Importance of Soft Skills in Importance of Soft Skills in Management EducationManagement Education

Paper presented byPaper presented by

Mr. Venkataram BhatMr. Venkataram BhatAssistant Professor in CommerceAssistant Professor in CommerceGovernment First Grade College,Government First Grade College,

Shankaranrayana, Karnataka state – 576227Shankaranrayana, Karnataka state – 576227E-mail: E-mail: nsvbhat@gmail.com Mobile -91-9900199644 Mobile -91-9900199644

88thth and 9 and 9thth April -2011 April -2011 International Conference on International Conference on Re-engineering Management Re-engineering Management

EducationEducation  Karnataka State Open UniversityKarnataka State Open University, Mysore., Mysore.

IntroductionIntroduction• Need for re-inventing and re-engineering Need for re-inventing and re-engineering management education.management education.• 75 percent of long term job success depends 75 percent of long term job success depends on soft skills and only 25 percent on technical on soft skills and only 25 percent on technical skills.skills.• Progress and profits of any company depend Progress and profits of any company depend on soft skills (marketing and consumer service)on soft skills (marketing and consumer service)• Soft skills play a vital role for professional and Soft skills play a vital role for professional and personal successpersonal success• Quality issues with business schools.Quality issues with business schools.• Reason for employability deficit is lack of soft Reason for employability deficit is lack of soft skills among management graduates.skills among management graduates.

ObjectivesObjectives•What is the importance of soft skills in What is the importance of soft skills in management education? management education? •What are the important soft skills for What are the important soft skills for management graduates?management graduates?•What are the suitable methods of What are the suitable methods of teaching the soft skills in management teaching the soft skills in management institutes?institutes?

MethodologyMethodology•Primary data collected from the Primary data collected from the management studentsmanagement students

•Primary data collected from Primary data collected from management educatorsmanagement educators

•Descriptive data collected from Descriptive data collected from books and prior survey reports of books and prior survey reports of industry associations and research industry associations and research institutes.institutes.•*Subject to limitations of time, resources and samples survey. *Subject to limitations of time, resources and samples survey.

Findings - AnalysisFindings - Analysis

Students :- Students :- •Soft skills are most important for employability Soft skills are most important for employability and success. and success. •Agreed that at present academic environment Agreed that at present academic environment had highest impact soft skills learning level. had highest impact soft skills learning level. •Communication skills and attitude are most Communication skills and attitude are most important soft skills.important soft skills.• Academics stress on teaching technical Academics stress on teaching technical

aspects than soft skills.aspects than soft skills.•They suggested that team projects, They suggested that team projects,

corporate visits, guest lectures and corporate visits, guest lectures and

seminar presentations are methods toseminar presentations are methods to

inculcate soft skills.inculcate soft skills.

Findings - AnalysisFindings - Analysis

Business Educators :- Business Educators :- •Soft skills are most important for employability Soft skills are most important for employability and success of their students. and success of their students. •There is limited scope for teaching soft skills in There is limited scope for teaching soft skills in management courses due to the present management courses due to the present academic policies. academic policies. •Every teacher has his own method of imbibing Every teacher has his own method of imbibing soft skills amongst students beyond the soft skills amongst students beyond the university syllabus.university syllabus.•Industry wants management graduates who are Industry wants management graduates who are “job ready”, so that the training costs can be “job ready”, so that the training costs can be reduced.reduced.

Important soft skillsImportant soft skills•Have a "winner" attitude Have a "winner" attitude •Be a team playerBe a team player•Communicate effectivelyCommunicate effectively•Exude confidenceExude confidence•Hone your creative skillsHone your creative skills•Accept & learn from criticismAccept & learn from criticism•Motivate yourself & lead othersMotivate yourself & lead others•Multitask & prioritize your to-do listMultitask & prioritize your to-do list•See the big pictureSee the big picture

SuggestionsSuggestions•Suitable academic policies.Suitable academic policies.•Structure programs to simulate the Structure programs to simulate the workplace.workplace.•Outdoor Learning Programs.Outdoor Learning Programs.•Feedback and mentoring.Feedback and mentoring.•Two parts in soft skills trainingTwo parts in soft skills training

• Developing attitudes and attributesDeveloping attitudes and attributes• Fine-tuning communication skills to Fine-tuning communication skills to

express attitudes, ideas, and thoughts express attitudes, ideas, and thoughts wellwell

ConclusionConclusionSoft skill is the ability required and expected Soft skill is the ability required and expected from persons for finding a suitable job, its from persons for finding a suitable job, its maintenance and promotion. maintenance and promotion.

To conclude, soft skills training is about enabling To conclude, soft skills training is about enabling and empowerment of management graduates and empowerment of management graduates for individual and organizational success.for individual and organizational success.

ReferencesWeb References

•Soft skills training, http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/lrnanddev/general/_head-heart-work (accessed on 12-03-2011)•Survey on Career Competencies & Employability Skills for B-School Students, http://www.nasscom.in/Nasscom/templates/NormalPage.aspx?id=54827 ( accessed on 12-03-2011)•Nine Soft Skills For Success By Sean Hewitt, Career Advisor, http://competency-matrix.blogspot.com/ ( accessed on 16-03-2011)•E-Learning Formats for soft skills, research paper from www.ddiworld.com ( on 13-03-2011)•Carole Nicolades “Focus on Soft Skills: A Leadership Wake-up Call”, http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/softskills.htm, 2002.•Soft skills training, http://www.softskillsinstitution.com/faq.htm (accessed on 16-03-2011)•Soft skills in curriculum, times news, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-07/kanpur/28024118_1_soft-skills-curriculum-stress-free-life (accessed on 16-03-2011)• Article by Archna Sharma http://schoolofeducators.com/2009/02/importance-of-soft-skills-development-in-education/ dated February 22nd, 2009 (accessed on 18-03-2011)

References Books and Journal References

•Management texts and cases, Rao V.S.P and Harikrishna V., Excel books, New Delhi, 2010, Pp829.•Management of Organization Behavior leading to Human Resources Management, Hersey P., Blanchard K. and Johnson D.E., Prentice Hall India, 2002, Pp176.+•Skills in demand for fresher’s, lets master American soft skills –Raj Gadasalli,Vipra Books Inc, Norwalk,USA,2005, P126•Valuable soft skills, article from Times of India dated 4th January, 2004.•‘Training Students in Soft Skills for the Liberalization, Privatization & Globalization Era’ - Research Article by Dr. Richa Tewari in ETW.•Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom – article by Chynette Nealy, University of Houston-Downtown, 2005.•M.B.A. Programs Hone 'Soft Skills' article by PHRED DVORAK, February 12, 2007, Page B3 of Wall street Journal Online. •Importance of Soft Skills: Students Perspective, ASSOCHAM business barometer study by Nusrat Ahmad, June 2009.• Management Education in India, Paper presented at State University of Management, Moscow, Russia during October 22 – 24, 2008 by Prof. J. Philip, (XIME), Bangalore.