Will they enjoy equal opportunities? University students’ perceptions of employment opportunities in the globalized world

Authors

  • Tara Wilson-Gürler Girne American University
  • Professor Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz Girne American University
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza A. Bhatti Girne American University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.12.04.12

Keywords:

Education, intercultural business communication, students’ perceptions, equality of employment opportunities, global workplace

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore international university students’ perceptions on future global employment opportunities and expectations with regard to workplace diversity. The study employs a qualitative approach, and the data collected include nine study groups with thirty-eight voluntary students from twenty-one different countries studying in a private international university in North Cyprus.  The thematic analyses of the data revealed that students anticipate some degrees of inequality and discrimination when seeking employment, i.e., they believe networking is more important than qualifications.  Moreover, the participants maintain that overseas job experiences will provide them with better employment opportunities in their respective countries.  The main implication of this study for educators is that they should evaluate their current business degree curricula allowing for more interactive communication assignments to build confidence in students’ ability to compete in the global workplace. The revised curricula should also aim at intercultural consciousness raising and including topics of equality and identity using English as a lingua franca with the objective of creating high levels of problem solving and critical thinking in students.

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Author Biographies

Tara Wilson-Gürler, Girne American University

Tara Wilson-Gürler is a Communication lecturer in the Faculty of Business & Economics at Girne American University.  Currently, she is a Doctoral candidate in Business Management with a focus on Intercultural Business Communication.

Professor Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz, Girne American University

Mohammad Hossein KESHAVARZ is professor of Applied Linguistics and Head of ELT Department at Girne American University, North Cyprus. He has published numerous research articles in refereed national and international journals including Language in Society, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, TESOL Journal, International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Reading in a Foreign Language, International Journal of Bilingualism, and Communication Disorders Quarterly. He is also the author of several academic books in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. His research interests include Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Contrastive Linguistics, and Second Language Acquisition.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza A. Bhatti, Girne American University

Feyza Bhatti holds a doctorate in Sociology and conducted gender-related research for ten years at a research center in Pakistan.  Currently, she conducts research in the North Cyprus labor market on women entrepreneurs and experiences of LGBTI+s.  She is the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Acting Director of the Graduate Institute of Education and Research at Girne American University.

 

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Master’s Thesis

Nisbett, A. N. (2011). Perceptions of Caribbean International Students. Unpublished master’s thesis, McMaster University.

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Fakunle, O. A. (2019). International student perceptions on studying abroad and developing employability during a UK Masters. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Edinburg.

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Published

2022-10-01

How to Cite

Wilson-Gürler, T., Keshavarz, M. H. ., & Bhatti, F. A. . (2022). Will they enjoy equal opportunities? University students’ perceptions of employment opportunities in the globalized world. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(4), 113–127. https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.12.04.12

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