Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Introduction
Rationale of the Study
For most higher education students, employability on graduation and over the long term is
a major priority. More and more higher education courses provide the means for students to
develop their employability skills, to raise their own awareness of these skills and to increase
their ability to articulate these skills (Gawthrope, 2004).
Year on year, thousands, if not millions, graduate in Philippine universities. The bulk of
these graduates hold a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as most schools
offer it. More often than not, these graduates are unemployed over a long period of time or if
employed, are underemployed. But as statistics show, Business-related jobs are more than
enough for all the graduates. Most of these are hard-to-fill jobs. Now, some may contend that the
concept of BA graduates being employed is dim-witted at all because they are bound to venture
into business and be employers. But it is fitting to note that before starting your own business, it
is essential that you have experienced for yourself what it is like to be employed and observe
how an employer runs his business, especially noting how the complexities of the business are
managed.
It should also be noted that newly-offered courses, courses first offered about five (5) years
back produce graduates who are not employable. Moreover, courses that have similar areas of

study produce graduates who compete for similar job positions. For example, Graduates of BS
BA- Marketing Management and AB LiaCom contend for marketing positions. Graduates of
BS/AB Psychology, BS Industrial Engineering, and BSBAHRDM compete for Administration
or Management or Human Resource positions.
The researchers then would like to find out if a course which is (1) offered by most schools in the
Philippines, (2) newly offered, and (3) daunted by courses focusing on similar fields can produce
graduates who are employable. Such a course is BSBA-HRDM (Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management).
Historical Background
Even before this study on the employability of graduates has been conceptualized by the
researchers (it was the first graduate tracer study conceived in the College), years back, there
have been similar studies conducted both in the Philippines and abroad. These are called tracer
studies and graduate tracer studies interchangeably. The first tracer studies in the world and in
the country are not known but it is undeniably true that there have been a lot of tracer studies
already conducted by different organizations and institutions. Nonetheless, whats most
recognized in the Philippines is the series of graduate tracer studies of the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED). CHED graduate tracer studies were conducted last 1999, in 2004,
and in 2012, in line with their mandate to monitor the performance of programs and institutions
of higher learning.
In 2010, the former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of San
Jose-Recoletos, Dr. Teoddie B. Dumam-ag, also conducted a graduate tracer study on the
employability of CAS graduates for the school year 2003 to 2004 and school year 2007 to 2008.
2

In 2013, the University of San Jose-Recoletos also conducted an institution-wide

graduate tracer study, which is expected to be completed in 2014. The university aims to gather
data from the graduates of all the course offerings to be collected by the different colleges. The
College of Commerce OIC for the Institutional Tracer Study and College Secretary Ms. Ma.
Theresa V. Vito, after learning of the study on the employability of BSBA-HRDM graduates (this
study) asked to make use of the data that will have been collected by the researchers.
Theoretical Background
In the study of Dumam-ag on the Employability of CAS Graduates of the University of
San Jose-Recoletos (2010), he cited four theories, namely the Human Capital Theory by Becker,
the Assignment Theory by Sattinger, the Heterogeneous Skills Theory by Green and McIntosh,
and Job Competition Theory by Thurow.
The Human Capital Theory states that individuals are compensated for the value of their
marginal product, which in turn is determined by their human capital, rather than the
characteristics of the job they occupy (Becker, 1975). Based on this theory, people undertake
investment in their human capital if the net present value of future incremental earnings
accumulating from the investment offset the direct and opportunity costs. This notion then
explains why individuals expend effort to achieve in the world of work once they see that what
they value most will be offered if the amount of effort needed to get it will be delivered by them.
Workers earnings are determined by both the extent of human capital investment and job
characteristics (required level of education and skills). This view is shared by two theories,
namely the assignment theory (Sattinger, 1993) and the heterogeneous skill theory (Green and
McIntosh, 2002). The theories differ in the interpretation of the relationship between under- and
over- education (educational mismatch) and under- and over-utilization of skills. Based on the
3

