Purpose
The paper aims to clarify the relationship between problem-solving skills and socialization
of first-year university students and propose talent management strategies for university
management, course instructors and administrators. Thus, this paper identifies three
student clusters among the first-year bachelor students. This paper aims to propose
a talent management framework and makes recommendations for course instructors and
administrators.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a Simulated Work Experience is applied to collect data on problem-solving
skills and demographics of first-year business students. Based on the anonymous competency
and demographic data of 546 students, 3 clusters were identified with a hierarchical
K-means clustering method and linked with talent management and curriculum design
strategies.
Findings
The paper provides empirical insights about how the demographic background of the
first-year students affects the students' problem-solving skills. This paper identifies
three clusters – laggers, unpolished diamonds and drivers – and proposes a talent
management framework to support the students' personal and professional development.
The proposed talent management framework is based on the direction of upskilling and
type of talent management incentives and outlines four distinct categories: extracurricular
reward, tutoring and catching up, perform-or-punish and up-or-out systems. This paper
makes suggestions to course administrators and instructors how to incorporate talent
management and competency mapping aspects into the curriculum and syllabus design
activities.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to problem-solving skills and focused only on first-year business
students.
Practical implications
The paper includes practical implications for business school management, course administrators
and instructors about competency mapping, talent management strategies, curriculum
and syllabus design.
Originality/value
The research is based on the competency mapping of 546 first-year students at Budapest
Business School. The data were collected via a Simulated Work Experience, where the
students were participating in a virtual business project.
