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Soft Skills for the Workplace
... Yasmin, Md Nasir, Anuar, and Muhammad Najib (2012) agreed that necessary employability skills not only secured employment but also enabled one to reach his potential and contribute to the employer and the industry as a whole. The issue of personality qualities concerning the workplace evolved in the 1990s where knowledge-based inputs became important, this phenomenon escalated by the middle of the millennium decade (Kyllonen, 2013). Since soft skills are categorized as humanly related, personality is a behavioural trait that carries weight (Williams, 2015). ...
... Since soft skills are categorized as humanly related, personality is a behavioural trait that carries weight (Williams, 2015). Kyllonen (2013) reviewed that such non-cognitive skills are conceptualized as human-capital theory, and they are skills and abilities that become a major factor in enhancing productivity, either in personal life or workplace. ...
... As Soulé and Warrick (2015) implied, soft skills development encompasses all life stages, a lifelong learning process in mastering soft skills empowers one to utilize their knowledge and skills beyond academic years. The benefit of enhancing soft skills development increased the chance for better employment and success in the workplace, study found soft skills deployment is 80% higher than merely cognitive-based or hard skills (Kyllonen, 2013). Hence, the ever-changing employability scenarios generate equally dynamic evolution in soft skills development. ...
This study investigated the perceptions of soft skills among employers and graduates in Sarawak, using descriptive quantitative research methodology to determine if there is a significant difference between the employers and graduates; to compare differences in ranking of soft skills, and thus the occurrence of a skills gap between both parties. The literature reviews in this study emphasized, firstly, the perceptionsof graduates and employers on soft skills about employability, a topic which had been studied over the decades across the world, since the skills gap or mismatch arose from the different perceptions is an ongoing phenomenon, that affected the curriculum of the highereducation institutions and the labour market in the industries. Second, soft skills development has evolved; it has been referred to as 21st-century skills; a critical component of today's graduates' employability. Then, this study examined the perception of stakeholders involved in graduate employability, in particular, employerandgraduate. The skills gap existed as a result of the disparities in perceptions between graduates and employers as the findings revealed there are differences in ranking orders, and frequency analysis confirmed the mean score comparisons of the ranking options between both parties. In terms of employers’ demographic characteristics, significant differences were spotted after analysing a one-way ANOVA. These findingsaimed to provide useful information to the stakeholders involved in assisting with the reduction of the skills gap and hence improve the graduate employability in Sarawak.
... Developing skills and Competencies needed by students lies far beyond the mastery of theories and practices of science process skills (Hard Skills), and the job market has increasingly sought professionals possessing management, communication, innovation and social skills (Soft Skills) (Kyllonen, 2013;Levant et al., 2016;Mulcahy-Dunn et al., 2018). Experts argue that higher education should not only focus on professional training composed of Hard Skills complemented with Soft Skills in order to overcome this challenge, and thus teaching strategies related to Active Learning (Devadason et al., 2010;Conchado et al., 2015;Levant et al., 2016) have often been adopted. ...
... Researchers have suggested that a combination of self-assessment, peer-assessment and examination by teachers is the best tool to assess Soft Skills incorporation (Allen and Van Der Velden, 2005;Shuman et al., 2005;Kyllonen, 2013;Verbic et al., 2017) 1 . Nonetheless, current instruments present the following drawbacks: difficulty to provide constant feedback to students (Verbic et al., 2017) as the assessment is carried out only at the beginning and/or end of the course (Conchado et al., 2015;Rodríguez et al., 2015;Levant et al., 2016;Deep et al., 2019); templates for forms to be used in longitudinal studies involving many variables (Levant et al., 2016;Bohlouli et al., 2017;Chan et al., 2017), which are not feasible to be used at the end of all classes and; sole use of self-assessment (Achcaoucaou et al., 2014;Conchado et al., 2015;Levant et al., 2016;Chan et al., 2017). ...
... Kyllonen (2013) describes other strategies to assess Soft Skills: self-rating (self-assessment); ratings by others (peer assessment or teacher assessment); pairwise preference (self-assessment); situational judgment test (SJT); and interviews. ...
This research aims to present a Fuzzy Expert System with psychologist expertise that seeks to assist professors, researchers and educational institutions in assessing the level of incorporation of students’ Soft Skills while attending Active Learning sessions. The difficulties encountered by higher education institutions, researchers and professors in evaluating subjective and behavioral components, such as Soft Skills, was one of the problems that motivated the undertaking of this research. The theoretical framework on which this work is based includes the development and evaluation of Soft Skills in students, some concepts and characteristics about Active Learning and the main attributes and properties of Fuzzy Logic. This research is of an exploratory applied nature, a qualitative and quantitative approach is proposed, in which the methodological triangulation between the bibliographic analysis, the case study and the modeling and implementation of the expert system called Fuzzy Soft Skills Assessment was used to achieve the objective proposed.
... Yasmin, Md Nasir, Anuar, and Muhammad Najib (2012) agreed that necessary employability skills not only secured employment but also enabled one to reach his potential and contribute to the employer and the industry as a whole. The issue of personality qualities in the workplace evolved in the 1990s when knowledge-based inputs became important, this phenomenon escalated by the middle of the millennium decade (Kyllonen, 2013). Since soft skills are categorized as humanly related, personality is a behavioural trait that carries weight (Williams, 2015), Kyllonen (2013) reviewed that such non-cognitive skills are conceptualized as human-capital theory, and they are skills and abilities that become a major factor in enhancing productivity, either in personal life or workplace. ...
... The issue of personality qualities in the workplace evolved in the 1990s when knowledge-based inputs became important, this phenomenon escalated by the middle of the millennium decade (Kyllonen, 2013). Since soft skills are categorized as humanly related, personality is a behavioural trait that carries weight (Williams, 2015), Kyllonen (2013) reviewed that such non-cognitive skills are conceptualized as human-capital theory, and they are skills and abilities that become a major factor in enhancing productivity, either in personal life or workplace. ...
... As Soulé and Warrick (2015) implied, soft skills development encompasses all life stages, a lifelong learning process in mastering soft skills empowers one to utilize their knowledge and skills beyond academic years. The benefit of enhancing soft skills development increased the chance for better employment and success in the workplace, study found soft skills deployment is 80% higher than merely cognitive-based or hard skills (Kyllonen, 2013). Hence, the everchanging employability scenarios generate equally dynamic evolution in soft skills development. ...
This study investigated the perceptions of soft skills among employers and graduates in Sarawak, using descriptive quantitative research methodology to determine if there is a significant difference between the employers and graduates; to compare differences in ranking of soft skills, and thus the occurrence of a skills gap between both parties. The literature reviews in this study emphasized, firstly, the perceptions of graduates and employers on soft skills about employability, a topic which had been studied over the decades across the world, since the skills gap or mismatch arose from the different perceptions is an ongoing phenomenon, that affected the curriculum of the higher education institutions and the labour market in the industries. Second, soft skills development has evolved; it has been referred to as 21st-century skills; a critical component of today's graduates' employability. Then, this study examined the perception of stakeholders involved in graduate employability, in particular, employer and graduate. The skills gap existed as a result of the disparities in perceptions between graduates and employers as the findings revealed there are differences in ranking orders, and frequency analysis confirmed the mean score comparisons of the ranking options between both parties. In terms of employers’ demographic characteristics, significant differences were spotted after analysing a one-way ANOVA. These findings aimed to provide useful information to the stakeholders involved in assisting with the reduction of the skills gap and hence improve the graduate employability in Sarawak.
... However, a significant number of engineers lack proficiency in these areas, which can negatively impact their work performance and potentially hinder their success in leadership roles, customer interaction, or collaboration. The tape contains top drivers for success in a requirements analysis space that is both high velocity and innovation intense (Kyllonen, 2013;Dean, 2017). One of the biggest hindrances to an engineer's ability to function more effectively and achieve success in industry careers is the inability to master soft skills. ...
... The results of the studies point to the need for soft skills development training programs aimed at engineers. This underscores the importance of these programs in enhancing work performance outcomes (Coelho & Martins, 2022;Kyllonen, 2013). Previous research delves deeper into the soft skills engineer's value most and their perceived proficiency in these areas, providing a potential roadmap for improvement . ...
Today’s engineering graduates seeking jobs require a combination of technical abilities and the right soft skills, as organizations prefer a professional individual who has developed an overall personality that encompasses both professionalism and alignment with society, rather than relying solely on qualifications and academic scores. The 21st-century workforce has changed the way they define job skills, with managers prioritizing non-technical (soft) skills in addition to technical skills, as having these alone is no longer enough in today's competitive market place. This article aims to analyze the significance of soft skills in the engineering sector, as highlighted in the literature review. An understanding of these soft skills is crucial for organizations to optimize the levels of productivity amongst their employees and for individuals desiring to advance their futures within a competitive job landscape. This article attempts to shed light on these soft skills in the hopes of investing in training program designs that can maximize engineers professional efficacy and career successes within their industry, engineering.
... One recent study [14], though, challenges this assumption. Moreover, the tests are not designed to measure soft skills and leadership, which are important factors affecting success in graduate school [15]. It should be noted that the Educational Testing Service, which administers the GRE, is aware of this limitation and is working on another test to assess these attributes [16]. ...
... Tests are not designed to measure soft skills, which are important to success in graduate school [15]. ...
... Whilst education heavily focusses on developing cognitive skills and academic achievement, other non-cognitive skills should not be ignored (Heckman and Kautz, 2012;Url et al., 2001). Scholars in educational and organisational studies have emphasised the importance of soft skills (Dabke, 2016;Deepa and Seth, 2013;Harris and Rogers, 2008;Kyllonen, 2013;Shakir, 2009). For example, students' communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills were pivotal (Shakir, 2009). ...
