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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Samo Pavlin and Ivan Svetlik

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on “Employability of higher education graduates in europe” from the perspective of global changes.

3073

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on “Employability of higher education graduates in europe” from the perspective of global changes.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirically based papers of the special issue address six main areas related to the transition of graduates from education to the labour market: employment and employability, job (mis)match, development of particular areas of competency, new certificates of higher education, along with the disciplinarity and status of the self-perceived role of academics in supporting graduates’ careers.

Findings

This issue provides empirical findings relevant to various stakeholders of higher education systems which are essential for strategic development in the area.

Originality/value

The selection of papers proposes an interdisciplinary scientific approach in the areas of bridging (higher) education with the labour market.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Samo Pavlin

The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions by higher education (HE) senior professors and managers of their role in preparing graduates for entry to the labour market. By…

1864

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions by higher education (HE) senior professors and managers of their role in preparing graduates for entry to the labour market. By providing a theoretical and empirical overview of the functional role of HE institutions in preparing graduates for work, the paper designs an own research framework for future developments in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

The conclusions in the paper are based on a literature review and approximately 240 semi-structured interviews with HE professors and managers from six European countries and from six different study fields. The results are broadly compared with an international survey of graduates from 20, mainly European, countries.

Findings

The senior HE professors and managers see their own role in supporting graduates’ careers in a surprisingly intuitive way. There are some important differences and similarities among the study fields, although they are generally not motivated to apply an evidence-based approach to study and programme developments.

Originality/value

This paper is based on the results of a three-year survey of the European research network, and two international conferences comprising more than 100 contributions from over 30, mainly European, countries.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Tomaž Deželan, Danica Fink Hafner and Mateja Melink

The purpose of this paper is to examine the education-job match of political science graduates from Slovenia, as well as from selected EU countries, in the context of other…

1166

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the education-job match of political science graduates from Slovenia, as well as from selected EU countries, in the context of other disciplines. In the frame of contested theoretical approaches, the implications of matching the knowledge that is acquired during education to the skills that are needed on the job are also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the REFlex HEGESCO database, as well as other secondary data, the wider disciplinary and contextual environments are presented. Disciplinary and contextual mapping is followed by binary logistic regression of primary data collected from Slovene political science graduates. Based on the results, the authors determined the validity of certain theoretical premises of human capital, credentialist, and assignment approaches, specifically regarding education-job matching.

Findings

In terms of graduate education-job match, the results indicate that the relevance of the sector of employment relates to educational as well as skill match. The results also indicate that matched candidates utilize the skills acquired during the education process to a greater degree, which adds weight to the assignment theory's presumption. The effect of formal credentials is relevant, because graduates with Bologna degrees, despite having attended programs with virtually identical curricula at the same institution, are significantly less matched when compared to non-Bologna graduates. Accordingly, the effect of the change to the structure of the system of higher education (HE), which is amplified by the period effect of the economic crisis, implies a serious change to graduates’ opportunity structure.

Practical implications

The study should motivate a re-examination of the teleological purpose of the study by professional associations in the state. It should also motivate the adjustment of the study programs to the new conditions graduates face and strengthen the educator-employer relationship to make the latter cognizant about the study programs and the skills of graduates. In addition, the study should provide grounds for a critical discussion about the implications of governmental austerity measures on the public sector.

Originality/value

The paper provides new insights into the early careers of political scientists and social scientists at large. It also offers early evidence on the effect of the Bologna's HE reform and indications about the early career achievements in a crisis-struck post-communist country.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Samo Pavlin

This paper aims to examine a community of practice (CoP) of a small research organization is examined and compare it with CoPs in large organizations that are broadly described in

2149

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine a community of practice (CoP) of a small research organization is examined and compare it with CoPs in large organizations that are broadly described in the literature of knowledge management..

Design/methodology/approach

The argumentation includes a case study of a small research institute (public), which performs the CoP related activity. For that purpose three community meetings were attended in the period of four months (attendance with observation). Five formal in‐depth interviews with the organizational staff (mostly with the CoP's coordinator) have been conducted.

