M7_A3_TraresJordan_K

Running Head: Final Submission M7A3
M7A3 Final Submission
Kimberly Trares-Jordan
Argosy University
1

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Literary Review 4
Understanding Employee Perceptions and Needs 5
Training and Development 7
Career Development 11
Methodology 15
Purpose of the research 15
Research questions and hypotheses 16
Definition of terms 17
Description of research sample 18
Consent, privacy and confidentiality 18
Research Design 19
Institutional Review Board Proposal 22
Letter of Consent for Research Participation 27
References 28
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Introduction
How does; training, continuing education opportunity and professional
development practices influence employee satisfaction and thus retention rates? Do these
factors positively correlate with employee satisfaction and in turn positively correlate
with higher retention rates?
Assessing these variables and their relationship to employee satisfaction and retention
will help determine which are more significantly correlated and thus more likely to
improve satisfaction and retention rates.
Employee retention is a major problem for corporations. In a downturned
economy, it is especially important to identify effective ways to attract and retain the
right employees for the right positions. Low retention rates cause organizations to lose
money on recruitment and new hire training practices as well as loss of productivity
during periods of vacancy. Some estimates report that it costs upwards of twice an
employees salary to find and train a replacement, (The Wall Street Journal, US Edition).
Training, continuing education opportunity and professional development
practices offer a potential win-win situation for both employees and employers.
Employees that are offered a variety of tasks, opportunity for personal and professional
growth and have a clear idea of how they fit within the organization as a whole, both in
the short and long term, tend to be more satisfied and stay longer with their employers,
(Aguinis, 2008). This fosters a culture in which employees may feel challenged and
3

engaged in their work and see opportunities for advancement. In turn, employers have
the ability to invest in and grow their human resources thus, retention rates are improved and
mutual-loyalty may be maximized.
Literary Review
Recruiting and training quality talent are the first steps in retention. How do employers
retain quality individuals in key positions and retain top performers for advancement within their
organization? What are the key factors that contribute to employee satisfaction and retention?
What aspects of training are most important to consider in relation to employee satisfaction?
Decades of research have investigated various aspects of employee performance, productivity,
satisfaction and retention. However, little research has been conducted specifically on the level
of satisfaction with on the job training and how it specifically correlates to employee satisfaction
and retention.
Shift in the global economy have had ripple effects in many areas of life. In recent years,
there has been a shift among employees toward a direction of self-guided career advancement
activities. There is more emphasis on the individual’s necessity to be in charge of ones career
destiny and outcomes as employees face employment and economic conditions that require
greater adaptability and often present a higher level of uncertainty and instability than in past
decades. Employees have begun to take more active roles in their career development and
advancement rather than leaving their career destiny up to their employers primarily, (Baruch,
4