... These competencies included social aptitudes, communication capability, teamwork in a team and other traits that improve interpersonal relationships. Kyllonen (2013) viewed human capital as a set of soft skills that enhance an individual's productivity. These skills could be anything ranging from cognitive to interest, and these skills could be gained from formal education or life experiences. ...
Purpose
Soft skills are essential not only for students but also for employees in any workplace. Some factors influence the development of soft skills in high schools. This study investigates the effect of psychological capital (PsyCap) on soft skills through the role of psychological well-being at different students’ grade levels.
Design/methodology/approach
Three scales (i.e. the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, the Scale of Psychological Well-being and the soft skills assessment) were used on 707 high school students from seven senior high schools. The data were analysed using a moderated-mediation regression technique to reveal the conditional indirect effect of PsyCap on soft skills.
Findings
The results suggested that students' grade levels moderated the indirect effect of PsyCap on soft skills via psychological well-being. Students in higher grades showed a stronger impact of PsyCap on soft skills via psychological well-being.
Research limitations/implications
The psychological states of students should be regarded as one of the most critical aspects of education and career advancement. Schools should assist students in developing their soft skills. Students, regardless of grade level, would begin to occupy their PsyCap, ensure their psychological well-being and finally, engage in soft skills development activities.
Originality/value
This current study has shifted from simply assessing soft skills to investigating some avenues for developing soft skills in various contexts and areas. If the theoretical model is well established, teachers and educators can effectively improve soft skills intervention by understanding the antecedents of soft skills.
... Studies have consistently demonstrated that difficulties with soft skills and social norms in the workplace impact job-tenure, and that successful grasping of soft skills correlates more closely with overall job satisfaction Kyllonen, 2013;Riesen et, al., 2014). For individuals with disabilities, these findings are important because developing skills that will increase their overall job satisfaction has been found to positively impact their overall functioning (Stephens et al., 2005). ...
... Small talk, even with strangers, has been found to immediately reduce stress, cortisol levels, and heart rate (McCarthy, 2020). Moreover, small talk has been found to be a critical component in obtaining and retaining employment (Kyllonen, 2013). Small talk at work helps workers experience positive social emotions in the workplace, and therefore increases one's organizational citizenship and positive mood at work (Methot et al., 2020). ...
Employment can provide numerous benefits to quality of life, mental health, and social inclusion, which can be particularly important for people with disabilities. In a pilot study, the feasibility of Conversing with Others , a direct skills teaching (DST) group intervention to teach individuals with disabilities a work‐related soft skill focused on conversational skills, was assessed. This mixed methods study delivered the Conversing with Others curriculum in‐person or via telehealth to 119 participants. The intervention was based on the DST method of teaching skills through smaller, digestible, structured lessons. Both modalities showed improvement in participants’ perceptions of their conversational skills. A non‐inferiority test indicated that the telehealth and in‐person group interventions were comparable. Overall, the study supported the feasibility of in‐person and telehealth interventions for teaching workplace conversational skills.
... For example, in a Deloitte study, employees were provided with 80 h of training to improve their time management, effective communication, problemsolving, and financial literacy skills. The study showed that this flexible skills training increased productivity by 20% and provided enterprises with 258% of the net profit from such activity eight months after the program ended (Kyllonen 2013). Likewise, a study on leadership and communication skills training programs for the employees of a large retailer found significant positive effects on store performance and at the individual level; in particular, increased total sales and an increase in the number of transactions (Deloitte 2019), and on ensuring that the required soft skills that help employees attain target goals are encouraged (NAFI Research Centre 2018). ...
... Areas of activity most sensitive to the availability of soft skills. Source: the authors based on data from(Kyllonen 2013). ...
Economies globally have relied on the difficulties of labor market operations. Their survival is based on their ability to adapt to the realities of current technological and digital requirements. The purpose of this study was to assess the future needs of the labor market for soft skills acquired by employees in the context of digitalization of the economy in facing modern attributes of labor market requirements using secondary data. The arguments advanced in this paper are premised on the notion that the digitalization of the economy leads to an increase in employers’ need for employees to acquire soft skills. The study is grounded on the Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation, which presupposes that there is a critical link between the goals individuals or organizations set for themselves and their performance. The analysis of the selected studies revealed that soft skills are considered critical during job interviews and are becoming increasingly scarce. This study predicts a shortage of employees with soft skills, accompanied by an increase in employers’ need for flexible skills. Additionally, this research recommends that discussions should consider the implications of digital technologies for personnel management and holistic measures to safeguard organizational wellbeing and protect the labor market economy through digitalization.
... It is argued that teaching soft skills is much more challenging than teaching hard skills [6]. Nonetheless, prerequisites for effective training are described, such as planned sets of activities that require active action, that are focused and explicitly address soft skills [6]. ...
... It is argued that teaching soft skills is much more challenging than teaching hard skills [6]. Nonetheless, prerequisites for effective training are described, such as planned sets of activities that require active action, that are focused and explicitly address soft skills [6]. Overall, there is a need for evidence-based learning activities for soft skills training [7]. ...
Soft skills, such as communication and collaboration are seen as essential for professional life. In formal education, soft skills are still underrepresented as learning objectives. To strengthen soft skills in higher education, we developed a course for undergraduate students in civil engineering. The course works with generic tasks provided by the commercial massively multiplayer online game EVE Online. The overarching research question is, to what extent the course actually trains soft skills. After first promising pilot evaluations, 22 autoethnographic essays, which the participants completed as a final assignment at the end of the course, are subject to a qualitative analysis in this study. In particular, aspects of learning, motivation, and didactic design are examined. The results confirm the findings of the pilot evaluations, in particular the development of soft skills was confirmed by the participants. Regarding motivation, it was surprising that the essays argued less with fun than with benefits for later professional life. In the context of didactic design, the suitability of the game EVE Online was questioned due to its great complexity. Also critical for the success of the course is the lack of confidence of the participants as well as their social environment in the learning effectiveness of games. Overall, this study thus provides guidance for the further development of the course including additional evaluations, which could make the course a broadly deployable learning scenario for soft skills training.KeywordsEVE online21st century skillsMeta skillsQualitative analysisLearning
... There are debates whether soft skills can be taught in a formal setting and implemented in curricula based on the ambiguity in defining them (Kyllonen, 2013;McIlvenny, 2019b;Rego, 2017;Touloumakos, 2020;Yan et al., 2019). According to Touloumakos (2020), the definitions of soft skills have become stretched to the point that their limits have become somewhat vague. ...
Background
Soft skills are increasingly promoted in curricula, writ large in its scholarly interest over the last decade. Yet systematic literature reviews covering all educational stages are lacking. This review addresses this gap by examining soft skills interventions across all educational levels, evaluating their characteristics, design quality, and outcomes.
Methods
A comprehensive search was conducted across ERIC, Scopus, Informit A+ Education, and Google Scholar databases from 2012 to 2022 to identify peer-reviewed studies on soft skills interventions within education curricula at all levels. Study characteristics were extracted, analysed and synthesised to inform conclusion. Quality assessment was performed using The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) evaluation tools. This study is registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022309833).
Results
The search yielded 5,689 records, and after eligibility assessment, 38 studies were included. These studies employed various interventions that span three categories namely, workshop-based, creative-based, and project-based approaches, to enhance students’ soft skills. Reported outcomes encompassed improved soft skills, employability, career planning, social–emotional learning, academic performance, and reduced issues like violence, drug abuse, depression, and bullying. Quality appraisal using CASP and EPHPP tools identified three studies as “best practice” among the 38. The review highlights diverse interventions and positive impacts on students’ holistic development through soft skills programs.
Conclusion
The analysis of 38 studies underscores the shortage of literature on soft skills in primary and secondary schools compared to universities, a lack of high-quality “best practice” resources for soft skills development, and a tendency for control group participants to miss vital soft skills training. While randomised controlled trials (RCTs), considered as gold standard, informed ‘best practice’ studies, RCTs may not fully capture the nuances of complex social interventions like soft skills programs. Therefore, there is need for alternative approaches, such as continuous quality improvement studies using mixed methods. Consequently, we recommended that future research consider these aspects to enhance the effectiveness of soft skills development in curricula.
Systematic review registration
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022309833, identifier CRD42022309833.
... Nessa condição, uma pesquisa realizada pela Millenial Branding apontou que as quatro habilidades pessoais mais importantes para as organizações e analisadas em seus processos de recrutamento, são: as habilidades de comunicação, uma atitude positiva, a adaptabilidade às mudanças e as habilidades relacionadas ao trabalho em equipe (Kyllonen, 2013). ...
A implantação de um sistema do tipo ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) em uma organização é um processo importante, pois esse tem a capacidade de influenciar nas rotinas organizacionais. Ciente dessa importância e das possíveis intercorrências que influenciam negativamente a implantação, esse artigo objetiva analisar a influência dos soft skills de um gerente de projeto no processo de implantação de sistema de gestão do tipo ERP em uma fundação de direito privado, com cerca de 140 empregados. Tal análise mantém sua relevância uma vez que o sistema ERP auxilia na gestão de recursos da fundação e dos projetos de pesquisa científica e tecnológica, desenvolvidos pela Instituição Científica e Tecnológica de direito público. Esse trabalho adota o método estudo de caso e se propõe a analisar os soft skills utilizados pelo gerente de projetos na implantação do ERP, diante de dificuldades que surgiram durante a realização dessa atividade. Como principais resultados, verificou-se a influência positiva das competências relacionadas aos soft skills, em especial a comunicação e organização, no processo de implantação do ERP no âmbito da fundação, condições que podem contribuir para a melhora na eficiência do processo de gestão da implantação de ERP no âmbito das organizações.