Findings

The paper finds that a higher degree of community engagement, overlapping of organizational roles such as sponsor and coordinator, scare resources, more dispersed and heterogeneous membership are the main aspects that differentiate a community based on the social network of small organizations from a CoPs in large organizations.

Originality/value

The paper looks at CoPs from a different angle – asking whether CoPs in small organizations share the same theoretical characteristics as those in large organizations. As there is not much literature about the application of knowledge management in small organizations the theoretically‐based case study adds originality to the paper.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Peter Robert

The purpose of this paper is to investigate vertical and horizontal mismatch between education and current occupation for graduates in four post-communist societies: Hungary…

1454

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate vertical and horizontal mismatch between education and current occupation for graduates in four post-communist societies: Hungary, Poland, Lithuania and Slovenia. In this way it contributes to the field by exploring how mechanisms, known from previous studies on western societies, affect job mismatch in emerging market economies.

Design/methodology/approach

Two dependent variables are constructed: working in a non-graduate occupation as defined by the ISCO job title depicts vertical mismatch; assessment of the job from the perspective of the fields of study describes horizontal mismatch. Since the dependent variables are dichotomous ones, binary logistic regression models are fitted to the data predicting the incidence of mismatch. Explanatory variables cover mechanisms affecting job mismatch: variation by fields of studies, accumulated work experience during studies, labour market uncertainties during early career, trade off between job safety and job mismatch, persistence of “bad” labour market entry during early career, influence of parental background on school-to-work transition.

Findings

The analysis reveals significant differences for study fields in association with occupational specificity of the disciplines. Only study-related work experience seems to be advantageous to find a matching job. Labour market uncertainties increase the probability of job mismatch. Job safety is more important than a matching job.

Originality/value

Mismatch in first occupation has strong and long-lasting effect on the job match even five years after the graduation. The effect of parental background on job mismatch is curvilinear.

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Carmen Delia Davila Quintana, Jose-Gines Mora Ruiz and Luis E. Vila

The purpose of this paper is to analyse three dimensions of leadership behaviour in professional environments by disclosing the specific competency profile developed by those who…

4569

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse three dimensions of leadership behaviour in professional environments by disclosing the specific competency profile developed by those who actually lead in work organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from a graduate survey oriented to provide evidence on the transition from higher education to labour market, a structural equations model (SEM) is specified and estimated to explain leadership behaviour at work in terms of the competency profile developed by individuals and its determinants. The competency profile behind leadership behaviour is the combination of two elements: the competency accumulated through professional experience and the competency profile of individuals five years before, which was partially a result of higher education. The relationships are tested on two subsamples of graduates from engineering and business/economics fields, and on a sample of graduates from all study fields.

Findings

Estimates show evidence of significant direct and indirect effects of a specific competency profile on three connected dimensions of leadership behaviour at work: tasks, relations and change. The results show direct effects of competency profiles at the time of graduation on competency profiles five years later, and of specific higher education ways of teaching and learning on competency profiles at the time of graduation. The effects are also significant by field of study with slight differences on estimates size and on the composition of effects.

Originality/value

The analysis brings together leadership behaviour, competency development and education production literatures to help scholars and managers to better understand the relationships between the process of competency development and individual leadership behaviour in working environments.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Tomasz Gajderowicz, Gabriela Grotkowska and Leszek Wincenciak

– The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of job satisfaction determinants of higher education graduates across six selected study domains.

2284

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of job satisfaction determinants of higher education graduates across six selected study domains.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the theoretical considerations, derived from human capital theory and signalling theory, the authors formulate the model explaining job satisfaction as a broad measure of labour market success. Explanatory variables include various socio-demographic characteristics as well as market environment and process of learning, modes of teaching and study programme characteristics. Data used in the analysis comes from two special surveys of European research projects REFLEX and HEGESCO. Principal component analysis method and OLS regression were used to estimate model parameters.

Findings

The results of our research show the important role of characteristics of educational process, as well as individual graduates’ early work-related experience in predicting job satisfaction. Differences in job satisfaction determinants across domains may be to some extent explained by the differences in the labour market characteristics for graduates in given discipline. Variety of education-related characteristics taken into account in the empirical analysis of determinants of job satisfaction is a key valuable contribution to the research in the field.