2006). The new global economy necessitates ongoing learning and training for employee growth
and is also required for continued employability, (Schmidt, 2007).
In contrast, employers are often faced with the need to downsize, streamline and
restructure their organizations. Recruiting and maintaining quality talent is of utmost
importance. Replacing employees is costly in terms of finding, interviewing, training and on
boarding, not to mention the potential loss of productivity during the process due to lack of
human resources to complete organizational goals and meet expectations. Retaining vs.
recruiting is a key component to organizational success and growth in lean times. How then do
we identify the key components that contribute to employee satisfaction and thus retention?
Understanding Employee Perceptions and Needs:
In, Stay Interviews: The Leader’s Role In Engaging and Retaining Talent, Beverly Kay
and Sharon Jordan-Evansk (2011), propose the necessity to ask and maintain an open dialogue
with employee’s to get direct, honest feedback about what is important to them in their positions.
By understanding what is important instead of guessing what is important, employers can focus
on controlling what they can control and take the steps within their power to address the
concerns and desires of their employees. Asking facilitates the feelings of being cared about,
valued and important, (Kaye, B and Jordan-Evans, S., 2011). In their research, they have asked
over 17,000 people across every industry and level, why they choose to stay in an organization.
They hear the top 10 responses consistently: 1) Exciting work and challenge, 2) career growth,
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learning and development, 3) working with great people, 4) fair pay, 5) supportive
management/good boss, 6) being recognized, valued and respected, 7) benefits, 8) meaningful
work and making a difference, 9) pride in the organization, its mission and its product, 10) great
work environment and culture. Furthermore, they report that a recent study by the Opinion
Research Corporation found that 80% of respondents said they would consider leaving their jobs
for other opportunities. Management often avoids such conversations with employees because
they fear that demands will be made that they will not be able to meet or that they will put ideas
into the minds of their employees that lead to them considering other options or making changes
outside of their team/organizations, (Kaye, B and Jordan-Evans, S., 2011). A clear take away
from their research is that if employers do not take the time for stay interviews, they will need to
make the time for exit interviews.
Open dialogue must be a join venture. Individuals must take an active vs. a passive role
in their career development and goals. There must exist a partnership between employee and
employer. This begins with fostering an organizational culture of trust and transparency in
which employees feel empowered to express their needs and goals and employers are committed
to hearing and being receptive these needs and goals. Employees in turn must be receptive and
aligned to organizational goals and objectives. By aligning personal and organizational goals a
synergy may take place creating a mutually beneficial professional relationship.
Leigh Branham, (2012) identified four fundamental needs of employees that need to be
met, which were distilled from the many reasons for leaving that were reported and extracted
primarily from archival exit interview data. The 4 fundamental needs of employees are: 1) The
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need for trust: expectation the management will deliver on promises, have open honest
communication, invest in you and treat you fairly. 2) The need to have hope: that you will be
able to grow professional, utilize and develop skills, have the ability to advance which will lead
to higher earnings. 3) The need to feel worthy and respected: that if you work hard you will
receive recognition, reward, respect and be seen as an asset rather than a liability. 4) The need to
feel competent as you gain mastery: you will be matched to a position that enables you to utilize
talents and presents challenge, allows you to receive opportunities, prepare for future
responsibilities and roles and to receive performance feedback on a regular basis. The 10 most
common reasons reported for employees choosing to leave were: poor management, lack of
career growth and advancement opportunity, poor communications, pay, lack of recognition,
poor senior leadership, lack of training, excessive workload, lack of tools and resources and lack
of teamwork.
Training and Development:
In the 2011 Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Survey, conducted by the Society for
Human Resource Management, (SHRM) many important insights regarding U.S. Employee
satisfaction and engagement were obtained: The top 5 aspects of job satisfaction, which were
most important to employees from 2002-2011 included:
• Job Security (63%)
• Opportunities to use skills/abilities (62%)
• Organizations financial stability (55%)
• Relationship with immediate supervisor (55%)
• Compensation/pay (54%)
• Benefits (53%)
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• The work itself (53%)
• Communication between employees and senior management (53%)
Survey results regarding, Career Development specifically show:
• 62% of employees desire the opportunity to use skills and abilities
• 42% desire career advancement opportunities
• 49% place importance on the Organizations commitment to professional development
• 50% desire job specific training
• 46% desire career development opportunities
The SHRM survey, indicates that Organizations may benefit from taking advantage of existing
talent, i.e. nurturing and developing existing employees by partnering with them and identifying
career advancement opportunities, (SHRM, 2011).
Of particular relevance for the proposed study, are the results for: opportunities to use
skills/abilities (62%), desire career advancement opportunities (42%), importance of
organizations commitment to professional development (49%), desire job specific training (50%)
and desire career development opportunities (46%).
In a study conducted by Sahinidis, A. and Bouris, J., (2007), the relationship between
perceived employee training effectiveness and job satisfaction, motivation and commitment was
investigated. They found a significant correlation between the employee’s perceived training
effectiveness and their commitment, job satisfaction and motivation. The practical implications
of their findings indicate that not only are training programs valuable, but they must be perceived
as relevant and effective by the employee. Training which facilitates the employee’s feelings of
commitment by the employers in their personal growth will be seen as opportunity and may lead
to higher levels of motivation and commitment, (Sahinidis, A. and Bouris, J., 2007). Sahinidis,
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A. and Bouris, J., (2007), define training as “the planned intervention that is designed to enhance
the determinants of individual job performance”. Training is identified as a way to reduce
anxiety and frustration brought on by work demands they are unfamiliar with and where skills
are lacking in order to effectively handle demands, (Chen et al, 2004). It was further proposed
that you might assume that if an employee perceives an improvement in his/her knowledge and
skills there will also be an increase in their performance. New competencies and skills will
enable the employee to complete tasks, which will result in overall organizational performance,
(Sahinidis, A. and Bouris, J., 2007). Their research hypotheses were as follows:
H1: There is a positive relationship between employee perceived training effectiveness and job
satisfaction. H2: There is a positive relationship between employee perceived training
effectiveness and motivation. H3: There is a positive relationship between employee perceived
training effectiveness and employee commitment. The results of their study supported all three
hypotheses, showing strong significant relationships between training effectiveness and job
satisfaction and motivation. It is important to note that the presence of training alone is not
enough. The perceived level of training effectiveness is crucial to the level of satisfaction.
This begs the question, what variables impact the perceived level of effectiveness? Depending
on the position, required skills and desired outcomes, it would be helpful to do pilot research to
determine what variables contribute to training effectiveness within industries/positions prior to
fully implementing training methods.
Steven Schmidt, 2007, investigated, The Relationship Between Satisfaction with
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Workplace Training and Overall Job Satisfaction. A significant result was found between job
training satisfaction and overall job satisfaction. Schmidt referenced, Landy (1985) and his
definition of job training as, “a set of planned activities on the part of an organization to increase
the job knowledge and skills or to modify the attitudes and social behavior of its members in
ways consistent with the goals of the organization and the requirements of the job”, (p.306). Job
satisfaction is defined as “how people feel about their jobs and different aspects of their jobs. It
is the extent to which people like or dislike their jobs”, (Spector, 1997, p.2). Schmidt
synthesized the definitions of (Spector, 1997) and (Landy, 1985) to create the term, job training
satisfaction, defined as how people feel about aspects of the job training they receive. Job
training satisfaction is the extent to which people like or dislike the set of planned activities
