Marine Technology Society. Membership Needs Assessment Survey Report

Transcription

1 Marine Technology Society Membership Needs Assessment Survey Report March 2007 Bruce Gilman, P.E., President Judith T. Krauthamer, Executive Director Contents Introduction..2 Methodology 2 Key Findings... 2 Respondent Profile Conclusions Analysis by Age MTS page 1

2 Introduction The Marine Technology Society conducted a quantitative needs assessment survey; this survey was preceded by a series of qualitative interviews conducted among current and former members of the organization. Working with the information collected from this process, we designed, pre-tested, and fielded the survey instrument during the period of mid January through early February. This report is meant to provide an objective presentation of the final survey findings as we work through a detailed analysis of findings. Methodology With a contact sequence of an ed invitation and two reminders for members with deliverable addresses, and a faxed survey sent to members without a deliverable address, we received a total of 740 responses by the cutoff point for the project, an overall participation rate of 33% of all members contacted. We conducted the invitation on January 24 to 2,236 total s with a response rate of 13%; a reminder on January 26 with a response rate of 13%, and a final reminder on February 2 with a response rate of 12% by the response deadline of February 9 (because each reminder campaign went to successfully fewer members who were generally non-respondents the cumulative response is smaller than the response rates of each successive effort). In addition, some members responded during a pretest of the instrument or responded to faxes we sent if they did not have a deliverable address but did have a fax number in the MTS database. Key Findings First Exposure to MTS Member respondents generally first learned of MTS before joining by word of mouth from a colleague (39%), by registering for a conference (18%), in college/graduate school (14%), or by reading about MTS in a journal or other publication (9%). Other specific channels of first exposure to MTS include receiving a mailing, through the local/regional section, or from a Web search (9% combined) or other methods (10%). Reasons for Joining The primary reason for joining MTS is for professional growth and development, followed by to get news and information about marine technology. Combined, these two reasons were cited as the single primary reason by 70% of members, followed by 13% who joined primarily for local section networking, and a combined 17% who joined for other reasons such as discounted conference registration, or to support the field of marine technology. Note that the primary reason for joining differs by age group. Member respondents could cite all applicable secondary reasons for joining. News and information and professional growth and development were cited most often. However, the opportunity to support the marine technology field was the third secondary reason, followed by supporting the field and local section networking. MTS page 2

3 Combined (primary and secondary), the members rank to get news and information (#1), overall professional growth and development (#2), and access to local section networking (#3) as the top three reasons for joining. Prestige of being an MTS member Other To gain discount registration to MTS conferences Opportunity to support the marine technology field 14% 8% 20% 37% Primary Secondary Gain access to local section networking To get news and information about marine technology For overall professional growth and development 13% 34% 32% 56% 38% 45% 0% 30% 60% 90% Primary Secondary To gain discount registration to MTS conferences 6% 20% For overall professional growth and development 38% 45% Gain access to local section networking 13% 34% Prestige of being an MTS member 0% 14% Opportunity to support the marine technology field 7% 37% To get news and information about marine 32% 56% technology Other 5% 8% Another way to look at this data is to note how many respondents do not report specific benefits as primary or secondary reasons for joining: only 12% do not cite news/information, and 17% do not cite professional growth and development. Respondents generally do not rate intangible benefits highly. Factors such as the prestige of being a member or supporting the field are not commonly reported as being primary drivers of membership. Membership is primarily driven by the top two tangible benefits noted previously and, to a lesser extent, local sections and discounted registration for conferences (26% citing). However, this does vary by age. MTS page 3

