Life in Balance Survey
Life in Balance
A LIFE IN BALANCE
STATEWIDE SURVEY RESULTS
April 2005
1. Would you say the overall level of public trust in corporate America is:
3% HIGH
41% MEDIUM
51% LOW
4% REFUSED/NO OPINION
2. What do you think is the single most important trait or characteristic needed for a person to succeed in business today?
15% HONESTY
7% STRONG MORAL CHARACTER
20% INTEGRITY/ETHICAL
3% KNOWLEDGEABLE/SMART
7% SELF ASSURED/CONFIDENT
15% HARD WORKING
3% RESPECT OTHERS
5% LEADERSHIP ABILITY
8% CREATIVE/INNOVATIVE
0% CHALLENGE AUTHORITY
1% PLAY BY THE RULES
7% ENTREPRENEURIAL/TAKES RISKS
3% RUTHLESSNESS
3% OTHER
3% REFUSED/NO OPINION
3. What would you say is the main reason you selected your current business or occupation?
7% MONEY/PAY
21% FAMILY BUSINESS
11% COMMUNITY/SOCIETAL GOOD
30% PERSONAL INTEREST
26% FITS MY ABILITIES
5% REFUSED/NO OPINION
4. How important do you think it is for a business person to balance his/her professional career with family life or recreational time?
83% VERY IMPORTANT
14% SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
1% SOMEWHAT UNIMPORTANT
1% VERY UNIMPORTANT
1% REFUSED/NO OPINION
5. Thinking of how you spend your own time, would you say you spend TOO MUCH, ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT, or TOO LITTLE time on business or professional activities?
38% TOO MUCH
54% ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT
6% TOO LITTLE
2% REFUSED/NO OPINION
6. Thinking of how you spend your own time, would you say you spend TOO MUCH, ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT, or TOO LITTLE time on family or personal recreational activities?
1% TOO MUCH
49% ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT
48% TOO LITTLE
1% REFUSED/NO OPINION
7. Do you think it is MORE, ABOUT THE SAME, or LESS difficult to balance business/career demands with family and leisure time activities than it was ten years ago?
33% SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DIFFICULT
37% SOMEWHAT MORE DIFFICULT
21% ABOUT THE SAME
6% SOMEWHAT LESS DIFFICULT
1% SIGNIFCIANT LESS DIFFICULT
2% REFUSED/NO OPINION
8. Do you belong to a “service” club or organization (IE; Rotary, Lions, Kiwanias)?
32% YES
66% NO
2% REFUSED
9. How many hours per week to you dedicate to performing volunteer or community service activities?
35% None
27% 1 – 2
20% 3 – 5
7% 6 – 9
5% 10 – 15
1% 16 – 19
2% Over 20
2% REFUSED
10. Do you belong to any sort of a professional or trade organization?
63% YES
35% NO
2% REFUSED
11. Do you regularly attend church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious services?
59% YES
39% NO
2% REFUSED
12. Do you serve in any volunteer capacity at your church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious institution?
38% YES
60% NO
20% REFUSED
13. Do you rely on your religious beliefs to help guide you in making moral business decisions?
77% YES
21% NO
2% REFUSED
14. Do you turn to your religious beliefs to help relieve stress and restore tranquility to your life?
41% FREQUENTLY
41% SOMETIMES
17% NOT AT ALL
1% REFUSED
15. Do you now or have you ever served as an adult leader for youth activities (ie: sports coach, scout leader)?
60% YES
38% NO
2% REFUSED
16. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statement: “The most important measure of success is how much money a person makes.”
1% STRONGLY AGREE
16% SOMEWHAT AGREE
23% SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
58% STRONGLY DISAGREE
2% REFUSED/NO OPINION
17. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statement: “The most important measure of success is what others think of you.”
10% STRONGLY AGREE
38% SOMEWHAT AGREE
23% SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
27% STRONGY DISAGREE
2% REFUSED/NO OPINION
18. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statement: “The most important measure of success is what a person does to help others.”
34% STRONGLY AGREE
55% SOMEWHAT AGREE
8% SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
2% STRONGLY DISAGREE
1% REFUSED/NO OPINION
19. What would you say is the single most important personal characteristic or quality needed to succeed in business today?
4% FORMAL EDUCATION
3% PREVIOUS JOB EXPERIENCE
1% MARITAL STATUS
2% QUALITY OF REFERENCES
24% INTELLIGENCE/ABILITY
56% ENTHUSIASM/WORK ETHIC
6% OTHER
4% REFUSED
20. Does your business (or place of employment) have a written “code of ethics,” or other official policy governing employee conduct?
49% YES
47% NO
1% DON’T KNOW
3% REFUSED/NO OPINION
21. Has your business (or place of employment) ever conducted seminars, or offered any formal instruction to employees on the subject of business ethics?
27% YES
69% NO
2% DON’T KNOW
2% REFUSED/NO OPINION
22. Does your business (or place of employment) have in place any formal review process to ensure that managers and employees are operating in a legal and ethical manner?
38% YES
54% NO
2% DON’T KNOW
6% REFUSED/NO OPINION
SECTION II: EMPLOYEES
1. How well do you think Pennsylvania ’s public schools are preparing students for jobs in the workplace?
2% VERY WELL
32% SOMEWHAT WELL
37% SOMEWHAT POORLY
22% VERY POORLY
7% REFUSED/NO OPINION
2. When recruiting key employees, do you find prospective hires to be MORE, ABOUT THE SAME, or LESS concerned with “quality of life issues than they were ten years ago?
10% SIGNIFICANTLY MORE
25% SOMEWHAT MORE
26% ABOUT THE SAME
14% SOMEWHAT LESS
6% SIGNIFICANTLY LESS
19% REFUSED/NO OPINION
3. Do you find employees MORE or LESS willing to work overtime, or more than a traditional 40-hour week, than they were ten years ago?
1% MUCH MORE WILLING
10% MORE WILLING
33% ABOUT THE SAME
36% LESS WILLING
8% MUCH LESS WILLING
12% REFUSED/NO OPINION
4. Do you find the level of personal responsibility and work ethic of employees today to be BETTER, ABOUT THE SAME, or WORSE than it was five years ago?
1% SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER
5% SOMEWHAT BETTER
34% ABOUT THE SAME
43% SOMEWHAT WORSE
14% SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE
3% REFUSED/NO OPINION
SECTION III: DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS
1. Are you a:
70% MALE
28% FEMALE
2% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
2. What is your age group?
2% 18 – 30
11% 31 – 40
30% 41 – 50
40% 51 – 65
14% Over 65
3% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
3. In what category would you place your income for the past year?
7% Under $20,000
8% $20,000 – $30,000
20% $30,000 – $50,000
20% $50,000 – $75,000
13% $75,000 – $100,000
24% Over $100,000
9% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
4. Are you a:
58% REPUBLICAN
25% DEMOCRAT
8% INDEPENDENT
5% NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE
4% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
5. How would you describe your religious affiliation”
49% PROTESTANT
28% CATHOLIC
2% JEWISH
0% HINDU
1% ORTHODOX
14% OTHER
6% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
6. What is the highest level of education you have completed:?
5% SECONDARY EDUCATION
30% HIGH SCHOOL
13% POST-SECONDARY CERTIFICATE
28% FOUR YEAR-DEGREE
21% GRADUATE DEGREE
3% NO ANSWER/REFUSED
METHODOLOGY: A total of 793 Pennsylvania business owners, chief executive officers, or top managers replied to the Lincoln Institute’s Life in Balance survey which was conducted using a combination of electronic and direct mail surveys. The survey was conducted from mid-March thru early April, 2005.
