Why Are Executives Leaving?

Jennifer Hanson

MBC Final Project

May 2008

Membership Challenges

• Executive-level members are not attending

programs

• Program attendees ask, “Are you a younger

group?”

Importance to Organization

• Knowledge and prestige of executives

• Profits through program revenue

• Increased satisfaction and renewal rates

What I Wanted to Learn from Executive Members

• Professional development experiences

• Attitudes toward programs and benefits

• Opinions on future programs

Research Question

Would specific programming

encourage executive-level

members to return?

Methodology

• Surveyed 209 executive-level members

• Mailed 35-question paper survey

• Included quantitative and open-ended

questions

Response Rate

• 76 completed surveys returned

• 36% response rate

Demographics

• 67% 35–55 years old

• 81% have worked in marketing or sales

for 10–20+ years

• Surveyed the correct group of members

Participation in Professional Development

• 88% have participated in past year

• 51% have participated 2 or 3 times

Professional Development

“I don’t have time for professional

development”• Of those who do participate:

36% agree

51% disagree

• Of those who do not participate:

78% agree

Professional Development

“A marketer always has room to

develop professionally, regardless

of career stage.”

• 95% agree

Attendance at Programs

• 39% attended zero programs

• 28% attended one program

• 67% low attendance

How many MN AMA programs have you

attended within the past year?

Satisfaction with Programs

• 58% satisfied

• 9% dissatisfied

(25% have no experience with programs)

What is your overall level of satisfaction with

the MN AMA programs you’ve attended?

Satisfaction & Attendance

How many MN AMA programs have you

attended within the past year?

• Of those very satisfied with programs

58% attended 2 programs

33% attended 1 program

• Of those very dissatisfied with programs

67% attended 1 program

33% attended 0 programs

Importance of Benefits

• 63% said that this benefit is very or

somewhat important

To what degree do MN AMA educational

offerings play a role in your decision to

renew your membership?

Most Important Benefits

• 43% chose Networking as top benefit

• 22% chose Career Development

as top benefit

• 18% chose Industry News/Updates

as top benefit

Program Topics Requested

1. New media and e-marketing

2. Industry trends

3. Market research

4. Branding

5. Strategic planning

6. Networking opportunities

Interest in Program Formats

• Executive Networking—79%

• Special Interest Group—68%

• Online Strategy Forum—57%

• Web Seminars—54%

Challenges of Marketers

• Time and budgets

• Hiring and developing employees

• Keeping up with industry knowledge

• Learning about e-marketing

• “Selling” marketing within company

List three challenges you face in your

current job role:

Answering the Question

Yes!

Recommendations

• New Program Formats

- Executive-member networking

• New Program Topics

- Marketing trends

- E-marketing approaches

- Time management strategies

- Developing employees

Future Research

• Conduct focus groups or interviews

• Survey every two years

• Post-event evaluations

Thank you!