Determining the Financial Management Curriculum (Mis) Match Between the Academe and the Industry: Basis for Curriculum Enhancement

Abstract

Financial management is crucial to every organization as well as individuals. The academe, specifically, the higher education, should produce graduates who have skills and knowledge required by the industries. Therefore, this research aimed to determine whether a match or mismatch between the Financial Management curriculum and the industry exist by finding answers for the status of the graduates, the perception of skills and knowledge of both graduates and the employers, and their recommendations for curriculum improvement. Using a convergent parallel mixed research design and analysis, 22 graduates and five (5) employers participated in the survey via Google Forms. Two sets of customized questionnaires containing Likert-scale questions and open-ended question for recommendations were distributed to employees and employers. Findings reveal that employees perceive strongly agreed that they have human relations skills, work ethics, and information technology skills. Surprisingly, employers also assessed their employees with human relations skills, information technology, and research skills. There is a match between the graduates’ self-perception and the employers’ assessment. The respondents’ recommendations both agreed that integrating technology, practical experiences and soft skills enhancement into the curriculum, and fostering collaborations with finance industries could improve Financial Management curriculum. These findings emphasize the importance of continuous skill assessment and development to align graduates' perceptions more closely with industry expectations and employer needs. Therefore, continuously adapting to changes and aligning the curriculum with the needs of the industry is recommended.