Education for Business Administration: The Importance of Soft Skills

Education for Business Administration: The Importance of Soft Skills

Introduction

Higher levels of education are meant to prepare students by providing the knowledge, competency, and skills necessary to succeed in their industry. Business administration is one of the most complex fields, both academically and practically, commonly requiring completing a challenging master’s in business administration (MBA) curriculum. While such academic rigor is useful and offers significant knowledge, one aspect that is disregarded in education is soft skills for students. As future managers and leaders, students in business administration must possess a range of soft skills that will contribute to their competency and the ability to apply the information learned. This paper will argue for the importance of the inclusion of soft skills in the education for business administration curriculum as they serve as key elements of success in the modern workplace.

Soft Skills

Soft skills can best be defined as “character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationship with other people” (Kenton, 2021). Soft skills are classified in a wide variety of ways such as life, interpersonal, social, leadership skills, transversal competences, key competences, and any other approach which refers to the emotional factors and quotient (EQ) of humans in comparison to IQ that is associated with hard technical skills. Soft skills can also be described as personality traits, motivations, preferences, and goals that are valued in the labor market or other aspects. Soft skills are a combination of cognitive and practical elements with interpersonal and intellectual components. These interpersonal and social competencies are necessary to aid individuals in adapting and behaving according to the context in order to effectively navigate professional and daily life situations, vital in all economical sectors and industries (Succi & Canovi, 2019).

Some of the most commonly emphasized soft skills include “communication, teamwork, problem solving, critical and innovative thinking, creativity, self-confidence, ethical understanding, capacity of lifelong learning, the ability to cope with uncertainty, and willingness to accept responsibility” (Succi & Canovi, 2019, p.3). These soft skills are deemed important because experts and research suggest that it allows individuals to better adapt in the professional world, particularly to organizational culture, taking on leadership roles, and being a contributing employee in organizational success. Soft skills are directly associated with emotional intelligence, which is linked to successful teamwork capabilities, understanding the consumer, and leadership potential in modern businesses. Interpersonal skills are likely to predict successful careers according to human resource expectations. Soft skills are associated with employability and opportunity, particularly for recent graduates.

Current Standards

Business degrees peaked in popularity in the 1980s but have been declining since, particularly after the 2008 recession as the perceived effectiveness of MBA programs has declined. The biggest complaint is that the graduation requirements, either from a business college or an MBA, have significantly fallen. Success in these academia is based solely on passing sets of exams and courses, with barely any real-life skill or personal qualities to succeed in the professional training or performance. While many colleges argue that they prepare students comprehensively and adequately, employers say otherwise, suggesting that there is a significant divide between business in higher education and actual achievement, to the point where companies dismiss MBA employees and replace them with technical staff (Lawrence, 2012),

Arguably little change has occurred in university and masters’ curricula in the context of advanced business administration degrees. The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business has reported that business schools do not provide students the tools and perspectives that are critical to build the foundations for successful contribution as employees and leaders in the business world. The traditional MBA programs are commonly criticized for excessive focusing on quantitative and technical skills while barely addressing soft skills. While managers need the tools and techniques learned in the MBA to succeed, in order to be effective, soft skills for negotiation, communication, and team building are needed. Without these skills, a manager cannot effectively navigate key elements of business administration such as managing technological change within an organization or overseeing corporate downsizing or rapid growth. The most desired soft skills are communication, interpersonal skills