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Importance of Soft Skills for Education and Career Success

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Appropriate soft skills play an important role in a successful career as well as during social interactions in the society. These skills are also highly sought after by employers recruiting fresh graduates. The main purpose of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions of the importance of soft skills for their education and employment. A questionnaire was used for data collection and 188 undergraduate business management students from four universities in Singapore participated in this study. It was found that a majority of the respondents felt that soft skills were useful for social interaction as well as for career advancement. However, they did not think that these skills contribute considerably to their academic performance. The top five important soft skills identified by the students were: teamwork and collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving, time management and critical thinking skills. This paper suggests certain measures for improving soft skills of students which may also help improve their employment perspectives.
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Importance of Soft Skills for Education and Career Success
Shaheen Majid, Zhang Liming, Shen Tong, Siti Raihana
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Abstract
Appropriate soft skills play an important role in
a successful career as well as during social
interactions in the society. These skills are also
highly sought after by employers recruiting fresh
graduates. The main purpose of this study was to
investigate students’ perceptions of the importance of
soft skills for their education and employment. A
questionnaire was used for data collection and 188
undergraduate business management students from
four universities in Singapore participated in this
study. It was found that a majority of the respondents
felt that soft skills were useful for social interaction
as well as for career advancement. However, they did
not think that these skills contribute considerably to
their academic performance. The top five important
soft skills identified by the students were: teamwork
and collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving,
time management and critical thinking skills. This
paper suggests certain measures for improving soft
skills of students which may also help improve their
employment perspectives.
1. Introduction
Due to a variety of factors, today’s business
environment is becoming more complex, uncertain
and competitive. All types of organizations consider
human resources as their key asset, which plays a
critical role in organizational performance and
success. Most employers are likely to hire, retain and
promote persons who are dependable, resourceful,
ethical, having effective communication, self
directed, willing to work and learn, and having
positive attitude [1]. Employers usually prefer to see
a fine blend of competencies in their staff and, in
addition to discipline-based knowledge and skills,
adequate levels of soft skills are considered desirable
for moving forward in the career [2]. They feel
professional and technical skills alone cannot help
achieve organizational goals and objectives. It is
because their staff will also be involved in different
levels of leadership and decision-making activities.
Employees also need to communicate effectively
within the organization, with their customers and
other stakeholders.
Basically, soft skills refer to personalities,
attributes, qualities and personal behaviour of
individuals. Soft skills include certain abilities such
as communication, problem-solving, self-motivation,
decision-making, and time management skills [3]. A
study by Hodges and Burchell [4] investigated the
perceptions of business employers of the importance
of different skills. It was reported that eight out of
top ten skills were soft skills which included the
ability and willingness to learn, teamwork and
cooperation, interpersonal communication, energy
and passion, and problem-solving skills. A study
covering over 52 different professions with more than
8,000 managers in the United States identified soft
skills of employees as the major competency in
nearly all the professions, even in the technical
environments [5].
While it is now a well-established fact that
employers are increasingly putting more emphasis on
soft skills, it is equally important that students should
also adequately appreciate the value of such skills
and make deliberate efforts to acquire them. Porter
[6] reported that many business students do not put
much value to developing soft skills. Probably that is
why, as suggested by Rynes et al [7], the business
students’ attitude towards behavioural courses, with
substantial coverage given to soft skills development,
is usually negative together with their reluctance to
register for such courses. As a result, there is an
awareness gap resulting in deficiency of soft skills
among business graduates entering the work force.
Consequently, there is now more pressure on
academic institutions to enhance soft skills of their
students. Kumara and Sahasranam [8] used a core
soft skills inventory test to investigate soft skills of
engineering students in India. They reported that,
with well-planned training programs, it is possible to
tune, shape and develop creativity and soft skills
among all students. Addams et al [9] believed the
communication skills of business students,
particularly for writing persuasive business letters,
can be improved by designing assignments using
real-life organizations and scenarios. Alshare, Lane
and Miller [10] studied perceptions of students and
faculty of the adequacy of soft skills in information
systems curricula in different universities in the USA.
It was reported that generally students were more
satisfied than faculty about the coverage of soft skills.
Realizing the importance of soft skills, several studies
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
1036
have also emphasised the point that these skills
should be embedded in the curriculum, thus making it
easier for students to acquire them [11, 12].
The literature review suggests that a majority of
the studies on this topic have been done from
employers’ perspective and only a limited number of
studies have focused on the perceptions and attitudes
of students towards soft skills. In addition, a higher
percentage of such studies were conducted in North
America and Europe with different learning
environment and work culture then in many Asian
countries. It is, therefore, worth exploring students’
perceptions of soft skills from a new angle and
context. The main objective of this study was to
investigate the perceptions of business management
students of the importance of soft skills for their
education and employment. Some areas covered by
this study were: students’ perceptions of the value of
soft skills, self-efficacy of the level of skills
possessed by them, skills needing further
improvement, participation in skill development
programs, and the role of academic institutions in
developing soft skills.
