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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Job placement outcomes for graduates of a southwestern university school of business: an evaluation study

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Job placement outcomes for graduates of a southwestern university school of business: an evaluation study

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Content Running Head: JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES FOR GRADUATES OF A SOUTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: AN EVALUATION STUDY
by
John Jeffrey McHugh

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2018

Copyright 2018 Jeff McHugh
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 2

Dedication
To Lori, Matthew, Andrea, Lauren, Jeremy and Alyssa:
A failure to prepare is preparing to fail.

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 3

Acknowledgements
A dissertation is a team effort and my team for this dissertation process was exceptional.
It was a privilege to have Dr. Helena Seli as my dissertation chair. Dr. Seli’s guidance and
wisdom provided consistent and clear direction. Her strong leadership increased my confidence
and commitment throughout the dissertation process. USC is very fortunate to have Dr. Seli in
the School of Education. It has been a real pleasure being one of her students.
My dissertation committee members Dr. Darline Robles and Dr. David Cash provided
excellent support along the way. They were fantastic role models for a new professor and I have
implemented a number of their ideas and teaching methods in my courses at Southwestern
University. Dr. Cash gave me a new perspective on the importance of market accountability and
more appreciation for accountability types. The leadership theories I discovered in Dr. Robles’
class have been very helpful to my personal development as a leadership professor.
The dissertation journey began with the first class from Dr. Jen Crawford, who helped me
overcome my fear of writing and research with my favorite education term from the entire
program: scaffolding. Dr. Eric Canny was instrumental in helping me finalize my literature
review with the topic sentence assignment. He introduced me to some new references that
shaped the entire dissertation in a positive manner.
The study would have not been possible without the support of the dean, undergraduate
program chair and faculty of the Palm School of Business. I am very thankful for my selfless
colleagues at SWU that provided great support and encouragement during my dissertation
journey. I am also thankful for the feedback and input from my students.

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Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgments 3
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter One: Introduction 9
Introduction to Problem of Practice 9
Organizational Context and Mission 10
Organizational Goal 11
Related Literature 12
Importance of the Evaluation 14
Description of Stakeholder Groups 15
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 16
Stakeholder Group for the Study 16
Purpose of the Project and Questions 17
Methodological Framework 18
Organization of the Project 19
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 21
Job Market for All Undergraduate College Graduates in the U.S. 21
Current and Future Trends 21
Unemployment and Underemployment for Recent Graduates 23
21
st
Century workplace skills 24
21
st
Century workplace Skills gap 24
Business Student Perceptions of their Capabilities in Workplace Skills 25
Business Student Career Readiness 25
The Importance of Soft Skills from an Employer Perspective 26
University Business Schools in the U.S. 27
Historical Perspective 27
Developing 21
st
Century Workplace Skills 28
The Role of Faculty to Prepare Business Students for the Workplace 29
Career Development Programs 30
A Shift to More Applied Learning 31
Student Engagement in Career Development 32
Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Framework 33
Business School Faculty KMO Influences 34
Knowledge and Skills 34
Motivation 39
Organizational Influences 45
Conceptual Framework 51
Conclusion 56
Chapter Three: Methods 57
Participating Stakeholders 58
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale 59
Observation Sampling and Access Strategy Criteria and Rationale 61
Artifact and Document Analysis 63
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Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation 65
Data Analysis 66
Credibility and Trustworthiness 68
Ethics 69
Limitations and Delimitations 72
Chapter Four: Results and Findings 74
Participating Stakeholders 75
Knowledge Influences 76
Conceptual Knowledge 76
Procedural Knowledge 78
Metacognitive Knowledge 80
Motivation Influences 84
Expectancy Value Theory 84
Attribution Theory 88
Organizational Influences 91
Cultural Settings and Models 91
Summary of General Themes 99
Chapter Five: Recommendations 104
Introduction and Overview 104
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 104
Knowledge Recommendations 104
Motivation Recommendations 110
Organizational Recommendations 114
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 120
Implementation and Evaluation Framework 120
Organization Purpose, Need and Expectations 120
Level 4: Leading Indicators 121
Level 3: Behavior 122
Level 2: Learning 125
Level 1: Reaction 128
Evaluation Tools 129
Data Analysis and Reporting 130
Summary 132
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach 133
Future Research 136
Conclusion 137
References 139
APPENDIX A: Interview Protocol 150
APPENDIX B: Observation Protocol 155
APPENDIX C: Sample Immediate Post-Training Survey Items Levels 1 and 2 156
APPENDIX D: Sample Delayed Blended Evaluation Items Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 157

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List of Tables
Table 1: Knowledge Influences 39
Table 2: Motivational Influences 45
Table 3: Organizational Influences 51
Table 4: Breakdown of Interview Participants 76
Table 5: Participant Comments Regarding Employer Desired Skills 78
Table 6: Participants Comments Regarding Developing Career Preparation Assignments 80
Table 7: Participant Comments Regarding Reflection on Instructional Practices 83
Table 8: Participant Comments Regarding Cost Benefit of Career Preparation Instruction 86
Table 9: Participant Comments Regarding Cost Benefit of Career Preparation Instruction 87
Table 10: Participant Comments Regarding Belief and Effort 90
Table 11: Participant Comments Regarding Attention to University Priorities 93
Table 12: Participant Comments Regarding Tenure and Promotion Policy 95
Table 13: Participant Comments Regarding University Career Center 97
Table 14: Participant Comments Regarding Cultural Models of Collaboration 98
Table 15: Summary of Knowledge Related Recommendations 105
Table 16: Summary of Motivation Related Recommendations 112
Table 17: Summary of Organizational Related Recommendations 115
Table 18: Outcomes, Metrics, Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 122
Table 19: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods and Timing for Evaluation 123
Table 20: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 124
Table 21: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program 127
Table 22: Components to Measure Reaction to the Program 129
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 55

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate faculty knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences related to the achievement of job placement goals for the Southwestern University
Palm School of Business. The interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to preparing graduates for career success and helping them
avoid unemployment and underemployment was the specific focus of the evaluation. Business
faculty were the primary stakeholder group for this study due to the significant influence they
have on the early career success of their graduates. The study utilized the Clark and Estes (2008)
Gap Analysis Framework and review of related literature to identify key factors effecting career
preparation including knowledge (employer-desired skills, developing career preparation
assignments, teaching ability reflection), motivation (attributions, and cost-benefit) and
organizational cultural models and settings (tenure-promotion policy, career preparation
resources, leadership priorities and faculty collaboration). Research methods included
interviews, classroom observations and syllabi analysis. Several knowledge, motivation and
organizational performance gaps emerged from the data analysis. A lack of career preparation
resources and professional development opportunities were the most common themes from the
interviews. They were also the primary reasons for the “lukewarm” support of additional career
preparation assignments and instruction by all faculty in the study. Curriculum changes,
additional career resource investments, and career preparation professional development are the
foundation of an integrated program to increase faculty support to prepare all students for career
success and improve SWU’s career preparation performance.

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Chapter One: Introduction
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
Recent college undergraduates are struggling to find jobs appropriate for their level of
education and employers believe most college graduates do not have the skills to be successful in
today’s economy (Fischer & Friedman, 2015; Hart, 2015; Robles, 2012; Vedder, Denhart &
Robe, 2013; World Economic Forum, 2016). Acquiring a college degree today does not
guarantee a college-level job and the cost of college attendance is rising while the benefits of a
degree are falling (Capelli, 2015; Eisner, 2010; Sulphey, 2015). The earnings’ advantage
associated with a bachelor’s degree compared with a high school degree is no longer growing
(Vedder & Strehle, 2017). According to a recent New York Fed survey, 44% of recent college
graduates are underemployed and often for a long time (Abel, Dietz, & Su, 2014; Berger & Frey,
2016; CNN, 2016). Unemployment and underemployment have followed a clear upward trend
for recent college graduates over the past two decades (Abel et al., 2014). The quality of the jobs
held by the underemployed has declined as an increasing number of recent college graduates
accept low-wage jobs or often work part time (Abel, et al., 2014; Capelli, 2016; Finch, Hamilton,
Baldwin & Zehner, 2013). As an illustration of the underemployment trend, in the mid-1970s,
less than 1% of taxi drivers were college graduates and by 2017, 15% of taxi drivers held college
degrees (Vedder & Strehle, 2017). The labor force participation rate for 18-29 years olds was
71% in 2016, the lowest it has ever been and 37% of recent college graduates were in jobs that
only require a high school education (GO, 2016; Malvin & Simonson, 2015). With U.S. college
graduate growth projected to be 31% from 2010 - 2020 and jobs requiring a college degree only
14%, being a college graduate no longer guarantees the exceptional vocational promise it once
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 10

did (Berger & Frey, 2016; Eisner, 2010; Holtzman & Kraft, 2011; Sung, Turner & Kaewchinda,
2013; Vedder et al., 2013).
Organizational Context and Mission
Southwestern University (a pseudonym) is a private university that offers several
undergraduate and graduate programs including a business school. The mission of the Palm
School of Business at Southwestern University (both pseudonyms) is to cultivate competent and
courageous graduates for career success with a perspective of business as ministry. The business
school seeks to prepare students for excellence and leadership in their careers, to strengthen them
in mind and character, and to develop their God-given talents through high expectations and
proficiency in their unique field of interest. The business school’s program learning outcomes
focus on critical thinking, technology and analysis, communications and spiritual formation.
Critical thinking is defined as the ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate alternative solutions to
a wide range of business problems by presenting reliable, valid, and logical arguments that drive
innovation. Students meet the technology learning outcome by demonstrating their
understanding of the role digital technologies play in the success of organizations and by solving
business problems using those technologies. The communication learning outcome is met by
students applying effective communication skills to business situations, professional business
documents and presentations. Students apply integrity, humility, and ethical business behavior
to case studies and real business situations to meet the spiritual formation learning outcome.
The Southwestern University holds institutional accreditation from the WASC Senior
College and University Commission. The university’s total enrollment is approximately 6,500
students, with 4,500 undergraduates. The student population is approximately 40% male and
60% female (US News & World Report, 2015). The Palm School of Business has 600
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 11

undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of science degree in business and another 75 students in the
fully employed MBA program. The business school has 13 full time faculty members that have
a minimum of 15 years of business experience in various industries, for-profit and non-profit.
The business school also employs another eight adjunct professors, who work full time in
corporate positions. The faculty of the business school combines an integrated biblical
worldview with scholarly research, academic rigor, real-world experience and teaching
excellence. Undergraduate business majors select a concentration from one of the following:
accounting, international business, marketing, corporate financial management, personal
financial planning, management and business analytics.
Organizational Goal
Southwestern University’s business school’s goal is that by May 2020, 100% of business
undergraduates seeking employment are able to secure full time employment within six months
after graduation. This 100% job placement outcome will continue every year going forward
from 2020. According to NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), 83% of
2015 college graduates secured full time employment 6 months after graduation. Southwestern
University business school achieved a 73% job placement result with the 2015 graduates. The
Dean of the school of business established this goal after consulting with the university’s Provost
and President and reviewing job placement results at top universities. The top five
undergraduate business schools in the nation according to the Poets and Quants survey (2016)
include Washington University-St. Louis, University of Notre Dame, University of California
Berkeley, Georgetown University and University of Pennsylvania. These schools reported that
97% of their graduates were in full time jobs three months after graduation. The job placement
goal is monitored by the first destination survey administered by the university’s student success
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 12

department and the results are published on the university’s website in the career outcomes
section. Ninety percent employed six months after graduation is the job placement standard set
by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ABCSP) for member business
schools, but this particular business school will strive to a achieve a 100% job placement
outcome for those seeking full time employment immediately after graduation.
Related Literature
To prepare students to succeed in today’s global economy and help them avoid
unemployment and underemployment, employers expect colleges and universities to do more to
assure students enter the workplace with the skills they require for success (Holtzman & Kraft,
2011). Employers are placing a higher emphasis on soft skills, non-technical competencies
associated with the ability to interact with others, in hiring decisions, as they consider these skills
the best indicator for professional success (Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Robles, 2012; Stewart, Wall
& Marcinec, 2016). Soft skills, also defined as 21
st
century skills, include collaboration,
communication, critical thinking and communication skills (AMA, 2012; Boyles, 2012; Hodge
& Lear, 2011; Robles, 2012).
Reports by task forces, commissions, and accrediting bodies have expressed concern
about the quality of undergraduate student learning related to the skills companies require in
today’s workplace, creating tension between companies and universities over curriculum design
(AMA, 2012; Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Holtzman & Kraft, 2011). Companies recognize the
important role universities play in the nation’s economic success, but they see room for
improvement in how universities prepare graduates for the rigors of today’s workplace (AMA,
2012; Hart, 2015; Robles, 2014). Employers believe higher education can improve student
readiness for the workplace and limit underemployment with more opportunities for real-world
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 13

applications of their knowledge and skills through applied learning experiences (Gault, Leach &
Duey, 2010; Hart, 2015, Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Employers broadly endorse applied learning
components like internships, case studies, volunteer service projects and “real” research projects
for clients because they experience a difference in the preparedness of new employees educated
with these learning practices (Hart, 2015; ICIMS, 2016; Martin, 2013; NACE, 2016).
Companies are more likely to consider hiring recent college graduates who have completed
applied learning or project based learning experiences (Hart, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Another factor impacting student preparation is the accelerating pace of technological,
demographic and socio-economic disruption transforming industries and business models, which
is changing the skills employers need and reducing the relevance of employees’ existing skill
sets (AMA, 2012; Berger & Frey, 2016; Robles, 2014; WEF, 2016). These disruptive changes
impact the job opportunities for college graduates and how colleges support and prepare students
for success in the 21
st
century workplace (Finch, Hamilton, Baldwin & Zehner, 2013; Hart, 2015;
WEF, 2016). As an illustration, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most
occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered critical in today’s workplace
and fifty percent of technical knowledge acquired during the first year of a four-year degree will
be outdated by the time students graduate (AMA, 2012; Berger & Frey, 2016; WEF, 2016). The
future competitiveness of the U.S. business community will depend on a workforce prepared for
a rapidly evolving business environment (AMA, 2012; Holtzman & Kraft, 2011). With input
from the business community, business faculty can make informed decisions about the curricula
they design to incorporate the skills and competencies that are most important to students and
employers of their graduates (AMA, 2012; Berger & Frey, 2016; Hart, 2015; WEF, 2016).

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 14

Importance of the Evaluation
It was important to evaluate the organization’s performance in relationship to the
performance goal of 100% of business school undergraduates seeking employment able to secure
full time employment within six months after graduation for a variety of reasons. Eighty five
percent of incoming freshmen to Southwestern University state finding an appropriate job as the
primary reason to attend college and Southwestern University’s Palm School of Business
reported only 73% of its graduates’ secured full time employment, six months after graduation.
This problem affects the university’s mission to cultivate competent and courageous graduates
and place 100% of the graduates in fulltime jobs, six months after graduation. If job placement
outcomes do not improve, federal funding support for student loans will be in jeopardy, due to
recent federal legislation to regulate under-performing colleges and the university’s accreditation
status will disappear. Alumni will be reluctant to financially support a university that is not
meeting professional and market accountabilities. Parents will not send their children to a
university that has a poor record in placing graduates in full time jobs. As tuition increases
outpace inflation, students and parents are demanding a quicker and clearer return on their
investment (Capelli, 2015; Weber, 2012). This southwestern university’s business school must
improve the job placement outcomes for its graduates by preparing students more effectively for
the 21st century workplace or it will cease to function. The problem investigated at this
Southwestern University is related to the larger problem of increasing recent college graduate
unemployment and underemployment. If college faculty, career development centers and
administrators do not address the problem of better preparing students for career success, recent
college graduates will continue to find it difficult to find full time employment in their fields of
interest. Unemployment rates for recent college graduates will remain consistently higher as
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 15

compared to college graduates from previous generations (Abel et al., 2014). A failure to
prepare business undergraduates for the 21
st
century workplace will lead to a depressed U.S.
economy, fewer job opportunities, and a lower standard of living for future generations (AMA,
2012). Most businesses currently facing major recruitment challenges and talent shortages are
concerned it will get worse over the next five years, unless business schools prepare students
with the skills they need to compete in an economy being transformed by rapid technological
advancement (WEF, 2016).
Description of Stakeholder Groups
There are three stakeholder groups who directly contribute to and benefit from the
achievement of the goal of improving job placement outcomes for business school
undergraduates; the business school faculty, the career development and success center and
university executive administration. Business school faculty teach the business classes, design
the curriculum, mentor and advise students and translate employer skill needs into instructional
practice. The career center develops relationships with potential employers, promotes the quality
of the school’s graduates to employers and connects students to employment opportunities. This
stakeholder group also provides career counseling and job-search services such as resume
development, LinkedIn profiles, interviewing skills and networking strategies. University
executive administration includes the Dean of the business school, President, Provost, vice-
president alumni relations and the Dean of student success. They contribute to achieving the job
placement goal by nurturing relationships with donors, alumni and employers to provide
employment opportunities to the business school’s students. They also make the resource
allocation decisions required to achieve the goal, while managing priority conflicts across the
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 16

university. This stakeholder’s talent management process ensures high quality individuals fill
business school faculty and career center positions.
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The mission of the school of business at a Southwestern University is to equip students to develop
a biblical worldview and a perspective of business as ministry. The business school seeks to
cultivate competent and courageous students for excellence and leadership in their careers, to
strengthen them in mind and character, and to develop their God-given talents through high
expectations and proficiency in their unique field of interest.
Organizational Performance Goal
By May 2020, 100% of a Southwestern University’s business school graduates seeking
employment are able to secure full time employment within six months after graduation. This
100% job placement outcome will continue every year going forward from 2020.
Business School Faculty
By the end of the 2019 Fall
semester, 100% of business
school faculty will implement
a career preparation
assignment in their upper
division courses, aligned with
employer needs as defined in
the syllabus.
Career Development Center
By December 2019, the career
development center will have
collaborated with each
business faculty member to
create one career preparation
assignment and assist in
delivering the lesson in the
classroom.
University Administration
By December 2018, university
executive administration will
appoint a full time director for
the career development center.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
Although a complete analysis would involve all stakeholder groups, for practical
purposes, the business school faculty was the key stakeholder group for this study. Faculty
prepare students for career success through teaching, career advising, mentoring, aligning
curriculum and learning outcomes with industry expectations and actual workplace practices, and
connecting students with their employer network. The business school professors are the front
line employees that implement the business school’s mission on a daily basis. Alumni surveys
from the past five years at this Southwestern University consistently report that faculty have
more impact on a student’s overall college experience than any other variable.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 17

The stakeholder goal is that by the end of the 2019 Fall semester, 100% of business
faculty will implement a career preparation assignment in their upper division courses, aligned
with employer needs as defined in the syllabus. The dean and undergraduate chair of the
business school developed the stakeholder goal by reviewing relevant research on career
development assignments with faculty, alumni and university administration. The Dean will
monitor the implementation of career development assignments by reviewing all syllabi and
identifying the appropriate assignments to achieve the stakeholder goal. Class evaluations and
alumni surveys will also be utilized to evaluate faculty efforts in preparing students for career
success. If the business faculty do not help students prepare for career success with career
development assignments in their classes, the university will not achieve its job placement
outcome goals, parents will send their children to universities with superior job placement
results, the reputation of the university will suffer, future enrollment will decline and financial
challenges will intensify.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the degree to which the Southwestern
University business school is achieving its goal of 100% of graduates seeking employment are
able to secure full time employment within six months after graduation. This analysis focused
on the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving this
organizational goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all university
stakeholders, for practical purposes, business school faculty were the stakeholder of focus in this
analysis. As such, the questions that guided this study are the following.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 18

1. To what extent is the Southwestern University’s business school achieving its goal of
100% of graduates seeking employment able to secure full time employment within
six months after graduation?
2. What is the faculty knowledge and motivation related to implementing a career
preparation assignment by the end of fall semester 2019?
3. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to implementing a career preparation assignment
by the end of fall semester 2019?
4. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation and organizational resources related to the goal of 100% of graduates
seeking employment able to secure full time employment within six months after
graduation?
Methodological Framework
For this study, 13 SWU full time business school faculty and three adjunct faculty were
the stakeholder population of focus. I interviewed all 16 of these business faculty members. I
observed three professors deliver career preparation assignments and I inspected five syllabi.
Faculty from the schools of education, public relations, theology, communications and media
and cinema arts also participated in the study for additional information and ideas to inform
recommendations, because those particular schools lead the university in job placement
outcomes for their graduates. While interviewing a census sample of all full time business
faculty members and three adjunct faculty was the plan for the study, the professors with greater
than three years teaching experience at the university and a proficiency in career development
instruction were prioritized in the research to meet the timing requirements of the study.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 19

Maxwell (2013) recommends selecting participants best able to contribute to addressing the
research questions for qualitative studies. These selected participants work directly with students
on a daily basis and are most likely to contribute appropriate data and rich information to the
study because of their unique awareness of students’ knowledge and motivation related to career
preparation, and their experience in career instruction, advising and mentoring.
Maxwell (2013) suggests using a snowball sampling technique to identify additional
participants that can add rich information to answer the research questions. As business faculty
were interviewed in this study, they were asked to recommend other faculty members in schools
on campus with exemplary job placement outcomes, to create a purposeful sample of individuals
outside the business school to provide more insight on faculty knowledge and motivation factors
related to improving job placement outcomes for the entire university. These recommendations
led to faculty interviews outside the business school to gain additional career preparation insight.
This form of purposeful, nonrandom sampling is one in which the researcher decides which
participants to include in the sample based on the participants’ specialized knowledge and
willingness to participate in the research (Creswell, 2014; Johnson & Christensen, 2015;
Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdale, 2016).
Organization of the Project
This study is organized into five chapters. This first chapter provides the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about career preparation for
college students and labor market trends for new workforce entrants. The organization’s
mission, goals and stakeholders and the framework for the project were also introduced in
chapter 1. Chapter Two provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the
study. Chapter Two also addresses job market trends, unemployment and underemployment
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 20

trends for recent graduates, 21
st
century workplace skills, employer expectations for graduates,
the role of business schools and faculty in career preparation and student engagement in career
development. Chapter Three details the knowledge, motivation and organizational elements as
well as the research methodology relative to choice of participants, data collection and analysis.
In Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter Five provides solutions,
based on data and literature, for closing the perceived gaps as well as recommendations for an
implementation and evaluation plan for the solutions.

