Conversion Intentions of Fashion Marketing Interns: The Impact of Work-related Attitudes and Behaviors
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Fashion marketing/retailing is a major employment sectorand driver of economic activity on a global level. MichaelPorter’s (1985) popular value chain perspective demonstratesthe importance of marketing and retail sales among a set ofprimary value creating activities for firms of all types. Thevalue chain perspective also illuminates the importance ofhuman resources as a support activity necessary to create valueand assure the success of the firm. This research addresses thepotential value for fashion marketing/retailing firms that maybe achieved through employee development practices such asoffering pre-professional internships. We focus on collegestudents’ perceptions of fashion marketing/retail-relatedinternships d the factors that cause interns to accept a joboffer upon internship completion. This study specificallyexamines relationships between internship experientialcomponents of psychological contracts, supervisory support,affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Unlike other industry sectors, retailing is not limited to aspecific region and thus provides job opportunities for fashionand retail degree graduates on a nearly global scale. (“FutureEmployment in Retail…” 2009) In fashion maketing/retailing,there continues to be a high level of job attractiveness on thepart of students, yet an observed disconnect exists betweenstudent career goals, expectations, and resulting job satisfaction. In reality, there is a much larger scope of opportunity infashion related retail than just positions on the sales floor. Students must therefore obtain exposure through their coursesand other types of learning, such as internships and practicumexperiences, to realize the diversity of job opportunities infashion marketing/ retailing including sales, buying, logistics,product development, merchandising, finance, human resources,and more (“Get Tailor–Made Training….” 2006). Additionally, many positions in fashion retailing are increasingly becomingcross-functional, suggesting that students need to have acomplete understanding of the contemporary marketplace andbe exposed to a variety of job settings and experiences(“Retail Rewards” 2006). This research is framed by psychological contract theory(Rousseau 2000) and organizational commitment theory (VanMaanen 1975). Psychological contract theory combinesemployer-based beliefs (i.e. employer obligations) withindividual-based beliefs (i.e. employee obligations) regardingthe nature of an agreement and the relationship between thatindividual and his/her employer. Combining perceptions ofemployer-based obligations with employee obligations allowsfor an ideal assessment of specific idiosyncratic informationthat is meaningful and unique to each individual, as well asthe firm (Robinson, Kraatz and Rousseau 1994). Organizationalsocialization theory explains how newcomers learn the cultureand values of new job settings (Van Maanen 1975). Thetheory also explicates how newcomers must develop thenecessary work skills and adjust to the work environment(Feldman 1976). An on-line, self-administered, survey questionnaire was usedto collect data in this study. The final sample consisted of 229college students who completed a fashion merchandising,fashion marketing, fashion design, or retail-related internship. Following verification of the reliability of the measurementitems, path analysis was conducted. A proposed path model ofinternship conversion was estimated using AMOS 5.0 statisticalsoftware. A modified final model showed that six paths werestatistically significant and had positive path coefficients, ashypothesized. Hypothesis H1a stated that interns’ supervisory support willhave a positive effect on psychological contract expectations ofemployer obligations. Path analysis results of the final modelrevealed full support for this hypothesized relationship. Positiveand significant results were also found for hypotheses H2a andH2b, indicating that when interns feel that their internshipemployer fulfills the expected obligations they are moresatisfied with their job and will remain with their internshipcompany because they want to stay. Hypothesis 3a proposedthat interns’ job satisfaction would have a positive effect onaffective organizational commitment. This hypothesis wassupported suggesting that interns’ satisfaction with the job/workitself significantly contributes to their strong sense ofattachment with the organization because their internship hasproven to be a satisfying experience. Positive and significantresults were also found for hypothesis H3b, indicating that job satisfaction can directly influence interns’ intent to accept anoffer for full-time employment upon graduation. Finally, inhypothesis H4, positive and significant results were found,implying that interns’ desire to remain with the companybecause they feel a sense of attachment and belonging to theorganization (affective organizational commitment) plays asignificant role in their decision to ultimately accept a joboffer from their internship company upon graduation. Findings of the current study are particularly relevant tofashion marketing companies as they develop and structureinternship programs in an attempt to increase the number ofinterns who accept an offer. For fashion marketing firms, sinceour results indicate that affective organizational commitmentand job satisfaction are direct predictors of conversionintentions, some strategies that could provide augmentation ofinternship conversion and maximize the possibility of asuccessful internship program include: 1) Treat interns as apart of the organizational team and invite them to staffmeetings, 2) Involve interns in project planning and ask fortheir ideas or suggestions, 3) Hold interns accountable forprojects and deadlines, 4) Assign projects that are challenging,yet accomplishable, 5) Assign a supervisor or mentor to eachintern to provide the necessary guidance, training, andfeedback, and 6) Establish a process for permanent hireconsiderations and share that information with interns.
Abstract
Fashion marketing/retailing is a major employment sectorand driver of economic activity on a global level. MichaelPorter’s (1985) popular value chain perspective demonstratesthe importance of marketing and retail sales among a set ofprimary value creating activities for firms of all types. Thevalue chain perspective also illuminates the importance ofhuman resources as a support activity necessary to create valueand assure the success of the firm. This research addresses thepotential value for fashion marketing/retailing firms that maybe achieved through employee development practices such asoffering pre-professional internships. We focus on collegestudents’ perceptions of fashion marketing/retail-relatedinternships d the factors that cause interns to accept a joboffer upon internship completion. This study specificallyexamines relationships between internship experientialcomponents of psychological contracts, supervisory support,affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Unlike other industry sectors, retailing is not limited to aspecific region and thus provides job opportunities for fashionand retail degree graduates on a nearly global scale. (“FutureEmployment in Retail…” 2009) In fashion maketing/retailing,there continues to be a high level of job attractiveness on thepart of students, yet an observed disconnect exists betweenstudent career goals, expectations, and resulting job satisfaction. In reality, there is a much larger scope of opportunity infashion related retail than just positions on the sales floor. Students must therefore obtain exposure through their coursesand other types of learning, such as internships and practicumexperiences, to realize the diversity of job opportunities infashion marketing/ retailing including sales, buying, logistics,product development, merchandising, finance, human resources,and more (“Get Tailor–Made Training….” 2006). Additionally, many positions in fashion retailing are increasingly becomingcross-functional, suggesting that students need to have acomplete understanding of the contemporary marketplace andbe exposed to a variety of job settings and experiences(“Retail Rewards” 2006). This research is framed by psychological contract theory(Rousseau 2000) and organizational commitment theory (VanMaanen 1975). Psychological contract theory combinesemployer-based beliefs (i.e. employer obligations) withindividual-based beliefs (i.e. employee obligations) regardingthe nature of an agreement and the relationship between thatindividual and his/her employer. Combining perceptions ofemployer-based obligations with employee obligations allowsfor an ideal assessment of specific idiosyncratic informationthat is meaningful and unique to each individual, as well asthe firm (Robinson, Kraatz and Rousseau 1994). Organizationalsocialization theory explains how newcomers learn the cultureand values of new job settings (Van Maanen 1975). Thetheory also explicates how newcomers must develop thenecessary work skills and adjust to the work environment(Feldman 1976). An on-line, self-administered, survey questionnaire was usedto collect data in this study. The final sample consisted of 229college students who completed a fashion merchandising,fashion marketing, fashion design, or retail-related internship. Following verification of the reliability of the measurementitems, path analysis was conducted. A proposed path model ofinternship conversion was estimated using AMOS 5.0 statisticalsoftware. A modified final model showed that six paths werestatistically significant and had positive path coefficients, ashypothesized. Hypothesis H1a stated that interns’ supervisory support willhave a positive effect on psychological contract expectations ofemployer obligations. Path analysis results of the final modelrevealed full support for this hypothesized relationship. Positiveand significant results were also found for hypotheses H2a andH2b, indicating that when interns feel that their internshipemployer fulfills the expected obligations they are moresatisfied with their job and will remain with their internshipcompany because they want to stay. Hypothesis 3a proposedthat interns’ job satisfaction would have a positive effect onaffective organizational commitment. This hypothesis wassupported suggesting that interns’ satisfaction with the job/workitself significantly contributes to their strong sense ofattachment with the organization because their internship hasproven to be a satisfying experience. Positive and significantresults were also found for hypothesis H3b, indicating that job satisfaction can directly influence interns’ intent to accept anoffer for full-time employment upon graduation. Finally, inhypothesis H4, positive and significant results were found,implying that interns’ desire to remain with the companybecause they feel a sense of attachment and belonging to theorganization (affective organizational commitment) plays asignificant role in their decision to ultimately accept a joboffer from their internship company upon graduation. Findings of the current study are particularly relevant tofashion marketing companies as they develop and structureinternship programs in an attempt to increase the number ofinterns who accept an offer. For fashion marketing firms, sinceour results indicate that affective organizational commitmentand job satisfaction are direct predictors of conversionintentions, some strategies that could provide augmentation ofinternship conversion and maximize the possibility of asuccessful internship program include: 1) Treat interns as apart of the organizational team and invite them to staffmeetings, 2) Involve interns in project planning and ask fortheir ideas or suggestions, 3) Hold interns accountable forprojects and deadlines, 4) Assign projects that are challenging,yet accomplishable, 5) Assign a supervisor or mentor to eachintern to provide the necessary guidance, training, andfeedback, and 6) Establish a process for permanent hireconsiderations and share that information with interns.
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