Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy?  
Case of Business and Management Students 
Rrezehana Hasani Abazi 
University of Prishtina Hasan Prishtina 
rrezehanahasaniabazi@gmail.com 
Purpose: This paper examines typical management and business students' attributes 
and whether they are ready for a knowledge economy. Bearing in mind that education 
is the key driver of the knowledge economy and business and management fields are 
significantly impacted by the introduction of the knowledge economy, it is clear why 
this topic was chosen.  
 Study design/methodology/approach: The study contributes to knowledge by 
answering these questions: 'What are the features of a typical business and 
management student from Kosova?' and 'Do these students have the skills and 
capabilities to succeed in the knowledge economy?'. To respond to these questions, a 
questionnaire is compiled and distributed electronically to students.  
Findings: The findings of this paper are inspiring and encouraging of the prospect of 
Kosova in coming years. It seems that students are equipped with knowledge, self-
confidence and abilities to succeed in this interconnected world. Regarding skills and 
capabilities to succeed in the knowledge economy, students claim to recognise the 
importance of lifelong learning, written and oral communication skills, teamwork and 
creativity. 
Originality/value: To the authors’ knowledge this is the first paper that deals with 
the knowledge economy in Kosova from the students’ perspective.  
 
Introduction 
With its particular geographic position and historical events, Kosova has a unique story of 
economic and social development. Being one of the last countries to win its independence from 
former Yugoslavia, it was also left behind from technological and industrial advancements 
elsewhere. While the rest of the world was concerned with the introduction of knowledge 
economy, Kosovas' population was facing the consequences of the war of 1998-1999 in an 
attempt to recover and restore their homeland. Despite everything, Kosova is part of the world. 
Therefore, it is affected by changes and technological improvements that occur in the developed 
countries. Notably, technology and globalisation have a massive impact on the economy and 
education. A survey conducted in Kosova with 500 SMEs found that 3.5% of managers have 
primary education and 59.7% have secondary education, explaining their lack of knowledge to 
design and implement business strategies (Latifi-Mustafa & Havolli, 2020). Moreover, even 
when there are educated managers, it seems that education does not influence business 
performance. Kosova suffers from the lack of "practical and applicable skills and knowledge 
that graduates are equipped with when entering the labour market" however, there are still 
doubts about the kind of skills that the labour market requires keeping in mind that the economy 
needs to find its orientation (Baćević, 2010).  
Higher education impacts the knowledge economy by providing lifelong learning through 
establishing elasticity, independence and a sense of welfare (Pirrie & Thoutenhoofd, 2013). 
Unlike the traditional economy, the knowledge economy urges university graduates because 
the need for skills associated with lifelong learning, risk-taking, teamwork is a must that cannot 
be cultivated anywhere besides university (Davenport, 2002). Moreover, the knowledge 
economy is unique in various attributes, including concentration on knowledge, increased by 
innovation techniques, intangible assets, information, trade of intangible assets, knowledge 
workers who profit from communication technologies (Mousavi, Moeinfar, & Amouzesh, 
2013). In the knowledge economy, teachers have different roles, focusing more on developing 
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning | ISSN 2232-5697
                    Volume 10 (2021) 205–218 | https://www.doi.org/10.53615/2232-5697.10.205-218
"new skills such as brokering, advocacy and advice", all these in service of facilitating learning 
rather than standing up in front of the class to deliver content (Robertson, 2005). Therefore, it 
is crucial to create an environment in which activities that include knowledge creation, transfer 
and application are being implanted in organisational culture, particularly in higher education 
institutions as knowledge providers (Rowley, 2000).  
From an economic point of view, knowledge is a public good, in the sense that it cannot be 
diminished by consumption and cannot be limited to individual buyers (Marginson, 2010). It is 
essential to acknowledge that students nowadays view education in different manners. 
Therefore, the curriculum must be designed to meet their demands and capabilities (Bratianu, 
Hadad, & Bejinaru, 2020). The essence of education should exceed the need to prepare students 
for the labour market; it should provide students with abilities to be agile, accountable and 
active citizens (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2018). 
Large corporations are asking continuously to expand their knowledge base and research 
through collaboration with universities; hence higher education institutions are being forced to 
have an active role in national, regional and global levels in the knowledge economy (Deiaco, 
Hughes, & McKelvey, 2012). According to Paul Davenport (2002), it is wrong to adapt to the 
"barn model", a condition that allows students to be part of higher education and get a degree 