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 21

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
The job market for recent college graduates and the strategies business schools are
utilizing to prepare students for employability and career success requires examination. The
employability and career success of recent business school graduates is highly impacted by
current trends in the market (AMA, 2012; Berger & Frey, 2016; Bloomberg, 2017; Hart, 2015).
These trends include skills desired by employers (Fischer, 2016; Hodge & Lear, 2011; Holtzman
& Kraft, 2011; Robles, 2012; Vedder et al., 2013), preparedness gaps (Casner-Lotto &
Barrington, 2006; Finch et al., 2013; Jackson, 2012), and the role of business schools (Brock &
Abel, 2016; Malik & Morse, 2014; McFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Upon review of
these key areas, the chapter concludes with an analysis of the knowledge, motivation and
organization influences impacting business faculty progression toward their stakeholder group
goal.
Job Market for All College Graduates in the United States
Current and Future Trends
The future of jobs and labor market realities for new college graduates will be explored in
this section. Today’s college graduates face an uncertain and increasingly competitive job
market where existing jobs are being displaced, new jobs are being created and most jobs are
going through a change in the skill sets required to do them (Berger & Frey, 2016; Eisner, 2010;
Hart, 2015). The disruptive changes to business models driven by accelerating technological
change pose major challenges to all new college graduates, requiring proactive adaptation to
launch their careers (World Economic Forum, 2016). In many cases, graduates are not adapting
to the requirements of the 21
st
century workplace and they are struggling to find jobs that utilize
their education (Abel et al., 2014).
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 22

A fourth industrial revolution is underway with developments in previously disjointed
fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing
and genetics and biotechnology changing the U.S. job market (WEF, 2016). Disruptive changes
to business models are creating new job types and eliminating many current job types and
demographic, socio-economic and technological factors are driving change to the nature of work
(Berger & Frey, 2016). The emergence of new technology related industries throughout the
2000s, has had negligible effects on aggregate employment patterns, employing less than 0.5
percent of the US workforce (Berger & Frey, 2016; Stewart & Gregg, 2015; WEF, 2016).
Businesses are shifting to embrace the knowledge age and outsourcing or automating
easy to replicate jobs (Berger & Frey, 2016; Vedder, Denhart & Robe, 2013). Automation
software is replacing baby boomers as they exit the workforce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics
reports that the fastest growing jobs in the next 8 years will be in health care and social
assistance, requiring an associate’s degree or less (Stangel, 2017). Employers with jobs
requiring college degrees are concerned whether new graduates are equipped with the skills to
deal with global competition and an accelerating pace of change (AMA, 2012; Eisner, 2010;
Hart, 2015; Vedder et al., 2016). Job opportunities in new technology related industries are
primarily limited to knowledge workers with STEM degrees (Vedder et al, 2016; WEF, 2106).
Past and projected future growth in college enrollments and the number of graduates exceeds the
projected growth in college graduate level jobs (Capelli, 2015). As the market for graduating
high schools seniors falls, traditional college enrollment will decline in the coming years while
non-traditional student enrollment and degree completion programs are expected to increase.
(Berger & Frey, 2016; Capelli, 2015; Vedder et al., 2013).
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 23

Technological change and the rise of the service economy are changing the skills
employers need from all college graduates. Digital technologies may have created few new jobs
directly, but they have already had a substantial impact on skill requirements across existing
occupations and industries (Berger & Frey, 2016; WEF, 2016). As technology makes some tasks
redundant, it raises the demand for workers in others, leading the task composition of jobs to
shift in response (Berger & Frey, 2016; AMA, 2012; WEF, 2016). Tasks involving
communications, interpersonal activities and mental effort have become more prominent across
all industries and occupations (Berger & Frey, 2016; Hart, 2015). The emphasis on knowledge,
service and information in the new economy increases the demand for highly skilled workers,
but recent graduates continue to fall short of employer expectations in these skill areas (AMA,
2012; Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Vedder et al., 2013).
Unemployment and Underemployment for Recent Graduates
Today’s college graduates struggle to find jobs that utilize their education and take more
time to transition into the labor market after graduation (Vedder & Strehle, 2017). As the
proportion of Americans with college degrees grows beyond one third, being a college graduate
no longer guarantees a job that requires college skills (Abel et al., 2014). The percentage of
college graduates who are unemployed or underemployed has risen since 2001 and shows a clear
upward trend (Abel et al., 2014; Eisner, 2010). The quality of jobs held by the underemployed
has declined with recent graduates increasingly accepting low-wage jobs or working part-time
and about 5 million college graduates are in jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says
require less than a college degree (Abel et al., 2014; Capelli, 2015; Vedder & Strehle, 2017).
The college major plays a major role in determining whether a graduate will find a job that will
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 24

utilize their college education or not and undergraduates are paying more attention to decisions
on majors than ever before (Capelli, 2015; CNN, 2016; Vedder & Strehle, 2017).
21
st
Century Workplace Skills
The future competitiveness of the U.S. business community will depend on the country’s
ability to produce a highly skilled workforce with the appropriate workplace skills (AMA, 2012).
Employers are in wide agreement on the importance of today’s college graduates possessing
interpersonal, conceptual and informational ability, together with drive and adaptability (AMA,
2012; Bloomberg, 2017; Boyles, 2012; Eisner, 2010; Finch, Hamilton, Baldwin & Zehner, 2013;
Fisher, 2016). Many employers prefer to develop the specific functional skills they require
themselves and recruit new college graduates with the character and soft skills needed to fit their
culture (Hart, 2015). The core ability to think, communicate and interact with others is central to
all hiring decisions (Bloomberg, 2017; Hodge & Lear, 2011; Holtzman & Kraft, 2011).
Executives say today’s employees need to think critically, solve problems, innovate, collaborate,
and communicate more effectively, at every level within the organization (Fisher, 2016; Hart,
2015; Robles, 2012). Employers unanimously believe college graduates must excel at the “four
Cs”: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity to flourish in the 21
st
century
workplace (AMA, 2012; Eisner, 2010; Finch et al., 2013; Robles, 2012).
21
st
Century Workplace Skills Gap
Employer surveys consistently report a skills gap for new workforce entrants. The skills
employers rate as most important include written and oral communication skills, teamwork
skills, ethical decision-making, critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in real world
settings (AMA, 2012; Hart, 2015). Employers feel there is significant room for improvement in
these skills with new college graduates. This section will examine the gap itself, student
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 25

perceptions of their capabilities in 21
st
century skills, business student career readiness and the
increasing importance of soft skills development from an employer perspective.
Business Student Perceptions of their Capabilities in 21
st
Workplace Skills
There is a gap between employers’ impressions and business students’ more optimistic
views on preparedness for the 21
st
century workplace. Undergraduate business students
consistently rate themselves higher than employers do in 21
st
century skill capability (DuPre &
William, 2013; Hart, 2015; Jackson, 2012). Overconfidence and inflated job expectations may
cause career dissatisfaction among business graduates as they struggle with the discrepancy
between their perceived capabilities and their actual abilities to execute assigned tasks and
advance their careers (Casner-Lotto, & Barrington, 2006; DuPre & William, 2013; Sung, Turner
& Kaewinda, 2013). Inflated student perceptions of capabilities create a barrier to skill
development in business schools because students do not understand industry expected standards
(Hart, 2015; Jackson, 2012). Business schools must address the problem of student
overconfidence in their workplace skills to prevent a widening of the skills gap (DuPre &
Williams, 2013; Hart, 2015; Jackson, 2012; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Business Student Career Readiness
Many business schools are now making career readiness their top priority in the overall
college experience with everything from improved career services, academic programs
emphasizing real world applications and effort to engage faculty in practical career mentoring
(Stewart & Gregg, 2015; Weber, 2012). Employers expect colleges and universities to better
prepare graduates for success in the 21
st
century workplace and they believe the responsibility to
do so lies within higher education, not employer training programs (Alstete & Beutell, 2016;
Hart, 2015; McFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Sixty three percent of business
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 26

executives interviewed in the Hart (2015) study agreed that too many recent business graduates
do not have the skills to be successful in today’s global economy. Employers and recent
graduates stress the need for colleges to increase their emphasis on integration and application of
skills and knowledge in real-world settings and situations to better prepare students for the 21
st

century workplace (Brock & Abel, 2016; Boyles, 2012; Clark & White, 2010; Hart, 2015).
Educators that put students into situations where they can practice managerial skills from an
informational and decision-making standpoint, help students prepare more effectively for the 21
st

century workplace (Alstete & Beutell, 2016; Blau et al., 2015; Grinnell, Muise & Litvin, 2009;
Hurst, Thye & Wise, 2014).
The Importance of Soft Skills from an Employer Perspective
Research conducted from a range of disciplines and occupations converges on the finding
that soft-skills now influence employability more than ever before (Robles, 2012). Soft skills are
the competencies associated with one’s personality, attitude and ability to interact with others,
while hard skills are the technical, tangible competencies (Eisner, 2010; Stewart & Gregg, 2015;
Wall & Marcinec, 2016). Many employers now consider soft skills more critical for professional
success than traditional hard skills (AMA, 2012; McCale, 2008; Jones, Baldi, Phillips & Waikar,
2016). In addition to interpersonal skills, employers value the soft skills of communication,
teamwork, time management, leadership, organization and customer service (Robles, 2012;
Stewart et al., 2016). Employers hire college graduates expecting some level of expertise in
applied soft skills, but often complain new hires lack these skills or overstated their level of
competency (Jackson, 2012; Ng & Burke, 2006; Sulphey, 2015; Sung et al., 2013). Employers
cited the pace of change in business as the most important factor as to why soft skills are
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 27

becoming more critical and believe these skills will become even more important in the future
(AMA, 2012; Hart, 2015; Marques, 2013)
University Business Schools in the United States
The following section will examine the changing expectations of business faculty and
business schools in response to changing market conditions. The barriers to compete and grow
in business and management education will be analyzed along with capacity of business
programs to revise curricula to reflect current trends. How effective are the performance
solutions business schools are enacting to meet the needs of the constituencies.
Historical Perspective
Business schools are built on the foundation of criticisms from earlier generations to
become less vocational and adopt more teaching from the classroom with less from the field,
however that approach has not met the expectations of the modern business world (Grinnell et
al., 2009). Many issues facing business schools can be viewed as a product of condemning
indictments of contemporary business education published in the 1950s (Stewart & Gregg,
2015). Subsequent reports acknowledged that content learned in business schools is subject to a
high rate of obsolescence and the primary value of a business education is developing the
qualities of the mind to solve complex problems (Berger & Frey, 2016; Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015;
Kesten & Lambrecht, 2010; Vedder et al., 2013). Classroom learning with the required focus on
theory and doctrine form the cornerstone of today’s US business education as most business
schools operate on a century-old production based model where students enroll, attend classes in
a physical location, learn from professors, move forward to graduation and depart forever
(McFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 28

Business school alumni rate leadership, interpersonal and communication skills as highly
important in the business world and they assert they need further development in these skills
post-graduation (Sowcik & Allen, 2013). According to U.S. News & World Report (2014),
forty-five of the top fifty business schools provide at least one leadership development course in
their curriculum (Sowcik & Allen, 2013). However, the American Association of College
Schools of Business (AACSB) alumni surveys report that leadership development is the least
effective of all business school curricula and significant improvement is needed to better prepare
graduates for the challenges they will face (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Leadership development is
widely discussed as a core tenant of business schools, but many employers believe business
schools are not truly developing leaders (McFarlane, 2014; Riggio, 2008; Stewart & Gregg,
2015). Other major challenges facing business schools today include increasing globalization,
the need for highly qualified faculty, the need to integrate soft skills into curricula, the effects of
technology on teaching practices and the necessity of building and nurturing a competitive brand
(Brock & Abel, 2016; Boyles, 2012; Hart, 2015; Kesten & Lambrecht, 2010; Stewart & Gregg,
2015).
Developing 21st Century Workplace Skills
Employers recognize that colleges and universities play a critical role in the country’s
economic success and have a direct impact on U.S. firms’ ability to compete and develop
innovative new products and services, but they see room for improvement in the level of
preparation for today’s graduates (Hart, 2015). Business executives believe it is easier to
develop 21
st
century workplace skills in students and recent graduates than it is to develop them
in experienced workers (AMA, 2012). Employers prefer to address the skills gap earlier with
recent graduates, versus experienced workers with established work patterns and habits (AMA,
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 29

2012; Jones et al., 2016). Business higher education can be an effective route to develop the
skills employers say are important for graduates entering the workforce if the curriculum reflects
current trends (AMA, 2012; Hart, 2015; Grinnell et al., 2009).
Business schools, business executives, and policy-makers have worked well together,
developing frameworks for applied learning to support students in enhancing their 21st century
skills. An example of this applied learning is the M-School at Loyola Marymount in Southern
California, where students work in advertising agencies and develop marketing and branding
campaigns for real clients (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Students graduate with a clear career path
and skill set and advertising agencies develop talent to fit their unique needs (Stewart & Gregg,
2015). Corporations are funding professional development programs like Jet Blue’s $5.4 million
endowment to establish a leadership development institute at the University of Michigan that
pays for internships and experiential learning opportunities (Clark & White, 2010). These
applied learning partnerships are expanding at numerous colleges and universities to close the
skills gap and meet the future talent needs of all employers (AMA, 2012; Kesten & Lambrecht,
2010; McFarlane, 2014; Sowcik & Allen, 2013).
The role of faculty to prepare business students for the workplace. Faculty influence
student preparation for the workplace by teaching the skills businesses are seeking in future
employees and helping students acquire these skills through experiential learning opportunities
(Hodge & Lear, 2011; Martin, 2013). As an example, professors that encourage participation in
internships and career development extra-curricular activities help their students achieve early
career success (Deangelo, Mason & Winters, 2016; Malik & Morse, 2014; Martin, 2013). There
is a clear link between internship participation and postgraduate employment success and faculty
that communicate the value of internships to their students increase internship participation
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 30

(Gault et al., 2010; Hurst et al., 2014). Faculty development of a four year business profession
course at Xavier University improved student career decision making and career planning and
received positive reviews from business leaders that appreciated the advanced skills of their new
employees (Clark, 2005). The rise of capstone business strategy courses is another opportunity
faculty are taking advantage of to produce graduates ready for the workforce with the skills and
knowledge needed (Alstete & Beutell, 2016).
Business faculty need to ensure their perceptions of the top skills needed in the workplace
are not out of touch with the needs of the corporate environment to ensure they are providing
meaningful advice to their advisees and creating appropriate career preparation assignments
(Dupre & Williams, 2011; Eisner, 2010; Jackson, 2012). Faculty that bring real business into
the business school by providing opportunities for direct student engagement in real-world
activities are enhancing the employability of their students (Ahmed, 2011; Clark & White, 2010;
Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Career development programs. Student engagement in career exploration early in their
college careers help students improve their employment choices (Clark, 2005; Martin, 2013).
Successful career development programs require dedicated career advisors that work closely
with corporate partners to secure meaningful internships for students, which better prepares
students for the workplace (Gault, Leach & Duey, 2010; Hurst et al., 2014). Not all faculty see
the value in collaborating with career advisors to provide students with job search skills in course
curricula, but there is evidence that collaborating with career advisors enhance business
education with a high quality career preparation component (Addams & Allred, 2015; Ambrose
& Chen, 2015; Blau et al., 2015). Electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) tools appear to facilitate
increased opportunities for interactions with career counselors, faculty and potential employers,
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 31

and it is a tool all colleges and universities should consider as they evaluate their job placement
effectiveness (Ambrose & Chen, 2015).
A shift to more applied learning. Employers believe engaging students in experiential
learning projects would improve learning and better prepare them for career success (Clark,
2005; Hart, 2015; McCale, 2008). Employers value experiential learning components such as
internships, case studies, volunteer service projects and “real” research projects for clients
because they make a difference in the preparedness of new employees (Clark & White, 2010;
Hart, 2015; Vedder et al., 2013). Numerous surveys have reported a strong correlation between
early career success and internship experience during the undergraduate years (Gault et al., 2010;
Hurst, et al., 2014).
Recognizing that many students do not think about their job prospects until late in their in
their education, business schools are working directly with employers in the classroom and
launching programs designed to guide students through four years of academic and professional
programs that stress skills development and get them thinking about potential career options long
before they graduate (Clark, 2005; Clark & White, 2010; Weber, 2012). Executives-in-residence
programs bridge the gap between theory and practice as professionally qualified faculty members
share how a particular issue is handled or what aspects are important in making a specific
decision (Achenreiner & Hein, 2010). Students see a broader perspective from experienced
business people that bring real world experiences and examples into the classroom (Achenreiner
& Hein, 2010). The interest in experiential learning has grown substantially since the University
of Wisconsin received the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2006, for ensuring
every student graduated with related work experience (Clark & White, 2010). An example of a
successful program is the Walgreen’s Wrangle program sponsored by Southern Arkansas
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 32

University. This is a 12 university competition that has a three day involvement of four major
corporations with students developing action plans to address business issues in real time (Clark
& White, 2010). A course partnership between California State University, Northridge and
Farmers Insurance combines practical executive-delivered education with traditional curriculum
to prepare students for a career in insurance or any financial services firm (Davis, 2015).
The emergence of a new model of education that blends liberal and applied learning is
sparking debate on campuses over the extent to which job preparation and training should be part
of a liberal-arts education (Weber, 2012). However, there is also a consensus that experiential
education plays a vital role in raising prospects for employment candidates as they are perceived
to be better prepared and more marketable to employers (Gault, et al., 2010; Hurst et al., 2014).
As the value of a college education is being questioned by parents and students, colleges cannot
ignore the request from employers to increase their emphasis on applied learning to better
prepare graduates for the demands of the workplace (Hart, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Student engagement in career development. Students often fail to recognize how their
academics, extracurricular activities and work experience relate to their ability to get an
appropriate job and do not take seriously the importance of developing a career plan while they
are in college (Blau et al., 2015; Finch et al., 2013; Ng & Burke, 2006). An example of a
program to overcome this lack of engagement is the liberal education and effective practice
program (LEEP) at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Students begin planning
internships and research career opportunities from their first year in college (Weber, 2012).
Using LinkedIn as a learning tool in the classroom is an example of how faculty can encourage
students to create strong professional profiles while increasing their engagement in career
development (Cooper & Naatus, 2014). Comprehensive career development programs with buy-
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 33

in from faculty, alumni and administration increase student interest in internships, networking
and other career development activities during all four years of the college experience (Blau et
al., 2015; Davis, 2015; Martin, 2013).
The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model is a research tested systematic problem
solving approach to helping organizations improve performance and achieve organizational
goals. It values the establishment of performance goals that are concrete, challenging and
current for every level of the organization and then measuring the gap between actual
performance and the goals. The framework classifies the root cause of performance gaps
between the organizations’ desired performance and actual performance into knowledge,
motivation and organization influences (Clark & Estes, 2008). Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)
sorted knowledge influences into four types: (a) factual; (b) conceptual; (c) procedural; and (d)
metacognitive. These knowledge types intersect with the six cognitive processes: (a) remember;
(b) understand; (c) apply; (d) analyze; (e) evaluate; (f) create, to analyze if stakeholders know
how to accomplish their performance goals and use novel problem solving for future challenges
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Motivation theories like expectancy-value and attribution
clarify the motivational processes that impact stakeholder performance (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Organizational influences that may be barriers to achieving stakeholder goals, include inefficient
work processes, insufficient material resources and a culture that works against stakeholder goal
achievement (Clark & Estes, 2008).
The knowledge, motivation and organization influences in the Clark and Estes gap
analysis model will be reviewed below in relationship to business faculty implementing career
development assignments in their courses by December, 2017. Knowledge influences will be
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 34

addressed first, followed by motivation and organizational influences in relation to business
faculty achieving career development instruction goals. Each of these assumed stakeholder
performance influences will be scrutinized through the methodology reviewed in chapter 3.
Business School Faculty Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
The knowledge, motivation and organizational influences related to creating and
implementing career preparation assignments will be examined in this next section. Faculty
influence through teaching, advising and mentoring on achieving the organization goal of 100%
of undergraduates securing employment six months after graduation will addressed as well.
Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge, along with motivation and organization barriers, are the primary root causes
of an organization’s inability to achieve their goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Individuals with the
necessary knowledge, motivation and organizational support are equipped to deliver the
organization’s bottom-line results (Clark & Estes, 2008). When it becomes evident that people
in an organization do not know how to achieve a goal, the work is not clearly comprehended and
they do not recognize the path forward to close a performance gap, then a lack of knowledge is
likely the root cause of the performance problem (Clark & Estes, 2008). Knowledge and skills
enhancement programs have proven to be effective solutions to developing the knowledge and
skills required to improve performance issues in organizations (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda,
2011). Although poor training and education, in an effort to enhance knowledge and skills, may
make things worse, the right mix of information, job aids, training and education can
significantly improve performance in any organization (Clark & Estes, 2008). As an example,
faculty professional development programs have the potential to increase knowledge and skills,
make positive changes to teaching behaviors and increase commitment to achieving the
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 35

organization’s performance goals (Romano, Hoesing, O’Donovan & Weinsheimer, 2004; Oleson
& Hora, 2014).
Knowledge influences. A review of the literature on knowledge influences relevant to
university business school faculty, can be categorized into four knowledge types: factual,
conceptual, procedural and metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002, Rueda, 2011). Factual knowledge
is the basic information or facts that one must discern to operate effectively in a specific job
(Rueda, 2011). It includes terminology, details and fundamentals that one must master to solve a
problem in that discipline (Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda, 2011). Conceptual knowledge is
multifaceted, structured forms of knowledge like theories and models, that faculty need to
simplify and communicate to students in a practical and clear manner (Krathwohl, 2002; Mayer,
2011). Procedural knowledge is the knowledge one has about how to do something, such as
knowledge necessary to apply for an internship or develop a lesson plan (Krathwohl, 2002;
Rueda, 2011). The final knowledge type is metacognitive knowledge. Metacognitive
knowledge is the self-awareness of one’s thinking, learning and problem solving processes
(Krathwohl, 2002; Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011). This type of knowledge increases by welcoming
feedback to become aware of blind spots that may hinder one’s performance (Mayer, 2011).
While each of the four knowledge types contribute to the overall understanding of
knowledge faculty must acquire to achieve the goal of improving job placement outcomes, this
study will focus on the conceptual and metacognitive influences only. The conceptual
knowledge needed by faculty to create relevant career preparation assignments is a clear
understanding of the skills employers’ desire from recent college graduates and the application
of these skills in the workplace (Eisner, 2010; Hodge & Lear, 2011; Jackson, 2012; Robles,
2012). The metacognitive knowledge faculty need is the self-awareness of what they know and
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 36

what they do not know about creating new course content and implementing career preparation
assignments, that match employer perceptions of the top skills needed in today’s workplace
(Clark, 2005; Eisner, 2010; MacFarlane, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). These knowledge
influences, will be described in more detail and analyzed below to highlight the knowledge and
skills business school faculty in a southwestern university need to achieve the goal of 100% of
business school graduates securing full time employment six months after graduation.
Knowledge of skills required by employers. Before faculty can prepare students
appropriately for career success, they need to know what employers are expecting from recent
graduates entering the workforce (Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Robles, 2012). There is wide
agreement on the need for interpersonal, conceptual and informational skills coupled with drive
and adaptability as the leading skills and capabilities employers desire from new graduates
(Dupree & Williams, 2011; Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Gault, Leach & Duey, 2010). Employers
indicate that the most important skills needed are critical thinking, creativity, innovation,
collaboration, team building, and communication skills (AMA, 2012; Hart, 2015; Robles, 2014).
Employer web sites, job boards and human resource journals indicate that employers are
searching for students with advanced soft skills, the ability to think, communicate and interact
(Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2015; Robles 2012). Many employers prefer to use their own training
programs to train graduates on the technical skills, if they believe they already have the soft
skills needed to succeed in their organizations (Eisner, 2010; Finch, Hamilton, Baldwin &
Zehner (2013). A positive, optimistic attitude is another important attribute employers attempt to
identify in the hiring process of recent business undergraduates and they tend to prioritize
attitude and soft skills over technical and functional skills (Eisner, 2010; Robles, 2012).
Business school faculty have come under attack for being out of touch with current trends in the
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 37

conceptual knowledge and skills reflective of the contemporary workplace (Eisner, 2010). It
benefits faculty to identify and understand the skills new college graduates should possess to
meet the challenges and access the opportunities of the 21
st
century workplace (Dupree &
Williams, 2011; Jackson, 2012; Robles, 2012; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Developing career preparation assignments. Procedural knowledge allows faculty to
create and implement career preparation assignments that prepare students for the 21
st
century
workplace. Knowing how to create assignments where students practice in the classroom what
they will actually practice in the workplace becomes an opportunity for faculty to consider new
instructional techniques and delivery formats (Alstete & Beutell, 2015; Grinnell, Muise & Litvin,
2009). As faculty consider how to develop new assignments, the business community and
business school accreditation organizations encourage faculty to enhance their pedagogical
content knowledge as a means of integrating theory and real-world practice (Alstete & Beutell,
2015). In one study, redesigning assignments by merging basic written and oral communication
principles with career building assignments, led to a seamless course of study with positive
student feedback (Addams & Allred, 2015). The course included assignments in networking
information interviews, resume writing, cover letters, career portfolios, mock interviews and a
self- evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The entire course focused on
helping students communicate better in writing and speaking while utilizing job search
assignments to prepare students for career success. A benefit of this type of career preparation
course is the high level of student interest as they quickly see the benefit of investing in
themselves (Addams & Allred, 2015). The traditional “sage-on-the-stage” instructor profile is
evolving to meet the explicit demands of students and employers with faculty being expected to
know how to employ more of a facilitative teaching style and engage students in real time
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 38

learning events and a broad variety of team activities to improve their preparation for the 21
st

century workplace (Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Faculty reflection on instructional practices. When faculty apply metacognitive
processes to their instructional practices, they increase their self-awareness of their strengths,
weaknesses and biases, and are more realistic about their ability to create new course content and
deliver effective learning experiences to their students (Oleson & Hora, 2014; Stewart & Gregg,
2015). Faculty that reflect on their own positive and negative learning experiences become
aware of instructional biases formed from personal experience, and are more willing to consider
new teaching methods (Rueda, 2011; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Meaningful learning and transfer
occurs when learners engage in the cognitive processes of selecting, organizing and integrating
information (Mayer, 2011). Faculty that become aware of how they learn and how to control
their learning, engage these cognitive processes by being curious and open to new instructional
practices with a sense of inquiry (Mayer, 2011). By reflecting on individual development
programs from their own business careers, faculty can apply knowledge acquired from one
context to another, which contributes to further improvements in metacognition (Mayer, 2011).
Employers expect faculty to use metacognitive strategies to help graduates enter the workplace
as self-regulated learners that will take responsibility for their own personal development (AMA,
2012; Hart, 2015; Mayer, 2011; Robles, 2012). Recent college graduates and employers have
expressed concern about the degree to which students are given the opportunities to put their
learning outcomes into practice, implying that faculty need to use metacognitive processes to
evaluate their ability to meet these demands (AMA, 2012; Hart, 2006; Oleson & Hora, 2014).
Faculty that welcome performance feedback and invest time to reflect on how to improve their
teaching effectiveness, are building metacognitive knowledge, which increases their emotional
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 39

intelligence and allows them to reach higher levels of achievement in their profession (Goleman,
2006; Mayer, 2011).
Table 1 highlights the information specific to knowledge influences, knowledge types
and knowledge influence assessments. Table 1 shows the two knowledge influences used to
analyze and understand the knowledge faculty must possess to enable the business school to
achieve its job placement goals.
Table 1
Knowledge Influences and Assessments for Knowledge Gap Analysis
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Knowledge Influence Assessment
Faculty need to know what
skills employers desire from
college graduates.
Declarative
(Conceptual)

Interview question: Ask faculty to
discuss the top skills employers’
desire from undergraduate business
students.
Faculty need to know how to
develop a career preparation
assignment.
Declarative
(Procedural)
Interview question: Ask faculty what
type of assignment they would
create to develop the skills
employers’ require from graduates.
Faculty need to reflect on their
ability to create and implement
career preparation assignments.
Metacognitive Interview question: Ask faculty to
evaluate their ability to create and
implement career preparation
assignments.

