SKIFF

Research on Entrepreneurs' Expectations

Italian Report

Rome, 10 March 2010

1. Presentation of the surveyed companies

The Italian sample is made of 20 enterprises. In particular, we have:

  • 6small sized enterprises (10-49 employees)
  • 8 medium sized enterprises (50-249 employees)
  • 6 large sized enterprises (over 249 employees)

Concerning the branches, the first indications given were calibrated to the characteristics of the Italian labour market, mainly dominated by services companies. Thus, our sample of companies is made up of the following sectors:

  • 6enterprises from Industry
  • 4 enterprises from Construction
  • 8 enterprises from Commerce and Services sectors.

Our interviewees perform the following roles within their own companies:

  • 8 Owner/ Presidents
  • 5 Managers
  • 2 HR Managers
  • 5 Other (Sale responsible)

Conducting interviews

The questionnaire was sent via email to the respondents together with a presentation letter. Most of them replied to the email with the questionnaire fulfilled. For some others a computer assisted telephone interview was needed.

The answers collected were then analysed with the support of the provided excel grid.


  1. Work attitudes – Personal values

Enterprises needs

The 20 Italian companies surveyed answered about important features deciding on the practical utility of the higher education graduate for the enterprises.

According to the sample, the most important attitudes concern peoplemoral integrity. When they are asked to evaluate the most needed attitudes, actually they firstly answer “HONESTY – PERSONAL ETHICS” (+39 from the average score). The second important attitude stated is “LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY” (+33 from the average score). It means that for Italian companies the sense of belonging to a workplace is highly appreciated, so as the “RESPECT FOR THE OTHERS” (+27 from the average score). Wellbeingat workplace is aspired. Other important attitudes are “WILLINGNESS OF SHARING OWN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERINCE” (+19 from the average score) and WILLINGNESS TO TAKE TASKS (+17 from the average score).

If we focus on the less important aspects, we find at first “FAMILY TRADITION CONTINUATION” (-59 from the average score), but also “COMPETITION WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES” (-56 from the average score).

Higher education provision

Focusing on higher education provision, we find a dramatically lower average score concerning the average level which is provided by higher education institutions. In particular, the Italian Higher Education Institutions (IHEI) don’t pursue the development of attitudes related to “FAMILY TRADITION CONTINUATION” (-33 from the average score) and to “LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY” (-20 from the average score).

What IHEI provides mostly in terms of attitudes seem to be: POSITIVE PERSONAL PRESENTATION (+21 from the average score), WILLINGNESS OF SHARING OWN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERINCE (+15 from the average score), and SOCIALIBILITY (+14 from the average score).

Comments

“HONESTY – PERSONAL ETHICS, WILLINGNESS TO TAKE TASKS and RESPONSIBILITY TAKING are highly requested attitudes because they enable the proper transmission of the know how and of the company policy independently from the educational pathway.”

“I believe that care and protection of personal image, and its adherence to the reality of being are essential. Everything is transmitted through it. I believe also that humility, spirit of service, ability of listening, observation and inference supported by the comparison of ideas are important too. Without these qualities there cannot be any availability, accountability and sharing. I believe that the value of a man is not measurable by the work he does, but by the dignity that he invests in it. A person can develop more through the mistakes solved, that through positive unnecessary experiences. The professional, scientific, methodological and notional knowledge (Princes of Knowledge) come only at the end. The first are the container, the latter the content.”

“Certainly the willingness, honesty and ability to perform tasks with extreme precision and attention to ensure that results are achieved are the most demanded attitudes in all the companies. I believe that sociability, honesty, care and quality work are essential too.”

Gaps

If we compare the surveyed enterprises’ needs to the IHEIs provisions, we can delineate a set of most unsolved situations. We can interfere that what IHEI do not provide in terms of needed attitudes is: 1) LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY; 2) HONESTY – PERSONAL ETHICS; 1) RESPECT FOR THE OTHERS.

