Curriculum for undergraduate business management students:The views of the business sector

Abstract

The presentation of undergraduate Business Management degrees that are
relevant to the needs of the business community is an ongoing challenge. The
content of the degree structure therefore has to be adapted constantly to meet the
ever-changing needs of the business community. This study focuses on the broad
educational competencies identified by selected South African businesses for the
curricula for undergraduate business management degrees. The business
management areas investigated were: general management, marketing management,
financial management, risk management, human resource management
and entrepreneurship. The nominal group technique was used, with between six
and 15 specialists chosen from each of these areas from the business community. A
total of 48 such specialists participated in the study. Although each area of business
holds unique challenges, the results indicated a requirement for generic
competencies which are vitally important for the degree programme, irrespective
of the specialist field. The study concludes with certain recommendations.

South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 19 (2) 2006: pp.260-273