Building Bridges? An Assessment of Academic and Practitioner ...

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R. P. Battaglio, Jr. & M. J. ScicchitanoTable 3.Impact of Selected Variables on Member Perceptions of ASPA Services (odds ratioswith confidence levels in parentheses)Independent VariablesDependentVariableAcademicMemberYears inASPAPrimaryAssociationGenderAgeEducationChi 2NPublications0.261(1.298)0.001(1.001)0.084(1.088)–0.140(0.869)0.012*(1.012)0.332**(1.393)12.15** 550ContinuingEducation andProfessionalDevelopment–0.166(0.847)0.008(1.008)–0.251(0.778)0.097(1.102)0.030***(1.030)–0.260*(0.771)25.98*** 524Support andRecognition forthe Profession0.099(1.104)–0.008(0.992)0.205(1.227)0.336*(1.399)–0.009(0.991)0.120(1.127)9.24 538Create andUpholdProfessionalStandards–0.532**(0.588)–0.007(0.993)0.137(1.147)0.501**(1.650)0.007(1.007)0.316**(1.372)18.95** 544NetworkingOpportunities0.261(1.298)0.001(1.001)0.084(1.088)–0.140(0.869)0.012*(1.012)0.332**(1.393)12.15** 550Public AdministrationReview0.121(1.128)–0.009*(0.991)0.078(1.081)–0.330*(0.719)0.017**(1.017)0.285*(1.329)14.27** 533The PublicManager–0.062(0.940)–0.012(0.988)0.255(1.458)–0.090(0.914)0.036***(1.037)–0.056(0.946)8.27 278The ASPANational Conference–0.059(0.943)0.002(1.002)0.323(1.381)0.419*(1.521)0.021**(1.021)0.295*(1.344)14.03** 380Web-basedTraining(webinars)–0.0713*(0.490)–0.009(0.991)0.268(1.307)0.184(1.202)0.012(1.012)–0.201(0.818)15.58** 249***p ≤ .001; **p ≤ .05; *p ≤ .10Note. Exp(b) in parentheses. Exp(b) = factor change in odds for unit increase in X.outcome, holding all other variables constant (Long & Freese, 2006). Turning tothe results of the logistic regressions for Table 3, education is a strong predictoracross the models. The results suggest that the more educated respondents are 1.39times more likely to feel that publications were important to ASPA membership.Indeed, the same can be said regarding the importance of upholding professionalstandards and networking: More educated respondents are 1.37 and 1.39 times760 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Building Bridges?more likely to view each respective ASPA service positively. Somewhat surprisingly,the more educated respondents appear to be less enthusiastic toward continuingeducation (33% less likely) as a service priority of ASPA. Interestingly, academicrespondents are roughly 42% less likely to support creating and upholding professionalstandards as a priority for ASPA. Perhaps as the literature suggests (see Ryneset al., 2002; Rynes et al., 2007), the intellectual approaches of academics are moreof a priority as opposed to the ethical concerns of practitioners that appeal to theirdeference for authority and hierarchy (Roper, 2002). Regarding gender, we findthat female respondents are more likely to affirm the importance of support andrecognition for the profession (1.4 times more likely than men) and of creating andupholding professional standards (1.65 times more likely than men) as ASPA priorities.Lastly, older respondents are 1.03 times more likely to support continuingeducation and 1.01 times more likely to support networking as ASPA priorities.The last four items in Table 3 offer logistic regressions for perceptions of specificpublications and webinars offered through ASPA membership. Once again, thelikelihood ratios (Chi²) for the regressions in Table 3 indicate that the models asa whole are statistically significant, excluding The Public Manager. In looking at theresults for Public Administration Review (PAR), we find that female respondentsand those with longer tenure in ASPA are less likely to perceive the journal as animportant part of membership. However, older and more educated respondentswere more favorable to the utility of the journal as a part of ASPA membership.Female respondents, older respondents, and more educated respondents eachviewed the importance of ASPA’s national conference favorably. Interestingly,regarding Web-based training, academic members were 51% less likely to viewthis benefit as an important aspect of ASPA services.Turning to Table 4, the likelihood ratios (Chi²) for the regressions indicatethat the models as a whole are statistically significant excluding the creation of anonprofit management center and improving the quality of government. Notsurprisingly, respondents whose primary professional association is ASPA are morelikely to support most of the items as future orientations for the organization. Theresults were statistically significant for all of the service priorities except for theCertified Public Manager (CPM) program. Interestingly, we see a number ofsignificant differences between academics and practitioners regarding the futureof ASPA. When asked about establishing professional credentialing and resourcesfor career advancement as priorities for ASPA, academics were 1.52 and 1.73 timesmore likely than practitioners to support these goals than practitioners were whencontrolling for all other variables. Additionally, academics were 1.67 times morelikely than practitioners to support more global initiatives as a priority for ASPA.Age is also a consistent predictor across the models; older respondents’ perceptionsof ASPA priorities were more favorable than those of their younger counterparts. 5Turning to gender, female respondents are 1.9 times more likely than their malecounterparts to support social equity initiatives as an ASPA priority. Curiously,respondents with longer tenure in ASPA were less than favorable toward socialequity and professional credentialing as ASPA priorities moving forward.Journal of Public Affairs Education 761
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