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COMPARISON STUDY:

GENERATIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF

COMPETENCIES OF PARKS AND RECREATION PROFESSIONALS

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION,

RECREATION, AND DANCE IN CANDIDACY FOR THE

DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE

By

TIMOTHY PEITZMEIER

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

MARYVILLE, MISSOURI

JULY 2011

Generational Perceptions

Running Head: GENERATIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETENCIES

A comparison study: Generational perceptions of

competencies of parks and recreation

professionals

Timothy J. Peitzmeier

Northwest Missouri State University

THESIS APPROVED

Thesis Advisor Date

Dean of Graduate School Date


iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would first like the thank all of the professionals and students who volunteered their

time to complete the online survey. Without all of these people’s help there is no way I would

have been able to complete this study. The information that I obtained from their results will be

used in the future in the Parks and Recreation field. I would also like to thank the National

Recreation and Park Association for allowing me to conduct my questionnaire at their annual

conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

I would like the thank all of the professors that have helped me along the way throughout

my college career. Without their help and knowledge I would have never made it this far and

accomplished so much. I would like to thank Dr. Susan Myllykangas for being there whenever I

needed help and providing so much guidance through this whole process. I would also like to

thank Dr. Alice Foose for helping me through the data collecting and analyzing process, without

her help and knowledge this process would not have ran so smoothly. I would finally like to

thank Dr. Jean Memken for her guidance throughout this thesis writing process.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone else who helped me along the way. Especially, I

would like to thank my parents and graduate school friends, without them being there pushing

me to finish this project I would never have had the motivation to buckle down and do this paper.

I would also like to thank my girlfriend Aimee Freeman, if it wasn’t for her bugging me every

day and reminding me how I needed to get this paper finished before summer, I would have

never pushed myself so hard.


iv

ABSTRACT

Job competencies in the Parks and Recreation field are very important in order to prepare

students for their future careers in the field. There are research studies that address this topic but

there are a very small number of them. The focus of this study is to discover whether or not job

competencies that students believe are necessary for entry level positions are consistent with the

desired competencies that professionals believe are essential. To look deeper into this subject,

the different birth generations of professionals were sorted and their responses analyzed.

Students and professionals attending the National Recreation and Park Association Conference

in St. Louis, Missouri were surveyed on what they believe are the most important job

competencies for entry level positions. The survey links were also printed in the spring edition

of the National Parks and Recreation news letter and was also featured two of the weekly online

newsletters. Further student data was collected from students enrolled in a recreation class at a

Midwest state university.


v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………….. iii

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………….. iv

TABLE OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………… vii

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………............. 1

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE…………………………………………………………… 3

Larsen’s Results………………………………………………………………………… 3

Generational…………………………………………………………………………….. 5

III. METHODS……………………………………………………………………………… 10

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 10

Procedure………………………………………………………………………………... 10

Research Design and Data Analysis…………………………………………………….. 10

Population……………………………………………………………………………….. 11

Sample…………………………………………………………………………………... 11

Instrumentation………………………………………………………………………….. 12

Internal Validity………………………………………………………………………… 13

IV. RESULTS……………………………………………………………………………….. 15

Park and Recreation Employees………………………………………………………… 15

Park and Recreation Students…………………………………………………………… 15

Comparison with Larsen’s Study……………………………………………………….. 24

Professionals vesus Students……………………………………………………………. 25

Traditionalists vesus Students…………………………………………………………... 26


vi

Baby Boomers versus Students…………………………………………………………. 27

Generation X versus Students…………………………………………………………... 28

Generation Y versus students…………………………………………………………… 29

V. DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………………... 33

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 33

Generational Analysis…………………………………………………………………... 34

Limitations………………………………………………………………………………. 37

Recommendations for Future Research………………………………………………… 37

Recommendations for Practitioners…………………………………………………….. 38

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………. 38

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………….. 40

APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………... 43

A. Professional Perspectives on Job Competencies Survey………………………………... 44

B. Student Perspective on Job Competencies Survey……………………………………… 46


vii

TABLE OF TABLES

Table

1. Professional Survey Results…………………………………………………………….. 16

2. Student Survey Results………………………………………………………………….. 20

3. Generational Competency Results……………………………………………………… 30

Generational Perceptions 1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Employers are always looking for better ways to prepare and educate their

employees for increased performance in the work environment. There is not a set way

that an employer can prepare employees, since each person is different. However, there

is a way to group the employees into separate more manageable groups. Employees can

be divided by life experiences, or better stated as “age norms”. Each group has grown up

in different times so they have diverse life perceptions that are divided up into subgroups

depending on their age generation (e.g. the silent generation, baby boomers, generation

X, and generation Y). This study seeks to learn which competencies are perceived to be

the most important for each generational group and to provide information to employers

how best to cope with the different generations of present and future employees.

In 2007 a Midwest state university graduate student, Kristin Larsen, performed a

study of perceived job competencies of students and employers of the United States Parks

and Recreation Profession. The current research was a continuation of Kristin Larsen’s

study to see if there are differences in generations within Parks and Recreation

Professionals. It is hypothesized that different generations of workers have certain

perceptions on what they believe is important in order to be successful in parks and

recreation. This research identified what each generation believed is the most and least

important so that in the future, employers know how to respond to each generation that

they are managing.

Job competencies can be defined several ways in a business perspective and also

from a recreation point of view. Competencies are skills, knowledge and characteristics


that each employee or future employee possesses (Hurd 2004). Hurd (2004) also stated

that “competencies have been used for such things as (a) establishing employee

evaluation criteria, (b) setting performance benchmarks and assessing readiness for a

position, (c) determining hiring criteria, (d) mentoring employees and (e) creating a

professional development plan” (p. 44). Therefore, shows that competencies are used for

setting qualifications for certain jobs and also for helping to be successful in the future.

