Marketability of the Textile and Apparel Master's Graduate to Business and Industry Employers Deborah Jane Colton Meyer Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1995 Marketability of the textile and apparel master's graduate to business and industry employers Deborah Jane Colton Meyer Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Business Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Home Economics Commons, and the Other Education Commons Recommended Citation Meyer, Deborah Jane Colton, "Marketability of the textile and apparel master's graduate to business and industry employers " (1995). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 11031. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/11031 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. 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Ml 48106-1346 USA 313.'761-4700 800.'S2l-0600 Marketability of the textile and apparel master's graduate to business and industry employers by Deborah Jane Colton Meyer A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Textiles and Clothing Major: Textiles and Clothing Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In Char^ofMajor Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1995 Copyright © Deborah Jane Colton Meyer, 1995. All rights reserved. UHI Number: 9606638 Copyright 1995 by Meyer, Deborah Jane Colton All rights reserved. OHI Microform 9606638 Copyright 1995, by DHI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 To Bill iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABSTRACT x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Research Approach 3 Theoretical Perspective 3 Definitions 4 Assumptions 4 Limitations 5 Three-Phase Master's Degree Research 5 Dissertation Organization 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction g Master's Degree Employment Studies 8 Master's Degrees 8 Need for Master's Graduates 9 Purpose of Master's Education 9 Previous Master's Degree Employability Studies 11 Employer Expectations 14 General Studies of Employer Expectations 16 Knowledge 16 Educational Coursework 16 Work Experiences 16 Skills 17 Personal 17 Interpersonal 17 Abilities 18 Intellectual 18 Physical 19 Master's Degree Employer Expectation Studies 19 Academic Master's Programs 19 Applied Master's Programs 20 Previous Master's Employer Expectation Studies 20 Textiles and Clothing Studies 23 Exchange Theory 26 Economic Exchange 26 Social Exchange 27 Marketing As an Exchange Theory 27 Central Concepts of Exchange 28 Conditions for Exchange 29 iv Value of Exchange 30 Value Assessment 31 Criticisms of Marketing as Exchange 33 Studies Using Exchange Theory 34 Research Questions and Hypotheses 35 Research Questions 35 Hypotheses Tested 36 CHAPTER 3: METHOD Survey 38 Questionnaire 38 Cover Page 38 Attitudes Toward Master's Degrees 38 Scenarios 39 Textiles and Apparel Hiring Record 41 Characterisitics of Respondents 42 Population and Sample 42 Prescreened Sample 43 Non-Prescreened Sample 43 Cover Letter 42 Data Collection 44 Questionnaire Pilot Testing 45 Prescreened Sample 46 Nonprescreened Sample 46 Data Analysis 47 Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion 47 Correlational Analyses 47 Factor Analysis 48 Multiple Regression 49 Discriminant Analysis 49 Human Subjects 49 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 50 Sample Selection and Response Rates 50 Invited Samples 50 Prescreened Sample 50 Non-prescreened Sample M Accepting Sample 51 Response from Prescreened Sample 51 Response from Non-prescreened Sample 51 Combined Samples 54 Overall Participant Demographics 54 Company Characteristics 54 Human Resource Participant Characteristics 56 Company Value of Graduate Education 56 Educational Incentives 58 Hiring and Promotion Policies 59 Factor Analysis of Hiring and Promorion Practices Items 61 Respondent Characteristics and Company Values 62 Reasons for Not Hiring Master's Graduates 64 Graduate Degrees Currently Represented in Industry 65 V Implications 66 Scenarios 67 Applicant A 67 Importance of Previous Work Experience: Applicant A 69 Applicant B 70 Importance ofPrevious Work Experience: Applicants 71 Applicant C 73 Importance ofPrevious Work Experience: Applicant C 74 Applicant D 76 Importance of Previous Work Experience: Applicant D 77 Implications 79 Knowledge Emphasis 79 Work Experience 79 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of Textiles and Clothing Graduates 80 Perceptions of Textiles and Clothing Master's Graduates 81 Knowledge Areas 81 Skills and Abilities 84 Hiring Decisions 87 Value of a Master's Degree 88 Differences Between Categories 90 CHAPTERS: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 92 Summaiy of Research 92 Summary of Results 94 Company Value of Graduate Education 94 Employer Expectations 95 Knowledge 95 Educational Coursework 95 Perceptions of Textiles and Clothing Master's Graduates'Knowledge Areas 97 Work Experience 97 Abilities 99 Intellectual Abilities 99 Skills 100 Interpersonal 100 Hiring Practices and Decisions 101 Application of Exchange Theory 102 Limitations 103 Contributions to Research 104 Recommendations for Future Research 104 Final Conclusions 105 REFERENCES 108 APPENDIX A: Categories and Subcategories 118 APPENDIX B: Invited Companies 122 APPENDIX C: Questionnaire and Correspondence Materials 130 APPENDIX D: Telephone Procedures 148 vi APPENDIX E: Human Subjects Proposal 150 APPENDIX F: Job Titles Listed in Hiring Scenarios 153 APPENDIX G: Multiple Regression and Discriminant Analysis Results 160 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Sample Selection Procedure 44 Table 4.1 Response Rates for Prescreened Sample 52 Table 4.2 Response Rates for Non-prescreened Sample 52 Table 4.3 Coomparative Costs and Response Rates Between Samples 53 Table 4.4 Annual Revenue and Number of Employees of Responding Organizations 55 Table 4.5 Annual Revenue and Number of Employess of Responding Organizations In Each Textile and Apparel Category 56 Table 4.6 Human Resource Respondent Characteristics 57 Table 4,7 Organizations' Graduate Educaation Incentives 58 Table 4.8 Mean Scores of Textile and Apparel Organizations' Hiring and Promotion Policies for Indviduals with a Master's Degree 59 Table 4.9 Factor Analysis of Companies' Hiring Practices 61 Table 4.10 Analysis of Variance Between Textile Manufacturers and Apparel Manufacturers for Hiring Practices 63 Table 4.11 Analysis of Variance Between Manufacturers and Retailers for Hiring Practices 64 Table 4.12 Master's Degrees Among Employees in Companies Responding 65 Table 4.13 Knowledge Areas Identified for Merchandising Positions 68 Table 4.14 Intercorrelations Between Subscales for Companies' Value of Master Education and Work Experience for Applicant A: Merchandising 69 Table 4.15 Knowledge Areas Identified for Marketing Positions 71 Table 4.16 Intercorrelations Between Subscales for Companies' Hiring Practices and Educational Incentives and Likelihood to Hire at Different Levels ofWork Experience for Applicant B: Marketing 72 Table 4.17 Knowledge Areas Identified for Production Management Positions 74 Table 4.18 Intercorrelations Between Subscales for Companies' Hiring Practices and Educational Incentives and Likelihood to Hire at Different Levels of Work Experience for Applicant C: Production Management 75 viii Table 4.19 Knowledge Areas Identified for Product Development/Design Positions 77 Table 4.20 Intercorrelations Between Subscales for Companies' Hiring Practices and Educational Incentives and Likelihood to Hire at Different Levels of Work Experience for Applicant D: Product Development 77 Table 4.21 Perceived Knowledge Factors 82 Table 4.22 Overall Perceptions of the Knowledge of Textiles and Apparel Master's Graduates 83 Table 4.23 Skills and