Maturation Effect of Student Interns: A Comparison to Professional Values

1. Maturation Effect of Student Interns: A Comparison to Professional Values Brian Patrick Green University of Michigan-Dearborn Roland Madison John Carroll University Michael Callahan University of Michigan-Dearborn

2. Introduction • Faculty comment on the differences in values those with and without an internship. • Bring more to the classroom, link classroom to practice, & significant maturation process. • Firms perceive students with internship experience better entry level accountants. • Critical to obtaining position is the interview. • Few data driven studies on change in student values. • Internships’ maturation effect on values important to employers.

3. Purpose • Measure the effects of a formal internship program on students’ reported value traits employers view as important during the interview process. • Pre-Post survey design • Fall 06, Winter 07, and Summer 07 • Compare student trait values to employers • Measure changes in student values over time

4. Prior Research-General • 1952, the American Accounting Association practical experience …would enhance the overall value of the educational experience. • 1978 AICPA reinforced support for internship • Lang (1979), Paperman (1979), DeFilippis (1982), and Chandra and Paperman (1983) identified advantages for employers & students • 1990 AECC: internships may “be part of the solution to the added costs to meet the 150-hour requirement.”

5. Prior Research-Specific • Pasewark et al. (1989) Significant positive impact on the probability of students receiving an office interview for accounting firms. • Green and Calderon (2005) reported movement in student perceptions and values towards benchmark employer responses. • OUR STUDY…. • Does the internship experience help students understand factors important to secure an off-campus office visit and an entry-level position? • Does the internship experience help students understand the traits, skills, and attitudes that are most desirable to employers?

6. Research Questions • Are student values of interview traits different than employers? • Are there student maturation effects due to the formal internship experience? • Are student trait values for a first interview different than values for a second interview? • Are employer trait values for a first interview different than values for a second interview? • Are there differences in reported trait values between students with and without prior professional experience?

7. Research Data • Four categories trait values identified by employers and prior research • Personality, technical/business, interpersonal, and background traits. • Student values of specific traits and identify potential internship maturation effect.

8. Research Method Developing the survey Personality (6), technical/business (6), interpersonal (11), and background (11) Pre-Post design

9. Sample • Business school internship students before and after their initial internship experience. • Mid-western, regional, non-residential university • 9,000 students (1,100 in the business school). • Fall 06, winter 07, and summer 07 semesters • Pre-internship 105 student responses • Post-internship 58 student responses • 21 employers • Students were highly encouraged, but not required • Only demographic significant difference: Senior/Junior • 2nd semester juniors now seniors

10. Demographics Panel A: Pre-Internship Students n = 105 Panel B: Post-Internship Students n = 58* * Most graduating seniors did not complete a post internship survey. **Note: Many students advanced from second semester juniors to first semester seniors. Panel C: Employers n = 21 * Ten employers listed 2 positions of involvement.

11. Trait/Value Categories • 1st & 2nd interview students placed less value on each trait than employers. • Student and employer order ranking of their relative values, nearly identical • 2nd post-students significantly less value on personality traits • 1st students significantly less value on technical skills than employers • Pre-students significant increase value of interpersonal skills 1stto 2nd interview. • Employers valued background skills significantly • 2nd Post-students valued background skills significantly less than pre-students • SUMMARY: • Student most value personality & interpersonal such as being personable, & least value technical & background such as GPA • Likable person more important than core knowledge and skills learned in the business school.

