MBA
The perceptions of post work placement
students from DBS, DIT and WIT towards
their work placement experience.
A case study of work placement students’ experience from Dublin Business
School, Dublin Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of
Technology.
Jacinta O’Mahony
Student Number 1604468
April 2012
A thesis presented to Dublin Business School and Liverpool John Moores’ University in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award degree of Masters of Business Administration in
Finance under the supervision of Mr. Michael McKeon.
Page 1 of 106
List of Tables / Illustrations ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
1.1
Background to this research …………………………………………………………………………… 8
1.2
Objectives of this research ……………………………………………………………………………… 9
1.3
Research Structure ………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
1.4
Recipients of this research ……………………………………………………………………………. 11
1.5 Scope and limitations to the research ……………………………………………………………. 11
Chapter 2: Literature Review …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14
2.2 To ascertain the students’ level of satisfaction with the whole experience
………………. 15
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
2.3 To ascertain if the students accrued benefits by developing career oriented skills and if
so which skills? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
2.4 To ascertain whether the experience has changed the students’ attitudes to and
expectations of the workplace and important employment traits
………………………………… 19
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
2.5 To ascertain the students’ current status and career outcome
……………………………….. 20
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
Literature review conclusion
……………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Chapter 3: Research Methods and Methodology …………………………………………………………………… 23
3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24
Figure 3.01 Saunders’ Research Onion
……………………………………………………………………………………….
25
3.2 The Research Philosophy …………………………………………………………………………………… 25
3.3 The Approaches Layer ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
Figure 3.02: Research approach
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
29
3.4 The Strategies Layer ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
3.5 The Choices Layer
……………………………………………………………………………………………… 31
3.6 The Time Horizons Layer ……………………………………………………………………………………. 32
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3.7 Data Collection and Data Analysis
……………………………………………………………………….. 33
3.7.1 Secondary Data Collection ………………………………………………………………………………. 33
3.7.2 Primary Qualitative Data Collection ………………………………………………………………….. 33
3.7.3 Primary Quantitative Data Collection ……………………………………………………………….. 34
3.7.4 Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
3.8 Population and Sample ……………………………………………………………………………………… 38
3.9 Ethical issues in data collection
…………………………………………………………………………… 39
3.10 Limitations to the Research ……………………………………………………………………………… 39
Chapter 4: Data Analysis & Findings ……………………………………………………………………………………. 40
4.1 Analysis of Primary Quantitative data
………………………………………………………………….. 41
4.1.1 Demographics & work placement details of questionnaire participants ……………….. 41
4.1.2 Objective 1: To ascertain the students’ level of satisfaction with the overall
experience …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43
4.1.3 Objective 2: To ascertain if the students accrued benefits by developing career
oriented skills and if so which skills?
…………………………………………………………………………. 49
4.1.4 Objective 3: To ascertain whether the experience has changed the students’
attitudes to and expectations of the workplace and important employment traits. ……….. 50
4.1.5 Objective 4: To ascertain the students’ current status and career outcome. ………… 52
4.2 Analysis of Primary Qualitative data ……………………………………………………………………. 53
4.2.2 Research Objective 1:
……………………………………………………………………………………… 53
4.2.3 Research Objective 2:
……………………………………………………………………………………… 55
4.2.4 Research Objective 3:
……………………………………………………………………………………… 57
4.2.5 Research Objective 4:
……………………………………………………………………………………… 58
Chapter 5: Conclusions & Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………….. 59
5.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 60
5.2 Conclusion on Objective 1:
…………………………………………………………………………………. 60
5.3 Conclusion on Objective 2:
…………………………………………………………………………………. 62
5.4 Conclusion on Objective 3:
…………………………………………………………………………………. 63
5.5 Conclusion on Objective 4:
…………………………………………………………………………………. 64
5.7 Conclusion on Research Question:
………………………………………………………………………. 65
5.8 Researchers Recommendations
………………………………………………………………………….. 66
5.9 Suggested topic for future research
…………………………………………………………………….. 66
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Chapter 6: Self-Reflection on Own Learning & Performance ……………………………………………………. 67
6.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 68
6.2 My Personality Type ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 68
6.3 What is learning?
………………………………………………………………………………………………. 68
Figure 6.01: The Honey & Mumford Learning Cycle……………………………………………………………………..