Motivation
Analyzing and understanding the stakeholder’s motivation influences provide insight into
the root causes of performance problems (Clark & Estes, 2008). Motivation influences
everything an individual does and there is a strong linkage between motivation and success, but
what motivates a person is not always obvious (Sellig, 2015). The three facets of motivated
performance are active choice, persistence and mental effort (Clark & Estes, 2008, Mayer, 2011).
Active choice occurs when one’s good intentions change to concentrated action to achieve a goal
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 40

(Clark & Estes, 2008). Persistence is the ability to stay focused and follow through on meeting
the most important performance goal, despite potential distractions from less important goals or
lower level priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). Mental effort is the amount of energy and
enthusiasm one decides to commit to achieving a goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). There are
numerous motivation theories that explain what influences an individual’s likelihood to engage
in active choice, persistence and mental effort, but this study will focus on expectancy value
theory and attributions theory and the influences these two theories have on the motivation of
faculty to implement career preparation assignments in their courses aligned with current
employer needs.
Expectancy value theory. Achievement related choices link to an individual’s
expectations for success and the importance an individual places on the task (Eccles, 2006). The
expectancy element of expectancy value theory is whether an individual believes they can
perform a task or not. The value element refers to whether the individual determines there is
value or importance in doing the task (Eccles, 2006; Mayer, 2011). Values drive individuals to
initiate an activity, while expectancies influence people to persist at an activity (Rueda, 2011).
People are motivated to engage and complete tasks they value, believe are achievable and
controllable (Rueda, 2011). Expectations become self-fulfilling, as higher expectations of
success have a positive impact on learning and motivation (Eccles, 2006; Mayer, 2011).
Individuals that see value in a task and have confidence they can perform the task proficiently
are more likely to be engaged in the process of completing the task (Rueda, 2011).
Expectancy value theory has four components; attainment, intrinsic, utility and cost-
benefit. Attainment value answers the questions about why someone would do a particular task
and how important is it to excel at the task (Eccles, 2006; Rueda, 2011). Intrinsic value is the
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 41

stimulation that drives an individual to adapt or change a behavior for his or her own internal
satisfaction or fulfillment (Rueda, 2011). Utility value is the usefulness an individual assigns to
a task that would lead to meeting a performance expectation (Rueda, 2011). People may not
place a high utility value on a task, but they endure it anyway, because they want the benefits
from completing the task (Clark & Estes, 2008). Cost benefit refers to the tradeoffs individuals
evaluate as they invest time and resources into achieving a goal and the higher an individual
values an activity, the more likely they are to begin and engage in the activity (Rueda, 2011).
All four of these elements determine the overall value a person places on a task (Eccles, 2006;
Rueda, 2011).
Business faculty and expectancy value theory. The level of persistence and mental
effort one puts into a task is consistent with the value one assigns to a task (Eccles, 2006).
Faculty that value the opportunity to prepare students for the realities of the 21
st
century
workplace, understand the benefits of investing time into career preparation learning experiences
and integrating career preparation assignments into their classes on a regular basis (MacFarlane,
2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015; Weber, 2012). Faculty that find personal fulfillment from
preparing students for career success, perceive time invested in developing career preparation
assignments to be more valuable than other academic activities (McDow & Zabrucky, 2015).
When faculty consider the impact their instructional practices have on their students’ career
trajectory, they realize how important it is to create and implement meaningful career preparation
assignments in their courses (Oleson & Hora, 2015). Student engagement in career development
activities tends to be low for many students, until they encounter passionate faculty that
communicate the value of purposeful activities that lead to appropriate job placement (Blau,
Snell, Campbell, Viswanathan, Aaronson, & Karnik 2015).
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 42

The cost benefit analysis of implementing compelling career preparation assignments,
takes on added benefits when faculty realize most students do not think about their job prospects
until late in their education and need a push from faculty to start the career planning process
(Eisner, 2010; Hart, 2006; McFarlane, 2014; Oleson & Hora, 2015; Stewart & Gregg,
2015;Weber, 2012). However, not all faculty appreciate the benefits of creating new career
preparation assignments for their classes, because it takes time away from other responsibilities
they value higher and they do not see the benefits of making the tradeoff (Oleson & Hora, 2014;
Terosky & Gonzalez, 2016; Weber, 2012). If faculty take the time to listen to employer
feedback suggesting the standard teaching approach of lectures and case studies provide only
limited development of employer-desired skills, the perception of the importance of career
preparation assignments changes (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Employers believe the most
important thing faculty do is prepare students for a business world that is unpredictable and that
business faculty, not employers, are best suited and responsible to prepare the next generation of
employees (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). As business faculty fully understand employer
expectations for their students, the benefits of a renewed focus on developing career preparation
assignments begin to outweigh the costs (Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Attribution theory. Examined by UCLA scholar Bernard Weiner, attribution theory
analyzes the views people have about their success or failure with a particular task and their
ability to influence the final outcome (Rueda, 2011). Beliefs about what caused something to
happen and why certain things happen, have direct impact on the choices, persistence and mental
effort needed to engage in future tasks that relate to those causes (Anderman & Anderman,
2009). When individuals believe that the root cause of an outcome was their lack of effort, they
are more likely to be motivated to engage in the activity with a positive expectation of success
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 43

(Anderman & Anderman, 2009). When the inability to achieve a goal is viewed as a temporary
failure and can be influenced by increased effort or new strategies, individuals will continue to
persist to achieve the goal (Rueda, 2011). Weiner’s attribution theory is primarily about
achievement and the impact individuals can have on an outcome which aligns well with a
continuous improvement mindset where individuals believe they can always find something they
can do better to improve their performance and achieve their goals (Anderman & Anderman,
2009; Rueda, 2011). Weiner classified attributions along the causal dimensions of stability,
locus and control (Rueda, 2011). Stability relates to the perception of the cause being fixed,
stable or unstable across situations and time (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). An unstable
situation is temporary and one is able to change the situation with more effort (Rueda, 2011).
Locus relates to attributions that are internal to the individual or external to the individual
(Rueda, 2011). Individuals can alter internal factors, while external factors are difficult to
change (Rueda, 2011). When people attribute failure to their ability, rather than a lack of effort,
the attributions are uncontrollable (Rueda, 2011). Failure attributed to only a lack of effort is
controllable (Rueda, 2011). People are more motivated to make the effort to achieve goals under
their control (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). Attributions classified as unstable, controllable
and with an internal focus provide the best opportunity to increase performance through
enhanced motivation (Anderman & Anderman, 2009; Rueda, 2011).
Business faculty and attributions theory. As the role of business faculty evolves to
better meet the needs of the market, faculty motivation increases when they consider that
instructional changes developed in response to market demands is controllable and will succeed
or fail based on their personal effort (Kesten & Lambrecht, 2010; Oleson & Hora, 2013; Pintrich,
2003; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Aligning student perceptions of their capabilities in
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 44

employability skills with employer perceptions is a critical first step in student career preparation
and faculty control this learning outcome by the amount of effort they put into modifying the
perception (Jackson, 2012; Martin, 2013). Business school alumni report that faculty have a
significant influence on shaping student perceptions of the skills needed for career success in the
workplace and should not underestimate their impact (McDow & Zaburcky, 2016; Terosky &
Gonzalez, 2016). When faculty realize student success or failure in finding appropriate jobs is
influenced by their increased effort at developing meaningful career preparation assignments,
they are more likely to choose, persevere and work hard at the task (MacFarlane, 2014; Stewart
& Gregg, 2015; Tersoky & Gonzalez, 2016). Collaborating with career centers on campus to
enhance the quality of their career preparation instruction and help students be more successful
in their job searches is an example of an intentional extra effort activity (Blau et al, 2015). As
faculty consider the direct impact they have on whether their students get college level jobs or
not after graduation, their motivation to develop career preparation assignments increases
(Rueda, 2011; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Faculty have control over shaping their students’ early
career trajectory through accurate feedback and relevant instruction, which increases job
satisfaction, and provides intrinsic rewards for their efforts (Anderman & Anderman, 2009;
Clark & White, 2010; Kesten & Lambrecht, 2010; Terosky & Gonzalez, 2016).
Table 2 describes the expectancy value theory and attributions theory influences on
faculty motivation. These influences demonstrate how motivation impacts student preparation
for career success at a southwestern university business school focused on securing full time
employment for its graduates.
Table 2
Motivational Influences and Assessments for Motivation Gap Analysis
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 45

Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment

Cost Benefit: Faculty need to see the benefits of
implementing career preparation assignments in their
courses to equip students to secure full-time employment
after graduation even if it takes away time or effort from
other aspects of instruction.
Interview question: Ask faculty to rank order
their faculty responsibilities in order of
importance and value in their role at this
university.
Attributions: Faculty should believe that their personal
efforts at instruction have a profound impact on student
preparation for career success.
Interview question: Ask faculty “What do you
perceive to be your role in preparing students
to secure full time employment in a college
level job six months after graduation?

Organizational Influences
Organizational influences, along with knowledge and motivation are the primary root
causes of an organization’s inability to achieve their goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Individuals
equipped with the requisite knowledge and motivation need the support of the organization to
achieve the organizational goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). When organizations diagnose
organizational barriers as the root cause of a performance problem, it is typically a work process,
material resource or culture issue (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Insufficient resources and
cumbersome processes can undermine the performance of any organization, even if they have
highly motivated and knowledgeable people (Clark & Estes, 2008). Culture is generally viewed
as the values, beliefs, emotions and perceptions in an organization, but identifying and
influencing culture is often a complex and elusive undertaking (Clark & Estes, 2008). High
performance organizations are characterized by an alignment of culture, policies, procedures and
decision making processes, so it is worth the effort to identify and influence culture (Clark &
Estes, 2008; Schein, 2017).
A review of the literature on organizational influences relevant to a university business
school and its faculty highlights culture, resources and work processes as potential barriers to
success (Clark & Estes, 2008; Kezar, 2001; Schein, 2017). Organizations that do not align their
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 46

culture with their strategies will not achieve their goals (Clark & Estes, 2008, Schien, 2017).
Culture can be viewed as environmental, group based or personal (Clark & Estes, 2008). When
culture is believed to be in the environment or firmly embedded in the organization, a change to
the culture of the organization can change performance (Clark & Estes, 2008; Schein, 2017).
Culture viewed as group based focuses on the different cultural beliefs and expectations of the
people that work in them and by changing those beliefs, organizations can improve performance
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Schein, 2017). Personal cultural beliefs developed from life experiences
have an impact on knowledge, skills and motivation, but cultural self-awareness is limited (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Kezar, 2001; Schein, 2017). Training and motivational programs launched by an
organization’s leaders to improve performance are attempts to transform the existing
organization culture by changing people’s cultural behaviors at work (Clark & Estes, 2008;
Schein, 2017).
Culture can be visible to observers in three levels. Artifacts include visible structures and
processes such as charters, organization charts, documented work processes and observable
behavior (Schein, 2017). Espoused beliefs and values are the organization ideals, goals, publicly
stated values, aspirations and desired employee behavior (Schein, 2017). Basic underlying
assumptions guide behavior and inform group members how to perceive, think and feel about
things, but they can be hard to see (Schein, 2017). Culture at the assumptions level tells its
members who they are, how to behave toward each other and how to feel good about themselves,
which is why culture change initiatives create anxiety and resistance (Schein, 2017).
Work processes are the means by which organizations achieve their goals, but without a
continuous effort to streamline and improve work processes, process bottlenecks emerge over
time that obstruct goal achievement (Clark & Estes, 2008). The value stream map is a
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 47

continuous improvement tool that enables organizations to eliminate bottlenecks by identifying
the process steps customers value and will actually pay for and by eliminating non-value added
process steps that lead to waste (Clark & Estes, 2008; Langley et al., 2009). Organizations
positioned for sustainable performance improvement know why they need to improve their work
processes, have a strong feedback loop to monitor the impact of improvement efforts, and
understand what changes they can actually implement to improve their processes (Langley et al.,
2009). A process improvement model that utilizes a trial and learn approach to address
ineffective and inefficient processes is the PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) methodology (Langley
et al., 2009). The PDSA performance improvement cycle begins with a plan and ends with
action from the learning phases of study, do and act (Langley et al., 2009). Work processes that
are not aligned to achieving business goals and that are not consistently challenged and improved
with a continuous improvement mindset, become organizational barriers to goal accomplishment
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Langley et al., 2009).
Rewards and recognition. The recognition and rewards systems of most organizations
tends to stifle risk taking and creative long term behavior, while incentivizing the short term safe
and derivative behavior many organizations want to change (Belsky, 2012). Organizations that
create incremental rewards and recognition programs to motivate employees to engage in long-
term and high-risk projects can offset the need to feel validated by short term performance
rewards from traditional rewards systems (Belsky, 2012). Leaders embed their beliefs, values
and assumptions into an organization by recognizing and rewarding the behavior they want more
of (Schein, 2017). Most university business faculty choose their careers for the intrinsic rewards
of preparing students for success in a world that is unpredictable, but they are still influenced by
tenure and promotion recognition and reward policies (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Universities
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 48

with faculty tenure and promotion policies that perpetuate a fear-based and failure-averse culture
with no incentives for novel thinking will end up with safe derivative work that will not be
innovative (Catmull & Wallace, 2014). If universities want innovative thinking and risk taking
from their faculty, they need to ensure the appropriate rewards and recognition incentives are in
place to encourage different behavior or the university will be confronted with an erosion in
value and relevance in the face of common practices and lack of innovation (MacFarlane, 2014;
Stewart & Gregg, 2015). The business community is expecting business faculty to play the role
of knowledge creator, trainer, global citizen, mentor, coach and experiential facilitator of
learning without the reinforcement of rewards and recognition for each role (Stewart & Gregg,
2015). It will be difficult for the modern faculty person to forgo the old notion of complete
autonomy and assume the new role of a career preparation collegial team player without
alignment in tenure and promotion policy incentives (Belsky, 2012; MacFarlane, 2014; Malik &
Morse, 2000; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Today’s system of rewarding and recognizing business
faculty by their publications needs to be revisited and replaced by a performance based
compensation system tied to university and business school goals, such as enrollment growth or
specific financial metrics (Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Career development resources to support faculty career instruction and advising.
Organizations require sufficient tangible and intangible resources to achieve their goals (Clark &
Estes, 2008). Economic conditions, public expectations and a growing emphasis on career
success have pushed many universities to prioritize and develop their career preparation services
and resources into a source of competitive advantage (Lipka, 2008). A career development
resource that is being adopted by many universities with positive results is the ePortfolio
platform, a container that uses digital technologies to allow students to organize artifacts,
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 49

evidence and reflections related to internship projects and experiential learning outcomes
(Ambrose & Chen, 2015). According to a Hart Research Associates (2015) survey, 80% of
employers say it would be helpful to see an electronic portfolio of student accomplishments in
key skill and knowledge areas in addition to a resume. As the production model of business
education shifts to more of a learning network model, with students relying on faculty for career
mentoring and advising, appropriate career development resources must be in place to support
faculty in their expanded career coaching and career preparation instructional roles (MacFarlane,
2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Organizational goals and priorities. The most successful organizations are goal driven
with goals that are concrete, challenging and current (Clark & Estes, 2008). An absence of clear
and specific performance goals drives individuals to focus on their personal career advancement
as opposed to helping the organization or work team achieve its goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Since leadership is fundamentally a communication process to convey clear direction about what
is important, it is crucial for leaders to communicate the organization’s goals and priorities
frequently and consistently to enhance clarity in the organization (Berger, 2014; Schein, 2017).
With rising tuition costs, business schools are increasingly pressured to deliver on their promises
of great career results to students and their parents, who are demanding a faster return on their
education investment (Lipka, 2008; Ng & Burke, 2006). Creating a campus environment that
changes the behavior required from faculty to support career development goals entails a clear
message from university leaders on the importance of achieving job placement outcome metrics
for graduates (DeAngelo, Mason & Winters, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). What leaders pay
attention to, prioritize, measure and control on a regular basis is what gets the focus and effort by
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 50

the members of the organization (Kezar, 2001; Martin, 2013; Schein, 2017; Stewart & Gregg,
2015).
Organizational culture. Organizational cultural influences can be determined by
investigating an organizations’ implicit and explicit attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, spoken and
unspoken rules, and the alignment or misalignment between organization policies and procedures
and organization goals (Clark & Estes, 2008; Schein, 2017). Applying cultural models such as
the competing values model that proposes most organizations operate in the culture dimensions
of either control, collaboration, cultivation or competence, help determine whether the culture is
aligned or misaligned with achieving the goals of the organization (Schein, 2017). Collaboration
and cultivation cultures, where new ideas and innovation flourishes and performance
improvement discussions are customary, are prevalent in high performance organizations
(Schein, 2017). Faculty education and scholarship can be a cultural barrier to excellence in
business education due to the type and limited diversity of professional, business and training
experiences faculty members possess (MacFarlane, 2014). However, a culture of learning and
collaboration help faculty expand their instructional knowledge and best practices to share more
than just their personal experiences, improving the learning experience for their students
(MacFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). An appreciation and understanding of the
influence of cultural models: values, beliefs, invisible and automated attitudes, along with their
visible, concrete manifestations in cultural settings is essential to achieving the goals of the
organization (Rueda, 2011).
Table 3 below highlights the information specific to organizational influences and
assessments. Table 3 also shows organization barriers that may prevent the business school from
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 51

achieving its job placement goals essential to achieving the goals of the organization (Rueda,
2011).
Table 3
Organizational Influences and Assessments for Organizational Gap Analysis

Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Business School Faculty Knowledge and
Motivation and the Organizational Context
The purpose of a conceptual framework is to clarify and highlight the concepts, terms,
definitions, models and theories of the phenomena a researcher plans to study (Maxwell, 2013;
Merriam & Tisdale, 2016). The conceptual framework generates the problem of the study,
research questions, data collection and analysis techniques, and it guides the research process
and the interpretation of the findings (Maxwell 2013; Merriam & Tisdale, 2016). The conceptual
framework not only details the primary factors, concepts, and variables that will be studied, but
also the relationships between them (Maxwell, 2013). A conceptual framework impacts all
Assumed Organizational Influences

Organizational Influence Assessment
The faculty tenure-promotion policy lacks
significant incentives and recognition for
career preparation activities and
accomplishments.
Interview question: Ask faculty to describe
the influence the tenure and promotion
policy has on making career preparation a
priority in their courses.
The university does not provide clear
direction to faculty regarding the importance
and priority of career development
responsibilities.
Interview question: Ask faculty to articulate
their how they collaborate with the career
services center to achieve job placement
goals.
The career center lacks the resources, to
provide adequate support to business school
faculty with career preparation activities and
assignments.
Interview question: Ask faculty to describe
the goals and priorities the university has
communicated to all faculty relative to
student career preparation.
The university lacks a workplace culture of
collaboration for business faculty to share
information and best practices relative to
career preparation assignments.
Interview question: Ask faculty to describe
the culture in the business school and if the
current culture has any impact on improving
their teaching effectiveness.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 52

aspects of a study and the analysis and interpretation of the findings reflect the concepts, models
and theories that framed the study from the beginning (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdale,
2016). It is important to note that the conceptual framework is constructed or developed and it is
not something that already exists (Maxwell, 2013). If the conceptual framework is developed
from an epistemological constructivism perspective, where it is shaped by an individual’s
assumptions and prior experiences, it cannot claim absolute truth since it will biased by one’s
understanding of the world (Maxwell, 2013).
Although the knowledge, motivation and organization influences have been presented
independent of each other in this study, they do work together. Evaluating and understanding
how the influences interact with each other is a critical component of the gap analysis
performance improvement model (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). The interaction of the
key influences on the achievement of the organization goal will be presented from an
epistemological constructivism perspective, derived from the researcher’s personal experiences
and balanced with ontological realism, the world that exists beyond the researcher’s
understanding, discovered from the literature review (Maxwell, 2013).
Business education is currently faced with pressure to address many challenges, including
increasing globalization, the need to integrate softer skills into curricula without displacing
business foundational courses, the effects of technology on current teaching practice, dissatisfied
employers that hire business graduates unprepared for the workplace and the need for more
highly qualified faculty members (MacFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Business faculty
receive criticism for failing to impart useful skills, failing to prepare leaders, failing to instill
norms of good ethical behavior and failing to help students find appropriate jobs for their
education level (Malik & Morse, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Business faculty must evolve
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 53

to satisfy students and employers in the current environment, who are expecting more benefits
and skills to be delivered from a business school education (Sowcik, 2013; Stewart & Gregg,
2015).
The market is demanding that faculty better understand the workplace skills employers’
desire and translate that knowledge into effective instruction (Eisner, 2010; Jackson, 2012;
Sowcik, 2013). A key component of the knowledge development process for faculty is taking
the time reflect on one’s ability to teach career preparation assignments along with their
perceptions of employer desired skills (Eisner, 2010; Malik & Morse, 2014). As faculty are
asked to improve their career preparation instructional skills and expand their roles with career
advising and mentoring, a conflict emerges with faculty that joined academia to focus on
research (Malik & Morse, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Some faculty are not motivated to
acquire new career preparation instructional knowledge or take on additional roles to prepare
students for career success and they justify their position by pointing to tenure and promotion
policies that do not reward or recognize efforts to improve job placement outcomes for students
(McFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Faculty will not be motivated to forgo the old
isolated notion of complete autonomy to conduct research and take on the new role of career
preparation team player without support from a fully resourced career services center, incentives
from the tenure and promotion policy, a culture of collaboration with fellow business faculty and
clear direction from executive leadership that career preparation is a top priority (Clark & Estes,
2008; McDow & Zabrucky, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Faculty that are motivated to
acquire the knowledge to increase their career preparation teaching effectiveness and supported
by the organization to achieve job placement outcome goals, will meet the demands of the
market and change with the current business environment (Stewart & Gregg, 2015). However,
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 54

university leaders need to recognize that even if they provide full organizational support to their
business faculty to improve career preparation instruction and advising capabilities, they must
ensure faculty motivation is aligned with the goal by implementing the appropriate incentives
and clearly and consistently communicating the purpose and importance of preparing students
for career success (Malik & Morse, 2014; McDow & Zabrucky, 2015; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
The conceptual framework is depicted below in figure Y.

