Non technical skill gaps in australian business graduates

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography Practice Worksheet (1).docx
Annotated Bibliography – Practice Worksheet

Fill in the following table using the questions as prompts. When you are finished you have all the information you need for an annotation. All you then have to do is connect all this information together into good paragraph for your annotated bibliography.

Details required in annotation

Research Article

Full Reference Details (Chicago)

What was the aim of the research?

The aim (or purpose) of the research was to…

How did the researchers/authors conduct the research?

or

What did the authors do?

Was the research Qualitative or Quantitative or Mixed Methods?

What research instrument/s did the researchers use Interviews, face-to-face survey, observation, online survey…

Who were the participants in the research?

Who were the participant’s? Were they students, academics (aka lecturers; professors), business managers, employees, employers of graduates?

How many participants were there?

Was a sample used?

Did the researchers use a sample?

How did the researchers/authors obtain their sample?

How many potential participants did they identify?

How many participants actually took part?

What was the response rate?

What were the main findings or results of the research study?

Main finding 1:

Main finding 2:

Main finding 3:

Main finding 4:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the paper (Critique)?

Consider research methods, number of participants, type of participants, geography, participants...

Strengths of the research are:

Weaknesses of the research are:

What did the researchers conclude?

Does this article help answer the research question: Are business students work ready?

If so how does it help answer the question?

Example Annotated Bibliography_Semester 1 2015 (1).pdf
Articles should be presented in alphabetical order.

Jackson, Denise, and Elaine Chapman. 2012. "Non-Technical Skill Gaps in Australian

Business Graduates." Education & Training 54 (2): 95-113. doi:http://0-

dx.doi.org.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/10.1108/00400911211210224.

In this article the authors identify and examine the non-technical skill deficiencies in

Australian business graduates upon entering the workplace. Existing literature on skill gaps

has beenare compared with the authors’ hypothesis that business graduates have not

developed certain non-technical skills that are essential in successful managers. The authors’

hypothesis is supported, finding performance in meta-cognition, conflict resolution,

leadership skills, decision management and critical thinking to be particularly weak. Business

school’s curriculum holds some of the responsibility for these weaknesses. The text addresses

social skills, self-management skills and technical/administrative skills along with the

differences in academic and employer perceptions. With an appreciation of contemporary

workplaces varying greatly between the two. A The main limitation of the study is the idea

that graduate’s are guaranteed employability once certain non-technical skills have been

developed. This article was useful in providing clarification as to whether business graduates

are work-ready and confirming that business graduates show weaknesses in crucial non-

technical skills, but the limitations do not consider the transition of non-technical skills from

university to the workplace and further research addressing this limitation is necessary.

Commented [TS1]: Articles should be presented in alphabetical order.

Commented [T2]: Excellent. Nice clear starting sentences about the aim of the paper, and the hypothesis.

Commented [T3]: Good nice clear statement about the key findings.

Commented [T4]: Very good a nice clear and succinct annotation of the Jackson and Chapman article. Some

comment on the research method used would improve.

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0 cm, First line: 0 cm, Line

spacing: single

Potgieter, I., and M. Coetzee. 2013. “Employability Attributes and Personality Preferences of

Postgraduate Business Management Students. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology

39 (1). doi: http://0-dx.doi.org.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/10.4102/sajip.v39i1.1064.

This article examines the employability attributes and personality preferences of business

students. Spearman correlations and regression analyses were used to test the authors’

hypothesis that people’s personality preferences relate positively, and significantly predict

their employability attributes. The quantitative results support this hypothesis and suggest

that an extraverted nature allows developing and demonstrating most employability

attributes. The text analyses important employability attributes that are necessary to secure

employment. These include career self-management, cultural competence, self-efficiency,

career resilience, sociability, entrepreneurial orientation, proactivity and emotional literacy,

all of which effect a graduates motivation levels. Existing literature along with the

information proved in this article provides insight for human resource practitioners, career

councilors and managers and allows them to support and improve graduates employability

attributes and skills. There is a lack of research regarding the relationship between career

meta-competencies and employability attributes along with causation. A larger sample size

could reduce these limitations and avoid the authors using interpretation rather than creating

connections between variables. This article provided useful information regarding

employability qualities but lacked clarification of whether business graduates are work-ready.

Further research is required is to understand how capable business graduates are.

Commented [T5]: Excellent annotation, well done.

http://0-dx.doi.org.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/10.4102/sajip.v39i1.1064
Eisner, Susan. 2010. “Grave New World? Workplace Skills For Today's College Graduates.”