regardless of skills acquired and quality of education. There is little evidence of the performance 
of graduates in labour markets and whether the university had some impact on their preparation 
for the labour market. However, most higher education institutions in Kosova provide business 
and management programs (BSC Kosovo, 2019). Hence, this paper is focused on business and 
management students, to find out whether they are ready for the knowledge economy. Bearing 
in mind that education is the key driver of the knowledge economy and business and 
management fields are significantly impacted by the introduction of the knowledge economy, 
it is clear why this topic was chosen.  
This study aims to answer these questions: 'What are the features of a typical business and 
management student from Kosova?' and 'Do these students have the skills and capabilities to 
succeed in the knowledge economy?' Answering these questions is crucial in comprehending 
the level of preparation for knowledge economy from the student perspective.   
Theoretical Background  
Jennifer Rowley (2000) argues that knowledge society has already arrived even though 
companies have not been able to implement their concepts concerning the identification, 
production and creation of knowledge assets. Knowledge is the component that drives 
economic and social growth, which led to the concept of a knowledge-based economy that is 
defined as "an economy which is based on the production, distribution, application and the use 
of knowledge" (Mousavi et al., 2013). It is essential to acknowledge that managing knowledge 
in an organisation is not a task to be completed by a single system. Still, instead, it is the people 
that can do it ", and it is the role of organisations to promote policies and practices that help 
people want to share and manage knowledge effectively" (Petrides & Nodine, 2003). Powell 
and Snellman (2004) define knowledge economy "as production and services based on 
knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technological and 
scientific advance as well as equally rapid obsolescence." They argue that key components of 
knowledge economy include "a greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical 
inputs or natural resources, combined with efforts to integrate improvements in every stage of 
the production process, from the R&D lab, the factory floor to the interface with customers." 
The main features of the knowledge economy are scientific knowledge and education, which in 
the globalised world are the inputs of producing material and nonmaterial goods (Zelinska, 
Andrusiv, & Simkiv, 2020). To date, universities are known as institutions of higher learning. 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 206
Still, over time, this role has expanded toward establishing them as crucial motors of economic 
growth through their contribution to research and development activities (Obadić & Aristovnik, 
2011). The means to achieve growth in the knowledge economy are discoveries and 
innovations, "in which university has a central role" (Davenport, 2002). Universities, as part of 
the knowledge industry, need to realise their impact on the knowledge society through 
"managing the processes associated with the creation of knowledge assets and recognising the 
value of their intellectual capital to their continuing role in society, and in a wider global 
marketplace for higher education" (Rowley, 2000).  
According to Petrides and Nodine (2003), "knowledge management in education can be thought 
of as a framework or an approach that enables people within an organisation to develop a set of 
practices to collect information and share what they know, leading to action that improves 
services and outcomes". Universities use various inputs to create at least two outputs, referring 
to research and teaching. To put it simply, research is associated with the number of 
publications and teaching with the number of graduates (Obadić & Aristovnik, 2011). Powell 
and Snellman (2004) argue that the downside of literature on knowledge management is the 
focal point on knowledge production underestimating knowledge dissemination, forgetting that 
productivity boosts only when new technologies are implemented in organisational practices. 
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) found that western 
countries are funding intensively knowledge sectors, "especially education, communications 
and information", due to their impact on the knowledge-based economy (Olssen & Peters, 
2007).  
Investing heavily in technology design and implementation in education is insufficient if this is 
not combined with improved decision-making skills since faculty members distrust technology. 
Also, some managers use this equipment to cut back departments instead of using them to be 
more efficient (Petrides & Nodine, 2003). Expenses on universities have a positive impact on 
economic growth. In other words, an educated labour force increases the chances of better 
economic development (Obadić & Aristovnik, 2011). Additionally, higher education 
institutions spend a considerable amount of money on knowledge creation and distribution 
through the payment of staff. Still, they lack the skills to assess their intellectual capital and 
include it in balance sheets, increasing their assets (Rowley, 2000). Higher education and 
