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Introduction and context
Universities have traditionally focused on imparting theoretical knowledge, which forms a foundation that can be built on in the workplace (Fromhold-Eisebeth and Werker, 2013). However, research suggests that business students, in particular, find it difficult to apply their theoretical knowledge to solve business problems (Candy and Crebert, 1991), which may be due to a focus on theoretical knowledge in business schools at the expense of a more applied approach that emphasises connection to the business world (Angelidis et al., 2004). Certainly, there is evidence that business graduates are somewhat dissatisfied with their level of preparation for the workplace (Crebert et al., 2004). However, it is unclear from a graduating student perspective, if this is due to a lack of theoretical knowledge, an inability to apply this knowledge successfully or for another reason. Similarly, employers often complain that graduates lack the required skills upon graduation (Crebert et al., 2004) and often see graduates as requiring training before they can transfer the set of theoretical knowledge they have acquired at university to a workplace setting (Candy and Crebert, 1991; Crebert et al., 2004).
The purpose of this study is to determine the ways in which theoretical knowledge and practical experience interact for graduating students. This contributes to the current literature by broadening our understanding of how this knowledge is applied in practice and helping us to determine if graduating students are prepared to meet the demands of an ever-changing workplace. Whilst many universities globally continue to integrate experiences for students within workplaces, it seems somewhat surprising that the ability of new graduates to apply the core theoretical knowledge they obtain from tertiary education has received very little attention in the literature to date. The views of new graduates in healthcare (Robertson and Griffiths, 2009) and reflections of business graduates on employability skills in particular four years post-graduation (Wilton, 2008) have been considered, but the views of graduating business students have seldom been investigated. This is surprising given the contemporary employability emphasis of many business schools and the emphasis of business schools and faculties, in developing knowledge that can be translated into skills that advance the practice of a business profession (Van De Ven and Johnson, 2006).
The process of transfer...