Factors Impact Business Graduates Employability: Evidence from Academicians and Employers in Kuwait

The objective of this study is to explore the importance that academicians and employers attach to factors impact business graduates employability in Kuwait. Four categories of employability factors were used in the current study covering graduates knowledge, soft skills, personal abilities and working with groups. A questionnaire that contained these factors was distributed to academicians as well as employers and they were asked to express the level of importance they assign to variables within each of these categories. The results of the analyses pointed to differences in the levels of importance academicians and employers attach to employability factors covered in the questionnaire, indicating that current programs offered by business schools in Kuwait are not responding to market needs. While employers attach high levels of importance to graduates knowledge, soft skills and personal abilities, academicians do not assign the same levels of importance to these factors. However, academicians and employers appeared to be consistent in the level of importance they attach to the working within group factor. Business schools are requested to develop their academic programs in order to respond to market's needs. This requires changes in the contents of these programs (input) together with teaching instruments in order to improve output and satisfy employers demand.