research is not restricted to providing opportunities and stimulate economic growth only. Their 
role in the knowledge economy expands to "the promotion and harmonisation of cultural 
diversity, political democracy and economic trade" (Marginson, 2010).  
According to Rowley (2000), higher education institutions and consultancy organisations, all 
in the knowledge business, have realised that knowledge is power because it determines the 
employability of people. Furthermore, research conducted in 38 UK higher education 
institutions with 1060 business and management graduates found that the skills acquired during 
their studies and skills that employers demand are not in accordance (Wilton, 2020). Dr. Nick 
Wilton (2020) recognises a mismatch between employers' demands and the curriculum of 
business and management degrees. This calls for better coordination among employers, 
education providers and graduates to meet the knowledge economy's requests. It is long gone 
the period when the future was forecasted "by extrapolating the present situation based on 
deterministic thinking models" since the business environment is no longer stable, certain, 
simple and plain (Bratianu et al., 2020). Albania's higher education languishes from old 
curricula, out of date issues, avoids current demands of society and economy, and does not stir 
innovation (Mora, Ferreira, Vidal, & Vieira, 2015). In addition, the authors recommend 
overcoming these vulnerabilities by restructuring higher education institutions regarding their 
contribution to social and economic development by offering "consultancy, applied scientific 
research and other services". Higher education in Ukraine is far behind developed countries due 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 207
to the old teaching methods and focus on theoretical concepts. As a result, graduates do not 
have the necessary skills to be competitive in the labour market. Higher education institutions 
are not up to date, do not satisfy businesses' needs, and are imprisoned by state order (Zelinska 
et al., 2020).  
The knowledge economy is different from traditional economy in several features: information 
and knowledge cannot be decreased with usage in contrast to resources in conventional 
economy, gathering of knowledge leads to economic growth meanwhile in traditional economy 
capital and labour plays this part, the formal economy does not consider social relationships, 
which are crucial in the knowledge economy (Mousavi et al., 2013). A study that investigated 
characteristics of learning organisations with 150 enterprises from Kosova found that these 
businesses failed to benefit from this kind of organisation (Berisha Qehaja, Kutllovci, & 
Havolli, 2017). Simon Marginson (2010) points out the distinction between private and public 
goods of teaching and learning. Accordingly, the contents of courses and research papers are 
public goods since they are in the cyber-space, whilst “brands, positional advantages, 
networking and high-quality teaching provided in elite institutions” are private goods.  
Method and Findings 
Kosova has seven public universities and 16 active private colleges, with 19,7441 students of 
Business and Management programs in public universities in 2017/2018, and there is no official 
data of how many students are in private colleges in these programs (Ministry of Education, 
2018).  
The nature of this research is descriptive in order to win an accurate profile of students and their 
level of preparation for the knowledge economy. The choice for descriptive research is in 
accordance with research questions (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2016). First, a questionnaire 
is compiled in Google forms to collect data from business and management students. Then, the 
questionnaire is validated through the assistance of authors' colleagues who read it and gave 
their insights on the content of items.  Furthermore, the questionnaire was also shared with other 
people, family and friends, to determine whether it is easy to understand and measure what it is 
supposed to measure.  
This study was conducted during the fast spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)2, hence 
it was impossible to visit students physically in universities to gather responses. Therefore, the 
sampling techniques chosen here are the self-selection and snowball method since these were 
the only viable options considering the lockdown and difficulties to contact cases otherwise. 
The questionnaire was distributed via Facebook to students that the author knew, and then they 
were asked to share it with their peers. Participation was utterly voluntary, and respondents 
were assured that the answers were confidential and by no means will data be provided to 
identify participants.  
Sixty completed questionnaires are accepted from business and management students. Of them, 
female students are 73.3%, while in terms of age; the sample consists of students 17-21 years 
old (8.3%), 22-26 years old (38.3%), 27-31 years old (33.3%) and over 31 (20%). The three 
levels of studies are represented in this sample, whereas most respondents work full time 
(66.7%), while 10% work part-time, and the rest (23.3%) are not working. The survey question 
'Have you ever heard of the knowledge economy?' the vast majority (70%) have heard before 
about knowledge economy, whilst the rest have answered with 'no'. This question was 
                                                 