4 Reasons for Retention The most common benefits received from remaining a member of MTS are split across the same professional growth/development (cited by 25% as their #1 benefit), and information delivery through formal methods such as regular news from MTS (22%) and MTS Journal (17%). Interpersonal opportunities are also important for some members, including making/maintaining local contacts (14%) and business development opportunities (14%), and other reasons including opportunities for leadership/volunteer and publishing/visibility (8% combined). Professional growth and development Regular news from MTS MTS Journal Making/maintaining local contacts 25% 22% 14% 22% 20% 7% 17% 15% 18% 14% 20% 8% Business development opportunities 14% 14% 20% Leadership/volunteer opportunities 3%4% 9% Opportunities for publishing/visibility 2%4% 23% #1 #2 #3 0% 15% 30% 45% 60% #1 #2 #3 MTS Journal 17% 15% 18% Regular news from MTS 22% 20% 7% Leadership/volunteer opportunities 3% 4% 9% Opportunities for publishing/visibility 2% 4% 23% Professional growth and development 25% 22% 14% Business development opportunities 14% 14% 20% Making/maintaining local contacts 14% 20% 8% Other 3% 1% 1% Renewals When asked how likely they would be to renew over the next 3-5 years, most members indicate that they are very likely (63%) although a sizeable number were somewhat likely (26%) or not sure (10%), while only 1% are not likely. This question is often not a reliable indicator of the future, as members who would be unlikely to renew are also unlikely to participate in surveys, and those who are at risk of attrition also may not be good predictors of this probable occurrence. Somewhat Likely 26% Not sure 10% Not likely 1% Very Likely 63% MTS page 4

5 Membership issues: dues and other Memberships Dues Overall, roughly half of the members pay for their membership dues; this ratio varies by age. How are dues paid < > 60 Self 67% 52% 38% 42% 68% Company/employer 26% 48% 61% 57% 28% Other 7% 0% 1% 1% 4% Other memberships National About one third belong to no other association. The remainder of members tend to belong to a wide variety of organizations. American Geophysical Union (14%), The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (11%), and IEEE (10%) have the highest overlap, while broad based engineering societies such as American Society of Civil Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (12% combined) or American Society of Naval Engineers and Association of Diving Contractors (7% combined) have relatively low overlaps. American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Association of Diving Contractors (ADC) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) American Geophysical Union (AGU) 3% 4% 5% 7% 10% 11% 14% No national associations 31% Other 45% 0% 15% 30% 45% Primary Affiliation. Forty Six percent of MTS (46%) members use their membership as their primary affiliation. This statistic is regardless of who pays the dues (self, employer or other). Other primary 54% MTS primary 46% In summary, roughly half of MTS members pay for their membership from their own pockets. Almost half of the membership uses MTS as their primary affiliation. Thus, the society provides, or needs to provide for these members the fundamental services and benefits of the larger societies. MTS page 5

6 Section Memberships Just over half (52%) of member respondents indicate holding a local section membership, most commonly in Houston (16%), Washington DC (8%), San Diego or New England (4% each), Hawaii or Pacific Northwest (3% each), Puget Sound (2%), or in other locations (9%). This likely means that roughly half of the members indicate an affiliation or identification with their local section. Local Section 52% Don't belong 48% Event Attendance The most important factors in member respondents' decisions to attend marine related conferences are generally based on topics and geographic location. Specific topics of the conference is critical (31% cite as their #1 factor, 55% among their top three) and geographic location (23% cite as #1 and 63% among their top three.) Each of the other reasons are cited by at most 10% as their #1 consideration. Note that cost of registration and cost of accommodates are more minor. Among a short list of supplier oriented concerns, the largest number indicate that conducting business (22%) is most frequently among their top three. Cost to exhibit and expected floor traffic are rarely cited as factors. However, it is possible that business members who exhibit did not participate in this survey: these results may be skewed in favor of attendees only. Specific topics covered on the agenda Geographic location of the meeting Time of year/potential scheduling conflicts Cost of registration Conducting business The identity/quality of presenters The time required to attend Cost of accommodations Expected floor traffic Cost to exhibit 31% 15% 10% 23% 20% 20% 10% 13% 13% 9% 11% 14% 8% 6% 8% 5% 11% 8% 5% 9% 11% 5% 8% 10% #1 #2 #3 0% 25% 50% 75% MTS page 6

