Abstract
This chapter summarises the key findings from a doctoral research project that examined employer perceptions of virtual, international working immediately before, during, and after the global pandemic took hold in Spring 2020. The purposive interview sample included new and experienced professionals who work in communication related roles within public, private, and third sector organisations. The research builds on previous evaluative research concerning student and faculty perceptions of virtual exchange. The key issues and themes that employers identified as important for virtual working are presented in their own words. Intercultural competency, digital literacy, and transferable skills are discussed together with business ethics, generational and sectoral differences, and the pedagogical opportunities created by the shift to remote, digital working. A new conceptual model for the training and preparation of staff and students for the post-pandemic, virtual workplace is recommended.
TopIntroduction
The global pandemic of 2020 has led to revolutionary change in how we work. Leading industry experts suggest that a hybrid, distributed model of working will become embedded in everyday life, which raises serious questions about the future. Viability of certain economic sections, technological determinism, and the work-life balance of employees are all on shaky ground. (BBC Worklife, 2020) As a result, the need for universities to prepare students for the workplace has never been greater.
For organizations of all shapes and sizes, globalization is an economic reality. According to Fortune Global 500 (2019), the world’s 500 largest companies generated $32.7 trillion in 2018 and employed 69.3 million people worldwide in 34 countries. The importance of globalization is echoed by the World Bank (2020) who claim that SMEs account for the majority of businesses worldwide and are important contributors to job creation and global economic development. These SMEs represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Therefore, acquiring and developing transferable skills to work in multicultural teams is essential for students to become employable in the contemporary workplace. Communication, collaboration, teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and interpersonal skills are among the most cited transferable skills (Albandea, 2018; Balcar, 2016; Gibb, 2014; O’Brien et al, 2016; Robles, 2012). However, due to the dominant globalized virtual economy, intercultural and digital skills are of utmost importance for professionals. Consequently, they are also vital for students, and teaching and learning strategies.
According to the Global University Employability Ranking 2020, rankings have risen in universities which have close industry partnerships and an emphasis on skills development. The Global University Employability Survey 2020 also identified a trend which could herald a significant shift in emphasis toward employability: Twenty-eight percent of companies responding to the survey regarded the primary purpose of a university as preparing graduates for the workplace, representing an 8 percent increase over ten years. The survey involved approximately 9,000 employers worldwide, and included questions on a range of issues, including the performance of top universities for employability. This growing emphasis on employability suggests that universities should be reviewing their teaching and learning strategies since the relationship between universities and employers may become more important in years to come. (Baker, 2020).
Universities currently place an increasing emphasis on providing theoretical education in intercultural competence, which Deardorff (2009) defines as possessing the necessary attitudes and reflective behavioural skills. However, studies from the workplace show that this increase in emphasis has not yielded desired results. In fact, the U.S. National Association of Colleges and Employers 2018 Jobs Outlook Survey found that the percentage of graduating seniors and young employees who believed that they were proficient in global/intercultural fluency was much higher than the percentage view of employers. Therefore, to increase employability, students need to go beyond theory and utilize intercultural skills to behave effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations (Bauer-Wolff, 2018). Part of the disconnect may lie in the difference between learning about intercultural differences and experiencing those differences. Not all students are able to travel overseas, and the programs that foster student mobility are able to support only a small percentage of them. One of the strongest arguments in defence of internationalization at home is democratizing the benefits of mobility. This has become even more important during the global pandemic, as study abroad has become more problematic and online alternatives have become universally embedded in the teaching and learning experience.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Ethical and Social Responsibility: The avoidance of harm to anyone or anything; making the world a better place.
Transversal Skills: Universal skills which are valuable and useful in any workplace setting.
Experiential Learning: Learning new knowledge and skills through direct experience rather than theory.
Digital Competence: The ability to use digital tools and applications successfully.
Intercultural Competence: The ability to communicate and work with people from other countries successfully.
Graduate Employability: The extent to which students are employable after graduation.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL): A group of students from different countries and institutions working collaboratively online on a shared project.
Curriculum Design: The pedagogy, structure, objectives, and activities associated with teaching and learning within educational establishments.