American Journal of Business Education 3 (9): 27.

The author has gathered information from established institutions to test their hypothesis that

graduates require certain skills for the workplace to meet the challenges and opportunities

ahead of them. Primary data and analysis have produced results that support this hypothesis,

suggesting students require drive, adaptability and informational, conceptual and

interpersonal ability. Other important factors include time management, work ethic and

professionalism, all contributing to how successful a graduate will be in the workplace. The

author concludes that by possessing the necessary skills, entry into the workplace will be

optimized. The text combines quantitative and qualitative research and uses a large sample

size to ensure the best chance for validity and reliability. The main limitation of the article is

the disconnect in the data regarding the position between postsecondary education and

workplace trends. This article was useful to confirm that there is great uncertainty among

students and teachers regarding the necessary skills graduates require when entering the

workplace. This information suggests that graduates are not work-ready and forms a good

basis for my research.

Commented [T6]: Ensure you follow the referencing guidelines exactly.

Commented [T7]: What do you mean here? Can you be more specific?

Berry, Priscilla. 2011. "Redesign of the Undergraduate Business Curriculum: The Way

Forward, A Paradigm Shift." American Journal of Business Education (AJBE 2 (8):

55-64.

In this article the importance of business graduates being work ready is emphasised. The

author’s research focuses on making a paradigm shift in attitude and understanding. The main

areas they examined include the process model, course delivery and course design. The

author strongly believes in redesigning the business curriculum using the process business

model to reach an integrated approach. Organisational behaviour, diversity, technology and

ethics are key components involved in business decisions and the curriculum. The text

suggests that graduates must be able to work in a team and adapt to the workplace as that is

what employers are looking for. The article is targeted at faculties and those who are able to

make changes to the curriculum the target audience. The author has limited them herself by

using only qualitative research. Although this article is relevant to the topic of business

students entering the workplace, more research is required to understand what exactly

employers require from graduates. Other solutions to creating work-ready graduates would be

useful and would add to the information gained by this article.

Commented [T8]: Ensure you follow the referencing guidelines exactly.

Tempone, Irene, Marie Kavanagh, Naomi Segal, Phil Hancock, Bryan Howieson, and Jenny

Kent. "Desirable generic attributes for accounting graduates into the twenty-first

century: the views of employers." Accounting Research Journal 25, no. 1 (2012): 41-

55.

This article determines the requirements of graduates in relation to generic attributes due to

existing research suggesting deficiency in this area. Employability and graduate attributes are

very closely linked. The text explores what employers require from universities and

academics in order to produce graduates who possess the generic attributes necessary and are

work-ready. The text considers that skills and knowledge are different at different levels but

graduates are required by employers to posses several key skills. Employers rated innovation,

communication, planning, teamwork, innovation, self-management and problem solving as

key non-technical skills that are the most important to obtain. Qualitative results showed that

employers believe there are limitations with communication skills among graduates.

Although the text uses qualitative and quantitative research methods, a small sample size

restricts a reliable conclusion. The article comments on the lack of research regarding the

relationship between generic skills and contextual issues. Further research in this area is

necessary as well as continued studies on employers’ awareness of the required skills and

attributes in graduates. This article continues to suggest that business graduates are not work-

ready and is a useful research piece.

Commented [T9]: repeated

Commented [T10]: Excellent. A clear well written annotation that covers all aspects very succinctly.

Writing_an_annotated_bibliography_100113.pdf

Academic Skills www.services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills • 13 MELB • academic-skills@unimelb.edu.au

Go for excellence

Writing an annotated bibliography

A first step in reviewing the literature What is an annotated bibliography? An annotated bibliography provides a brief account of the available research on a given topic. It is a list of citations, each followed by a short paragraph, called the annotation, of about 150 words, commenting on the sources cited.

Depending on your assignment, in this paragraph you may reflect on, summarise, critique, evaluate or analyse the source. An annotated bibliography may be a component of a larger assignment or it may be a stand- alone document.

Why write an annotated bibliography? Depending on your specific assessment, you may be asked to create an annotated bibliography for the following reasons:

 To familiarise yourself with the material available on a particular topic

 To demonstrate the quality and depth of reading that you have done

 To exemplify the scope of sources available—such as journals, books, web sites and magazine articles

 To highlight sources that may be of interest to other readers and researchers

 To explore and organise sources for further research, e.g. as the first step toward a literature review

What kind of resources should be studied for an annotated bibliography? In your annotated bibliography you should review materials of an academic nature ranging from academic books dedicated to the subject, to peer reviewed journals Text books and web pages are generally not appropriate as the content may be either too broad or unreliable.