7 #1 #2 #3 Cost of accommodations 5% 8% 10% Cost of registration 9% 11% 14% Geographic location of the meeting 23% 20% 20% The time required to attend 5% 9% 11% Time of year/potential scheduling conflicts 10% 13% 13% The identity/quality of presenters 5% 11% 8% Specific topics covered on the agenda 31% 15% 10% Cost to exhibit 2% 3% 3% Conducting business 8% 6% 8% Expected floor traffic 2% 3% 3% Other factor 1% 1% 1% Media Preferences The methods that member respondents most prefer for receiving information from MTS are generally printed newsletter (cited by 39% as their #1 preference and by 61% among their top three), (25% #1, 69% among top three), and online newsletter (23% #1 and 63% among top three). Thus, face to face meetings provide other key benefits, such as creating business contacts, and making and developing relationships, Printed newsletter 39% 12% 11% 25% 26% 19% Online newsletter 23% 25% 16% Web site 6% 20% 25% Local meetings #1 #2 #3 Snail mail 0% 25% 50% 75% #1 #2 #3 Printed newsletter 39% 12% 11% Online newsletter 23% 25% 16% 25% 26% 19% Snail mail 2% 6% 8% Web site 6% 20% 25% Local meetings 5% 10% 17% Face to face 0% 1% 3% Telephone 0% 1% 2% MTS page 7

8 Readership, Currents Newsletter Members generally indicate that they read only what interests them (70%), while a small number are "cover to cover" readers (28%). Behavior after reading the publication may include filing and referring back to it (14%), sharing the copy with others (12%), with very few overtly noting that they discard it (2%). (Many member respondents did not answer this multiple-response question regarding what they actually do with the publication once they are done.) The most commonly read sections are Science/Technology News (85%) and Business News (66%). Cover Stories (51%) and Society News (46%) are also commonly read. Eight other sections are read less often, including Section News, Calendar, and Legislative News (40%-42% each); Member/Others in the News, In the Spotlight (37% each), Resources, Committee News, and Education News (31%-33%) each. The MTS newsletter is read to a reasonable degree, with most members reading what they find interesting and almost 30% reading cover to cover. Readership is highest for science/technology and business news and the remainder of the editorial mix is read by between 30% to 50% of readers. There are no features that present clear opportunities for elimination based on these findings. Discard without reading 2% Share my copy with others 12% I file it and refer back to it 14% Read cover to cover 28% Read only what interests me 70% 0% 25% 50% 75% Web Site 55% visit less than monthly, 24% visit monthly, 8% several times a month, 2% at least weekly, and 10% never. Comments about what would drive members to the web are listed in the appendix. At least weekly 2% Monthly 24% Several times a month 8% Never 10% Less than monthly 56% MTS page 8

9 Benefits and Services Member respondents were presented with a list of nine MTS services and asked to rate the importance and satisfaction of each. A total of 32% of member respondents rated none as extremely important, while 26% rated only one, 28% rated two or three, and 15% rated four or more as extremely important. In descending order of importance, Currents (3.9), Oceans (3.8), the MTS Web site and MTS Online Journal (3.7 each) rate relatively high, with E-News (3.6), and Section programs, other conferences, and student programs (3.5 each) rating lower. Outreach (advocacy, public and external) has the lowest importance, at 3.3. Currents newsletter Annual Oceans MTS/IEEE Conference MTS Web site as a resource MTS Online Journal E-News online newsletter Section level programs/lunches/events UI, DP, Ropes, or Buoys Conferences Student programs/outreach/development Advocacy/public/external outreach Satisfaction Level The satisfaction scores generally rate higher, unusual within associations where there are often negative gaps between member expectations and association performance. The gap is never substantial, but Currents (4.0), MTS Online Journal (3.9), and E-News (3.8) all received average scores of 0.2 or higher for satisfaction compared to perceived importance. Importance Satisfaction Currents newsletter Annual Oceans MTS/IEEE Conference MTS Web site as a resource MTS Online Journal E-News online newsletter Section level programs/lunches/events UI, DP, Ropes, or Buoys Conferences Student programs/outreach/development Advocacy/public/external outreach MTS page 9