Numerous studies have investigated the various generations and the different

skills that they have, but very little research has been done on the differences in perceived

competencies of Parks and Recreation employees. The purpose of this study was to

identify the importance of competencies as perceived by each generation (the Silent

Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) in the Parks and

Recreation field and also by the students that are planning on being in the field in the near

future. The specific research questions that were addressed in this study are:

Q1: What are the perceived job competencies of students pursuing degrees in

Parks and Recreation?

Q2: What are the perceived job competencies desired by the Parks and

Recreation employees by generation?

Q3: Are the job competency percentage ratings of students and generational

employees in agreement?

Q4: Does the current study support the information found by Larsen (2007) in the

previous study?

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE


This literature review is composed of two parts. Part one covered all of the results

that Larsen (2007) obtained in her thesis study. To be more specific part one will cover

Larsen’s results for each variable (students and professionals). Part two covered the

generational half of the study and will report research findings about how the different

generations as related to the various competencies.

Larsen’s Results

The main objective of Larsen’s (2007) study was to discover what parks and

recreation employers and students pursuing parks and recreation degrees believed were

the most important competencies for entry-level professionals. The purpose was to

establish if what the employers believed were the most important competencies were

congruent to what the students believed were most important. Larsen (2007) surveyed

parks and recreation professionals at the National Recreation and Park Association

Congress and Exposition in a large western U.S. city and also parks and recreation

students at two Midwest state universities.

Larsen (2007) had twenty-one competencies listed that the employers and

students had to rate on a scale of one to five. She found that in some of the competencies

there was a significant difference in the responses when comparing students and

professionals, but in some there was no significant difference. When analyzing the

research that was conducted Larsen used the Multivariate Analysis of Variance

(MANOVA) to test her proposed research hypotheses. The hypotheses that Larsen was

testing were: H1) Students and public recreation employers will differ significantly in

their ratings of competency importance and H2) There will be a significant difference in

the job competency perceptions of students and public recreation employers.


In order to find the significance of each competency, Larsen analyzed the means,

standard deviations, and the estimated marginal means for both the professionals and the

students. After analyzing the data that was calculated, Larsen found five significant

differences between the perceptions of professionals and students’ means. The two

competency statements that had the highest significant difference in means were ability to

network within and outside the profession and ability to schedule programs, leagues, and

staff. Larsen also found that there were three competencies that had very little significant

difference in means. The competency ability to work well with people had a difference of

.03 and ability to take initiative and possess an understanding of customer service

practices posted a difference of .02.

The top three competencies that Larsen found for the professionals were a) ability

to clearly communicate with customers, b) ability to work well with people, and c) have

the ability to listen to staff and customers. The top three competencies that the students

believed to be most important were a)be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude, b)

ability to work well with people and c) ability to clearly communicate with customers.

For Larsen’s study, the mean and standard deviation were used to measure the

competencies importance. Though mean and standard deviation are good ways to

measure what the average was for each competency, they are not the strongest way to

accurately analyze the data.

Generational


In today’s workplace it is typical to see up to four different generations working

together (Harris, 2005). Each generation of employees in the work force has their own

specific needs and characteristics. Managers must harness these characteristics in order

to operate productively (Salopek, 2006). Salopek (2006) stated that “it is crucial for

leaders to understand each generation’s characteristics, values, and motivations; to adopt

new competencies to harness the best of each; to facilitate cooperation; and to explore

new ways of thinking that incorporate the critical differences among generations” (p. 22).

The four generations that will be examined in this literature review are the Traditionalists,

Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y.

The Traditionalists, otherwise known as the Silent Generation, were born between

the years of 1920 -1945 which puts their current age from 66 to 91 (Bridging the

Generation Gaps, 2007). The Silent Generation only makes up about ten percent of the

total workforce. This generation is shaped by the Great Depression and the wars during

which they grew up. They believe that their work duty come before pleasure and in order

for them to be successful they have to remain loyal, hardworking employees that stay

with the same company for over 30 years (Durkin, 2010).

In a study conducted by Hastings (2008), results showed that the Traditionalist

generation was overall more satisfied in the work environment than all of the other

generations. Hastings conducted a survey that reflected over 300,000 workers in 50

different organizations and found out that the Traditionalist generation was more satisfied

in their employers, jobs, and compensation than all of the other generations. She found

that the older workers possess more experience, a stronger work ethic, and strong

customer relations skills (p. 30). Patterson (2007) explained that the Silent generation of


employees work their way up the ladder of management to develop expertise over time

and demand respect from people that are not as high up as they are. There are not many

employees in the work force from the Silent Generation but those who are still in it may

be in positions of leadership and have a powerful influence over people in lesser

generations (p. 18).

The next generation known as the Baby Boomers generation is today the largest

generation of people in the workforce. The generation’s birth years go from 1946 –

1964. The Baby Boomers include 78 million people that are loyal, independent, goal-

oriented, and competitive. The Baby Boomer generation likes things the way they are

and are not very fond of a flexible work area (Brazeel, 2009). The people of the Baby

Boomer generation are very hard working and work long hours. They believe that the

more work they do, the better paid they will be for their efforts. Many of the Baby

Boomers will be at the retirement age but will not be able to retire. They continue to

work into their later years since many of the skilled jobs will open up due to the other

Boomers retiring (Patterson, 2007).

One thing that has been found about Boomers and what they believe work to be is

that if someone isn’t physically doing the work or moving around, then they technically

are not doing work (Ross, 2005). The Baby Boomer generation has been working for a

very long time, so they have retained much information which can be useful and passed

down to the younger generations of workers. Since Baby Boomers are one of the older

generations of people today, using technology to contact or to spark their attention is

often ineffective. Baby Boomers like to read, so a good way to gain their attention is

through direct mail. Baby Boomers also like to be in direct communication with people,


according to Coleman, Hladikova, and Savelyena (2006), so the best way to get them to

contribute to something is have an event with people whom they can benefit from.