69
6.4 Skills identified and acquired during the learning process ……………………………………… 70
6.5 My learning style preference ……………………………………………………………………………… 71
Figure 6.02: The Honey & Mumford Learning Cycle and Styles ……………………………………………………..
71
Figure 6.03: Characteristics of a Reflector and a Theorist …………………………………………………………….
72
6.6 How can I continue to become a more effective learner?………………………………………. 72
Figure 6.04: Table to address my under-utilized learning style ……………………………………………………..
73
6.7 Conclusion: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 74
Figure 6.05: Extract from my Personal Development Plan to develop under-utilised learning
areas
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
74
Reference &Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 75
Books:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 76
References for Literature Review
……………………………………………………………………………………… 77
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List of Tables / Illustrations
Figure 3.01: Saunders’ Research Onion
………………………………………………………………………………………
25
Figure 3.02: Research approach
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
29
Figure 3.03: Question Design Cycle ……………………………………………………………………………………………
35
Figure 4.01: Area of study: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
42
Figure 4.02: Duration of placement …………………………………………………………………………………………..
42
Figure 4.03: Paid or unpaid? …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
43
Figure 4.04: Level of satisfaction
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
43
Figure 4.05: Clearly outlined expectations ………………………………………………………………………………….
44
Figure 4.06: Complexity of tasks ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
45
Figure 4.07: Significance of tasks ………………………………………………………………………………………………
45
Figure 4.08: Personal initiative
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
45
Figure 4.09: Feedback ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
46
Figure 4.10: Opportunities to learn ……………………………………………………………………………………………
46
Figure 4.11: Determinate of field of interest
……………………………………………………………………………….
47
Figure 4.12: Supervisor support ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
47
Figure 4.13: Exposure to other parts of the business ……………………………………………………………………
48
Figure 4.14: Admiration of the organisation
……………………………………………………………………………….
48
Figure 4.15: Improvement or development of skills ……………………………………………………………………..
49
Figure 4.16: Clarification of career intentions
……………………………………………………………………………..
50
Figure 4.17: Influence on significance of employment traits …………………………………………………………
51
Figure 4.18: Perceived advantage over other students
…………………………………………………………………
51
Figure 4.19: Enhanced employability …………………………………………………………………………………………
52
Figure 6.01:Honey and Mumford Learning Cycle
…………………………………………………………………………
69
Figure 6.02: Honey and Mumford Learning Cycle and Styles
…………………………………………………………
71
Figure 6.03: Characteristics of a Reflector and a Theorist …………………………………………………………….
72
Figure 6.04: Table to adress my under-utilised learning style………………………………………………………..
73
Figure 6.05: Extract from my Personal Development Plan to develop under-utilised learning …………..
74
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Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who gave me support and
encouragement during the completion of this dissertation.
To my friends and family for their patience and support over the course of the MBA and
to my supervisor Michael McKeon for his direction and guidance.
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Abstract
The aim of this research paper is to understand how beneficial work placement
experience is to those students that participate in it. There is much research into the
benefits of internships but scant research examining the students’ level of satisfaction
with their placement and there is also scant research on the career outcomes of the
students after they have completed their work placement. There is also little research
scrutinizing internships where the findings are empirically based.
Research data was taken from an online survey carried out on students that had
completed a work placement in the last round of placements from DBS, DIT and
WIT higher educational institutes. Four one-to-one interviews were also carried out
with students that had completed placements. To strengthen the research, various
journals and literature on internships were reviewed.
