Assessing MBA Graduates Acquired Competencies in Sudanese Universities

Business Administration

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to assess the acquired competencies of MBA graduates (MBAG) in terms of soft and hard skills and explore the new needed competencies. Design/methodology/approach: This is an exploratory cross-sectional study conducted through an online survey. Cluster sampling technique is used to choose the sample, then rankings are used to sort the competencies according to their importance. Also paired sample T-test is utilized to compare the soft skills with hard skills. Findings: The major findings show the competencies that highly developed through the MBA programs; organizational awareness, ability and willingness to learn, organizational commitment, written communication, and technical expertise. Three of them are categorized as hard skills and the other two are soft skills. Moreover, the study indicates a significant difference in importance in acquired competencies in terms of soft and hard skills. Research limitations: Barriers exist in the collection of secondary data due to some factors like scattered information sources and treating data acquisition as a highly confidential issue by data suppliers. Also, using a cross-sectional study include some limitations such as; we cannot analyze behavior over a period of time, and it does not help to determine cause and effect. Besides, a snapshot does not represent a reliable source. Originality/value: There is radical progress in the field of higher education all over the world, as the attention became more focused on developing various competencies at different academic stages. In the Sudanese context, the proliferation of MBA programs made them a significant target to be investigated critically. Thus, the purpose of adopting the competency profile is to enable educators to identify and assess appropriate development areas for graduate programs which will enhance graduate employability.

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