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 55

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework
By May 2020, 100% of a
Southwestern University’s
business school graduates seeking
employment are able to secure
full-time employment within six
months after graduation.
graduation date.
Southwestern University Business School
Cultural Settings and Cultural Models:
Tenure & Promotion policy incentives, clear faculty expectations
and roles communicated by senior leadership, culture of
collaboration to share instructional best practices across campus
and sufficient career services resources in support of achieving the
organization goal.

Southwestern University Business School Faculty
Conceptual knowledge of skills employers require
from graduates, procedural knowledge of how to
develop career assignments, metacognitive
knowledge to reflect on ability to develop career
assignments and how this knowledge aligns with
faculty cost benefit and attributions motivation to
prepare students for career success.

By the end of the 2019 Fall
semester, 100% of business
school faculty will implement
a career preparation
assignment in their upper
division courses, aligned with
employer needs as defined in
the syllabus.

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 56

The diagram above depicts the interactions between the knowledge, motivation and
organization influencers for a Southwestern University business school and its faculty to achieve
the job placement goals of the organization. The broader circle represents the larger cultural
models of the university that impact faculty and their interactions with students. The cultural
model of the university also influences the cultural settings that are established in the business
school, which is represented by the inner circle. The ability of the university president to provide
clear direction to the faculty increases confidence and commitment to achieving university goals
and influences faculty priorities. Faculty need to be supported by a strong career services
organization to engage in career preparation activities and they need the new ideas that come
from collaborating with fellow faculty to innovate their instructional strategies. These three
organizational factors may not be enough to change faculty behavior if the tenure and promotion
policy does not recognize or reward career preparation efforts. Faculty knowledge and
motivation to achieve the organization goals is represented in the smaller circle within the
university context circle. Faculty need to know what skills employers want from graduates and
how to develop and teach career preparation assignments. Faculty will be motivated to develop
and improve their career preparation instructional capabilities if they value the cost-benefit
tradeoff of the time investment and understand the success or failure of their action depends on
their efforts. The alignment of knowledge, motivation and organization influencers is required
for goal achievement and this is depicted by the arrow pointing from the circles to the
organization goal.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, motivation and organization
influences related to the achievement of job placement goals for a Southwestern University
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 57

business school. The interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to the organizational goal was a specific focus of the
evaluation. Chapter Two presented the learning, motivation and organization theory literature
and related general literature on labor market trends, 21
st
century skills and business faculty
strategies to prepare students for career success. Chapter Two also presented the knowledge,
motivation and organization influences on performance for business faculty, the key stakeholder
in the study. The study’s conceptual framework was presented in chapter two, displaying how
the knowledge, motivation and organization influences work together and link to the research
questions. Chapter Three presents the study’s methodological approach and includes a
description of the validation process of the assumed knowledge, motivation and organization
influences.

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 58

Chapter Three: Methods
This chapter describes the qualitative approach used to conduct the study, including the
research design, sampling strategy, data collection, and instrumentation methods. The purpose
of this study is to examine business faculty knowledge, motivation and organization influences
related to the organization goal of 100% of graduates seeking employment securing full time
employment. I am also specifically studying faculty knowledge, motivation and organization
influences related to implementing career preparation assignments in all upper division business
courses by the end of 2018 as a critical contribution to the organizational goal of 100%
employability.
This qualitative study is focused on the following research questions:
1. To what extent is the Southwestern University’s business school achieving its goal of
100% of graduates seeking employment able to secure full time employment within
six months after graduation?
2. What is the faculty knowledge and motivation related to the stakeholder goal of
implementing a career preparation assignment by the end of fall semester 2019?
3. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to the stakeholder goal of implementing a career
preparation assignment by the end of fall semester 2019?
4. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation and organizational resources related to the goal of 100% of graduates
seeking employment able to secure full time employment within six months after
graduation?

JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 59

Participating Stakeholders
For this study, 13 SWU full time business school faculty and three adjunct faculty were
the stakeholder population of focus. I interviewed all 16 of these business faculty members. I
observed three professors teach career preparation assignments and I inspected career
preparation assignments in five syllabi. My classroom observation schedule was based on
faculty enthusiasm for my study and an invitation from the faculty member to visit their
classroom. Maxwell (2013) recommends selecting participants best able to answer research
questions with rich insights for qualitative studies. These selected participants work directly
with students on a daily basis and are most likely to contribute appropriate data and rich
information to the study because of their unique awareness of students’ knowledge and
motivation related to career preparation, and their experience in career instruction, advising and
mentoring. Maxwell (2013) suggests using a snowball sampling technique to identify additional
participants that can add rich information to answer the research questions. Business faculty
were asked to provide names of other professors on campus that might provide additional insight
on faculty knowledge and motivation factors related to improving job placement outcomes for
the university. The snowball sampling process led to interviews with five additional professors
outside the school of business to gain additional career preparation insight. This form of
purposeful, nonrandom sampling is one in which the researcher decides which participants to
include in the sample based on the participants’ specialized knowledge and willingness to
participate in the research (Creswell, 2014; Johnson & Christensen, 2015; Maxwell, 2013;
Merriam & Tisdale, 2016).
Business Faculty Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
The following criteria were used to recruit study participants.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 60

Criterion. The participants, must be full time or part time professors in the business
school at Southwestern University with the ability to share their insights related to improving job
placement outcomes for the business school graduates. This criterion defines the stakeholder
population for this study, which is depicted in the conceptual framework diagram by the small
green circle.
Business Faculty Interview Sampling and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
Although a census sample of all 13 full time business faculty members was planned for
this study, the participants were purposefully prioritized by their experience and career
development competence to ensure the most helpful insight to the study is discovered during the
three-month research window (Maxwell, 2013). As the primary investigator, I am also a
professor at the Southwestern University Palm School of Business, but I did not have any issues
scheduling the interviews. There was faculty familiarity with my research due to discussions
about my study at staff meetings and informal discussions with various faculty members. The
dean of the business school provided enthusiastic support of my study from the beginning and he
communicated his support and expectation of full faculty participation. We are already
implementing one of my early recommendations for internship participation improvement. The
business school administrative assistant formally scheduled the interviews at the beginning of the
data collection process. Upon completion of the initial data analysis, follow-up interviews and
member checks helped me clarify and summarize initial research findings and establish validity
(Maxwell, 2013).
Non Business Faculty Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
The following criteria were used to recruit study participants.
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 61

Criterion 1. Participants in the study must have a minimum of 10 years of professional
experience in addition to their academic experience to ensure they are able to discuss their
experience in relationship to improving employability and specifically creating and
implementing career preparation assignments. They must have basic information about labor
market trends, specific skills employers require from graduates, and how employers make
employment decisions.
Criterion 2. Participants in the study must have a minimum three years of Southwestern
University service to ensure they can comment on university culture and possible organization
barriers related to improving job placement outcomes.
Criterion 3. Participants in the study must have a minimum of two years of higher
education academic and career advising experience to ensure they are able to answer questions
about influences related to improving job placement outcomes for recent college graduates.
Non Business Faculty Interview Sampling and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
Consistent with a qualitative research study, the snowball sampling form of purposeful
sampling can be utilized to provide additional insight into answering the research questions
(Maxwell, 2013). Although non-business faculty were not in the conceptual framework diagram,
they emerged during business faculty interviews for further insight on best practices related to
the research questions. With this sampling strategy, participants and settings are deliberately
selected to provide the researcher with the most relevant information required to answer the
research questions (Maxwell, 2013). Consistent with a qualitative interview, I asked open-ended
questions to the participants in their natural setting because it is the best method to gather
thorough information about a participant’s thoughts, beliefs, knowledge, reasoning, motivations,
and feelings about a topic (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). The interview guide approach was
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utilized to ensure consistency with the same general topics and questions for all of the
interviewees, but the interviews will not be so structured that follow-up questions and
conversation that could naturally emerge are stifled (Johnson & Christensen, 2015).
Five additional participants emerged for interviews using the snowball sampling
technique with the first round of interviews (Maxwell, 2013). These additional participants
were scheduled for interviews through email communications with myself. Merriam and Tisdale
(2016) and Creswell (2014) note that in qualitative research data is collected by the researcher
until the point at which no new information is seen or heard, and while it is difficult to stipulate
the perfect sample size in advance of a qualitative study, the sufficient size for qualitative
research sampling is the point at which saturation occurs. The study participants that meet the
selection criteria will provide the best data for the study and every effort will be made to
establish productive and trusting relationships with these stakeholders to effectively answer the
research questions (Maxwell, 2013).
Observation Sampling Criteria and Rationale
The following criteria were used to recruit study participants.
Criterion 1. Participants must have a minimum of three years of higher education career
preparation instruction experience, allowing the observer to witness the delivery of a career
preparation assignment in a classroom.
Criterion 2. Participants must have a minimum of five years of business management
experience, providing an awareness of employer desired skills from recent graduates.
Observation Sampling and Access Strategy and Rationale
I gained access to the appropriate observation settings by collaborating with professors
during the interview process and coordinating an observation date to observe the implementation
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of a career development assignment. I did not experience any issues with access to classroom
observations for this study. As we discussed career preparation assignments in the interviews,
classroom observations were set up directly with the participants at a mutually agreeable time to
observe the implementation of those assignments. The goal was to identify three participants for
follow up observation cases studies to get a sense of the organization’s capacity to deliver career
preparation instruction. I also observed an employer job fair and employer networking breakfast
delivered by the career center to analyze the capability of the career center to implement career
development events.
Although interviewing is an efficient and valid method to understand a participant’s
perspective, observation allows the researcher to gain more information and understanding about
a phenomena that may not come out in an interview (Maxwell, 2013). Observation can be a
direct method to learn more about a participant’s behavior in a particular setting while gaining
more insight into a participant’s viewpoints which they may be reluctant to share in an interview
(Maxwell, 2013). Unlike quantitative research, which requires large sample sizes in order to be
statistically significant, qualitative observational research uses smaller sample sizes with the goal
of gaining a deeper understanding of a complex phenomenon (Merriam & Tisdale, 2016).
Artifact and Document Analysis
Although interviews and observations were the primary data collection methods in this
study, Creswell (2014) recommends obtaining additional sources of data for qualitative research
studies. Course syllabi were the primary artifact I used in the study to augment the data captured
from interviews and observations. I worked directly with the business faculty to review their
syllabi. As a normal teaching practice, I obtain and study syllabi from other faculty members to
enhance the quality of my own syllabi and ensure the differentiation of my courses from other
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courses in the management concentration. I collected the syllabi not already in my possession to
study how other faculty members communicate career preparation assignments to their students.
I also evaluated student e-Portfolios of accomplishments that demonstrate employability in a
personal website format in my senior management capstone class. The e-Portfolios include
items from career preparation assignments that are easily obtained on the university intranet.
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
Consistent with a qualitative case study, my role as the principal investigator of the study
means that I served as the primary instrument for data collection. I collected data through
interviews, observations and artifacts to answer the research questions. This study used face to
face interviews with the 13 full time members of the business school faculty, three part time
business faculty as well as selected faculty in other departments at Southwestern University that
excel at career preparation. As Maxwell (2013) suggests, framing questions in terms specific to
the setting or the participants to draw out specific beliefs, actions and events in the actual context
of the workplace is required for the success of qualitative interviews. Observational data of three
business professors delivering career preparation lessons in their classrooms followed an
observation protocol, that included recording field notes and reflecting on the experience. The
essence of the qualitative method used in this study was; capturing quality versus quantity,
reaching deeper understanding versus testing of a specific hypothesis, using the researcher as the
instrument for data collection through observations and interviews, and reaching findings that are
holistic and evolving with a goal of answering the research questions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
These tenets of qualitative research were appropriate for this study as the purpose was to gather
rich data and unique insights about the faculty knowledge, motivation and organization
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influences related to achieving the organization goal of 100% of graduates securing full time
employment six months after graduation.
Interviews
The process of interviewing allowed me to engage in a conversation with my participants
and ask questions that clearly answered my research questions. The plan was to conduct thirteen
one-time, one-hour interviews with the full time business faculty, three one-time one hour
interviews with part time faulty and an additional three to four interviews with faculty from other
schools on campus with strong job placement metrics through business faculty endorsements. I
conducted the interviews in the office of each faulty member. The interviews were formal in
nature since they were scheduled and I traveled to their offices. I used a semi-structured
protocol, where a list of questions or issues to explored, guided the interview, but there was
flexibility to respond to interesting and surprising comments, probe new ideas and uncover rich
data to answer the research questions. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) and Creswell (2014) contend
that in qualitative research data is collected by the researcher until the point in which no new
information is seen or heard, and while it is difficult to specify how much data to collect, the
sufficient amount of data in qualitative research is generally thought of as the point at which
saturation occurs and no new data is being collected.
The interviews included open-ended questions related to the knowledge, motivation and
organization influences that have a significant impact on achieving the stakeholder and
organization goals. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), the key to acquiring descriptive
data from interviews is to ask a mix of open ended questions that focus on experience, behavior,
opinions, values, feelings, knowledge, sensory experiences, background and demographics. The
actual questions were developed using Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) four major categories of
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questions: hypothetical, devil’s advocate, ideal position and interpretive to uncover insights I was
not expecting to find. The interview protocol is provided in the appendix.
Observations
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) suggest that observation is the best research technique to use
when an event or activity can be observed firsthand. I observed three one-hour career
preparation lessons to examine lessons actually delivered in the classroom as compared to the
data from my interviews. Field notes helped me record the data from the observations. Bogdan
and Biklen (2007) recommend minimizing the time that passes from observation to recording
field notes to maximize recall of the observation. I summarized my notes and reflected on my
observation the day of the class. I reviewed my notes with each professor the next day to check
the accuracy of my observations and mitigate my biases. As Maxwell (2013) suggests,
observations allow a researcher to validate data obtained in an interview in a more direct manner.
Classroom observations allowed me to examine student engagement during the career
preparation lessons and if lessons were taught, as the instructors described it to me in the
interviews. The observation instrument is in the appendix.
Documents and Artifacts
I collected course syllabi as an artifact to review career assignment descriptions from the
business faculty. They are available on the university intranet and through the business
department administrative assistant. The syllabi allowed me to study how career preparation
assignments are being presented to students and if there is alignment with the description of
these assignments from my interviews. I also inspected student electronic portfolios (e-
Portfolios), which are evidence of a students’ preparation for career success and the primary
career development tool the entire university supports. The e-Portfolios include thoughtful
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reflections and relevant artifacts in a personal website format that showcase student learning to
audiences outside the university. An e-Portfolio may contain all or some of the following: text,
picture, or video files, writing samples, projects prepared for class or extracurricular activities,
evidence of creativity and performance, evidence of internship participation, and
recommendations. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), documents and artifacts that
contain data relevant to the research questions and are easily accessible, add value to any
research effort. The syllabi and e-Portfolios were easily accessible and they allowed me to
analyze the delivery of career preparation assignments with an e-Portfolio component in the
classroom, and student attitudes in regards to this employment tool. Ambrose and Chen (2015)
argue that the e-Portfolio is the most effective tool available to students today to communicate
their value to employers. I asked the university’s business faculty in my interviews to describe
the impact of the recent emphasis on e-Portfolios on student employability. I also asked if they
felt the e-Portfolio tool is having an impact on the business school goal of preparing more
students for career success.
Data Analysis
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) endorse data collection and data analysis being a concurrent
process in qualitative research. Therefore, after each interview was completed, I reflected on the
interview and recorded my initial thoughts and observations in an analytic memo, to ensure my
collection and analysis process was simultaneous. The analytic memo documented how I was
feeling after the interview, how I thought the interviewee was feeling, what I was learning in
relation to the study’s conceptual framework and research questions (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
The interviews were recorded by a transcription service. After the interviews were transcribed,
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they were coded. Coding is a process that facilitates the organization of qualitative data before
being analyzed (Creswell, 2014).
In the first phase of analysis, open coding was used to assign categories to the data based
on concepts or codes to the observed data and phenomenon (Harding, 2013). This first phase
was constructed to identify linkages to the study’s conceptual framework. A priori codes were
then identified from the interview transcripts for unique terms relevant to the feedback from the
faculty.
In the next phase of data analysis, axial coding, I aggregated the open codes and
organized them in specific categories, as recommended by Merriam & Tisdell (2016). The axial
codes represented concepts that are in the data. Following the axial coding phase, a preliminary
analysis of the data was conducted to being identifying common themes. In the third phase of
data analysis, I identified pattern codes and emergent themes, in relation to the conceptual
framework and research questions (Harding, 2013). During the entire data analysis process
Corbin and Strauss’s (2008) questioning analytic tool was utilized to interrogate the data and
ensure I was digging below the surface to probe and make sense of the data.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
According to Maxwell (2013), the concept of validity has been controversial in
qualitative research as it is viewed to be incompatible with constructivism. Maxwell (2013)
points out that prominent researchers believe credibility and trustworthiness are more appropriate
concepts for qualitative research than validity. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) suggest that while
some threats to validity are unavoidable, there are practices that researchers can engage in to
increase the trustworthiness and credibility of their study. In particular, researcher bias and
reactivity are the two validity threats qualitative researchers should attempt to mitigate in their
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research (Maxwell, 2013). As (Creswell) 2014 recommends, member checking strategies and
peer debriefings are effective methods to enhance the accuracy of findings and increase the
validity and reliability of the research.
In order to mitigate credibility and trustworthiness issues, I used multiple sources and
perspectives to provide input into the data gathering protocol, a process referred to as
triangulation according to Merriam and Tisdell (2016). In my case, triangulation included
perspectives from people with strong career preparation reputations such as the dean of student
success, the director of alumni relations, the dean and associate dean of the business school and
the director of the career center regarding the interview protocol. I sought their direct input on
the suitability and relevance of the specific interview questions for this study. In addition to
triangulation, Maxwell (2013) suggests the use of member checking to ensure internal credibility
and I will utilize this strategy by seeking feedback on preliminary findings from some of the
people I interview. I used a peer review process by utilizing two faculty members who are also
the current and past chairs of undergraduate business education to review my data for credibility
and trustworthiness and regulate my personal bias. I also maintained an audit trail (Merriam and
Tisdell, 2016) to preserve my field notes, decision-making history and reflections to ensure
consistency and dependability in my research. The utilization of triangulation, member
checking, audit trail and peer review strategies in my research process should validate the
trustworthiness and credibility of my research.
To offset participant reactivity to the interviewing process, I communicated to my
participants that I valued their insights as university professors and administrators, and that I am
primarily interested in learning more about their views and opinions about career preparation in
higher education, as well as their personal experiences supporting college students. I attempted
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to build trust with my participants and encourage them to be transparent and candid in the
interviews. In an effort to confront my own personal biases that could influence my
interpretation of the data, I was careful to follow, Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) guidance to
exercise reflection after I conducted each interview. However, I remembered that researcher bias
is not necessarily problematic as long as researchers state their preconceived assumptions and
disclose their biases that could influence data interpretations in their final report (Bogdan and
Biklen, 2007). Although I did have a few preconceived assumptions about the best practices for
career preparation going into the study, such as internship participation, I purposefully selected
literature for the review that confronted my biases, and I attempted to be transparent with my
reflective practices as I analyzed and interpreted the data.
Ethics
Is it possible that the qualitative research process used to complete this study could do
harm to the faculty members that agreed to participate in the study? Rubin and Rubin (2012)
state that it is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure the participants do not come to any
harm as a result of a study and behave ethically at all times during the research process.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) point out that it is the responsibility of the researcher to learn and
understand the appropriate ethical behavior and guidelines prescribed by institutional review
boards (IRB), including the right to privacy, the concept of informed consent, the issue of
deception and how to shield interviewees from harm. Due to the semi-structured and
conversational nature of the data collection process in this study, a potential risk for faculty
members is they reveal information they did not intend to disclose. They could risk my finding
out they do not have the knowledge and motivation to create and implement career preparation
assignments. They could also risk my discovery of their disdain for student advising and
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mentoring and their preference for personal research, exposing a misalignment with business
school goals and objectives. They could also risk that I find out they do not develop and nurture
relationships with employers to understand what employers want from new college graduates,
which means they are not preparing their students with current information. I may discover they
do not help place their students in jobs that align with a college education, ignoring one of the
business school dean’s top initiatives. Finally, I may discover that faculty members do not
prioritize career advising and mentoring and do not believe it is an important part of their job
description, which demonstrates a lack of commitment and buy-in to the university imperative to
cultivate competent and courageous graduates to succeed in the workplace.
The implication of my discoveries in the interviews may impact the careers of my study
participants. According to Kruger and Casey (2009) participants in a study must be informed of
the study’s risks and rewards, the voluntary and confidential nature of the study and told they can
end their participation at any time. I described these features of the study in an introductory e-
mail to all participants one week before the interviews began and explained that the study was
submitted to the University of Southern California IRB and will be conducted under IRB rules
and guidelines to safeguard the participants. The participants were familiar with the IRB process
because they are all university faculty members. I acquired a verbal confirmation from each
interviewee at the outset of the interviews to ensure they understand and accept all aspects of
their participation in the study. I recorded the interviews, but if my participants objected because
they believed a recorder might hinder the open and collegial atmosphere I was hoping to create
in the interviews, I was prepared to shut it down. I gained the participant’s permission to store
and secure information from each interview and allowed the participants the opportunity to
ensure their input was captured accurately by reviewing the preliminary analysis from the data
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they provided to me.
As a fellow faculty member at the Southwestern University Palm School of Business, I
assured the participants that the researcher’s role in the study was strictly limited to performing
research and not evaluating or judging how faculty members are performing as career
preparation mentors, advisors or teachers. Consistent with Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016)
guidance, a researcher must conduct interviews with the sole purpose of discovering rich and
meaningful data to answer the research questions and resist temptations to become a judge or
critic during the process. I assured all 13 full time faculty members and three part time faculty of
the confidentiality of their individual participation in the study. The faculty members
interviewed outside the business school were also assured of their own confidentiality as well as
the confidentiality of their academic programs. The university setting in the study was identified
by pseudonym to ensure the privacy of the university. Due to my extensive literature review and
thirty-five years of professional business experience, I realize that I have formed personal biases
regarding the study and these biases could deceive my participants. Glesne (2011) points out
that researchers must acknowledge personal biases and not become advocates for a particular
position or solution during an interviewing process by leading the interviewees to answer
questions that align with their paradigms. I made every effort to conduct the interviews with a
sense of inquiry, an open mind and not advocate personal opinions during the interviews,
allowing all voices to be heard.
In an effort to confront personal bias that could influence the researcher’s interpretation
of the data, I followed the suggestions by Creswell (2014) to be careful to exercise reflection as I
conducted the interviews. Researcher bias is not necessarily problematic as long as researchers
state their preconceived assumptions and disclose their biases that could influence data
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interpretations and findings (Glesne, 2011; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). I have no preconceived
assumptions about career preparation best practices in higher education, but I acknowledge
biases in employer desired skills for new graduates due to personal experience and will continue
to use the dissertation committee, dissertation chair and personal reflection to overcome bias
issues that might impact the privacy or safety of my interviewees.
Limitations and Delimitations
This research study aligned with a qualitative research approach, and involved the use of
interviews, classroom observations and artifact analysis as the primary methods of data
collection. The study focused on a rich and descriptive examination of the career instruction
perceptions and experiences of business faculty. Limitations to the study, the potential
weaknesses out of my control, will exist. The limitations of this study include the truthfulness of
the participants in my interviews and whether the classroom observations will be staged for my
study and do not depict reality. This study was limited by time, and was only representative of a
snapshot dependent on the conditions that occurred during this timeframe. The study was also
limited to the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences I selected for my conceptual
framework. Delimitation choices I made such as the questions I asked in the interviews, the
limited number of participants, classroom observations and artifacts inspected limits the scope of
the study. The experiences and opinions shared in my interviews of the business school faculty
at Southwestern University limit my results. Therefore, the results of this study cannot be
generalized to a larger population because of its qualitative nature, but the results will be able to
inform practice at the business school at Southwestern University.