The implementation of an ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning) in an organization is an important process, as it has the ability to influence organizational routines. Aware of this importance and the possible complications that negatively influence the implementation, this article aims to analyze the influence of the soft skills of a project manager in the process of implementing an ERP management system in a private foundation, with about 140 employees. Such analysis maintains its relevance since the ERP system assists in the management of the foundation's resources and of the scientific and technological research projects, developed by the Public Scientific and Technological Institution. This work adopts the case study method and proposes to analyze the soft skills used by the project manager in the implementation of the
... Moreover, it would promote the study of the transferability of these competencies across contexts, roles and sectors, helping to identify which soft skills have value universally and which are context-specific. In fact, although the soft skills required for different job profiles vary to some extent, some core soft skills are considered essential in most contemporary business environments and sectors (Alsabbah and Ibrahim, 2013;Kyllonen, 2013;Paddi, 2014). ...
Introduction
Soft skills, also known as transversal skills, have gained significant attention in the organizational context due to their positive impact on various work-related outcomes. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Multiple Soft Skills Assessment Tool (MSSAT), a short self-report instrument that evaluates interpersonal skills (initiative-resourcefulness, assertiveness, conflict management), interpersonal communication skills, decision-making style (adaptive and maladaptive), and moral integrity.
Methods
The scale development process involved selecting and adapting relevant items from existing scales and employing a cross-validation approach with a large sample of workers from diverse organizational settings and job positions (N = 639). In the first step, 28 items were carefully chosen from an item pool of 64 items based on their content, factor loadings, item response theory analyses, differential item functioning, and fit statistics. Next, the structure of the resulting scale was evaluated through confirmatory factor analyses.
Results
The MSSAT demonstrated gender invariance and good reliability and validity. The results of a network analysis confirmed the relationships between soft skills and positive work-related outcomes. Notably, interpersonal communication skills and moral integrity emerged as crucial skills.
Discussion
The MSSAT is a valuable tool for organizations to assess the soft skills of their employees, thereby contributing to design targeted development programs.
... Heckman and Kautz (2012) defined cognitive skills as talents that facilitate thinking, learning, memory and problem solving. On the other hand, soft skills encompass a dynamic blend of cognitive and meta-cognitive abilities as well as interpersonal, intellectual, and practical skills (Kyllonen, 2013). Employers contend that the lack of soft skills, as opposed to the cognitive skills required to carry out activities in the labor market, is the reason why millions of university graduates are unemployed or underemployed (Deloitte, 2018;Qizi, 2020a). ...
This study investigated stakeholders' perceptions of the development and acquisition of soft skills among IT undergraduate students among universities within the Nairobi Metropolitan area, using the mixed-methods approach. The study employed the two-stage cluster sampling procedure to select 10 out of 31 universities (five private and five public) in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region. The study selected 1,143 Information Technology undergraduate students from 3,814 enrolled students. A semi-structured questionnaire collected quantitative data, specifically capturing stakeholders' thoughts on soft skills. Data analysis encompassed quantitative techniques such as descriptive statistics and linear regression. The findings reveal a notable disparity between perceptions of stakeholders and actual development of soft skills among the IT undergraduates. Therefore, there is a need to enhance teaching methods, closely align curricula with stakeholders' expectations, and incorporate specialized modules to cultivate soft skills.
... Employers seek candidates with soft skills strengthened through SEL programs to optimize collaboration and work coordination [52]. Prior research by Kyllonen highlighted the significance of soft skills for success in the workplace and the role of SEL skills in postsecondary success [53]. It also emphasizes that concentrating on these skills will positively affect a person's emotional and social skills. ...
Although the need for social and emotional development has existed for decades, implementing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools continues to get considerable attention as newer generations enter the educational system. The demand for development is presently increasing daily. No one challenges the significance of social-emotional learning and the influence of organizations on adolescent development today. Social-emotional learning matches accurately with the priorities in modern schools. In Vietnam, quantitative research was conducted on 350 high school students. This research aimed to determine how students evaluate the implementation of the Social-emotional learning model in soft skills education. The results revealed students’ interest in implementing the social-emotional learning model into soft skills education. In addition, the results indicated the obstacles to implementing the social-emotional learning model in soft skills education. This study’s findings suggested that school leaders and background educators should implement the social-emotional learning model and support, monitor, and evaluate program efficacy to ensure program objectives are reached and students acquire social and emotional abilities. In addition, the study suggested that specific strategies are necessary to limit the factors that prevent the implementation of the social-emotional learning model in high schools.
... Most studies of this type conduct statistical analysis. The variables they use to represent individuals' noncognitive skills are proxies that would suggest certain behavioral tendencies, such as a criminal record, employment in a leadership position (Kuhn and Weinberger, 2005), or length of retention at one job (Kristof, 1996), to represent the behavioral orientation of sample populations (Heckman and Rubinstein, 2001;Kyllonen, 2013;Lindqvist and Vestman, 2011). Regardless of their innovative ideas to examine the demands and rewards for noncognitive (soft) skills, they rarely capture such skills in real work contexts. ...
Ethiopia is a fast-growing economy, and garment production is one of the
key manufacturing sectors that drives it. Accordingly, to cultivate a higher skilled
workforce in this sector, the Government of Ethiopia has expanded
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Regardless,
complaints are ceaselessly heard from employers that their employees lack
the skills they demand.
SKY (Skills and Knowledge for Youths) project team of Nagoya University
Japan has been working in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, with the aim to
provide evidence-based suggestions for effectively mitigating skills gaps
and upskilling workers. In this report, we highlight the findings from the
skills assessments and effective improvement of garment-sector workers'
soft skills through our innovative training program using board games.
The paper will first introduce the overall characteristics of skills of
participated 501 workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), grasped
through our skills assessment. The assessed skills include cognitive ones
such as reading comprehension, calculation, and theoretical knowledge of
garment production, aside from practical and noncognitive or soft skills.
The necessity of soft skills is identified as always. Based on these
assessment results, the next part of the paper presents the findings from
our original soft skills training program.
Unlike conventional lecture-based training, the SKY one-day training
program is designed to help participants simulate work scenarios in a
context similar to the workplace. The psychological theory of behavioral
modeling inspired us. The program requires participants to investigate
solutions to improve work-related soft skills collectively.
The report will present strongly positive outcomes of this game-based
training in five domains of soft skills, namely, (1) occupational health and
safety, (2) tidiness and cleanliness, (3) workplace efficiency, (4) product
quality control, and (5) teamwork. The effects of game-based soft skills
training was evaluated in two ways: (1) the skills of participants were
evaluated before and after the training intervention, and (2) the skills of
participants were compared with those of nonparticipant groups.
In conclusion, the report discusses the implications of the outcomes from
our package of assessments and game-based training for developing
manufacturing workers' skills, particularly soft skills, in developing
countries.
... Soft skills are distinguished from hard skills, usually defined as cognitive abilities and specific technical competences needed for academic or professional success (Heckman & Kautz, 2012). For a long time, hard skills were considered to be the most important predictor of professional success (Kyllonen, 2013), but soft skills have since also proven to be an important component of long-term professional and personal success (Cimatti, 2016;Heckman & Kautz, 2012;Ibrahim et al., 2017). ...
Considering the evolving and unpredictable job market, adaptability is an important skill for young adults. Such adaptability implies that schools need to teach key social competences, like communication, collaboration, or problem-solving. In this area, a gender gap has consistently been found, showing that boys display social competences less than girls. A large-scale nationwide multilab longitudinal experiment—the ProFAN project—was conducted in France among more than 10,000 vocational high-school students. Its primary goal was to develop and test an intervention promoting a range of psychological and psychosocial variables in vocational high schools, including social competences. This 2-year long, three-wave field experiment compared the effects of a cooperative learning method—the jigsaw classroom, that entails positive goal and resource interdependence—to two control conditions: one that involves cooperation with resource independence, and the other that remains business-as-usual. This article focuses on the differential development of perceived social competences of adolescent boys and girls over time, comparing the three pedagogical methods. Results of longitudinal multilevel modeling replicate the gender gap in perceived social competences and show that this gap widens with time. However, and most importantly, the analyses revealed that such widening of the gender gap was greater in the two control conditions than in the jigsaw condition, in which the evolution of boys’ and girls’ perceptions of social competences remained similar over time. Contributions to the understanding of the development and teaching of social competences in education settings are discussed.
... They are crucial across various job roles and tasks. Notably, it has been established that nontechnical skills signifi cantly enhance the effectiveness of technical skills, underscoring their importance not only in routine job performance, but also within the context of training and development (Brunckhorst et al., 2015;Kyllonen, 2013). ...
Technological advancements have made a significant impact on the landscape of the labor market. They have altered job demands and the competencies needed for the future. Using data sourced from the Balance of the Human Capital (2019 and 2021), this study aims to identify the most crucial employability skills as well as those gaining in importance from the perspective of Polish organizations. It also explores the key factors influencing company expectations regarding different sets of skills. The findings highlight that while employers place great value on soft skills such as time management, willingness to take responsibility for task performance, and the ability to organize work independently, it is the technical skills—particularly proficiency in specialized computer programs—that have risen in importance most significantly. Moreover, it was discovered that the industry in which a company operates is the strongest determinant of employer expectations regarding technical and nontechnical skills. Furthermore, companies offering remote work, investing in employee training, and engaging in R&D initiatives expect a higher level of technical skills. This research presents an analysis of employability skills in response to the challenges posed by potential talent and competency shortages on the labor market that are due to technological transformation. Initiatives aimed at enhancing human resource management strategies are proposed on the basis of these results and the theoretical context. These strategies should emphasize lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling, and include planned, long–term support for employee development, all designed applying a human–centered approach.
