Planning and Management Competency Among Business Students in East-Central Mexico

Abstract

Managerial skills are of utmost importance because they are continually required by the majority of industries worldwide. In the case of Latin America, more than 80% of organizations continue to have job vacancies due to underqualified applicants. In Mexico, more than 70% of these positions are still vacant. Puebla, a city located in east-central Mexico, is considered a cosmopolitan hub and a business center in the manufacturing industry, in data analysis, sales, cybersecurity, and certified operators, administrative management, human capital management, and customer service positions.  It has been proposed that employers provide courses to develop employability skills and other development activities. Nonetheless, some soft skills and other competencies continue to be lacking in most employment candidates. This paper consists of an exploratory approach of a descriptive cross-sectional, qualitative, and broader study that aims to identify students' (64 participants) competencies (communication, planning and management, teamwork, strategic action, multicultural, and self-management) by collecting data through an instrument of 95 items proposed by Hellriegel. This study looks to 1) highlight the preliminary results of the planning and management competency of graduates of a Business School from a private higher education institution (Tecnologico de Monterrey) in east-central Mexico (Puebla). This competency consists of the ability to anticipate decision-making to respond to internal and external changes of global organizations. Some of the characteristics that imply the development of this competency are data collection, problem-solving, organization and project planning, time administration, budget preparation and financial administration. We found that students showed an average development in this competency (72.6 points out of 100 according to the instrument). Thus, institutions are encouraged to undertake strategies to enhance this competency among students, such as: assessment for the development and analysis of problems in real-life companies, proposing alternative solutions, and assuming calculated risks, among other tasks. These preliminary findings can help higher education institutions determine the skills they can develop more before graduating. Identifying areas for improvement in students' skills can strengthen skill development program designs to equip them for Industry 4.0.