FACTORS OF ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES INFLUENCING ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS: A STUDY EXAMINING GEN Y MBA STUDENTS

Abstract

In the recent decade organizations have focused their attention on Gen Y individuals as they are rapidly entering the workforce and set to outnumber other generations. These individuals have distinct characteristics that are different from the previous generation. In order to attract and retain these individuals, organizations need to understand their preferences. The study examines the organizational attributes preferred by Gen Y MBA students and to what extent these attributes influence their attractiveness towards potential employers. Participants consisted of 483 MBA students from institutes in Coimbatore offering Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and in their second year of the two-year full time MBA program. Self-administered questionnaires are used to gather data. Organizational Attributes exhibited significant effects on Organizational Attractiveness. The factors ‘Organizational Reputation’, ‘Development Opportunities’ and ‘Work-Life Balance’ emerge as the most predominant predictor of Organizational Attractiveness for management students. Further, gender differences were observed only for the attribute ‘Training and Development’. Gender differences are not observed in any other attribute. The results of the study will be useful to organizations in focusing on the attributes that the young management graduates find attractive. Also, they can use this knowledge to frame suitable recruitment strategies to attract management graduates and thereby ensure effective recruitment.