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Chapter Four: Results and Findings
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which the Southwestern
University business school is achieving its organizational goal of 100% of graduates seeking
employment being able to secure full time employment within six months after graduation. This
evaluation focused on the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related
to achieving the organizational goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all
university stakeholders, for practical purposes, the primary stakeholder for this analysis was
business school faculty members. As such, the questions that guided this study were the
following.
1. To what extent is the Southwestern University’s business school achieving its
goal of 100% of graduates seeking employment able to secure full time
employment within six months after graduation?
2. What is the faculty knowledge and motivation related to implementing a career
preparation assignment by the end of fall semester 2019?
3. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to implementing a career preparation
assignment by the end of fall semester 2019?
4. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of
knowledge, motivation and organizational resources related to the goal of 100%
of graduates seeking employment able to secure full time employment within six
months after graduation?
The business faculty interviews were formal in nature since they were conducted in the
office of each faulty member. I used a semi-structured interview protocol, and the interviews
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 75

were guided by a list of 12 questions organized by knowledge, motivation and organizational
themes. I allowed for flexibility in the interviews to respond to unique comments by each
faculty member, probe new ideas and uncover rich data to answer the research questions. I also
observed three faculty members as they delivered one-hour classroom career preparation
experiences to examine how career preparation assignments are actually delivered relative to the
data from my interviews. I utilized course syllabi from four professors to study how career
preparation assignments are actually presented to students and if there is alignment with the
description of these assignments in the syllabi from my interviews. Finally, I inspected 27
student electronic portfolios (e-Portfolios), which are evidence of a students’ preparation for
career success and the primary career development tool the entire university supports.
Participating Stakeholders
All 13 full time business faculty members from Southwestern University participated in
my study along with three part time business faculty. I also interviewed five Southwestern
University faculty members from other career preparation oriented schools on campus;
education, public relations, communication studies, cinema-media arts and Christian ministries
for comparison purposes, supplemental information and recommendation ideas. The interviews
were completed over a three month time frame in the spring of 2018. All but one business
faculty interviewee fully participated in my research process and every participant expressed
interest in the findings and support for the purpose of the study. The one participant that did not
fully participate was addressing health issues and was heavily involved in a university
prioritization project all semester. We struggled to set up a time for a full interview, but we did
accomplish an abbreviated interview. The table below provides more detail about the full time
and part time business faculty that were the primary stakeholders for my study.
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Table 4
Breakdown of 13 Full Time and 3 Part Time Business Faculty Interview Participants
# of faculty
Male 13
Female 3
Caucasian 14
Hispanic 2
African American 0
Asian 0
0-5 years teaching
experience at SWU
6
6-15 years teaching
experience at SWU
6
>16 years teaching
experience at SWU
4

Knowledge Influences
Four interview questions were asked to explore knowledge influences as the foundation
of business faculty capacity to create and implement career preparation assignments in their
courses to equip students to secure full time employment. The questions “How would you give
me advice relative to understanding what skills employers are looking for in college graduates”,
“How would you or do you create career preparation assignments to develop these skills”, and
“How would you advise implementing the assignments” were asked to evaluate conceptual and
procedural knowledge influences. The question “How would you advise a new professor in how
to evaluate the effectiveness of these assignments” was asked to evaluate the metacognitive
knowledge influence. All faculty members answered these questions.
Conceptual Knowledge
Employer desired skills. The interview results indicated that 10 of the 16 full time and
part time faculty proactively work with employers and alumni to ensure they understand job
requirements and desired skills for new workforce entrants. The three part time faculty members
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believed they were well equipped in this knowledge area since they are currently employers and
frequently hire new college graduates. One participant invitee employers into the classroom to
“inform my students how they make their hiring decisions.” Seven more of the 16 full time and
part time faculty reported they regularly invite employers into their classes, allowing them to
listen directly to employers as they communicate to students desired job skills and their hiring
process. These employer visits allow the faculty an opportunity to examine their personal
perceptions and biases of what employers are looking for in new college graduates. One
participant mentioned that their labor market knowledge is informed by a job application
assignment that “allows me to learn more about specific job requirements along with the
students.” An additional participant recommended that “all business faculty subscribe to the
Wall Street Journal, Fortune or Forbes to ensure their labor market knowledge is current.”
Another participant stated “I research public corporations to ensure my employment knowledge
is relevant.” While the interview participants stated they were confident they understood the
current skills employers desire from recent graduates, they also stated they felt that they should
do more research on employment trends and requirements to ensure their employment
knowledge is up-to-date and their perceptions are accurate. As discussed in chapter 2, business
school faculty have come under attack for being out of touch with current trends in the
conceptual knowledge and skills reflective of the contemporary workplace (Eisner, 2010;
Stewart & Gregg, 2015). It greatly benefits faculty to identify and understand the skills new
college graduates should possess to prepare students to meet the challenges and access the
opportunities of today’s workplace (Dupree & Williams, 2011; Robles, 2015). In summary, the
faculty believed they were knowledgeable about employer desired skills. They acquire the
knowledge in multiple ways and acknowledge it is an important endeavor in preparing students
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for career success. However, they also felt they needed to invest more time validating their
assumptions about employer desired skills to ensure they were accurately communicating
expectations in their courses and in career advising opportunities. Table 5 includes additional
comments regarding the knowledge of employer desired skills for the 21
st
century workplace.
Table 5
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Understanding Employer Desired Skills
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q2: If I were a brand new professor interested in
preparing students for career success, how would
you give me advice relative to understanding
what employers are looking for in college
graduates?
“Stay connected to a group of employers, like our
Accounting Advisory Board or the Data Analytics
Advisory Board, to ensure you really understand
how employers make their hiring decisions.”

“I study 30 publicly traded companies every year
in preparation for my Strategic Management
course and that is my research. You need to do
significant research to ensure you are up to
date.”

“Stay in touch with your alumni. I established a
LinkedIn group for my marketing alumni and I set
up a dinner each year for alumni to return and
provide career advice to my current students.
They also help me ensure I am teaching the right
skills to get my current students college level
jobs.”

Procedural Knowledge
Developing and implementing career preparation assignments. The interview results
and classroom observations indicated that procedural knowledge assets are present in the
organization relating to career preparation instruction, but the participants would appreciate more
career preparation instruction guidance and support. Seven of the 13 full time faculty members
have consistently developed and implemented career preparation assignments over their teaching
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careers. One participant mentioned that many of his graduates were struggling to get the first
interview in organizations of interest and he added an assignment to create a personal website of
accomplishments (e-Portfolio) and that was now helping students differentiate themselves and
land more interviews. “I implemented the e-Portfolio assignment in my own classes and
discovered there was a high level of interest from students as they recognized the investment in
themselves.” The e-Portfolio assignment has now become a requirement in the business school
for every concentration, due to the success from this one professor. However, the other
professors I interviewed were struggling with how to implement and evaluate this new
assignment in their classes, so the participants mentioned they would like to learn how to teach
and evaluate this assignment more effectively in the future. Another participant commented “I
use alumni from Human Resources departments at various companies to help me develop
relevant career preparation assignments.” One more participant mentioned “I modeled a career
preparation assignment for my own class from a conference I recently attended.” Faculty are
learning how to develop and implement career preparation assignments from alumni input,
conferences, personal research and networking with other professors. One consistent theme that
emerged from these seven participants was a willingness to consider adding even more career
preparation components to their existing assignments with appropriate support from career
preparation teaching experts.
Six of the full time faculty and all three part time faculty said they did not have the
capacity to add career preparation assignments to their courses. One participant stated “My
classes are packed with functional content and I just don’t have the time to add career
preparation assignments.” That participant also mentioned “I do welcome the opportunity to
mentor students during office hours.” Another participant remarked that “students need to get
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out there and hustle to find that first job just like I did. I can’t use class time for job searches.”
A third participant mentioned that “we have a career center to help students prepare for their
careers and we need to encourage them to use those resources.” One of the six full time
participants stated “I would consider a career preparation assignment in one of my classes with
the appropriate support from the university on how to do it.” Procedural career preparation
knowledge allows faculty to create and implement assignments that prepare students for the
contemporary workplace and help students find college level jobs. Table 6 provides more
comments regarding the development and implementation of career preparation assignments and
the theme that study participants desired professional development to improve their teaching
skills in general as well as their ability to create and implement career preparation assignments
that complement the existing content they are required to deliver in their courses.
Table 6
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Developing Career Preparation Assignments
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q3: How would you or do you create career
preparation assignments to develop the skills
employers desire from recent college graduates?

Q4: How would you or do you implement career
preparation assignments to develop the skills
employers desire from recent college graduates?

“I created a market research project a few years
ago that forced students to get into the field and
interact with real customers and my alumni tell
me that was one of the best projects during their
college years. It gave them practical experience
that was relevant. I created the assignment based
on my past experiences as a Marketing
Manager.”

“I believe it is critical for students to be able to
think on their feet and step up to the table of
influence when given the opportunity, so I use the
Socratic method to prepare them to speak up and
contribute.”

“I utilize a business simulation product so
students get experience making business
decisions utilizing systems thinking. The
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Interview Question Participant Comments
simulation company provides guidance on how to
implement the assignment in the classroom, but I
rely on more experienced professors to help me
create an engaging experience. I find it very
helpful to observe more experienced teachers to
learn how to teach a new assignment.”

“In my business writing class, I emphasize
presentations skills and give the students three
opportunities to hone their skills with classroom
presentations. I developed the assignments from
my own experiences, presentation training
courses and from attending teaching conferences
with my business faculty association.”

“I would like more opportunities to learn how to
create these assignments, but the budget $ have
been limited to attend conferences to improve our
skills. I hope that changes soon.”

“I have a mock interview assignment in my
management course and I created the assignment
from the last interviewing workshop I attended at
my company. I am thinking about adding a job
shadowing assignment based on talking to a
professor in another department, but I would
appreciate more professional development
opportunities to expand my teaching
capabilities.”

Metacognitive Knowledge
Faculty reflection on instructional practices. The interview results indicated that eight
of the 16 participants engaged in reflective practices on a regular basis to improve their teaching
skills by reviewing assignment submissions, student evaluations, alumni surveys and researching
teaching best practices. However, all of the participants noted they could invest more time in
reflective activities. One participant mentioned “I include reflection assignments in my classes,
but I need to practice what I preach and start doing more reflection myself.” Another participant
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 82

mentioned “I know reflection is valued in academia, but we don’t do it here for some reason as a
team. Maybe I need to take the lead and make it happen.” A third participant remarked “I
usually do a focus group with a few students at the end of the semester to get some feedback to
think about teaching improvement opportunities.” One more participant stated “I find it very
helpful to observe more experienced professors in action and ask questions about their teaching
methods.” Another participant remarked that “thinking about mid-term student evaluations helps
me improve my courses before the semester ends, when it is too late.”
A consistent theme that emerged from the interviews was the observation by faculty that
reflective practices are pivotal to performance improvement. The participants also
communicated a willingness to invest more time in reflective thinking on instructional practices
and would appreciate the school creating opportunities for community reflection. Faculty that
seek performance feedback with a spirit of continuous improvement while investing time
reflecting on their teaching abilities are building metacognitive knowledge that will enable career
growth and personal development (Mayer, 2011; Rodgers, 2002). Each faculty member
mentioned they recognized the importance of reflection, because all of them use reflection
assignments in their courses. However, they also stated they should spend more time reflecting
on how to improve their teaching skills. Half of the professors mentioned they need to be more
disciplined and start prioritizing time for reflection. They would also like to see more
opportunities for reflection as a faculty community as they recognized the value of thinking
about their teaching practices with others to test their ideas and assumptions. Table 7 presents
more quotes relevant to the theme about the need faculty expressed to invest more of their time
in reflection to build metacognitive knowledge and the aspiration to hold each other accountable
in this discipline.
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Table 7
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Reflection on Instructional Practices
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q5: How would you advise a new professor to
evaluate the effectiveness of career preparation
assignments? How do you know if the
assignments are achieving the goal?

“I hosted a marketing alumni event a few years
ago and I discovered that I was missing the mark
by not including resume, LinkedIn and job search
assignments. They said they wished we provided
more guidance in these areas, so I started
thinking about how I could meet these unmet
needs.”

“I take a day at the end of each semester to
review the student evaluations as well as my key
assignments and review the results with another
professor. It would be helpful to have more
training opportunities and resources to improve
our skills as a team, maybe an offsite meeting.”

“Make sure you do a mid-semester survey and
discover what students like and dislike about the
class and what is not working for them from a
learning standpoint. Get the feedback while there
is still time to make adjustments and take some
time to think about the feedback.”

“I always check in with students during academic
advising about what they are learning in my
courses, what is making it into their long-term
memory. However, I need to prioritize more time
reflecting on my teaching abilities and appreciate
more how important reflection is to improving my
teaching effectiveness. We should hold each
other accountable in this area.”

“I stay in touch with recent graduates through
LinkedIn and ask them what helped prepare them
for the workplace from my classes and what I
might add because they did not feel prepared in a
particular area. I then research how to create
assignments to meet these needs. You need to
stay in touch with your customers, just like the
business world and think about what you are
hearing.”

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Motivation Influences
The interview protocol included four questions to evaluate motivational influences. “I
have heard some professors’ say it is not their job to prepare students for the workplace, their job
is only to teach critical thinking and content” and “Rank order your faculty responsibilities in
order of value” were included in the protocol to evaluate expectancy value cost benefit
influences. “What do you perceive to be your role in preparing students to secure full time
college level employment” was asked to evaluate attribution related motivational influences. All
full time and part time faculty members provided answers to these questions.
Expectancy Value Theory
As discussed in chapter 2, expectancy value theory has four components; attainment,
intrinsic, utility and cost-benefit. Cost benefit refers to the tradeoffs individuals evaluate as they
invest time and resources into achieving a goal and the higher an individual values an activity,
the more likely they are to begin and engage in the activity (Rueda, 2011). The study aimed to
evaluate faculty beliefs on the value of investing time and resources in career preparation relative
to other academic responsibilities and what influences how they establish priorities for their roles
as university professors.
Cost benefit theory. While each faculty member expressed an interest in helping their
students prepare for career success, there was quite a disparity of opinions on the value of
creating and implementing career preparation assignments to prepare students for the workplace
relative to other faculty responsibilities. Seven of the 16 full time and part time study
participants communicated they value developing career preparation assignments higher than any
other instructional activity and they highly value investing time and resources into career
advising and mentoring. These seven participants characterized career preparation as their
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 85

“calling” or “purpose” to be in a teaching career. One participant mentioned “I left my previous
employer because I felt a calling to prepare the next generation for the workplace.” Another
participant stated “I just felt I was at a point in my business career that I was called to do
something else and it would be a shame not to share my experience with others.” A third
participant mentioned “I thought business schools did not have enough professors with practical
real world business experience after my daughter’s completed college and I should jump in and
be part of the solution.” Other participants mentioned they did not think they were that well
prepared for the workplace coming out of college and they wanted to challenge students to think
about careers and specific jobs that fit their strengths and gifts while they were in college and not
wait until after they graduated. Two participants noted that complementing theoretical content
with application was the highlight of their educational careers and they wanted to make sure their
students had the same experience.
The remaining nine of 16 study participants stated they did not value specific career
preparation tasks as highly and believed that by teaching their content with excellence, they were
doing enough to prepare students for the workplace. To summarize the rankings, seven of 16
participants ranked preparing students for career success with excellent career preparation
instruction, such as resume, LinkedIn, interviewing skill, networking and career exploration
assignments, as their top priority and highest valued responsibility. Three participants rank
ordered research as their most important and highest valued faculty responsibility. These three
participants were passionate about expanding the base of knowledge on particular topics. One
participant ranked university committee service as their highest valued responsibility. Another
participant ranked their leadership role at the business school as the highest valued responsibility.
The remaining four participants ranked teaching and student interaction as their highest valued
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 86

responsibility, but they prioritized teaching course content such as finance, marketing, strategy,
business law and accounting higher than career preparation content. One participant stated that
“by teaching my course content well, I am preparing my students for the workplace.” Another
participant stated that “if we focus too much on career preparation we lose sight of educating the
whole person.” One more participant remarked “if the department would hire more teaching
assistants, I might have capacity to add a career assignment in one of my classes.” This group of
nine faculty members diverged from the assertion by Stewart and Gregg (2015) that as faculty
better understand employer expectations of them to develop students for a rapidly changing
workplace, the benefits of devoting more time to career preparation assignments begin to
outweigh the costs. This group of faculty did not value the tradeoff of revising or redesigning
existing course content and assignments for career building instruction and did not personally
value investing time into learning how to complement theoretical content with practical
workplace preparation instruction as high as other faculty responsibilities. Table 8 and table 9
include additional comments regarding the value faculty place on career preparation
responsibilities and the emerging theme that not all faculty members embrace the challenge of
preparing the next generation of employees for a complex business environment, even though
employers believe it should be their most valuable and important faculty responsibility.
Table 8
Participant Comments Regarding Cost Benefit of Career Preparation Assignments
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q1: I have heard some professors say that it is not
their job to prepare students for the workplace.
They say their job is to only teach content and
critical thinking. What would you say to that?

“It is in my DNA to invest time with students and
to prepare them for career success in the
classroom and with my mentoring activities.
Career preparation is my calling. I know how
much I can help students with specific career
building assignments.”

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Interview Question Participant Comments
“I look at my students like they are my employees
and of course I want them do well after they
graduate. To that end, I developed career related
assignments in my class to ensure they are able to
find a college level job.”

“I do not agree with that statement. I see no
better way to invest my time than in helping my
students prepare for career success and find
college level jobs. This is why I teach in the first
place.”

“Frankly, I don’t think it is my role or in my job
description to help my students find a job. Of
course, I want them to do well after graduating,
but they need to assume responsibility for their
own futures. By teaching my course content well,
I am preparing my students for career success. I
do not have time for resumes, e-portfolios or job
search strategies in my classes.”

“I love equipping the next generation of business
leaders and I believe we have a responsibility to
balance our instruction with practical
applications, like how to develop an attractive
LinkedIn profile, how to market yourself to
employers with a cohesive brand with the
theoretical concepts from our disciplines.”

Table 9
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Cost Benefit of Career Preparation Assignments
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q10: How would you rank order your faculty
responsibilities in order of value at this
university?

“I value my curriculum committee responsibility
as the most valuable to me. I really enjoy the
collaboration with other schools on campus and
the impact I have on the quality of the education
experience for all students. I also enjoy
preparing for the challenge of accreditation
audits.”

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Interview Question Participant Comments
“To me it comes down to how you measure
success and I measure success by the career
trajectory of my students 7-10 years after
graduation, so developing career preparation
assignments, helping students find internships
and giving them career guidance is why I work
here.”

“I am in my happy place when I am able to find
time to be alone and do research, which is why I
love our summer breaks. I have written two
books and I am in the middle of a third book and
that is my favorite part of this career.”

“Becoming the best teacher I can become, I love
the day to day contact with my students and I look
forward to being in the classroom with them
every day and helping them learn and grow and
make my classes as engaging as possible. I really
want them to look forward to my class.”

“I am in this profession because I love to learn
myself. I love being in a scholarly learning
environment and my top priority is to become an
expert in the Corporate Finance field as well as
an excellent instructor. I prepare my students for
career success by teaching them finance
fundamentals well.”

Attribution theory. As discussed in chapter 2, attributions refer to how individuals
connect their beliefs to their success in completing tasks to their degree of control in completing
those tasks (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). Adaptive attributions related to having control
motivate individuals to persist in completing tasks, because they believe a successful outcome
will be driven by their own effort and not external or other uncontrollable factors. This study
aimed to evaluate the business faculty’s belief about the impact their own effort has on
improving job placement outcomes with career instruction in the classroom and what they
believe is under their control.
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Business faculty beliefs about effort and control. The business faculty communicated
they believed they played a major role in preparing students to secure full time college level jobs
and that their effort does make a difference in the achievement of the organizational goal of
improving job placement outcomes. However, they also expressed concerns about external
factors they felt were uncontrollable relative to improving job placement outcomes, such as the
state of the economy, whether or not students completed internships before graduating, the
accelerating pace of technological disruption, family issues and the level of ambition students
possess to find college level jobs. Five of the 16 faculty members stated they make the effort to
utilize their personal network to help students with their job searches, because they believed their
personal effort and guidance would help those students launch successful careers. One
participant stated “I refer my students to the MBA program mentors, but this is a resource I could
use more often to help our graduates find college level jobs.” Another participant remarked “I
recently used my connections to give SWU students an opportunity for a prestigious internship
and we will get two or three students placed.” One more participant mentioned “that by staying
personally connected to alumni, I am able to help students make connections they might not
make themselves.” Another participant commented “we need a more organized and systematic
approach to career preparation so no student falls through the cracks and graduates without an
internship.” Two of the 13 full time faculty members reported they implemented career related
assignments, because they believed their effort at demonstrating how to research job openings
and actually apply for a job in class would help students improve their job search skills and find
an appropriate job. Table 10 includes additional comments on the theme that faculty believe
their efforts make a significant difference in career preparation despite some uncontrollable
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 90

external factors. They also stated that a more systematic process to pool their efforts would lead
to an even bigger impact.
Table 10
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Beliefs on Effort Impacting Career Preparation
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q12: What do you perceive to be your role in
preparing students to secure full time
employment in a college level job six months
after graduation?

“I take it personally. I see it as a failure for my
students if I don’t help them find a college level
job and I know I can make an impact by bringing
my best contacts in to be guest speakers to meet
my students. I started an Advisory Board to
ensure I was teaching relevant material and
expand my students’ networks.”

“When I taught at another university, I saw the
tremendous job placement success they had with
a student led Accounting Society that organized a
Meet the Firms event each semester. So, I
followed that model and implemented a similar
process about 15 years ago here and I am proud
to say I have placed every one of my accounting
graduates in a college level job each year.”

“I found many of our students were not getting
interviews, which is why I initiated the e-portfolio
assignment in all of my classes and it has helped
students market themselves, get more interviews
and job offers. However, I am not sure how the
others are teaching this assignment, so we should
get together to review and discuss.”

“At another school I led the business club into a
national business case competition and I know
those efforts helped my business club students’
network with employers that served as judges for
the event, which helped my students expand their
networks and find better jobs.”

“I really believe internships are the key to early
career success which is why we should require an
internship to graduate from all concentrations.
More business faculty might make more of an
effort to enhance career preparation if we made
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Interview Question Participant Comments
career readiness a program learning outcome for
the business school.”

