Chapter 1 and 2 Format & Spacings Edited

Chapter 1The Problem and Its ScopeIntroductionRationale of the Study

For most higher education students, employability on graduation and over the long term is a major priority. More and more higher education courses provide the means for students to develop their employability skills, to raise their own awareness of these skills and to increase their ability to articulate these skills (Gawthrope, 2004).

Year on year, thousands, if not millions, graduate in Philippine universities. The bulk of these graduates hold a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as most schools offer it. More often than not, these graduates are unemployed over a long period of time or if employed, are underemployed. But as statistics show, Business-related jobs are more than enough for all the graduates. Most of these are hard-to-fill jobs. Now, some may contend that the concept of BA graduates being employed is dim-witted at all because they are bound to venture into business and be employers. But it is fitting to note that before starting your own business, it is essential that you have experienced for yourself what it is like to be employed and observe how an employer runs his business, especially noting how the complexities of the business are managed. It should also be noted that newly-offered courses, courses first offered about five (5) years back produce graduates who are not employable. Moreover, courses that have similar areas of study produce graduates who compete for similar job positions. For example, Graduates of BS BA- Marketing Management and AB LiaCom contend for marketing positions. Graduates of BS/AB Psychology, BS Industrial Engineering, and BSBAHRDM compete for Administration or Management or Human Resource positions.

The researchers then would like to find out if a course which is (1) offered by most schools in the Philippines, (2) newly offered, and (3) daunted by courses focusing on similar fields can produce graduates who are employable. Such a course is BSBA-HRDM (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management).

Historical Background

Even before this study on the employability of graduates has been conceptualized by the researchers (it was the first graduate tracer study conceived in the College), years back, there have been similar studies conducted both in the Philippines and abroad. These are called tracer studies and graduate tracer studies interchangeably. The first tracer studies in the world and in the country are not known but it is undeniably true that there have been a lot of tracer studies already conducted by different organizations and institutions. Nonetheless, whats most recognized in the Philippines is the series of graduate tracer studies of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). CHED graduate tracer studies were conducted last 1999, in 2004, and in 2012, in line with their mandate to monitor the performance of programs and institutions of higher learning.

In 2010, the former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Dr. Teoddie B. Dumam-ag, also conducted a graduate tracer study on the employability of CAS graduates for the school year 2003 to 2004 and school year 2007 to 2008.In 2013, the University of San Jose-Recoletos also conducted an institution-wide graduate tracer study, which is expected to be completed in 2014. The university aims to gather data from the graduates of all the course offerings to be collected by the different colleges. The College of Commerce OIC for the Institutional Tracer Study and College Secretary Ms. Ma. Theresa V. Vito, after learning of the study on the employability of BSBA-HRDM graduates (this study) asked to make use of the data that will have been collected by the researchers.Theoretical Background In the study of Dumam-ag on the Employability of CAS Graduates of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (2010), he cited four theories, namely the Human Capital Theory by Becker, the Assignment Theory by Sattinger, the Heterogeneous Skills Theory by Green and McIntosh, and Job Competition Theory by Thurow. The Human Capital Theory states that individuals are compensated for the value of their marginal product, which in turn is determined by their human capital, rather than the characteristics of the job they occupy (Becker, 1975). Based on this theory, people undertake investment in their human capital if the net present value of future incremental earnings accumulating from the investment offset the direct and opportunity costs. This notion then explains why individuals expend effort to achieve in the world of work once they see that what they value most will be offered if the amount of effort needed to get it will be delivered by them.Workers earnings are determined by both the extent of human capital investment and job characteristics (required level of education and skills). This view is shared by two theories, namely the assignment theory (Sattinger, 1993) and the heterogeneous skill theory (Green and McIntosh, 2002). The theories differ in the interpretation of the relationship between under- and over- education (educational mismatch) and under- and over-utilization of skills. Based on the assignment theory, these notions are closely linked. Hence, workers report that their level of education is inappropriate for the job they occupy because of the poor match between the knowledge and the skills acquired during their school years and those needed to actually carry out their job. In light of this, workers whose level of education is higher than their job typically comment that their skills are not fully utilized. Thus, they are likely to be less productive than their colleagues with the same level of education who occupy jobs wherein their own level of educational attainment is suitable. Alternatively, the heterogeneous skills theory proposes that the link between education and skills mismatch is much weaker. The primary assumption is that, even among people who have the same level of education, there is significant variety in terms of skill endowments and ability. Hence, reasonably, it is possible to find workers who seem to be overeducated but because their level of skills and abilities are at the bottom of the range of people with similar qualifications, in terms of abilities and skills they match more closely those with the appropriate (lower) level of education for the job they occupy. The job competition theory of Thurow (1976) states that most cognitive job skills, general or specific, are required either formally or informally through on-the-job training after a worker finds an entry job and the associated promotion ladder. He motivates this supposition by arguing: Most job skills are best taught in conjunction with the job in question, since training and production are complementary goods. [] On-the-job training from one worker to another