organized to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to effectively perform a given
task or job, (Schmidt, 2007). The study found a high correlation between job training
satisfaction and overall job satisfaction among employees in customer contact positions.
Schmidt also found that when in training it was important to the employees that the
methodology, i.e. delivery is in a form that they believed was helpful to their learning. The most
preferred methods included: instructor-led training, one-on-one training and job shadowing,
(Schmidt, 2007). Methods involving instructors or a coach were preferred significantly to
solitary methods such a self directed study, computer-based training and video based training,
(Schmidt, 2007).
The preferred method of training in this study may be impacted by the nature of the work
of the employees. In essence, individuals in customer service and technical positions by nature,
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enjoy personal interaction and thus is may follow that they would prefer training via
instructor/coach vs. solitary methods. Ultimately each organization needs to identify the
preferred methods of training by their employees, which will facilitate the highest level of
training satisfaction and thus job satisfaction, (Schmidt, 2007).
The findings in the Schmidt study (2007) are consistent with the Sahinidis, A. and
Bouris, J., (2007) study in that similarly, the level of training satisfaction is related to the
perceived level of effectiveness and relevance. The Schmidt study does identify the issue of
personality profiles within specific positions and the implications on preferred training
delivery/methodology. Identifying the personality traits within positions will provide insight into
the level of desire for ongoing training, preferred method of delivery, as well as a correlation
between personality characteristics and satisfaction.
Career Development:
Barnett, B., & Bradley, L (2007), researched how organizational support for career
development (OSCD), impacts career satisfaction. By determining if there is a benefit to the
organization by investing and participating in OSCD, they may determine how to design career
development practices that will help achieve desired outcomes. They proposed that employees
are more likely to take steps toward achieving their goals when they have access to resources and
support relevant to their goals. The variables considered were: career satisfaction; OSCD,
proactive personality and career management behaviors. Subjective career success is defined as
an individual’s evaluation of their career progress, accomplishments and anticipated outcomes,
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relative to their own goals and aspirations, (Seibert and Kraimer, 2001). They found that OSCD,
proactive personality and career management behaviors positively related to career satisfaction
and career management behaviors mediated the relationship between proactive personality and
career satisfaction, (Barnett, B. & Bradley, L., 2007). Career satisfaction is measured frequently
using the career satisfaction scale developed by Greenhaus et. al. (1990). The hypotheses of the
study included: H1: OSCD will be positively related to career satisfaction. H2: Career
management behaviors will be positively related to career satisfaction. H3: Career management
behaviors will mediate the relationship between OSCD and career satisfaction.
The results identified a reciprocal benefit from investing in career development. In essence,
organizations may benefit by investing in OSCD to increase career satisfaction and employees
may experience greater career satisfaction by utilizing career management resources/OSCD.
Employees’ experience of career success may be influenced by employer’s support of career
development, (Barnett, B. & Bradley, L., 2007).
As with (Schmidt 2007) and (Sahinidis, A. and Bouris, J., 2007), the Barnett & Bradley,
(2007) study identifies personality characteristics that may impact results of training and
professional development activities and outcomes. The proposed study, consisting solely of
admissions representatives within a single organization may also yield clues as to personality
traits that are conducive to the position at large and impact perceptions of training and
professional development. Studying employees so closely involved with the training and
development of the individuals they serve may offer interesting insight into the ways that they
utilize their own professional training and development opportunities.
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In, Career Development – Increase the Strength of your Workforce, a study conducted by
Right Management, outlines key reasons that employers need to implement career development
practices and the value of including these practices into organizational strategy, including:
ongoing development of employee skills and competencies which benefit the organization and
increase employee engagement which is related to productivity, performance and overall
retention. Career development can be utilitized as a competitive instrument, which will facilitate
attaining and exceeding goals. The study included over 28,000 employees from 10 major
industries across 15 countries. Participants were comprised primarily (91%) of employees from
private corporations, with 50+ employees. They found that in order to be most effective,
employee career goals and organization goals must be aligned. Proper alignment was found to:
allow employees to develop skills that facilitate organizational success, as well as increase levels
of engagement, which positively effect productivity, retention and performance. Findings also
show that having career development plans allows employees to select positions, which allow
them to utilize their skills and talents and to be more adaptable under circumstances of
organizational change. They further identified the Top 8 Employer Career Development
Needs/Wants as:
1) retention, 2) higher engagement scores, 3) deliver on strategy, 4) employees growing in place,
5) positive career behaviors, 6) ready to mobilize workforce, 7) career as attraction strategy, 8)
enable IDP. Recommendations to employers included: having senior leaders make career
development a priority, better training for managers and the skills to support career development
activities, better self-assessment tools for employees, utilization of a combined; individual and
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group coaching sessions approach. Ultimately, maximizing employee performance via career
development will facilitate the development of employee skills that will lead to meeting and
exceeding strategic goals.
This study illustrates the need for partnership between employers and employees in order
to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship. Employees must be engaged in the process and
identify personal goals and have the ability to identify opportunities and make choices about
growth opportunities that are consistent with their personal goals as well as aligned to the needs
of the organizational goals at large.
There is an evident common thread amongst these prior research findings, which
indicates that there is a correlation between employee’s satisfaction with training as well as
employee satisfaction with career development practices and opportunities and the overall level
of satisfaction within their careers. Consistently it has been shown that employees desire the
ability to learn and grow, have opportunities to be promoted and advance or laterally move to
positions that best suit their skills, abilities and interests, and feel valued in their positions. It is
also clear that training alone is not enough. The timing, quality, content, mode of delivery and
perceived level of relevance and usefulness are important factors to consider when designing
training that will maximize employee skills, growth and engagement. Through the review
process, it has become evident that personality differences between industries and positions may
also ultimately effect the overall satisfaction of training, career development and overall
satisfaction. Conducting personality profiles and inventories may be helpful in designing and
implementing training and professional development practices.
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The proper implementation of training and career development practices requires
planning, time and training of management in the proper utilization of these valuable tools.
Organizations need to recognize the return on investment they will see as a result of improved
employee satisfaction, increased skills sets, ability to adapt to changes and the ability to utilize
and retain valued employees within the organization over time. Increasing skills, abilities and
opportunities will create a mutually beneficial relationship between employers and employees.
Skilled and satisfied employees will feel challenged and valued, while employers will benefit
from increased retention and savings on recruitment, retraining and improved productivity and
organizational success.
Methodology
Purpose of the research
Employee retention is a major problem for corporations. In a downturned economy, it is
especially important to identify effective ways to attract and retain the right employees for the
right positions. Employees have begun to take more active roles in their career development and
advancement rather than leaving their career destiny up to their employers primarily, (Baruch,
2006). Low retention rates cause organizations to lose money on recruitment and new hire
training practices as well as loss of productivity during periods of vacancy. Some estimates
15