The Baby Boomer generation makes up about 43 percent of the workforce. A

survey done by the Society for Human Resource Management found that there is a

prevalence of intergenerational workforces in many workplaces, however there really is

not that much conflict. Workers from the different generations are working together and

garnering the benefits of the information gained from the other generations (Human

Resource Planning, 2006). Fogg, Kehoe, and Kestner (2007) state that many of the Baby

Boomer generation of workers that are getting toward the age of retirement will most

likely stay and work. They just enjoy making a difference and the enjoyment from

performing the work. Since they have most likely been employed in the same place their

whole lives, they possess certain knowledge and leadership skills that can be passed

down to the future employees.

The following generation, known as Generation X, or Gen-X, was born between

the years 1965 and 1979. There are around 46 million Gen-Xers in the work force today.

Generation Xers are very individualistic and according to Brazeel (2009) they “thrive on

diversity, challenge, responsibility, and creative input” (p. 2). The one thing that sets

Gen-Xers apart from the Baby Boomer generation is that they believe that family time is

very important, so they like to have a nice balance between work and life outside of

work. Since this generation’s theory on life is they “work to live” they spend much of

their time in the community with their family outside of work, they are able to network

outside of their work and have the know how to assess the needs of their community

(Who’s Who, 2010).


Generation Xers are considered the “Middle Child” since they are sandwiched

between the two very large Baby Boomer and Generation Y groups. As Payment (2008)

found, “the four generations at work rarely interact with each other” (p. 45). With this

generation being individualistic, it is hard for them to work well with people that they

work with. Some characteristics that Generation Xers possess are being observant, self-

reliant, resilient, adaptable, inclusive, creative, and tech-savvy (Payment, 2008). Since

the Gen Xers are considered observant, one might say they listen well and have good

communication skills with the community. Generation Xers like to hear feedback on the

work that they do, so with this trait comes good listening skills, which to them are very

important. They also prefer their leadership be competent and deserving of a managerial

role, rather than having connections which get them leadership positions (Hart, 2006).

The final generation that will be discussed is Generation Y, also known as

Millenials, who were born between the years 1980 and 2000. Some of the many

characteristics that Millenials possess are they are great at multitasking, excel at

teamwork, community work, patience, and trust. As Lower (2008) states, “good news:

Y’ers love to learn and are good listeners” (p. 82). This infers that the younger

generation of workers believe that listening skills are more essential than other, maybe

more important, skills. Many of the Millenials grew up in a technology loaded

environment, so they may not have the best interpersonal skills (Lower, 2008).

Van Dam (2006) states that Generation Yers that play multi-player video games

are more likely to be successful in the workplace compared to those who do not play the

games. He believes that “gamers” are more skilled at multi-tasking, faster at making

decisions, evaluating risks, and taking care of dilemmas (p. 15). Generation Yers grew


up around technology and have the mentality that their works should be observed as how

much they got finished, not where and how it was completed. Being such a

technologically driven generation, they know how to get the work done, although

sometimes it may be outside of work, but it will still be completed (van Dam, 2006).


CHAPTER III

METHODS

Introduction

The current study compared the perceived competencies that parks and recreation

professionals and students pursuing a degree in parks and recreation rate as important in

order to be successful in the parks and recreation field. The purpose of this study was to

compare the different generational cohorts that work in the field to see if there are

differences in their perceptions of needed skills for parks and recreation professionals.

Procedures

Approval for the research and the survey was granted through the Institutional

Review board at a Midwest state university. The survey was administered at the National

Recreation and Park Association convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Professionals and

students in attendance were asked to participate in the survey as they walked by the

university’s booth. Participation in the survey was voluntary and collected over a one

day period. A computer was set up at the booth for passersby to participate in. If the

attendee was occupied then they were given a slip of paper with the researcher’s contact

information and a link to the survey printed on it, so that the survey could be taken at a

later time.

Research Data and Data Analysis

The independent variables for this study were the different generations and the

professional level, which was one of two populations, professional employees and

students. The dependent variables consisted of the competency statements listed on the

survey. Twenty different statements were included on the survey and the respondent was


asked to rate them on the level of importance for professionals in the parks and recreation

field.

Population

The population consisted of professionals in parks and recreation departments

from organizations across the United States and students that are pursuing degrees in

parks and recreation. Professionals and students that attended the State Recreation and

Park Association convention in St. Louis, Missouri were surveyed. Recreation Center

managers throughout a Midwest state were emailed the survey and given the chance to

complete it. A large majority of the data collected came from subscribers to the State

Parks and Recreation Association eNews letter that was sent out electronically. This

letter contained links to the survey for the subscribing professionals and students to

complete. Additional student data was collected from the students at a regional state

university in the HPERD department.

Sample

Students and professionals were given the opportunity to take part in this online

survey while in attendance at the National Recreation and Park Association conference.

The survey was also featured in the state Parks and Recreation Association April eNews

letter that was emailed out on April 5th to professionals and students that subscribe to the

letter. The largest majority of the completed professional surveys came after this eNews

letter was sent out. More than fifty percent of the professional surveys were submitted in

this manner.

The survey was also sent to a large number of recreation centers in the state and

asked to be completed by the head manager and also to be forwarded on to other


employees in the building. Students pursuing recreation degrees from a Midwest state

university were given slips of paper with contact information and a link to the survey

website. The majority of the student responses came from the slips that were handed out

in class.

Instrumentation

The survey utilized in this study was obtained from Larsen’s (2007) previous

study conducted in 2007. The survey that she created had been administered to a pilot

group before it was distributed to find out if any corrections were needed. Larsen’s

(2007) survey was reviewed and some questions were removed for non-relevancy in this

particular study. The professional survey contained of 30 total questions that consisted of

demographic information of the professional and their perception of competencies

necessary to be in the parks and recreation field. The student survey consisted of 28 total

questions that covered demographic information and what they believed to be the most

important competencies in the parks and recreation field. The survey contained a total of

20 competency questions that asked the professional or student to rate the competencies

from one to five, one being the lowest and five being the highest. The survey was

administered and the data was collected using an online survey website called

http://www.SurveyMonkey.com.