1 Calculated from the author, according to official data 
2 During July and August 2020 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 208
formulated to have a clear idea of their level of knowledge on contemporary business issues 
such as the knowledge economy.  
Research question 1: What are the features of a typical business and management student 
from Kosova? 
To depict a typical business and management student from Kosova, the author utilised IBM 
SPSS Statistics 26 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) to get frequencies for some 
survey questions. Graph 1 show that students assess their knowledge of the field of study very 
high and genuinely believe that they can successfully compete with international students from 
developed countries.  
 
Graph 1. Self-confidence of students 
The survey question ‘the best way to gain knowledge is through:' is multiple response question 
that allowed participants to check one or more responses. The majority of them (graph 2) learn 
using different methods, mostly studying at home and using the internet to facilitate their 
studies. Additionally, lectures and discussions with friends assist students in their endeavours 
toward knowledge.   
 
 
 
Graph 2. Methods to gain knowledge 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 209
Regarding the level of English proficiency, students have high knowledge (Appendix B, graph 
1), which is one of the knowledge economy demands. In addition, English is the global language 
of the knowledge economy; consequently, students are encouraged to learn it since "English is 
the premier language of business and the professions and the only global language of science, 
research and academic publication." (Marginson, 2010). 
Considering that participants of this research are management and business students, they are 
asked to agree or disagree with the claim concerning entrepreneurial aspirations (Appendix B, 
graph 2). The majority of them (53.33%) do have ideas to start a business, and only 15% do not 
have such intentions.  
Research question 2: Do these students have the skills and capabilities to succeed in the 
knowledge economy? 
Answering this question requires determining what skills and capabilities are necessary to 
succeed in the knowledge economy. The new pattern of business education demands more 
effort from students and their commitment in the search for knowledge (Bratianu et al., 2020) 
instead of sitting down and listening to lectures. Canadian employers are asking universities to 
equip students with abilities of leadership, communication, both oral and in writing, to solve 
problems, critical and creative thinking, team working, all of these requirements to decrease the 
ratio of student-faculty (Davenport, 2002). Andrews and Higson (2010) argue that business 
education programs need to pay closer attention to developing 'softer' business skills and verbal 
communication skills. These are essential for employability among graduates to express their 
business knowledge. In addition, the knowledge economy demands a new kind of employee, 
one that is highly educated with technological competence instead of less-educated labour who 
are being substituted by computers (Powell & Snellman, 2004). To evaluate the chances of 
success of management and business students from Kosova, the author of this paper asked 
participants to agree or disagree with some statements regarding lifelong learning, business 
ethics, commitment, writing and presentation skills, teamwork, creativity, research and 
computer skills and problem-solving skills.  
Students are aware of the impact of lifelong reading and learning in the economics and business 
field (Appendix B, graph 3). Concerning business ethics, results are somewhat more diverse 
since not the vast majority believes in being ethical to reap long-term benefits (Appendix B, 
graph 3). One of the main challenges of students is developing written and oral communication 
skills (Andrews & Higson, 2010; Davenport, 2002). Higher education seems to positively 
impact these issues (Appendix B, graph 4), slightly more impact on written than presentation 
skills. The knowledge economy requires creative people who can work in teams since routine 
and individual work are disappearing. From the findings of this study, respondents appear to 
acknowledge teamwork and become creative over the years (Appendix B, graph 5). Most of the 
students surveyed are interested in entrepreneurial activities, and the majority of them have a 
significant level of English proficiency. Still, there seems not to be a correlation between these 
two variables (graph 3). Therefore, the level of English knowledge does not impact 
entrepreneurial aspirations since the vast majority of respondents rank their level of English 
proficiency above average. Still, only 53.33% are willing to start their own business (Appendix 
B, graph 1 and 2).  
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 210
 
