Helen Connor and Sue Shaw
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a selection of papers on the subject of graduate training and development, covering current trends and issues.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a selection of papers on the subject of graduate training and development, covering current trends and issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper outlines the special issue which identifies developments in the field of training for graduates, recruitment, their transition to work, and their continuous development.
Findings
The papers discuss various ways that generational differences play in competitiveness and success among graduates and it is argued that “Generation Y” possess very different characteristics from their predecessor generations. Companies have become more wise to recruitment, managing the pool of talent with potential positions in mind.
Originality/value
This paper, a part of the special issue, considers recent developments in the field of graduate recruitment and development.
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Nikita Rao, Jessica Kumar, Erin A. Weeks, Shannon Self-Brown, Cathleen E. Willging, Mary Helen O'Connor and Daniel J. Whitaker
Parent–child relationships formed in early childhood have profound implications for a child’s development and serve as a determinant for bio-social outcomes in adulthood. Positive…
Abstract
Purpose
Parent–child relationships formed in early childhood have profound implications for a child’s development and serve as a determinant for bio-social outcomes in adulthood. Positive parenting behaviors play a strong role in this development and are especially impactful during times of crisis because they buffer stressors that may lead to externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Children of forced migrants experience numerous extreme stressors and their parents may struggle with parenting due to their own adjustment and trauma histories. The purpose of this study is to understand how these parents conceptualize their struggles with parenting upon resettlement.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 migrant parents from three communities (Afghan, Burmese and Congolese) to understand their parenting experiences. The authors applied thematic text analysis to analyze the data.
Findings
The authors identified four interrelated themes on parenting challenges across responses: adjustment to a new culture, acculturation differences, fear for children and balancing multiple responsibilities. The findings demonstrate that parents of different cultural backgrounds share certain experiences when negotiating a new cultural identity after resettlement. Providing educational programs that focus on these concerns may result in better outcomes for both parent and child.
Originality/value
These findings extend and reinforce the existing literature on parenting in a new context. While the parents in this research come from different cultures, they share certain experiences that are important to consider when developing parenting programs, social services and other interventions, such as what may be negotiable and nonnegotiable practices for parents of different cultures.
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The purpose of this article is to explore to what extent there are variations in the development of graduates once in employment; to what extent these variations can be explained…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to explore to what extent there are variations in the development of graduates once in employment; to what extent these variations can be explained by differences in the higher education systems; and what the current moves towards greater harmonisation between these systems might mean for graduates' continuing professional development in employment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from the graduating cohort of 1999/2000 across 11 European countries, five years after graduation. The views of higher education providers and employers on graduates in the knowledge society were investigated in a smaller sub‐set of countries.
Findings
There are differences in the incidence and length of UK graduates' initial training in employment compared to all graduates which can be explained, in part, by the traditionally looser “fit” between higher education and employment in the UK (compared to many continental European countries). Five years after graduation, UK graduates enjoy similar levels of work‐related training as their European counterparts, although there are quite large differences between employment sectors.
Originality/value
This article looks into what extent harmonisation of higher education programmes (arising from the Bologna process) will affect the relationship between higher education and employment, and in particular the role played by higher education and by employers in graduates' initial professional formation and continuing development; it will be of interest to those in that field.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of generational difference and reflect on how this might impact on organisational approaches to graduate development.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of generational difference and reflect on how this might impact on organisational approaches to graduate development.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper explores the characteristics of Generation Y graduates and the implications of their entry into the workplace for organisations' graduate learning and development programmes, drawing on academic and popular literature and the organisational experience of one major employer of young people.
Findings
This paper presents a profile of Generation Y and suggests that the learning styles and expectations of this group are very different from earlier generations. Using its experiences of employing Generation Y the case study organisation suggests future graduate development schemes need to utilise the latest technology to deliver audio‐visually rich, multi‐tasking challenges which require a collaborative approach, offer instant feedback whilst at the same time recognising that its participants may not see the need for or indeed take responsibility for their own development or its perceived failings.
Research limitations/implications
The paper suggests that further in‐depth research into Generation Y and organisational graduate development schemes is necessary to determine how far such schemes are meeting expectations.
Practical implications
Employers of graduates need to evaluate the effectiveness of their programmes.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper is to highlight how employers, and particularly graduate development managers, need to re‐examine their graduate development schemes to ensure they are not only meeting the needs and expectations of the organisation but also the individuals for whom they are designed.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of an employee opinion survey and to evaluate its impact on the graduate training programme and associated employment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of an employee opinion survey and to evaluate its impact on the graduate training programme and associated employment relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides a detailed, longitudinal case study of one large‐scale UK organisation. The approach recognises that discursive resources have a material existence in the sense that they are embodied in the social practices of individuals and the institutions and organisations within which these social practices take place. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data, the paper demonstrates how the design, delivery and evaluation of the graduate programme formed a learning nexus between management, graduates and other stakeholders.
