Effective training to develop talent

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Soft-skills trainers and hard-skills trainers differed in the variety of instructional methods and in their emphasis on interpersonal relations and interactions, group management and communication. Those trainers with train-the-trainer certificates did not differ significantly from those who did not have them. Trainers with a university degree in educational science/psychology were more likely to teach soft skills than hard skills but did not agree more with the relevance of instructional skills and knowledge than those without such a degree. Originality The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. Comment The review is based on “Perceived instructional requirements of hard skills trainers and soft skills” by S. Wisshack and S. Hochholdinger, published in Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal.

There is a clear disconnect between the perceptions of workplace readiness among industry leaders and the graduates of business schools. Employers are placing greater emphasis on soft or non-technical skills while concurrently expressing concerns that new hires lack these abilities. Urged by industry, business schools have been experimenting with andragogic approaches to improve the soft skills of their students; however, the results have been largely mixed. While it can be argued that business education has achieved greater awareness of the importance of soft skills relative to student and organizational success; the fact remains that there is little empirical evidence that curricular modifications have resulted in a meaningful improvement in graduates’ skills. This lack of evidence can be largely attributed to the unique challenges associated with defining and assessing soft skills, which is further complicated by the lack of valid and reliable grading rubrics. As one can imagine, assessing soft skills in curricula delivered in an entirely online format adds another layer of complexity. Not only was the online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), at Park University, redesigned in a manner that horizontally wove a core set of soft skills throughout the curriculum, it utilizes a structured team approach as the primary means of developing and assessing these skills in our students. This case study will highlight the multiyear journey that led to the development of a set of valid and reliable rubrics and improved soft skills in our graduates.

For the effective development of Ukraine in the conditions of global changes (political, economic, social, educational) the priority should be transition to a new economy – knowledge economy. The basis of knowledge economy will be the professional development of specialists in innovative business structures through lifelong learning, in particular formation of their transversal competencies. These qualitatively new specialists will be able to ensure the transition of companies to innovative forms of organization of production activities. The purpose of the article is to reveal the importance of transversal competencies formation among specialists of innovative business structures in lifelong learning to ensure competitiveness of Ukrainian companies at the international level. Methodology. To achieve the goal, general scientific and special research methods were used: comparative analysis and generalization – to study the international experience of innovative business structures; synthesis of theoretical and empirical data – to characterize Ukrainian companies according to the innovation index; structural-functional and system analysis – to study the features of knowledge economy and form hard, soft and business skills. Results. In formation of business structures, Ukraine still uses traditional criteria, while in the world there are innovative approaches – companies "gazelles", clusters, etc. Characteristic features and problems of gazelle companies functioning are analyzed, in particular concerning the personnel component. It is proposed to consider successful enterprises as centers of new economic zones, around which related enterprises, promotion infrastructure, clusters should be purposefully built. It is determined that national economic competitiveness is associated with knowledge and innovation driven capital. Two approaches to the management of business structures are analyzed. The first is based on implementation of subject-subject relationships, development of innovative transversal competencies in order to expand managers' “breadth of management skills" through LLL-education. The second is the experience of innovative enterprises, where management is transformed into information management with its inherent impersonal post / non / management. Formation of the phenomenon of transversal competencies on the basis of LLL-education is analyzed. This is ensured by changes in hard skills, acquisition of new soft skills and integrated business skills, which contributes to the creation of a new generation of professionals. It is determined that business skills are integrated from soft skills, which accumulate intellectual property knowledge, investment and financial literacy, sales skills, presentations and business negotiations, event management, project management, people, their work and time, etc. Emphasis is placed on the importance of forming knowledge economy based on the intellectual potential of society, in which the main levers are the processes of accumulation and use of information and its transformation into knowledge, which depends on the economic progress of the country. It is determined that on the basis of formation of scientific and educational clusters, introduction of crowd technologies, crowdsourcing in education during life the professional development of experts of innovative business structures will be provided. Practical importance. The results of the research can be used in the creation of training programs, retraining, reskilling and changing types of work in the modern production space, which include provisions of knowledge economy for professional development of innovative business structures through lifelong learning. The basic postulates of research can be useful for managers whose companies implement innovative approaches to management, the latest technologies in production activities and promote mobility in retraining in accordance with sociel needs. Correlation/ originality. Conclusions reached will help economists, politologists, social scientists and LLL learning educators to understand the importance of innovative concepts in development business structures and formation transverse competencies based on hard, soft and business skills.