 
Graph 3. Entrepreneurial aspirations and English proficiency   
Discussion of Findings  
This study aims to examine attributes of typical management and business student and whether 
they are ready for the knowledge economy. To accomplish this goal, the author utilised 
descriptive statistics to create a perception of students' characteristics and their awareness and 
commitment toward a knowledge-based economy. The findings of this paper are inspiring and 
encouraging of the prospect of Kosova in coming years. It seems that students are equipped 
with knowledge, self-confidence and abilities to succeed in this interconnected world. These 
days, technological innovations are spreading quickly and with lower costs than ever before. 
This has a huge impact, particularly on young people, who adopt them faster and use these 
innovations to facilitate their lives, in terms of learning, regardless of economic development 
in their country. Thus, Kosovas' students appear to make good use of technological innovations, 
overcoming obstacles of living in a post-conflict country.  
This paper suggests that business and management students are convinced that they have 
sufficient knowledge of their study fields and are at the same levels to compete with their 
foreign peers. This is a promising result considering that high self-esteem positively impacts 
attitude toward academic and work-related challenges. In addition, they use various sources to 
gain knowledge. Consequently, this makes them more knowledgeable, open-minded and ready 
for the knowledge economy. Although all respondents claimed to possess a certain level of 
English, most of them ranked their knowledge advanced or superior.   
The majority of these students have ideas to start a business even though this is not in their short 
term plans. In a study conducted with 1138 business and management students in Kosova, just 
9.95% plan to establish their own business and not look for a job, while 26.70% plan to continue 
their studies, 21.47% will look for a job. The rest are indecisive or will not be employed for 
other reasons (BSC Kosovo, 2019). Perhaps students have ideas for businesses, but they do not 
think it is time to start a business without any work experience. Furthermore, according to 
another survey in 2012 in Kosova, "the main reason to start – up a business is the 'desire to 
realise my dream of having my company' (32.6 %), followed by the spot of a business 
opportunity (26.1%), and 'being unemployed and had to do something to earn a living (24.0%)" 
(Krasniqi et al., 2011). It is essential to acknowledge that higher education institutions in 
Kosova do not provide lore and competencies to students to prepare them for entrepreneurship 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 211
and the labour market (Qorraj, 2017). The government needs to be particularly concerned with 
technology, industry, and education policies since a strong collaboration between these 
strengthen the national economy (Mousavi et al., 2013). Overall, a typical business and 
management student from Kosova believes that she/he has adequate knowledge on her/his field 
of study, can successfully compete in the international arena, has significant English language 
proficiency and has entrepreneurial ambitions.  
Regarding skills and capabilities to succeed in the knowledge economy, students claim to 
recognise the importance of lifelong learning, written and oral communication skills, teamwork 
and creativity. In addition, participants of this research are aware that continuity in reading and 
learning is vital for success in business and management; however, it is another issue if they 
indeed practice this. These findings are consistent with a study conducted with 260 participants 
in Hong Kong which revealed that competencies most desired by employers are “ability and 
willingness to learn, teamwork and cooperation, hardworking and willingness to take on extra 
work, self-control and analytical thinking” (Pang, Wong, Leung, & Coombes, 2019).  
Perhaps the business environment in Kosova does not offer sufficient incentives to be ethical, 
which may be why respondents do not share the same views about ethics and long-term benefits. 
Students declare that writing skills have become slightly more advanced during studies than 
presentation skills, possibly since most exams are in writing and not all students have the chance 
to practice presentation skills. A study that aimed to assess higher education business 
programmes in terms of meeting European marketplace demands in the UK, Austria, Slovenia 
and Romania indicates that employers of these countries have all similar requests on graduates, 
including problem-solving abilities, interpersonal and communication competencies, levels of 
discipline-specific skills, and ability to work with the minimum of supervision (Andrews & 
Higson, 2010). The same study found that business graduates feel that they lack the skills to 
make verbal presentations because, during their schooling, they did not focus on these skills. 
Keeping in mind that employers ask for both these skills, higher education institutions should 
meet their requirements by making curriculum changes. Teamwork and creativity are 
particularly essential in an economy that depends on technology and innovations. Students 
reckon that they benefit from teamwork during the acquisition of knowledge and becoming 
creative over the years, which the author of this paper believes that university has some credit 
in the latter.  
Conclusion  
This paper provides empirical data to describe and evaluate management and business students 
concerning the knowledge economy. According to its findings, it appears that these students 
are aware and somewhat ready for the knowledge economy. They possess some of the qualities 
demanded by this type of economy. With some changes from the government and other actors 
involved, they can genuinely play a vital role in world development. In this sense, students 
seem to own knowledge, self-confidence and necessary skills to succeed. Participants 
