Exploring the Role of Work Ethic in Educating Students for the 21st-Century Workforce

• In Event: 72.066 - Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: 72.066-5 - Society, Culture, and Change Poster Session

Abstract

While educators in postsecondary institutions are encouraged to focus on hard and soft skills to prepare students for life and work, work ethic receives less attention. In this paper we explore how 50 educators and employers conceptualize work ethic, how they value work ethic relative to other skillsets, and if/how it is incorporated into education or corporate training. Results indicate that respondents hold a multidimensional view of work ethic and do value work ethic (.222 for educators and .298 for employers), although it is valued differently relative to other skillsets (e.g., educators emphasize critical thinking). Educators approach work ethic by enforcing strict rules surrounding attendance and homework, and employers use temp agencies to vet employees’ work ethic during probationary periods.

Authors

• Amanda Oleson, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Matthew Tadashi Hora, University of Wisconsin - Madison