assignment theory, these notions are closely linked. Hence, workers report that their level of
education is inappropriate for the job they occupy because of the poor match between the
knowledge and the skills acquired during their school years and those needed to actually carry
out their job. In light of this, workers whose level of education is higher than their job typically
comment that their skills are not fully utilized. Thus, they are likely to be less productive than
their colleagues with the same level of education who occupy jobs wherein their own level of
educational attainment is suitable. Alternatively, the heterogeneous skills theory proposes that the
link between education and skills mismatch is much weaker. The primary assumption is that,
even among people who have the same level of education, there is significant variety in terms of
skill endowments and ability. Hence, reasonably, it is possible to find workers who seem to be
overeducated but because their level of skills and abilities are at the bottom of the range of
people with similar qualifications, in terms of abilities and skills they match more closely those
with the appropriate (lower) level of education for the job they occupy.
The job competition theory of Thurow (1976) states that most cognitive job skills,
general or specific, are required either formally or informally through on-the-job training after a
worker finds an entry job and the associated promotion ladder. He motivates this supposition by
arguing: Most job skills are best taught in conjunction with the job in question, since training
and production are complementary goods. [] On-the-job training from one worker to another
is simply the cheapest method of training. Thus, employers base their selection and hiring
decision on the trainability of the job seekers, who are placed in a worker line. The most
trainable workers will be selected for the most complex jobs, which need more training. The
trainability of the worker is assessed by his background characteristics. In a very similar fashion
to signal theory, Thurow states that formal education will be the critical indicator for the

trainability. The acquired skills for their part may be useful for promotions to more complex
positions inside or outside the firm. If this is the case, one can regard them as being general.
Otherwise, they are job-specific. According to the competition theory, skill acquisition is clearly
linked to the job and does not depend on the education of the worker. Nevertheless, since more
educated job seekers are selected for the most complex jobs, it also predicts a complementary
relation between formal education and post-school skill acquisition.
However, this relation will be less strong in comparison with human capital theory. The
model of Brunello and Medio (2001) is based on similar assumptions. They assume that skilled
jobs can be filled by training an unskilled job. Although formal education skills are not
productive, educated workers are preferred for their lower training cost. However, this advantage
decays with long unemployment or overeducation. Institutional theories suggest that only job
characteristics (required level of education) determine earnings (Thurow, 1975). The rationale for
this is that, as a result of the problems employers encounter when attempting to quantify
individual productivity, job characteristics are often used by firms to make inferences over
workers productivity and hence, their wages. Thus, the formally required level of education for
the job is frequently incorporated in wage scales. The figure that follows presents the
theoretical-conceptual framework of this study.
Related Literature
The goal of education is to produce quality graduates. Vinluan (TUP Research Abstract,
1988-93) revealed the following: 51% of the employed respondents are regular employees in
private firms; the absorption of the graduates varies. The OJT and the work attitude of the
graduates surfaced as the major factors of their employment.

Salvador (1995) found that interest and performance in the major subjects are significantly
related with their employability (p.98). Estrabo (1996) claimed that graduates with high level
work attitude and achievement motivation have the highest percentage of employment (p.90).
Aberin (1994), on the other hand, averred that students services, laboratory facilities and the
school attended significantly affect employability.
Another study concluded that faculty competence is a major factor in employability. In another
study, to determine employability, Cabancia (1992) used relevance of training with job hunting
time as an indicator.
This position paper outlines the nature and scope of generic skills and looks at why they
have become an issue of policy interest. It is presented in six main sections: the first section
explains the term generic skills; section two outlines the growing importance of generic skills
and covers the demand for generic skills from business and employers, the economic and
technological reasons for the adoption of generic skills, and the reasons for the adoption of
generic skills by educational providers; section three discusses the benefits of focusing on
generic skills in terms of better learning and employability and highlights the holism,
contextuality and relational level of generic skills as well as the links to lifelong learning and its
current status in higher education; section four offers a learning framework for generic skills at
different levels; section five contains the conclusion; and the paper ends with recommendations
for further work on this topic.
This article focuses on the relationship between higher education, employability of
graduates and students' satisfaction with their studies, drawing on European statistics, as well as
on data collected at national and/or institutional level in Portugal and Sweden. Employability has
been understood as a measure of higher education quality and one of the issues at stake within
6