10 Association Image On a five point scale where five corresponds to strongly agree, MTS is most frequently viewed as providing good value for the dues that members pay (4.2 average score), and for communicating regularly and effectively with members (4.0). Below this level, many member respondents also agree that MTS does an excellent job of meeting professional needs (3.9), has a powerful voice regarding marine technology issues (3.7), membership allows respondents to make positive contributions to marine technology and ocean science (3.7), is highly responsive to the needs of its members (3.6), and responds quickly to changes in the industry/field (3.6). MTS provides good value for the dues that I pay MTS communicates regularly and effectively with members MTS does an excellent job of meeting my professional needs MTS has a powerful voice regarding marine technology issues MTS membership allows me to make positive contributions to marine technology and ocean science MTS is highly responsive to the needs of its members MTS responds quickly to changes in our industry/field In a second series of more internally focused questions, members are most likely to agree that MTS is a very "volunteer-driven" organization (4.0 average score), headquarters staff do their jobs well (3.9), and leaders serve their roles well (3.9). Members are also likely to agree that MTS facilitates effective interaction/networking with peers (3.8), that they have a very good understanding of the mission that MTS serves (3.7), they have sufficient opportunity to hold leadership roles (3.7), and MTS provides effective vehicles for business development (3.6). The only statement regarding MTS that received lower levels of agreement was the statement "I feel very connected to the MTS leadership:" this statement received only a 3.2, or an average score very close to a neutral level of agreement or disagreement. MTS is a very "volunteerdriven" organization 4.03 MTS headquarters staff do their jobs well 3.91 MTS leaders serve their roles well M TS facilitates effective interaction/networking with my peers I have a very good understanding of the mission that MTS serves I have sufficient opportunity to h o ld le a d e r s h ip r o le s in MTS MTS provides effective vehicles for business development I fe e l ve ry c o n n e c te d to th e MTS leadership MTS page 10

11 Education Program Feasibility Member respondents were asked to indicate their interest level in participating in two possible new programs. The first was a mini-conference with approximately 200 attendees presenting education in one specific, targeted topical area: 74% indicated that they might attend an event covering a topic of interest; 16% indicated they would definitely attend, and 10% indicated that they would not attend at all. The second was more opportunities for distance learning programs offering opportunities to hear presentations on topics of interest and interact with peers without travel or face to face contact: 63% indicated that they might participate, 17% would definitely participate, and 20% would not participate at all. 10% M in i-c o n fe re n c e 74% 16% 20% Not at all interested M ig h t W o u ld d e fin ite ly Distance learning 6 3 % 17% 0 % 2 0 % 4 0 % 6 0 % 8 0 % % Respondent Profile: Demographics Length of Membership: By cohort, 22% reported 1-2 years, 19% 2-3 years, 19% 4-6 years, and 21% 5 or more years. Member respondents indicate holding a membership in MTS for a mean of 9.4 years, a statistic that is skewed by the long tenure of some members. Experience in Field: Member respondents indicate a mean of 23.2 years of experience in the marine technology field. By cohort, 15% indicate 0-5 years, 9% 6-10 years, 19% years, 31% years, and 26% more than 30 years. Age: Member respondents indicate a mean age of 49.6 years. By cohort, 7% are under 30 years of age, 15% are 30 through 40 years of age, 27% are 41 through 50 years of age, 30% are 51 through 60 years of age, and 22% are over 60 years of age. Employer/employment setting: Other industry (24%), petroleum/gas industry (21%), academic/research institution (21%), consultant/self employed (19%), government/civil service (13%), military including civilian support (7%), or another setting (13%), Professional position: Principal such as President, CEO, COO, Owner or Partner (19%); senior management such as VP, Director, or Senior Manager (19%); Project Manager (15%); MTS page 11

