Just over half, 52%, of international executives believe that in general business school graduates are not fully equipped to meet real world corporate expectations, according to recruitment firm Borderless. Its research found that while ‘strong knowledge of all functions’, ‘understanding of the bigger picture’ and ‘cross-functional thinking’ are skills valued most by companies, in fact business schools are not doing enough to enhance these important ‘people skills’.
Andrew Kris, Founding Partner, Borderless explained to a conference in Barcelona, “Developing great strategies doesn’t necessarily lead to great corporate results. Strategies are implemented by motivated people, and to get that, right leaders must learn how to capture the hearts and minds of those they lead.”
With structures in companies becoming more increasingly centralised and costs being cut, the firm called on business schools to take a more balanced approach towards hard skills and soft skills. As Kris elaborated, “Behaviour development needs to be integrated and practiced as part of the programme and not relegated to a one-semester course on ‘Interpersonal skills’.” One way would be for business school academics to spend time working in these companies but also Borderless called on firms to do more to develop general managers.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