It has often been said that "Technical skills get you hired, and soft skills get you promoted." Whether they are called "soft skills," "nontechnical skills," or "professional skills," the incorporation of soft skills into the development of technical professionals is evolving and becoming more critical to both employers and technical professionals. Because of the "Big Crew Change," new supervisors and technical leaders will take on new responsibilities, which will require them to rely upon their soft skills. Ensuring that soft skills training is embedded with technical training prepares future leaders. The quality of the technical contribution increases when individuals work more collaboratively. Soft skills help to improve personal effectiveness, providing a vehicle with which to deliver business results. Soft skills enhance expected business outcomes of the technical professional's work product. A variety of methods are utilized in professional development to disseminate best practices in soft skills to technical professionals. In addition to SPE, several other professional and technical societies are placing an increasing emphasis on soft skills development. There are several ways to measure the impact, both qualitatively and quantitatively, of incorporating soft skills into professional development for engineers. One way of measuring the impact includes surveying participants and their supervisors according to Kirkpatrick's levels of evaluation. It is challenging to incorporate soft skills development into existing rigorous engineering degree curricula or corporate onboarding programs without sacrificing the emphasis on development of technical competency. Increasingly, it is becoming more apparent that the value of the effort to incorporate soft skills, pays off in multiple ways to both the corporation in achieving their strategic objectives and to the working professional in realizing their career development goals. Common themes from case studies, surveys and benchmarking with other professional technical societies will illustrate how to deliver better business outcomes with soft skills.

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – In the current business world, things seldom remain the same for long. Globalization and relentless technological development ensure that change is both inevitable and ongoing. As a result, the only real predictable aspect of the future is its unpredictability. The uncertainty inherent in drastic change is the source of both risk and opportunity alike. How to minimize the former and fully exploit the latter is a burning issue facing organizations today. Finding ways to effectively manage uncertainty is therefore likely to be high on the agenda for most leaders. Those with the capacity to engage in strategic foresight are arguably best positioned to meet the challenges facing them. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether managers can acquire strategic skills using management education methods in lieu of experience. It demonstrates that experienced‐based pedagogical methods can be effective in developing traditional skills or “hard” skills and “soft” skills such as interpersonal communication, which then facilitate the acquisition of strategic skills.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses data from questionnaires and achievement scores from capstone classes to determine whether exposure to an experiential technique called large‐scale simulation can lead students to acquire traditional, soft and strategic managerial skill sets.FindingsThe results show that soft and traditional skills are complementary and together lead to better acquisition of strategic skills and also imply that mastering soft skills may enhance the mastery of traditional skills.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of the research stems from the use of students as research subjects. While this limits generalizability, it is important to remember that many such students go on to be successful managers in large and small organizations, partly due to their educational background. Replicating these findings with graduate and executive students is required.Practical implicationsA key practical implication is that organizations may be able to effectively supplement their own experienced‐based developmental efforts for their managerial personnel with course‐based learning.Originality/valueThe paper's findings support an option for many firms, although this has not received much direct empirical support. Additionally, the results support the increasing emphasis placed on soft skills, suggesting that development of strategic skills may help managers grasp the bigger‐picture implications.

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsAversion to training in the workplace by trainees stems from a complex web of psychological responses and poor feedback acceptance by trainers. Improving this feedback loop and reducing the psychological pressure can yield significant results for an organization.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Soft skills and employee productivity are key factors in sustainability and corporate performance in competitive and dynamic environments. The purpose of this article is to identify current findings related to soft skills, employee productivity and their relationship with organizational performance, and to propose a structural model that allows establishing this relationship. The results of some research conducted individually reveal positive and significant relationships in the proposed fields. Some skills found in the literature are communication, problem solving and decision making. To carry out this research, multiple research papers were collected between 2005 and 2024. A structural equation model was used as a way to propose a relationship between the aforementioned factors. This research theoretically demonstrated that soft skills and employee productivity contribute positively and significantly to organizational performance. Limitations may arise depending on the particularities of the industrial sector and the economic context. Since there is little research in the analyzed fields, this study contributes significantly to the identification of key variables.

