Hofman, 2016, p 8). However, previous studies have not established the outstanding skills that should be embedded in the university curriculum; no studies have also systematically identified and categorize the works regarding graduate attributes. It is challenging to rely entirely on the particular university knowledge because of the increasing anticipations for graduates to become agents of change in the society, rather than the skills to take part in a rapidly globalizing world. Different employees know Organizational and employment structure variations in the current market as the reason for the growing requirement for a broader range of skills and abilities (Badcock, Pattison & Harris, 2010). The idea of employability skills is occasionally associated to generic, employment or career skills are sometimes referred as basic work skills (Barrie et al. 2009; Nusche 2008, cited in Badcock, Pattison & Harris, 2010). Employability skills are the innovative, problem solving that make the learning of new ideas possible when the specific skills are needed that justify that graduate attributes are more essential than the graduate study.

The graduate's ability to handle complex issues and communicate effectively is much more critical than the studied subject among different graduate recruiters. Several employers prefer a pool of different skills, individual and intellectual qualities rather than studied subject understanding. Verbal communication, self-respectful management, problem-solving skills, and leadership skills are all vital (Sampson, et al., 2017: Tudy, 2017, p 51). Therefore, individual abilities are critical in the choice of a study subject in the university, career choice and personal growth, which is vital for the employability of an individual (James, Warhurst, Tholen & Commander, 2013, p. 863). Personal qualities are essential towards gaining of a university course understanding and ability growth.

Conclusion

The literature review aimed to assist review seven articles regarding graduate attributes. The key outcomes are that graduate attributes are significant in employment. Student's self-belief in self-efficacy has a considerable influence on their performance. Graduate attributes and the concept of employability is vital in bearing the success of a graduate. Further studies on the topic need to be conducted to plays a critical role in assisting advance curricula development in universities.

Article Description

Badcock, Pattison & Harris, 2010. The study evaluated the associations between essential characteristics of the education in universities and contribution towards generic skills.

Barrie, 2006. The articles seek to reexamine generic graduate attributes and graduate outcomes to guide in the development of the university curriculum.

James, Warhurst, Tholen & Commander, 2013. The authors argue that organizational and conceptual constraints restrict the recent influence of graduates' skills.

Sampson, Moltchanova, Robertson, Bridgman, Suszko & Russell, 2017. The authors elaborate on the graduate attribute scale, which is developed to assist assess the acquisition of graduate attributes that support graduates.

Steur, Jansen & Hofman, 2012. The article examines the intellectual cultivation, graduateness among students in a research university. They found out that reflective thinking influenced more on lifelong learning and recognized the significance of good citizenship and scholarship.

Holmes, 2013 cited by Steur, Jansen, E., & Hofman, 2016. The article proposes a model that seeks to clarify the performance level of graduates focusing on three graduateness domains including good citizenship, reflective thinking, and good citizenship.

Tudy, 2017. The study aimed to determine the level of satisfaction regarding the performance of fresh graduates.

References

Badcock, P. B., Pattison, P. E., & Harris, K. (2010). Developing generic skills through university study: A study of arts, science, and engineering in Australia. Higher Education, 60(4), 441-458. doi:10.1007/s10734-010-9308-8

Barrie, S. C. (2006). Understanding What We Mean by the Generic Attributes of Graduates. Higher Education, 51(2), 215-241. doi:10.1007/s10734-004-6384-7

James, S., Warhurst, C., Tholen, G., & Commander, J. (2013). What we know and what we need to know about graduate skills. Work, Employment and Society, 27(6), 952-963. doi:10.1177/0950017013500116

Sampson, K. A., Moltchanova, E., Robertson, I., Bridgman, C., Suszko, A., & Russell, D. (2017). A Roadmap for the Evaluation of Attributes in University Graduates. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 53(1), 119-134. doi:10.1007/s40841-017-0102-3

Steur, J. M., Jansen, E. P., & Hofman, W. H. (2012). Graduateness: An empirical examination of the formative function of university education. Higher Education, 64(6), 861-874. doi:10.1007/s10734-012-9533-4

Steur, J., Jansen, E., & Hofman, A. (2016). Towards graduateness: Exploring academic, intellectual development in university master's students. Educational Research and Evaluation, 22(1-2), 6-22. doi:10.1080/13803611.2016.1165708

Tudy, R. (2017). Employers' satisfaction with the performance of new college graduates, Slongan, 3(1), 48-63. Retrieved from http://rpo.cjc.edu.ph/index.php/slongan/