A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PERSONAL VALUE SYSTEMS OF COLLEGIATE BUSINESS STUDENTS, FACULTY AND BUSINESS LEADER

Purpose. To determine relationships between collegiate business school students, faculty, and business leader values. The determination was based on value priorities and four comparisons were made: freshmen selecting a business administration major with seniors about to complete a business degree program, senior collegiate business students with faculty, senior collegiate business students with business leaders, and collegiate business school faculty with business leaders.;Methods and Sources. (a) The survey sample was composed of 92 freshmen and 9l senior business administration students, 82 business administration faculty members and 64 Arizona business leaders. (b) The Value Survey, Form D, by M. Rokeach was used to secure a statement of the value priorities of the respondents. Nonparametric statistical procedures were used to test the hypotheses at the .05 level of significance. (c) Between-group relationships were tested by the Kruskal-Wallis One-way analysis of variance.;Summary of Findings. (a) The personal value systems of the freshmen and senior students were similar. Only 3 of 36 values were found to be significantly different. It could be inferred that the institution does not have a noticeable impact upon the students' values. (b) Eleven significant value differences were found between senior collegiate business students and business faculty. Ambitious, loving, polite, a comfortable life and pleasure were preferred by the students; whereas the faculty ranked higher capable, courageous, logical, equality and national security. It was concluded the students and faculty values were essentially homogeneous. (c) Nineteen significant value differences were found between senior students and business leaders. The findings indicate that overall students place high value on personalistic and humanistic values; whereas business leaders place a high emphasis on moralistic and pragmatic values. It was concluded that by recognizing this difference in value orientation, business schools and business organizations may have increased success in achieving their goals. (d) There were 10 significant value differences between faculty and business leaders. The differences tend in the expected direction--business leaders being more ambitious, courageous, imaginative; whereas faculty members are more helpful, loving and broadminded.;General Recommendation. Business organizations should recognize that different value orientation reveals basic differences in individual on-the-job attitude and behaviors.