the Bologna process. Having this in mind, the authors try to answer three main questions: What
was the baseline situation in the two countries concerning higher education systems, enrolment
in higher education and graduate employability before 2007? Were students satisfied with their
studies and professional job situation before 2007? Which trends is it possible to envisage tendencies of enrolment, mobility, employment - after 2007? Data analyzed allows these
questions to be answered and provides an important comparison due to the fact that both
countries started to implement the Bologna structure in 2007 and have quite different educational
systems. The authors discuss if 'Bologna' makes a difference regarding graduate employability
and students' satisfaction with their studies, and how the differences between the countries can be
understood.
Review of Related Studies
The growing emphasis on graduate attributes in higher education has several sources.
One is the increasing evidence of demand from business and employer organizations for
graduates to possess generic attributes (or generic skills). This trend reflects recent economic and
technological developments. As well, there are a number of educational considerations that have
brought graduate attributes to wider attention. The contemporary focus on graduate attributes in
higher education is really part of a bigger, as yet unresolved, debate about the purpose of
university education and how to develop well educated persons who are both employable and
capable of contributing to civil society. So the increasing importance of graduate attributes in
higher education policy reflects various cross-sectoral influences.The notion of employability
challenges traditional concepts of Higher Education (HE) and raises the question of what the
point of HE is; subject knowledge and understanding, or learning how to learn. Some academics
feel that this agenda is too driven by government policy and employers, rather than the academy,
7

and this can lead to unrest amongst academics that are expected to teach employability skills and
attributes in the classroom. De la Harpe et al. (2000) suggest that there is concern world-wide
that existing undergraduate programs are not producing graduates with the kind of lifelong
learning skills and professional skills which they need in order to be successful in their careers.
The employability debate is not a new one for HE. The Robbins Report (Robbins, 1963)
highlighted the objectives of providing instruction in skills suitable to play a part in the general
division of labor. More recently, the Dearing Report into Higher Education (1997) emphasized
the importance of education for employability focusing on the development of key skills and
the importance of work experience.

The Research Flow Chart

Figure 1. Research Flow Chart
Human Capital Theory (Becker)
Assignment Theory (Sattinger)
Heterogeneous Skills Theory (Green and McIntosh)
Job Competition Theory (Thurow)

Personal Profile of
the Respondents

Educational
Profile of the
Respondents

USJ-R
BSBAHRDM
Graduates

Employment Profile
of the Respondents

Recommendations

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the degree program Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management offered by the
University of San Jose-Recoletos through tracing the graduates of the program from April 2009
to March 2013.

Precisely, this study intends to answer the following questions:

1.

What is the personal profile of the respondents?

2.

What is the educational profile of the respondents?

3.

What is the employment profile of the respondents?

Significance of the Study

This study is beneficial to school administrators, curriculum planners, industries,
students, parents, alumni, researchers, and future researchers.
The University Administrators. The findings of this study will serve as a guide for the
improvement of the curriculum of the degree program BSBA-HRDM offered by the College of
Commerce of the University of San Jose-Recoletos. It shall also be the basis of the provision
and/or further development of the learning facilities, quality teachers, and pertinent student
services currently provided to the students to produce more competitive graduates. In addition,
the results will help them market the institution as well as the said degree program.

10

The Curriculum Planners. Curriculum planners include the faculty of the BSBAHRDM degree program, the chairperson of the Business and Management Department, the dean
of the College of Commerce, student representatives, alumni, and industry representatives or
whosoever is involved in planning the curriculum The results of this study shall be used as a
basis for the development of the present curriculum of the BSBA-HRDM degree program.
Industry-based skills and competencies needed for the program will be pointed out and shall be
integrated to the enriched curricular program. Alumni feedback can also be sought for the
improvement of the curriculum and/or the creation of other curricular programs. The results will
also aid the curriculum planners to ensure that the necessary competencies required for survival
in the competitive corporate world are taught to the students, thus ensuring their employability.
The Industries. The industries are beneficiaries of proficient college graduates. They
know what competencies graduates should have. The clamor for quality and employable
graduates has been hounding the universities over the years. The modification of the curriculum
and the syllabus as by-products of this study are essential imperatives. Consequently, graduates
who really can add value to their business will then be readily available.
The Students. The students are the major beneficiaries of this study. The improved
curriculum or the newly-designed program as an outcome of this study will be used by the
students; as a result, they acquire the indispensable competencies and skills needed by the
industries. Hence, Josenian graduates will have that edge over the others.
The Parents. Parents all desire that their children are given the best education that they
could have in exchange for the great deal of money that they spend for their children. Once
knowledgeable of the results of this study and the extent of the employability of the USJ-R
BSBA-HRDM graduates, they will make better choices for the career options of their children.

