Hard skills are the technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job. Soft skills are interpersonal qualities, also known as people skills, and personal attributes that one possesses. Business executives consider soft skills a very important attribute in job applicants. Employers want new employees to have strong soft skills, as well as hard skills. This study identified the top 10 soft skills as perceived the most important by business executives: integrity, communication, courtesy, responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, professionalism, flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic.
Arkansas Department of Education. (2007). Combined research report of business leaders and college professors on preparedness of high school graduates. Little Rock: Author.
2.
BoyceG.WilliamsS.KellyA.YeeH. (2001). Fostering deep and elaborative learning and generic (soft) skill development: The strategic use of case studies in accounting education. Accounting Education, 10, 37-60.
3.
BronsonE. (2007). Career and technical education is ideally suited to teaching students the soft skills needed to succeed in the 21st century workplace. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 82(7), 30-31.
4.
CafassoR. (1996, April1). Selling your soft side (people skills win you the job). Computerworld, 30, 97.
5.
ClearyM.FlynnR.ThomassonS. (2006). Employability skills from framework to practice: An introductory guide for trainers and assessors. Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Science and Training.
6.
CobanogluC.DedeP.PooraniA. (2006). An analysis of skills and competencies of full service hotel technology managers. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 6(4), 19-35.
7.
Employers value communication and interpersonal abilities. (2004). Keying In, 14(3), 1-6.
8.
EvensonR. (1999). Soft skills, hard sell [Electronic version]. Techniques: Making Education & Career Connections, 74(3), 29-31.
GewertzC. (2007, June12). Soft skills in big demand: Interest in teaching students habits of mind for success in life is on the rise. Education Week, 26(40), 25-27.
11.
GlennJ. L. (2008). The “new” customer service model: Customer advocate, company ambassador. Business Education Forum, 62(4), 7-13.
JamesR. F.JamesM. L. (2004). Teaching career and technical skills in a “mini” business world. Business Education Forum, 59(2), 39-41.
15.
JelphsK. (2006). Communication: Soft skill, hard impact?Clinician in Management, 14, 33-37.
16.
JohnJ. (2009). Study on the nature of impact of soft skills training programme on the soft skills development of management students. Pacific Business Review, October/December, 19-27.
17.
KildayJ. (1996). Getting all the skills employers want. Techniques: Making Education & Career Connections, 71(11), 21-25.
18.
KlausP. (2010). Communication breakdown. California Job Journal, 28, 1-9.
19.
MaesJ.WeldyT.IcenogelM. (1997). A managerial perspective: Oral communication is most important for business students in the workplace. Journal of Business Communication, 34, 67-80.
ManganK. (2007, August17). M.B.A.’s may need more “soft skills.” Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(50), 1A0.
22.
MansellW. (2006, February17). Diploma to plug the “soft skills” gap. Times Educational Supplement, 4673, 4.
23.
McGeeM. K. (2007, July23). Stay ahead with soft skills. InformationWeek, 36.
24.
MitchellG. W.SkinnerL. B.WhiteB. J. (2010). Essential soft skills for success in the twenty-first century workforce as perceived by business educators. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 52, 43-53.
25.
MoadJ. (1995, April15). Calculating the real benefit of training. Datamation, 41(7), 45-47.
PerreaultH. (2004). Business educators can take a leadership role in character education. Business Education Forum, 59, 23-24.
32.
Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education, National Business Education Association. (2000, October). This we believe about teaching soft skills: Human relations, self-management, and workplace enhancement (Policy Statement No. 67). Retrieved from http://www.nbea.org/newsite/curriculum/policy/no_67.pdf
SmithL. (2007). Teaching the intangibles. T+D, 61(10), 23-25.
38.
SuttonN. (2002, August9). Why can’t we all just get along?Computing Canada, 28(16), 20.
39.
TimmJ. A. (2005). Preparing students for the next employment revolution. Business Education Forum, 60, 55-59.
40.
WellingtonJ. K. (2005, August1). The “soft skills” of success: Be it high tech, low tech, or no tech. Vital Speeches of the Day, 71, 628.
41.
WhiteE. (2005, November21). Learning to be the boss. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), B1-B5.
42.
WilhelmW. J. (2004). Determinants of moral reasoning: Academic factors, gender, richness of life experiences, and religious preferences. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 46, 105-121.
43.
ZehrM. A. (1998, February18). New office economy putting greater demands on schools. Education Week, 17(23), 7.
