Title: Examining the Career Readiness of Business School Graduates from the Perspective of Systems Thinking Skills
Author(s) : Helen G. Hammond, Julia Cronin-Gilmore, Anna Czegledi ,Linda Scott Campbell, Linda Scott Campbell
The objective of this study was to understand college graduates' career readiness from the perspective of systems thinking skills, which is understanding a system as a whole rather than focusing on individual components. A quantitative methodology was utilized, resulting in 526 completed surveys, including employers (34.6%), recent graduates (31.7%), students (12.9%) and faculty/administrators (4.6%). The results were positive, with participants indicating using a systems thinking approach where 80% kept in mind that proposed changes can affect the whole system, 84% believe that understanding how the chain of events occurs is crucial, and 81% consider the cause and effect that is occurring in a situation. The textual findings validated how applied systems thinking helped to address a complex challenge. Understanding the career readiness of graduates can assist in influencing operational and curriculum changes, as incorporating systems thinking in business education is crucial for preparing future leaders to navigate an increasingly complex world.