Research Blog 10 Abstract

College classrooms provide a very strong technical and factual education to students. However, in the area of ‘soft skills’ classrooms fall short in delivering the adequate level of training and preparation. Soft skills are defined as a cluster of emotional traits and intelligences including communication, language, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, and management; all in all, soft skills are traits that characterize interpersonal relationships. In today’s workplace, soft skills are one of the most sought after traits in employees. Fraternities and sororities provide constant social interaction as well as unique opportunities such as mixers, philanthropy events, leadership roles, and chapter meetings which all develop and sharpen soft skills. Members of these organizations leave college with a greater set of soft skills than non members and these skills can be a huge predictor of success in life after college.

Research blog 10 Bibliography

Works Cited

Dabke, Deepika. "Soft Skills As A Predictor Of Perceived Internship Effectiveness And

Permanent Placement Opportunity." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 9.4 (2015): 26

42. Business Source Premier. Web. 29 Feb. 2016

Deepa, S., and Manisha Seth. "Do Soft Skills Matter? – Implications For Educators Based On

Recruiters' Perspective." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 7-20. Business Source

Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

DeSantis, Alan D. Inside Greek U.: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, Power,

and Prestige. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2007. Print.

Fields, Nicholas. Personal Interview. 7 April 2016.

Long, Larry D. "Unchallenged, Professed Core Values: Do Undergraduate Fraternity/Sorority

Members Actually Benefit In The Areas Of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, And

Friendship?." College Student Affairs Journal 30.2 (2012): 15-30. ERIC. Web. 29 Feb.

2016.

Pflanzer, Matthew. Personal Interview. 27 March 2016.

Robles, Marcel M. "Executive Perceptions Of The Top 10 Soft Skills Needed In Today’S

Workplace." Business Communication Quarterly 75.4 (2012): 453-465. Business Source

Premier. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Ryssdal, Kai. "Does College Fail Grads in the Workplace?" Does College Fail Grads in the

Workplace? N.p., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

Thompson, Jon G, Crystal D Oberle, and Jennifer L Lilley. "Self-Efficacy And Learning In

Sorority And Fraternity Students." Journal Of College Student Development 6 (2011):

749. Project MUSE. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.

Velez, Phil. "Fraternity Communication: 15 Overlooked Benefits of Fraternity and Sorority

Life." Fraternity Communication: 15 Overlooked Benefits of Fraternity and Sorority

Life. N.p., 14 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Research Blog #9 Argument and Counter-Argument

Argument: Fraternities and sororities are organizations in which members develop and sharpen their soft skills due to various situations and opportunities these organizations provide. Some of these soft skills that will be highlighted in my paper include leadership, self-efficacy, interpersonal skills, and communication skills.
Counter-Argument: Because of their social nature, fraternities and sororities attract individuals who already posses these developed soft skills.

-This article deals with first year fraternity members academics as opposed to non-fraternity members. Although this articles goal is to prove greek organization students do not suffer setbacks in academics this does not support my argument. I am looking to add how greek organization members excel compared to non greek organization members. Based on the findings in this article, there is no difference between greek life members and non members and it is in conflict with what I want to argue. There are numerous conflicting studies online dealing with the benefits of greek organizations on whether they do benefit members in academic areas. Although this article does not exactly deal with my topic it is important that there are published studies that state fraternities and sororities do not benefit members in certain skills and academics.



Source used:
Martin, Georgianna L., et al. "New Evidence On The Effects Of Fraternity And Sorority Affiliation During The First Year Of College." Journal Of College Student Development 52.5 (2011): 543-559. ERIC. Web. 7 Apr. 2016

Lit Reivew #5 Self-Efficacy and Learning in Sorority and Fraternity Students

2) Thompson, Jon G, Crystal D Oberle, and Jennifer L Lilley. "Self-Efficacy And Learning In Sorority And Fraternity Students." Journal Of College Student Development 6 (2011): 749. Project MUSE. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.

3) Summary: Self Efficacy is defined as ones perceived ability to obtain a desired outcome and succeed in situations, somewhat like confidence. The purpose of this study was to see if members of fraternities and sororities had higher self efficacy than non members. This is important because Self-efficacy is correlated with many positives such as achievement. The study found members of greek organizations had statistically significant higher scores of self efficacy. Self efficacy scores on this test were also positively correlated with ratings of effort to learn materials and do well academically. 

4) Author(s): (Jon Thompson and Jennifer Liley were students under Crystal D. Oberle when this research was done.)

Dr. Crystal D. Oberle: Has a PhD and is an associate professor at Texas State University. Psychology professor with a main focus in cognition and learning. Has received various awards for teaching and has published a large amount of research and articles.

5) Key Terms:

Self Efficacy: ones belief in ones ability to succeed in certain situations or accomplish a task. Plays a major role in how one approaches a task. 