is simply the cheapest method of training. Thus, employers base their selection and hiring decision on the trainability of the job seekers, who are placed in a worker line. The most trainable workers will be selected for the most complex jobs, which need more training. The trainability of the worker is assessed by his background characteristics. In a very similar fashion to signal theory, Thurow states that formal education will be the critical indicator for the trainability. The acquired skills for their part may be useful for promotions to more complex positions inside or outside the firm. If this is the case, one can regard them as being general. Otherwise, they are job-specific. According to the competition theory, skill acquisition is clearly linked to the job and does not depend on the education of the worker. Nevertheless, since more educated job seekers are selected for the most complex jobs, it also predicts a complementary relation between formal education and post-school skill acquisition. However, this relation will be less strong in comparison with human capital theory. The model of Brunello and Medio (2001) is based on similar assumptions. They assume that skilled jobs can be filled by training an unskilled job. Although formal education skills are not productive, educated workers are preferred for their lower training cost. However, this advantage decays with long unemployment or overeducation. Institutional theories suggest that only job characteristics (required level of education) determine earnings (Thurow, 1975). The rationale for this is that, as a result of the problems employers encounter when attempting to quantify individual productivity, job characteristics are often used by firms to make inferences over workers productivity and hence, their wages. Thus, the formally required level of education for the job is frequently incorporated in wage scales. The figure that follows presents the theoretical-conceptual framework of this study.Related Literature The goal of education is to produce quality graduates. Vinluan (TUP Research Abstract, 1988-93) revealed the following: 51% of the employed respondents are regular employees in private firms; the absorption of the graduates varies. The OJT and the work attitude of the graduates surfaced as the major factors of their employment.Salvador (1995) found that interest and performance in the major subjects are significantly related with their employability (p.98). Estrabo (1996) claimed that graduates with high level work attitude and achievement motivation have the highest percentage of employment (p.90). Aberin (1994), on the other hand, averred that students services, laboratory facilities and the school attended significantly affect employability.Another study concluded that faculty competence is a major factor in employability. In another study, to determine employability, Cabancia (1992) used relevance of training with job hunting time as an indicator.

This position paper outlines the nature and scope of generic skills and looks at why they have become an issue of policy interest. It is presented in six main sections: the first section explains the term generic skills; section two outlines the growing importance of generic skills and covers the demand for generic skills from business and employers, the economic and technological reasons for the adoption of generic skills, and the reasons for the adoption of generic skills by educational providers; section three discusses the benefits of focusing on generic skills in terms of better learning and employability and highlights the holism, contextuality and relational level of generic skills as well as the links to lifelong learning and its current status in higher education; section four offers a learning framework for generic skills at different levels; section five contains the conclusion; and the paper ends with recommendations for further work on this topic.