The full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine placed higher education institutions (HEIs) under unprecedented and immense challenges, demanding adaptive responses across all dimensions of academic life. This study aimed to explore how Ukrainian higher education institutions have contributed to the development of students’ soft skills during the dual crises of war and the pandemic. To achieve this aim, the research employed a multi-method qualitative design that combined document analysis, NVivo-assisted content coding, and comparative case study methodology. Data sources included institutional policies, national guidelines, international frameworks, and scholarly publications. This triangulated approach enabled an in-depth understanding of how Ukrainian universities conceptualised and implemented soft skills development in response to systemic crisis. Among the major demands, wartime education requires the enhancement of students’ soft skills  non technical transferable abilities such as emotional resilience, adaptability, communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and self-management. The article sought to trace the changing role of Ukrainian HEIs in fostering such competencies under conditions of war, forced migration, psychological distress, and digitalised education. Drawing on theoretical insights from 2020 to 2025 regarding institutional strategies that support students’ socio-emotional development in online and hybrid learning environments through community engagement and integrative curricular design, the study also pays special attention to psychological services related to inclusion and peer mentoring for student well-being, as well as civic responsibility. It analyses the correlation between wartime academic persistence and the development of soft skills, placing particular emphasis on institutional resilience and innovative leadership. By reviewing these emerging practices in Ukrainian universities, including case examples from several national HEIs, the article offers practical recommendations for integrating soft skills training into the core mission of universities in times of crisis

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This conceptual paper concentrates on so-called universalistic and contingency approaches to strategic HR management, both of which were found to boost organizational performance. The universalistic approach applies general HR best practices, whereas a contingency approach is tailored to the company's own operational atmosphere. Finally, the study advocates that manifesting a creative climate yields a higher performing workplace. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – For numerous people around the world, sport is a major part of their lives. Its popularity is evident in the degree of both active and passive involvement that prevails. Considerable scope therefore exists for sport to help a variety of interested parties to obtain income, additional value and influence. These include such as individual participants, organizations, sporting bodies, industries and governments. Such opportunities have risen further in recent decades as a result of gradual increases in professionalism and commercialism. But enjoying a high profile comes at a price. Conventional firms can vouch for that. In the wake of well-documented scandals that seriously damaged trust in business, the public quite rightly demanded that companies should demonstrate greater transparency and integrity. Sport has obviously not been without its problems either. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Consistent with predictions, the link between innovation capability and firm performance is significant in the presence of performance measurement. Performance measurement can, thus, be used as a tool for improving the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through innovation capability. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – This paper comments on the understanding and use of “right to request” flexible working arrangements, from both an employee and manager/organization perspective. There was a considerable knowledge deficit among employees making requests for flexible working, and also among their managers, and a high level of informality in the processing of requests. Managers play a critical role in structuring both the procedure and the substantive outcomes of flexible working arrangement (FWA) requests. Managers’ personal experience and levels of commitment to FWAs are critical in the process. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds impartial comments and places the article in context. Findings – Organizations have often been defined as complex social systems that must possess an ability to adjust and morph in response to their competitive environment. Learning is essential to compete and thrive. The business world in which firms operate in is both volatile and uncertain. Economic shocks are seemingly becoming ever more frequent, and the effects of globalization remain ongoing. Such factors guarantee that the current unpredictability is not going anywhere soon. Only companies that are resilient can hope to conquer the many tough challenges that will confront them. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Among the rubble following the global financial crisis from 2008 onwards, several commentators believed that the behaviour, and perceived behaviour, of banks and other financial institutions would kick start the process of moving towards enhanced ethical standards. Business schools, the media, politicians and high profile members of the finance community all came were all at the receiving end of huge amounts of opprobrium from the public, and it was thought it would be in all of their interest to win that four our back in order to prop up the creaking financial systems. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.