Achievement: Positively correlated with self efficacy. The attitude or confidence level an individual approaches a task can effect the degree and level of achievement.

6) Quotes: 

1: "Regarding self-efficacy, greek students had higher scores than non-greek students, and self efficacy scores were positively correlated with ratings of effort to learn the material and to do well on the test." (Liley, Oberle, and Thompson 751).

2: " [Greek Students had] Higher learning effort ratings, test effort ratings, and self efficacy scores." (Liley, Oberle, and Thompson 750).

3: "These findings may benefit organizations that govern the Greek population at universities. To set the example as superior organizations, fraternities and sororities should take steps to mold the younger candidates and members into more scholarly students"(Liley, Oberle, and Thompson 752).

7) Value: Self-efficacy can be constituted as a soft skill. This article supports my argument that greek organizations score higher on soft skills. For my paper I will use this research and then tie in personal examples of how greek life can benefit self efficacy. 

Research Blog #8 Case

My case has changed from my research proposal but I have finally come at a final "case" or topic my paper will discuss. I will start by giving a definition of soft skills and than talk about what skills constitute as 'soft skills'. A few of these skills that will be talked about in my paper are interpersonal skills, communication skills, leadership, and emotional intelligence. I will use research as well as personal accounts and examples to show how being in a greek organization has further helped develop these skills and in some cases help individuals who prior did not have these skills acquire them. Based off all this I will show how being a member of a greek organization prepares individuals to be successful in the business world after college. I have many articles on the importance of soft skills in the workplace, as well as how fraternities indeed do develop these skills. I will use examples of certain situations and activities greek life provides which can bolster these skills. I will also use personal interviews of individuals in the real world who have benefited from being a member of a greek organization.

Research blog #7 Frame

At this point in my project I have a decent idea of what I am doing but I still have a few questions I will discuss with Professor Goeller when I meet with him this Wednesday. Most academic sources I have and am using are emphasizing the importance and practicality of soft skills. Although this a main component of my paper I am still missing a good amount of information on greek life and its relationship to soft skills. I will get more sources on this when I have decided on a final argument and counter argument for my paper. There are many different angles I am considering writing my paper using but I am not entirely sure which one would be the best and which I could write the strongest paper around. The academic sources I have now for my soft skills portion of the paper are very strong and when I decide on a correct angle I will look to find more strong sources for my paper.

Research Blog #6 Visual

Deepa, S., and Manisha Seth. "Do Soft Skills Matter? – Implications For Educators Based On Recruiters' Perspective." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 7-20. Business Source Premier. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.

- My paper deals with the importance of soft skills and how greek life can enhance and further develop these skills. For my image I wanted something that easily and clearly show the importance of soft skills. This image is from a survey to recruiting professionals on whether or not they believe soft skills are important. The results are extremely one sided and do show clearly that soft skills are very important in the workplace today. Almost 9/10 professionals agree they are important which is overwhelming evidence supporting my argument.

Lit Review #4

2)Deepa, S., and Manisha Seth. "Do Soft Skills Matter? – Implications For Educators Based On Recruiters' Perspective." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 7-20. Business Source Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

3) Summary: In the workplace today, individuals seldom work alone and many times must work together with at least one individual on a project. This teamwork requires soft skills. Many recruiters were interviewed in this study on what skills were important to them in potential candidates. The importance of soft skills was emphasized and communication skills were the #1 skills recruiters stated that employees need to succeed in the workplace. Although hard technical skills are always wanted and crucial, many recruiters in this article stated that if strong soft skills are shown in an interview it can go a long way.

4) Manisha Seth- specializes in human resource management, stress management, talent management, and teaching effectiveness. All domains which hr and employee health are under. She has been cited over 30 times and written various articles all revolving around employees in the workplace.

5) Key Terms: 1) Soft Skills (as defined in article) (may be best definition I have found)- umbrella term covering various survival skills such as communication and interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, leadership qualities, team skills, negotiation skills, time and stress management and business etiquettes.

2) Technical Expertise: opposite of soft skills. These are knowing what to do on the job such as how to work a computer etc. Although recruiters look for these skills, strong soft skills in an interview can help secure a job.

6) Quotes:

"Soft skills are necessary in the workplace for professional success. They are vital at every level of an organization if it is to function smoothly and productively" (page 8)

" Other surveys and studies also show that employers are often more concerned about soft skills or attitudes rather than technical knowledge or competencies." (page 9)

"The ability to effectively communicate with managers, superiors, bosses, and coworkers plays a definite role in workplace success." (page 16)

7) Value: Recruiters are the first step for individuals getting jobs. Many times it is hard for a recruiter to judge a persons technical skills besides what is stated on the individuals resume. This is where soft skills play a huge part. If the candidate can display good communication and interpersonal skills many times it leads to them getting a job. Interviewing well is a very important skill. This article also does research that shows almost 9/10 recruiters find soft skills to be very important which supports my argument. On top of that soft skills were one of the most selected skill set being considered a 'must have' for job success which also supports my argument.

