Marketing students' meta-skills and employability: between the lines of social capital in the context of the teaching excellence framework

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the role of social capital and higher order meta-skills in developing the employability of marketing students at a UK university.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual article, bolstered by illustrative primary data, provides a broader conceptualisation of employability. This is to address the specific research question on how social capital (contacts and connections) is deployed (via capability-based higher order meta-skills) in a UK university developing the employability of a specific group of students. The article is situated in the highly fraught context of teaching excellence measurement schemes [such as the teaching excellence framework (TEF) in the UK].FindingsThe research findings highlighted the role of social capital and higher order meta-skills in developing the employability of marketing students at a UK university.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the illustrative primary data are not generalisable, as they are limited to one group of marketing students in one UK university; the conceptual development, including a new social capital based definition of employability that incorporated the capabilities, provided by higher-order meta-skills, is widely applicable.Practical implicationsThe article has highlighted how the impact of social capital, etiquette and meta-skills, while being “between the lines” of the employability discourse and the metrics of the TEF, explains the differing perceptions of the value of employability initiatives. The article highlights the grey area of between the reasons given as to why some candidates are valued over others. Perhaps no rhyme or reason sometimes, just the “hidden” perception/interpretations of the interview panel of the “qualities” of one candidate over another.Originality/valueThe difficulty in ascertaining the influence of social capital (and how it can be deployed through higher-order meta-skills as capabilities) results in challenges for universities as they endeavour to respond to the data requirements of “learning gain” within teaching excellent measurement schemes such as the UK teaching excellence framework.

The expectations of employability skills in the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the communication and media industry in Malaysia

“…Based on our analysed interview findings, the challenges for higher education institutions include not only preparing a revised curriculum document annually in delivering "workready" or "industry-ready" graduates but also equipping them with the skills on how human and social capital can be strategically deployed (network with professionals) as well as strategies to assist them to become resilient to labour market challenges (Barkas et al, 2020;Hardin-Ramanan et al, 2020;Jamaludin et al, 2021;Tomlinson, 2017). In doing so, current university programs, however, do not need to oversell job prospects (Barkas et al, 2020) or forsake discipline expertise (Collet et al, 2015) because basic conceptual and technical knowledge remains the most important criterion for employers in these fields.…”

“…Moreover, employers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution emphasise the importance of creating a student-centred environment for producing industry-relevant graduates in which students have opportunities to interact and collaborate with industry partners on their assignments or projects so that they can grasp the necessary skills required by employers. Thus, employability becomes less about what students learned at university and more about how they leverage their knowledge and human capital to be “work-ready”, which are skills that employers admire (Barkas et al. , 2020).…”

“…Based on our analysed interview findings, the challenges for higher education institutions include not only preparing a revised curriculum document annually in delivering “work-ready” or “industry-ready” graduates but also equipping them with the skills on how human and social capital can be strategically deployed (network with professionals) as well as strategies to assist them to become resilient to labour market challenges (Barkas et al. , 2020; Hardin-Ramanan et al.…”

“…, 2021; Tomlinson, 2017). In doing so, current university programs, however, do not need to oversell job prospects (Barkas et al. , 2020) or forsake discipline expertise (Collet et al.…”

Teaching marketing to non-marketing majors: tools to enhance their engagement and academic performance

“…Marketing has become a popular major for students in higher education (Barkas et al , 2021). Alongside curriculum design and evaluation methods, academics have highlighted a range of innovative teaching and learning strategies (like case studies, blended learning, simulations and other interactive approaches) that can enhance the engagement and academic performance of marketing students (Smart et al , 1999; Millican, 2014).…”