Date of Award

2001

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Human Resource Education and Workforce Development

First Advisor

Geraldine H. Holmes

Abstract

Orientation and attitudes toward work are important issues in the workforce where fierce global competition and demands for increased productivity threaten virtually every business and industry. Managers and executives perceive an erosion of work ethic by America's young people and claim that today's college students have no realistic concept of "a day's work for a day's pay". The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the perceptions of work ethic among university seniors and further, to determine if differences in work ethic exist based on the variables gender, ethnic group, marital status, number of children, age, planned occupation, current employment status, and length of employment. Exactly 274 graduating seniors were analyzed as part of the study. Descriptive statistics found that mean scores from responses of these students for three subscales on the occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OWEI) were higher than were mean scores for other respondents found in the literature. An independent samples t-test found no significant differences in work ethic based on gender. A one-way analysis of variance also found no significant difference in work ethic perceptions relative to ethnicity, marital status, number of children, age, planned occupation, current employment status, and length of employment. Recommendations and implications for further research and study were given.

ISBN

9780493272771

Pages

114

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.306

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