Demographic questions that were featured on the professional survey included; a)

gender, b) race, c) birth year, d) employment status, e) type of location their agency

serves, f) type of agency, g) agency focus, h) program areas they work in or plan to work

in, i) years of professional service, and j) if the professional is responsible for

hiring/supervising entry level staff. Demographic questions that were featured on the


student survey included a) gender, b) race, c) birth year, d) class in school, e) school size,

f) area in school the student is studying, g) area planning on working in, and h) if the

student completed an internship/field experience to fulfill an educational requirement.

The competency statements featured on both surveys were exactly the same.

Internal Validity

Subject Characteristics – Age, gender, and years as a professional may have

threatened internal validity. In order to control this, the survey participant was asked

what year their birth year fell between (the four different generations), what gender they

were, and how many years they have worked as a professional.

Implementation – Implementation may have been another threat to internal

validity. This was solved by having the researcher and only the researcher distribute the

survey. Researcher bias may have had an affect who may have taken the survey.

Cost – The cost of attending the conference may have threatened the number of

participants in the survey. If the students had to pay for their own way to the conference

and provide their own means of getting there, then the number of student participants

may be lower.

Sample

There were a total of 82 respondents to the professional survey. The professionals

were divided into the different age generations: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers,

Generation X, and Generation Y. 1 (1.2%) respondent was born between the years 1920

– 1945, 34 (42%) were born between the years 1946 – 1964, 27 (33.3%) were born

between the years 1965 – 1979, 19 (23.5%) were born between 1980 – 2000, and 1

person skipped the question.


There were a total of 88 students that participated in the study. Students were

grouped into age generations: Traditionalist and Baby Boomers were one category,

Generation X, and Generation Y. There were 3 (3.4%) that were born before 1964, 2

(2.3%) were born between 1965 – 1979, and 83 (94.3%) were born between 1980 – 1994.

Though the students were asked their age generation, the students were grouped together

into just one total group.


CHAPTER IV

RESULTS

The purpose of this study was to examine how the perceptions about job

competencies of generational cohorts of parks and recreation professional compared to

the Parks and Recreation students’ perceptions of competencies.

Park and Recreation Employees

Professional study participants were sorted based on what birth generation their

birth year fell into. The survey divided the respondents into the four birth generations:

Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. One (1.2%) respondent

was born between the years 1920-1945. Thirty-four (41.5%) respondents were born

between 1946-1964. Twenty-seven (32.9%) professionals were born between the years

1965-1980. Finally, 19 (23.2%) respondents were born between the years 1981-2000.

There were 82 total professional respondents and only one (1.2%) person had no response

to the question (See Table 1).

Parks and recreation professionals were also asked if they were responsible for

supervising entry-level positions within their organization. Of the 82 respondents, 51

(62.2%) were responsible for supervising entry-level positions and 29 (35.4%) were not.

One (1.2%) person did not respond to this question (See Table 1).

Park and Recreation Students

The student participants’ classification for class was grouped into five categories:

freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate. There were a total of 6 (6.8%)

freshmen, fourteen (15.9%) sophomores, 30 (34.1%) juniors, twenty (22.7%) seniors, and

eighteen (20.5%) graduate students (See Table 2).


Table 1

Professional Survey Results

Demographic Classification n (n=82) Percentage

Gender

Male 47 57.3%

Female 35 42.7%

N/A 0 0.0%

Race

Caucasian 80 97.6%

African American 1 1.2%

Asian/Pacific Island 0 0.0%

Hispanic 1 1.2%

Other 0 0.0%

N/A 0 0.0%

Birth Year

1920-1945 1 1.2%

1946-1964 34 41.4%

1965-1979 27 32.9%

1980-2000 19 23.2%

N/A 1 1.2%

Employment Status Full Time 77 93.9%


Table 1 cont’d



Part Time 3 3.7%

Seasonal 2 2.4%

N/A 0 0.0%

Type of Location

Rural 27 32.9%

Urban 54 65.9%

N/A 1 1.2%

Type of Agency

Public Sector 59 80.0%

Private Sector/For Profit 13 15.9%

Non-Profit 9 11.0%

N/A 1 1.2%

Agency Focus

Community 63 70.0%

Commercial 5 5.6%

Manufacturing 6 6.7%

Other 8 8.9%

N/A 8 8.9%


Table 1 cont’d



Program Areas

Adults 47 9.3%

Adventure/Outdoor Recreation 30 5.9%

Aquatics 26 5.1%

Educational 45 8.9%

Environmental 26 5.1%

Expressive Arts (crafts, drama, music, ect) 20 4.0%

Fitness 44 8.7%

General Health/Welness 41 8.1%

Hobbies 19 3.8%

Inclusive Services 21 4.2%

Maintenance/Environmental Services 24 4.8%

Seniors 35 6.9%

Social 27 5.3%

Sports/Games 48 9.5%

Youth 39 7.7%

Other 7 1.4%

N/A 6 1.2%

Years of Service

<1 5 6.1%


Table 1 cont’d



1-4 11 13.4%

5-9 10 12.2%

10-14 17 20.7%

15-19 10 12.2%

20 + 29 35.4%

N/A 0 0.0%


Table 2 Student Survey Results Demographic Classification n (n=82) Percentage

Gender

Male 34 38.6%

Female 54 61.4%

N/A 0 0.0%

Race

Caucasian 79 87.8%

African American 3 3.3%

Asian/Pacific Island 3 3.3%

Hispanic 0 0.0%

Other 2 2.2%

N/A 3 3.3%

Birth Year

<1964 3 3.4%

1965-1979 2 2.3%

1980-1994 83 94.3%

1995-2009 0 0.0%

N/A 0 0.0%

Class Freshman 6 6.8%


Table 2 cont’d Student Survey Results Demographic Classification n (n=82) Percentage

Sophomore 14 15.9%

Junior 30 34.1%

Senior 20 22.7%

Graduate 18 20.5%

N/A 0 0.0%

School Size <5,000 7 79.5%

5,000-15,000 74 84.1%

15,001-25,000 4 4.5%

25,001-40,000 1 1.1%

40,000 + 1 1.1%

N/A 1 1.1%

Area of Study

Commercial/For Profit 7 5.9%

Health/Wellness 29 24.4%

Parks and Recreation 35 29.4%

Therapeutic Recreation 25 21.0%

Tourism 2 1.7%

Other 8 6.7%


Table 2 cont’d Student Survey Results Demographic Classification n (n=82) Percentage Areas Planning on Working In

Adults 28 7.7%

Adventure/Outdoor Recreation 35 9.6%

Aquatics 10 2.7%

Educational 23 6.3%

Environmental 13 3.6%

Expressive Arts (crafts, drama, music, ect) 8 2.2%

Fitness 36 9.8%

General Health/Welness 43 11.7%

Hobbies 14 3.8%

Inclusive Services 16 4.4%

Maintenance/Environmental Services 11 3.0%

Seniors 20 5.5%

Social 25 6.8%

Sports/Games 40 10.9%

Youth 36 9.8%

Other 6 1.6%

N/A 2 0.5%

Internship/Field Experience

Yes 35 39.8%


Table 2 cont’d Student Survey Results Demographic Classification n (n=82) Percentage

No 55 62.5%

N/A 1 1.1%


Comparison with Larsen’s Study In Larsen’s (2007) study, data was collected on the perceived competencies were

entry level persons coming into the parks and recreation field. She took the responses of

the parks and recreation professionals and the students pursuing degrees in the same field.

When the data, was collected the mean of the perception rating for each competency were

compared. Though the mean showed the average response of each of the groups, it is not

a very strong way to analyze data coming from a Likert Scale. Therefore in the current

study the percentage of responses for each choice (1-5) in each question was analyzed for

stronger data to support the study.

Larsen’s (2007) study used the mean of each question in order to determine which

competency was rated the most important. Since this current study did not use mean, the

data was not able to be directly compared to Larsen’s (2007) data. It is still possible to

look at the percentages of each answer in the current study and determine what the top

rated competencies were.

When analyzing the data obtained from the professionals in Larsen’s (2007)

study, her top five highest rated responses were a) ability to clearly communicate with

customers (4.81), b) ability to work well with people (4.66), c) have the ability to listen to

staff and customers (4.65), d) be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude (4.64), and e)

ability to take initiative (4.51). After analyzing the data obtained from the current study

it was found that the competencies rated the most important in Larsen’s (2007) study

were the exact same ones with the highest percentages of “5’s” (most important) in this

study. The competencies were even rated in the exact same order as they were in

Larsen’s (2007) study; a) ability to clearly communicate with customers (79.3%), b)


ability to work well with people (65.9%), c) have the ability to listen to staff and

customers (64.6%), d) be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude (61.0%), and e) ability

to take initiative (56.1%). With the competencies being in the same order in both studies

it supports the initial study done by Larsen (2007) that the information gathered for this

section is accurate.

Larsen (2007) identified the following as the top five rated competencies by

students: a) be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude (4.70), b) ability to work well

with people (4.69), c) ability to clearly communicate with customers (4.66), d) possess

effective oral communication skills (4.66), and e) have leadership skills and abilities

(4.64). When analyzing the data obtained from the current study only the top three

competencies matched up with Larsen’s (2007) top responses. The top competencies in

the current study are a) ability to work well with people (71.3%), b & c) be enthusiastic

and have a positive attitude and ability to clearly communicate with customers (both

69.0%), d) have the ability to listen to staff and customers (65.5%), and e) have basic

knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. sports, instruction) (59.8%). Since not all

five of the top competencies were exactly the same, the current study cannot support the

previous study all of the way but is still able to support the study in regards to the top

three answers.

Professionals versus Students

In Larsen’s (2007) study the main focus was comparing professionals in parks and

recreation and students pursuing degrees in the same field. The current study examined

the same thing but and breaking down the professionals by generational cohort. In order

to follow up further on Larsen’s (2007) study the information obtained from the


professionals as a whole and the students pursuing parks and recreation degrees were

compared.

Just like Larsen’s (2007) study, many of the top competencies were the same in

both professionals and students. Out of the top five competencies in both groups, four of

them matched up. For the professionals the competency ability to take initiative had the

fifth highest percentage in the “most important” column. This competency did not match

up with the students’ top five. The competency have basic knowledge of the field in

several areas (i.e. sports, instruction) had fifth highest percentage in the students’ top

competencies.

When comparing the student and professional percentage for each competency

many of the percentages were very close to each other. There were a few that stood out

by having a large difference between the two groups. The competency knowledge of the

community and its composition had 56.3% of the students rate it as “most important”. On

the other side the professionals had only 35.4% of the survey takers rate it as most

important, and 43.9% rated this competency as a “4”. Also, the competency have basic

knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. sports, instruction) which was rated in the

students top five qualities has a 59.8% rate of column “5”. Opposite of that, the

professionals only have the competency at a 24.7% in the most important column and

53.1% in the “4” column.

Traditionalists versus Students

After looking at the professionals as a whole, the different generations

(Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) were looked at

individually. After collecting the data there was only one respondent from the


Traditionalists generation, therefore valid information was not obtained, and the data for

that respondent was excluded from the study.

Baby Boomers versus Students

After gathering all of the information from the current study there were a total of

34 respondents from the Baby Boomer generation. The Baby Boomer generation had the

same top five highest percentage competencies as the total professional group. The first

and the fifth highest percentage competency were the same but the second, third and

fourth largest were in a different order.

When looking at the Baby Boomers and the students’ responses there were a few

competencies that were rated differently between the two groups. The competencies that

had the biggest difference in rating are; a) possess knowledge of management principles,

b) ability to schedule programs, leagues, and staff, c) ability to network within and

outside the profession, d) continue to learn about the field through education

opportunities, and e) have basic knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. sports,

instruction).