2. Methodology
A questionnaire was used to collect data from
undergraduate business management students from
four universities in Singapore, i.e. Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), National University
of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management
University (SMU), and Singapore Institute of
Management (SIM). The questionnaire was mainly
consisted of multiple choice and rating scale matrix
questions to solicit responses. Most of the questions
were close-ended, however wherever needed, the
respondents were provided with the flexibility to
make comments or provide additional information.
The ethics approval of the study was obtained from
the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the
University.
The survey participants were selected through
the convenience sampling technique. Business
management undergraduate students at the four
selected universities were approached with an oral
request to participate in this study. A copy of
questionnaire was provided to those students who
expressed their willingness to participate. The survey
lasted for two weeks in the second quarter of 2011,
and a total of 188 students participated in this study.
3. Findings
The following sections provide data analysis and
findings of the survey.
3.1. Respondents profile
A comparable number of participants from the
four universities participated in this study: SIM (51),
NTU (50), SMU (49), and NUS (44). Six respondents
did not fully complete the questionnaire; therefore,
the data analysis is based on 188 completely filled-in
survey forms. The percentage of Singaporean and
overseas students was 67.6% and 32.4% respectively.
The overseas students were mainly from China,
India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand and the
Philippines. In terms of gender, more female
respondents took part (57.8%) than their male
counterparts (42.2%). As for the year of study, there
were 72 respondents (38.3%) in their second year of
study and it was the largest group, while 41 (21.8%)
were in first year, 52 (27.7%) in third year and only
18 (9.6%) were in their fourth year of study. Five
students did not indicate their year of study.
3.2. Awareness of soft skills
The participating students were asked what skills, in
their opinion, can be categorized as soft skills. The
purpose was to investigate if they have a clear
understanding of soft skills. Based on literature
review, a list of 14 skills was developed. Out of the
188 respondents, less than 40 (21.3%) students chose
all the skills, which reflects their limited
understanding of soft skills. The top four soft skills,
as identified by the students, were communication,
leadership, persuasion and negotiation skills (see
Table 1).
Table 1. Skills considered as soft skills by the
respondents (multiple responses)
Ranking
Soft Skills
Frequency
(n=188)
1
Communication skills
147
2
Leadership skills
118
3
Persuasion skills
112
4
Negotiation skills
107
5
Conflict management
91
6
Time management
74
7
Problem solving
71
8
Teamwork spirit
70
9
Creative problem solving
70
10
Personal effectiveness
62
11
Strategic thinking
61
12
Positive work attitude
54
13
Willingness to learn
48
14
Passion towards work
42
Some of the personality attributes such as
positive work attitude, willingness to learn and
passion towards work were not regarded as soft skills
by a majority of the students. Other soft skills
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
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suggested by the students, not included in the
questionnaire, were project management skills’,
‘saying no to inappropriate requests/suggestions’ and
know when/where to stop arguments.
3.3. Perceived importance of soft skills
A set of statements were used to investigate
students’ overall perceptions of the importance of
soft skills. A majority of the students either agreed or
strongly agreed with the statements that soft skills
were very important for career advancement, highly
sought after by employers, and for getting a better job
(see Table 2). Similarly, 103 (55.1%) of the
respondents agreed with the suggestion that soft skills
are difficult to learn compared to professional
knowledge and skills.
On the contrary, a majority of the respondents
either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the
statements that soft skills cannot be enhanced through
practice and that these skills were not as important as
professional knowledge and skills. This indicates that
students have a good understanding of the important
and value of soft skills.
Table 2. General perceptions of soft skills (n=187)
Statement
D
N
A
SA
Soft skills are critical for
career advancement
7
39
83
52
Soft skills are highly
sought after by employers
7
52
89
34
Soft skills are important for
getting a better job
8
48
95
31
Soft skills are difficult to
learn compared to
professional knowledge
31
48
83
20
Soft skills cannot be
enhanced through practice
81
47
28
6
Soft skills are not as
important as professional
knowledge
56
38
33
12
SD: strongly disagree, D: disagree, N: neutral, A: agree,
SA: strongly agree
Students were also asked to rate the importance
of soft skills for different purposes, using a 7-point
semantic differential scale. As shown in Table 3, soft
skills were considered the most important for ‘getting
along with people’ (mean score 5.70), followed by
‘career advancement’ (mean score 5.46). However,
the students felt that such skills were comparatively
less important for their academic performance.
Table 3. Importance of soft skills
Purpose
n
Mean
(1~7)
SD
Getting along with people
188
5.70
1.46
Career advancement
188
5.46
1.69
Finding a job
188
5.07
1.64
Academic performance
188
4.29
1.82
To further corroborate students’ perceptions of
the importance of soft skills, they were asked to rate
the relative importance of a set of 14 skills, derived
from previous studies, for the purpose of
employment. The five top skills were: leadership,
teamwork, decision-making, problem solving, and
time management (see Table 4).