report that it costs upwards of twice an employee’s salary to find and train a replacement, (The
Wall Street Journal, US Edition).
The purpose of the proposed study is to better understand the relationship between
employee training protocols; (i.e. timing, quality, content and relevancy to position) and career
development practices; (employee and management activities, specifically geared toward future
career goals and professional tracking which are unrelated to the employees current position, in
admissions) in relation to job satisfaction and retention. The SHRM survey, indicates that
Organizations may benefit from taking advantage of existing talent, i.e. nurturing and developing
existing employees by partnering with them and identifying career advancement opportunities,
(SHRM, 2011). Training, continuing education opportunity and professional development
practices offer a potential win-win situation for both employees and employers. Employees that
are offered a variety of tasks, opportunity for personal and professional growth and have a clear
idea of how they fit within the organization as a whole, both in the short and long term, tend to
be more satisfied and stay longer with their employers, (Aguinis, 2008). This fosters a culture in
which employees may feel challenged and engaged in their work and see opportunities for
advancement. In turn, employers have the ability to invest in and grow their human resources
thus, retention rates are improved and mutual-loyalty may be maximized.
The study will focus on the admissions departments across 28 campuses in 17 states
within a single private post-secondary education institution, currently experiencing high turnover
rates, i.e. low retention within admissions. By gaining a deeper understanding of how training
protocols and career development practices influence employee satisfaction and retention,
16