Organizational Influences
Four organizational influence themed questions were included in the interview protocol
to evaluate the cultural settings and models in the Southwestern University business school. The
questions included “How does the university tenure and promotion policy impact faculty
involvement in career preparation?”; “Describe your interactions with the university career
center”; “What are the most important objectives at our university as communicated by the
President?” and “How would you advise a new professor to interact with more experienced
professors to support their career preparation efforts?” All participants were eager to discuss the
perceived organizational barriers to preparing students for career success.
Cultural Settings and Models
As previously reviewed in chapter 2, cultural settings are the social contexts of an
organization where organizational policies and practices influence the routines which organize
everyday life (Rueda, 2011). Cultural settings are the visible aspects of the organization’s beliefs
and opinions (Schein, 2017). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the SWU business
school’s cultural setting on the faculty’s ability and capacity to develop and implement career
preparation assignments that would increase job placement outcomes for graduates. Specifically,
the cultural setting was evaluated with questions about the university’s tenure and promotion
policy, career center capabilities, and the President’s process for establishing and communicating
university priorities to the faculty.
Cultural models are the invisible values, beliefs and automated attitudes in an
organization (Rueda, 2011). This study aimed to evaluate the cultural model or invisible beliefs
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 92

about faculty collaboration or the lack thereof relative to preparing students for career success by
sharing best practices and ideas. The specific question about advising a new professor on how to
interact with more experienced professors to improve career preparation instruction was an
attempt to understand the mental models professors employ as they consider engaging with
others in the business school to improve their teaching effectiveness. A business school culture
of learning and collaboration help faculty members expand their instructional knowledge and
improve learning outcomes for students (MacFarlane, 2014; Stewart & Gregg, 2015). I was
curious if faculty members viewed their roles as independent contractors or team players as they
prepared students for life after graduation and if they saw value in a collaborative culture.
Communication of university goals and priorities to faculty. The business faculty
expressed various perspectives regarding the impact of the university’s goals and priorities on
how they developed their personal goals and priorities as faculty members at SWU. They stated
that enrollment growth, increasing affordability, and a stronger missional commitment seemed to
be at the top of the President’s agenda. They did not necessarily believe the President dismissed
career preparation or did not believe it was important, but it did not emerge as high as other goals
and priorities in university communications to the faculty. One participant mentioned that “it
starts with how the university defines success and it seems like the university defines success as
enrollment growth.” This participant also mentioned “that I define success for myself by the
career growth of my students five to seven years after graduation.” Multiple participants stated
that the President has made it clear the university needs to capitalize on the degree completion
market with online offerings to offset the decline in graduating California high school seniors.
One participant stated “the university’s up and coming online program is the best shot to meet
enrollment growth targets.” Another participant remarked “the President has been working hard
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 93

with state legislators to preserve religious freedom at our university.” Ten of the 16 participants
stated the President’s priorities had minimal impact on how they manage their time and set
priorities. Three faculty members stated they pay close attention to the President’s objectives
and have adjusted their curriculum to fit with the renewed focus on strengthening the university’s
missional commitment. All faculty stated they were unsure how to contribute to the goal of
increasing affordability other than agree to transition some of their courses to an online format.
Other faculty members remarked that there was a “lack of appreciation for the impact improving
job placement outcomes for recent graduates would have on enrollment growth.” Table 11
includes additional comments related to the influence of the President’s goals and priorities on
business faculty involvement in career preparation activities and the theme that career
preparation is not reinforced as a top priority by the cultural settings in the organization.
Table 11
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Attention Paid to President’s University Priorities
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q6: What are the most important objectives at
our university as communicated by the President?

“Clearly, the top objectives are improving
affordability and increasing enrollment.
Cultivating courageous and competent graduates
is in the strategic plan, but you don’t hear much
about it. I believe the President needs to send a
stronger message on the importance of improving
job placement outcomes and the role of faculty to
achieve the objective. If parents do not see their
children getting good jobs after graduation, they
will not send their additional kids here.”

“We spend way too much time worrying about
accreditation. That should not be our number
one priority.”

“Ensuring we re-commit to our missional
purpose comes out loud and clear. That is
important, but I prioritize my time based on my
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Interview Question Participant Comments
personal purpose for being here, which is
preparing students for career success.”

“Raising capital for the new Science and
Technology center and then reallocating funds
from dying educational programs to the ones that
are growing like business seems to be the top
focus. We need to do more reallocation of funds
to the fastest growing schools to be more
competitive in my opinion.”

“Privately, the President tells me how important
career preparation is, but it does not come out
loud enough in his communications to faculty that
it really is a top priority.”

Faculty tenure and promotion policy. The university tenure and promotion policy has
three components: research, teaching effectiveness and service. Most of the business faculty
expressed similar perspectives regarding the influence of the university’s tenure and promotion
policy on their involvement in career preparation. Participants noted that “the policy is heavily
focused on research and it is not relevant to former business executives like myself”; “it is geared
toward academically qualified professors” and “there is no accountability for poor performance,
especially for tenured professors, which lowers morale across the university”. Two other
participants mentioned that “the concept of applying for a promotion to a university committee
of peers is a strange approach to talent management.” Thirteen of the 16 participants stated the
tenure and promotion policy did not have a major influence on how they viewed and executed
their jobs, because either the research requirements to move to the next rank were not achievable
or they did not want to take away time from teaching and student advising to do research. Five
faculty members stated that the pay increases from one rank to another were so minimal, that the
effort to engage in the promotion process was hardly worth it. Two professors believed career
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preparation was appropriately classified in the service component of the policy, but the majority
of the professors felt career preparation was under-valued in the over-all policy. Table 12 below
includes additional comments related to the theme that the faculty tenure and promotion policy
does not incentivize faculty to engage in career preparation instruction and has a minimal
influence on changing faculty behavior.
Table 12
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Tenure and Promotion Policy
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q6: How does the university tenure and
promotion policy impact faculty involvement in
career preparation?

“It really has no impact on me. It is too heavily
based on research and I would need to write a
book to become a tenured professor, which I have
no interest in doing.”

“I do not pay attention to it. I am an Associate
Professor 3 and I will not move to a full professor
rank without a terminal degree which is not in my
immediate future.”

“We are not a tier 1 research university and yet
research is the main focus of the policy. It does
not make sense to me.”

“It is really frustrating that publishing books and
articles are the only things that seem to get
recognized here. What about teaching excellence
and helping student find great jobs? I believe
professors share accountability with students to
find college level jobs after graduation.”

“I believe the policy balances out research,
teaching and service about right. We need to
build a stronger culture of research in the school
of business. You can make a case for career
preparation in the service section of the policy.
Career preparation is not completely ignored.”

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University career center. Only three faculty members stated they actively collaborated
with the university career center and the remaining 13 articulated they found minimal value in
collaborating with the career center at all because it was not resourced to support them. One
participant mentioned that “I have tried working with the career center, but they have not
delivered any value and it is clear that the university does not plan to invest in this resource.”
Another participant stated “I have heard that the board wants to invest more in student success,
but I have not seen them upgrade the talent in the career center as of yet.” One more participant
stated that “the job fairs are too focused on non-profits and para-church organizations. It is
embarrassing that we cannot attract Fortune 500 corporations.” Another participant mentioned
that “the career center should be dedicated to finding internships for students, but our students
tend to find internships on their own.” The few faculty members that do work with the career
center on a regular basis, utilize the resources for resume consulting, interviewing skill
development and job search tips. The remaining professors said they either accomplish those
tasks on their own or bring in human resources professionals from other organizations as guest
speakers to cover the career related topics. Many of the professors expressed disappointment in
the quality and number of employers the career center brings to campus for job fairs and industry
panels, and stated the career center should prioritize developing new employer relationships to
help more students secure internships. Table 13 includes additional comments related to the
theme that the career center has insufficient resources and talent to meets faculty needs related to
career preparation instruction and identifying internship opportunities.
Table 13
Interview Participant Comments Regarding the University Career Center
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Interview Question Participant Comments
Q6: Describe your interactions with the
university career center.

“My experience has been that they are not that
helpful and spread too thin, so I bring in HR
professionals that I know to help students
understand how to put their best foot forward in
job searches.”

“I do not understand why they are not developing
relationships with SWU alumni to create more
internship opportunities. It seems like we have to
do it ourselves. There is nothing more important
for career preparation than completing an
internship before graduation.”

“I send my students to them for resume help and
interview preparation, but they are not helping
our students find internships, which is the key to
finding a good job after graduating in my
opinion.”

“We created the Accounting Society to enable the
students to work directly with the accounting
firms on career planning and placement
opportunities.”

“The other day one of the career counselors
spoke in my class and dismissed the importance
of e-portfolios, so we were not aligned and my
trust was broken. I will not be asking the
counselor back to any future classes to confuse
my students.”

Cultural model of collaboration. The interview results indicated that all 16 faculty
members would appreciate more time to collaborate with their peers on a number of teaching
topics. They also stated they have never been turned down on requests for help and support with
any academic questions, when they made an appointment to meet with another faculty member
one on one. One participant stated that “we tend to pass each other like ships in the night. There
never seems to be time for brainstorming, because we are all so busy”. Another participant
mentioned that “everyone here is very friendly and collegial, but it would be nice to have at least
JOB PLACEMENT OUTCOMES 98

one meeting per year to talk to each other and exchange ideas.” Two participants remarked
“most faculty do not like anyone telling them what to do, which is why we can appear to be very
protective of our independence.” Two additional participants said they “believed the faculty
exhibited an independent contractor mental model at times, but it was possible to meet one on
one with any faculty member to reflect and discuss ideas.” Six of the 13 full time faculty also
stated they did not like the one way communication formats of staff meetings and wished more
time was allotted for general discussion and community reflection. Table 14 includes additional
comments related to the theme that the SWU business faculty like working with another but do
not collaborate as much as they would like, due to the business school meeting philosophy,
competing priorities and different class schedules. However, they find ways to work around this
cultural model and it did not appear to be a major barrier to preparing students for career success.
Table 14
Interview Participant Comments Regarding Cultural Models of Collaboration
Interview Question Participant Comments
Q9: How would you advise a new professor to
interact with more experienced professors to
support their career preparation efforts?

“Set up an appointment. Don’t assume you will
have to time to talk in a staff meeting. Everyone
has their own schedule and we are always on the
run to the next task.”

“Meet one on one, but I wish we had more time in
staff meetings to exchange best practices and
teaching ideas, but do not rely on weekly staff
meetings for community reflection. You need to
take the initiative to make it happen yourself.”

“In my non-academic jobs we would always go to
lunch and dinner with our peers and collaborate,
but that does not seem to be how things get done
in academia.”

“It feels like we are independent contractors
doing our own thing. I think we miss an
opportunity to share knowledge and research
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Interview Question Participant Comments
with each other. I hear people talk about the
collegial atmosphere in academia, but I
experienced more teamwork in industry.”

“We all have a lot of business knowledge from
previous careers, but we should be helping each
other more with pedagogy to ensure we are
delivering education that translates to
millennials. I probably need to find the pedagogy
experts on campus and get after it.”

Summary of General Themes
Knowledge themes. The first theme that emerged from the knowledge influence
evaluation in relation to the research questions was the desire of the participants to have access to
more professional development resources to learn how to develop and implement effective career
preparation assignments, such as the e-Portfolio. Another knowledge related theme that emerged
was the realization by faculty of their need to spend more time reflecting on their ability to
deliver career preparation instruction to meet the needs of employers. The third general
knowledge theme was the need for the business school to provide reports and information to
faculty on a regular basis relative to the highest priority skills employers require from new
graduates. This would help faculty connect new knowledge with prior knowledge and deliver a
consistent message to all students. Finally, it was clear that faculty was not aware of the 100%
employment goal for the business school. They each followed a few students into the workplace,
but they were also unaware of actual job placement metrics for the business school on the
school’s website, due it not being publicized or discussed at staff meetings.
Many participants expressed a desire for a master teacher structure for assistance in
learning how to develop career preparation assignments. However, the participants reported they
do not wait for university professional development programs to learn how to do something new.
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They look for opportunities on their own, such as observing experienced faculty members in
action and investing time in reflection with them. In regards to building metacognitive
knowledge, the participants felt they were missing an opportunity to help each other grow and
improve by not engaging in community reflection on a regular basis. Many participants noted
that the power of reflection is emphasized and taught in the classroom, but not implemented
consistently as a faculty community due to the lack of accountability. Based on the analysis, the
conceptual, procedural and metacognitive knowledge themes that were identified need to be
addressed to achieve the job placement outcomes goal at the SWU business school.
Motivation themes. The participants conveyed they understood and appreciated the
impact their effort has on job placement outcomes for their graduates, but half of the faculty
cited uncontrollable external factors that minimized their efforts. The uncontrollable external
factors cited included the economy, student ambition, technological disruption and parental
influences. Despite these unpredictable external factors, business school alumni report that
faculty have a significant influence on their preparation for career success, suggesting faculty
need to be reminded of their impact on a constant basis and not let uncontrollable external factors
influence the effort they put into the task. Based on the analysis, the beliefs of faculty about the
impact their efforts have on student preparation for career success needs to be addressed.
Eight of the 16 faculty members highly valued career preparation instruction and agreed
the benefits outweighed the costs. The professors that highly valued career preparation
instruction recognized most students do not think about their job prospects until late in their
college careers and need a push from faculty to get going. The group that did not value career
preparation instruction as highly as other responsibilities, agreed that many students procrastinate
when it comes to career planning and preparation for life after college, but they personally
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valued research, university committee work, functional content instruction and other academic
responsibilities higher. The data indicated they would need to realize more personal benefits
from career preparation tasks before considering any trade-offs with other academic
responsibilities. Based on the analysis, a cost benefit rationale that communicates the
importance and utility value of career preparation instruction needs to be developed to help all
faculty develop positive values for career preparation responsibilities.
Organizational influences themes. The most prominent organizational theme was the
lack of clarity communicated to faculty by the tenure promotion policy and university leadership
relative to their role in improving job placement outcomes for their students. Many participants
noted a lack of urgency from the university to address the problem and they were unclear as to
how important and valuable career preparation instruction is regarded at the university as
compared to other faculty responsibilities. Insufficient and ineffective support from the career
center to work in partnership with faculty and students to identify appropriate career paths and
relevant internships was another important theme that emerged from the study. Finally, the
participants felt they would like to work in a more collaborative culture, but they have found
methods to work around this cultural model and it was not perceived to be a significant
hindrance to their ability to deliver career preparation instruction and prepare students for career
success.
The faculty reported that many students graduate are ill prepared for the workplace and
they believed the university culture reinforced the status quo by not providing adequate
internship support, a systematic career planning process and sufficient career preparation
resources from the career center. A majority of professors communicated they have stopped
working with the career center because the experience has been less than satisfactory and they
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find it easier to develop career preparation content on their own. A few professors described
experiences where the career center actually contradicted their career preparation direction,
which confused the students and led to extra work to clarify the messages. Most of the
professors reported they prepare students for career success based on their personal capacity to
make time for these tasks after meeting the course learning outcomes. These tasks include career
preparation instruction, personal mentoring, job search advice, employment tool consulting,
networking and writing references. Alumni surveys consistently highlight the plea for more
career planning and internship support from the university, but the participants felt the university
is not yet communicating urgency in addressing the problem. Half of the participants said they
felt a sense of urgency to provide career planning and internship support to their students due to
the expectations from parents to realize a solid return on their college education investment.
This group of participants monitor several students each year after they graduate to monitor their
employability and success in the workplace. The other half of participants did not express a
sense of urgency to work with students on internships or career planning tasks due to other
academic responsibilities. This group also felt that the students should be accountable to find
internships on their own. Based on the analysis, the lack of appropriate university career
planning and internship resources, the missing sense of urgency communicated by the university
and establishing who is accountable to provide career preparation resources will need to be
addressed if the university is serious about improving job placement outcomes.
Another significant theme from the analysis was the lack of a clear, consistent message
from university leadership and the university tenure promotion policy on the importance and
value of career preparation responsibilities to a faculty member and where it fits in the list of
faculty priorities. The participants felt career preparation accomplishments were not highly
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valued by the organization since they were seldom celebrated or publicly recognized. At the
same time, many faculty members reported one on one conversations with administration about
job placement success stories, and they felt affirmed in those instances. However, the faculty felt
publications and presentations at conferences were the highest valued faculty tasks, because they
were communicated as significant achievements to the entire university. If faculty prioritized
career preparation in their academic responsibilities, it was not driven by the cultural settings at
the university. Job placement outcomes are not widely communicated across the university and
several faculty mentioned, “What gets measured gets done.” This also relates to the finding that
most faculty were not aware of the 100% employment goal going into place due to this study.
Faculty are involved in career preparation due to their personal cost benefit analysis and not by
university focus. Based on the analysis, the unclear message to faculty regarding their role in
career preparation from the tenure promotion policy and university leadership needs to be
resolved. The importance and priority of career preparation also needs to be resolved if the
university wants to increase faculty engagement in career preparation and improve the
employability level of SWU students.

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Chapter Five: Recommendations
Introduction and Overview

Chapter 4 communicated the knowledge, motivation and organizational findings in
relation to faculty capacity to develop and implement career preparation assignments in support
of achieving the organization’s job placement goal. Chapter 5 presents the recommendations for
organizational practice in the areas of knowledge, motivation and organization resources related
to the achievement of the organizational goal. The implementation plan for the study’s final
recommendations is an integrated program that includes training workshops, one on one
coaching and classroom observations.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
The knowledge influences in Table 5 represent the most frequently mentioned knowledge
influences to achieving the stakeholders’ goal during informal interviews and supported by the
literature review. When it becomes evident that people in an organization do not know how to
achieve a goal, there is a usually a lack of clarity on how their work aligns with goal
achievement. In addition, when they do not recognize the path forward to close a performance
gap, then a lack of knowledge is likely the root cause of the performance problem (Clark &
Estes, 2008). While conceptual and procedural knowledge influences are critical to the
achievement of the stakeholder goal in this study, the metacognitive influence has the potential
to make the greatest impact on achieving the stakeholder goal. As Rueda (2011) suggests,
metacognition or the awareness and control of one’s own cognition is the type of knowledge that
allows one to know when and why to implement a certain approach to delivering instruction and
when to make a change in favor of a more effective approach. Table 5 displays the knowledge
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gaps that need to be resolved to achieve the organizational goal. Table 5 also shows the
recommended solutions for these knowledge gaps based on theoretical principles.
Table 15
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Knowledge Influences Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendations
Faculty lack in-depth
knowledge of the skills
employers’ desire from
college graduates.
(Conceptual knowledge)
Information learned
meaningfully and connected
with prior knowledge is stored
more quickly and remembered
more accurately because it is
elaborated with prior learning
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

Provide information to faculty
on highest priority skills
employers require from new
graduates to help faculty
connect new knowledge with
prior knowledge.
Faculty do not know how
to develop career
preparation assignments.
(Procedural knowledge)
To develop mastery, individuals
must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and
know when to apply what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).

Procedural knowledge increases
when declarative knowledge
required to perform the skill is
available or known (Clark et al.,
2008)
Provide training to all faculty
on how to develop a career
preparation assignment.

Provide opportunities for
practice with feedback from
faculty who have an expertise
in integrating career
preparation into curriculum.

Faculty do not devote
sufficient to time
reflecting on their ability
to create and implement
career preparation
assignments.
(Metacognitive
knowledge)
Learners that become aware of
how they learn and how to
control their learning, engage
these cognitive processes by
being curious and open to new
instructional practices with a
sense of inquiry. (Mayer, 2011).

Provide faculty specific
release time to reflect on
feedback from current
students and alumni regarding
their career readiness.

Conceptual knowledge solutions. Conceptual knowledge is knowledge of categories,
classifications, principles, theories, models and structures related to a particular subject (Rueda,
2011). The data showed that SWU business faculty possessed accurate knowledge about what
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employers’ desire from new college graduates, but many of the faculty suggested they needed to
invest more time and effort to connect with alumni and a variety of employers to confront
inaccurate assumptions and biases on the topic and ensure their knowledge is current. According
to Schraw and McCrudden (2006), information learned meaningfully and connected with prior
knowledge is stored more quickly and remembered more accurately when it is elaborated with
prior learning. The recommendation is for the business school dean and career-minded
professors to consolidate their knowledge and present information to all faculty on the highest
priority skills employers require from new graduates on a regular basis to help faculty connect
new knowledge with prior knowledge, while ensuring their knowledge is current. This
knowledge transfer could take place every other month in scheduled faculty staff meetings.
Before faculty can prepare students appropriately for career success, they need to know
what employers actually desire from graduates entering the workforce (Eisner, 2010). Business
school faculty have come under attack for being out of touch with current trends in the
conceptual knowledge and skills reflective of the contemporary workplace (Stewart & Gregg,
2015). According to Garvin (1980) a learning organization is skilled at creating, acquiring and
transferring knowledge that will change behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. It is
essential for an organization to ensure its conceptual knowledge is accurate and relevant to be a
flexible and adaptive learning organization (Mayer, 2011). A learning organization helps people
connect new knowledge to prior knowledge (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). In the context of the
organization of study, it is helpful for faculty to learn together about employer-desired skill-sets
by reviewing and discussing employer feedback regarding the skills they require from new
college graduates on a regular basis. An environment where faculty collaborate to make sense of
new information and ensure they instruct students with the latest knowledge and insights defines
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a learning organization. The SWU Palm School of Business will excel moving forward by
tapping into its faculty’s commitment and capacity to learn and reestablish a culture of
continuous learning.
Procedural knowledge solutions. Procedural knowledge refers to knowing how to do
something to accomplish specific activities (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The data showed
that six of the 13 SWU business faculty members and all three part time faculty were deficient in
the procedural knowledge needed to create and implement career preparation assignments in
their courses. Telling people what to do regarding career preparation instruction without
explaining specifically how to do it is not a robust pathway to increasing procedural knowledge.
Alexander, Schallert and Reynolds (2009) note that any comprehensive representation of
learning needs to consider both the process and the product of learning. Grossman and Salas
(2010) add that learning processes executed in realistic training environments with support from
supervisors and peers ensure trained competencies transfer. According to Schraw and
McCrudden (2006), to develop mastery, individuals must acquire component skills, practice
integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned. To assist faculty in acquiring
the necessary procedural knowledge, a training program will be developed to train faculty how to
develop career preparation assignments. An additional recommendation to increase the
procedural knowledge needed for career preparation instruction is to provide opportunities for
practice with feedback from the training workshop and in-class observations by professors with
an expertise in career preparation instruction. Faculty will also develop career preparation
assignments in the workshop based on worked examples from the trainers to apply what they
learned. Trainers will then inspect syllabi, assignment descriptions in the learning management
system and lesson plans for clarity and consistency created in the workshop. Job aids will be
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distributed to all faculty in the workshop to influence a consistent career preparation instruction
experience for all students regardless of the faculty member. The job aides will include worked
examples of career preparation assignments along with exemplar resumes, LinkedIn profiles, e-
Portfolios, career exploration tools, and interview guides to ensure all faculty are guiding
students to in a consistent manner to prepare for career success.
According to Clark and Estes (2008), training is the best solution to increase procedural
knowledge because employees need demonstrations, guided practice, and feedback to perfect a
new procedure, like learning how to create and implement a career preparation
assignment. However, Grossman and Salas (2011) observed that despite the recent emphasis on
training to improve performance, many organizations report the bulk of their training
investments fail to transfer to the workplace. Grossman and Salas (2011) suggest that training
design, the work environment, and trainee characteristics be considered to ensure training of any
kind is actually transferred to the workplace. In this organization of study, career minded faculty
will closely monitor the work environment following training and provide support to their
trainees with the worked examples given to them in training. These faculty members have
earned the respect of their peers relative to career preparation instruction and it is expected that
their support will be well received by all faculty members. The business community encourages
faculty to enhance their procedural knowledge as a means of integrating business theory and
real-world practice to allow students to practice in the classroom what they will practice in the
workplace (Alstete & Beutell, 2015). Mayer (2011) suggests that training programs that
successfully transfer to the workplace must be systematically designed with worked examples,
modeling, coaching, and other scaffolding during performance, which will the intent and design
of the training program recommended in this study.
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Metacognitive knowledge solutions. Metacognitive knowledge is the awareness of
one’s own thinking and it allows one to know when and why to do something and solve
problems from a more strategic perspective (Rueda, 2011). The data showed that SWU business
faculty understand the importance of being a reflective practitioner, but they do not prioritize
time to engage in reflection and are lacking metacognitive knowledge about their ability to create
and implement career preparation assignments. According to Mayer (2011), learners that
become aware of how they learn and how to control their learning, engage these cognitive
processes by being curious and open to new instructional practices with a sense of inquiry.
University administration needs to provide specific release time for faculty to reflect on feedback
from current students and alumni regarding their preparation for the workplace and the
effectiveness of the faculty member’s career preparation instruction.
Teachers that reflect on their own learning experiences become aware of biases formed
from personal experience and are more willing to consider the effectiveness of current teaching
methods and consider new ones (Rueda, 2011, Stewart & Gregg, 2015). By reflecting on
training programs from their business careers, professors can apply knowledge from one context
to another, which according to Mayer (2011) leads to improved performance. Rodgers (2002)
notes that numerous commissions, boards, foundations and state and local school districts have
recognized that increasing metacognitive knowledge through systematic reflective thinking is a
standard of performance excellence that all students and teachers must strive to
achieve. Rodgers (2002) also suggests that reflection is an incomplete act without the
opportunity to interact with others to broaden understanding and affirm the value of one’s
experience. All teachers committed to being lifelong learners must welcome feedback and seek
other’s perspectives, experience and support to reach higher levels of achievement in their
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profession (Mayer, 2011). When release time is provided to business faculty for collaborative
reflection and inquiry, it is more likely that metacognitive skills will be enhanced because
individuals feel a responsibility to others that is more compelling than the responsibility we feel
to ourselves (Rodgers, 2002). While community reflection may be ideal to optimize learning, it
is not always practical due to faculty schedules and time commitments. The recommendation for
this study is that faculty be given release time for individual reflection at a minimum.
Motivation Recommendations
The motivation influences that emerged in this study as having the greatest impact on
achieving the stakeholder goal were expectancy value and attributions. Positive motivational
support of these two influences will enable the organization to close their performance gap in
career preparation. Business school alumni report that faculty have a significant influence on
shaping student perceptions of the skills needed for career success. Faculty should not
underestimate the impact they have on the early career performance of their students (McDow &
Zabrucky, 2016). Deangelo, Mason and Winters (2016) report that faculty have more impact on
early student engagement in career preparation than any other variable. As faculty remember the
power they have to shape students’ attributions through advising and relevant instruction, they
realize the difference they can make with the career trajectory of their graduates. When faculty
realize it is under their control to prepare students for career success and career success
correlates to their effort, the Clark and Estes (2008) facets of motivated performance; active
choice, persistence and mental effort are activated which leads to increased performance. My
recommendation to close the faculty attributions motivation gap centers on providing feedback to
faculty on a consistent basis that achievement of the organizational goal depends on faculty
increasing their effort to improve career preparation skills and knowledge. In addition, evidence
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will be provided to faculty that the employment success of recent college graduates is
significantly influenced by the career preparation efforts of faculty and not solely determined by
uncontrollable factors, such as economic cycles. Expectancy value theory explains the process
one goes through to decide the perceived cost of the activity relative to the benefit one will
receive (Rueda, 2011). If business faculty do not see the value of career preparation instruction,
they will not trade-off personal research or university committee tasks to make room for career
preparation tasks. My recommendation to increase faculty cost benefit motivation is to develop
and communicate a compelling rationale to all faculty that explains the importance and value of
excellent career preparation instruction. The rationale will provide evidence that quality career
instruction enables graduates to flourish in the workplace and thrive in a rapidly changing
market, and that enrollment growth aligns with potential students’ and their families’ perceptions
of how well a college prepares students for life after graduation. Kotter (2012) suggests that
peoples are more likely to change their behavior when they see and feel a rationale to change, as
opposed to only thinking and analyzing a case for change. Therefore, the rationale will include
videos of students addressing how their SWU career preparation enabled them to secure college
level jobs and succeed in those jobs, which will stir the emotions of the faculty. The students
will note in the videos that although they faced challenges in their job searches, the level of
preparation they received from the SWU faculty provided them with a competitive advantage. If
the university does not improve career preparation performance and provide a solid return on the
education investment in the form of a college level job, parents are likely to send their children to
the universities that do place successful graduates into the market with college level jobs. Table
6 below contains more details regarding the motivation influences and recommendations.
Table 16
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Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Motivation Influences Principle and Citation Context-Specific Recommendations
Attributions: Faculty do not
believe that their personal
efforts at instruction have a
profound impact on student
preparation for career success.
Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
individuals attribute
success or failure to
effort rather than
ability (Anderman &
Anderman, 2009)
Provide accurate and regular
feedback to all faculty that the
achievement of the job placement
outcomes goal is highly
influenced by increasing effort to
improve career preparation skills
and knowledge, and it is
something they control.

