Graduate Follow-Up Study of the business administration program at Martín Lutero University in Nicaragua

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the perception and degree of satisfaction of graduates of the business administration program at Martin Luther University regarding their professional training and current employment status. It also sought to obtain the assessment of employers regarding the competencies in the work performance of these professionals.

Although the existence of qualitative elements was notable, a quantitative approach was adopted, due to the majority presence of the characteristics and procedures of the same. The predominant type of research was descriptive and cross-sectional, in which a deductive and inductive methodology was used to treat a population of 16 graduates to whom a questionnaire of 39 questions was applied and 8 employers who answered a questionnaire of 23 Likert scale questions and 4 open questions.

As significant results, it was found that graduates gave high levels of value to generic and specific competencies, but expressed as opportunities for reinforcement the use of ICT, consulting processes, audits and market research, use of English as a second language and need for preparation to work in international contexts. Likewise, they assumed very satisfactory evaluations for the academic processes with which they were professionally trained, making suggestions to enhance tutoring in the area of scientific research. For their part, employers made extremely positive evaluations of the graduates' performance. Finally, recommendations were presented that the UML should take up in a timely manner, in order to improve the quality of its graduates.