11

The Alumni. Having seen certain efforts by the university to improve the quality of
education, first put forward by student researchers, the alumni will appreciate, look forward to,
and be motivated to suggest quality improvements for the betterment of their Alma Mater.
The Researchers. This research paper will serve as a reference for the researchers to
assess the curricular program that they are currently pursuing and thus be given the opportunity
to make good judgments and well-grounded suggestions for the improvement of the curricular
program under study.
Other Researchers. The findings of this research paper will serve as a guide for
other researchers in their aim to pursue studies related to the employability of graduates.
Definition of Terms
BSBA HRDM. This refers to the degree program Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management.
Competency. It is the ability of an individual to do a job properly. It is a set of defined
behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation, and
development of the behaviors in individual employees.
Employability. This term refers to the quality of the graduates of the program BSBAHRDM who got the appropriate employment after graduation. This is also referred as the
capacity of the university to produce graduates who have acquired desired competencies and
skills needed by the industries.

12

Graduates. They are the alumni of the program BSBA-HRDM of the University of San
Jose-Recoletos for the past four years who are considered as the official respondents of this
study.
GTS Questionnaire. This refers to the Graduate Tracer Study Questionnaire used in this
study and is patterned after the GTS Questionnaire designed by the Commission on Higher
Education.
HRM. This refers to Human Resource Management. It is the management of an
organizations workforce, or human resources. It is responsible for the attraction, selection,
training, assessment, and rewarding of employees, while also overseeing organizational
leadership and culture and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws.
Industry. It is a classification that refers to a group of companies that are related in terms
of their primary business activities. In modern economies, there are dozens of different industry
classification, which are typically grouped into larger categories called sectors.
KSA. This refers to the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for a particular job.
Tracer Study. This is a simple tool designed to measure the relevance of vocational
training. It is seen as a management tool for planning and monitoring of training programs- i.e.:which course to add, change or phase out.

13

Chapter 2

Research Methodology
Research Design
The method that will be used in this study is the descriptive normative survey. To
answer the research problems posed, the primary tool to be used in gathering the pertinent data is
the graduate tracer study questionnaire.
Research Environment
This study will be mainly conducted outside the campus, although it may be
conducted inside the campus wherever the respondents are located.
Research Respondents
In total, there were 79 graduates of the program Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration major in Human Resource Development and Management ever since it was
offered by the University of San Jose-Recoletos. Graduation dates are from April 2009 to March
2013. Considering the availability of the already graduated respondents, the researchers opted to
utilize the random sampling via simple random sampling. To encourage more responses and
higher response rate, the researchers also encourage the chosen random respondents to share the
study to known graduates of the program. By random sampling through Slovins formula, 45
samples were needed with margin of error of 0.10.

14

Table 1
The Research Respondents

TERM
GRADUATED

POPULATION

2nd Semester
S.Y. 2010-2011

12

15.19

15.56

1st Semester
S.Y. 2011-2012

10

12.66

11.11

2nd Semester
S.Y. 2011-2012

13

16.46

15.56

1st Semester
S.Y. 2012-2013

12

15.19

20

2nd Semester
S.Y. 2012-2013

32

40.50

17

37.77

79

100.00

45

100.00

TOTAL

PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Source: Office of the Registrar, University of San Jose-Recoletos Main Campus, 2013

Research Instrument
The study will utilize a hybrid of the Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) questionnaire
formulated by the Commission on Higher Education and the one formulated by the University of
San Jose-Recoletos College of Commerce to fit the aim of this study.
Distinctively, the questionnaire is divided into three main parts. The first part will include
the personal profile of the respondent, the second part will compose of the educational profile of
the respondent, and the third part will consist of the employment profile of the respondent. These
data will be utilized to assess the marketability of the BSBA HRDM graduates.
15

Research Procedure
This study will be conducted mainly online. Information drive on this study will also be
done through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook Pages will be made for this
study wherein the link to the online questionnaire will be shared.
Gathering of Data
The respondents will be reached in two modes virtual and personal. The virtual means
shall be that of the usage of the internet, (e-mail, social networking sites, and the like) and the
cellular phone. The contact numbers filed by the College of Commerce during graduation shall
be utilized to communicate with them. The personal means, on the other hand, will be that of
personal inquiry of batch mates and mutual friends. The addresses filed by the College of
Commerce shall be utilized to also reach them.