protocols and practices may be modified and implemented in order to maximize satisfaction and
retention. Increased satisfaction and retention will in turn minimize losses from recruitment and
training of replacement staff.
Research questions and hypotheses:
Does training, professional development practices including continuing education
opportunity, contribute to overall satisfaction and retention?
The following hypotheses are set forth:
H1 Training will positively impact employee satisfaction, when it is completed early, (with new
hires) and is ongoing.
HO: Training will have no impact on employee satisfaction
H2 Professional development activities will positively impact employee satisfaction,
HO: Professional development will have no impact on employee satisfaction.
H3 Increased Employee satisfaction will positively correlate with retention rates.
Decreased Employee satisfaction will negatively correlate with retention.
HO: Employee satisfaction will have no correlation to retention.
Definition of terms
Training: is defined as the level and intervals in which training is provided/mandated as part of
in-role job competency building.
Professional Development Practices: are defined as deliberate activities that are centered:
around the alignment of employee’s personal/professional goals with larger organizational goals.
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In essence, professional development is equivalent to the professional mapping, of employees
with consideration of their professional aspirations and goals as they relate to the organization
and beyond. Professional Development practices will also include: Continuing Education
Opportunity: defined as the availability of continuing education (either via Corporate
University training that is not necessarily directly relevant to a currently held position, or
ongoing continuing education in pursuit of a higher-level degree). Tuition reimbursement is
included in this definition as a benefit to employee’s that choose to participate.
Employee Satisfaction: is defined as the level of reported satisfaction with regard to current
employment as measured via survey completion. Satisfaction-surveys will measure multiple
aspects of overall work environment, practices and culture.
Retention Rate: is defined as the percentage of employees that choose to remain with the
company, either within their current position or within an alternative position, within the
company, within a set timeframe, (to be determined).
Description of the research sample
The study participants will be randomly sampled from the population of admissions
representatives across 28 campuses in 17 States, within a single private post-secondary education
institution. The study sample will consist of 125 participants from the overall population of
approximately 250 admissions employees. This is a high sample number to account for the
potential of some participants to be unable to complete the study due to sick time or other
18

