Changing Trends in Business Shape Education's Focus on Integrity.

Business over the many years has prided itself in choosing only the academic highest, or the creme of the crop. In this new twenty-first century, a new standard is emerging. One, which is re-examining the value of an employee with regards to integrity. The problem is that although business has been hiring very bright, academic candidates, many times these employees do not turn out to be loyal, trustworthy, or cooperative workers in a world of corporate team survival. The plan of successful corporations is to transfer focus of new employees to include these "soft skills", skills that include attitude, work ethic, team building, problem solving, and group dynamic skills. Results of searching for prospective new hires with these attributes have yielded such benefits as loyalty to company secrets and corporate pride. Also, a sense of belonging has increased and self-esteem has grown. The old "thirty year company man" concept is coming back bringing devotion and trust where it used to be fifty years ago in the United States. Companies are finding this method of selection very rewarding. Corporate stability in personnel, more effective teamwork, harder effort through loyalty to goals and commitment has brought a calming sense of trust.

Mutual effort on the part of both company and employee are the results of this "new" relationship. Business is now eagerly communicating with colleges and schools to teach our youth these skills that may not be textbook curriculum, but are skills that schools reinforce every day in the dissemination of each subject. Through cooperative learning, service learning, and other daily programs, schools must stress more than ever the foundations of true integrity. It is a bit ironic that as we are jettinginto the new millennium, the most sought after abilities in business may be what your Mother and teachers taught us about "getting along and being trustworthy".

"Times, they are a changing". Don't we hear that common phrase so often that we begin to temper what is said next? But it is true. Times change, theories change, philosophies change, and systems change. What are these changes, and what is business trying to tell us in the education of our youth?

Lowell Catlett, guest lecturer at the recent Summer Institute for Nova Southeastern University 1999 shared some informative and enlightening trends which present opportunities for reflection and adjustment in focus and delivery of our curriculum. In preparing our children for the future job market, he identified certain notable trends:

1. Business is rethinking their needs as far as new employee requirements for hire.

2. Customizing is the new catchword to satisfying the New World market. (Customizing products and skills)

3. Business is shifting priorities from strict academic criteria to a blend of academics and more important "soft skills" (interpersonal skills.)

4. Business has the capacity to train and sharpen the needed academic skills.

5. These skills in demand now are: attitude, work ethic, teams building, problem solving, and group dynamic skills.

6. This "integrity" is the latest overall package that business is looking for in potential candidates.

Why might we ask is business doing this? Business must retrain new employees for specific applications anyway, so the academics to be a success in the field can be taught in a short amount of time. But teaching attitude, effort, determination, and loyalty are areas that take many years to develop and instill.

The truth is that the old way of strictly hiring by grade point average and class rank is fading away. Large companies now admit, due to the realized need to customize that such a changing business climate demands continuous training anyway. This term of customizing is everywhere throughout business. Car manufacturers must be able to make body styling changes within minutes or sales and shipping deadlines can ruin sales. As time goes on, business is realizing that the customer is demanding and paying for such "internet-speed" changes. This trend is expected to grow because it meets the individual needs of the consumer. Companies have done the research to confirm this need and sought out ways to meet these needs and also make a profit.

Amazingly, as a blast from the past, it is the groups of behaviors originally taught by parents and grandparents that comprise the "soft skills". They include attitude, work ethic, problem solving, team building, and group dynamics. These are internal qualities that reflect seriousness of desire, commitment of loyalty, ability to contribute and resolve differences in order to reach a common goal. Apparently, these are the intangibles of character that were probably "assumed" in the past when interviewing for employment.

Large corporations appreciate ability, but now realize that all of the previously mentioned skills must be communicated and blended in a synergy that empowers the company to grow as a team.

The world in business changes so fast, that training is a permanent staff function. Companies know that changes and personal customizing need to be accepted and embraced as a permanent part of business. If you don't meet the changing needs, outcomes and profits will suffer. Education as a system is no stranger to changes. This is a wake up call for us to see our role. This is our chance to blend all the affective skills together with math, reading, and science. We taught these skills before, but now have an opportunity to emphasize and model good attitudes; good work ethic, teach loyalty, cooperation and learn compromise. The teaching of these skills is for everyone in schools from the custodian to the principal.

What are the positives? This pseudo-renaissance confirms my heartfelt feelings that all people need to grow up to be caring, contributing partners that somehow make the world a better place after our intervention. It may sound like Mayberry, but a society that cared evolved a better generation.

Another fact is that business loses sharp minds all the time to other companies. Such turnover for wage wars and corporate secrets make retraining costs of new employees enormous. Companies are now enjoying a more "family like" atmosphere with people they keep, and with whom show loyalty. Employees are refreshed with the thought of not having to move every two years for a job. Thinking of all this tends to shine a light in this dark world of competition and unethical values.

How then does education implement this? Some will say a professional packaged program needs to be in place by experts in the field of psychology. Some believe that this philosophy of teaching character has been and will continue to be taught by teachers worldwide. Some note that better parenting programs must engage parents in their role as teacher of values and integrity. Or perhaps teacher mentoring programs to give that one to one values training. Here again, there will be several ways to achieve the same outcome. The diversity of values will reflect the different focuses on different strategies. The main idea will still remain.

In conclusion, business has once again come to the obvious reality that in order to prepare a better all around employee for the market, education must work equally hard on empirical academics, and personal skills of integrity. Business is ever changing to meet consumers' demands for customization. They want employees first and foremost with the correct attitude, work ethic, and sense of dedication. Business makes a commitment with each employee and they expect an equal commitment from them. Schools can be, as they have always been, the vehicle that not only brings out the best academic potential in students, but also develops the best personal traits of integrity that will in turn produce a better society as a whole. Times they are changing, and its time again for education to mold young people of great thought and character to better service for business and to the world.

Del H. Freitag, Assistant Principal, Gettys Middle School, Easley, South Carolina.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mr. Del H. Freitag, 104 Cambridge Court, Easley, South Carolina 29640.