Background and problem discussion: With Generation Z entering the workplace, organizations are faced employing up to four generations at the same time, which leads to disparate perspectives on work ethics, values, and leadership on the work floor. According toexisting research, Generation Z tends to value certain interpersonal qualities, so-called soft skills, in their leaders more than previous generations do. This soft side of leadership involvesfor example communication, teamwork, and building a good relationship. It is of greatimportance to create an understanding of what motivates and engages the youngest generation in the workforce. As existing literature foremost focuses on comparing Generation Z to previous generations and the topic of the influence of soft leadership skills is under-studied, a research gap is identified. The attributes motivation and engagement are essential parts of leadership, and the understanding of how to influence these is of high importance for companies. Therefore, the influence of soft leadership skills on the motivation and engagement of Generation Z employees is identified as a gap in research. Research Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create new knowledge and add to the theory of previous research by acknowledging the perspective of the newest generation at work and providing a greater insight on the influence of soft leadership skills on Generation Z’s motivation and engagement. The findings of this study strive to fulfill the identified research gap and have a significant impact on understanding the influence of soft leadership skills from a Generation Z employee perspective. Research Question: How do soft leadership skills influence the motivation and engagement of Generation Z as employees? Research Method: This study, with the philosophical assumption of a relativist ontology and a social constructionist epistemology, follows a qualitative approach where we study the perceptions of our research participants: Generation Z employees. We conduct a holistic single case study, with an exploratory research purpose, which allows for an in-depth understanding of our case company Ernst & Young. The data is analyzed utilizing the Gioia method.  Conclusion: It becomes evident from our study that it has a positive contribution to the motivation and engagement of Generation Z employees when a leader owes and applies strong soft leadership skills. Our study shows that the strongest influential factors are open face-toface communication, promoting a supportive work environment, and finally the relationship between the leader and the Generation Z employee.

The purpose of this study was to conduct qualitative interviews of 10 Human Resource Managers to determine their perceptions of the soft skills necessary for successful employment, to determine the primary causes of involuntary turnover, and to determine their perceptions of the proposed Smart Start Pathway to improve potential employee success and employment retention. 10 businesses located in a 9-county region in central Mississippi were purposively selected to participate in this study. 2 of the businesses were service sector employers, and 8 were manufacturers. Interviews were scheduled with the Human Resource Manager for each business, and the manager was supplied with a copy of the interview questions and a copy of the career pathway curriculum to review. Interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed to determine results. Human Resource Managers revealed that communication skills and dependability were the most frequently cited soft skills important for employee success; the most frequently cited causes of employee dismissal were attendance, rule violations, and behavior problem; and finally, the managers interviewed were positive in their perceptions of the efficacy of the proposed career pathways model. The study showed that soft skills identified by Human Resource Managers and those skills contained in the training modules of the career pathway model are similar. The managers were in agreement that these skills might be better learned and retained at an earlier age than those who will be taking this training to enter the workforce. Additional research is recommended to quantify career pathways program outcomes upon implementation, to determine the causes of employee attendance issues, to determine the practices of employers who demonstrate low turnover rates, and to determine the viability of offering this training as part of the secondary education process.

Soft skills in the engineering profession have been a well-known topic for many years because of the idea that engineers lack these skills. Working engineers and hiring managers are looking for engineers who differ from this idea of engineers who lack soft skills to engineers with great "soft skills" on top of their hard, or technical, skills. However, some engineers are reluctant to give up their technical world for a more social way of doing things. While there have been numerous studies to remedy this problem, simply identifying the need for engineers to gain more soft skills has mot been effective thus far. This paper reviews the current literature behind the terms and use of "soft skills" and "entrepreneurial skills" as well as attributes of engineers' success. In this research, "soft skills" and "entrepreneurial skills" are applied to an assessment of adults through a survey, and analytical conclusions are drawn to understand peoples' opinions on the two terms.

Multimedia training methods have traditionally relied heavily on video based technologies and significant research has shown these to be very effective training tools. However production of video is time and resource intensive. Machinima (pronounced 'muh-sheen-eh-mah') technologies are based on video gaming technology. Machinima technology allows video game technology to be manipulated into unique scenarios based on entertainment or training and practice applications. Machinima is the converting of these unique scenarios into video vignettes that tell a story. These vignettes can be interconnected with branching points in much the same way that education videos are interconnected as vignettes between decision points. This study addressed the effectiveness of machinima based soft-skills education using avatar actors versus the traditional video teaching application using human actors. This research also investigated the difference between presence reactions when using avatar actor produced video vignettes as compared to human actor produced video vignettes. Results indicated that the difference in training and/or practice effectiveness is statistically insignificant for presence, interactivity, quality and the skill of assertiveness. The skill of active listening presented a mixed result indicating the need for careful attention to detail in situations where body language and facial expressions are critical to communication. This study demonstrates that a significant opportunity exists for the exploitation of avatar actors in video based instruction.