... A content analysis was performed on all transcripts and survey responses to identify skill gaps and categorize them into two deductively identified themes: technical skills and essential skills (i.e. non-technical skills necessary to execute technical skills and require humans' emotional side) (Kyllonen 2013;Tulgan 2015;Succi and Canovi 2020). Supporting contextual evidence for each skill gap was placed within each theme. ...
Graduates of industrial hygiene training (IH) programs must be able to meet continuously evolving health and safety needs in a wide variety of occupational settings. Therefore, academic IH graduate programs must regularly evaluate their curricula and solicit input from industry professionals to make curricular changes that will better prepare their students for professional roles in industry. The purpose of this study was to identify the training gaps that existed between industry needs and the current curriculum for a United States-accredited IH graduate training program. The research team facilitated two group interviews with the IH program advisory board, collected alumni survey data, and performed a qualitative analysis to identify skills gaps/needs for the IH Program graduates. The research team identified 3 themes from participant interviews and alumni surveys (technical, applied, and essential skills) and selected several skills within each theme that interview participants thought were necessary proficiencies for junior IH professionals. The skills identified in the qualitative interview and survey data can be incorporated into the curriculum to improve the training of IH graduate students. Additionally, by using qualitative analysis, the researchers uncovered essential skills previously unidentified in IH needs assessments, providing valuable information for all IH graduate programs.
... Commonly, the prevailing belief has been that cognitive abilities mattered more than noncognitive skills for predicting academic and workforce success. However, the latest research suggests that both skill sets play a major role in determining success [23]. We believe that the CUREs model we implemented has helped the students to obtain the workforce skills expected to have, from the course learning outcomes, and perhaps some other soft skills. ...
... Также к социальным навыкам относится способность решать конфликты [1]. В XXI веке все большее внимание уделяется мягким навыкам на рабочем месте, а также роли образования в развитии мягких навыков на рабочем месте и роли, которую играет образование в развитии мягких навыков [2]. Исследования таких авторов, как B. Gammie, E. Gammie, E. Cargill [3], P. Hutchinson, G. Fleischman [4], E.K. Mohamed, S.H. Lashine [5], T. Hassall, J. Joyce, J. Montanto, J. Anes [6] подтвердили связь между успехом в карьере и унифицированными навыками. ...
Over the last decade, research in education has emphasizedthe importance of developing a range of non-academic competencies, such as the ability to cooperate and build constructive relationships with others and solve problems, often referred to as unified skills or flexible skills. The group of soft skills includes a large group of skills that are not dependent on academic programmes, but have a major impact on the professional development of individuals and the successful development of solid vocational skills. Unlike academic knowledge, which is subject specific and formally assessed, soft skills are not directly dependent on curricula but develop within them. Thus, flexible skills are seen as skills that can be used in a wide range of work envi-ronments. Based on the above, it is necessary to identify the direction of activities in the educational process environment in higher education institution that will contribute tothe comprehensive developmentof learners' flexible skills. The paper substantiates the priority of flexible skills development as a procedural feature of the educational process of the university. Research result. The development of learners' flexible skills within the educational process in the university is considered, on the one hand, as a component of academic disciplines, and on the other hand, as an independent process in order to develop the range of skills required for various activities. Thus, studying the problem of developing a set of flexible skills of university students, the technologies for the development of flexible skills are named, which will be the structural elements of the programme
... While qualifications may be debated, it is important that the individual also possess soft skills, which are being recognized as an increasingly important component of the workplace (Kyllonen, 2013). Examples include relationship building, communication, and leadership development as important skills that an AC should possess. ...
Sports organizations are complex. In addition to the actual coaching of athletes, many utilize a myriad of different administrative and sport science departments or areas of expertise to aid in the achievement of success. Examples include sports administration, nutrition, strength and conditioning, sport psychology, counseling, athletic training, to name a few. Consequently, there are many voices within the organization, and communication and effectiveness may be affected by silos, fear of voicing opinions, or other chal¬lenges that come from the stresses and rigors of athletic competition. Anecdotally, we have noticed the often-informal introduction of an individual into some sports organizations and teams to help support the overall organization and its personnel. This individual does not necessarily have decision-making pow¬ers, but serves as a conduit of information, a supporter, and an advisor to all parties. To date, a specific title for this position has not been formally recognized, nor have its roles or responsibilities been defined. There¬fore, the purpose of this conceptual article is to propose a name for this position, which we have termed Athletic Consul (AC). Further, we outline why such a position is valuable, its fit within an athletic program, the roles and responsibilities of the position, and why it is necessary for such this position be formalized.
... Moreover, soft skills have a significant impact on employability and employment prospects. Employers often prioritize candidates with well-developed soft skills because they demonstrate potential for growth, flexibility, and effective integration into a diverse work environment (Kyllonen, 2013). In fact, many studies have highlighted that soft skills are often considered more important than technical skills in the recruitment process. ...
This study aims to understand students' perceptions and attitudes in Vietnam about the importance of developing soft skills in their academic and professional life. Through in-depth interviews with 15 students from 9 universities in Hanoi. The research results show that university students in Vietnam generally understand and appreciate the importance of soft skills for personal development, career advancement and meeting society's expectations. Students recognize the competitive advantage that soft skills bring to the job market and express motivation to develop these skills, including career aspirations and personal development goals. However, the study also identifies various barriers and challenges that prevent them from acquiring and applying soft skills. Based on the results of the study, a number of recommendations are made to support the holistic development of students, equipping them with the necessary soft skills for academic and career success.
... Evaluating a nation's successful people based on cognitive abilities has been the norm in many countries around the world. The administration of global standardized tests such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) illustrates this ongoing belief in the importance of cognitive skills 1 (Kyllonen, 2013). Focus on cognitive skills has been prevalent in most parts of the world. ...
This article explores the prospects of integrating soft skills in Moroccan higher education, with particular emphasis on Mohammed I University. Building on the perceptions of twenty English language teachers and twenty public sector administrators who graduated from Mohammed I university, it investigates three queries: Do soft skills play a key role in the professional life of those university graduates? Which soft skills should be more emphasized in higher education? And how can they be integrated in the university curriculum? Results suggest that while the two groups of participants have different views about which soft skills to be more emphasized, both agree that extra-curricular activities and ongoing professor training are key to their integration in higher education. This study can bring new insights into the real needs of the Moroccan job market.
... However, its use is constrained by the degree of institutional support for supervisors (Hénard & Roseveare, 2012), which affects both their pedagogical knowledge and the technological tools they use (Al-Busaidi & Al-Shihi, 2012;Pedro & Kumar, 2020). Another factor affecting UD supervision is the drive for soft skills development in educational contexts (Kyllonen, 2013). Many Moroccan universities institutionalized soft-skills courses during the first two years of undergraduate education with the objective that students would apply those skills in their UD and later for their employability. ...
... However, its use is constrained by the degree of institutional support for supervisors (Hénard & Roseveare, 2012), which affects both their pedagogical knowledge and the technological tools they use (Al-Busaidi & Al-Shihi, 2012;Pedro & Kumar, 2020). Another factor affecting UD supervision is the drive for soft skills development in educational contexts (Kyllonen, 2013). Many Moroccan universities institutionalized soft-skills courses during the first two years of undergraduate education with the objective that students would apply those skills in their UD and later for their employability. ...
The provision of support has always been central to the role of the undergraduate dissertation (UD) supervisor, but little research has been done on its contextual determinants in web-facilitated contexts. Beyond the general recognition of the importance of institutional support for the development of supervisors’ technological and pedagogical knowledge and the importance of technology and pedagogy in maximizing the impact of supervisors’ support for students, the effect of technology tools and students’ prior skills on the type and level of supervisors’ support is not well understood. Drawing partially on the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the present work uses Partial-Least Square Structural Equation Modelling to examine the effect of supervisors’ Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), their perception of students’ soft skills, and the technology tools they use (face-to-face, social media or a learning management system) on the level of educational and motivational support they provide. The results indicate that institutional support to UD supervisors positively affects their TPK, which in turn positively affects their educational and motivational support to students. However, supervisors’ educational and motivational support is inversely related to their perception of students’ soft skills and is also affected by the technological tools used. In short, supervision styles are not static since different contextual factors affect the management of the process of supervision. The implications for UD supervision are discussed, and some recommendations are proposed in the article.
... Most studies of this type conduct statistical analysis. The variables they use to represent individuals' noncognitive skills are proxies that would suggest certain behavioral tendencies, such as a criminal record, employment in a leadership position (Kuhn and Weinberger, 2005), or length of retention at one job (Kristof, 1996), to represent the behavioral orientation of sample populations (Kyllonen, 2013;Heckman and Rubinstein, 2001;Lindqvist and Vestman, 2011). Regardless of their innovative ideas to examine the demands and rewards for noncognitive skills, they rarely capture such skills in real work contexts. ...
Using cross-sectional data on the varieties of skills and employers' demands for them, this paper examines determinants of wages in the garment sector in Ghana and Ethiopia. It found that the effects of cognitive and technical skills are consistent, while those of noncognitive and behavioral skills are important but in different ways depending on the culture, work environment, and employers' expectations. Based on the empirical evidence from the survey using the author's unique assessment data, she promotes a comparative, constructivist approach to skills analysis departing from conventional institutionalism, which considers school as the predominant site of skills development.
... In this increasingly competitive and changing world, undergraduates must improve their abilities systematically and progressively in accordance with the global society's direction in an effective manner. Despite the technical abilities, it also necessitates a variety of soft skill development (Kyllonen, 2013;Junrat et al., 2014). Therefore, it has been recognized the connection between soft skill development and the overall success and professionalism, education, and leadership (Dixon et al., 2010;, demonstrating the importance of soft skills for individuals in the twenty-first century. ...