Table 4. Importance of soft skills for employment
Soft Skills
n
Mean
(1~7)
SD
Leadership
187
5.53
1.35
Teamwork and collaboration
187
5.47
1.28
Decision-making
187
5.43
1.43
Problem-solving
186
5.38
1.39
Time management
187
5.34
1.36
Passion and optimism
187
5.29
1.25
Critical thinking skills
183
5.27
1.45
Willingness to learn
187
5.26
1.37
Self-motivation and self-direction
186
5.16
1.40
Making presentations
187
5.05
1.74
Small group discussions
187
5.00
1.50
Writing business communications
187
4.91
1.32
Writing proposals
187
4.68
1.29
Writing memoranda
186
4.62
1.24
It was a matter of concern that five
communication-related soft skills were perceived to
be the least important for seeking employment. It was
particularly puzzling as earlier the highest number
(147 or 78.2%) of the respondents categorized it as a
soft skill. It means although they consider
communication-related skills as part of soft skills,
they do not think these skills are important in seeking
employment despite the fact that they need to prepare
their job applications and appear for interviews.
3.4. Importance of soft skills for different
professions
The students were asked to indicate the
importance of soft skills for different business related
professions. Students felt that soft skills were more
important for those jobs where business professionals
need to frequently communicate and interact with
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
1038
customers and other stakeholders, such job positions
as marketing executives, sales personnel and
insurance consultants (see Table 5). On the contrary,
they felt that professionals involved in back office
jobs such as financial analysts, auditors, and
accounts, need comparatively lesser levels of soft
skills. Although business professionals engaged in
such jobs probably less frequently communicate with
external customers, they still need good soft skills to
effectively discharge their responsibilities within the
organization.
Table 5. Level of soft skills required by different
category of professionals (n=188)
3.5. Students’ perception of the level of soft
skills possessed by them
The students were asked about their self-
assessment of the level of soft skills possessed by
them. The top five soft skills, as claimed by the
students were: willingness to learn, teamwork,
passion and optimism, time management, and self-
motivation and self-direction (see Table 6).
Table 6. Self-assessment of the level of soft skills
possessed by the respondents (n=188)
Once again, bottom five skills were related to
communication which means students think that they
do not possess adequate levels of communication
skills.
The correlation analysis showed a strong
relationship between the perceived importance of the
majority of soft skills and the level of these skills
possessed by the students (see Table 7). In other
words, students scored better for those skills which
they perceived to be important. It is likely they were
making efforts to improve those skills that they
considered important. As most of the communication
related skills were considered less important for
career development, there is a need that academic
institutions should create awareness among students
about the importance of such skills in seeking
employment and undertaking work related activities.
Table 7. Correlation between perceived importance and
skills level
Soft Skills
Correlation
Willingness to learn
.395(**)
Teamwork and cooperation
.384(**)
Passion and optimism
.355(**)
Time management
.231(**)
Self-motivation and self-direction
.416(**)
Decision-making
.244(**)
Problem-solving
.235(**)
Leadership
.186(*)
Critical thinking skills
.305(**)
Small group discussions
.524(**)
Writing proposals
.121
Making presentations
.529(**)
Writing business communications
.184(*)
Writing memoranda
.259(**)
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
3.6. Desire for improving soft skills
The respondents were asked to choose what soft
skills they would like to improve. The top two soft
skills that students wanted to improve were
leadership and communication skills (see Table 8).
Earlier these skills were also picked as the two most
important soft skills (see Table 1). However, it was
interesting to note that when communication skills
were divided into more specific communication skills
(see Table 4), these skills received the lowest
ranking. It appeared there were some misperceptions
among the students about the scope of different
communication skills.