The sources you choose will depend on your topic. Your task is likely to be to find the best answer to clearly defined question or problem, so you will be searching for quite specific information. It is important that you read and select from a range of material to obtain a balanced or representative selection of materials on your topic. In other words, do not select only that material which you prefer or which you agree with. Also, ensure that you include any references which are considered central to your topic.

How to create an annotated bibliography First locate academic sources on your particular topic. The following are good places to begin:

 Your lecture notes /references given in class

 The Lib Guide for your subject – go to: http://www.unimelb.libguides.com/

 The subject liaison Librarian

Survey the literature available to find texts which best address your topic or question. Read abstracts or academic book reviews to help you select appropriately. You should aim to cover a range of different approaches to your topic.

Note down complete bibliographic details for your chosen texts, in the referencing style preferred by your department.

Read and take notes on your selected texts, with attention to the author’s theoretical approach, the scope of their paper within the topic, main points or findings on the topic, and the author’s stance.

Evaluate as you read and reflect this in your notes; this way your bibliography will not merely be a catalogue, but present your own informed stance on the texts and the topic as a whole.

Ask questions as you read. How well does this text address your topic? Does it cover the topic thoroughly or only one aspect of it? Do the research methods seem appropriate and does the argument stand up to scrutiny? Does it agree with or contradict other writings on the same topic?

Academic Skills www.services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills • 13 MELB • academic-skills@unimelb.edu.au

Go for excellence V1 0113 KD

McFarlane, J.K. (1973). Standards of care—what do we mean by care? Nursing Mirror. 143(23), 40–42.

The article examines the meaning of the word ‘care’ within a nursing context. The responsibility of nurses to provide care is legitimised in numerous documents, and the author goes on to identify key concepts related to nursing care. In particular, these concepts include assisting, helping and giving a service; offering this service to people who need help with daily living activities and to others who are affected by health deviations or illness of some kind. Moreover, the nurse’s caring role is legitimised by the patients. Finally, the article concludes by relating how these concepts are put into operation by using the steps of the nursing process — assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the patient’s need for nursing care. The main limitation of the article is that the research was only conducted in large city hospitals. Therefore, while the article is useful for an analysis of nursing care, the limitations of its research base will require some adaption to meet the needs of this assignment that requires a commentary on services in both city and country area hospitals. (172 words)

Create a bibliography, listing texts in alphabetical order, followed by a paragraph which summarises each text and explains how the text informs your particular topic, or answers your research question. E.g. does it provide background information? If so, what kind? Does it address a specific topical issue to go part way to answering your question? What part does this text play in creating a well rounded response to the research question?

Include any limitations or weaknesses in the text as it relates to your research topic.

What style of writing should I use? Department style guides or detailed assignment briefs often provide information on the preferred citation style and how to use it. For further information, the most popular citation styles are explained in re:cite in the website of the university library.

The annotation should be written in complete sentences to form a cohesive snapshot of the text in words, and its contribution to your research. You will need to be highly selective and brief; aim to outline the text in less than 200 words.

What do I include in an annotated bibliography? An annotation may contain all or part of the following elements depending on the word limit and the content of the sources you are examining:

 the background of the author(s)

 the content or scope of the text

 the main argument

 the intended audience

 the research methods (if applicable)

 any conclusions made by the author/s

 comments on the reliability of the text

 any special features of the text that were unique or helpful (charts, graphs etc.)

 the relevance or usefulness of the text for your research

 in what way the text relates to themes or concepts in your course

 the strengths and limitations of the text

 your view or reaction to the text

Sample annotation Below is a sample annotation. The comments on the right, explain the features or elements covered.

Further resources University of New England Teaching and Learning Centre. Fact Sheets. Writing the Annotated Bibliography. Retrieved from:

http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/students/factsheets/anno tated-bibliography.pdf

University of New South Wales. The Learning Centre. The Annotated Bibliography Retrieved from: http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/annotated_bib.html

Cornell University How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography Retrieved from: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm

Owl at Purdue Annotated Bibliographies.Retrieved from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/

The citation information in the same format as it would be in the Reference List

A short statement of the author’s viewpoint

A short summary of the theory, research findings or argument

Comments on the usefulness and/or limitations of the text for your research

A final evaluative comment on the work, taking into account how this work will fit into your research on a topic