Engineering person-thing orientation: Comparisons between first-year students and practicing engineers with implications for retention and professional placement

Academics, industrial leaders, and policy makers seem to agree that the United States can improve its ability to attract and retain engineering talent. Efforts aimed at addressing this need vary broadly from increasing the public´s awareness of the problem, to re-framing the identity of engineering, de-emphasizing its less glamorous aspects, and orienting engineering´s future toward solving the world´s greatest problems facing humanity. In doing so, it is suggested that engineering would be a more appealing profession to groups that are historically under-represented. The fundamental assumption of these efforts is that an improved image of engineering as a socially engaged helper of humanity will result in greater initial and prolonged interest in engineering. Research investigating engineering as a profession has found few examples of specific engineering disciplines considered socially sensitive. This may suggest engineering is a career choice better aligned with individuals who prefer working with things rather than people. This exploratory study will utilize the Graziano, Habashi, & Woodcock (2011) Person and Thing Orientation Scale to examine how these things versus person tendencies appear in engineering college students and practicing engineers. It aims to identify potential sources of differentiation for these preferences within and across the sample populations.