Profession
Mean
(1~7)
SD
Marketing Executives
5.86
1.21
Sales Personnel
5.74
1.40
Insurance Service Consultants
5.72
1.30
Media & Advertising Executives
5.72
1.30
Corporate Communications Officers
5.66
1.37
Human Resource Officers
5.64
1.39
Project Management Executives
5.57
1.36
Financial Service Consultants
5.32
1.31
Business Administrators
4.99
1.47
Stock Brokers
4.98
1.56
Bank Executives
4.88
1.57
Financial Analysts
4.79
1.19
Auditors
4.19
1.50
Accountants
3.78
1.56
Soft Skills
Mean
(1~7)
SD
Willingness to learn
5.32
1.29
Teamwork and collaboration
5.32
1.26
Passion and optimism
5.05
1.19
Time management
5.01
1.33
Self-motivation and self-direction
4.95
1.23
Decision-making
4.95
1.22
Problem-solving
4.94
1.21
Leadership
4.90
1.33
Critical thinking skills
4.90
1.37
Small group discussions
4.87
1.27
Writing proposals
4.64
1.17
Making presentations
4.63
1.44
Writing business communications
4.56
1.27
Writing memoranda
4.43
1.25
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
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Table 8. Soft skills needing improvement
(multiple responses)
Ranking
Soft Skills
Frequency
(n=188)
1
Leadership skills
88
2
Communication skills
87
3
Persuasion skills
83
4
Negotiation skills
80
5
Conflict resolution
79
6
Time management
71
7
Strategic thinking
68
8
Problem solving
63
9
Personal effectiveness
62
9 (tied)
Creative problem solving
62
11
Positive work attitude
39
12
Willingness to learn
38
13
Teamwork spirit
35
14
Passion towards work
34
The next two soft skills that students wanted to
improve were persuasion and negotiation skills. Four
soft skills that only 20% or fewer students wanted to
improve were positive work attitude, willingness to
learn, teamwork spirit, and passion towards work. It
was probably because earlier only a very small
number of the students considered these skills as part
of soft skills (see Table 1).
3.7. Barrier to developing and practicing
communication skills
As many previous studies suggest that a majority
of the students lack adequate communication skills,
students participating in this study were asked about
the barriers encountered by them in developing and
practicing different communication skills. The top
four barriers, as identified by the students, were: lack
of confidence, nervousness, shyness, and lack of
proper training (see Table 9).
Table 9. Barriers to practicing communication skills
(n=188)
Although around one-third of the respondents
were from overseas, limited English language
proficiency and cultural difference did not appear as
the major barriers to communication. It appeared that
proper training and adequate opportunities to practice
are likely to improve communication skills of the
students.
3.8. Efforts by academic institutions for
imparting soft skills
The students were asked about the avenues and
opportunities provided by their respective universities
for developing soft skills. Around 54% of the
students said that soft skills were usually embedded
in different academic courses. Another 47% of the
students mentioned that they had taken some credit
courses that focused on developing certain soft skills.
Some examples of such credit courses, as quoted by
the students, were: Business Communication,
Strategic Management, Leadership and Team-
Building, Management Communication, Effective
Communication, Fundamental Communication,
Creative Problem-solving, and Strategic Thinking.
In addition to integrating soft skills in certain
professional courses and specialized soft skills
development credit courses, the universities of the
participating students were also providing many
opportunities to their students to improve soft skills.
A list of such activities, compiled through discussions
with business students and their school
administrators, was provided in the questionnaire to
allow the respondents to indicate their level of
participation in these activities. Table 10 shows that,
except for ‘students coffee sessions’, other programs
were often participated by less than 20% of the
students. Most of the programs that could help
develop students’ soft skills were ‘rarely’ participated
by a majority of the students. It appeared that the
students were heavily relying on business
professional courses as well as specialized courses
designed for improving certain skills and to lesser
extent on other soft skills development programs.
Table 10. Participation in soft skills development
programs (n=187)
Programmes/Activities
Never
Rarely
Often
Workshops/ guest talks
11.2%
70.1%
18.7%
Job hunting skills
18.2%
65.8%
16.0%
Company orientation sessions
22.5%
58.8%
18.7%
Career advising sessions
27.8%
55.6%
16.6%
Students coffee sessions
27.8%
49.2%
23.0%
In addition, a set of statements were used to
capture students’ perceptions of the possible benefits
of different school-based initiatives in improving
their soft skills. These statements presented both
positive and negative sides of these programs. More
than 61% of the students either agreed or strongly
Barriers
Frequency
1
Lack of confidence
89
2
Nervousness
88
3
Shyness
59
4
Lack of proper training
58
5
Non-encouraging environment
51
6
Language deficiency
48
7
Lack of knowledge
47
8
Cultural barriers
38
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
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agreed with three statements suggesting that soft
skills programs provided them opportunities to gain
hands-on experience, boosted their skill levels, and
showed ways to apply soft skills in different
situations (see Table 11). However, split responses
were received for two statements suggesting that
content of these soft skills programs were less
relevant and cannot be easily applied into practice.
More respondents disagreed than agreed with the
statement that these programs were only theoretical
in nature. In other words they believed that skills
taught through these programs had their applicability.