Soft skills include communication skills, problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, working well with other people, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Employers need employees who have adequate technical skills but who also have soft skills. There is limited information about the perceptions of which soft skills are needed in the workplace. This study attempted to close the gap in the literature concerning the perceptions of instructors and employers in the area of soft skills in the workplace. For this study, the Soft Skills Survey for Instructors and Employers was used to gather the perceptions of information technology instructors and employers in five community college districts of northeastern Mississippi concerning the importance of soft skills in the workplace. Sixteen instructors and 17 employers participated in this study answering the online survey with a 4-point Likert-type scale. A statistically significant difference was found between the perceptions of the instructors and the perceptions of the employers on four of the soft skills listed on the survey. These soft skills were “communicates clearly verbally,” “communicates clearly in writing,” “adapts to changes easily,” and “dresses appropriately.” The instructors placed a higher importance on these soft skills than did the employers. The reasons for this can be attributed to the differences between the classroom setting and the workplace. There was no statistically significant difference between the perceptions of the importance of the other 21 soft skills listed on the survey. This study concluded that instructors teach the skills students need to get and keep a job, while employers are more concerned with the skills needed to perform the task at hand. This study provides a baseline for research on soft skills in the workplace. Recommendations for further research include using the Soft Skills Survey for Instructors and Employers in different educational settings and in other areas of the United States.

The state of the economy has brought changes in the construction industry creating a more competitive employment environment in the construction industry as well as an increase in project requirements due to complexity, duration of work, fewer employees to do the work, and the type of projects being undertaken.  These changes have created an increased need for managers to possess both technical skills and also emotional competencies.  Employers are now seeking to hire individuals who exhibit emotional competencies and other soft skills, such as empathy, verbal communication and relationship building. Soft skills improve the development and maintenance of relationships among the diverse group of professionals necessary to complete projects.  With the construction industry being nomadic in nature, the ability to develop and maintain relationships can be especially important. Employers are placing more emphasis on these soft skills when evaluating potential hires and starting salaries. With these changes comes the realization that students seeking to gain employment in the industry need to have a competitive edge.  While soft skills are critical for students graduating from construction focused programs, opportunities to learn and enhance these skills are not always available within the curriculum. The majority of students graduating from college programs today are part of a generation referred to as Millennials"a generation differing greatly from those that have come before them. For Millennials to gain a competitive edge and maximize employment opportunities, they must first have an understanding of what the industry perceives students need to be successful in the industry.  Program curriculums must also find a way to produce students that offer more than just technical knowledge to employers.  This is not always possible within existing programs trying to meet the demands of accreditation requirements within the credit hours required.  One option construction focused programs could consider to incorporate opportunities for students to gain a competitive edge would be through the mandatory participation of a structured internship experience. This research sought to address these issues and offer insight into what characteristics industry felt were necessary for student success.  The work also sought to establish whether students had an understanding of these characteristics and whether they felt they were strong or deficient in these areas.  The research also identified the role internships played in current accredited construction focused programs and whether student participation in internships had an impact on their understanding of the characteristics required to be successful in the construction industry. / Ph. D.

Yes / The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and importance of management skills in the pharmacy profession and pharmacists’ ability to respond to current and future challenges in healthcare provision. As service professionals, pharmacists are engaged based on their expertise and skills, and are noted for their contribution to the knowledge-based economy and control over the application of their knowledge (Abbott, 1991). The same premise would apply to other professionals e.g. healthcare (nurses, doctors and psychologists); legal (lawyers, solicitors and barristers); consultancy; accountancy; banking and architecture (von Nordenflycht, 2010). An exploratory analysis of UK and Spanish pharmacists’ roles and their adoption of management skills was thus undertaken. Both healthcare systems are very similar and likewise the clinical training and role of pharmacists, professional standards and regulations are similar but there are subtle differences. Data were collected using semi-structured online surveys; two thirds of the data were collected from a UK audience and the final third from Spanish pharmacists. The data collection was planned and iterative in the first two stages (stage one influencing stage two) (UK) and the final stage (Spain) offered an opportunistic comparator study. The results demonstrated that there was overwhelming support for management skills to be part of undergraduate studies. The outputs of this study identify the most important management skills pharmacists need to perform effectively. Consideration was also given to the impact of inability to perform in their role, and hence the possibility of occupational derailment (leaving their role or being demoted). These findings offer important learning to support workforce development in all professional services.