12. Trait/Value Categories

13. Personality Traits/Values • Allpersonality traits extremely important to important. • Positive attitudemost important during the 1st • Strong work ethic next most important • Charismatic personality valued least • Pre-students vibrant and charismatic personality significantly more important for 2nd • Employer rate positive attitude & strong work ethic significantly moreimportant than post students • Greatest significant difference between students and employers is a strong work ethic • Post see 0.142 mean difference in value between a bubbly personality & strength work ethic

14. Personality Traits/Values

15. Technical Business Traits/Values • Employers value technical skills (1.190) and work experience (1.143) extremely important, during1st • Post students value 4/6 traits significantly < employers • decision making (p > .01 level), core competencies (p > .01 level), other skills (p > .001 level), experience (p > .001 level). • Employers rate problem solving, dealing with ambiguity, & decision making extremely important, 2nd pre and postsomewhat important. • Employer importance means’ increased significantly, for all six business traits in 2nd • Pre (p > .001) & post (p> .05), except for core competencies and work experience, technical business trait significantly more importance during 2nd • Students may feel that competencies and experience examined through resume and transcripts, yet employers rate high value

16. Technical Business Traits/Values

17. Interpersonal Skills Traits/Values • Consistent with the aggregate values • No significance across most comparisons • Employers rated potential to learn as 2nd skill, in 1st (1.429) & 2nd (1.190) interview. • Pre significantly lower at 1.810 and 1.705 • Post values were 2.241 and 2.000 • Employers rated listening well (1.143) most important skill under all categories • Pre & post significantly value less during 2nd interview. • Employers & Pre 9/11 traits significantly increase 1st to 2nd interview. • 2nd interview students place less importance on speaking & listening, critical skills in the overall interview process.

18. Interpersonal Skills Traits/Values

19. Interpersonal Skills Traits/Values

20. Background & Other Traits/Values • Lowest value traits 1st & 2nd by all groups. • background used as interview screens • Employers see GPA significantly more important 1st interview (2.571 to 2.905) • Anecdotally extra-curricular activitiesextremely important to employer, yet data reports “somewhat” important” to neutral (3.190). • Employers extremely important 1st & 2nd interview (1.667/1.381) “why you want the internship?” (well this is a CPA firm…)

21. Background & Other Traits/Values

22. Background & Other Traits/Values

23. Further Analysis: Gender • Female students higher values than males on 11/11 (4 significant) interpersonal traits or skills. Significant differences disappeared for 2nd interview, except “adapting to corporate life.” • Female students placed lower value on 10/11 background traits than males. • GPA, females (3.706) strongly significant lower value than males (2.334)

24. Further Analysis: Experience 1 • > or < 0.5 years of professional experience • Pre: 72 less than, 33 greater than • Post 36 less than, 22 greater than • 4 categories • 1st, less ex pre students significantly less value on • personality (pre = 1.616, post = 1.156) • interpersonal (pre = 1.850, post = 1.375) traits or skills p > 0.01 and p > .05 value, respectively. • Less ex post students (2.444) placed more value on background than ex students (3.545) at p > 0.05 value.

25. Further Analysis: Experience 2 • 34 Individual Traits 1st Interview • Pre 27/34 significant differences, less ex-students placing less value on all traits • 4/6 personality, 5/6 technical, 11/11 interpersonal, 7/11 background • Post 9/34 significant differences, less ex-students • 1/6 personality, 3/6 technical, 1/11 interpersonal, 4/11 background • 34 Individual Traits 2nd Interview • Pre 27/34 significant differences, less ex-students placing more value on all traits • 3/6 personality, 4/6 technical, 11/11 interpersonal, 9/11 background • Post 5/34 significant differences, less ex-students • 0/6 personality, 1/6 technical, 2/11 interpersonal, 2/11 background

26. Conclusions • Are student values of interview traits different than employers? • Student consistently place less value on traits/skills than employers. • Are there student maturation effects due to the formal internship experience, indicated by a change in students’ reported pre-post trait values? • Maturation effect, pre to post internships decrease students values of many traits Increase number and severity of significant differences between post & employers • Are student trait values for a first interview different than values for a second interview? • Students tend to increase value of traits from the 1st to 2nd interview • Are employer trait values for a first interview different than values for a second interview? • Employer, generally increase value of technical and interpersonal traits for the 2nd interview. • Are there differences in reported trait values between students without prior professional experience and those with at least minimal professional experience? • Internship eliminates most significant differences between more and less experienced students’ values of traits or skills