Table 11. Perceptions of the benefits of soft skills
programs (multiple responses)
Statements
SD
D
N
A
SA
Provided opportunities for
hands-on experience
5
5
54
99
24
Provided me opportunities to
boost my soft skills
6
5
57
85
34
Showed adaptability of soft
skills in many situations
3
11
59
92
22
The contents are not so relevant
with soft skills improvement
7
45
75
53
7
The contents cannot be easily
applied into practice
10
42
77
45
12
Showed the usefulness of soft
skills only in theory
19
41
74
37
15
SD: strongly disagree, D: disagree, N: neutral, A: agree,
SA: strongly agree
3.7. Suggestions for improving students’ soft
skills
The respondents were asked to suggest measures
that universities should undertake for improving soft
skills of their students. Over 60% of the students
recommended that more soft skills development
activities should be incorporated into the curriculum
(see Table 12). Two other measures suggested by
around 45% of the students were to organize more
soft skills development workshops and hands-on
activities. Once again it appeared that, instead of
attending specialized soft skills development
workshops, a majority of the students desired that
such skills should be embedded in appropriate
professional courses.
Table 12. Soft skills development measures to be
undertaken taken by universities (multiple responses)
In addition, the respondents were asked to
suggest measures that students should undertake for
improving their soft skills. Nearly one-half of the
respondents suggested that students should attend
professional training workshops for improving their
soft skills (see Table 13). It was also suggested by
42% of the respondents each that students should join
those hobby clubs and students’ union activities that
can help improve their soft skills.
Table 13. Soft skills development measures to be
undertaken by students (multiple responses)
4. Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to investigate
students’ perceptions of the importance of soft skills
for education and employment. The results showed
that generally business management students in
Singapore were aware of the importance of soft skills
for employment and career advancement. However,
many students felt that their actual soft skills were
less than the desired levels. It was also found that
communication skills were perceived to be the least
important by the students and probably that is why
they did not try to improve these skills. It was a
matter of concern as many previous studies,
investigating competencies sought after by potential
employers, reported that communication skills were
among the most desired soft skills. Thus there is need
to create awareness among the students about the
importance of communication skills for career
advancement and how to develop and practice such
skills.
Another related finding was that a majority of the
students expressed the opinion that soft skills training
should be embedded in appropriate business courses.
Probably this approach was preferred because it
could provide an opportunity to the students to
understand how to apply these skills in a specific
situation. It is also possible that they feel overloaded
with professional courses thus less inclined to attend
specialized soft skill development programs
organized by their universities. It is, therefore,
desirable that business schools as well as other
Suggested Measures
Frequency
Incorporate more soft skills development
activities into the curriculum
114
Organize more workshops
84
Organize more hands-on activities
81
Arrange more internship programmes
75
Organize more company orientation talks
54
Suggested Measures
Frequency
Attend professional training workshops
93
Join hobby clubs providing soft skills
development opportunities
79
Participate in activities organized by the
student unions
72
Read books and articles on soft skills-related
topics
70
International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 2 Issue 2, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
1041
schools should carefully review and incorporate the
desired soft skills into their curricula. However, they
should also continue running specialized training
workshops to help students further improve their soft
skills. It is equally important that students should also
make efforts for improving their skills level through
self-directed readings and participation in appropriate
skills development programs and activities.
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... Additionally, Fernandez and Liu (2019) observed that adult workers without university degrees who more frequently exercised these soft skills tended to have higher occupational status compared with peers from similar educational backgrounds. Notably, soft skills are increasingly recognized as a vital complement to the hard skills necessary for specific job tasks (Schulz, 2008;Majid et al., 2012). While hard skills are crucial for performing job duties, soft skills encompass interpersonal and behavioral qualities essential for navigating diverse professional and personal scenarios. ...
... Moreover, Balcar's (2014) examination of psychological traits, attitudes, and soft skills revealed their substantial impact on individuals' wages and their potential to narrow the male-female wage gap. Similarly, Majid et al. (2012) further examined the perceived significance of soft skills among students, with the majority acknowledging them across various career-related domains. Furthermore, Nur et al. (2023) investigated the acquisition of vital soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, among students in a vocational school. ...
... Similarly, Valenzuela (2020) underscored the significance of communication skills for students transitioning to the workforce. Majid et al. (2012) found that students considered positive attitude, oral communication, and self-motivation essential for job hunting, highlighting the parity between soft and technical skills in career success. Sarker et al. (2021) identified communication, critical thinking, and teamwork as pivotal for recent graduates' employment, emphasizing the role of soft skills in career enhancement. ...
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Considering current challenges such as the complexities of 21st century life and the rise of artificial intelligence, integrating soft skills into Moroccan higher education has become essential. Despite the increasing focus on this area of research, there are few studies that examine soft skills and employment in Morocco. This study therefore examines undergraduates’ comprehension of soft skills and their perspectives concerning those most essential for enhancing employability. It also seeks to explore whether there are significant disparities in students’ perceived significance of soft skills based on gender, as well as whether gender influences students’ perspectives on the most vital soft skills for employment. Data were gathered from 111 students hailing from the Faculty of Letters and Humanities and the Faculty of Science in the Moroccan region of Casablanca-Settat, representing various academic disciplines. Utilizing an online questionnaire developed from prior literature, the study uncovered intriguing findings. The study found students not only recognize the significance of soft skills required for employment but also are generally aware of these skills. The five soft skills deemed essential by students for bolstering employment included communication, time management, work ethics, positive attitude, and willingness to learn. Furthermore, statistical analyses found noteworthy disparities in students’ perspectives based on gender, with females showing a preference for soft skills for employment and deeming these skills as important as hard ones, in contrast to their male counterparts. Regarding the most critical skills for employment, gender-based disparities were evident. Females exhibited a heightened appreciation for skills such as time management, willingness to learn, engagement in small group discussions, and maintaining a positive attitude. In light of these findings, this study holds significant implications for the education system in Morocco, particularly in terms of integrating and prioritizing soft skills development.