Findings
The case study highlights the contested nature of organisational life, particularly in relation to matters of control and autonomy. However, improved graduate opinion survey ratings over time suggest that the evolving surveillance offered by internal research has been successful in achieving changed management behaviours. The case study has shown how graduate training, development and career management are best understood as discursive practices. Shared understandings about the nature of work are constructed though a communications nexus of key stakeholders.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper is to highlight the pivotal role of the corporate training programme and associated communications in the development of shared understandings of the nature of the employment relationship.
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Jacques Angot, Hedley Malloch and Birgit Kleymann
The paper aims to show how professional identity is constructed at a very early stage of initial management education. In so doing, it questions the notion of le métier in…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to show how professional identity is constructed at a very early stage of initial management education. In so doing, it questions the notion of le métier in management.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a study of the experiences of six French management apprentices (or apprentis) who participated in a management apprentice programme in 2005. The research methodology is qualitative and illuminates the process of professional identity building. The central question of the study concerns the manager as an individual, an actor, and the link between the individual and his or her métier.
Findings
The findings suggest that from their very first immersion into the real world of corporate employment at junior management level, students construct different types of professional identity which can be shown as a 2×2 matrix whose independent axes are the type of acting displayed by the apprentis; and the degree to which the apprentis enacted their roles. This can be interpreted using the coupling system metaphor. Some of these types of professional identity are born of cynicism and disillusion engendered by their experiences.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on a small number of students drawn from one business school and concentrated in one job function – marketing.
Practical implications
The paper draws attention to the implications of the findings for those in business schools and organisations concerned with the formation of professional identity in young graduates.
Originality/value
The article proposes a new model for the formation of professional identity; and is the first study that deals with the French Apprenti manager programme.
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Hugh O'Donnell, Takis Karallis, Eric Sandelands, James Cassin and Donal O'Neill
The aim of this paper is to outline the approach and process in place within Kentz Engineers & Constructors to develop graduate engineers on an international basis.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to outline the approach and process in place within Kentz Engineers & Constructors to develop graduate engineers on an international basis.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach adopted is that of a case study which describes activities and processes within the organization and the rationale behind them, supported by appropriate material. The case study is based upon threads of experiences within the organization over an extended period of some years.
Findings
Findings include the need to facilitate experiential learning and provide mentoring within a socialization as well as developmental process.
Research limitations/implications
This is a case study focusing on the experiences and practices of one organization. It does not represent an empirical study. However, it contains insights that may be of practical value within businesses and other organizations seeking to develop graduate engineers, or, more broadly, seeking to manage the transition of new workers.
Originality/value
This paper illustrates the approach of one international organization to the development of graduate engineers within the construction industry.
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Cecilia Hegarty and Janet Johnston
This paper aims to explore graduate training through SME‐based project work. The views and behaviours of graduates are examined along with the perceptions of the SMEs and academic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore graduate training through SME‐based project work. The views and behaviours of graduates are examined along with the perceptions of the SMEs and academic partner institutions charged with training graduates.
Design/methodology/approach
The data are largely qualitative and derived from the experiences of graduates, company supervisors and University of Ulster staff involved in projects during 2001‐2007 when 140 FUSION projects were undertaken across the island of Ireland.
Findings
More job opportunities, changing job values and work ethic impact upon the uptake and success of FUSION projects. Employers, especially within growing SMEs, have adopted a learner‐centred approach in order to maximise the benefits of the project for both the graduate and the company. Graduate development programmes continue to strengthen university‐to‐business links, which in turn ensures graduate output meets the needs of industry.
Research limitations/implications
Data collected throughout the term of FUSION projects are reported; further analyses of stakeholder views post‐project completion would provide further insight into the longer‐term effects of graduate training upon career progression.
Practical implications
This analysis proffers graduate reflections on “work‐based learning”. It serves key reminders for evaluating satisfaction with graduate development programmes presenting two key implications, pathways for better preparing graduates/SMEs and routes for enhancing the benefits of such projects.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on research that seeks to enhance graduate training and placement experiences within SMEs.
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The second in a series of four articles that seek to answer questions about where and where not action learning is most applicable. Aims to identify the kinds of people who…
Abstract
The second in a series of four articles that seek to answer questions about where and where not action learning is most applicable. Aims to identify the kinds of people who benefit most from action learning and the most appropriate times in their lives to undertake an action learning programme. The authors reflect on their own experience as action learning participants and set advisers to identify those who have got most and least out of action learning. Concludes that action learning has worked best with people who are willing and able to take action, are skilled at reflection and want to take responsibility for their own learning. Such people are likely to be mature adults who want to learn about themselves, as well as the world they inhabit, with a view to changing both themselves and their worlds.