The study aims to identify important soft skills for undergraduates, barriers to teaching soft skills, and the potential of public universities in developing soft skills in undergraduates. A mixed-method approach was used in this study. The purposive sampling method was used, and data of the quantitative phase were collected from academics and industry representatives via an online questionnaire survey. Interviews were conducted with industrial personnel via semi-structured telephone as well as face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that communication, teamwork, ethic, and professionalism as the most important soft skills for undergraduates from both academic and industry perspectives. Time constraints, the largeness of student number in classrooms, and a lower level of student awareness of the importance of soft skills were found to be the barriers to developing soft skills in undergraduates. Identifying the presence of skilled lecturers, and infrastructure to develop soft skills in undergraduates were seen as part of the university potential to develop the soft skills in undergraduates. The study suggests that universities and employers should work together to increase students' awareness of the importance of soft skills and guide them in developing the same. The university curricula should create scope for implementing and evaluating soft skill development in undergraduates.
... Different theoretical perspectives from the fields of emotional intelligence (Boyatzis et al., 2000;Mayer et al., 2008) and SEL (Zins et al., 2007) have been used to define further the conditions that enable people to be successful in social-emotional situations. Studies have confirmed the need for SEC (Collie et al., 2017;Kyllonen, 2013;Matthews et al., 2004;Nangle et al., 2010;Paolini, 2020;Rose-Krasnor, 1997). These studies emphasize awareness of one's own emotions and the ability to regulate emotions on the one hand and awareness of others' emotions and the ability to manage relationships on the other. ...
Aim: In this study, it was aimed to develop a scale by determining the reasons for the migration intentions of individuals concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and to bring this scale to the literature. Method: A two-stage data collection method was used to achieve the purpose of the research. In the first stage, there are basic data collection stage statements, including demographic characteristics and two-option (yes-no) statements. The questionnaire created in the second stage comprises 10 questions created on the investigation of the reasons for the Intention of Migration Related to the COVID-19 Process. Results: SPSS 22.0 program was used for the analysis. In the factor analysis, the KMO value was found to be 0.935 and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to be 0.937. In this analysis was used items greater than 0.50 and Eigenvalue above of 1 for factor loads using the principal component with the varimax, Extraction method, as the rotation method. As a result of factor analysis, it was observed that the scale consisting of 10 items combined into one factor. Conclusion: As a result of the study, a scale of migration adaptation was developed; Since there is no other similar scale in the literature, the scale is a reference for studies to be carried out on epidemics and related migration.
... As hard skills demandam expertise técnica do candidato/empregado para a concorrência ou manutenção de determinado cargo específico. Parafraseando Kyllonen (2013), o conceito dessas capacidades técnicas é dotado de qualidades comprovadas, aprendidas e com comprovação acadêmica. Sendo assim, é algo que essencialmente demanda vontade bem alinhada com o objetivo do indivíduo. ...
As soft skills (habilidades interpessoais) tem se destacado no mercado de trabalho por conta de suas características e aplicações no ambiente corporativo. As qualidades buscadas pelos empregadores podem variar de acordo com a disponibilidade do cargo, no entanto, deve haver algo que agregue valor à empresa para que justifique o investimento no trabalhador. Por não se tratar de uma habilidade técnica, as soft skills são qualidades a serem mais exploradas do que definidas, devido ao fato de que são mais específicas e necessitam de observação para determinar sua real existência. A modernização do mercado de trabalho fez com que as soft skills deixassem de ser algo importante para se tornarem fundamentais, tendo mais valorização e importância para a conquista do sucesso profissional. Essa pesquisa tem como objetivo principal apresentar a importância do desenvolvimento das soft skills para carreira de um indivíduo. Como objetivo secundário, pretende-se levantar as características que os empresários mais buscam em um colaborador no momento do recrutamento ou promoção, e indicar esses atributos específicos. Além disso, também serão constatadas as características mais buscadas pelo mercado de trabalho. Os dados presentes nesse estudo foram coletados através de levantamento bibliográfico, de característica predominantemente qualitativa, de cunho descritivo e explicativo. Os resultados apontam que as soft skills são peça fundamental de valorização do indivíduo, e são responsáveis pela manutenção no mercado de trabalho por conta de sua importância nas organizações.
... Employees can develop their soft skills by participating in various training programmes at their workplace. Besides that, higher education institutions also play an important role in developing soft skills (Kyllonen, 2013). According to Nusrat and Sultana (2019), competitiveness in the current marketplace and soft skills are "must-have" skills. ...
This study aims to investigate the impacts of soft skills possessed by graduates from a public university on their employment opportunity. Previous studies revealed that soft skills are crucial for their employability. A total of 234 graduates were selected as the sample of this study. The data analysis by SPSS found that employability was positively associated with leadership skills, teamwork skills, and communication skills. Furthermore, leadership skills possessed by graduates have the strongest influence on employment opportunities among the three independent variables. The study adds more information to the current debate in this area and provides practical contributions to the management of the university, particularly in planning various students’ upskilling programmes to increase the rate of graduate employability. The findings suggest that the university should focus on leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in the teaching and learning process.
... This was directed towards welcoming the big waves of Industry 4.0 era [1], [2]. To be competitive in this era, there is a need for a creative, innovative, skilled and specialist workforce [3], [4], [6]. ...
... A company needs to progress in "fostering the employees' self-organization", as rightly stated by (Schuchmann & Seufert, 2015). The gap in solutions for lack of competency can be filled by having organizations realise that it is their responsibility to have the workforce implement their skills in relevant and efficient ways (Kyllonen, 2013), to come up with the best digital solutions (Kettunen & Mäkitalo, 2019), especially because that company's capability is to be set in digital transformation, which is a major shift and a draining process. Companies are forced to look beyond technology and consider people who have the right skills (Sousa, 2019) and mindset to use these technologies (Goldman, 2017). ...
The 21st century is an era of disruption, vanishing entities lagging behind to transform themselves. Digital transformation therefore has gained much recognition especially in the 21st century, as the technological advancement assists in significantly optimizing business operations, product service and design innovation. Organizations around the world are investing and making constant efforts in digital transformation by updating and upgrading their business processes in order to improve the firm’s performance and achieve competitive advantage. However digital transformation requires the workforce to possess adequate competencies, both for implementation and utilization post implementation, as these technological changes bring intense shifts in the attitude and behaviour of the traditional ways of doing. This paper, therefore, attempts to bridge the gap in literature for the changing needs of today’s workforce competencies that are deemed necessary in the era of digital transformation, by gathering evidences from literature analysis. The paper contributes to the body of literature by directing industry practitioners and researchers to adopt a wider outlook, while undergoing the journey of digital transformation, which encompasses diversity in workforce competencies. The researcher has discussed diversity and digital transformation, with the perspective of what digital transformation needs is what gender diversity offers.
... Broadly, we can say that "Soft skills" consist of every other skill than the technical skill of a person. Although the soft skills required for various job profiles vary to some degree, certain basic soft skills are considered essential for today's business environment across various sectors (Paadi, 2014;Kyllonen, 2013). Again, there are a lot of differences of opinion about what makes up "soft skills" of managers and management graduates (Chandra &Zakkariya, 2014). ...
Purpose: This paper presents the findings of a group of empirical studies for a conceptual and theoretical validation of the Critical Managerial Soft Skills (CMS) Model and then presents the psychometric properties of a newly developed tool - The Inventory for Critical Managerial Soft Skills (ICMS) for assessing the same. Design/methodology/approach: The CMS model was validated by a set of qualitative and quantitative studies among employers to confirm the importance of soft skills and to derive the critical soft skills framework (N- 95, 206) and this served as a basis of the tool construction. ICMS has been then psychometrically validated for the group of management graduates by conducting a series of qualitative and quantitative research steps (N-975). Findings: ICMS is a self-reported scale for measuring seven critical managerial soft skills of managerial candidates namely, Communication skills, Leadership skills, Interpersonal and Teamwork skills, and Self-Management Skills, Decision-making skills, Goal setting skills, and Task efficacy. Research limitations/implications: The tool developed is limited to the measurement of only the seven dimensions which are derived as “critical” based on various stages of the work. Practical implications: The tool can be used for recruitment screening and as a pre and post-training assessment tool for soft skills development of management students. Social implications: The tool can be used during management education to help the students understand their levels of soft skills and accordingly suitable measures can be undertaken to improve upon during the course of study to enhance their employability. Originality/value: The tool is fully original and has highly useful for researchers and practitioners as it has been empirically validated using appropriate and adequate statistical measures.
... By incorporating interactive storytelling, students can develop their technical literacy skills, becoming a lucrative professional career. There is a growing demand for initiatives to be applied and applicable to the modern era workforce, enabling participants to acquire soft skills and their educational path (Kyllonen, 2013). The output students create using electronic technology in modern universities, and hybrid programs prepare students for their work careers. ...
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a novel strain of Coronavirus. COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11th March 2020, and it has impacted almost every aspect of human life. Education is crucial to individuals and society, and COVID-19 has affected educational systems worldwide. According to UNESCO monitoring, over 100 countries have implemented nationwide closures, impacting nearly 90% of the world's student population. In this chapter, the authors discuss how ICT is helping the community during COVID-19 and how it is catering to the young population's education needs. The demographics of COVID-19, along with an aging population, are explored. The authors then focus on the education sector and the challenges for education from school to universities. Furthermore, they look into how ICT facilitates education in the COVID-19 pandemic and the issues and challenges ICT faces in implementing online education. In the end, they discuss the role of ICT in developing communities and the future directions of online education for the development of smart communities.