... The impact of this information can also vary depending on the nature of the past job separation (Eriksson and Rooth 2014;Frederiksen et al. 2006). Moreover, the types of skills also matter, including differential importance of soft skills and interpersonal qualities, such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and adaptability, as well as job-specific skills (Abraham and Spletzer 2009;Majid et al. 2012). These traits can significantly influence hiring decisions, and are topics we take up in this paper. ...
... There are other dimensions across which there may be heterogeneity in the return to skills listings on shortening employment gaps. Returns may differ by type of skill, e.g., soft vs. business skills (Abraham and Spletzer 2009;Majid et al. 2012). More formalized skills such as in business and technological skills may have a higher return than more abstract skills such as soft skills, which are harder to gauge and measure. ...
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With the rise of the digital job search market, new opportunities for signaling skills and competencies to employers have emerged. In this paper, we examine listed skills on individuals’ LinkedIn profiles in the United States between 2015 and 2021, both those members add themselves and skills for which they are endorsed from others in their network. We use an inverse probability weighted proportional hazards model with time varying covariates to estimate the relationship between listed skills on shortening employment gaps (time between jobs). We find that, for self-added and peer-endorsed skills respectively, an additional ten skills on the profile decreases median employment gap duration by about 0.7 and 0.4 months, from a median baseline of around 6 months gap. Individuals with no education listed on their profile have the largest benefit from listed skills in terms of reducing employment gaps. Disruptive tech and soft skills also are related to higher returns. Additionally, skills added during the employment break have a substantially stronger relationship than pre-existing added skills. More experienced workers have larger returns than less experienced workers, consistent with the hypothesis that these skills are otherwise difficult to signal to potential employers. These findings are consistent with online job markets’ use of technology offering more efficient ways to signal skills, shortening time to reemployment.
... This shift has posed challenges for the younger generation (Widad and Abdellah., 2022), particularly healthcare professionals, in terms of securing and sustaining employment in the industry (Aba-alkhayl, 2014). Soft skills, which encompass abilities such as effective communication, problem-solving, self-motivation, decision-making, and time management, are considered essential qualities for nurses to deliver high-quality nursing care (Heckman and Kautz, 2012;Majid et al., 2012;Lau, 2014;Shahida and Guggilla, 2021). However, it has come to light that around 50% of nursing students lack adequate knowledge of these soft skills, and they find it more challenging to acquire these skills compared to their professional knowledge and technical skills (Swaminathan et al., 2024). ...
... Furthermore, research has indicated that nursing students often encounter difficulties in essential areas such as communication, writing, leadership, and critical thinking (Atreja and Verma, 2024;Hartiti and Ernawati, 2016;Lamri and Lubart, 2023;McClendon-Payton, 2021). Studies have demonstrated a positive correlation (Majid et al., 2012) between a student's level of soft skills and their academic performance, underscoring the importance of these skills in nursing education (De Villiers et al., 2010;Sayed et al., 2020). Nursing students acknowledge the need for soft skills training programs to enhance the quality of nursing care and improve their professional performance (Hawks et al., 2016;Laari et al., 2021). ...
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Soft skills are the habits and traits that determine how a person operates in the workplace like communicating with others. Students are in a position to prove themselves in different aspects, which is not possible by technology. The soft skills identified as important in the workplace include communication, teamwork, motivation, problem-solving, enthusiasm, and trust. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional approach was used to assess the knowledge and practice of soft skills among nursing students at selected nursing colleges in Chennai. The target population was B. Sc Nursing Basic students in Chennai. There was a total of 305 students in the study. Data was collected using my 3s 5 point rating scale questionnaire, which Data developed was analyzed using SPSS version 23. The highest mean score (20.47 with SD 4.38) was observed in the soft skill domain of management and the lowest score was in writing and communication skills (20.23 with SD4.38). There was a statistically significant association found in soft skill domains of writing skill and management skill with fathers’ educational status and mothers’ occupational status at p<0.05 level. Soft skills are an internal part of the nursing profession. It reflects on approaches that would enable nursing students to grow in their profession.