The research found that work placements are very beneficial to the students who
participate in them. The majority of students are satisfied. They are afforded the
opportunity to develop their skills. Their attitudes and expectations are also altered
by the placement which ensures their career intentions are clarified and that they
have clear expectations of the workplace. They feel they have an advantage over
those that have not completed a work placement programme.
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Page 8 of 106
1.1 Background to this research
The title of this research is ‘The perceptions of post work placement students in DBS,
DIT and WIT towards their work placement experience’.
Work placements are not a new concept in college courses. They have been present in
higher education for over a century with the first college endorsed employment program
appearing as early as 1906 (Thiel and Hartley as cited in Gault et al, 2000). Work
placements have long been associated with various types of apprenticeships particularly
in fields such as social work and medicine throughout the USA, Canada and Europe.
Over the years this type of work based learning approach has become more and more
prevalent in Higher Education Institutes (HEI’s) in Ireland. Work placement is now a key
part of third level education that helps students to better prepare for future employment.
A report published by REAP (Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnerships) in
2011 identifies 411 courses in Ireland that include a work placement element among 23
HEI’s with over 10,577 students undertaking placements on an annual basis.
Work placements have been defined in a number of ways but all definitions include the
idea that placements involve ‘gaining experience on the job’. Coco (2000) suggested that
work placements are a ‘planned transition from the classroom to the job and are a natural
bridge between college and the work world’. The work can be paid or unpaid. Work
placements should help students focus their career choices, hone their jobs skills,
personally focus their work values and decrease their anxiety about the job search (Hall
1976, Kane et al., 1992 as cited in Knouse et al, 1999).
In recent years, the global economic downturn has placed an even greater emphasis on
employability and transferable skills along with increasing awareness of those attributes
which most benefit graduates seeking employment. As new economic and competitive
challenges are faced, work placements enable students to gain valuable learning
experience. As a result, the researcher feels work placements are an increasingly topical
area and one which deserves to be studied further.
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The value of work placements has been widely touted by academics but it is not unusual
for their worth to be questioned. Blackwell et al (2001) surmised that work experience
itself does not have intrinsic value but rather it is the learning that the individual derives
from the experience that is important, pointing to the need to ascertain if students
develop career oriented skills on placement.Although work placements are now
commonplace, surprisingly llittle empirical evidence has been carried out on them.
Further data driven studies have been called for by researchers in relation to the
outcomes of internships and work placements and their relationship between entry-level
successes. D’Abate et al (2009) posits that satisfaction is the key to successful
internships that will benefit all involved but also points to the need to empirically
evaluate this satisfaction. The researcher therefore aims to ascertain if students develop
career oriented skills, whether they perceive that work placement enhances their
employment opportunities, their career outcomes along with their level of satisfaction
with the work placement. All of which can be addressed with the research question.
The research question to be addressed is therefore ‘How beneficial are student work
placements to the students who participated?’
1.2 Objectives of this research
In order to answer this research question, the researcher will conduct fundamental
research which will address the following objectives;
1. To ascertain the students’ level of satisfaction with the overall experience
2. To ascertain if the students accrued benefits by developing career oriented skills
and if so which skills?
3. To ascertain whether the experience has changed the students’ attitudes to and
expectations of the workplace and important employment traits.
4. To ascertain the students’ current status and career outcome.
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1.3 Research Structure
The layout of the dissertation begins with chapter one, the introduction (herewith). This
outlines the background and approach to the research question and the overall
dissertation.
Chapter two examines academic literature in the area of work placements. A review of
literature was undertaken under four main headings to reflect the objectives being
researched. These were (1) To ascertain the students’ level of satisfaction with the
overall experience (2) To ascertain if the students accrued benefits by developing career
oriented skills and if so which skills? (3) To ascertain whether the experience has
changed the students’ attitudes to and expectations of the workplace and important
employment traits and (4) To ascertain the students current status and career outcome.