... great deal of attention is currently being paid to the world of emotions and, specifically, to socioemotional competences because of their link to learning, professional training, and sociopersonal well-being (Ambiel, Pereira, and Moreira 2016;Côté-Lussier and Fitzpatrick 2016;Kyllonen 2013). ...
This work focuses on the educational environment. The aim was to carry out an analysis of the scientific
literature to find out the relationship between socioemotional skills and artistic or sports activities in this context. A
systematic review was carried out using the Scopus database, and forty five documents were analyzed. The results
showed the existence of proposals in both formal and nonformal settings; the variety of participants in different
educational stages; intervention, research, and theoretical documents; the relationships between variables of various
kinds, and the contents and methods developed. The results and the need to deepen the characteristics of the proposed
programs and activities in order to provide maximum effectiveness in the learning of these skills are discussed.
Through a basic qualitative research design, the study explored
the power of mentoring in developing the next generation of
leaders in U.S. institutions of higher education (HEDs). For this
purpose, the individual opinions of 18 directors of leadership were
solicited to explore the role of mentoring as instrumental in
cultivating future leaders in HEDs, where academic excellence and
innovation flourish. The findings suggested that developing
the next generation of leaders is a strategic imperative and cannot
be overstated, in the context of HEDs, where exemplary, ethical,
adaptable, and visionary leaders are born. HEDs can play a major
role in upskilling and cultivating them through mentoring from
fostering a sense of community, to modeling behavior, and
embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Effective
mentorship is of paramount importance in guiding and
professionally developing future leaders to steer the complexities
and the dynamic realm of U.S. HEDs. This study can help U.S.
universities understand the power of mentoring in developing
the next generation of leaders. An improved understanding of this
power will help American colleges and universities, academic
leaders, board members, faculty, and policymakers, to better
allocate their human, financial, and physical resources in order to
meet the needs of the next generation of leaders and to develop
them. This research paper is one of the first research studies to
explore the power of mentoring in developing the next generation
of leaders, from the experiences and perspectives of directors of
leadership in U.S. HEDs. Therefore, 18 directors of leadership from
various HEDs were identified and interviewed about their
perspectives and experiences pertaining to the role of mentoring in
developing the next generation of leaders. Data collected from
directors provide narratives that expand the body of literature.
Mock interviews are an evidence-based method of preparing learners for real employment situations. The effect of novel approaches, such as digital, asynchronous and AI-mediated mock interviews have likewise shown beneficial to students but are currently underrepresented in the literature. This study examined students’ satisfaction levels and perceptions related to virtual mock interviews during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings show that students had a positive experience, insofar as they believed it to be useful in increasing their ability to perform better in a real interview. While differences were noted among multiple variables, the primary factor associated with positive student outcomes seems to be their level of preparedness prior to the simulation.
El propósito de este artículo de investigación es el de proporcionar evidencia sobre si el entrenamiento de determinadas habilidades socioemocionales mediante los juegos serios de mesa tiene efectos positivos sobre la motivación de los estudiantes para terminar con éxito su formación universitaria. En la actualidad, los estudiantes reciben una formación universitaria en contenidos y destrezas que, en ocasiones, se aleja de lo demandado por las organizaciones. Esta disincronía produce un efecto de desmotivación en los discentes. En la era de la Inteligencia Artificial, las competencias laborales blandas, o soft skills, serán las nuevas habilidades duras que los individuos deberán tener adquiridas para su completar su formación y poder integrarse en el mercado laboral de manera eficaz. Por tanto, parece necesario e imprescindible entrenar la capacidad de los estudiantes para realizar una determinada actividad, pero también lo es para que posean competencias transversales, denominadas soft skills. Según han verificado algunas investigaciones, la mejora en la competencia de las habilidades blandas tiene efectos directos y positivos sobre la motivación, entendida ésta como emprendimiento personal, de los estudiantes. Con este objetivo, se ha realizado una investigación con los estudiantes de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos para evaluar los niveles de estas habilidades, su posterior entrenamiento a través de los serious games de mesa, y su reevaluación para valorar el efecto y mejora en su motivación y estrategias de aprendizaje. Dado que algunas habilidades blandas son transferibles, enseñables y no asumibles por IA, se ha realizado un muestro polietápico sobre un grupo de estudiantes de Marketing constituyendo una muestra representativa de 71 individuos. Cada individuo ha respondido a unos cuestionarios validados por la comunidad científica en el área de la Psicología antes y después del entrenamiento sobre su motivación y estrategias de aprendizaje, junto con otros cuestionarios, también validados, para medir los niveles de habilidades blandas socioemocionales como, empatía, autoconcepto, y compasión. Los resultados indican que algunos de los niveles de estas habilidades, junto con la motivación son diferentes según el género de los individuos; además, los factores determinantes de las habilidades sobre la motivación de los estudiantes previo al entrenamiento son diferentes a los factores significativos posteriores al entrenamiento, estando éstos últimos más intrínsecamente relacionados con la autoconciencia, actitud y conocimiento de sí mismo del individuo y su entorno.
Soft skills are personal qualities that enable teachers to better engage with students. The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of soft skills as a mediator in the relationship between teaching competencies and classroom performance among university teachers. This study was quantitative and followed the positivist research paradigm. The researchers selected the study sample using multistage sampling. Two questionnaires and an observation sheet were used in this study. Researchers collected data from 132 public-sector university teachers in southern Punjab. SPSS and PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data. The data was analyzed using mediation analysis. The major conclusion of this study was that all the variables (teaching competencies, soft skills, and classroom performance) had a significant relationship, and soft skills also mediated between teaching competencies and classroom performance of university teachers. The major recommendation of the study is that future researchers include variables that may influence the performance of teachers in the classroom, such as job satisfaction, work discipline, motivation, and so forth, and also change the indicators for teaching competencies and soft skills.
The objectives of this research were (1) to analyze the problems of 4Cs skills of primary
school students under Chiang Mai Primary Educational Service Area Office 3. and (2) to study
the guideline for enhancing 4Cs skills of primary school students under Chiang Mai Primary
Educational Service Area Office 3. This research was qualitative research, the sample was 15
in-depth interviews consisted of administrators, teachers, and advisors in 5 schools, a total of
15 teachers. The data were analyzed by content analysis
The research findings were as follows: 1. The problems of the students’ 4cs skills were
1) Critical Thinking: students lack observation skills, thinking skills, unable to plan and solve
the problems correctly. 2) Communication: students lack knowledge and experience in
communicating, used inappropriate language, and have improper communication.
3) Collaboration: students lack plans or agreements to work together, lack accepting the
opinions and abilities of others, self-centered. 4) Creativity: students believed they are
incompetent, lack of think outside the box, and doing new things. 2. The guideline for
enhancing students’ 4Cs skills was 1) Critical Thinking: teachers should encourage students to
have the courage to think and to express themselves and allow them to express their opinions
freely. 2) Communication: teachers should practice activities for students to use language to
communicate with others, create an atmosphere for students to react in the classes.
3) Collaboration: teachers should guide students to adapt to others, learning activities that
emphasize collaborative practice. 4) Creativity: teachers should provide an environment that
encourages students to be creative, there are encouraging students to think for creative
imagination, and allow students to express free thoughts.
Workplace soft skills are critical factors to consider when seeking and maintaining
employment. One beneficial workplace soft skill is responding to feedback on a job. This pilot study used a pre- and post-group design to evaluate a small group intervention that utilized a Direct Skills Teaching approach to instruct participants in responding to feedback in an employment setting to persons with disabilities. A four-session group intervention (“Responding to Feedback”) was delivered by graduate counseling students to 38 participants with various disabilities in six separate groups. Participants reported greater confidence in responding to feedback from potential or current employers at the end of the intervention. Also, participants were highly satisfied with the group. This study provided positive outcome data on soft skill interventions and provided support for its usefulness to teach help-seeking
skills in a group setting, with a pre-planned curriculum.
BACKGROUND: Work-related soft skills can be an important factor for successful employment outcomes, particularly for individuals with disabilities.
OBJECTIVE: This study conducted two focus groups with stakeholders for two state Rehabilitation Councils to identify the needs of specific work-related soft skills for employment success of transition age youth with disabilities.
METHODS: 30 participants including 10 individuals with disabilities, 5 family members of individuals with disabilities, 5 disability service providers, 9 disability advocates and 1 unidentified, completed two focus groups to identify a list of soft skills by importance for transition age youth with disabilities to succeed at work.
RESULTS: Focus group participants reported that communication skills (face to face communication and emails to coworkers, customers, and employers), conflict resolution skills, advocacy skills, and professionalism are the most important soft skills for transition age youth with disabilities to be successful at work.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated soft skills are critical to work success for transition age youth with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation providers should teach these critical soft skills when serving transition age youth with disabilities.