... Essas competências são vistas atualmente como fundamentais para o desenvolvimento de uma nova sociedade mais inclusiva e sustentável (Debnath et al., 2012;Majid et al., 2012;). Alguns estudos afirmam que as soft skills tem importância semelhante às hard skills na questão da empregabilidade (Costello e Costello, 2017;OCDE, 2012;Succi e Canovi, 2020). ...
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Habilidades blandas en la enseñanza del diseño: modelo pedagógico centrado en habilidades de comunicación, empatía y trabajo en equipo RESUMO As soft skills são competências socioemocionais e transversais consideradas essenciais para o enfrentamento das mudanças sociais e do mercado de trabalho do século XXI. No entanto, ainda são poucos os estudos que se debruçaram de maneira sistemática sobre quais métodos e estratégias são mais efetivos para seu ensino/aprendizagem no âmbito do Design. O objetivo desta investigação foi cocriar estratégias de fomento à aprendizagem das soft skills no ensino do design. O enfoque se deu sob as competências de comunicação, empatia e trabalho em equipe. A pesquisa é de natureza aplicada com abordagem majoritariamente qualitativa. Envolveu 25 professores e estudantes de design através de workshops de co-design. Como resultado obteve-se um modelo pedagógico que reúne 16 estratégias de ensino que orientam a ação dos professores para o fomento destas competências. As estratégias criadas partem do paradigma da Aprendizagem Centrada no Estudante e integram os conceitos de contextualização na realidade, compartilhamento e reflexão.
... Soft skills refer to a broad spectrum of interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies, which comprise many qualities such as interacting, solving problems, and choice-making (Cinque, 2016;Majid et al., 2012). Personality-specific abilities, which are commonly acknowledged as factors that enhance psychological awareness and achievement in different aspects of life, include growth in oneself and professional performance, have been extensively discussed in the literature (Bora, 2015;Cimatti, 2016). ...
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Purpose: This paper aims to examine how soft skills training have a positive impact on rural women's prosperity in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on the impact of such training on their business performance and overall personal growth. Methodology: This study is based on a mixed-method approach by utilizing structured and semi-structured questionnaires, incorporating open-ended questions, and employing exploratory and descriptive research approaches to highlight the need of providing soft skills training. Findings: The results of the study indicate that the provision of soft skills training plays a crucial role in improving the overall business performance of female entrepreneurs in rural areas. This study explores how soft skills trainings improved their daily life activities and smoothed also business activities. This study underscores the positive impact of soft skills training, encompassing improved communication, leadership, problem-solving, decision-making, and self-motivation, on rural women's development and entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. Practical Implications: It is imperative for policy makers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sectors to prioritize the integration of soft skills trainings into programs designed to promote the economic progress of rural women in Bangladesh for mitigating the hiatus between their existing skill sets and the requirements of their businesses inclusion. Originality/Value: Existing literature on soft skills training for rural women is deficient in gender-specific analysis and regional/cultural variation examination, which impedes the development of individualized programs. This study addresses the gender and regional specificities of Bangladesh while examining the efficacy of soft skills trainings for rural women through the use of a mixed methods approach. Limitation: A more comprehensive approach is needed to inform effective interventions for rural women's development.
... Soft skills include but are not limited to communication skills, leadership, negotiation, team work, decision making, adaptability to change, and being tolerant to stress (Mwita et al., 2023). Higher learning institutions have been criticised for giving more weight to technical skills and less attention to soft skills (Majid et al., 2012;Okolie et al., 2020). Recently, some of the HEIs have started incorporating soft skills in their curricula to meet current and future labour market demands. ...
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This study examined the role of soft skills, technical skills and academic performance on graduate employability. The study was underpinned by the Human Capital Theory. By using a positivist quantitative approach data were collected from one higher education institution in Tanzania. The study used a sample of 217 final year students who filled a standard questionnaire. Data analysis employed descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that soft skills (r=.644, p<.05), technical skills (r=.593, p<.05) and academic performance (r=.376, p<.05) individually predict perceived graduate employability. As per the findings, students with better soft and technical skills have a higher chance of getting employed. On the other hand, students with higher academic performance as measured by grade point average (GPA) are more employable than those with lower performance. Controlling these three independent variables depends on efforts of various stakeholders. This research calls for collective efforts of educators, policy makers, students, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to work in ensuring that right and relevant skills are provided in HEIs and there is a supportive environment for students to perform better academically.