Statistical Treatment of Data

For the smooth analysis of the gathered data, the researchers will use simple statistical
techniques. The simple percentage formula and ranking procedure will be utilized for the data
that the researchers will be gathering through the single and multiple responses, respectively.

The formula is as follows:

16
f
p=

f x 100

Where:
p = percentage
f = frequency
n = number of respondents

EMPLOYABILITY OF USJ-R BSBA-HRDM GRADUATES

____________________________________

17

A Thesis
Proposal Presented to the
Faculty of the College of Commerce
University of San Jose Recoletos
Cebu City, Philippines
____________________________________

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
major in HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
____________________________________

Chinley O. Pening

Jonah Marie C. Villasin

Ed Anthony B. Polestico

Mary Jane U. Lozada

Hannah Joyce V. Pardo

Mary Joy A. Mendaros

March 2014

APPENDIX A

GRADUATE TRACER STUDY

Hi dear Josenian BSBA - HRDM Alumni!

We, a group of fourth year BSBA - HRDM students of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, will
conduct a study on the employability of USJ-R BSBA-HRDM graduates from March 2009 to
March 2013. This study aims to provide information on the employability of graduates and to
assess the relevance of this higher education program vis--vis the needs of employers. The
results of the study will be used to monitor quality of programs, prioritize courses for
governmentmscholarships,mandmpolicymdevelopment.

Please fill out ALL the information accurately. Rest assured the data collected shall be used for
research purposes only and shall be strictly confidential. Thank you so much for your time. God
bless you always!

Adelante!

* Required
Last Name *

This is a required question

First Name *

Middle Name *

Maiden Name (for married women)

Last Name, First, Middle

Age *
Gender *

Civil Status *

E-mail Address *

Location of Residence *

Landline and/or Mobile Number *

Term Graduated *

Year Graduated *

Reasons for pursuing the program *

Submit

Examinations Passed
Government Examinations Passed

Date Taken
Licensure Examinations Passed

Date Taken
Honors, Skills, and other Degrees
Honors and Awards Received in College

Course-related (Technical Skills) acquired in College *

17

System Application Program (SAP)

Microsoft Office

Research Skills (Business Plan, Thesis)

Business Licensing / registration

Product Design

Presentation Skills

Marketing / Selling Skills

Napking folding

Table Skirting

Food Styling Skill

Fruit Carving Skill

Bread-making skill

Catering Skill

Flower Arranging Skill

F & B Serving Skill

Recipe Costing Skill

Costing

Front office Skill

18

Housekeeping Skill

Cooking Skill

Others
Other Skills acquired in College *

Computer Skills

Communication Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Problem-solving Skills

Others:

Aside from those fields of study (subjects) that you have dealt with when you
were pursuing the degree program BSBA-HRDM, what else do you suggest
should be included in the curriculum (major and minor subjects)? *
e.g. Employee Engagement, Change Management, HR Planning,
Employee Relations, Mergers and Acquisitions

Where did you have your internship/OJT? *

i.e. Company Name and Address

19

What industry does the company belong to? *

What were your tasks? *

e.g. Initial interview, Calling of applicants

Other Baccalaureate Degrees (if any)

Degree - School - Year earned

Graduate and Post Graduate Degrees (if any)

Degree - School - Year earned

EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Are you presently employed? *
o

YES

NO
If not, why?

20

Did not look for a job

No job opportunity

Lack of skills

Advanced or further studies

Other:

Current or Last Employment Record *

Designation - Company - Address - Inclusive Dates - Gross Monthly Income

What industry does the company belong to? *

Reasons for staying in the job *

Details of Previous Employment *

Designation - Company - Address - Inclusive Dates - Gross Monthly Income

21

22
What industry does the company belong to? *

Reasons for changing jobs *

How long did it take you to find your first job? *

o

less than 1 month

1 to 5 months

6 to 1 year

more than 1 year

Other:
Is your first job aligned to Human Resource Management? *

YES

NO

In your first job, on what aspect/s of your work were you trained on? *

23

Honors and Awards (after college) while at work

Over-all Comments and Other Suggestions *

Comments and suggestions on this survey and/or on the degree program BSBA-HRDM