acknowledge the importance of lifelong learning. They have a high level of English proficiency, 
use various modes to gain knowledge, consider entrepreneurial activities, upgraded their 
writing and presentation skills, have the confidence to compete with international students. 
Nevertheless, governments need to become aware of the importance of public policies 
associated with technology, industry, and education to create an environment of cooperation 
between university, industry, and country, hence facilitating economic development (Zelinska 
et al., 2020). 
Kosova's education system needs to create and disseminate practical knowledge and social 
skills necessary to participate in the democratic world (Baćević, 2010). A study conducted with 
516 students in a university in Romania found that they perceive that university enables them 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 212
to acquire entrepreneurial skills in this order: first comes judgement and decision making skills, 
followed by complex problem-solving. Then, critical thinking skills and the least developed 
qualities during studies are creative and active learning skills (Bejinaru, 2018). This research 
indicates that there is a huge potential among young people to race and win in the knowledge 
economy. Therefore the dilemma lies in the ability of government institutions to take advantage 
of these opportunities. Students of management and business programs should develop some 
particular thinking skills to become employable after graduation. These are: "Searching, 
collecting and organising data, information and knowledge, Problem-solving, Creative 
thinking, Learning to learn, and Strategic thinking" (Bratianu & Vatamanescu, 2017).  
Politicians and policymakers in the United Kingdom are advocating personalised learning, 
which consists of an approach to 'learning to learn as a reaction to traditional schooling 
(Robertson, 2005). In Austria, a lot of national policy programs aimed "to promote knowledge 
transfer from universities to firms and stimulate university-industry partnerships" (Trippl, 
Sinozic, & Lawton Smith, 2015). Among the programs are COMET, BRIDGE, COIN and 
Christian Doppler Laboratories, all of them attempting to coordinate activities between 
universities and the business sector. On the other hand, in Kosova, there is no clear coordination 
between universities and the private sector. Moreover, the USA is the sole leader of higher 
education worldwide for several reasons: it has the largest GDP in the world, spends the highest 
amount of GDP on tertiary education, benefits from English as a global language, American 
research universities lure talents worldwide, universities attempt continuously to build a 
network with American universities, American scholars lead science, and they establish norms 
of university and system organisation (Marginson, 2010). 
Philip G. Altbach (2013) defines research universities as "academic institutions committed to 
creating and disseminating knowledge, in a range of disciplines and fields, and featuring the 
appropriate laboratories, libraries, and other infrastructures that permit teaching and research at 
the highest possible level. While typically large and multifaceted, some research universities 
may be smaller institutions, concentrating on a narrower range of subjects." Research 
universities are the course of action to enter the knowledge economy since they provide 
possibilities to be part of the top academic community in global science and scholarship 
(Altbach, 2013). It would be an enormous step to consider the establishment of a research 
university in Kosova. Altbach (2013) proposes this since poor and developing countries lack 
the resources to have a research university; however, they can create regional academic 
alliances to engage in global science because they also need to have a say in world development.  
The results of this study have implications for practitioners and policymakers. First and 
foremost, government officials should become aware of students' potential and how the country 
can benefit from them. To do so, closer cooperation between higher education institutions and 
the business sector is necessary. Universities should review their curriculum to reflect the 
demands of the current world, considering the requests of students and the labour market. 
Moreover, the findings of this study can help the business sector by revealing that management 
and business students of Kosova are capable of dealing with business issues of this century if 
given a chance.  
In conclusion, the empirical findings of this paper suggest that Kosova is ready for a knowledge 
economy from the perspective of students. In other words, students are prepared to compete 
and collaborate with their international peers in a knowledge-based economy. Nevertheless, the 
author has serious doubts about the level of preparation by government institutions and 
academic staff in this regard.  
The results of this study may not be generalised for several reasons. First, the sample was small 
and did not cover sufficiently students of private colleges. Second, participants may not be 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 213
sincere, and some of their responses potentially could affect the results. Finally, this paper 
measured what students think but not their factual knowledge and how they act. However, the 
findings are concise and represent a certain reality.  
Other studies should expand the scope of research to include students of different study areas. 
The preparation of Kosova for knowledge economy could be further explored by examining 
government institutions and academic staff. Accordingly, future studies could analyse issues 
associated with the skills necessary for employment in Kosova as part of the globalised labour 
market.  
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Appendix A 
Questionnaire 
Note: I assure you that all information provided will be treated confidentially and will only be used for this study. 
1. Gender:  Female    Male 
 