extraneous factors. Random sampling will capture feedback from employees of, varying levels
of experience and employment history within the institution as well as varying demographics,
(age, race and gender).
Consent, Privacy and Confidentiality of the information and the participants in the study
Informed consent shall be obtained from each study participant, prior to the start of the
research. Privacy and confidentiality of the information and the participants will be held in strict
confidence. This is vital to the study and will increase the likelihood that participants will feel
free to respond openly and honestly to surveys and requests for feedback. Employees will also
be informed that the data collected and the results of the study will be utilized to help implement
positive changes within the organization to improve employee satisfaction and overall retention.
Employees are more likely to provide honest feedback when they believe that the information
will be used for developmental change and improvement, (Aguinis, 2008, p.180).
Research design
The proposed study will be a correlational, field-research study utilizing a within-subject
design. Data will be collected without manipulation of variables. Three separate surveys will be
utilized in data collection. The surveys shall be constructed and modified by utilizing existing
surveys such as the Career Satisfaction Survey developed by Greenhaus et. Al. (1990) and the
Job Satisfaction Survey created by Spector, (1985). All surveys responses will be answered on a
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scale of 1-6 with 1 representing the strongest disagreement and 6 strongest, agreement, (Spector,
1985).
Participants shall receive thorough instruction on how to access and complete their
surveys via a video explanation prepared by the researcher as well as written instructions
presented prior to each survey in order to maintain consistency in explanation and improve
internal validity. All participants shall adhere to the same timeline of completion. The total
length of the study shall be 3 weeks. One survey shall be administered per week. All surveys
will be administered electronically and accessed via an online study portal. The data shall be
compiled and analyzed electronically as well to reduce error in data transcription. The order of
survey administration shall be randomly assigned to participants, however each participant shall
complete each survey. This randomization of the order of survey administration will increase
internal validity by reducing carryover effects of the other surveys.
A survey assessing various aspects of training protocols will be constructed to measure:
timing/frequency, content, quality, mode of delivery (i.e. via: direct management training, online
corporate-university, direct mentoring and self guided study) and relevancy of training
materials/content in relation to the role of admissions representatives, within the position.
A separate survey will be constructed to assess professional development activities.
Professional development activities are defined as: activities engaged in by management and
employee, which solely focus on career tracking and development for the employee outside of
the current admissions position. Career development activities may include: continuing
education (higher degree incentives), collaborative projects with outside departments, special
20

