This will be published later this year in Business Horizons, a highly regarded business journal published by the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

This article examines disparity between business school focus and business community needs.

From the ABSTRACT:

A content analysis of 200 corporate job descriptions collected in Fall 2009 revealed 140 specific license/certification/skills commonly cited as required for candidates applying for business jobs . A detailed matching of these post-graduation proficiencies with pre-graduation business major tracks is provided to assist schools in better aligning curricula with job requirements. This matching and aligning process is proposed as a key means for reducing disparity between post-graduation licenses/certification/skills required and the academic tracks that are feeders for such positions. Examination of 200 resumes of business students nearing graduation revealed low to no proficiency on the job description-derived skill sets. This finding suggests that disparity between school of business focus and practitioner needs is ongoing and potentially problematic, at least at the institutions sampled. A content analysis of 100 school of business course syllabi and 20 textbooks supported this conclusion. This article provides suggestions for closing the gap between business school curricula and corporate needs.

DOWNLOAD the Full Article HERE

The article details the competitive advantage of QSPM as applied to a retail computer store environment.

The article was co-authored by Meredith E. David, Forest R. David, and Fred R. David

You can download the full PDF of the article below the excerpt.

THE QUANTITATIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING MATRIX (QSPM) APPLIED TO A RETAIL COMPUTER STORE

Meredith E. David, Florida State University Forest R. David, Francis Marion University Fred R. David, Francis Marion University ABSTRACT This article presents the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), an analytical tool used in formulating strategies. First introduced in a Long Range Planning (3), the QSPM has become widely used among strategic management professors and students for two decades. However, the QSPM has not been widely adopted by strategic planning consultants and organizations. This paper discusses how and why the QSPM should be used by businesses for strategic planning. An example QSPM for a retail computer store is provided and the benefits and limitations of this important strategic planning analytical tool are addressed. Specific guidelines are provided for preparing a QSPM.

Download the Full Article HERE