12 Engineer/Scientist (14%); Chief/Senior Engineer/Scientist (12%); Academic (8%); Technician (2%), or other position (13%). Professional Interests Member respondents indicate a mean of 6.6 interests. These most commonly include Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (48%), ROV (41%), and Oceanographic Instrumentation (37%). Roughly one third each of members indicate Ocean Exploration (33%), Underwater Imaging (33%), and Ocean Energy (31%). Other interests indicated by at least one-fourth of members include Remote Sensing (30%), Physical Oceanography and Meteorology (29%), Deepwater Field Development Technology (26%), Marine Education (26%), and Offshore Structures (26%). Interests indicated by between one-fourth and one-fifth of members include Manned Underwater Vehicles (24%), Buoy Technology (23%), Cables and Connectors (23%), Moorings (23%), and Seafloor Engineering (21%). Interests indicated by less than one fifth of members include Diving (19%), Marine Architecture (18%), Marine Materials (18%), Dynamic Positioning (17%), Ocean Pollution (17%), Marine Law/Policy (16%), Ropes/Tension (16%), Marine Security (15%), Mineral Resources (11%), Ocean Econ Potential (11%), Marine Geodetic info (9%). Other interests are indicated by 15% of respondents. Function/Responsibilities: Engineering management (38%), engineering design (29%), marketing (28%), consulting (27%), administration (26%), sales (22%), other (21%), education/teaching (18%), mechanical engineering (13%), policy/regulatory (9%), retired (6%), public affairs (5%), legal (2%). Education: High school diploma (5%), Associate Degree (6%), 4-year Degree (32%), Graduate Degree (39%), or a Doctorate (18%). Gender: 88% of respondents are male and 12% are female. Future career plans: Generally member respondents are planning for a happy retirement (32%). Roughly one third of the membership is on the road to retirement. Promotion within the respondent's firm (30%). Few are looking for larger changes such as promotion outside the firm (8%), or changing roles outside the current focus/industry (9%), changing employment status such as employee to selfemployed (9%), or other changes (12%). Conclusions The Marine Technology Society is uniquely positioned to support and enhance the marine technology community, but it faces significant challenges. MTS's future depends on effectively meeting the needs of the one-fifth of members who are new to the association while meeting the needs and expectations of those who have belonged for a very long time. The majority of the membership has more than ten years of professional experience while over half have over 20 years of experience, yet the society must appeal to and retain members who are earlier in their career. The vast majority of the members are male, but there is a small, significant population of females. Thus, one of the society s greatest challenges will be recruiting, identifying and meeting the needs of younger members and a more diverse population of minority and female members. For example, members are relatively split between printed newsletters and online newsletters/ s for association communications. This is an interesting reminder that, although association Web sites are often a key focal point of staff attention and are often used heavily as a repository for information, they are the preferred method of communication and information access for younger members. [For this reason, a separate breakdown of survey responses, by age, is provided at the end of this report.] MTS page 12

13 MTS's future also depends on effectively meeting the needs of an educated but professionally diversified constituency. The MTS membership profile consists of a wide range of responsibilities that emphasize engineering management and design. However, roughly one fifth of the membership is in marketing and sales; consulting and administration; education. The positions that members commonly hold are evenly spread across principals, senior management, project management, and chief or other engineer/scientist positions. The other obvious source of professional diversity comes from a sizeable number of members spread across employment settings, with roughly one fifth each in other industry, petroleum/gas, academic/research institutions, consultants/self-employed, or government/civil service/military. As a result of this diversity, it will be necessary to identify the primary benefits/services that support the MTS audience. Currently, when members think of MTS in terms of its services, one third do not regard any services as extremely important and another one fourth regard only one service as extremely important. Thus, while satisfaction is reasonable (just below "somewhat important" scores for Currents, the Oceans Conference, and online services) none are seen as truly critical. The key drive of these lower scores is typically the diversity of membership- as each group uses different services, and no one service is highly valued by a very high proportion of the membership. Or, it might also be that the society simply has not yet identified those services that are of fundamental critical importance to the members. Presently, most members tend to join MTS predominantly for tangible benefits of professional growth and development or news and information about marine technology. Relatively few join for the local section or conferences. Nevertheless, the degree to which members learn about MTS via word of mouth reinforces the importance of recruitment methods that emphasize peer-to-peer communications. Topics and geographic location are the primary drivers of attendance at most meetings. Given that timing and cost are not cited as significant impediments to attending existing programs, MTS will probably have considerable flexibility in planning the format and finances of these activities to maximize participation. MTS is unusual in the sense that member satisfaction outstrips perceived importance. MTS succeeds in a difficult environment. The society cannot and should not try to operate as all things to all members. Future programs and resources will have to be clearly defined. Fortunately our metrics for satisfaction and other perceptions suggest that MTS does a good job of meeting the needs of the portion of a diverse audience that has chosen to belong. In addition, MTS' value proposition is high, with a majority of members agreeing that it offers good value for the dues. MTS tends to communicate well and is seen as agile and responsive to needs as they arise among members and the industry. Based on member perceptions, we also do not see trouble spots in the perceived quality of staffing, leadership, and structure. Corresponding to the perception of good communications, members also tend to indicate that they understand the MTS mission well. They have enough opportunity to serve as leaders but they don't feel very connected with the actual leadership. This coupled with a rough comparison of these average scores to those of other associations suggests adequate performance with some room for potential improvement. Roughly half of MTS members pay for their membership from their own pockets. Almost half of the membership uses MTS as their primary affiliation. Thus, the society provides, or needs to provide for these members the fundamental services and benefits of the larger societies. This challenge presents an excellent opportunity for growth. MTS page 13