Cost Benefit: Faculty do not see
the benefits of implementing
career preparation assignments
in their courses to equip
students to secure full-time
employment after graduation
even if it takes away time or
effort from other aspects of
instruction.
Rationales that include
a discussion of the
importance and utility
value of the work or
learning can help
learners develop
positive values
(Pintrich, 2003).
Provide a rationale to all faculty
that connects the importance and
value of excellent career
preparation instruction to their
personal career growth.

Attributions theory. Faculty should believe that their personal efforts at instruction
have a profound impact on student preparation for career success. Anderman and Anderman
(2009) found that learning and motivation are enhanced when individuals attribute success or
failure to effort rather than ability. This would suggest that people are more motivated to make
the effort to achieve goals that are under their control and influenced more by effort than
uncontrollable factors such as economic conditions. The recommendation is to provide accurate
and regular feedback to all faculty that the achievement of the university’s job placement
outcomes goal can be influenced by increasing their personal effort to improve career
preparation skills and knowledge, and it is something they control.
Rueda (2011) states that when the inability to achieve a goal is viewed as a temporary
failure and goal achievement can be influenced by things one controls such as increased effort or
new strategies, individuals will be more motivated to persist to achieve the goal. Anderman and
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Anderman (2009) note that one’s beliefs about what caused something to happen and why it
happened have a direct impact on one’s motivation to engage in future tasks related to those
causes. Business school alumni report that faculty have a significant influence on their
preparation for career success and they should not underestimate their impact, suggesting they
need reminding on a constant basis (McDow & Zabrucky, 2016). Further, Stewart and Gregg
(2015) report that when faculty realize student success or failure in securing college level jobs
after graduation is influenced by their effort at developing meaningful career preparation
assignments, they are more likely to choose, persevere and work hard at the task. To enable
faculty to realize the significance of their impact, they will be provided alumni survey data each
year that demonstrates the impact of career preparation efforts by SWU faculty on the early
career success of recent graduates. In addition to the alumni survey data, student videos will be
created to show the effect of career preparation instruction on career success. From a theoretical
viewpoint, as faculty consider the impact they have on student preparation for career success, it
strengthens their sense of responsibility and increases their motivation to deliver career
preparation instruction that helps students be more competitive in the workplace.
Expectancy value theory. Faculty need to see personal benefits in implementing career
preparation assignments in their courses to equip students to secure full-time college level
employment after graduation even if it takes away time or effort from other aspects of
instruction. Pintrich (2003) found that providing rationales to individuals that include a
discussion of the importance and utility value of the work or activities helps learners develop
positive values for the work. This would suggest that individuals must see value or importance
in a task before they will be motivated to engage and complete the task. The recommendation
then is to develop and communicate a rationale to all faculty that connects the importance and
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value of excellent career preparation instruction to their personal career growth and to reinforce
the value of career preparation instruction with personal rewards and public recognition.
Cost benefit refers to the tradeoffs individuals evaluate as they invest time and resources
into achieving goals and engaging in activities. Rueda (2011) states that the higher one values an
activity, the more likely they are to begin and engage in an activity. Eccles (2006) found that the
level of persistence and mental effort one puts into an activity is consistent with the value one
attributes to the activity. The cost benefit analysis for career preparation instruction takes on
added benefits when faculty realize most students do not think about their job prospects until late
in their college career and need a push from faculty to get going (Eisner, 2010; Blau et al., 2015).
Stewart and Gregg (2015) report that employers believe the most important and valuable thing
faculty do is prepare students for a business world that is unpredictable and they expect faculty to
embrace the responsibility of preparing the next generation of employees for a rapidly changing
business environment. As business faculty fully understand employer expectations for their role
of preparing new workforce entrants and they are rewarded and publicly recognized for
excellence in preparing students for career success, the benefits of a renewed focus on career
preparation instruction begins to outweigh the costs (Hergert, 2009; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Organizational Recommendations
Individuals equipped with appropriate knowledge and motivation need the support of the
organization to achieve the organizational goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes (2008)
note that insufficient resources undermine the performance of any organization and an
appropriate level of career development resources is a critical aspect of preparing students for
career success. Based on the study’s data, the career center exists to support students and faculty
with career planning and placement services, but they lack the resources and talent to be
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effective for the entire university. The next organizational influence that affects faculty’s
capacity for career preparation instruction is the faculty tenure and promotion policy, which
signals to faculty how to prioritize their various responsibilities. Another significant
organizational influence in the study is the clarity of the communication of goals and priorities
from university leadership, which influences faculty behavior and focus. In addition to the three
cultural settings described above, the final organizational influence is the cultural model of
collaboration and the impact a collaborative culture has on improving career preparation for
students. The lack of career development resources and university leadership communications
relative to the importance and necessity of career preparation are most likely to have the highest
impact on the achievement of the organizational goal. Context-specific recommendations focus
on reinforcing desired behavior with clear organization goals, priorities, policies and procedures
as well as providing dedicated resources to accomplish career preparation goals. In addition, a
recommendation to build a culture of faculty collaboration is included to change the current
cultural model in the business school. The Clark and Estes (2008) and Schein (2017)
frameworks informed the organizational analysis. Table 7 below summarizes the organization
influences and recommendations.
Table 17
Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organizational
Influences
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific
Recommendation
The faculty tenure and
promotion policy lacks
incentives and recognition
for career preparation
activities.
Behavior that is reinforced is
strengthened (Daly, 2009).

Organizational policies
strongly influence the
achievement of
organizational performance
goals (Rueda, 2011).
Revise the university tenure
and promotion policy to
include a career preparation
component that incentivizes
business faculty.
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The university does not
provide clear direction to
faculty regarding the
importance and priority of
career development
responsibilities.
Without clear and specific
performance goals, people
tend to focus on tasks that
help advance their careers
instead of helping the
organization achieve its
goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
University leadership
communicates clear
direction and expectations to
all faculty relative to the
priority and importance of
career preparation in their
roles at the university.
The Career Center lacks the
resources to support
business school faculty with
career preparation activities
and assignments in an
effective manner.
Organizations require
sufficient tangible and
intangible resources to
achieve their goals (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Increase resources dedicated
to support business faculty
with career preparation
activities.
The university lacks a
workplace culture of
collaboration for business
faculty to share information
and best practices relative
to career preparation
assignments.
Collaboration and cultivation
cultures, where new ideas
and innovation flourishes,
are prevalent in high
performance organizations
(Schein, 2017).
Establish one off-site faculty
meeting each semester where
faculty are able to
collaborate and reflect as a
learning community.

Policies. The university faculty tenure and promotion policy lacks incentives and
recognition for career preparation activities and accomplishments. Daly (2009) and Rueda
(2011) suggest that organizational policies strongly influence the achievement of organizational
goals by reinforcing the behavior the organization values. Elmore (2002) suggests that
accountability increases when individual roles and expectations are closely aligned with
organizational goals and policies. The alignment of incentives and rewards systems must be
established to change the behavior needed to achieve organizational goals. This suggests that
adding career preparation incentives to the tenure promotion policy will change the behavior of
the faculty relative to how they prioritize their responsibilities.
Schein (2017) states that leaders embed their beliefs, values and assumptions into an
organization by recognizing and rewarding the behavior they want to see more of in
compensation programs and policies. Most university faculty enter academia for the intrinsic
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rewards of preparing students for success after graduation, but their behavior and choices are
highly influenced by faculty recognition and reward policies (MacFarlane, 2014; Stewart &
Gregg, 2015). Belsky (2012) notes that most recognition and reward policies tend to stifle risk
taking and long term behavior, while incentivizing short term safe and derivative behavior many
organizations want to change. Schein (2017) notes that artifacts such as policies and procedures
guide behavior and inform people how to perceive, think and feel about things. Currently, career
preparation is not mentioned in the tenure promotion policy, which sends a clear message to the
faculty how to perceive, think and feel about career preparation tasks. Although many faculty
told me the policy does not have a significant influence on them, it will still be difficult for
faculty to increase their involvement in career preparation tasks without better alignment in
tenure and promotion policy incentives.
Processes. The university career center lacks the resources to support business school
faculty with career preparation activities and assignments in an effective manner. Clark and
Estes (2008) note that organizations require sufficient tangible and intangible resources to
achieve their goals. This suggests that the organization must provide sufficient resources to
support business school faculty with career preparation processes and assignments to improve
their career preparation performance and achieve job placement goals.
Clark and Estes (2008) and Rueda (2011) state that organizations must provide adequate
resources to accomplish goals. It may be possible to use existing resources in a more efficient
manner and redesign processes to be more effective, but accepting the status quo will not
improve performance. Rising expectations from parents and employers to increase the emphasis
on career readiness has driven many universities to develop their career preparation services and
resources into a source of competitive advantage (Belkin, 2018; Lipka, 2008). As the production
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model of business education shifts to a learning network model with students relying more on
faculty for career preparation, appropriate career preparation resources must be in place to
support faculty in this expanded role (Alstete & Beutel, 2016; Eisner, 2010; MacFarlane, 2014;
Stewart & Gregg, 2015). Clark and Estes (2008) note that organizational effectiveness increases
when leaders ensure employees have the resources needed to achieve the organization’s goals.
An increase in the allocation of career preparation resources to business faculty is necessary to
accomplish the job placement goals for future graduates. Adding dedicated business school
resources to develop corporate partnerships and secure internship opportunities is required to
achieve the organizational goal.
Cultural models. The organization does not provide opportunities for faculty to build a
culture of collaboration where faculty reflect and share information and best practices relative to
career preparation instruction. Schein (2017) states that collaboration and cultivation cultures,
where new ideas and innovation flourishes, are prevalent in high performance
organizations. Therefore, establishing one off-site faculty meeting each semester where faculty
are able to collaborate and reflect as a learning community would be a good start toward building
a culture of collaboration.
Cultural models are the invisible and automated ways to perceive, think and behave in an
organization (Rueda, 2011). Rueda (2011) suggests that considering and understanding the
influence of cultural models, such as values, beliefs, invisible and automated attitudes along with
their visible manifestations in cultural settings is essential to achieving the goals of an
organization. Clark and Estes (2008) report that when goals, policies or procedures conflict with
organizational culture, performance problems will follow. Lencioni (2006) notes that teamwork
is always lacking within the culture of organizations that fail and present within those that
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succeed and that teamwork and collaboration remain the one sustainable competitive advantage
that has largely been untapped. The research is very convincing that high performance
organizations have collaborative cultures (Lencioni, 2006). This supports the recommendation
to align structures and processes in the business school to enhance collaboration and
performance through regular off-site faculty meetings.
Cultural settings. The university does not provide clear direction to faculty regarding
the importance and priority of career development responsibilities and career preparation goals.
Clark and Estes (2008) report that without clear and specific performance goals and roles, people
tend to focus on tasks that help advance their careers instead of helping the organization achieve
its goals. University leadership needs to communicate clear direction and expectations to all
faculty members relative to the priority and importance of career preparation in their roles at the
university. Establishing career readiness as a program-learning outcome for the Palm School of
Business would be a good first step in addition to increasing knowledge among faculty of the
100% job placement goal.
Clark and Estes (2008) report that organizational effectiveness increases when leaders
establish clear goals, roles and expectations for team members in alignment with the
organization’s vision. Lencioni (2006) found that the healthiest organizations create alignment
and clarity around six questions: Why do we exist?, What do we do?, How will we behave?,
How will we succeed?, What is most important right now?, and Who will do what? Berger
(2014) and Schein (2017) advance the notion that leadership is fundamentally a communication
process to provide clear direction to the organization about the organization’s goals and
priorities. What leaders pay attention to, measure and control on a regular basis is what gets the
focus and effort of the organization (Martin, 2013; Schein, 2017). Creating a university culture
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that changes the behavior required from faculty to fully support job placement goals and increase
their involvement in career preparation, demands a clear message from university leaders on why
the goal is important, priority level and what is expected from faculty to achieve the goal
(DeAngelo et al., 2015; Sinek, 2009; Stewart & Gregg, 2015).
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was developed to

evaluate if training programs were actually making a difference for their participants. The
model presents four evaluation levels focused on stakeholders’ application of learning
approaches to achieve organizational goals. These levels are defined as Level 1: Reaction; Level
2: Learning; Level 3: Behavior and Level 4: Results. The New World Model updates the
original model, introduced in the 1950s, by considering the advent of the internet and online
training in addition to the reality that most learning today takes place informally on the job. The
New World Model also addresses misguided beliefs around levels 3 and 4 being too expensive or
complex to implement and the over-emphasis or sole reliance on levels 1 and 2 to evaluate the
effectiveness of training programs. The New World Model also presents the levels in reverse
order from Level 4 to Level 1 to emphasize what really matters, which is the achievement of the
training program outcome through the improved performance of training graduates.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The mission of the Palm School of Business at Southwestern University (both
pseudonyms) is to cultivate competent and courageous graduates for career success with a
perspective of business as ministry. The business school seeks to prepare students for excellence
and leadership in their careers, to strengthen them in mind and character, and to develop their
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God-given talents through high expectations and proficiency in their unique field of
interest. The goal of the Palm School of Business is that by May 2020, 100% of business
undergraduates seeking employment are able to secure full time employment within six months
after graduation. The 2017 job placement outcome was 73%. Business school faculty are the
primary stakeholder group for this study because of the significant influence faculty have on
preparing students for career success. Faculty play a critical role in preparing students
academically and technically as well as developing their employability skills. However, Palm
School of Business faculty will need to increase their engagement and participation in career
preparation instruction and advising to provide students with the skills they need to excel in the
workplace and close the business school’s job placement performance gap. Therefore, the
stakeholder goal is that by the end of the 2019 Fall semester, 100% of business school faculty
will implement a career preparation assignment in their upper division courses, aligned with
employer needs as defined in the syllabus.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Level 4 focuses on the degree to which intended outcomes are achieved through the
application of training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Significant components of Level 4 are
leading indicators, which describe the short-term observations and measurements that suggest
that critical behaviors are on track to create a positive impact on the desired results, (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016). The proposed Level 4 outcomes, metrics, and methods for external and
internal outcomes are provided in Table 8. Achievement of the organization’s internal outcomes
pertaining to career preparation assignments, will lead to the achievement of the organization’s
external outcomes.
Table 18

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Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes

Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Improvement in alumni
satisfaction relative to career
preparation
Alumni satisfaction ratings
relative to career preparation
from baseline year to
subsequent years
Administer annual alumni survey with
questions relating to career preparation.
Improvement in employer
satisfaction relative to SWU
graduate preparedness for the
workplace
Number of students that
secure full time college level
job offers before graduation
Monitor number of students that secure job
offers before graduation.
Increase in number of
employers visiting campus to
recruit SWU students
Number of employers that visit
SWU business school to
recruit students
Monitor number of employers that visit
campus from baseline year going forward.
Improvement in national
college rankings relative to
career preparation
Actual ranking in national
rankings relative to career
preparation
Monitor NACE, ACBSP and US News &
World Report rankings.
Internal Outcomes
Increase in completed
internships before students
graduate
Number of students that
complete an internship before
graduation
Faculty monitor assigned students once per
semester to track internships during
academic advising appointments.
Increase in employer interviews
before students graduate
Number of interviews students
complete each year
Faculty monitor assigned students once per
semester to track interviews during
academic advising appointments.
Increase in student attendance
to career preparation events on
campus that are sponsored by
faculty
Number of students who attend
career preparation events on
campus
Ensure sign in sheet is in place to track
attendees to career preparation events and
faculty administrative assistant publishes
results.
Increase in number of career
preparation assignments on
syllabi
Number of career preparation
assignments in each course by
reviewing all syllabi
Faculty administrative assistant monitors
career preparation assignments in syllabi.
Increase in enrollment Number of applications to
school of business each year
and current year enrollment
Faculty administrative assistant publishes
business school enrollment and number of
applicants each year with comparison to
previous year and budget.
Increase in professional
development opportunities for
faculty relative to career
preparation
Number of training
opportunities offered to all
business faculty relating to
career preparation
Solicit faculty training data from the
Associate Dean of the business school.

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Level 3 focuses on the degree training participants actually apply
and demonstrate the learning that was acquired through a training event or program, on the
job. Critical behaviors pertain to what training participants must absolutely demonstrate on the
job to achieve the intended organizational outcomes (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The
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specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of these outcome behaviors appears in Table 9
below.
Table 19

Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
1. Faculty meet with
employers on regular basis to
review new employee
requirements and expectations.
Number of employer contacts
to understand employer
desired skills
Each faculty member
reports employer contacts
to Dean of the business
school.
Employer
meetings
recorded on a
monthly basis.
2. Faculty expand personal
networks to create more
internship and full time
employment opportunities for
students.
Number of new employer or
alumni connections faculty
establish that lead to
internships or job
opportunities
Use LinkedIn or
participate in Alumni
Relations events to expand
network
Report progress
to Dean each
semester.
3. Faculty attend professional
development programs to
improve career preparation
instruction and advising skills..
Number of career preparation
training opportunities
attended by each faculty
member
Monitor completed
training events on faculty
annual reports submitted
to Associate Dean.
Once per year
4. Faculty meet with assigned
students on a regular basis for
career mentoring and advising.
Number of faculty career
preparation meetings with
assigned students
Faculty report student
career preparation
progress to Dean each
semester
One per
semester

Required drivers. Level 3 is a thorough continuous performance improvement and
measurement system that requires drivers to support the critical behaviors needed for success.
When expected behaviors are measured and people are held accountable to adopt new behaviors,
people pay attention and change their behavior (Kotter, 2012). Required drivers are the methods
and systems needed to either reinforce, monitor, encourage, and/or reward critical behaviors
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The drivers are classified as either support or accountability
drivers. When training participants attempt to apply their new behaviors and training knowledge
and fail for some reason, then support drivers are appropriate to help participants apply their new
knowledge and improve their performance (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). When training
participants do not attempt to apply what they learned in training, then accountability methods
are necessary to ensure compliance. Faculty job performance and demonstration of critical
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behaviors will be driven by a variety of support and accountability processes and systems.
Career preparation workshops, individual coaching, teacher role modeling and the use intrinsic
and extrinsic rewards are valuable support drivers recommended for implementation. One-on-
one meetings with the department chair and business school dean are accountability drivers that
will be utilized in the training program. Table 10 summarizes the recommended drivers to
support critical behaviors required from business faculty to improve career preparation
instruction and advising.
Table 20
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing

Faculty career preparation workshops 1 per
semester
1,2,3,4
Faculty observations of career preparation teaching role
models
1 per year 1,2,3,4
Job aid including current employer desired skills and labor
market trends
Ongoing 1,2,3,4
Job aid including exemplar employment tools (resume,
LinkedIn profile, interviewing skills, networking information
interviews, e-Portfolios, career exploration tools)
Ongoing 1,2,3,4
Encouraging

Collaboration and peer modeling during faculty staff meetings Semi-
monthly
1,2,3,4
Coaching and feedback from career preparation faculty lead Ongoing 1,2,3,4
Rewarding

Public recognition from university leadership Semi-
annually
1,2,3,4
Add career preparation points to tenure and promotion policy Ongoing 1,2,3,4
Monitoring

One on one meetings with dean and department to chair to
review career preparation performance
Semi-
annually
1,2,3,4
Faculty share career preparation success stories at staff
meetings
Semi-
monthly
1,2,3,4