Chapter three is the research methodology section which provides details of the research
approach followed, the data collection method used, the type of analysis being
performed, the validity of the research and the population used.
Chapter four, the data analysis section is where the findings of this research are
highlighted and discussed.
Chapter five, the conclusion section, is where summations and conclusions are made
based on the literature review along with the information compiled in the data analysis
section. Recommendations are also made in this section.
Chapter six is the self-reflective learning section which reflects on the learning that has
occurred throughout this dissertation process. This section will include reference to
specific events which serve as a measure of the learning that has occurred, and will be
used to measure whether a particular style of learning has evolved throughout this
process.
Resources such as the questionnaire used and transcripts of the interviews are included in
Appendices 1 to 3
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1.4 Recipients of this research
The intended audience for this research are the three main stakeholders in a work
placement program, the students who participate, the company who hires them and the
higher education institute that the student is enrolled in. The research can be of interest to
all involved in programme design, placement coordination and communication between
higher education and workplaces generally. It aims to focus on the students’ perspective
of work placement and their perceptions of the experience. These results will be of
obvious interest to students who are considering participating in a voluntary work
placement program or whose course subscribes to mandatory work placement. The
research will also be of interest to organisations that employ students on work placement
as to their perceptions of the process. It will help to inform these organisations of areas in
which they can improve their approach to placements and so ensure better relationships
with their interns and also with the educational institutes. Additionally, the research will
be of relevance to the educational institutes themselves. A positive work placement
experience for the student benefits the institute as it may ensure the student becomes
more employable, therefore improving the institutes employment graduate rates and in
turn interest in the institute and its courses.
1.5 Scope and limitations to the research
There are several practical issues around this research which needed to be addressed
before commencing. Firstly, in relation to the primary quantitative research, due to
confidentiality procedures in the educational institutes, it was not possible to obtain
contact information for the students who had completed work placements. Therefore, the
researcher contacted an administrator from each of the colleges who agreed to take the
researcher’s questionnaire and attach it to an email that would be forwarded to the list of
relevant students. This eliminated the researcher from having direct access to the contact
details of the students however ensured that the questionnaire could reach the
researcher’s population. The researcher undertook a census of the students that had
participated in the previous round of work placements in DBS and WIT and the students
from the Retail and Services Management course in DIT that had participated in the
previous round of work placements. The population size was 184, and the data being
analysed is based on a 39% response rate. Given the amount of students that now
Page 12 of 106
regularly undergo work placements, a larger sample would have been preferable however
given the restrictions due to confidentiality and ease of access this was not possible.
Another issue that arose from this lack of access to student details meant that the
researcher similarly had no access to post work placement students from DBS, WIT and
DIT in order to conduct the qualitative part of the research. To counteract this problem,
the researcher attached a final question to the questionnaire asking for willing
participants to conduct an interview with. If the participants were agreeable to this, they
would leave their email address for further contact. The researcher then contacted these
students and the information that they had provided previously in the questionnaire was
removed from the pool of responses in order to avoid a skewed sample.
As a result, the researcher chose to conduct semi-structured interviews with 4 post
placement students from either DBS, DIT or WIT as the qualitative research. The aim of
these interviews was to further understand the experiences of work placement students,
giving these interviewees a chance to explain more in depth about their experiences.
Using the information gathered from these interviews along with information gathered
from the questionnaires, the researcher was able to gain an in depth knowledge of the
work placement experience.
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Page 14 of 106
2.1 Introduction
There has been scant empirically based literature examining work placements. What
empirically based literature that has been carried out has been done so in relatively small
numbers considering the current prominence of work placements and their use to
enhance experiential learning particularly in the United States. Gault et al (2000)
reported that in the U.S., 9 out of 10 four year college programs participated in an
internship and 1 out of every 3 four year college attendees worked as an intern during
their studies. Most of the literature the researcher reviewed has been based on studies
carried out on interns attending just one educational institution in the US and usually in
just one academic discipline, posing the question of whether the research carried out has
been broad enough to accurately represent work placements.