Advancements in education and the perceived necessary educational outcomes require advanced psychometric approaches. This is particularly true when we consider noncognitive assessments – assessments that aim to measure soft skills, otherwise untested in classrooms today. Noncognitive skills have gained traction in recent years due to the increased interest in 21st century skills and the realization that these skills impact success as much as technical skills and content knowledge. Despite the growing interest, the appropriate psychometric methods have yet to be applied to such assessments. Because it is difficult to distill noncognitive assessments down to one particular skill, they are inherently multidimensional; however, literature regarding multidimensional applications of psychometric models is lacking. This study aims to address these concerns, using Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) to assess the feasibility of improving noncognitive assessment adoption across education. This study assesses multiple psychometric models, both uni- and multidimensional, to best understand the internal structure of SJTs as well as explore the interpretability of model results. The results indicate that SJTs are, in fact, multidimensional and are best measured with polytomous Cognitive Diagnostic Models (CDMs). Implications of these results include future opportunities for noncognitive assessments to be utilized in classroom settings, increased feedback and reporting to students, teachers, and parents regarding strengths and weaknesses of students, and pedagogical improvements to noncognitive skill development.

The purpose of this study was to explore the transfer of soft skills of women veterans to their post military career in corporate America in order to support their career success by helping them market and utilize their soft skills and experience in their post military career, and to better understand the employability issues of women veterans. Thorndike and Woodworth’s (1901) Identical Elements Theory was used to better understand how women veterans transferred learning in one context (military) to another similar context (corporate America) and their identification, marketability, and utilization of these learned soft skills to the workforce. A narrative analysis was used in this study along with a triangulation method that included semi-structured interviews, review of the participants’ resumes, and review of their current job descriptions. Credibility, reliability, and external validity were maintained throughout the study with member checks, peer reviews, and reflexivity. Findings show that women veterans were able to identify soft skills innately associated with the military, and when prompted they articulated other military soft skills. They also viewed their transition experience unfavorably, and believed their collective military experience, education, and skills are not being considered by organizations in their post military career development. The data collected resulted in recommendations for improvements in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and the need for women veterans to maximize the identification, marketing, and utilization of their transferable soft skills in support of their reintegration, and ongoing career development needs.