  1. Most needed skills (with comments)

Enterprises needs

Then, companies were asked to rate skills deciding on the practical utility of the higher education graduate for the enterprises.

Here we propose a view of the Italian companies’ expectations organised per thematic group.

Among the “Interpersonal skills”, the most useful competencies concern communication, namely: Listens and understands (+16), Clearly and directly explains and answers (+16), Writes transparently (+16).

In the “Initiative and enterprise skills” group we find: Adapts to new situations (+16), and Diagnoses and analyzes problems (+12).

For what concerns “Learning skills”, the entrepreneurs’ main expectations focus on: Willing to learn in any method (+20), Ability of critical thinking (+18), Has a personal vision and goals and Evaluates and monitors own performance (+16).

Finally, within „Workplace skills” we have: Has computer skills on the level allowing to process normal professional matters (+20).

Thus, the most useful skills concern Learning and Technology, and are: willingness to learn in any method, computer skills on the level allowing to process normal professional matters, and ability of critical thinking.

Higher education provision

If we focus on the provision of skills by the IHEIs, we have the following situation.

Among the “Interpersonal skills”, we can say that IHEIs guarantee an adequate level of capability to write transparently (+24). On the other side, the main dissatisfaction concerns team-working related skills, namely: Accepts and supports leadership (-29), Transfers effectively between individual and team work (-23), Works across different ages, genders, cultural diversities (-21).

In the “Initiative and enterprise skills” group the best learning outcomes of IHEIs concern problem solving, namely: Diagnoses and analyzes problems (+24), Generates alternative solutions (+20). On the other side, the weakest performances concern sense of initiative and enterprise: Finds out opportunities and defines them in the form of undertaking (business) to be made (-21) and Is resistant to failures (-19).

For what concerns “Learning skills”, the IHEIs’ programs mainly generate: Openness to new ideas and techniques (+28), Propensity to gaining knowledge through spent time and personal efforts, and Willing to learn in any method (+26). Negative scores are mainly focused on Planning and organizing: Makes decisions (-21) and Builds clear project objectives and deliverables (-19).

Finally, within „Workplace skills” we have a common opinion near to average for all the indicators.

Comments

“The capability to apply and adapt knowledge acquired to the specific context is believed as very important”

“Interpersonal and professional skills, together with a minimum spirit of enterprise in the framework of the general business project are the most important behaviours. Managerial abilities, not always required with immediacy, are at the beginning subordinated to the implementation of projects and professional growth processes.”

Gaps

The main learning gaps in IHEIs provision concern the following skills (in order of importance):

  1. Capability to accepts and support leadership
  2. Adaptation to new situations
  3. Capability to transfer effectively between individual and team work
  4. and, on the same level: Negotiation skills, Capability to work across different ages, genders, cultural diversities, and intermediate computer skills.

4. Actions taken by enterprises to train the graduates in missing skills and show proper attitudes (with comments)

Actions taken by enterprises to train the graduates in missing skills and show proper attitudes are mainly informal, and namely Oral instructions (50%). As second most used option, we have Regular training (27%). Then we have Written information and Other forms (respectively 17% and 6%). These training forms are equally used for what concerns skills and attitudes.

One of the surveyed companies stated that they don’t implement any action in order to graduate employees.

Let’s analyse in detail modalities used in the different cases.

  1. 4.1. Skills

Regular training is mainly used for the following skills: Work across different ages, genders, cultural diversities (+14), Using strategic thinking and Project conducting and management (+11), and Knowledge about how to apply technology to work (+10).

Written information fits especially for: Management of people and resources (+37), Reading with understanding (+31), Work with customers, supervisors and controllers (+23), Transferring effectively between individual and team work (+22).

Oral instructionsare mainly used for: Providing confirmations or paying for confirmations proofing physical abilities to apply technologies (+21), Understanding basic budgeting and business planning and Positive climate building (+19).

Other formsof trainingare used especially for Understanding and acceptance of group behaviour rules (+17).