Firstly, the researcher will clarify what is meant by work placements as three terms are
commonly used interchangeably to describe higher education programs involving
learning through employment. Cooperative education refers to students who work full
time and are paid for the work which they do. The usual participants are students in the
engineering, manufacturing oriented and technical fields. In contrast, internships refer to
part time positions where the student usually continues their studies simultaneously.
They encompass a broad variety of disciplines and compensation for work done is
optional. (Gault et al, 2000) These subtle differences mean the two terms are often used
interchangeably. Additionally, the term work placement can be used to describe either
cooperative placement or internships. The word internship is commonly used in the
United States and as most of the literature reviewed hails from there, the word internship
is almost exclusively used. However, the researcher feels for the purposes of this
research, the programs are similar enough in their characteristics to include in the
research so from here on the researcher will use both internship and work placement
interchangeably or simply placement. When referring to those who partook, the
researcher will use both the term students and intern.
Page 15 of 106
From reviewing the literature it can be seen that the studies carried out can be divided
into five sub-groups depending on the main focus of their research in regard to work
placements. Firstly, the most prominent and researched area is examining the outcomes
of placements for students, looking at whether participation in them will lead to career
success. The next area looks at the benefits accrued to students from work placements,
however the research in this area in lacking much empirical evidence. Thirdly, research
looked into ways to enhance their overall efficacy and educational value for students.
Next, research looked into the perceptions and expectations of students both before and
after their placement. Finally, the sub group with the least research done into the area is a
study looking at students’ level of satisfaction with their placement and how this in turn
can affect the success of the work placement and the future success of the intern.
From this, the researcher formed four main objectives for the research which the
researcher found would be most beneficial to research in relation to work placements in
Ireland and the literature was reviewed in relation to these objectives.
2.2 To ascertain the students’ level of satisfaction with the whole experience
D’Abate et al (2009) conducted a study looking into what makes interns satisfied with
their experience. They built on Rothman’s 2003 qualitative study and looked at three
broad factors; job characteristics, work environment characteristics and contextual
factors (referring to flexible working hours, pay and the location of the placement). The
study found that work environment characteristics such as supervision, career
development opportunities, relationship with co-workers and opportunities to learn were
the most relevant to whether interns were satisfied with their placement. Job
characteristics proved the next relevant with factors such as clear task identity, the
significance of tasks carried out and the autonomy afforded to interns in determining the
satisfaction of interns. The study found that contextual factors did not play a significant
role in work placement satisfaction. Upon reflection, D’Abate et al concluded that the
reason for this was that interns had previously and consciously taken these factors into
account. In other words, the interns knew what they were signing up for when they
applied for the placement and were more willing to accept little or no pay, inflexible
Page 16 of 106
working hours and possibly a long commute to the location of the placement. The fact
that internships are temporary in nature also points to the interns’ readiness to overlook
these factors which they may be unwilling to do in a more permanent position. D’Abate
et al posited that satisfaction can be viewed as the key to a successful internship as it is
not only a concern to students but also to organisations. “Research has demonstrated
links between job satisfaction and job stress, organizational commitment, absenteeism,
turnover, and intent to leave (Hellman, 1997; Knoop, 1995; Sagie, 1998; Steinhardt,
Dolbier, Gottlieb & McCalister, 2003; Tett & Meyer, 1993)” (D’Abate et al 2009).
D’Abate et al also note very little empirical evidence looking at satisfaction of interns
and highlighted a need to examine interns’ satisfaction from other populations in order to
generalize the findings.
