IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v13y2023i5p128-d1143148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of COVID-19 on Curriculum and Employability in Lebanon

Author

Listed:
  • Nada Mallah Boustani

    (Faculty of Business and Administration, Saint Joseph University, Beirut 1104 2020, Lebanon)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacting the whole service sector, including higher education, has forced universities to quickly innovate and recreate. The sanitary crisis resulted in the greatest disruption to educational systems in human history, as well as a shift in the nature, qualifications, and mix of the workforce. The reopening of higher education institutions is another concern, with numerous new operational procedures in place, new opportunities, and prospective curriculum adjustments based on labour market realities. Due to the development of technology, businesses’ requirements for human resource credentials and job types underwent several modifications. This study’s goal is to investigate how COVID-19 has influenced curriculum revisions and employability requirements. The research used a mixed methodology, with quantitative analysis of changes in enrolled students by major and a qualitative study including two different sets of surveys based on the innovation and employability theories addressed to five human resource (HR) directors from institutions and organizations in Lebanon, as well as three universities. The objective was to answer the following questions: How can universities adapt to the changing demands of the labour market specifically in times of crisis? Should university curricula place greater emphasis on students’ personal growth than on technical and conventional learning? The results lead to re-thinking about what higher education systems and institutions can do to redesign their curricula in accordance with the job market and the expectations of the students in this challenging context, where employment security and job market stability issues are more urgent due to the economic crisis and advanced technologies. According to the findings, the research implications include boosting the implementation of the new curriculum through improved HR practices from the Ministry of Education. This will also encourage innovative performance, which will necessitate realistic, swift technical procedures to be unbeatable, creative, and competitive. This study adds significantly to the literature by suggesting curriculum adjustments for online courses and e-training.