14 Analysis by Age First Exposure to MTS We found that all members tend to learn about MTS through word of mouth from colleagues, except younger members who are far more likely to learn through school. Pockets of older members tend to also learn through conference registration while some of the oldest members indicate that they learned though other methods, such as by founding the organization. How heard of MTS < > 60 Word of mouth from a colleague 9% 40% 42% 39% 42% By registering for a conference 5% 14% 19% 24% 15% Reading about MTS in a journal or other publication 5% 9% 9% 13% 10% Received a mailing 0% 0% 1% 1% 4% Through my local/regional section 0% 6% 7% 3% 3% In college/graduate school 59% 14% 11% 10% 6% From a Web search 7% 8% 4% 2% 0% Other 16% 10% 6% 8% 21% The importance of professional growth as a reason for joining MTS is high particularly among younger members but declines with older cohorts, while correspondingly the need for news and information increases in importance among older cohorts of MTS members. Single most important reason for joining < > 60 To gain discount registration to MTS conferences 0% 6% 6% 10% 2% For overall professional growth and development 48% 46% 38% 34% 36% To gain access to local section networking 7% 14% 10% 16% 13% For the prestige of being an MTS member 3% 0% 1% 0% 0% For the opportunity to support the marine technology field 3% 4% 6% 6% 13% To get news and information about marine technology 24% 24% 36% 29% 34% Other 14% 6% 3% 4% 2% Secondary reasons To gain discount registration to MTS conferences 18% 22% 30% 18% 13% For overall professional growth and development 55% 44% 44% 48% 43% To gain access to local section networking 34% 40% 40% 31% 24% For the prestige of being an MTS member 30% 14% 19% 9% 14% For the opportunity to support the marine technology field 41% 42% 39% 32% 38% To get news and information about marine technology 59% 63% 54% 56% 52% Other 25% 11% 6% 5% 7% The most important driver of retention is also professional growth and development among younger members, declining among older members. The journal, regular news, business development and local contacts fluctuate by age cohort but are generally more important for older members. Most important benefit from remaining a member < > 60 MTS Journal 12% 15% 17% 18% 16% Regular news from MTS 12% 23% 22% 22% 26% Leadership/volunteer opportunities 3% 3% 1% 5% 4% Opportunities for publishing/visibility 3% 1% 3% 2% 1% MTS page 14

15 Professional growth and development 39% 30% 27% 21% 22% Business development opportunities 3% 10% 16% 17% 12% Making/maintaining local contacts 12% 13% 12% 13% 18% Other 15% 5% 1% 2% 2% The tendency to belong to other national societies doesn't tend to rise with age until the member reaches 60, although the number of association memberships held does appear to increase steadily among those who do hold other memberships. Membership in some specific organizations such as SNAME tends to have a high overlap among younger members, while membership in AGU tends to increase steadily with older members. Oddly older members tend to be less likely to regard MTS as their primary professional affiliation, although they also tend to be more likely to belong to an MTS local section. Other national professional societies < > 60 The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers 32% 6% 11% 7% 12% (SNAME) American Geophysical Union (AGU) 0% 12% 14% 14% 20% Other specifics (ADC, ASCE, ASME, ASNE, IEEE) 23% 31% 28% 27% 35% Other (fill in the blank) 45% 42% 45% 46% 53% No national associations 25% 30% 30% 32% 25% Regard MTS as your primary professional affiliation 52% 54% 46% 43% 44% Belong to an MTS local section 24% 51% 54% 57% 61% Young members are much more likely to be unsure if they will renew over the next 3-5 years, but the likelihood of renewing increases over the age of 30. Likely to renew, next 3-5 years < > 60 Very likely 30% 60% 70% 71% 68% Somewhat likely 41% 29% 22% 20% 24% Not sure 27% 10% 8% 8% 7% Not likely 2% 1% 1% 1% The importance of services tends to decline with the members' age: the average of importance scores for all services drops from above 3.8 among members under 30 to below 3.5 among members over 60. The sharpest drops are shown for Oceans conference, the Web site, and the online journal. Not surprisingly, the importance of student programs declines sharply among members older than 30 years of age, and the importance of section programs increases sharply among the same group in the and then the over-60 age ranges. Importance of general MTS services < > 60 MTS Online Journal MTS Web site as a resource Currents newsletter E-News online newsletter Annual Oceans MTS/IEEE Conference UI, DP, Ropes, Buoys Conferences Advocacy/public/external outreach Section level programs/lunches/events Student programs/outreach/development MTS page 15