As D’Abate et al (2009) found that satisfaction can be seen as the key to a successful
internship, following on from that, we can look at research into how to improve the
efficacy of internships. This research area is focused more on what the employer can do
to improve the experience and so improve the interns’ level of satisfaction. Narayanan et
al (2010) state there has been little research into the causes of internship efficacy. He
looks at the roles of the three main actors in internships, the student, the educational
institution and the employer and gives recommendations for each actor. The
recommendations for students state that the intern must view the experience as a
knowledge transfer process. They also point to the importance of the process for
understanding student satisfaction with the internship to gain success. Clark (2003)
proposes a menu of academic assignments that can be carried out by the interns while
completing the internship in an effort to enhance the educational value and so the
efficacy of internships. This study however is not empirically based and merely suggests
a number of possible assignments which can help to promote intellectual growth that
contain practical and reflective components. She does however highlight the only cynical
view of internships which I came across during my review of the literature. She
acknowledges that internships have pragmatic benefits that sometimes draw more
attention than their educational value. She points to the fact that educational institutions
generate tuition income with a minimal commitment from staff, employers use talent
cheaply or for free and students earn credit toward graduation while building contacts.
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Rothman (2007) carried out a study asking interns for their views on how internship
programs can be improved. The study is worthy as it used a large sample size of
internships and also includes interns from a breadth of academic disciplines. The study
corroborates previous studies recommendations for the improvement of internships
calling for clarity of tasks, on-going feedback, mentoring, exposure to other parts of the
business and respectful treatment of interns. It also looks at the expectations of
employers from the point of view of interns, calling for more reasonable expectations
around challenging assignments being completed in a reasonable timeframe.
Conclusion
Satisfaction of interns is vital to the success of internships. Empirical evidence is needed
which looks at the satisfaction of interns specifically in new populations and the
researcher plans to carry out such research. The researcher intends to look at three broad
factors that help classify satisfaction. These factors (job characteristics, work
environment characteristics and contextual factors) borrow from Rothman’s 2003
qualitative study. The researcher aims to use qualitative research carried out through
interviews with interns to corroborate Rothman’s (2007) and previous studies looking at
how internships can be improved.
2.3 To ascertain if the students accrued benefits by developing career oriented skills
and if so which skills?
There are few data driven studies supporting internship benefits (Green et al, 2011) and
even fewer that have been carried out in recent years. Coco (2000) stated that
‘Internships are a win-win situation for students, host companies and universities’. His
work has been often referred to in internship literature however his 2000 article is not
empirically based. Knouse and Fontenot (2008) referred to previous empirical studies
such as Knouse, Tanner and Harris (1999) to illustrate the benefits of internships. There
is evidence that there are definite extrinsic benefits to be gained from work placements.
These benefits include students who complete internships being offered jobs more
quickly than non-interns. This can be seen in evidence which suggests that recruiters rate
students whose resumes showed evidence of internship experience higher than students
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without the experience (Knouse and Fontenot, 2008). However, although they are
offered jobs more quickly, there is still no evidence to prove that they acquired better
skills during their internship.
Students now view internships as essential for gaining a competitive advantage and a
way of networking (Cannon and Arnold, 1998). However, students with higher GPAs
were more likely to do an internship than those with lower GPAs (Knouse, Tanner and
Harris, 1999 as cited in Knouse and Fontenot, 2008). This predominance of students with
high GPAs alone could explain the reason for higher employability after graduation than
non-interns rather than career oriented skills which they developed during internship.
The reason for this is because not all internships are equal and although many provide an
opportunity for interns to develop a wider skill base, the nature of internships and their
reliance on the employer’s attitude to the internship suggests that not all will provide
interns with career oriented skills. Knouse and Fontenot (2008) state that overall,
internships are beneficial however they can be improved through mentoring, realistic
expectations from interns and also through interns with a positive attitude.