  1. 4.2. Attitudes

Regular training is mainly used for Socialibility Presentation attitudes (+10).

Written information fits especially for Personal Mobility (Willingness To Work In Different Locations) (+17), Willingness To Take Tasks (+14), and Willingness To Work Overtime If Necessary (Time Flexibility) (+11).

Oral instructions are mainly used for Positive Personal Presentation (+16) Openess To The Others’ Problems (+11).

Other forms of training are not particularlyused.

  1. Recommendations of enterprises to higher education institutions (with comments).

According to surveyed companies, the most useful improvement propositions are two, namely: ‘Higher education institutions should link the skills trained by them to their commercial use’ (average score 9, number of answers 14), and ‘Each higher education institution should list what skills are achieved during realization of its curricula and on what level’ (average score 9, number of answers 13).

Secondly, we find suggestions obtaining an average score of 8: ‘Higher education institutions should have similar (independent) skills achievement tests allowing to compare their efficiency in reaching the skills competence levels’ (18 answers); ‘Higher education institutions should be more proactive and responsive to enterprises needs’ (17 answers); and ‘Higher education institutions should prove not only achieved knowledge level but skills achievement level as well’ (16 answers).

Average scores / Number of answers
Higher education institutions should negotiate with business the detailed scope of skills and knowledge training in particular areas / 6 / 14
Higher Education institutions should consult their curricula with business associations / 5 / 15
Businesses should have the right to influence on the educational curricula / 5 / 13
Higher education institutions should prove not only achieved knowledge level but skills achievement level as well / 8 / 16
Each higher education institution should list what skills are achieved during realization of its curricula and on what level / 9 / 13
Higher education institutions should have similar (independent) skills achievement tests allowing to compare their efficiency in reaching the skills competence levels / 8 / 18
Recognition of necessary skills achievement levels should be the statutory tasks of higher education institutions / 6 / 15
Higher education institutions should link the skills trained by them to their commercial use / 9 / 14
Higher education institutions should be more proactive and responsive to enterprises needs / 8 / 17
Higher Education Institutions should include Business Associations in their Boards / 5 / 16
Higher education institutions should continue training in literacy and numeracy to achieve higher levels / 6 / 17

An entrepreneur added the following two remarks: “More extensive use of apprenticeship periods within the companies” and “Evaluation of knowledge implemented by companies”, fostering a more active role of the real economy.

Summary

According to the sample of Italian companies surveyed, the most important attitude concerns people moral integrity. They also stress the importance of the sense of belonging to the workplace, together with the respect for the other members of the company.

If we compare the surveyed enterprises’ needs to the IHEIs provisions, we can delineate a set of most unsolved situations. We can interfere that what IHEI do not provide to graduates in terms of useful attitudes is: 1) loyalty to the company; 2) honesty – personal ethics; 3) respect for the others. In this sense, the gap between expectations and reality is very dramatic.

In general, the opinion of the surveyed Italian companies about the practical utility of skills transferred by the Universities is quite negative.

Concerning the most useful skills, companies believe that they are related to Learning and Technology.In particular, they stress the importance of the following skills: willingness to learn in any method, computer skills on the level allowing to process normal professional matters, and ability of critical thinking.

The main learning gaps in IHEIs provision of useful skillsare mainly concentrated in (in order of importance):

  1. Capability to accepts and support leadership
  2. Adaptation to new situations
  3. Capability to transfer effectively between individual and team work
  4. and, on the same level: Negotiation skills, Capability to work across different ages, genders, cultural diversities, and intermediate computer skills.

Actions taken by enterprises to train the graduates in missing skills and show proper attitudes are mainly informal, and namely Oral instructions (50%).

According to surveyed companies, the most useful improvement propositions are two, namely: ‘Higher education institutions should link the skills trained by them to their commercial use’, and ‘Each higher education institution should list what skills are achieved during realization of its curriculaand on what level’.

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This interview reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.