Competencies required for the implementation of an efficient supply chain from the perspectives of students and the labour market

Abstract

The supply chain, the system granting customer satisfaction, is an important field in our changing world. This field’s profit-oriented companies seek employees with the competencies to achieve their goals. This research’s aim was to raise awareness of those competencies that should be developed. The authors questioned 110 supply chain management (SCM) master’s degree (MSc) students from Corvinus University of Budapest (CUB) and performed a significance test on their answers. They were asked to assess 17 competency groups and state the extent to which – on a scale from 0 to 100 – supply chain managers need them. One of the most interesting results was the assessment of presentation skills, which indicated differences between the competencies that companies expected and those that students believed were required. This study not only lays the groundwork for further research but also emphasizes the relevance of those competencies to be developed and the rethinking of training outcome requirements.