A recent article in the New York Times sheds a light on leadership thoughts of college graduates in China. The article specifically can be analyzed using the trait and skills approach. The basic message in the article is that in China, millions of college graduates are unemployed. At the same time, factory jobs are abundant. The problem lies in the fact that college graduates often times refuse to work in a factory. Interestingly, those in China with a college degree are four times as likely to be unemployed as those with only an elementary school education. The article states that there are a few main issues generating this problem. First, college graduates in China are very picky with what jobs they will take. Second, the amount of technical training is on the decline in China, so few people have the skills needed for certain positions (Bradsher, 2013).
Beginning with the trait approach, it is clear that Chinese college graduates associate certain traits with being a good leader. The Great Man Theory can explain this. The Chinese college graduates feel more qualified and entitled to jobs more prestigious than factory jobs. They feel that they are the “great” leaders and deserve to be in higher positions (PSU WC, L 2). This idea leads to the dark side of personality. These Chinese college graduates that would rather be unemployed than work in a factory are narcissistic. They are very self-centered and have a sense of entitlement (PSU WC, L 2). From spending time in college, they feel overqualified and entitled to better jobs, and thus end up graduating from college and becoming unemployed.
The skills approach can also be used in analyzing this article. The article specifically mentions a decline in the technical skills. Technical skills are one of the three skill-set areas introduced in the Three Skill Model by Katz. Technical skills are the ability to use tools and processes of the organization (PSU WC, L 4). The Chinese college graduates lack the “hands-on” skills required to fix and operate factory equipment. While lacking the technical skills, Chinese graduates believe they are overqualified because they have many other skills gained through a college education. They feel that they have competencies and knowledge gained from their education (PSU WC, L 4). Due to these skills acquired during college, Chinese graduates feel as though they should have more prestigious jobs.
As can be seen, the skills and trait approach work together in explaining the current situation among college graduates. The trait approach can explain why college graduates develop a sense of entitlement through the Great Man Theory and the dark side of personality. Though college graduates feel a sense of entitlement, they are also lacking some skills required to hold a factory job that they feel overqualified for. They lack technical skills needed to work in a factory, though they have obtained other skills during their college education.
References
Bradsher, K. (2013, January 24). Chinese graduates say no thanks to factory
jobs. Retrieved from New York Times website: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/business/as-graduates-rise-in-china-office-jobs-fail-to-keep-up.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education
Penn State World Campus (2013). PSYCH 485 Lesson 2: Trait Approach.
Retrieved on Jan. 29 2013, from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp13/psych485/003/content/02_lesson/01_page.html.
Penn State World Campus (2013). PSYCH 485 Lesson 4: Skills Approach.
Retrieved on Jan. 29 2013, from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp13/psych485/003/content/04_lesson/01_page.html.