Chapter
It stands to reason to assume that children learn extensively from the literature they read, i.e., not only are they entertained by the books they are exposed to, but also, they are educated by them. Children’s literature, not surprisingly, is imbued with a plethora of different values and ideologies. It is also known for a fact that through the process of translation, ideologies transcend geographical boundaries to reach and impact a global readership. While there has been significant scholarly interest in exploring different ideologies within translated literature for adults and also children, neoliberalism and its values, despite their prevalence in Western literature, have received relatively little attention in Translation Studies, particularly in the context of children’s literature. To fill this gap, the present study attempted to find the manifestations within translated and domestically produced literature aimed at 6–12-year-old children in Iran. Theoretically, the study is based on Fairclough’s (Language and power (3rd edn). Routledge, 2015) notion of Critical Discourse Analysis. Using a random sampling method, forty books (twenty translated into Persian and twenty originally written in Persian) were selected from a list of best-sellers. Adopting a qualitative design, the texts and their peritexts and epitexts were scrutinized. The findings suggests that while the discourse of neoliberalism is present in both translated and domestically produced books (with a greater prevalence observed in translated works), the type of values promoted differs across the two categories. The study intends to raise awareness regarding neoliberal ideologies among publishers, authors, translators, and all those involved in the field of children’s literature, not to mention educators, parents, and caregivers.
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Business recruiters generally report seeking to hire well-rounded students who have not only technical knowledge and skills, but also behavioral ones. However, business students appear to be somewhat skeptical of this claim. One reason for this skepticism may be students' attention to recruiter signals concerning the importance of behavioral knowledge and skills during the recruitment and selection process. In an attempt to determine whether the addition of significant behavioral coursework to a student's portfolio enhances recruiters' assessments of student employability, we conducted two studies using different methodologies. Results showed that when asked directly about their preferences (Study I), a clear majority of recruiters (78%) indicated that they preferred business graduates who supplemented functional-area (e.g.. finance, accounting) coursework with equivalent amounts of behavioral coursework. However, when evaluating specific student resumes (Study 2). recruiters gave the same employability ratings to students who took only functional courses as to those who focused both on functional and behavioral courses. Our results are discussed in the context of growing evidence that behavioral science is regarded as a marginal topic both in business and in business education.
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Background: Soft skills describe career attributes that individuals should possess, such as team skills, communication skills, ethics, time-management skills, and an appreciation for diversity. In the twenty-first century workforce, soft skills are important in every business sector. However, employers in business continuously report that new employees are deficient in these soft skills. The literature suggests that more research is needed in the area of soft skills, to explore improved instructional methodologies that may be applied by business educators. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine Alabama business educators' perceptions of the importance of soft skills for success in the twenty-first century workforce. Method: Alabama business educators were surveyed to assess the importance of specific soft skills and how these skills affect success in the workforce. Results: A significant difference was found between the perceived importance of how specific soft skills affect success in the workforce and the location of school (city, county). Respondents perceived all eleven soft skills included in this study to be very important (M = greater than or equal to 4.95 on a 1-6 scale) to success in the twenty-first century workforce. Conclusions: Alabama business educators consider soft skills to be important components of the business/marketing education curriculum. Alabama business educators' perceptions of the importance of soft skills transcend demographic factors. In addition, a hierarchy exists among Alabama business educators concerning the importance of selected soft skills. Implications: This study provides information that should be utilized by business educators to improve the skills of students entering the workforce. (Contains 6 tables.)
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the separate and combined effects of three individual characteristics on training gains achieved in a leadership development program designed to enhance participants' emotional intelligence (EI). The overall purpose was to test heretofore untested propositions advanced by various theorists concerning the impact of openness to experience (OE), self‐efficacy (SE), and receptivity to feedback (RF) on training outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This empirical study utilized a sample of 135 fully‐employed business students in a treatment/control group research design. Findings The findings suggest that leadership development professionals will likely derive differential EI training gains depending upon participants' status across several variables. Receptivity to feedback was directly associated with EI training gains while the SE‐RF and SE‐OE interactions were predictors of EI training gains. Practical implications The results hold implications for organizations that seek to enhance the EI of leaders both effectively and efficiently. The application of these findings to a range of leadership development practices and to training efforts that focus on other competencies are discussed. Research implications The paper connects EI to one of the major challenges facing leaders and leadership development professionals in the future: managing change and offers recommendations regarding research on other factors that are likely to optimize results achieved through efforts to develop the EI of leaders. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the impact of these three individual characteristics on training gains achieved. The paper's findings suggest that some individuals are better candidates for EI training and presents a method to identify them.
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As the importance of communication skills for students, regardless of their disciplines, becomes evident, it is important to determine whether colleges provide students with adequate opportunities to acquire such skills. The authors compared information systems (IS) educator and student perceptions of communication skills in IS curricula. Gender, discipline, position and student classification, and school size were among the variables that were examined. Results showed that educators and students agreed that IS curricula had the appropriate emphasis on many of the communication skills. However, the two groups significantly differed on their extent of agreement or disagreement with appropriate level of emphasis and the number of courses that cover such communication skills. Results revealed that educators felt there were a few communication skills, such as proofreading, listening, facilitating meetings, and using interpersonal skills with external customers and management, that needed more emphasis in the IS curriculum. Implications for educators and researchers are reported.
B-schools soft on 'soft skills'. Bollomberg BusinessWeek Online
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