[ES] La motivación de este proyecto de investigación surgió de fuentes tanto personales como profesionales. En el campo de los negocios, así como en muchos otros campos, la definición de competencia profesional ha experimentado una importante evolución en los últimos 20 años. A medida que los entornos de trabajo se vuelven cada vez más digitales, pero también basados en equipos y redes, el papel de las habilidades individuales crece. Los empleadores de las empresas y las organizaciones de TIC buscan "habilidades técnicas", pero cada vez más buscan graduados capaces de administrarse por sí mismos, trabajar en equipos y redes y resolver problemas. La necesidad de estas "habilidades blandas" ha sido expresada por parte de organizaciones y empleadores, y se cree que su función crecerá adicionalmente en el futuro. Sin embargo, hay muchas razones por las que las instituciones educativas han tenido dificultades para captar este desafío. Como resultado, se informa que el mercado laboral sufre de "brechas de habilidades", lo que causa problemas tanto a los empleadores como a los graduados, e indirectamente también a los educadores. Una de las principales razones de esto es que los educadores carecen de la conciencia de las habilidades necesarias en las organizaciones. Además, no están seguros de si se pueden promover las habilidades blandas y cómo se debe llevar a cabo. En esta investigación, aclaro la "brecha de habilidades" y las posibles soluciones para reducirla. Empiezo por definir el carácter y el rol de Soft Skills. Posteriormente, inspecciono el proceso de adquisición de habilidades desde el aspecto de las partes mencionadas, llamadas "partes interesadas". Mi objetivo es crear un método que pueda considerar las Soft Skills de forma sistemática, con respecto a su rol para los diferentes stakeholders. Para lograrlo, se compone un marco de las Soft Skills esenciales, viable para Universidades y Organizaciones. A continuación, se presenta un modelo tridimensional del proceso de adquisición de Soft Skills. Luego se sugiere el indicador Method Soft Skills Status (3Si), operacionalizando los elementos del modelo en tres dimensiones estadísticas, "Significación", "Capacidad de aprendizaje" y "Nivel". Posteriormente se experimenta el Método propuesto mediante el lanzamiento de una encuesta a 381 profesionales de las TIC y empresas en cuatro países europeos. En la sección Resultados, se presentan y discuten los resultados de la encuesta. A continuación, se aplican los resultados para probar el Método, lo que permite una clasificación en ocho clases de Soft Skills. Estas clases proporcionan descripciones específicas para cada una de las Soft Skills, aplicables a los educadores y formadores que trabajan en Soft Skills. Los resultados afirman la hipótesis planteada a la investigación. / [CA] La motivació d'aquest projecte d'investigació va sorgir de fonts tant personals com professionals. En el camp dels negocis, així com en molts altres camps, la definició de competència professional ha experimentat una important evolució en els últims 20 anys. A mesura que els entorns de treball es tornen cada vegada més digitals, però també basats en equips i xarxes, el paper de les habilitats individuals creix. Els ocupadors de les empreses i les organitzacions de TIC busquen "habilitats tècniques", però cada vegada més busquen graduats capaços d'administrar-se per si mateixos, treballar en equips i xarxes i resoldre problemes. La necessitat d'aquestes habilitats transversals ha sigut expressada per part d'organitzacions i ocupadors, i es creu que la seua funció creixerà addicionalment en el futur. No obstant això, hi ha moltes raons per les quals les institucions educatives han tingut dificultats per a captar aquest desafiament. Com a resultat, s'informa que el mercat laboral pateix de "bretxes d'habilitats", la qual cosa causa problemes tant als ocupadors com als graduats, i indirectament també als educadors. Una de les principals raons d'això és que els educadors manquen de la consciència de les habilitats necessàries en les organitzacions. A més, no estan segurs de si es poden promoure les habilitats blanes i com s'ha de dur a terme. En aquesta investigació, aclarisc la "bretxa d'habilitats" i les possibles solucions per a reduir-la. Comence per definir el caràcter i el rol de Soft Skills. Posteriorment, inspeccione el procés d'adquisició d'habilitats des de l'aspecte de les parts esmentades, anomenades "parts interessades". El meu objectiu és crear un mètode que puga considerar les Soft Skills de manera sistemàtica, respecte al seu rol per als diferents stakeholders. Per a aconseguir-ho, es compon un marc de les Soft Skills essencials, viable per a Universitats i Organitzacions. A continuació, es presenta un model tridimensional del procés d'adquisició de Soft Skills. Després se suggereix l'indicador "Method Soft Skills Status (3Si), transformant en operacions els elements del model en tres dimensions estadístiques, "Significació", "Capacitat d'aprenentatge" i "Nivell". Posteriorment s'experimenta el Mètode proposat mitjançant el llançament d'una enquesta a 381 professionals de les TIC i empreses en quatre països europeus. En la secció Resultats, es presenten i discuteixen els resultats de l'enquesta. A continuació, s'apliquen els resultats per a provar el Mètode, la qual cosa permet una classificació en huit classes de Soft Skills. Aquestes classes proporcionen descripcions específiques per a cadascuna de les Soft Skills, aplicables als educadors i formadors que treballen en Soft Skills. Els resultats afirmen la hipòtesi plantejada a la investigació. / [EN] The motivation to this research project emerged from both personal and professional sources. In the field of business, as well as many other fields, the definition of professional competence has undergone a major evolution over the past 20 years. As working environments become increasingly digital, but also based on teams and networks, the role of individual skills grow. Employers in business and ICT organizations seek for technical 'hard skills', yet they increasingly look for graduates able to manage themselves, work in teams and networks and solve problems. The need for these 'Soft Skills' has been expressed from the part of Organizations and employers, and their role is believed to grow additionally in the future. However, there are many reasons why educational institutions have found it difficult to capture this challenge. As a result, the labour market is reported to suffer from 'skills gaps', which cause problems for the employers as well as the graduates, and indirectly also to the educators. A main reason for this is that educators lack the awareness of the skills needed in Organizations. In addition, they feel unsure about whether Soft Skills can be promoted, and how this should be conducted. In this research, I elucidate the 'skills gap' and possible solutions to reduce it. I start by defining the character and role of Soft Skills. Subsequently, I inspect the skills acquisition process from the aspect of the mentioned parts, called 'stakeholders'. My objective is to create a method that can consider Soft Skills in a systematic way, in respect to their role for the different stakeholders. To achieve this, a framework of the essential Soft Skills, viable for HEIs and Organizations is composed. Next, a three-dimensional model of the Soft Skills acquisition process is presented. The Method Soft Skills Status indicator (3Si) is then suggested, by operationalizing the elements of the model into three statistical dimensions, 'Significance', 'Learnability' and 'Level'. The proposed Method is subsequently experimented, by launching a survey to 381 business and ICT professionals in four European countries. In the Results section, the outcomes of the survey are presented and discussed. Next, the results are applied to test the Method, which allows a classification in eight classes of Soft Skills. These classes provide specific descriptions for each of the Soft Skills, applicable for educators and trainers working on Soft Skills. The results affirm the hypothesis set to the research. / Schleutker, KEJ. (2021). Detecting, Defining and Developing Soft Skills in Business and ICT Contexts [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/179407