This article focuses on the relationship between higher education, employability of graduates and students' satisfaction with their studies, drawing on European statistics, as well as on data collected at national and/or institutional level in Portugal and Sweden. Employability has been understood as a measure of higher education quality and one of the issues at stake within the Bologna process. Having this in mind, the authors try to answer three main questions: What was the baseline situation in the two countries concerning higher education systems, enrolment in higher education and graduate employability before 2007? Were students satisfied with their studies and professional job situation before 2007? Which trends is it possible to envisage - tendencies of enrolment, mobility, employment - after 2007? Data analyzed allows these questions to be answered and provides an important comparison due to the fact that both countries started to implement the Bologna structure in 2007 and have quite different educational systems. The authors discuss if 'Bologna' makes a difference regarding graduate employability and students' satisfaction with their studies, and how the differences between the countries can be understood.Review of Related StudiesThe growing emphasis on graduate attributes in higher education has several sources. One is the increasing evidence of demand from business and employer organizations for graduates to possess generic attributes (or generic skills). This trend reflects recent economic and technological developments. As well, there are a number of educational considerations that have brought graduate attributes to wider attention. The contemporary focus on graduate attributes in higher education is really part of a bigger, as yet unresolved, debate about the purpose of university education and how to develop well educated persons who are both employable and capable of contributing to civil society. So the increasing importance of graduate attributes in higher education policy reflects various cross-sectoral influences.The notion of employability challenges traditional concepts of Higher Education (HE) and raises the question of what the point of HE is; subject knowledge and understanding, or learning how to learn. Some academics feel that this agenda is too driven by government policy and employers, rather than the academy, and this can lead to unrest amongst academics that are expected to teach employability skills and attributes in the classroom. De la Harpe et al. (2000) suggest that there is concern world-wide that existing undergraduate programs are not producing graduates with the kind of lifelong learning skills and professional skills which they need in order to be successful in their careers.The employability debate is not a new one for HE. The Robbins Report (Robbins, 1963) highlighted the objectives of providing instruction in skills suitable to play a part in the general division of labor. More recently, the Dearing Report into Higher Education (1997) emphasized the importance of education for employability focusing on the development of key skills and the importance of work experience.

The Research Flow Chart

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the ProblemThis study aims to assess the degree program Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management offered by the University of San Jose-Recoletos through tracing the graduates of the program from April 2009 to March 2013. Precisely, this study intends to answer the following questions:1. What is the personal profile of the respondents?2. What is the educational profile of the respondents?3. What is the employment profile of the respondents?

Significance of the Study This study is beneficial to school administrators, curriculum planners, industries, students, parents, alumni, researchers, and future researchers. The University Administrators. The findings of this study will serve as a guide for the improvement of the curriculum of the degree program BSBA-HRDM offered by the College of Commerce of the University of San Jose-Recoletos. It shall also be the basis of the provision and/or further development of the learning facilities, quality teachers, and pertinent student services currently provided to the students to produce more competitive graduates. In addition, the results will help them market the institution as well as the said degree program.

The Curriculum Planners. Curriculum planners include the faculty of the BSBA-HRDM degree program, the chairperson of the Business and Management Department, the dean of the College of Commerce, student representatives, alumni, and industry representatives or whosoever is involved in planning the curriculum The results of this study shall be used as a basis for the development of the present curriculum of the BSBA-HRDM degree program. Industry-based skills and competencies needed for the program will be pointed out and shall be integrated to the enriched curricular program. Alumni feedback can also be sought for the improvement of the curriculum and/or the creation of other curricular programs. The results will also aid the curriculum planners to ensure that the necessary competencies required for survival in the competitive corporate world are taught to the students, thus ensuring their employability. The Industries. The industries are beneficiaries of proficient college graduates. They know what competencies graduates should have. The clamor for quality and employable graduates has been hounding the universities over the years. The modification of the curriculum and the syllabus as by-products of this study are essential imperatives. Consequently, graduates who really can add value to their business will then be readily available. The Students. The students are the major beneficiaries of this study. The improved curriculum or the newly-designed program as an outcome of this study will be used by the students; as a result, they acquire the indispensable competencies and skills needed by the industries. Hence, Josenian graduates will have that edge over the others. The Parents. Parents all desire that their children are given the best education that they could have in exchange for the great deal of money that they spend for their children. Once knowledgeable of the results of this study and the extent of the employability of the USJ-R BSBA-HRDM graduates, they will make better choices for the career options of their children. The Alumni. Having seen certain efforts by the university to improve the quality of education, first put forward by student researchers, the alumni will appreciate, look forward to, and be motivated to suggest quality improvements for the betterment of their Alma Mater. The Researchers. This research paper will serve as a reference for the researchers to assess the curricular program that they are currently pursuing and thus be given the opportunity to make good judgments and well-grounded suggestions for the improvement of the curricular program under study. Other Researchers. The findings of this research paper will serve as a guide forother researchers in their aim to pursue studies related to the employability of graduates.Definition of TermsBSBA HRDM. This refers to the degree program Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management.Competency. It is the ability of an individual to do a job properly. It is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation, and development of the behaviors in individual employees.Employability. This term refers to the quality of the graduates of the program BSBA-HRDM who got the appropriate employment after graduation. This is also referred as the capacity of the university to produce graduates who have acquired desired competencies and skills needed by the industries.

