An exploration of factors that contribute to the reluctance of SME owner-managers to employ first destination marketing graduates

Purpose - To examine the attitudes of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, in order to identify obstacles to employment of marketing-qualified graduates and devise strategies for improving the rate of graduate recruitment in the sector. Design/methodology/approach - Focus groups, semi-structured interviews and a postal questionnaire survey, yielding responses from 260 SMEs and 130 graduates, was built upon focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, and selectively followed up by in-depth interviews. Findings - There is a significant supply-demand imbalance and a mismatch between the skills demanded by SME owner-managers versus those taught in typical marketing syllabuses. Graduates' frame of reference is the world of big FMCG business; they do not understand the modus operandi of SMEs. Proposals are made for dealing with the resulting problems. Research limitations/implications - The sample is limited geographically and the response rate among SMEs characteristically low. A broader-based extension of the study is indicated. Practical implications - The findings provide a recipe for the redesign of syllabuses and curricula to narrow the skills identified, to educate SME owner-managers in the benefits of employing graduates, and to stimulate graduates to take more responsibility for their own development. Originality/value - Empirical research of interest to policy makers, marketing educators and small-business leaders.