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Organizational support. The organization will support business school faculty by
establishing collaboration meetings, increasing dedicated career preparation resources, providing
clear direction from university leadership on the importance and value of career preparation tasks
and revising the faculty tenure and promotion policy to include incentives and recognition for
career preparation accomplishments. The business school faculty will be held accountable to
adopt the critical behaviors through one on one accountability meetings with the business school
dean and department chair as well as by their peers in staff meetings. The dean will establish
career readiness as a new program-learning outcome for the business school.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Level 2 focuses on how effectively training participants acquire the
intended knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence and commitment as a result of a training
program or training event. After implementing the recommended learning solutions, the
business faculty should be able to:
1. Design an effective career preparation assignment. (Procedural knowledge)
2. Determine the employer desired skills that need to be integrated into instruction and
advising opportunities. (Conceptual knowledge)
3. Reflect on their progress in creating and implementing effective career preparation
assignments. (Metacognitive knowledge)
4. Act based on the belief that they have a significant impact on achieving the
organizational goal and it is contingent on their individual and collective efforts in
pursuing the organizational goal rather than external, uncontrollable factors. (Motivation:
Attributions)
5. Value the benefit of career preparation instruction and advising relative to personal career
growth and other academic responsibilities. (Motivation: Cost benefit)
6. Create an environment where career preparation is embraced as a top priority and
important learning outcome throughout the entire business school. (Cultural setting)
7. Utilize university resources to support career preparation instruction and advising
practices. (Cultural setting)
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Program. The recommended learning program includes career preparation workshops,
classroom observations and one-on-one coaching. The career preparation workshops will be
delivered in two half-day sessions before the beginning of each semester. The workshops will be
facilitated by career preparation role model instructors and human resource professionals from
local companies. The business school dean will present a rationale for the renewed focus on
career preparation instruction and mentoring at the beginning of each workshop, while
introducing career readiness as a new program-learning outcome for every course. The
participants will explore in-depth current labor market trends, employer expectations for new
college graduates, career preparation instruction best practices and proven career advising
strategies. Classroom observations will be scheduled for faculty to observe the implementation
of career preparation assignments by role model professors. Two professors will be identified as
career preparation master professors and they will follow up with each faculty member for
additional coaching and reflection throughout the year.
Job aids will be delivered to the faculty in the training that will ensure excellence and
consistency in the instruction of employment tools, such as resumes, LinkedIn profiles,
interviewing skills, networking skills, e-Portfolios, and career exploration processes. Faculty
will also be given recent employer surveys that clearly explain the skills desired by employers
from recent college graduates. Alumni surveys will be distributed to allow faculty time to reflect
on data that communicates how well former students felt they were prepared for the workplace
and what was missing from their business education experience at SWU.
During the training workshops, participants will practice the skills they have just learned
and start using the job aids. The focus will be on applying and verifying what they learned in
small groups with role-plays, group discussions and peer modeling. During the training, the role
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model career preparation professors will discuss the value and benefits of the learning strategies
taught in the training program and will model how to implement the strategies and utilize the job
aids. After the workshop is completed, faculty will be required to complete a classroom
observation of one of the role model professors teaching a career preparation lesson. Faculty
will then deliver a career preparation assignment observed by a role model career preparation
professor. One on one coaching will be conducted after the course concludes to identify
improvement opportunities.
Evaluation of the components of learning. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016), Level 2 learning is best evaluated by considering the knowledge, skills, attitude,
confidence and commitment components of learning. The knowledge-learning component
relates to the degree that training participants know information, which is declarative knowledge.
The skill-learning component relates to the training participants’ abilities to perform the new
tasks, which is procedural knowledge. The learning component of attitude relates to analyzing if
the training participants buy-in to the purpose and benefit in doing what they are asked to do and
change. The learning component of confidence relates to training participants’ beliefs in being
able to demonstrate what they learned from training on their jobs. The commitment-learning
component focuses on training participants’ intent to actually apply the new knowledge on their
jobs. All learning components are listed in Table 11, which includes the evaluation methods and
timing.
Table 21
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”

Knowledge checks through discussions, “pair, think, share” and other
individual/group activities.
Periodically during
workshop
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Knowledge checks by Lead Career Preparation professor during one
on one coaching sessions
During one on one
coaching sessions
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”

Demonstration in groups and individually of using the job aids to
deliver career preparation instruction in an effective manner.
During workshops
Application of learning skills with case studies that simulate
instruction and advising challenges, with peer and instructor
observations and feedback.
During workshops
Survey participants after workshops, classroom observations and
coaching sessions to evaluate their beliefs relative to their
proficiency before and after the entire program.
At completion of
program
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”

Instructor observation of participants’ language, behavior and actions
demonstrating they value the training and understand the purpose of
the program.
During workshops and
one on one coaching
Specific discussions on the value of the training and what they are
being asked to do on the job.
During workshops
Survey question on post-program assessment At completion of
program
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”

Discussions following practice and feedback During workshops and
one on one coaching
Sharing success stories in staff meetings Bi-monthly meetings
Survey question on post-program assessment At completion of
program
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”

Discussions following practice and feedback During workshops and
one on one coaching
Sharing success stories in staff meetings Bi-monthly staff
meetings
Individual action plans One on one coaching
Survey question on post-program assessment At completion of
program

Level 1: Reaction
The methods and tools used to measure participant response to the training program are
grouped in the reaction components of engagement, relevance, and satisfaction. Table 12 below
lists the methods that will determine how the participants reacted to the learning experience.
Table 22
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
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Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement

Observations by instructor and career
preparation coaches
During workshops and one on one coaching
sessions
Attendance During workshops, classroom observations and one
on one coaching meetings
Program evaluation At completion of program
Instructor feedback, pulse check During workshops
Completion of pre-work activities Before workshops
One on one check-ins with participants During workshops and staff meetings
Relevance

Instructor feedback, pulse check During workshops
Program evaluation At completion of program
Customer Satisfaction

Instructor feedback, pulse check During workshops
Program evaluation At completion of program

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. During each workshop, the
instructor will conduct periodic brief pulse-checks by asking the participants about the value and
relevance of the content to their teaching roles. The instructor will also solicit informal feedback
from the participants about the organization and delivery of the content and the learning
environment. The instructor will observe small group and large group discussions to evaluate
engagement and complete the Level 1 evaluation.
Level 2 evaluations will occur during and after the workshops. One week following the
workshop, a follow up survey with open ended and scaled items will include Level 1 and 2
evaluation questions. The questions will evaluate the participants’ confidence in their abilities to
demonstrate the knowledge and skills that they acquired from training to their jobs and their
commitment to apply what they learned. Level 2 evaluations will also occur with the career
preparation coaches, who will conduct one-on-one coaching, performance assessments, and
teaching observations. In addition, the coaches will work with training participants to develop
individual development plans to further develop their career preparation instruction skills and
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apply what they learned in the program. Appendix C displays sample questions from the Level 1
and Level 2 survey.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. A more extensive evaluation
will occur three months following the implementation of the training program. A survey with
open ended and scaled items will be conducted to measure continued degrees of engagement,
relevance, and customer satisfaction (Level 1); the demonstration of knowledge and skills (Level
2); attitude, confidence and commitment (Level 2); and application of what is learned in the
training program to improve career preparation (Level 3). While monitored on an ongoing basis,
internal and external outcomes (Level 4) will be officially evaluated on an annual basis through
the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Appendix D shows the survey
questions that address all four levels of the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) evaluation model
and align to the results and leading indicators previously listed in Table 8 and the required
drivers to support faculty critical behaviors listed in Table 10.
Data Analysis and Reporting
Southwestern University provides annual job placement outcomes data to the National
Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE publishes the national data each year in
their first destination survey. An example of the job placement outcomes data SWU provides
annually is depicted below. Achievement of the organizational goal is dependent upon the
leading indicators displayed as external and internal outcomes in Table 8. The external and
internal outcome metrics will be reported monthly at faculty staff meetings to build awareness
and momentum for the career preparation initiative and to encourage faculty to embrace
accountability for job placement results. Examples of two of the leading indicators are displayed
below. The external and internal outcomes reports will be shared with students, parents and
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university administration to increase accountability and commitment within the business school.
Faculty will also monitor Level 3 outcomes and report their results to the dean of the business
school at semi-annual performance reviews. Level 1 and Level 2 survey results will be presented
to faculty and university administration at a staff meeting upon completion of the training
program for reflection and process improvement purposes.

. \
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Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) was the framework utilized to develop the
recommended solutions, implementation strategies, and evaluation plan to achieve the
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organizational goal in this study. This updated model expands on the original model by
modernizing the four evaluation levels of reaction, learning, behavior and results to help people
apply the elements more effectively in today’s workplace. The model suggests starting with the
end in mind because a focus on desired outcomes keeps the focus on what is most important.
The focus on results prevents instructors from assuming that training program satisfaction will
automatically lead to performance improvement. It is a forward-looking model that identifies
leading indicators that organization leaders must manage to deliver the desired results. The
model also suggests that instructors must clarify expectations with sponsors and customers to
ensure they deliver a strong return on expectations (ROE). Instructors deliver the ROE by
starting with the desired results in mind and then determining the behavior needed to deliver the
results. They must then determine the knowledge, attitude and skills that are necessary to bring
out the desired behaviors. The last challenge is to deliver the training program in a manner that
maximizes learning along with satisfaction and engagement. The systematic application of The
New World Kirkpatrick Model increases the probability that a training program will in fact
deliver the results stakeholders expect. The framework ensures instructors define training
success as application of training-acquired skills that lead to improved performance and work
results. The degree to which participants find training satisfactory, engaging and relevant is only
the first level of evaluation. Training programs do not lead to performance improvement if the
application of the learning in the workplace does not occur.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
The Clark and Estes (2008) performance improvement framework guided the
organization of this evaluation study into knowledge, motivation and organization influences that
directed the data collection and analysis process that led to the recommendations. The interview
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protocol used to collect data for the study organized the questions into the same knowledge,
motivation and organization influences. The Clark and Estes (2008) framework is research-
based and established on a foundation of tested performance improvement strategies that have
not only worked, but have been cost effective. Clark and Estes (2008) observed that research
evidence dramatically increases the probability that a performance improvement program will
succeed. While extensive research and evidence supports the Clark and Estes (2008) framework,
the weaknesses in using the approach include missing performance influences that do not clearly
fit into the knowledge, motivation and organization categories or mistakenly placing findings
into the wrong categories. In addition, the performance improvement examples Clark and Estes
(2008) provide in their research come from business settings that have the benefit of a profit
motive for their employees. The profit motive was considered in the design and implementation
of this study. Finally, the Clark and Estes (2008) framework is mostly a deductive approach and
to discover influences I might not have anticipated, a more inductive approach might have been a
better method to conduct the study.
The New World Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) model is the most widely used
training evaluation model because it addresses the challenge of changing people’s behavior to
achieve the most critical goals of an organization. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) provide a
blueprint to maximize an organization’s results by designing training programs with Level 4
leading indicators and actionable metrics in mind. Trainers must identify the desired results with
their stakeholders and then decide what behavior is required to accomplish them. The
framework then recommends determining the attitudes, knowledge and skills required to create
the desired behaviors. Finally, properly executed training enables engaged participants to learn
relevant skills and new knowledge while being satisfied with the overall training experience.
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The strength of the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) approach is that it does not settle for
satisfactory training feedback or demonstration of learning during the training experience. It
forces the trainer to consider how the training will be applied in the workplace, how behavior
changes will be reinforced and rewarded and how the training will deliver the desired results to
the organization with a positive return on expectations. While the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) model has many positive attributes, Grossman and Salas (2011) suggest that trainee
characteristics, training design and work environment have exhibited the strongest and most
consistent relationships with the transfer of trained skills to the workplace. Trainee
characteristics include perceived utility of the training, self-efficacy, cognitive ability and
motivation. Training design includes positive and negative behavior modeling, error
management and conducting the training in an environment that resembles the workplace. The
work environment includes the transfer climate, supervisor support, the resources and
opportunities to apply the new skills and organization support to continue to facilitate the
learning process. The New World Kirkpatrick model may not be an effective model to transfer
learning into the workplace in my organizational context if the three factors Grossman and Salas
(2011) identified had not been considered in the implementation plan.
The capacity of the business faculty to develop and implement career preparation
assignments that adhere to the Clark and Estes (2008) and Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
frameworks needs to be carefully considered. The SWU business faculty have multiple
responsibilities and competing priorities to manage. The notion that faculty can easily increase
their capacity to add career preparation instruction and mentoring on top of existing
responsibilities might be unlikely, even though the frameworks provide evidence it is possible.
The other reality is that faculty do not like anyone “telling them what to do.” One of the
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motivators for choosing a career in higher education is autonomy. Increasing career preparation
resources to increase faculty capacity for career preparation instruction and mentoring may be an
unrealistic solution to addressing an organizational barrier if the university continues to fall short
of enrollment targets and all departments must reduce costs to avoid a deficit.
Future Research
As this study focused on preparing business undergraduate students for career success,
future research could expand this narrow focus to graduate business students or students in
bachelor degree programs other than business. This study was limited to specific faculty
knowledge, motivation and organization influences selected for analysis, so future research could
study other influences for a more complete picture of faculty influences on student preparation
for career success. Other stakeholders involved in preparing business undergraduate students for
career success, such as students, parents, employers, career center advisors and university
administrators could replace faculty as the stakeholder of focus for a study on their specific role
in the career preparation process.
While an increase in the time and effort faculty devote to career preparation is the
recommendation for improving job placement outcomes in this study, future research could
study how much of a difference the additional time and effort actually makes in the early career
success of business graduates. In addition, a comparison of increasing resources in the career
and alumni relations offices as opposed to supporting business school faculty would help clarify
investment alternatives. The current higher education political landscape of budget cuts and
increasing reliance on a part-time faculty workforce may be impeding a culture that supports
extra-role faculty behavior to improve student preparation for career success. Future research
could also analyze if employers expecting faculty to play the roles of knowledge creator,
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pedagogist, fluent technologist, global citizen, integrator and experiential facilitator are
expecting too much. Future research on the effectiveness of mandatory professional-
development courses compared to courses with similar content delivered through extra-curricular
career events organized by the career center would be enlightening. It would also be helpful to
study how prevalent are mandatory professional-development courses in undergraduate business
curricula versus the number of schools that rely on an extra-curricular program to deliver career
preparation information. Finally, from an employers’ perspective, future research on whether
business schools dedicated to experiential education and the development of soft skills such as
collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking are graduating students that meet
employers’ expectations would be enlightening.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, motivation and organization
influences related to the achievement of job placement goals for the Southwestern University
Palm School of Business. The interaction between organizational culture and context and faculty
knowledge and motivation related to the organizational goal was the specific focus of the
evaluation. Alumni surveys from the Palm School of Business have consistently reported that
faculty have more impact on a student’s overall college experience than any other variable,
which is why faculty were selected as the primary stakeholder group for this study. Faculty
prepare students for career success through teaching, career advising, mentoring, aligning
curriculum and learning outcomes with employer expectations and connecting students to their
employer network. The study sought to evaluate knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences on the capacity of faculty to develop and implement career preparation assignments in
their courses. Interviews were conducted with all 13 full time faculty members and three part
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time faculty members to evaluate the degree of knowledge, motivation and organization
influences on career preparation efforts. The participants reported their support of improving job
placement outcomes for business undergraduates, but only half of the participants supported the
notion of developing and implementing employer requested career development assignments in
their courses and taking on new career mentoring responsibilities. A lack of career preparation
resources and professional development opportunities were the most common reasons for the
“lukewarm” support of career preparation instruction by half of the faculty. Participants also
mentioned organization barriers such as an absence of faculty recognition and clear
communication on accountabilities and faculty responsibilities relative to career preparation.
However, to survive in an increasingly competitive higher education marketplace, SWU must
change the narrative on the accountability and role of faculty to prepare students for career
success. SWU will not survive if the school does not develop a positive reputation for preparing
students for life after graduation. An increase in underemployed graduates will destroy the
university’s standing in the marketplace. Underemployment serves as a strong, negative signal
to prospective employers and it is difficult to break away from underemployment when trapped
in that unfortunate position too long. The winds in higher education have shifted. The birthrate
has fallen and the pay advantage for college graduates over high school graduates has declined.
States have recently cut $9 billion in funding to public colleges and student debt has soared.
Preparing students to perform more effectively in internships, full-time job interviews, first jobs
and avoid unemployment and underemployment after graduation is a critical mission for all
universities. A failure to prepare business undergraduates at SWU and all U.S. universities for
the 21
st
century workplace will lead to a depressed U.S. economy, fewer job opportunities and
lower standard of living for future generations.
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APPENDIX A
Interview Protocol
Introduction

Thank you for agreeing to work with me on my career preparation study. I know you are
busy and I appreciate the time you are investing to help me with my research. As you know, I
am enrolled in the USC Doctorate program in Organizational Change and Leadership at the
Rossier School of Education and I am interested in understanding how faculty can prepare
students for career success and avoid unemployment and underemployment after graduation. I
will be talking to all full time professors in the business school and selected professors in other
schools on campus with stellar job placement outcomes and a strong commitment to career
preparation. I am observing career preparation activities around our campus. I will be
inspecting our students’ e-Portfolios in my capstone class to review how our career preparation
efforts are being implemented in this new initiative.
I want to assure you I am strictly acting as a researcher in our time together today. This
means that the nature of my questions are not evaluative in any manner. Although, we may have
discussed my research questions in the hallways or in staff meetings to some extent, my hope
today is to go deeper to capitalize on your experience and wisdom in my research. I will not be
making any judgements relative to how you are performing in the area of career preparation with
your students. Also, this interview is confidential. Your name and your perspectives will not be
shared with anyone.
The data for this study will be compiled into a final report and dissertation, but none of
the data will be directly attributed to you. I will be using a pseudonym to protect your
confidentiality and will ensure you are not identified in any of the data in the final report. I will
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provide a copy of the final report to you if you have any interest in reviewing my findings. The
data will stored in a password protected computer for 3 years.
If you do not have any questions about the purpose of my interview with you today, I
would like to get started. I would like to record our conversation today, so I do not miss any key
points and insights you share with me. However, if you are uncomfortable with our interview
being recorded, I will not record our interview because I do not want recording the interview to
be a hindrance to what you might be willing to share. I would also like to come back to review
my notes with you at a later date to gain your agreement on your input.
Setting the Stage
Even though we know each other, I would like to start with a few background questions
to make sure I am not assuming anything about you incorrectly.
 What led you to a career in higher education?
 Tell me about your professional experience prior to moving into higher education
and how that you prepared you for your role today.
 Where do find the most fulfillment in your current role? Research? Teaching?
Advising? Mentoring? University committee service? Career preparation?
 Tell me what you know about the current employment rates for our graduates.
 Tell me what you know about the goals our school has about employability of our
students who seek employment.
 Tell me what you know about the employability level of our students.
Heart of the Interview
I would like to ask you some questions about your faculty role in regards to career preparation
and how you ensure you are preparing students that employers want to hire.

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1. I have heard some professors say that it is not their job to prepare students for the
workplace. They say their job is to only teach content and critical thinking. What would
you say to that? (Probe: if the response is they are not interested in teaching career
preparation, I would ask why and how they came to this conclusion. Why do students
come to college in the first place in your opinion? How do students obtain a return on
their education investment, if they are unemployed or underemployed after graduation?)
Then, I would transition to question #2.
2. If I were a brand new professor interested in preparing students for career success, how
would you give me advice relative to understanding what employers are looking for in
college graduates? (Probe: what skills have you found to be the most important from an
employers’ perspective? Do you think these skills should be developed at the university,
on the job or someplace else?)
3. How would you or do you create career preparation assignments to develop these skills in
your students?
4. Again, if you were giving advice to a new professor, how would you advise
implementing the career preparation assignments you just described?
5. How would you advise a new professor in how to evaluate the effectiveness of these
assignments? How do you know if your assignments are achieving the goal?
I would now like to ask you some questions about how student career preparation is
prioritized and supported at the university. Where does career preparation fits into the
mission of the university.

6. What are the most important objectives at our university as communicated by the
President? (Probe: Where does career preparation fit in in your view? Is it a high enough
priority or at the right level? Why do you think it has been a secondary priority, if they
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believe it has been? Describe the clarity of communication regarding direction from the
President. Do faculty have clarity on what is most important now in their roles?)
7. How does the university tenure and promotion policy impact faculty involvement in
career preparation? (Probe: If career preparation was more prominent in the policy, what
impact would that have on your priorities, if any? Do you even care about the
components of the tenure and promotion policy? What changes are needed to the policy
to incentivize faculty to increase their engagement in career preparation activities for
their students? (Transition to the university career center as a resource to help students.)
8. Describe your interactions with the university career center. (Probe: How does the
career center support your career preparation efforts? How do you ensure your students
utilize the resources available to them through the career center?)
9. How would you advise a new professor to interact with more experienced professors to
support their career preparation efforts? (Probe: Describe the culture at our school
relative to collaboration and sharing best practices. Why or why not is it an effective
culture?)
I would like to come back and finish up with a few questions regarding your purpose in
higher education. Why do you do what you do?

10. How would you rank order your faculty responsibilities in order of value at this
university? (Probe: Why?)
11. What would it take for you to expand your capacity for more career preparation in your
faculty role? (Probe: Alumni surveys consistently report that professors have more
influence on the overall college experience than any other factor. Why or why not do
you believe faculty have a responsibility to prepare their students for career success?
How much influence do you believe you have with the career development engagement
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of your students? Do you think you can help students avoid unemployment and
underemployment?)
12. Finally, what do you perceive to be your role in preparing students to secure full time
employment in a college level job six months after graduation? (Probe: How much
control and influence do your own personal efforts have on recent graduate career
success?)
Closing Question
Is there anything else you would like to add before we end our conversation?
Closing, Thank You, Follow Up
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me today. I really appreciate your willingness to
participate in my study and support my research. Would you mind a follow up email if I have
any additional questions? Thank you again for your participation.

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APPENDIX B
Observation Protocol
Southwestern University Business School
Classroom Observation
(TO BE COMPLETED DURING OBSERVATION)

Event Leader ____________________________
Observer ____________________________
Date ____________________________

Type of Activity Observed: Delivery of career development lesson in a classroom

Activity Description:

1. Time spent on the activity: Start End Total Minutes:_________________
2. Activity and materials: ___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In a narrative, I will describe the activities taking place in the classroom while a career
development lesson is being delivered to the students. I will focus on professor to student
interaction and student to student interaction in addition to the teaching capabilities of the
professor. I will observe student engagement with the professor and the class content, the
energy in the room and the transfer of learning to the students based on their discussion on
the value of the activity to their career preparation.
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APPENDIX C
Sample Immediate Post-Training Survey Items Measuring Kirkpatrick Levels 1 and 2
1. I was encouraged to ask questions and share my ideas in the workshop. (Level 1
Engagement)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
2. This training program provided information I can use to improve my teaching effectiveness.
(Level 1 Relevance)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
3. My overall rating of the training program is: (Level 1 Customer Satisfaction)
Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor
4. List the “4 C” skills that employers highly value in college graduates. (Level 2 Conceptual
Knowledge)
5. The training program encouraged me to reflect on my career preparation instructional
capabilities. (Level 2 Metacognitive Knowledge)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
6. I play a significant role in preparing students for career success. (Level 2 Attitude)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
7. After completing the training program, I am more prepared to implement career preparation
assignments in my courses. (Level 2 Confidence)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
8. I plan to apply what I learned in this program with a sense of urgency. (Level 2
Commitment)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
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APPENDIX D
Sample Delayed Blended Evaluation Items Measuring Kirkpatrick Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4
1. This training program helped me understand how career preparation instruction helps
students be more competitive in the global marketplace. (Level 1 Relevance)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
2. What would you change about the program to improve it for others like yourself? (Level 1
Relevance)
3. I would recommend this program to other schools on campus. (Level 1 Satisfaction)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
4. What did you learn from this program that you are going to apply immediately? (Level 2
Knowledge, Skills)
5. I stay in contact with employers on a regular basis to ensure my knowledge of employer-
desired skills and hiring practices is accurate. (Level 2 Conceptual Knowledge)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
6. Because of this program, I have a better understanding of the employability levels of my
students. (Level 2 Knowledge)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
7. I am confident I can design a career preparation assignment for my upper division
courses. (Level 2 Confidence)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
8. I enjoy the challenge of preparing my students to succeed in an uncertain and dynamic
economy and labor market. (Level 2 Attitude)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
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9. I have applied what I learned in the program to one of my career preparation
assignments. (Level 3 Behavior)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
10. If you circled Strongly Disagree or Disagree for #10 above, please indicate the reason
below.
a. I have other higher priorities.
b. I do not possess the necessary knowledge and skills.
c. I do not have the support to apply what I learned
d. I am not sure what is expected of me.
e. I do not have the time or the resources to apply what I learned.
f. I am not confident I can apply anything from the training to make a difference with career
preparation.
11. Describe specifically what you have applied to one of your courses from this
program. (Level 3 Behavior)
12. I met with my instructional coach after the workshop to review strategies, share success
stories and troubleshoot problems. (Level 3 Encouraging)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
13. Faculty are recognized and rewarded reward for their career preparation success. (Level 3
Rewarding)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
14. Business school leadership communicates the importance and the “why” of career
preparation instruction on a regular basis. (Level 3 Reinforcing)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
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15. I look forward to sharing career preparation success stories with my peers at faculty staff
meetings. (Level 3 Monitoring)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
16. I am experiencing an increase in student engagement in career preparation activities due to
applying what I learned in the program. (Level 4 Results)
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree
17. I am seeing a positive impact on students in the following areas as I apply what I
learned. (check all that apply) (Level 4 Results, Leading Indicators)
a. Completion of internships before graduating
b. Interviews with targeted companies
c. Attendance at career preparation events
d. Attendance at business club meetings
e. Attendance at alumni relations events
f. Meetings with faculty for career advising and mentoring
g. Networking success stories
18. Please share any additional suggestions to improve this training program.

Abstract (if available)

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