Conclusion
By reviewing the current literature in relation to the benefits gained from undertaking
internships, the researcher has identified the need for more data driven studies supporting
internship benefits. There is evidence that there are definite extrinsic benefits to be
gained however there is still no evidence to prove that the interns acquired career
oriented skills during the work placement. The researcher has identified four skill
categories based on the model used by Gault et al (2000). These skill areas are;
communication skills, academic skills, leadership skills and job acquisition skills. These
four skill areas can then be broken down further into 13 distinct career skills, also used in
Gault et al’s model namely, oral communication, written communication, problem
solving,
analytical
skills,
computer
applications,
information
search,
leadership/teamwork, creative thinking, job networking, relationship building, job
interviewing, resume writing and proposal writing. The researcher aims to ascertain if the
interns acquired and/or developed these skills.
Page 19 of 106
2.4 To ascertain whether the experience has changed the students’ attitudes
to and expectations of the workplace and important employment traits
This area of the research looks at the expectations and perceptions of students towards
their internship programs. Green et al (2011) looked at the effect of internships on the
perception of the importance of employment traits. He carried out a survey of both
employers and interns post-internship and pre-internship. We have already seen evidence
that firms perceive students with internships as better than their counterparts but Green et
al’s study looked at whether this was due to a change in the interns’ perception of
employment traits due to their experience which brought their perceptions closer to those
of the employers. The results showed that interns’ perceptions of important employment
traits often differ from employers and that the internships did change the interns’ view of
important traits needed to excel. However, the internship increased the number of
differences between interns’ and employers perceptions and reduced the interns’ view on
the importance of certain employment traits. It was commented that this was due to a
misplaced level of confidence in the experience by the interns and they subsequently
forgot about the importance of inherent employment traits such as technical and
interpersonal skills. All groups viewed a positive attitude as vital for interns and
employers placed a greater emphasis on a strong work ethic than students. The study
however has its criticisms. The employer group was a small sample and the interns were
once again from a single educational institution making it difficult to generalize beyond
the sample. Also, perceptions may also be affected by other things than the work
placement program especially leading up to graduation.
Cannon and Arnold (1998) conducted a survey of students and found that students at that
time were placing a growing importance on obtaining internship experience. They
viewed an internship as a viable tool for landing an entry level job and a vehicle for
obtaining employment. He pointed to students having been affected by seeing the effects
of the recession in the US in the early 90’s and this prompted them to strive to become
more competitive in an increasingly competitive job market. Although this study is
dated, we can draw interesting parallels between Cannon and Arnold’s comments on the
effects of the recession in the early ‘90’s on students’ perceptions and the current
financial downturn whose negative effects greatly outweigh the recession of the early
Page 20 of 106
90’s. Cook et al (2004) completed a longitudinal study examining the change in the
perceptions of interns over a 10 year period. The study built on Cannon and Arnold’s
study and proved that students, by the end of the 10 year period, still had positive
perceptions of internship programs. The study has its merits in that it conducted research
on interns from different universities but who attended the same internship program in
the same firm over a ten year period. Therefore it stands out in that it surveys students
from more than one educational institution and was conducted on a longitudinal basis.
They noted that for internship programs to thrive the needs of students must be satisfied.
Conclusion
From the literature, the researcher has identified an area of research which can be built
upon. The researcher intends to identify whether the placement has influenced their
expectations of the workplace, their belief whether it has enhanced their employability
and whether they, subsequent to their placement, view themselves as having an
advantage over other students who have not completed placements.
2.5 To ascertain the students’ current status and career outcome
By far, most research on internships has focused on the outcomes of the placement for
the interns. (Narayanan et al, 2010). Despite this there have still been few data driven
studies examining this. The first study to empirically inspect the outcomes of internships
was carried out by Gault et al in 2000. This relatively recent research is surprising
considering the presence of internships in higher education for over a century with the
first college endorsed employment program appearing as early as 1906 (Thiel and
Hartley as cited in Gault et al, 2000) In this study, Gault et al surveyed graduates who
had completed internships during their studies along with non-intern graduates to
quantify the effects of internship on career outcomes. He measured the outcomes based
on intrinsic and extrinsic success. Intrinsic success was measured by looking at the
graduates’ level of satisfaction with their coworkers, benefits and salaries in their current
positions and overall level of satisfaction. Extrinsic success was measured by their time
taken to get a job after graduation, their starting salary after graduation and their current
salary. The findings showed there were no significant differences between interns and
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non-interns regarding their intrinsic success. However, the interns had a higher level of
extrinsic success than their non-internship counterparts, meaning they received higher
pay, were hired more quickly and had higher levels of job satisfaction after graduation.
