Usamah Shahwan, Bethlehem University, Palestine

The research came in response to the growing concern among both academicians and practitioners in recent years regarding the relevance of the business curriculum taught in Palestinian universities to the actual demands and skills needed in the local market. This discrepancy negatively impacts employment opportunities for business graduates as well as their job performance. The researcher sought to find out whether the core business courses which the business majors in Palestinian universities are required to take, provide the students with the necessary skills to work successfully in the Palestinian local market. For this purpose, a study was designed, based on both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Responses were collected from a number of Palestinian business managers using, in-depth interviews, and from a sample of business graduates from five Palestinian universities who have worked in Palestinian private enterprises during the last ten years. Content analysis of the material found in some major textbooks taught in core business courses was carried out to determine the content validity of the curriculum. For the quantitative part of the study a structured questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 125 employees in various for-profit enterprises. A variety of statistical tests were employed to analyze the results of the quantitative part of the research. Findings suggest both business managers and graduates perceive a mismatch between the business curriculum and the job demands of the Palestinian local market.

Keywords: mismatch, curriculum, market demands, skills, textbooks, training

Suggested citation: Shahwan, U. (2013). The compatibility of business curriculum at Palestinian universities with the actual demands of the local market as perceived by business graduates. Skyline Business Journal, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp 14 -21.

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Shahwan, U. (2013). The compatibility of business curriculum at Palestinian universities with the actual demands of the local market as perceived by business graduates. Skyline Business Journal, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp 14 -21.