Quality in higher education: linking graduates' competencies and employers' needs
International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences
ISSN: 1756-669X
Article publication date: 20 March 2009
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on measuring competencies of higher education graduates and employers' needs, and using these measurements in the quality development of higher education study programmes.
Design/methodology/approach
Results of a survey among Danish employers and their perception of the competencies of MSc graduates from Copenhagen Business School (CBS) are presented and discussed. In addition to assessing the competencies, the respondents were also asked to assess the importance of the individual competencies.
Findings
The estimated importance score and performance score for each competency can be combined in a competency map, and it is shown how the four cells in the map can be interpreted in useful ways, when essential areas for quality improvement of the study programme are to be identified.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the Danish employers' perceptions of MSc graduates from CBS.
Practical implications
The presented linking of competencies to employers' needs have clear managerial implications in the strategic development of higher education study programmes.
Originality/value
The study identifies and measures 16 essential graduate competencies and links these to employers' needs in a competency map.
Keywords
Citation
Martensen, A. and Grønholdt, L. (2009), "Quality in higher education: linking graduates' competencies and employers' needs", International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 67-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/17566690910945877
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited