Management Information Systems major is least influenced by the students' Interest ... (expected salary), job availability and growth potential, usage of computer.
Using Decision Utility approach in selecting a business major Tengxiao Yang Valparaiso University Ceyhun Ozgur Valparaiso University Key Words: Curricula, Enrollment Management, Teaching, Pedagogy, Selection of Majors.
Abstract In this study, the authors will try to find out what are the most important factors that affect the students in College of Business to select their major. The authors are going to compare the selection of a business college major using decision utility approach with selection of a college major using AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). According to Selecting a business college major: An analysis of criteria and choice using the analytical hierarchy process(2002), the AHP model does exactly that in incorporating the
students view of majors based on the criteria and the rankings of the criteria themselves. According to Influence on Students’ Choice of College Major (2005), interest in the subject is the primary influence for later changes of major. To begin with, the authors will survey the juniors and seniors students from the College of Business at Valparaiso University. The questionnaire distributed to the students included the factors: Interest in Subject, Influence of Others, Job Availability and Growth Potential, Usage of Computer Skills, Usage of Interpersonal Skills and Usage of Mathematical Skills. Using 52 students in the questionnaire, we will analyze their answers and compare the answers to the results of our study to the study performed in 2002 using AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). The most preferred major is Management and the highest expected salary is Finance.
The least preferred major is Operations Management and the lowest expect salary is Marketing. The decision to select major in the College of Business is most influenced by students’ Interest In Subject and least influential of factor is Usage of Computer Skills. Finance major is most influenced by the students’ Interest In Subject Management Information Systems major is least influenced by the students’ Interest In Subject. Finance major is most affected by Influence of Others. Operations Management major is least affected by Influence of Others. Accounting major is most influenced by Job Availability and Growth Potential. Operations Management major is least influenced by Job Availability and Growth Potential. Management Information Systems major is most influenced by Usage of Computer Skills, while International Business major is least influenced by Usage of Computer Skills. Entrepreneurship major is most influenced by Usage of Interpersonal Skills. Management Information Systems major is least influenced by Usage of Interpersonal Skills. Accounting major is most influenced by Usage of Mathematical Skills, while International Business major is least influenced by Usage of Mathematical Skills. 8 of the respondents preferred Entrepreneurship major. 8 of the respondents preferred Accounting major. Most preferred major is Finance with 13 of 53 respondents, followed by Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Management and Marketing with 8 of 53 respondents for each of the four majors. Least of the most preferred major is Operations Management with 1 of 53 respondents selecting it as most preferred major. International Business is selected as the least preferred major, 18 of 73 respondents selected it as their least favorable majors. Operations Management is the second least
favorable major with 15 of 73 respondents. Management major is selected as the least preferred major by only 4 respondents which made Management major as the least of the least preferred majors. We will include more analysis of the questionnaire later. The article we are comparing our study with is listed above: Selecting a business college major: An analysis of criteria and choice using the analytical hierarchy process (2002).
The questionnaire was completed by the students using Excel, which made it easier to answer the various questions. For the information of the reviewers we attach the questionnaire for the submission by the students. The questionnaire was prepared by Tengxiao Yang and Ceyhun Ozgur. However, different methods may result in different conclusions; this is why the authors will use the decision utility approach to research the selection of a business college major. In using the decision utility approach, we are able to compare the trade-offs between the majors and also between the factors that affect the decision of a major. The questionnaire for selecting a major in the College of Business (2012) is attached below. However, in order to read the questionnaire below, one needs to use or work on it properly, you need to use Microsoft Excel 2010, then you have to click on it twice inside the questionnaire below and move the cursor left and right or up and down to make sure all of the Excel formulas work. We will report on how the different factors affect the different majors and we will also compare our results with the study in 2002 that utilized AHP.
Consider selecting a major in the College of Business. The majors in alphabetical order are Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing, Management Information Systems and Operations Management. You will use six factors to rate the majors” your interest in the subject, influence of others (what other people including advisors, parents, and friends have told you about the major), compensation (expected salary), job availability and growth potential, usage of computer skills, and usage of interpersonal skills. The percentages for each factor should sum to 100 percent. The percentages of importance of factors should sum to 100 percent. Each factor will be measured on a 100 point scale where the meanings of the endpoints of each scale are shown in the table below. Factor
Measured In
Your Interest In Subject
Amount interest
Influence of Others
Amount influence No influence Extremely important
Job Availability and Growth Potential
Amount availability and growth
Usage of Computer Skills Percent of job Usage of Interpersonal Skills Percent of job Usage of Mathematical Skills Percent of job You will complete a three step process starting below.
0 Means No interest
No availability and growth potential No usage No usage No usage
100 Means Extremely interested
Unlimited availability and growth potential 100 percent of job 100 percent of job 100 percent of job
To begin, you will rate each major on every factor. 1 .Rank your expected salary for the majors (1 = highest, 8 = lowest) below. The rank for each 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R ank Result Major false Accounting false Entrepreneurship false Finance false Management false Marketing false Management Information Systems false International Business false Operations Management Total 0 false 2. Rank your preferences for the majors (1 = highest, 8 = lowest) below. The rank for each m 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R ank Result Major false Accounting false Entrepreneurship false Finance false Management false Marketing false Management Information Systems false International Business false Operations Management
References 1. Brown, J.R. Bounded knapsack sharing. Mathematical Programming, 1994, (67), 343-382.
2. Brown, J.R Solving knapsack sharing problems with general tradeoff functions. Mathematical Programming, 1991, (51), 55-73. 3. Strasser S.E., Ozgur C. & Schroeder D.L. Selecting a Business College Major: An Analysis of Criteria and Choice Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process. American Journal of Business, 2002, (17-2), 47-56. 4. Malgwi C.A, Howe, M.A. & Burnaby P.A. Influence on Students’ Choice of College Major. Journal of Education for Business, 2005, (80-5), 275-282. 5. Tengxiao Y. & Ozgur C. The questionnaire for selecting a major in the College of Business. 2012, Unpublished questionnaire.