2. Age:  
17-21 years old 
22-26 years old 
27-31 years old 
32 years or older  
 
3.  Where do you study? 
Universiteti i Prishtinës “Hasan Prishtina” 
Universiteti i Prizrenit  “Ukshin Hoti” 
Universiteti i Gjilanit  “Kadri Zeka” 
Universiteti i Pejës “Haxhi Zeka” 
Universiteti i Mitrovicës “Isa Boletini” 
Universiteti i Shkencave të Aplikuara në Ferizaj 
Kolegji AAB 
Kolegji Arbëri 
Kolegji AUK 
Kolegji Biznesi 
Kolegji Dardania 
Kolegji ESLG 
Kolegji FAMA 
Kolegji Globus 
Kolegji Ndërkombëtar për Biznes në Mitrovicë (IBCM) 
Kolegji Iliria 
Kolegji ISPE 
Kolegji Pjeter Budi 
Kolegji Riinvest 
Kolegji UBT 
Kolegji Universum 
 
4. Please indicate the study field or department where you study: 
 
 
5. What level of studies are you currently pursuing? 
Bachelor 
Master 
PhD  
 
6. How do you assess your knowledge of your study field? 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 215
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
7. Are you currently working? 
Yes, full time 
Yes, part-time 
No 
 
8. Have you heard of the knowledge economy before? 
Yes 
No 
 
9. Do you think that you can compete successfully with students from developed countries? 
Yes 
No 
I don’t know 
 
10.  The best way to gain knowledge is through: 
 Lectures  
 Study at home 
 Discussions with study colleagues 
 Internet 
 Other, please specify 
 
 
 
11.  Which languages, other than your mother tongue, you speak: 
 
 
 
12. What is your level of English language proficiency? 
Superior 
Advanced 
Average 
Beginner 
 
13. Express your opinion regarding the following statements: 
 I don’t agree Neutral I agree 
People with more education have higher chances for a bette
job. 
   
Business requires lifelong reading and learning.    
Being unethical in business does not result in long-term
benefits. 
   
Students should take the initiative to learn and study beyon
the requirements of professors by insisting on their goals.
   
I have significantly improved my writing skills during m
studies in higher education. 
   
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 216
 
 
Appendix B 
 
 
Graph 1. English level 
 
 
Graph 2. Entrepreneurial aspirations 
My presentation skills have been advanced throughout m
studies in higher education. 
   
Teamwork helps me gain knowledge and skills.    
I have become more creative over the years.    
University has helped me develop research skills.    
My computer skills have been advanced through facult
lectures. 
   
I can solve complex and unpredictable problems.    
I have ideas to start a business.    
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 217
 
Graph 3. Business ethics and lifelong learning 
 
 
 
 
Graph 4. Writing and presentation skills 
 
 
Graph 5. Teamwork and creativity 
 
Hasani Abazi | Is Kosova Prepared for Knowledge Economy? Case of Business and Management Students 218