Graduates. They are the alumni of the program BSBA-HRDM of the University of San Jose-Recoletos for the past four years who are considered as the official respondents of this study.

GTS Questionnaire. This refers to the Graduate Tracer Study Questionnaire used in this study and is patterned after the GTS Questionnaire designed by the Commission on Higher Education.HRM. This refers to Human Resource Management. It is the management of an organizations workforce, or human resources. It is responsible for the attraction, selection, training, assessment, and rewarding of employees, while also overseeing organizational leadership and culture and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws.Industry. It is a classification that refers to a group of companies that are related in terms of their primary business activities. In modern economies, there are dozens of different industry classification, which are typically grouped into larger categories called sectors.KSA. This refers to the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for a particular job.Tracer Study. This is a simple tool designed to measure the relevance of vocational training. It is seen as a management tool for planning and monitoring of training programs- i.e.:- which course to add, change or phase out.

Chapter 2

Research Methodology

Research Design The method that will be used in this study is the descriptive normative survey. To answer the research problems posed, the primary tool to be used in gathering the pertinent data is the graduate tracer study questionnaire.

Research Environment This study will be mainly conducted outside the campus, although it may be conducted inside the campus wherever the respondents are located.Research Respondents

In total, there were 79 graduates of the program Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management ever since it was offered by the University of San Jose-Recoletos. Graduation dates are from April 2009 to March 2013. Considering the availability of the already graduated respondents, the researchers opted to utilize the random sampling via simple random sampling. To encourage more responses and higher response rate, the researchers also encourage the chosen random respondents to share the study to known graduates of the program. By random sampling through Slovins formula, 45 samples were needed with margin of error of 0.10.Table 1The Research RespondentsTERM GRADUATEDPOPULATIONPERCENTAGERESPONDENTSPERCENTAGE

2nd Semester

S.Y. 2010-20111215.19715.56

1st Semester

S.Y. 2011-20121012.66511.11

2nd Semester

S.Y. 2011-20121316.46715.56

1st Semester

S.Y. 2012-20131215.19920

2nd Semester

S.Y. 2012-20133240.501737.77

TOTAL79100.0045100.00

Source: Office of the Registrar, University of San Jose-Recoletos Main Campus, 2013

Research InstrumentThe study will utilize a hybrid of the Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) questionnaire formulated by the Commission on Higher Education and the one formulated by the University of San Jose-Recoletos College of Commerce to fit the aim of this study.Distinctively, the questionnaire is divided into three main parts. The first part will include the personal profile of the respondent, the second part will compose of the educational profile of the respondent, and the third part will consist of the employment profile of the respondent. These data will be utilized to assess the marketability of the BSBA HRDM graduates.Research Procedure

This study will be conducted mainly online. Information drive on this study will also be done through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook Pages will be made for this study wherein the link to the online questionnaire will be shared.

Gathering of Data

The respondents will be reached in two modes virtual and personal. The virtual means shall be that of the usage of the internet, (e-mail, social networking sites, and the like) and the cellular phone. The contact numbers filed by the College of Commerce during graduation shall be utilized to communicate with them. The personal means, on the other hand, will be that of personal inquiry of batch mates and mutual friends. The addresses filed by the College of Commerce shall be utilized to also reach them.

Statistical Treatment of Data For the smooth analysis of the gathered data, the researchers will use simple statistical techniques. The simple percentage formula and ranking procedure will be utilized for the data that the researchers will be gathering through the single and multiple responses, respectively.