The competency that had the largest difference between the two groups was have

basic knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. sports, instruction). This competency

for the students had 59.8% of their ratings in the “most important” and 35.6% in the “4”

column. This was the fifth highest rated competency in the most important column for

the students. On the opposite end, the Baby Boomers only had 23.5% rate it in the most

important column, and 50% rated it in the “4” column. This competency was rated very

high for the students, but when it came to the Baby Boomers it was the second overall

lowest rated skill.


Generation X versus Students

After all of the information was obtained from the current study, there were a total

of 27 respondents from the Generation X generation. The competencies from the

Generation X respondents that had the highest rating in the “most important” column

were the same as the professionals except possess an understanding of customer service

practices was in the top five for this generation. Generation X did not have as high of

ratings in the “most important” column as the students did. The majority of this

generation’s ratings fell into the “4” column.

There were two competencies that stood out as being different from the students’

ratings. The competency possess effective public speaking skills had 28.7% of the

students’ ratings in the most important column and 48.3% of the ratings in the “4”

column. On the other side, Generation X had only one person (3.7%) rated this

competency in the most important column and the majority of the votes (85.2%) fell into

the “4” column. Both groups had a higher percentage of their rates in the “4” column but

Generation X had almost none in the most important, where the students had a little over

a fourth of their votes in that group.

The other competency that stood out was possess knowledge of management

principles. The students had 37.2% of their ratings in the most important column and

51.2% in the “4” group. The Generation Xers had only two respondents (7.4%) rate this

competency in the most important column and 63.0% in the “4” group. This competency

was the same in comparison to the previously stated one in regards to the students having

it rated fairly high the most important column and the Generation Xers had only one or

two people believe that it to be that important.


Generation Y versus Students

A total of 19 people completed the survey from Generation Y. Generation Y was

very similar to Generation X in regards to most of the highest percentage of their

responses ended up in the “4” column. Only three of Generation Y’s highest rated

competencies matched up with the students’ top responses. The two competencies that

were different from the students’ top five were possess an understanding of customer

service practices and ability to take initiative. These two had high percentage of

responses in the most important column for the Generation Yers but not for the students.

After the data was analyzed, two of the competencies stood out with differences

between the two generations. The competency ability to be creative and innovative had a

wide variety of responses; seven (36.8%) rated it as most important, five (26.3%) rated it

as a “4”, and six (31.6%) rated it as a “3”. When that is compared to the students’

responses, 40 (46%) believed it to be most important and 37 (42.5%) rated it as a “4”.

The Generation Y respondents’ did not believe this competency to be very important

since nearly one third of their responses fell into the “3” column, where the students

believed it to be more important and had around 90% of their responses fall into the most

important and “4” columns.

Another competency that stood out was continue to learn about the field through

education opportunities. The Generation Yers had six (31.6%) rate it as most important,

seven (36.8%) as a “4”, and six (31.6%) as a “3”. When that was compared to the

students, they had 47 (54%) as most important and 33 (37.9%) as a “4”. This showed

that the Generation Yers believed this competency not to be as important as the students

did since their responses are more widely spread out.


Table 3 (The column “Not Important” was removed due to zero ratings from all groups) Generational Competency Results

Competency Most Important 4 3 2

Ability to clearly communicate with customers

Baby Boomers 79.4% 20.6% 0.0% 0.0% Generation X 77.8% 22.2% 0.0% 0.0% Generation Y 78.9% 15.8% 5.3% 0.0% Students 69.0% 27.6% 3.4% 0.0%

Possess effective public speaking skills Baby Boomers 26.5% 47.1% 23.5% 2.9% Generation X 3.7% 85.2% 11.1% 0.0% Generation Y 21.1% 47.4% 21.1% 10.5% Students 28.7% 48.3% 20.7% 2.3%

Have the ability to listen to staff and customers


Possess effective written communication skills


Knowledge of the community and its composition


Know how to assess the needs of the community



Possess an understanding of customer service practices


Ability to be creative and innovative Baby Boomers 38.2% 47.1% 11.8% 2.9% Generation X 22.2% 48.1% 25.9% 3.7% Generation Y 36.8% 26.3% 31.6% 5.3% Students 46.0% 42.5% 10.3% 1.1%

Be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude


Ability to take initiative Baby Boomers 58.8% 38.2% 2.9% 0.0% Generation X 44.4% 44.4% 11.1% 0.0% Generation Y 63.2% 31.6% 5.3% 0.0% Students 58.6% 36.8% 4.6% 0.0%

Ability to work well with people Baby Boomers 70.6% 26.5% 2.9% 0.0% Generation X 66.7% 29.6% 3.7% 0.0% Generation Y 52.6% 36.8% 10.5% 0.0% Students 71.3% 26.4% 2.3% 0.0%

Ability to resolve conflict and solve problems


Possess knowledge of management principles



Have leadership skills and abilities Baby Boomers 38.2% 50.0% 11.8% 0.0% Generation X 25.9% 66.7% 3.7% 3.7% Generation Y 31.6% 57.9% 10.5% 0.0% Students 50.6% 44.8% 3.4% 1.1%

Ability to utilize effect organizational skills


Ability to schedule programs, leagues, and staff


Ability to network within and outside the profession


Continue to learn about the field through education opportunities


Have a basic knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. sports, instruction)


Possess effective oral communication skills



CHAPTER V

DISCUSSION

Introduction

When comparing the necessary competencies for entry-level professionals, it was

easy to see that there were many similarities between students pursuing degrees in the

Parks and Recreation field and the different generations of the professionals. There were

also many competencies that did not match up when the generations were broken down

into their separate sub-groups. In a previous study done by Larsen (2007), the

competencies were broken down and measured by the mean score of the responses.

Though this gives information on what the competency may have had a higher overall

score it is a very weak way of analyzing the information. When using a 5-point Likert

scale, each column represents something different to every person. So, instead of

combining all of the responses into one number, each column (1-5) was analyzed

individually and a percentage was found for each competency.

