Abstract
Employers want recent college graduates prepared with skills that cut across majors, such as written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and applying knowledge in real-life situations. What is largely unknown is if some fields of study lend themselves to producing these desired skills over others. This is particularly relevant to schools of business, which strive to help students develop professional career skills and often emphasize a range of practical, hands-on, engaged learning activities. This study focused on obtaining the insights of hiring managers about desired skills and areas of study that prepare students with these skills. Survey results were analyzed using ANOVA and Holm post hoc tests. Findings indicated that hiring managers’ preferences focused on three main sets of skills: People and Culture, Analysis and Application, and Staying Current. Business dominated the People and Cultures cluster, while STEM dominated the Analysis and Application and Staying Current clusters.
Recommended Citation
Andrade, Maureen Snow; Seeley, Eugene; and Miller, Ron
(2023)
"Cross-Cutting Skills: The Role of Major,"
International Journal for Business Education: Vol. 165:
No.
1, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61403/2164-2885.1118
Available at:
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/ijbe/vol165/iss1/6
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