Decision Dilemma
Read the attached Word Document containing Case Study _ Decision Dilemma.
1 page only!!
Consider the questions at the end of the discussion in light of ethical considerations
What variables might be used? What variables should not be used? To what degree can someone depend on the results of the regression analysis? Why?
Alternative question : Find an article in the news that presents statistical results. Consider whether the study was done ethically and whether the presentation of results is appropriate.
Decision Dilemma
Are You Going to Hate Your New Job?
Getting a new job can be an exciting and energizing event in your life.
But what if you discover after a short time on the job that you hate your job? Is there any way to determine ahead of time whether you will love or hate your job? Sue Shellenbarger ofThe Wall Street Journaldiscusses some of the things to look for when interviewing for a position that may provide clues as to whether you will be happy on that job.
Among other things, work cultures vary from hip, free-wheeling start-ups to old-school organizational-driven do-mains. Some organizations place pressure on workers to feel tense and to work long hours while others place more emphasis on creativity and the bottom line. Shellenbarger suggests that job interviewees pay close attention to how they are treated in an interview. Are they just another cog in the wheel or are they valued as an individual? Is a work-life balance apparent within the company? Ask what a typical workday is like at that firm. Inquire about the values that undergird the management by asking questions such as, What is your proudest accomplishment? Ask about flexible schedules and how job training is managed. For example, do workers have to go to job training on their own time?
A Work Trends survey underten by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut posed several questions to employees in a survey to ascertain their job satisfaction. Some of the themes included in these questions were relationship with your supervisor, overall quality of the work environment, total hours worked each week, and opportunities for advancement at the job.
Jacob Wackerhausen/iStockphoto
Suppose another researcher gathered survey data from 19 employees on these questions and also asked the employees to rate their job satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 100 (with 100 being perfectly satisfied). Suppose the following data represent the results of this survey. Assume that relationship with supervisor israted on a scale from 0 to 50 (0 represents poor relationship and 50 represents an excellent relationship), overall quality of the work environment is rated on a scale from 0 to 100 (0 represents poor work environment and 100 represents an excellent work environment), and opportunities for advancement is rated on a scale from 0 to 50 (0 represents no opportunities and 50 represents excellent opportunities).
JOB SATISFACTION
RELATIONSHIP WITH SUPERVISOR
OVERALL QUALITY OF WORK ENVIRONMENT
TOTAL HOURS WORKED PER WEEK
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT
55
27
65
50
42
20
12
13
60
28
85
40
79
45
7
65
35
53
65
48
45
29
43
40
32
70
42
62
50
41
35
22
18
75
18
60
34
75
40
32
95
50
84
45
48
65
33
68
60
11
85
40
72
55
33
10
5
10
50
21
75
37
64
45
42
80
42
82
40
46
50
31
46
60
48
90
47
95
55
30
75
36
82
70
39
45
20
42
40
22
65
32
73
55
12
Managerial and Statistical Questions
1.Several variables are presented that may be related to job satisfaction. Which variables are stronger predictors of job satisfaction? Might other variables not mentioned here be related to job satisfaction?
2.Is it possible to develop a mathematical model to predict job satisfaction using the data given? If so, how strong is the model? With four independent variables, will we need to develop four different simple regression models and compare their results?
Source:Adapted from Sue Shellenbarger, How to Find Out if You’re Going to Hate a New Job Before You Agree to Take It,The Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2002, p. D1;
www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/research/topics/work-trends-surveys
..
