Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship

Given the changes in business life, “soft skills,” which are increasingly on the agenda and considered necessary, are effective in the performance and success of business life, including in the recruitment and employment phase. From another aspect, no clear consensus exists on the concept of “soft s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Melike Akbıyık
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Istanbul University Press 2023-12-01
Series:İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/4D88706B7AA94DB8A98A2EE4008CAE6C
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850274059074404352
author Melike Akbıyık
author_facet Melike Akbıyık
author_sort Melike Akbıyık
collection DOAJ
description Given the changes in business life, “soft skills,” which are increasingly on the agenda and considered necessary, are effective in the performance and success of business life, including in the recruitment and employment phase. From another aspect, no clear consensus exists on the concept of “soft skills” yet. The definition and classification of this concept are inconsistent. In addition, job markets expect university graduates to have skills such as effective communication, critical thinking, and ethical understanding. However, many studies revealed that universities are insufficient in providing these soft skills. This study aims to open the ambiguities around the “soft skills” concept to discussion and contribute to their elimination through a systematic literature review. Furthermore, the study aims to present a critical analysis of the acquisition level of these skills at universities and the factors affecting this level. In summary, this study provides insights into the ambiguous area surrounding the soft skills concept and contributes to clarifying this concept. The study emphasizes the role of universities in acquiring these skills and offers suggestions for ways to increase acquisitions.
format Article
id doaj-art-76c609f278734de8b02ddbc5c6402b72
institution OA Journals
issn 2667-6931
language deu
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher Istanbul University Press
record_format Article
series İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi
spelling doaj-art-76c609f278734de8b02ddbc5c6402b722025-08-20T01:51:15ZdeuIstanbul University Pressİstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi2667-69312023-12-0143245948010.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0049123456Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment RelationshipMelike Akbıyık0İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul, TürkiyeGiven the changes in business life, “soft skills,” which are increasingly on the agenda and considered necessary, are effective in the performance and success of business life, including in the recruitment and employment phase. From another aspect, no clear consensus exists on the concept of “soft skills” yet. The definition and classification of this concept are inconsistent. In addition, job markets expect university graduates to have skills such as effective communication, critical thinking, and ethical understanding. However, many studies revealed that universities are insufficient in providing these soft skills. This study aims to open the ambiguities around the “soft skills” concept to discussion and contribute to their elimination through a systematic literature review. Furthermore, the study aims to present a critical analysis of the acquisition level of these skills at universities and the factors affecting this level. In summary, this study provides insights into the ambiguous area surrounding the soft skills concept and contributes to clarifying this concept. The study emphasizes the role of universities in acquiring these skills and offers suggestions for ways to increase acquisitions.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/4D88706B7AA94DB8A98A2EE4008CAE6Csoft skillscompetenceemploymentuniversitycurriculum
spellingShingle Melike Akbıyık
Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi
soft skills
competence
employment
university
curriculum
title Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
title_full Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
title_fullStr Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
title_full_unstemmed Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
title_short Difficulties in Conceptualizing Soft Skills and the Role of Soft Skills in the University–Employment Relationship
title_sort difficulties in conceptualizing soft skills and the role of soft skills in the university employment relationship
topic soft skills
competence
employment
university
curriculum
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/4D88706B7AA94DB8A98A2EE4008CAE6C
work_keys_str_mv AT melikeakbıyık difficultiesinconceptualizingsoftskillsandtheroleofsoftskillsintheuniversityemploymentrelationship