In Larsen’s (2007) study the mean was found for each competency, and since the

current study found percentages of each response column they could not be directly

compared. If you look at the previous study, the top five responses for the professionals

did match the top five highest percentages in the “most important” column on the current

study. These responses were even in the same order from highest to lowest in both

studies. When analyzing the students’ responses only three of the top rated competencies

in Larsen’s (2007) study matched the highest percentage of “most important” in the

current study.


Generational Analysis

When analyzing the data collected from all of the generational cohorts there were

many competencies that matched up and had similar responses in each of the groups.

There was one competency that stood out as being the most important competency in

every generation. The competency ability to clearly communicate with customers had the

highest percentage of “most important” responses in each of the generations.

After reviewing the literature for the Baby Boomer generation Fogg, Kehoe, and

Kestner (2007) found that many of the Boomer generation are getting towards the age of

retirement, but are most likely going to stay and work. They also stated that the Baby

Boomer generation enjoy making a difference and receive enjoyment from performing

their work. When comparing these statements to the responses of the competencies from

the Baby Boomer generation, the competencies be enthusiastic and have a positive

attitude and ability to work well with people stood out. Both of these competencies had

very high responses in the “most important” column. This confirms the literature that

people in the Baby Boomer generation gain enjoyment from what they do at work and

have a positive attitude on what they are doing.

Another competency that agreed with the literature provided by Coleman,

Hladikova, and Savelyena (2006) stated that people in the Baby Boomer generation are

not very tech-savvy and trying to get their attention by using new technologies will not

work too well. The competency ability to be creative and innovative had the majority of

the percentage of responses in the “4” column. This reiterates that the Baby Boomer

generation does not find it as important to be innovative in what they do. Brazeel (2009)


states that the Boomer generation likes things the way they are and doesn’t like things to

be changed.

The literature that had been found for the Generation Xers stated that this

generational cohort works to live. This being said the Gen Xers enjoy time with their

family and community and are able to network outside of their work and have the

knowhow to assess the needs of their community (Who’s Who, 2010). When the

information was analyzed from the survey, there is no support for this notion. The

competencies, knowledge of the community and its composition, know how to assess the

needs of the community, and ability to network within and outside of work, did not

received high percentages in the “most important” column. The majority of the highest

percentages fell into the “4” column, which is still on the upper half of the Likert scale

but is not what the literature believes to be the most important competencies for the Gen

Xers.

As Payment (2008) stated, the Generation Xers are individualistic people, so

therefore they do not work well with other people. The competency ability to work well

with people was in the top five for the highest percentages in the “most important”

column. This statement contradicts what the Generation Xers believe to be an important

competency. Hart states that people in the Generation X group like to hear feedback on

the work they do, so with this trait comes good listening skills (2006). The competency

have the ability to listen to staff and customers had the second highest percentage in the

“most important” column. This confirmed that people in this generation believe that

listening is an important quality to possess for entry-level professionals.


The final generation is the Generation Yers. This generation is known to be great

at multitasking, excelling at teamwork, community work, patience, and trust (Lower

2008). After examining what Lower states in the literature, it makes sense that third

highest percentage competency in the “most important” column is have the ability to

listen to staff and customers. Both the competencies, knowledge of the community and its

composition and know how to assess the needs of the community, did not have very high

percentages in “most important” and the “4” columns but the Generation Yers both

believed them to be fairly important. So, although the literature said the generation

excelled at community work, the data did not support what Lower stated.

Lower also stated that since people from the Generation Y grew up around

technology, they may not have the best intrapersonal skills. This being said, Lower also

explained that because of the lack of intrapersonal skills, this generation may not like

public speaking or talking to very large groups (2008). The competency, possess

effective public speaking skills, had the lowest percentages overall in the “most

important” and the “4” column for Generation Y. They had the same number of people

say that this competency was “most important” and in the “3” column. This skill was the

lowest percentage competency from every generation.

Van Dam’s stated that people born in Generation Y have the mentality that their

work should be based on how much they have completed, not where and how it was

completed (2006). With this mentality, this generation is more willing to get the job done

no matter if they do the work at the office or at home. The competency be enthusiastic

and have a positive attitude had very high percentages in the “most important” and “4”


column. This shows that people from this generation are passionate about their job and

will do everything in their power to get the work finished.

Limitations

One limitation of the study was the population that was surveyed. A large group

of people were surveyed but only a very small number from the State Parks and

Recreation Convention actually participated. While surveying the attendees, the

researcher only had access to one computer and was limited to electricity to keep the

laptop charged. If the electricity issue would have been known in the future we could

have requested a booth near an outlet. Also, more than one computer would have

immensely helped since people were not willing to take part in the survey if they were

walking with a partner, so the other person did not have to wait.

A second limitation was the number of competencies used. In the current study

20 competencies were used in the survey. In the previous study from which the

competencies were obtained, 21 were used. One of the competencies (the need and want

to help children and the community) was overlooked in creating the survey instrument

and did not make it onto the IRB form in time.

Another limitation was not specifying “entry level” on the survey. In the previous

study the surveyor encountered the same problem. The term entry level should have been

specified on the survey so that survey takers did not have to ask questions about it.

Recommendations for Future Research

Research in the future should focus on the different generations individually and

gain a larger population of each group. With only a limited sample in each group it is

hard to gain an actual opinion of the generation as a whole. If more people participated


from each generation, it would make the data stronger to either support of reject the

information that was obtained from this study. In particular the Traditionalist generation,

whose information had to be discarded because of the lack of survey takers needs to be

researched further. With this generation being older than others and not very technically

sound, the survey may have to be administered by hand as opposed to an online survey.

Further research is needed to analyze the difference in gender from professional to

student and also the different generations. Gender was included on the survey but the

data was not broken down by gender when it was analyzed.

Recommendation for Practitioners

Employers in the parks and recreation field need to consider using the information

obtained from this research while making their job descriptions. Communication skills

were rated very high by each generational cohort, so oral and written skills need to be

included in the curriculum. Universities could also benefit from this information by

using what is expected of the entry level workers and teach these skills to the students

before they get into the real world.