16 In contrast, aggregate satisfaction doesn't shift much over time, although it increases among older members for specific services such as Currents and Section programs, dips in the 30s for Oceans Conference, peaks in the 30s for the MTS Online Journal and in the 40s for other conferences, and declines steadily for the Web site. Satisfaction with MTS performance < > 60 MTS Online Journal MTS Web site as a resource Currents newsletter E-News online newsletter Annual Oceans MTS/IEEE Conference UI, DP, Ropes, Buoys Conferences Advocacy/public/external outreach Section level programs/lunches/events Student programs/outreach/development The average perceptions of MTS, aggregated for 15 different dimensions or statements, do increase with the members' age. The average score sharply increases among members in their 30s, then stays at a plateau through 60, and increases sharply again. Areas with the sharpest growth in positive perception with age include being "volunteer driven," understanding of the mission, opportunities to hold leadership positions, and the performance of leaders. The only areas where perception remains relatively constant with age concerns MTS' responsiveness to member needs, and the two areas where it declines among older members are MTS as a powerful voice, and MTS responding quickly to changes in the field. Agreement with statements < > 60 MTS provides good value for the dues that I pay MTS does an excellent job of meeting my professional needs MTS has a powerful voice regarding marine technology issues MTS membership allows me to make positive contributions to marine technology and ocean science MTS is highly responsive to the needs of its members MTS communicates regularly and effectively with members MTS responds quickly to changes in our industry/field MTS headquarters staff do their jobs well MTS is a very "volunteer-driven" organization MTS leaders serve their roles well I have sufficient opportunity to hold leadership roles in MTS I feel very connected to the MTS leadership I have a very good understanding of the mission that MTS serves MTS facilitates effective interaction/networking with my peers MTS provides effective vehicles for business development Younger members are more likely to have a definite interest in attending/participating in miniconferences and distance learning, although interest in the latter declines at a later age than does interest in the former. Interest in mini-conference < > 60 Would definitely attend 20% 22% 16% 14% 10% MTS page 16

17 Might attend 68% 73% 78% 75% 77% Would not attend at all 11% 5% 6% 11% 13% Interest in distance learning programs Would definitely participate 26% 29% 24% 8% 9% Might participate 65% 60% 59% 68% 63% Not at all interested in participating 9% 11% 17% 23% 29% Cost is one factor that matters greatly to younger members, then becomes relatively unimportant as members grow older. The importance of topics peaks in the 40s and 50s, while location peaks among those in their 30s and those over 60. The other factors are less important in general although time of year tends to be another factor that deters participation among some members under 50. Importance of factors in attendance decision < > 60 Cost of accommodations 24% 3% 2% 4% 4% Specific topics covered on the agenda 24% 26% 33% 33% 31% Geographic location of the meeting 21% 32% 15% 19% 33% Cost of registration 14% 10% 10% 8% 6% Time of year/potential scheduling conflicts 10% 10% 15% 9% 5% The identity/quality of presenters 2% 3% 5% 6% 8% Potential for conducting business 2% 6% 12% 9% 5% Other factor 2% 0% 1% 1% 2% The time required to attend 0% 4% 4% 8% 6% Cost to exhibit 0% 6% 1% 2% 0% Expected floor traffic at the exhibition 0% 0% 2% 3% 1% Younger members tend to prefer over online newsletters and are far less likely to prefer a printed newsletter; this preference changes among older members as interest in online newsletters peaks among those in their 40s, and peaks among those over 60 for printed newsletters. Preferred method, receiving industry/professional < > 60 information Printed newsletter 30% 34% 31% 42% 46% Online newsletter 16% 20% 30% 21% 20% 37% 34% 26% 23% 17% Snail mail 5% 3% 2% 1% 2% Web site 7% 3% 5% 8% 4% Local meetings 5% 3% 5% 5% 9% The degree to which members use the website varies considerably and predictably by age range. The oldest members are three times as likely as the youngest members to never access the MTS site, while the youngest members are twice as likely to access monthly and four times as likely to access several times a month. Frequency of Web access < > 60 Never 5% 6% 10% 9% 17% Less than monthly 44% 58% 54% 56% 59% Monthly 35% 24% 23% 26% 19% Several times a month 16% 8% 11% 7% 4% At least weekly 0% 4% 2% 2% 1% MTS page 17

