PERCEPTIONS AMONG POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESS STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN COLLEGES REGARDING WORK-RELATED MOTIVATORS: A MULTI-COUNTRY INVESTIGATION

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1 Presentation Abstract PERCEPTIONS AMONG POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESS STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN COLLEGES REGARDING WORK-RELATED MOTIVATORS: A MULTI-COUNTRY INVESTIGATION 19 th Annual CBFA Conference at Regent University Jeffrey Buck, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing Doyle Lucas, Ph.D., Professor of Management Mark Motluck, J.D., Assistant Professor of Accounting All authors are faculty members in the Falls School of Business Anderson University, Anderson, IN

2 PERCEPTIONS AMONG POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESS STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN COLLEGES REGARDING WORK-RELATED MOTIVATORS: A MULTI-COUNTRY INVESTIGATION The Research Problem: Do employers possess sufficient understanding regarding work-related motivation desires among today s college students, the future workforce? Do factors related to work motivation differ when comparing cultural settings? The topic of employee motivation persists as an area of intrigue and interest among both business practitioners and organizational behavior researchers. The desire to understand the phenomena is driven by the recognized impact that it has on organizations, individuals, and society at large. While a significant amount of empirical research has focused on current employees, a void exists regarding studies focusing on the employment related motivational desires among future employees, specifically current college or university students. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the perceptions among potential employers and current business students at Christian-based higher education institutions regarding the importance of generic work-related motivators. The study collected information from individuals enrolled at a college located in the Midwest region of the United States (Anderson University), as well as a college located in the western region of Lithuania (Lithuania Christian College). In addition, the study collected data from various employers located in a region adjacent to a large metropolitan region of the United States (Indianapolis, Indiana) as well as a relatively large metropolitan region of Lithuania (Klaipeda, population of 205,000; third largest among the towns of Lithuania). Specifically, the study measured and reported the perceptions of students and employers regarding the following ten employee motivation factors. This list of factors was drawn from research conducted by Kenneth Kovach beginning in 1987 and continuing through 1995 concerning the differing perceptions between employees and supervisors regarding what they want from their work. The list includes: Interesting work Full appreciation of work done Feeling of being in on things Job security Good wages Promotion and growth opportunities within the organization Good working conditions Organizational loyalty toward employees Tactful discipline policies and procedures Sympathetic help with personal problems

3 Methodology: During the spring and summer of 2003, a survey study was completed for the federally funded Circle Seven Workforce Investment Board that focused on the seven counties surrounding the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area. A primary focus of the study was to determine awareness, needs, and communication desires among employers in these seven counties (i.e., Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Morgan, and Shelby) regarding the services and programs offered through the WorkOne initiative. As part of the data collection process, employers were asked to provide their perceptions regarding the importance of each of the ten generic motivating factors mentioned above. In addition, a short survey questionnaire was administered to selected business students at Anderson University, collecting data related to their perceptions regarding the importance of each of the ten generic motivating factors mentioned above. A similar type of instrument was pilot-tested with a group of business students in the fall of 2002, and the data indicated potential differences in desires based upon gender as well as academic major. A distinguishing characteristic of this study was the collection and analysis of primary data from students and employers in the country of Lithuania. The data collection for this portion of the study was coordinated through Lithuania Christian College and was administered in May of Results: Initial results showed that ranking of the motivational factors by level of importance did not differ significantly between the U.S. and Lithuanian students. What they desire from their work environment is very similar. Both student groups placed interesting work, promotion and growth opportunities, good working conditions and good wages in the top half of their rankings. However, when comparing Indiana student responses to those of the Indiana employers, some obvious difference in perceptions of importance emerged. The most important motivational factor to these students was interesting work. The employers ranked that as eighth out of ten possible responses. Promotion and growth opportunities came second in importance for the students while it was ranked as tenth in importance for the employers. Domestic employers ranked the full appreciation of work done as the most important factor. The students placed this in their sixth position. Of interest is that the order of importance for these motivational factors was quite similar between students at Lithuania Christian College (LCC) and the Lithuanian employers with possibly one exception. LCC students placed tactful discipline policies and procedures as ninth on their list while the Lithuanian employers ranked it as fifth in importance.

4 Implications: The rank order of motivational factors for this sample of college students did not differ significantly as a group. By their choices from the list provided the students from both cultures seem to value and desire the same things from their workplaces. By observing the vast difference in perception of importance between the domestic students and domestic employers surveyed it seems justified to conclude that these two groups have differing perceptions as to what are important motivational factors in the workplace. This has potentially major implications for these students and their level of motivation in the workplaces that they will enter very shortly. Possible results may include greater absenteeism, greater employee turnover, and lower quality of work life in general.

5 AU ( ) LCC ( ) Career Motivation College Student Survey 2003 Consider your future employment and career; focusing on how important certain aspects of the job will be to you. In the area below, select the level of importance that you have for each of the listed motivation factors. Using the 1-5 scale provided, with 1 representing absolutely not important and 5 representing vitally important, indicate the level of importance you have for each motivation factor. Absolutely Not Important Vitally Important 1. Interesting work 2. Full appreciation of work done 3. Feeling of being in on things 4. Job security 5. Good wages 6. Promotion and growth opportunities Good working conditions.. 8. Organizational loyalty to employees Tactful discipline policies and procedures. 10. Sympathetic help with personal problems. In the section below, please indicate your response by darkening the circle next to the appropriate selection. 11. Current Class Standing.. O Freshman O Sophomore O Junior O Senior 12. Major... O Accounting O Economics O Finance O Management O Marketing O Other 13. Gender O Female O Male 14. Current Age O 19 or below O 20 O 21 O 22 O 23 O 24 or above 15. Overall Grade Point Average. O 2.0 or below O O O O