projects unrelated to current position which are relevant to the department or organization as a
whole, employee feedback and management collaboration with regard to career tracking/path for
future employment opportunities, growth and advancement.
Additionally, an employee satisfaction survey will be constructed, addressing various
aspects of the position, (i.e. training, professional development, culture, environment and
work/home balance). The additional variables within the satisfaction survey may provide
valuable feedback as to other aspects of the admissions position, that contribute to overall
employee satisfaction.
Archival data from exit interviews will be utilized to determine reasons for leaving
provided by past employees to gain insight into variables effecting retention. Employees will
also be provided an opportunity for narrative feedback concerning each separate survey topic at
the completion of the study. Narrative feedback will not be included in the statistical analysis,
but will be considered as a part of the summation and future research recommendations.
The proposed study, consisting solely of admissions representatives within a single
organization may also yield clues as to personality traits that are conducive to the position at
large and impact perceptions of training and professional development. Studying employees so
closely involved with the training and development of the individuals they serve may offer
interesting insight into the ways that they utilize their own professional training and development
opportunities. Future research may benefit from conducting personality profiles in addition to
the survey feedback to identify traits that may be significantly correlated with satisfaction.
The collected data shall be analyzed using a Regression Analysis, which is a method for
21

using one or more independent variables or predictors to predict a single dependent variable or
outcome. The relations among the variables are used to develop a prediction model, (Lomax. R,
2013).
Future research may also benefit from including data from the employer perspective as to
the structure of training, level of involvement with and commitment to employee development as
well as impression of employee satisfaction. This feedback would be helpful in identifying gaps
between employer and employee perspectives. By narrowing the gaps in perspective the
organization and employees may benefit from a higher degree of alignment and thus overall
satisfaction and productivity.
Institutional Review Board Proposal
Purpose of the research
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The purpose of the proposed study is to better understand the relationship between
employee training protocols; (i.e. timing, quality, content and relevancy to position) and
career development practices; (employee and management activities, specifically geared
toward future career goals and professional tracking which are unrelated to the employees
current position, in admissions) in relation to job satisfaction and retention. The study will
focus on the admissions departments across 28 campuses in 17 states within a private post-
secondary education institution, currently experiencing high turnover rates, i.e. low retention
within admissions.
By gaining a deeper understanding of how training protocols and career development
practices influence employee satisfaction and retention, protocols and practices may be
modified and implemented in order to maximize satisfaction and retention. Increased
satisfaction and retention will in turn minimize losses from recruitment and training of
replacement staff.
Rationale and relevant background of the research
Decades of research have been conducted concerning employee training, professional
development, satisfaction, engagement, retention and the factors that comprise each of these
areas.
A significant relationship between job training satisfaction and overall job satisfaction has
been found, (Schmidt, S., 2007).
More recently, as outlined in the 2011 Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Survey,
23

conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, (SHRM) many important insights
regarding U.S. Employee satisfaction and engagement were obtained:
The top 5 aspects of job satisfaction, which were most important to employees from 2002-2011
included:
• Job Security (63%)
• Opportunities to use skills/abilities (62%)
• Organizations financial stability (55%)
• Relationship with immediate supervisor (55%)
• Compensation/pay (54%)
• Benefits (53%)
• The work itself (53%)
• Communication between employees and senior management (53%)
Survey results regarding, Career Development specifically show:
• 62% of employees desire the opportunity to use skills and abilities
• 42% desire career advancement opportunities
• 49% place importance on the Organizations commitment to professional development
• 50% desire job specific training
• 46% desire career development opportunities
The SHRM survey, indicates that Organizations may benefit from taking advantage of
existing talent, i.e. nurturing and developing existing employees by partnering with them and
identifying career advancement opportunities, (SHRM, 2011).
Description of the research sample
The study participants will be randomly sampled from the population of admissions
representatives across 28 campuses in 17 States, within a single private post-secondary
education institution. The study sample will consist of 125 participants from the overall
population of approximately 250 admissions employees. Random sampling will capture
feedback from employees of, varying levels of experience and employment history within the
24

institution as well as varying demographics.
Research design
The proposed study will be a correlational, field-research study. A survey assessing various
aspects of training protocols will be constructed to measure: timing/frequency, content, quality,
mode of delivery (i.e. via: direct management training, online corporate-university, direct
mentoring and self guided study) and relevancy of training materials/content in relation to the
role of admissions representatives, within the position. Employees will also be provided an area
for narrative feedback concerning training.
A separate survey will be constructed to assess professional development activities.
Professional development activities are defined as: activities engaged in by management and
employee, which solely focus on career tracking and development for the employee outside of
the current admissions position. Career development activities may include: continuing
education (higher degree incentives), collaborative projects with outside departments, special
projects unrelated to current position which are relevant to the department or organization as a
whole, employee feedback and management collaboration with regard to career tracking/path for
future employment opportunities, growth and advancement. Employees will be provided an area
for narrative feedback concerning professional development.
Additionally, an employee satisfaction survey will be constructed, addressing various
aspects of the position, (i.e. training, professional development, culture, environment and
work/home balance). The additional variables within the satisfaction survey may provide
valuable feedback as to other aspects of the admissions position, that contribute to overall
25

employee satisfaction.
Archival data from exit interviews will be utilized to determine reasons for leaving
provided by past employees to gain insight into variables effecting retention.
Offers and incentives for participants in the study
Incentive for participation in the study will include a $25 gift certificate (of the
employees’ choice) from a selection of 5 local eateries, upon full completion of all required
surveys.
Risks to the participants, including if there is deception
There are no evident risks to the participants as this is a field research, correlational study in
which data is being collected on current practices, procedures, employee satisfaction and archival
data from employees, no longer employed with the organization. Employee participation and
feedback will be confidential and anonymous to the Organization.
Privacy and confidentiality of the information and the participants in the study
Privacy and confidentiality of the information and the participants will be held in strict
confidence. This is vital to the study and will increase the likelihood that participants will feel
free to respond openly and honestly to surveys and requests for feedback. Employees will also
be informed that the data collected and the results of the study will be utilized to help implement
positive changes within the organization to improve employee satisfaction and overall retention.
Employees are more likely to provide honest feedback when they believe that the information
26

will be used for developmental change and improvement, (Aguinis, 2008, p.180).
Letter of Consent for Research Participation
27