Employers also need to examine what the different generations of employees

already in the field believe to be the most important skills to be successful in parks and

recreation. If the managers can understand the mindset of the different generations of

employees and what they believe to be the most important competencies, it will help the

business as a whole run smoothly and accomplish more.

Conclusion

The current study has supported research conducted within the past ten years

regarding competencies for entry-level professionals and different characteristics that are


associated with generations presented. The results of this study found that all of the

professional generations believe communication skills to be the most important aspect of

the entry-level professionals, which include oral, written, and listening skills. Research

in this subject is slowly growing and the information obtained is essential to professionals

already in the field, are able to better manage the entry-level students and the different

generations of workers already in the field. As time goes by this information will change

with what is going on in society and as the generations age, so this topic must be

addressed and continually updated in order for professionals in parks and recreation to

have the most success.


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Case, R., & Branch, J. (2003). A study to examine the job competencies of sport facility

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APPENDIX A


Professional Perspective on Job Competencies Survey

This research study concerning perceived competencies of employees is being conducted in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master of Science degree in Parks & Recreation Management. Your participation is appreciated. Confidentiality Statement: To safeguard your privacy, any information obtained during this research will be kept strictly confidential. The software collecting the information provides results in an aggregated format and so there are no possibilities of linking your responses to you. Participation in this study is voluntary and you may decide to withdraw at any time without penalty. There is no remuneration for your participation. By checking the box you are acknowledging that you have read and agree to voluntarily participate in this study. Gender: Male Female Race: Caucasian African American Asian/Pacific Island Hispanic Other Birth Year: 1920-1945 1946-1964 1965-1979 1980-2000 Employment Status: Full Time: Part Time Seasonal Type of Location: Rural Urban Type of Agency: Public Sector Private Sector /For-Profit Non-profit Agency Focus: Community Commercial Manufacturing Other What program areas do you work in or plan to work in? (check all that apply) Adults Adventure/Outdoor Recreation Aquatics Educational Environmental Expressive Arts (crafts, drama, music, ect) Fitness General Health/Wellness Hobbies Inclusive Services Maintenance/Environmental Services Seniors Social Sports/Games Youth


Other (please describe) ____________________________ Years of Professional Service: <1 2-5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20 + Are you responsible for the hiring/supervision of entry-level staff? : Yes No Please rate the following statements on what you believe is necessary to be successful in the parks and recreation field on a scale of 1-5. (One being NOT IMPORTANT, Five being MOST IMPORTANT) Not Most Important Important Ability to clearly communicate with customers 1 2 3 4 5 Possess effective public speaking skills 1 2 3 4 5 Have the ability to listen to staff and customers 1 2 3 4 5 Possess effective written communication skills 1 2 3 4 5 Knowledge of the community and its composition 1 2 3 4 5 Know how to assess the needs of the community 1 2 3 4 5 Possess an understanding of customer service practices 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to be creative and innovative 1 2 3 4 5 Be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to take initiative 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to work well with people 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to resolve conflict and solve problems 1 2 3 4 5 Possess knowledge of management principles 1 2 3 4 5 Have leadership skills and abilities 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to utilize effect organizational skills 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to schedule programs, leagues, and staff 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to network within and outside the profession 1 2 3 4 5 Continue to learn about the field through education 1 2 3 4 5 opportunities Have a basic knowledge of the field in several areas 1 2 3 4 5 (i.e. sports, instruction) Possess effective oral communication skills 1 2 3 4 5


Student Perspective on Job Competencies Survey

This research study concerning perceived competencies of employees is being conducted in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master of Science degree in Parks & Recreation Management. Your participation is appreciated. Confidentiality Statement: To safeguard your privacy, any information obtained during this research will be kept strictly confidential. The software collecting the information provides results in an aggregated format and so there are no possibilities of linking your responses to you. Participation in this study is voluntary and you may decide to withdraw at any time without penalty. There is no remuneration for your participation. By checking the box you are acknowledging that you have read and agree to voluntarily participate in this study. Gender: Male Female Race: Caucasian African American Asian/Pacific Island Hispanic Other Birth Year: <1964 1965-1979 1980-1994 1995-2009 Class: Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate School Size: <5,000 5,001-15,000 15,001-25000 25,001-40,000 40,000+ Area of Study: Therapeutic Recreation Tourism Parks and Recreation

Commercial Health/Wellness What program areas do you work in or plan to work in? (check all that apply) Adults Adventure/Outdoor Recreation Aquatics Educational Environmental Expressive Arts (crafts, drama, music, ect) Fitness General Health/Wellness Hobbies Inclusive Services Maintenance/Environmental Services Seniors Social Sports/Games Youth Other (please describe) ____________________________


Have you completed an internship/field experience to fulfill an educational requirement? : Yes No Please rate the following statements on what you believe is necessary to be successful in the parks and recreation field on a scale of 1-5. (One being NOT IMPORTANT, Five being MOST IMPORTANT) Not Most Important Important Ability to clearly communicate with customers 1 2 3 4 5 Possess effective public speaking skills 1 2 3 4 5 Have the ability to listen to staff and customers 1 2 3 4 5 Possess effective written communication skills 1 2 3 4 5 Knowledge of the community and its composition 1 2 3 4 5 Know how to assess the needs of the community 1 2 3 4 5 Possess an understanding of customer service practices 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to be creative and innovative 1 2 3 4 5 Be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to take initiative 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to work well with people 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to resolve conflict and solve problems 1 2 3 4 5 Possess knowledge of management principles 1 2 3 4 5 Have leadership skills and abilities 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to utilize effect organizational skills 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to schedule programs, leagues, and staff 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to network within and outside the profession 1 2 3 4 5 Continue to learn about the field through education 1 2 3 4 5 opportunities Have a basic knowledge of the field in several areas (i.e. 1 2 3 4 5 sports, instruction) Possess effective oral communication skills 1 2 3 4 5

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