This study provided valuable insight into internships and was broad in its depth as it
examined 13 skill areas that interns may have acquired and in turn the intrinsic and
extrinsic outcomes of acquiring these skills.
In 2004, Callanan and Benzing built on this research by exploring if interns acquired
increased career oriented employment after their placement and whether they possessed a
greater degree of confidence over their classmates due to it. The results pointed to an
increase in career oriented employment for interns, however not a higher degree of
confidence in their chosen field compared to others. In 2010, Gault et al once again
conducted research into the effects of internships on the job marketability of interns i.e.
the career outcome for interns. This study however, was taken from the point of view of
the employers as it was employers who were the survey participants. This research
however is still useful even though the researcher will not be concentrating on the
perceptions of the employers as it still gives insight into outcomes for interns post-
graduation. The survey found that employers of interns were willing to hire students with
internship experience over non-interns, that the internship contributed to the future job
performance of the interns and that the employers were willing to compensate more to
interns returning to the company post-internship, who had exceeded their expectations
during the placement. All three studies, greatly add to current work placement research
as they empirically prove positive outcomes from internships for interns, however all
three draw samples from a single educational institution and so their scope was limited.
Conclusion
Research on internships has focused on the outcomes of the placement for the interns. In
spite of this, there have still been few data driven studies examining the outcomes for
interns such as the time taken to get a job after graduation and whether the interns are
now in career oriented employment. All three studies done point to the need for more
research into the area of career outcomes for interns which the researcher plans to carry
out, which will draw from graduates from three institutes.
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Literature review conclusion
To surmise, from reviewing the literature it can be seen that there is a gap in the
knowledge relating to work placements which the researcher will attempt to build on.
There is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the benefits accrued to a students’ skill
base due to completing a work placement and there is also scant scrutiny relating to the
students’ level of satisfaction with the work placement experience. There is also a chance
to further research into the expectations and attitudes of post placement students along
with their current career outcomes. The researcher hopes to investigate the career
outcomes, skills gained, current attitudes and level of satisfaction of the students in the
chosen population.
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Chapter 3: Research Methods and
Methodology
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3.1 Introduction
The first step in conducting any Masters level dissertation is to identify a clear and
determinate research methodology to follow so as to ensure that the research gathered is
suitable to address the research objectives. Blumberg et al (2008) identified the nine
criteria which together make up “desirable, decision oriented research” which are;
1. Purpose of the research is clearly defined with clear objectives, scope and limitations
and a precise meaning for all the words and terms significant to the research.
2. Research procedure described in sufficient details as to allow another researcher to
repeat the research.
3. Research design clearly described and carefully planned.
4. High ethical standards applied to the research with safeguards in place which prevent
causing harm to the participants.
5. Limitations or imperfections to the research should be clearly stated.
6. Analysis of the data should be extensive enough so as to reveal its significant
insights.
7. Findings should be clear and unambiguous.
8. Conclusions should be clearly justifiably from the data provided.
9. The research report should contain information about the qualifications and
suitability of the researcher.
This research will follow Blumberg’s methodology in order to ensure that a suitable
standard of research is attained.
Collins et al (2009) stated that “many of the characteristics of good research can be
developed by adopting a methodical approach” and that “methodical rigor refers to the
appropriateness and intellectual soundness of the research design and the systematic
application of the research methods”. Though Blumberg’s methodology will be used to
ensure methodical rigor and intellectual soundness of the research design, the appropriate
