Two-year degrees' versus four year degrees', which education in retail best prepares it's graduates?

Abstract

The problem of this study was to determine which type of retailing degree, two year or four-year, was considered most important by the executives responsible for the recruiting, hiring, and training of today's young retailing professionals. The population was the CEO, Vice Presidents, College Recruiter, Human Resource Divisions, Regional Managers and Store Managers for the retailing group Saks Incorporated, specifically the Younkers division. Internal research was done to collect and categorize the names of each individual to be included and each was electronically mailed and verbally called. A random sample was prepared using 100% of the population for the survey with the chosen group of Younkers individuals. (Population 115 X 100% Sample, 115.) 91 percent of the sample responded, 105 persons. This upper echelon of Saks Incorporated executives generally agreed that it was most important to have the well- rounded degree that they are provided by with those who possess a four-year degree. This allows the recruit to be more mobile in the ever-changing corporate ladder, continuing upward career movement. However, at the store level, a two-year degree is adequate to climb up to Assistant Store Manager and sometimes higher. As reviewed, preferences by the sample group generally felt it was most important for future recruits to possess a four-year degree, especially at corporate management and above levels. A small percent, however, still believe that it is important to hire recruits with two-year degrees at the store level to keep the store management positions strong. In the future many of the sample subjects believed that even a four-year degree would not be enough to fill the shoes of what corporate management's needs will be. The subjects saw their future needs moving strongly towards Masters in Business Administration degrees etc. to acquire all competencies needed at that level; the stores in turn will move towards four-year degrees for all types of store management. Based on these findings, current needs are a four-year degree for corporate management positions and a two-year degree for store management positions. The future in retail education, as with many other professions, will again be adjusting its programs and graduates to meet the degree expectations of the corporations involved. Soon enough the steps will again rise and graduates will return to college campuses in search of continuing education to fulfill the growing degree expectations of the future retailing industry.