18 Older members are most likely to read Currents cover to cover, and they indicate reading slightly more sections on and younger members are least likely to pass on issues to others. Some specific sections that are better-read among younger members include Resources and In the Spotlight, while readership of Cover Stories and Science and Technology News remain relatively high and unchanged by age range. How read Currents newsletter < > 60 Read only what interests me 74% 74% 72% 70% 64% Read cover to cover 24% 25% 26% 27% 35% I file it and refer back to it 17% 16% 17% 10% 15% Discard without reading 2% 2% 4% 3% 1% Share my copy with others 2% 11% 11% 14% 13% Which are read/found of interest in Currents < > 60 Business News 40% 63% 69% 76% 63% Society News 35% 50% 38% 46% 57% Section News 22% 46% 43% 38% 52% Committee News 17% 25% 30% 32% 43% Member/Others in the News 30% 32% 35% 38% 45% Legislative News 20% 39% 40% 43% 42% Education News 63% 32% 28% 28% 28% Science and Technology News 88% 82% 81% 87% 85% Resources 40% 35% 38% 29% 28% Calendar 35% 27% 48% 42% 42% Cover Stories 50% 43% 55% 52% 48% In the Spotlight 43% 41% 41% 31% 32% To some degree of course, our analysis of the effect of age on association related behavior and attitudes tends to also reflect some other demographic differences that may be driving behavior. Because different age cohorts may have unique profiles in terms of employment setting, professional position, or education, we also examined the relationship between the variables. We find that the younger members naturally are far more likely to indicate academia/research as a setting, while the oldest members are far more likely to be self employed/consultants. Older members also tend to also hold more management positions while younger members hold technical/scientific positions, and members in their 30s are most likely to hold a graduate degree while the oldest members are more likely to hold doctorates. Employer/employment setting < > 60 Military (including civilian support positions) 12% 5% 11% 7% 4% Government/Civil Service 5% 19% 14% 14% 9% Petroleum/Gas Industry 19% 29% 22% 22% 15% Academia/Research Institution 42% 23% 20% 18% 19% Industry, Other 14% 20% 27% 29% 20% Other 23% 11% 8% 7% 24% Consultant/Self Employed 7% 10% 17% 17% 34% Professional position Principal President/CEO/COO/Owner/Partner 0% 6% 18% 26% 25% MTS page 18

19 Senior management VP, Director, Senior Manager 0% 17% 25% 21% 15% Academic 25% 10% 5% 4% 7% Project Manager 9% 18% 17% 17% 9% Chief/Senior Engineer/Scientist 0% 12% 14% 14% 10% Engineer/Scientist 32% 22% 14% 7% 12% Technician 0% 4% 2% 2% 0% Other 34% 11% 5% 8% 22% Education level < > 60 H.S. Diploma 18% 1% 6% 5% 3% Associate Degree 7% 9% 8% 6% 3% 4-year Degree 45% 28% 31% 33% 29% Graduate Degree 30% 50% 41% 35% 37% Doctorate 0% 12% 15% 21% 28% Gender Male 57% 79% 91% 91% 94% Female 43% 21% 9% 9% 6% Experience (average) Years in the marine technology field Average member tenure Years of experience upon joining MTS page 19