The formula is as follows: f f n

Where:p = percentagef = frequencyn = number of respondents

EMPLOYABILITY OF USJ-R BSBA-HRDM GRADUATES

____________________________________

A Thesis

Proposal Presented to the

Faculty of the College of Commerce

University of San Jose Recoletos

Cebu City, Philippines

____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

major in HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

____________________________________

Chinley O. Pening

Jonah Marie C. VillasinEd Anthony B. Polestico

Mary Jane U. Lozada

Hannah Joyce V. Pardo

Mary Joy A. Mendaros

March 2014APPENDIX A

GRADUATE TRACER STUDY

Hi dear Josenian BSBA - HRDM Alumni!

We, a group of fourth year BSBA - HRDM students of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, will conduct a study on the employability of USJ-R BSBA-HRDM graduates from March 2009 to March 2013. This study aims to provide information on the employability of graduates and to assess the relevance of this higher education program vis--vis the needs of employers. The results of the study will be used to monitor quality of programs, prioritize courses for governmentmscholarships,mandmpolicymdevelopment.

Please fill out ALL the information accurately. Rest assured the data collected shall be used for research purposes only and shall be strictly confidential. Thank you so much for your time. God bless you always!Adelante!* Required

Top of Form

Last Name*

This is a required question

First Name*

Middle Name*

Maiden Name (for married women)

Last Name, First, Middle

Age* Gender*Civil Status*E-mail Address*

Location of Residence*

Landline and/or Mobile Number*

Term Graduated*Year Graduated*Reasons for pursuing the program*

Examinations Passed

Government Examinations Passed

Date Taken

Licensure Examinations Passed

Date Taken

Honors, Skills, and other Degrees

Honors and Awards Received in College

Course-related (Technical Skills) acquired in College* System Application Program (SAP) Microsoft Office Research Skills (Business Plan, Thesis) Business Licensing / registration Product Design Presentation Skills Marketing / Selling Skills Napking folding Table Skirting Food Styling Skill Fruit Carving Skill Bread-making skill Catering Skill Flower Arranging Skill F & B Serving Skill Recipe Costing Skill Costing Front office Skill Housekeeping Skill Cooking Skill OthersOther Skills acquired in College* Computer Skills Communication Skills Critical Thinking Skills Problem-solving Skills Others:Aside from those fields of study (subjects) that you have dealt with when you

were pursuing the degree program BSBA-HRDM, what else do you suggest

should be included in the curriculum (major and minor subjects)?*e.g. Employee Engagement, Change Management, HR Planning,

Employee Relations, Mergers and Acquisitions

Where did you have your internship/OJT?*i.e. Company Name and Address

What industry does the company belong to?*What were your tasks?*e.g. Initial interview, Calling of applicants

Other Baccalaureate Degrees (if any)

Degree - School - Year earned

Graduate and Post Graduate Degrees (if any)

Degree - School - Year earned

Bottom of Form

20% completed

EMPLOYMENT RECORD

Are you presently employed?* YES NOIf not, why?

Did not look for a job No job opportunity Lack of skills Advanced or further studies Other:

Current or Last Employment Record*Designation - Company - Address - Inclusive Dates - Gross Monthly Income

What industry does the company belong to?*Reasons for staying in the job*

Details of Previous Employment*Designation - Company - Address - Inclusive Dates - Gross Monthly Income

What industry does the company belong to?*

Reasons for changing jobs*

How long did it take you to find your first job?* less than 1 month 1 to 5 months 6 to 1 year more than 1 year Other:Is your first job aligned to Human Resource Management?* YES NO

In your first job, on what aspect/s of your work were you trained on?*

Honors and Awards (after college) while at work

Over-all Comments and Other Suggestions*Comments and suggestions on this survey and/or on the degree program BSBA-HRDM

Bottom of Form

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Figure 1. Research Flow Chart

Human Capital Theory (Becker)

Assignment Theory (Sattinger)

Heterogeneous Skills Theory (Green and McIntosh)

Job Competition Theory (Thurow)

Educational Profile of the Respondents

Recommendations

Personal Profile of the Respondents

USJ-R BSBA-HRDM Graduates

Employment Profile of the Respondents

10

11

12

13

15

16

x 100

p =

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