Suggested Citation

  • Nada Mallah Boustani, 2023. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Curriculum and Employability in Lebanon," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:13:y:2023:i:5:p:128-:d:1143148
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/13/5/128/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/13/5/128/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shahzad, Khuram & Bajwa, Sami Ullah & Ansted, Ronda B. & Mamoon, Dawood & Khaliq-ur-Rehman,, 2016. "Evaluating human resource management capacity for effective implementation of advanced metering infrastructure by electricity distribution companies in Pakistan," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 107-117.
    2. Marialuz Arántzazu García-González & Fermín Torrano & Guillermo García-González, 2020. "Analysis of Stress Factors for Female Professors at Online Universities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Ebersberger, Bernd & Kuckertz, Andreas, 2021. "Hop to it! The impact of organization type on innovation response time to the COVID-19 crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 126-135.
    4. Abdul Waheed & Xiaoming Miao & Salma Waheed & Naveed Ahmad & Abdul Majeed, 2019. "How New HRM Practices, Organizational Innovation, and Innovative Climate Affect the Innovation Performance in the IT Industry: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Nada Mallah Boustani & May Merhej Sayegh & Zaher Boustany, 2022. "Attitude towards Online Shopping during Pandemics: Do Gender, Social Factors and Platform Quality Matter?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ruba Kutieshat & Panteha Farmanesh, 2022. "The Impact of New Human Resource Management Practices on Innovation Performance during the COVID 19 Crisis: A New Perception on Enhancing the Educational Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Shu Yu & Shuangshuang Zhang & Takaya Yuizono, 2021. "Exploring the Influences of Innovation Climate and Resource Endowments through Two Types of University–Industry Collaborative Activities on Regional Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Ali Zackery & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Zahra Heidari Darani & Shiva Ghasemi, 2022. "COVID-19 Research in Business and Management: A Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-32, August.
    4. Rana Muhammad Shahid Yaqub & Aneeta Rehman & Shakeela Kausar & Zakariya Hassan Qureshi, 2022. "Insights from Theory of Reason Action to Determine the Faculty Turn-Over Intentions in HEI’s of Southern Punjab: Mediating and Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Justice and Organizational ," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 4(2), pages 375-389, june.
    5. Leif Brändle & Helen Signer & Andreas Kuckertz, 2023. "Socioeconomic status and entrepreneurial networking responses to the COVID-19 crisis," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 111-147, January.
    6. Alamzeb Aamir & Sharif Ullah Jan & Abdul Qadus & Abdelmohsen A. Nassani & Mohamed Haffar, 2021. "Impact of Knowledge Sharing on Sustainable Performance: Mediating Role of Employee’s Ambidexterity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-13, November.
    7. Dharm Dev Bhatta & Muddassar Sarfraz & Larisa Ivascu & Marius Pislaru, 2023. "The Nexus of Corporate Affinity for Technology and Firm Sustainable Performance in the Era of Digitalization: A Mediated Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Bichel Andreea Nicoleta & Șerban Corina Georgiana & Bujor Dragoș, 2023. "An Innovative Future through Robotic Process Automation, a Case Study," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 1909-1918, July.
    9. Mathushan P & Kengatharan N, 2022. "Human Resource Management Practices And Firm Innovation: Mediating Role Of Human Capital," Management Research and Practice, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 14(2), pages 25-36, June.
    10. Ferdy F. F. Nuus & Petra C. M. Neessen & Cosmina L. Voinea & Marjolein C. J. Caniëls, 2022. "Sustainable Innovation in the Financial Sector during the Corona Crisis: How Discontinuity Affects Sustainable Innovation, Sustainable Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Absorptive Capacity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    11. Azeem, Muhammad & Ahmed, Munir & Haider, Sajid & Sajjad, Muhammad, 2021. "Expanding competitive advantage through organizational culture, knowledge sharing and organizational innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Khorshed Alam & Mohammad Afshar Ali & Michael Erdiaw-Kwasie & Md Shahiduzzaman & Eswaran Velayutham & Peter A. Murray & Retha Wiesner, 2022. "Impact of ICTs on Innovation and Performance of Firms: Do Start-ups, Regional Proximity and Skills Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    13. Teruel, Mercedes & Amaral-Garcia, Sofia & Bauer, Péter & Coad, Alexander & Domnick, Clemens & Harasztosi, Péter & Pál, Rozália, 2022. "COVID-19 and the resilience of European firms: The influence of pre-crisis productivity, digitalisation and growth performance," EIB Working Papers 2022/13, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    14. Andreas Kuckertz & Leif Brändle, 2022. "Creative reconstruction: a structured literature review of the early empirical research on the COVID-19 crisis and entrepreneurship," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 281-307, June.
    15. Pilar Martín-Hernández & Marta Gil-Lacruz & Ana I. Gil-Lacruz & Juan Luis Azkue-Beteta & Eva M. Lira & Luis Cantarero, 2021. "Fostering University Students’ Engagement in Teamwork and Innovation Behaviors through Game-Based Learning (GBL)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Helena Bulińska-Stangrecka & Anna Bagieńska, 2019. "HR Practices for Supporting Interpersonal Trust and Its Consequences for Team Collaboration and Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    17. Abdul Waheed & Xiaoming Miao & Salma Waheed & Naveed Ahmad & Abdul Majeed, 2019. "How New HRM Practices, Organizational Innovation, and Innovative Climate Affect the Innovation Performance in the IT Industry: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, January.
    18. Linda Widar & Birgitta Wiitavaara & Eva Boman & Marina Heiden, 2021. "Psychophysiological Reactivity, Postures and Movements among Academic Staff: A Comparison between Teleworking Days and Office Days," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    19. Li, Xishu & Voorneveld, Maarten & de Koster, René, 2022. "Business transformation in an age of turbulence – Lessons learned from COVID-19," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    20. Diekhof, Josefine & Krieger, Bastian & Licht, Georg & Rammer, Christian & Schmitt, Johannes & Stenke, Gero, 2021. "The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on innovation: First in-sights from the German business sector," ZEW Expert Briefs 21-06, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:13:y:2023:i:5:p:128-:d:1143148. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.