Originality/value

Research findings indicate the areas of potential actions aimed at improving future job satisfaction which can be undertaken by higher education institutions’ management bodies.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Riccardo Leoni

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the coherence between competency mismatches and the objective of European policymakers to transform the higher education system through the…

1760

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the coherence between competency mismatches and the objective of European policymakers to transform the higher education system through the Bologna Process and the Dublin Descriptors, moving from the transfer of knowledge from the teacher to learning by the student and from disciplinary knowledge to competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based first on the theoretical arguments that confront the European reform of the tertiary education system and the nature of competency mismatches, and second on graduate earnings function estimates using two Italian databases. The paper demonstrates the waning signalling power associated with university degrees and the disruptive assertion of the competency concept.

Findings

The theoretical arguments developed suggest that competency mismatches are not only responsible for the medium-low positioning of the competency profile with respect to a counterfactual constituted by a graduate with a good match but also tend to affect the growth path of the competencies themselves: the bigger the initial gap, the smaller the steps in their growth. The econometric estimates carried out document that the level of expressed competencies drives graduate remuneration.

Originality/value

By disentangling educational outcomes (i.e. disciplinary knowledge) from requested competencies, the study demonstrates that firms remunerate competencies and to a far lesser extent disciplinary knowledge per se, and that cultural background tends to assume greater importance than formal education in forging transversal competencies. The Bologna Process could overturn this situation, provided it is integrated with a constructivist pedagogical approach, a tool that is lacking today but is vital in providing education processes that enable students to acquire and develop the competencies required by modern production techniques.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Julien Calmand, Jean-François Giret and Christine Guégnard

In France, the vocationalization of higher education has resulted in an increase in the number of graduates and created new opportunities. The access of these vocational bachelor…

833

Abstract

Purpose

In France, the vocationalization of higher education has resulted in an increase in the number of graduates and created new opportunities. The access of these vocational bachelor graduates to the labour market raises the issue of their professional prospects amid changing economic and social circumstances. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

To provide insights into these issues, the employment situation of bachelor graduates during the first years of active working life will be compared with other tertiary graduates entering the labour market in the same years, using econometric models that estimate the effects of vocational courses “all other things being equal”, incorporating a range of individual characteristics.

Findings

Overall, vocational bachelor graduates experienced fewer difficulties in seeking to enter the labour market during difficult economic circumstances. They did not achieve upward social mobility with a lower probability of obtaining a managerial/professional occupation three years after graduation. These results confirm that diplomas continue to play a central and hierarchized role in France.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is to highlight the labour market transition of vocational bachelor graduates during a period of economic crisis, inquiring on the social benefit of this new diploma in France: what were the impacts of the changing economic conditions and influx of vocational bachelor graduates on their labour market transition and their chances of upward social mobility?

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2014

Christelle Laetitia Garrouste and Margarida Rodrigues

The purpose of this paper is to measure the potential role of the field of education and the fact of having worked during studies on the employability of the higher educated…

2382

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the potential role of the field of education and the fact of having worked during studies on the employability of the higher educated (ISCED 5-6) cohort targeted by the ET2020 graduates’ employability benchmark.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the same data source as the benchmark (i.e. the annual LFS microdata from 2004 to 2010), and exploring the additional transition questions collected in the LFS 2009 ad hoc module, the authors define and test four hypotheses using a probit approach on each EU country.

Findings

The degree plays a significant role in the employability of young graduates across countries and time. In terms of probability of employment, the leading field is health and welfare. In terms of type of contracts, the leading fields are social sciences and engineering. Moreover, what labour markets seem to value the most is the capacity of higher educated students to combine high-level studies and work, i.e. a high workload capacity and intellectual flexibility.

Practical implications

Reaching the new European target of a minimum of 82 per cent of employment of young graduates will require countries to invest wisely in the most “employable” fields of education. This analysis will help policy makers in their future orientations towards that target.

Originality/value

The originality of this work lies in its exploration of the exact same extraction of microdata used for the computation of the ET2020 Benchmark indictor and in its immediate political implications for the monitoring of this benchmark.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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