Business Graduates' Competencies in the Eyes of Employers: An Exploratory Study in Malaysia (original) (raw)

There is always a gap between employers' needs and business graduate competencies. Hence, the task to bridge the gap is very necessary in order to equipped business graduates with a more competent set of skills. This study aims to empirically explore on employers' perception on important competencies in Malaysia banking industry. This second objective is to identify the actual performance of Malaysia business graduates by comparing their generic competencies according to which type of universities. A survey questionnaire was designed and administered to determine the perceptions of employers about the perceived important competencies and hiring preferences. A total of 45 questionnaires were distributed to managers of nine main local commercial banks in Malaysia in the period of six months. Response rate for this study is 71%. The gap between employer needs and graduate competencies were able identified. The actual performances of business graduates from different type of universities were also able to obtain. The findings from this study can be a significant help to the universities in producing competitive business graduates and industries at improving human capital capabilities.