The purpose of the Research Study conducted by Kimberly Trares-Jordan, Argosy
University MAIO Student, is to gain a deeper understanding of key factors that contribute to
employee satisfaction and retention. The information obtained from the study will be utilized to
make suggestions to “EdExCorp”, for improvements to positively impact employee satisfaction
and thus, retention.
For your full and complete,voluntary-participation in the study, you will receive a $25.00
gift card to a local eatery of your choice, from 5 local options, at the conclusion of your
participation.
You may choose to opt out of the study at anytime. However if you choose to opt of the
study, you will forfeit the $25.00 gift card.
There are no evident risks involved with participation. Your participation is voluntary.
Your privacy and confidentiality will be maintained in strict confidence. No personally
identifiable information will be shared with “EdExCorp”. Your openness and honesty are
appreciated and are crucial to the validity of the study.
Consent to Participate:
I (print full name):_________________________________, have read the above and understand
that my participation in the research study is voluntary. I may opt out of the study at anytime. I
further understand that if I choose to opt out of the study, I will forfeit the study incentive of
$25.00 gift card. I understand that the information that I provide as well as my personal identity
will remain confidential and will be used solely for the purpose of the research study as outlined
above.
Signed: _______________________________________ Date: ___________________
Witness: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________
REFERENCES:
Aguinis. Performance Management, 2nd Edition., 2008. Argosy University. Web. 09 September
28

2013 <http://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/books/0558569080/id/pg181>.
Barnett, B.R., & Bradley, L. (2007). The impact of organizational support for career
development on career satisfaction. Career Development International, 12(7), 617-
636.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13620430710834396
Baruch, Y. (2006), “Career development in organizations and beyond: balancing traditional and
contemporary viewpoints”, Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 16, pp. 125-38
Branham, L. (2012). The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle
Signs and Act Before It's Too Late. New York: American Management Association.
Chen, T.Y., Chang, P.L. and Yen, C.W. (2004), “A study of career needs, career development
programs, job satisfaction and the turnover intensity of R & D personnel”, Career Development
International, Vol.9 No. 4 pp. 424-37
Greenhaus, J.H. Parasuraman, S.J. and Wormley, W.M. (1990), “Effects of race on
organizational experiences, job performance evaluations and career outcomes”, Academy of
Management Journal, Vol, 33, pp.64-86.
Kaye, B., & Jordan-Evans, S. (2011). STAY INTERVIEWS: THE LEASDER’S ROLE IN
ENGAGING AND RETAINING TALENT. Leader to Leader, 2011(59), 8.
Retrieved from Http://search.proquest.com/docview/853267260?accountid=34899
Landy, F.J. (1985). Psychology of Work Behavior. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
Lomax, R., Correlational Research, 2012, education.com
Retrieved from:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/correlational-research/
Sahinidis, A.G., & Bouris, J. (2008). Employee perceived training effectiveness relationship to
employee attitudes. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(1), 63-76.doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090590810846575
Schmidt, S.W. (2007). The relationship between satisfaction with workplace training and overall
job satisfaction. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18(4), 481-
498.doi:http://dx.dor.org/10.1002/hrdq.1216
Seibert, S.E., Kraimer, M.L. (2001), “ The five-factor model of personality and career success:,
Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 58, pp. 1-21.
Spector, Paul, (1985), Job Satisfaction Survey
Retrieved from:
http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~pspector/scales/jsspag.html
29

Spector, P. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes and consequences.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
The Wall Street Journal, US Edition
Retrieved from
http://guides.wsj.com/management/recruiting-hiring-and-firing/how-to-reduce-employee-
turnover/
2011 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement, Gratification and Engagement at Work in a
Sluggish Economy, Society for Human Resource Management
Retrieved from:
http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Documents/11-
0618%20Job_Satisfaction_FNL.pdf
30

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