Previous research papers have shown how creativity can flourish in learning environments where students are not admonished for taking risks or facing failure. Unfortunately, these types of learning environments/creativity practices are not interwoven methodologically into most STEM curricula; indeed, studies demonstrate that engineering students’ levels of creativity decrease over the course of their training. Recent studies have revealed that when creativity is methodologically incorporated into curricula, students are able to apply it immediately and in the long-term. The Creativity Academy, funded by the National Science Foundation, is a program designed to teach and support engineering faculty in higher education with the integration and implementation of evidence-based creativity training into their classrooms. The long-term goal is to prepare an innovative engineering workforce by creating, implementing, and testing a new educational framework that incorporates creativity training throughout the engineering curriculum at the University of Missouri. Our research operates from the twenty-first-century skill requirement that educators must train students not only to understand and apply engineering practices, but also to innovate upon them. This chapter will explain three facets of the Creativity Academy: (1) the academy design and module learning objectives, (2) a description of the journal reflection assignment that participants completed during the Creativity Academy, and (3) an outline of one theatre-based creativity exercise. These three sections identify key methods for integrating creativity training into curricula: designing learning objectives, reflection through writing, and an embodied theatre exercise that allows students to confront rarely challenged habits.Graphical Abstract
KeywordsActive learningCurriculum designAssessmentInterdisciplinaryInnovation
This chapter explores the potential of STEM project-based learning (PBL) and digital video game (DVG) creation to support and integrate STEM and entrepreneurial competencies in teacher education. Specifically, the authors present and describe three STEM projects and three DVGs, with a focus on entrepreneurial and STEM skill development and growth mindsets in a curriculum and pedagogy methods course in STEM education. The authors maintain that in order for teacher candidates (TCs) to develop entrepreneurial and STEM literacies, they need to integrate entrepreneurial and STEM content and pedagogical knowledge to be able to effectively instruct, assess and design STEM curricula that can foster entrepreneurial skills and support future generations of learners. TCs engaged in several tasks utilizing principles of inquiry, design-based and experiential learning, and reflective practice that fostered entrepreneurial awareness and enhanced entrepreneurial competencies. Entrepreneurial growth is evident in the projects, as TCs provided extensions, thus creating value-added content beyond the scope of the initial assignment. These value-added extensions were also catalytic in developing an entrepreneurial growth mindset. The authors contend that teacher education programs, professional development initiatives, and key stakeholders have a pivotal role to play in developing and supporting students’ STEM and entrepreneurship competencies.Graphical Abstract
KeywordsInnovationCurriculumCompetenciesCreativityPerseveranceMotivationSelf-regulatedExperiential learningDesign-based learningCareers
In the twenty-first century, there are severe social and economic disparities worldwide. Due to this century’s unprecedented pandemic situation, these disparities were exacerbated, reinforcing the need for a more cohesive society where the different socio-economic sectors work together towards a better and prosperous future. Many of these inequalities result from the non-existence or difficult access to proper education. By providing citizens with the knowledge and competencies to live fully, we are empowering society. However, to build a capable society, more democratic and participatory, it is essential to boost entrepreneurship. By assigning meaning and social-economic value to intrinsic competencies and knowledge, entrepreneurship may bring up the requirement for enterprising citizens. Such citizens should be able to implement the necessary changes and create new opportunities for all, which requires creativity and the ability to generate new ideas and solutions. Enterprising citizens also need to be equipped with competencies such as identifying opportunities and measuring possible risks to implement the new ideas and solutions and contribute to the development of a society, which is also important in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and social innovation. This chapter addresses possible relations between different social topics—such as sustainable development, social innovation, and environmental education—with STEM education and entrepreneurship to respond to contemporary society’s uncertainties and increasingly complex challenges.Graphical Abstract
KeywordsEntrepreneurshipEnvironmental educationSocial innovationSTEM educationSustainable development
Objective
Since most health care programs have competitive entry and selective admission procedures, it is essential for colleges to select proper admissions tools to ensure student success in the health care programs. The purpose of the study was to determine what relationship exists between emotional intelligence (EI) and clinical success for diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) or radiography (RT) students. The main goal of this work was to explore if an EI model such as the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) can be potentially used as one of the criteria in the admission selection process for DMS and RT programs in the future.
Materials and Methods
The participants of this study were 26 imaging students. The convenient sample included 10 DMS and 16 RT students, enrolled in an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences program, within a community college. The study was conducted by administering the TEIQue questionnaire that collected EI data and demographic data of the participants in both programs. These data were gathered at the beginning of each respective program and 1 calendar year later. The clinical student success was examined over a period of 2 clinical semesters.
Results
The analysis of the findings determined that a significant relationship existed between all EI variables such a global EI, 4 factors and 3 subscales of trait EI for both groups of students. The findings of this study did not show a significant relationship between clinical success and global EI as well as 3 subscales of trait EI for DMS or RT students. Nevertheless, a statistically significant increase was observed among 1 of the 4 EI factors, well-being, among RT students. Interestingly, DMS students did not show the same outcome.
Conclusion
The results of this study provide limited empirical evidence that a strong relationship may exist between 1 of the 4 trait EI factors, well-being, among RT students and clinical success in this RT student cohort. This is an important finding that may support the use of the TEIQue questionnaire, as part of the admissions process for other RT programs. The DMS students did not exhibit the same results. However, the findings with the RT students demonstrate the need for further research.
Objective
The purpose of the study was to determine whether emotional intelligence (EI) changes after completion of 1 year of courses for diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) or radiography (RAD) students.
Materials and Methods
The participants of this study were 26 imaging undergraduate students. The convenient sample included 10 DMS and 16 RAD students, enrolled in an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences program, within a community college. The study was conducted by administering the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) that collected EI data and demographic data of the participants in both programs. These data were gathered at the beginning of each respective program, as well as 1 year later.
Results
The analysis of the findings determined that there was no significant change in global EI and four factors such as wellbeing, self-control, emotionality, and sociability of EI among this cohort of DMS and RAD students after 1 year. However, one of the three trait EI subscales “Optimism” revealed a significant increase after 1 year for this cohort of RAD students. Interestingly, this cohort of DMS students did not show the same outcome.
Conclusion
The results of this study provide limited empirical evidence that one of the three trait EI subscales “Optimism” increased after completion of 1 year of courses in this RAD student cohort. This is an important finding that should be carefully considered. This outcome shows that RAD students in this cohort felt significantly more optimistic after 1 year, which reflects their emotional state. However, DMS students in this cohort did not demonstrate the same results.
Work-related soft skills (e.g. requesting help and problem solving) are critical for employment success. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) group intervention to teach work-related help-seeking skills to persons with disabilities. The four-session group intervention (“Asking for Help”) was delivered in person or via telehealth to 74 participants with disabilities during COVID-19. Participants reported increased confidence with asking employers for help and reported high intervention satisfaction. In-person and telehealth soft skills groups achieved similar positive outcomes, and findings support their use to teach groups help-seeking skills with a pre-planned curriculum.
Keywords: direct skills teaching, asking for help, disabilities, employment counseling
Through an interpersonal global writing exchange between middle school students in Spain and the United States, students develop skills in world languages, cultural awareness, sensitivity, and communication.
This article reports a comprehensive meta-analysis of the criterion-oriented validity of the Big Five personality dimensions assessed with forced-choice (FC) inventories. Six criteria (i.e., performance ratings, training proficiency, productivity, grade-point average, global occupational performance, and global academic performance) and three types of FC scores (i.e., normative, quasi-ipsative, and ipsative) served for grouping the validity coefficients. Globally, the results showed that the Big Five assessed with FC measures have similar or slightly higher validity than the Big Five assessed with single-stimulus (SS) personality inventories. Quasi-ipsative measures of conscientiousness (K=44, N=8794, =.40) are found to be better predictors of job performance than normative and ipsative measures. FC inventories also showed similar reliability coefficients to SS inventories. Implications of the findings for theory and practice in academic and personnel decisions are discussed, and future research is suggested.
Around the world we hear considerable talk about creating world-class schools. Usually the term refers to schools whose students get very high scores on the international comparisons of student achievement such as PISA or TIMSS. The practice of restricting the meaning of exemplary schools to the narrow criterion of achievement scores is usually premised on the view that test scores are closely linked to the provision of a capable labour force and competitive economy. In fact, the measured relationships between test scores and earnings or productivity are modest and explain a relatively small share of the larger link between educational attainment and economic outcomes. What has been omitted from such narrow assessments are the effects that education has on the development of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and capabilities that affect the quality and productivity of the labour force. This article provides evidence on some of these relationships, on the degree to which the non-cognitive effects of schooling contribute to adult performance, and on the evidence that deliberate school interventions can influence non-cognitive outcomes. It concludes with the view that the quest for world-class schools must encompass a range of human development characteristics that extend considerably beyond test scores.
In the 45 years since Cattell used English trait terms to begin the formulation of his “description of personality,” a number of investigators have proposed an alternative structure based on 5 orthogonal factors. The generality of this 5-factor model is here demonstrated across unusally comprehensive sets of trait terms. In the first 3 studies, 1,431 trait adjectives grouped into 75 clusters were analyzed; virtually identical structures emerged in 10 replications, each based on a different factor-analytic procedure. A 2nd study of 479 common terms grouped into 133 synonym clusters revealed the same structure in 2 samples of self-ratings and in 2 samples of peer ratings. None of the factors beyond the 5th generalized across the samples. In the 3rd study, analyses of 100 clusters derived from 339 triat terms suggest their potential utility as Big-Five markers in future studies.
The ability of personality traits to predict important life outcomes has traditionally been questioned because of the putative small effects of personality. In this article, we compare the predictive validity of personality traits with that of socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive ability to test the relative contribution of personality traits to predictions of three critical outcomes: mortality, divorce, and occupational attainment. Only evidence from prospective longitudinal studies was considered. In addition, an attempt was made to limit the review to studies that controlled for important background factors. Results showed that the magnitude of the effects of personality traits on mortality, divorce, and occupational attainment was indistinguishable from the effects of SES and cognitive ability on these outcomes. These results demonstrate the influence of personality traits on important life outcomes, highlight the need to more routinely incorporate measures of personality into quality of life surveys, and encourage further research about the developmental origins of personality traits and the processes by which these traits influence diverse life outcomes.
© 2007 Association for Psychological Science.
