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A Comparative Study of Hiring Managers' Expectations and Undergraduates' Challenges in Oral Presentation Competence

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Title: A Comparative Study of Hiring Managers' Expectations and Undergraduates' Challenges in Oral Presentation Competence
Language: English
Authors: Nadia Anuar (ORCID 0000-0002-7179-2266), Nor Shidrah Mat Daud, Nurizah Md Ngadiran, Abdulalim Zakaria
Source: Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning. 2026 16(3):663-676.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Employment Interviews, Personnel Selection, Foreign Countries, Speech Communication, Communication Skills, Student Attitudes, Employer Attitudes, Public Speaking, Expectation, Barriers, Employers
Geographic Terms: Malaysia
DOI: 10.1108/HESWBL-09-2025-0395
ISSN: 2042-3896
Abstract: Purpose: This study aims to explore and compare the extent to which undergraduates' perceived challenges in oral presentations align with the expectations of hiring managers in workplace communication settings. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative exploratory approach was used, combining semi-structured interviews with 4 hiring managers across banking and corporate sectors and open-ended responses from 112 final-year undergraduates from a Malaysian public university. Thematic analysis was applied to examine how oral presentation competence is experienced by students and evaluated by hiring managers. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed a clear mismatch--while hiring managers prioritised clarity, confident delivery and audience engagement, undergraduates were preoccupied with linguistic accuracy and error avoidance. Notably, language proficiency was only cited as a barrier by students, which suggests different conceptualisations of presentation competence. Originality/value: This study offers a theory-informed, comparative analysis of oral presentation competence from the perspectives of undergraduates and hiring managers in Malaysia. It explains how differences in how presentation competence is understood, experienced and evaluated contribute to the persistence of this gap in oral presentation contexts.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506144
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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IllustrationInfo
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  Data: A Comparative Study of Hiring Managers' Expectations and Undergraduates' Challenges in Oral Presentation Competence
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nadia+Anuar%22">Nadia Anuar</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7179-2266">0000-0002-7179-2266</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nor+Shidrah+Mat+Daud%22">Nor Shidrah Mat Daud</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nurizah+Md+Ngadiran%22">Nurizah Md Ngadiran</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abdulalim+Zakaria%22">Abdulalim Zakaria</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Higher+Education%2C+Skills+and+Work-based+Learning%22"><i>Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning</i></searchLink>. 2026 16(3):663-676.
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  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Interviews%22">Employment Interviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personnel+Selection%22">Personnel Selection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+Communication%22">Speech Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+Skills%22">Communication Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employer+Attitudes%22">Employer Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Speaking%22">Public Speaking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expectation%22">Expectation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employers%22">Employers</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Malaysia%22">Malaysia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/HESWBL-09-2025-0395
– Name: ISSN
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  Data: 2042-3896
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study aims to explore and compare the extent to which undergraduates' perceived challenges in oral presentations align with the expectations of hiring managers in workplace communication settings. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative exploratory approach was used, combining semi-structured interviews with 4 hiring managers across banking and corporate sectors and open-ended responses from 112 final-year undergraduates from a Malaysian public university. Thematic analysis was applied to examine how oral presentation competence is experienced by students and evaluated by hiring managers. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed a clear mismatch--while hiring managers prioritised clarity, confident delivery and audience engagement, undergraduates were preoccupied with linguistic accuracy and error avoidance. Notably, language proficiency was only cited as a barrier by students, which suggests different conceptualisations of presentation competence. Originality/value: This study offers a theory-informed, comparative analysis of oral presentation competence from the perspectives of undergraduates and hiring managers in Malaysia. It explains how differences in how presentation competence is understood, experienced and evaluated contribute to the persistence of this gap in oral presentation contexts.
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1506144
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1506144
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/HESWBL-09-2025-0395
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 663
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Interviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personnel Selection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Speech Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communication Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employer Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Speaking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Expectation
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      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Malaysia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A Comparative Study of Hiring Managers' Expectations and Undergraduates' Challenges in Oral Presentation Competence
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            NameFull: Nadia Anuar
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            NameFull: Nor Shidrah Mat Daud
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            NameFull: Nurizah Md Ngadiran
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            NameFull: Abdulalim Zakaria
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            – TitleFull: Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning
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