 

Research Proposal

Matthew Zuccaro

Professor Goeller

College! 201

March 7, 2016

Research Proposal

Working Title: Greek Life: The Breeding Ground for Soft Skills

Topic:

My topic involves the debate of whether or not being a member of a Greek organization leads to the development of ‘soft skills’ or, are Greek organizations simply places that attract individuals more likely to already possess these skills because of their social nature. Soft skills are defined as personal attributes such as interpersonal skills and the ability to work and communicate with others.  This paper will explore not only whether or not fraternities and sororities help members develop soft skills more so than those not in a Greek organization, but also whether these soft skills are useful and adequate predictors of success in life after college.

Research Question:

            Does being a member of a fraternity or sorority help in the development of soft skills or do fraternities and sororities attract individuals who already possess these skills due to their social nature and structure. Are these soft skills even beneficial in the real world, or do managers not actually place too much emphasis on these skills.

Theoretical Frame:

            I started off by reading an article “Executive Perceptions Of The Top 10 Soft Skills Needed In Today’s Workplace” by Robles. This article not only showed the top soft skills needed but it also validated the importance of soft skills. This article made it well known that soft skills were desired in the workplace and that well developed soft skills are highly regarded by hiring managers. Just for clarification as well as tying sources together, I will continue to look into articles discussing the benefits of soft skills and their value in today’s workplace.  With the help of this article though, it was a big step in concluding the value and importance of soft skills in the workplace. In the article “Unchallenged, Professed Core Values: Do Undergraduate Fraternity/Sorority Members Actually Benefit In The Areas Of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, And Friendship?” by Long., a study was conducted and the results showed the fraternity and sorority members benefited in certain areas. A few of the areas in which they benefited that could be constituted as soft skills include leadership and friendship. This study was also a good start in showing benefits of fraternal membership.

            This topic is very relevant to me since I am a member of a fraternity. I truly believe being a member of one has greatly improved my soft skills and prepared me for life after college better than if I was not in a fraternity. Although I was always a social individual, I believe that by joining a fraternity my soft skills were improved much more and much faster than if I were not a member of one. I hope from my research I can find overwhelming evidence that being in a fraternity does help the growth of soft skills. I also hope to find overwhelming evidence of the importance of soft skills in the real world. If my research supports my theories I believe I can write an extremely well written paper.

Research Plan:

            Something I really hope to utilize in my paper is first hand sources such as interviews of individuals I know who were in Rutgers Greek life who now are successful in the professional world. I hope they can better answer my two main questions of my research. The first being if they think being a member of a fraternity helped their growth of soft skills and the second being whether these soft skills have helped them succeed in the business world. I think these first hand sources will greatly help my research. In addition to conducting interviews of current and former members of the Rutgers Greek community, I plan on exploring the article “Soft Skills as a Predictor of Perceived Internship Effectiveness and Permanent Placement Opportunity” by Dabke to see the value of soft skills in an internship. This is because internships are usually an individuals’ foot in the door when it comes to the professional world and by receiving favorable internship reviews, individuals will be set up for future success.

            To dive deeper into the world of college fraternities and sororities I plan to read the book “Inside Greek U.: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, Power, and Prestige” by Desantis. Hopefully this book can give me more of an insight into how certain choices and opportunities that come out of Greek life can alter the future for an individual. What I hope to get out of this is more so the positives created instead of the negatives.

            Although it seems like I am exploring a very broad range of ideas in the research proposal I hope through this broad search I can pull out ideas linking soft skills to Greek life. I feel as though being a member of a fraternity has really helped my soft skill development and I hope after extensive research I can prove this is also true universally.

Bibliography

Dabke, Deepika. "Soft Skills As A Predictor Of Perceived Internship Effectiveness And Permanent Placement Opportunity." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 9.4 (2015): 26-42. Business Source Premier. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

Deepa, S., and Manisha Seth. "Do Soft Skills Matter? – Implications For Educators Based On Recruiters' Perspective." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 7-20. Business Source Premier. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

DeSantis, Alan D. Inside Greek U: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of of Pleasure, Power, and Prestige. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Employers Seek Recent Graduates with Soft Skills, Found Best in the Liberal Arts – Christendom College." Christendom College RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

Long, Larry D. "Unchallenged, Professed Core Values: Do Undergraduate Fraternity/Sorority Members Actually Benefit In The Areas Of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, And Friendship?." College Student Affairs Journal 30.2 (2012): 15-30. ERIC. Web. 29 Feb. 2016

Robles, Marcel M. "Executive Perceptions Of The Top 10 Soft Skills Needed In Today’S Workplace." Business Communication Quarterly 75.4 (2012): 453-465. Business Source Premier. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.