This article summarizes the practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research in personnel selection. On the basis of meta-analytic findings, this article presents the validity of 19 selection procedures for predicting job performance and training performance and the validity of paired combinations of general mental ability (GMA) and the 18 other selection procedures. Overall, the 3 combinations with the highest multivariate validity and utility for job performance were GMA plus a work sample test (mean validity of .63), GMA plus an integrity test (mean validity of .65), and GMA plus a structured interview (mean validity of .63). A further advantage of the latter 2 combinations is that they can be used for both entry level selection and selection of experienced employees. The practical utility implications of these summary findings are substantial. The implications of these research findings for the development of theories of job performance are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A review of 13 years of research into antecedents of university students' grade point average (GPA) scores generated the following: a comprehensive, conceptual map of known correlates of tertiary GPA; assessment of the magnitude of average, weighted correlations with GPA; and tests of multivariate models of GPA correlates within and across research domains. A systematic search of PsycINFO and Web of Knowledge databases between 1997 and 2010 identified 7,167 English-language articles yielding 241 data sets, which reported on 50 conceptually distinct correlates of GPA, including 3 demographic factors and 5 traditional measures of cognitive capacity or prior academic performance. In addition, 42 non-intellective constructs were identified from 5 conceptually overlapping but distinct research domains: (a) personality traits, (b) motivational factors, (c) self-regulatory learning strategies, (d) students' approaches to learning, and (e) psychosocial contextual influences. We retrieved 1,105 independent correlations and analyzed data using hypothesis-driven, random-effects meta-analyses. Significant average, weighted correlations were found for 41 of 50 measures. Univariate analyses revealed that demographic and psychosocial contextual factors generated, at best, small correlations with GPA. Medium-sized correlations were observed for high school GPA, SAT, ACT, and A level scores. Three non-intellective constructs also showed medium-sized correlations with GPA: academic self-efficacy, grade goal, and effort regulation. A large correlation was observed for performance self-efficacy, which was the strongest correlate (of 50 measures) followed by high school GPA, ACT, and grade goal. Implications for future research, student assessment, and intervention design are discussed.
Early educational intervention has been proposed to partially offset the impacts of poverty and inadequate learning environments
on child development and school success. A broad range of early educational interventions are found to produce meaningful,
lasting effects on cognitive, social, and schooling outcomes. However, all interventions are not equally effective. Two major
U.S. programs perform relatively poorly. Research provides some guidance regarding the features of highly effective programs,
but much remains to be learned. New experimental studies of key program features would have a high payoff.
This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students. Compared to controls, SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement. School teaching staff successfully conducted SEL programs. The use of 4 recommended practices for developing skills and the presence of implementation problems moderated program outcomes. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence regarding the positive impact of SEL programs. Policy makers, educators, and the public can contribute to healthy development of children by supporting the incorporation of evidence-based SEL programming into standard educational practice.
The bulk of personality research has been built from self-report measures of personality. However, collecting personality ratings from other-raters, such as family, friends, and even strangers, is a dramatically underutilized method that allows better explanation and prediction of personality's role in many domains of psychology. Drawing hypotheses from D. C. Funder's (1995) realistic accuracy model about trait and information moderators of accuracy, we offer 3 meta-analyses to help researchers and applied psychologists understand and interpret both consistencies and unique insights afforded by other-ratings of personality. These meta-analyses integrate findings based on 44,178 target individuals rated across 263 independent samples. Each meta-analysis assessed the accuracy of observer ratings, as indexed by interrater consensus/reliability (Study 1), self-other correlations (Study 2), and predictions of behavior (Study 3). The results show that although increased frequency of interacting with targets does improve accuracy in rating personality, informants' interpersonal intimacy with the target is necessary for substantial increases in other-rating accuracy. Interpersonal intimacy improved accuracy especially for traits low in visibility (e.g., Emotional Stability) but only minimally for traits high in evaluativeness (e.g., Agreeableness). In addition, observer ratings were strong predictors of behaviors. When the criterion was academic achievement or job performance, other-ratings yielded predictive validities substantially greater than and incremental to self-ratings. These findings indicate that extraordinary value can gained by using other-reports to measure personality, and these findings provide guidelines toward enriching personality theory. Various subfields of psychology in which personality variables are systematically assessed and utilized in research and practice can benefit tremendously from use of others' ratings to measure personality variables.
Recent longitudinal and cross-sectional aging research has shown that personality traits continue to change in adulthood. In this article, we review the evidence for mean-level change in personality traits, as well as for individual differences in change across the life span. In terms of mean-level change, people show increased selfconfidence, warmth, self-control, and emotional stability with age. These changes predominate in young adulthood (age 20-40). Moreover, mean-level change in personality traits occurs in middle and old age, showing that personality traits can change at any age. In terms of individual differences in personality change, people demonstrate unique patterns of development at all stages of the life course, and these patterns appear to be the result of specific life experiences that pertain to a person's stage of life.
This article reports a meta-analysis of personality-academic performance relationships, based on the 5-factor model, in which cumulative sample sizes ranged to over 70,000. Most analyzed studies came from the tertiary level of education, but there were similar aggregate samples from secondary and tertiary education. There was a comparatively smaller sample derived from studies at the primary level. Academic performance was found to correlate significantly with Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. Where tested, correlations between Conscientiousness and academic performance were largely independent of intelligence. When secondary academic performance was controlled for, Conscientiousness added as much to the prediction of tertiary academic performance as did intelligence. Strong evidence was found for moderators of correlations. Academic level (primary, secondary, or tertiary), average age of participant, and the interaction between academic level and age significantly moderated correlations with academic performance. Possible explanations for these moderator effects are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.
The authors used meta-analytic procedures to examine the relationship between specified training design and evaluation features and the effectiveness of training in organizations. Results of the meta-analysis revealed training effectiveness sample-weighted mean ds of 0.60 (k = 15, N = 936) for reaction criteria, 0.63 (k = 234, N = 15,014) for learning criteria, 0.62 (k = 122, N = 15,627) for behavioral criteria, and 0.62 (k = 26, N = 1,748) for results criteria. These results suggest a medium to large effect size for organizational training. In addition, the training method used, the skill or task characteristic trained, and the choice of evaluation criteria were related to the effectiveness of training programs. Limitations of the study along with suggestions for future research are discussed.
Personnel selection research provides much evidence that intelligence (g) is an important predictor of performance in training and on the job, especially in higher level work. This article provides evidence that g has pervasive utility in work settings because it is essentially the ability to deal with cognitive complexity, in particular, with complex information processing. The more complex a work task, the greater the advantages that higher g confers in performing it well. Everyday tasks, like job duties, also differ in their level of complexity. The importance of intelligence therefore differs systematically across different arenas of social life as well as economic endeavor. Data from the National Adult Literacy Survey are used to show how higher levels of cognitive ability systematically improve individual's odds of dealing successfully with the ordinary demands of modern life (such as banking, using maps and transportation schedules, reading and understanding forms, interpreting news articles). These and other data are summarized to illustrate how the advantages of higher g, even when they are small, cumulate to affect the overall life chances of individuals at different ranges of the IQ bell curve. The article concludes by suggesting ways to reduce the risks for low-IQ individuals of being left behind by an increasingly complex postindustrial economy.
The SuccessNavigator™ assessment is an online, 30 minute self-assessment of psychosocial and study skills designed for students entering postsecondary education. In addition to providing feedback in areas such as classroom and study behaviors, commitment to educational goals, management of academic stress, and connection to social resources, it is also designed to predict a range of early academic outcomes. By indicating students' likely success, advisors, faculty, and staff can target their interactions with students to increase their likelihood of success. This report outlines evidence of reliability, validity, and fairness to demonstrate the appropriateness of SuccessNavigator for these purposes.
Using data on young men from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, this paper investigates the relationship between childhood misbehavior and later education and labor market outcomes. The main finding is that eighth-grade misbehavior is important for earnings over and above eighth-grade test scores. Moreover, controlling for educational attainment, childhood misbehavior is associated with earnings at all educational levels, whereas achievement test scores are related to earnings only for young men with postsecondary degrees. Possible explanations for the association between eighth-grade misbehavior and economic success are explored.
In considering and evaluating approaches to the admission of college students, the usual approach is to try to measure past academic achievement and primarily verbal and math ability on the assumption that these abilities will predict subsequent college academic grades and achievement. These measures do predict classroom achievement, though far from perfectly so. It is also the case that most universities claim to develop students in areas not well represented by classroom grades such as leadership, social responsibility, integrity, multicultural appreciation, and others. In our work, we have adopted a model employed by industrial/organizational psychologists in personnel selection. We began with a “job analysis” of the “job” of undergraduate students. We developed a list of expectations universities claim to have of students and derived a list of constructs that were hypothesized to be essential to success. This set of constructs has been central to the development of a series of measures we use to assess student potential as well as a set of outcome measures that we believe is a better representation of the totality of relevant college student outcomes.
Personality constructs have been demonstrated to be useful for explaining and predicting attitudes, behaviors, performance, and outcomes in organizational settings. Many professionally developed measures of personality constructs display useful levels of criterion-related validity for job performance and its facets. In this response to Morgeson et al. (2007), we comprehensively summarize previously published meta-analyses on (a) the optimal and unit-weighted multiple correlations between the Big Five personality dimensions and behaviors in organizations, including job performance; (b) generalizable bivariate relationships of Conscientiousness and its facets (e.g., achievement orientation, dependability, cautiousness) with job performance constructs; (c) the validity of compound personality measures; and (d) the incremental validity of personality measures over cognitive ability. Hundreds of primary studies and dozens of meta-analyses conducted and published since the mid 1980s indicate strong support for using personality measures in staffing decisions. Moreover, there is little evidence that response distortion among job applicants ruins the psychometric properties, including criterion-related validity, of personality measures. We also provide a brief evaluation of the merits of alternatives that have been offered in place of traditional self-report personality measures for organizational decision making. Given the cumulative data, writing off the whole domain of individual differences in personality or all self-report measures of personality from personnel selection and organizational decision making is counterproductive for the science and practice of I-O psychology.