BizEd

MarchApril2014

Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/269179

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 47 of 84

45 BizEd March/April 2014 East Closing the Skills Gap— Today's business graduates should be team players who excel at communication, critical thinking, and technical knowledge. But it's just as important that they possess deep understanding of Eastern and Western approaches to business. By Govind HariHaran S ome experts are calling this era the Century of Asia, and it's not hard to see why. China and India are becoming economic giants; along with the U.S., they account for one-third of the world's population. It's likely that everyone in the business world will eventually have close interactions with Chinese, Indian, or American businesses or employees. This means that Eastern and Western business schools will need to work together in innovative and relevant ways to produce managers who can succeed in global busi- ness environments. But if Eastern and Western schools are going to have productive part- nerships, all of us will have to look beyond the stereotypes. Many people believe that Eastern business education emphasizes rote memorization and produces highly trained graduates who lack soft skills and inde- pendent thinking abilities. Others are convinced that Western-educated business students excel in communication and soft skills, but lack strong technical training. And yet, employers in China and India often complain that recent graduates lack technical training, while U.S. employers are unimpressed by the communication skills of their new hires. For example, a recent McKinsey study titled "The $250 billion ques- tion: Can China close the skills gap?" pointed to the major shortcom- ings of Chinese graduates: insufficient technical training, inadequate English-speaking skills, and deficiencies in soft skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and innovative flair. At the same time, employers sur- veyed in India and the U.S. identified similar deficiencies in recent grad- uates: low technical ability, poor communication and analytical skills, and little ability to work well in cross-cultural teams. Clearly there are similar skills gaps in graduates across these three countries—and probably most other nations. If business schools around the world are going to produce a strong workforce for the global econ- omy, all of them must help their graduates develop technical competency, communication skills, critical thinking, and the ability to work in teams. & West De b orAh VAn Ki r K/G etty i MAG es; r-stu Dio/sh utte r stocK

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of BizEd - MarchApril2014