ALUMNI IMPACT STUDY Getting to know the past to understand the present and plan for the future
INTRODUCTION
STUDY SUMMARY
The world is changing and facing new challenges, therefore a new generation of leaders capable of overcoming them is needed.
This study was conducted by
AIESEC
With over three billion of the globe’s population under the age of
between
30, there is a strong need to invest in globally-minded youth to
August 2010, with the aim
lead the change the world hopes to see.
to determine the impact that
AIESEC is the world’s largest student-driven organization. Present in over 107 countries, the organization has been preparing leaders to overcome different challenges for the past 60 years.
June
Canada* 2010
and
AIESEC Canada has in its members.
The
following
summary gives an overview of the main results.
Through cultural experiences and leadership roles, AIESEC has managed to impact society on many levels through its various programs.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS This is a qualitative and quantitative study. The quantitative section was analyzed through an online survey, and the qualitative features were extracted from interviews. The participants from the online survey and interviews were alumni from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s. Altogether, 234 alumni participated in the evaluation.
PARTICIPANTS BACKGROUND GENERAL BACKGROUND General background i nformation w as c ompiled in a ddition to information related to t he A IESEC Experience. H owever, it i s important to point out that for basic information, participants were given the choice t o answer t he q uestionnaire a nonymously a nd, as a r esult, t he i nformation r egarding “ basic background” is n ot completely known.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AIESEC started as a n association of s tudents of economic a nd c ommercial sciences; h owever, as a result o f the organization’s s ignificant m embership growth, it expanded into an organization for students of all disciplines. Some a cademic institutions s till refer to A IESEC as a business-oriented organization. Results show that 14% of participants are interested in accounting, finance, a nd i nsurance, and 1 2% a re i nterested in t he c ommunications field and the marketing industry. It was difficult to find any representation from the health, arts, fashion, and film industries.
AIESEC BACKGROUND DECADE OF AIESEC
An example of the importance and impact of AIESEC’s leadership roles is illustrated in this testimonial: “I manage 18 stores employing about a hundred people, and the way we work with them is quite similar to the way we used to motivate members in my Local Committee in terms of training delivery and controlling and improving processes. We set individual time targets and goals, and this is very similar to what we did in AIESEC. I would say I use the skills I learned from performing these tasks in AIESEC on a daily basis.”
Mathew Meldensohn, ‘00s alumnus DURATION IN AIESEC AIESECers have the opportunity to develop their leadership potential according to their personal needs. They have the chance to take responsibility and ownership over their own learning and the learning of others to ensure that everyone in the organization gets the most out of their experience.
“AIESEC is a life-changing organization. The more you invest in it the more you get back. I was a committed member for five years and will remain a committed alumna and ally for life.” Irena Kahn, ‘90s alumna
INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS Travel Opportunities with AIESEC
Cultural understanding, global mindset, new language skills, awareness of global
A member can have several travel opportunities throughout his/her AIESEC experience. In this study, 56% of participants went on an
issues, community involvement, and crisis management are some of the topics that members feel they can learn through international internships.
international internship, 55% of
The
that total attended an international
international exchange internships last between 6 weeks and
conference,
a
18 months. The majority of participants (18%) took
CEED, 12% had other kinds of
internships that lasted between 6 and 12 months, and 17%
international experience, and 12%
took internships that lasted between three to six months.
32%
went
on
did not travel abroad through AIESEC.
cultural
experience
exchanges
or
professional
While there is a small percentage (9%) of alumni who took internships lasting less than 3 months, a smaller group (4%)
Some members who went on a
of participants who went on international internships lasting
CEED
an
18 months were given extended contracts to continue
or
working in the company after their terms ended.
also
international
went
on
internship
conference. It is important to note that over 80% of AIESEC alumni
CIDA
took travel opportunities through
For several years AIESEC Canada received funds from The
the organization.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). During this time 1 out of 4 or 26% of Canadian AIESECers received support from the AIESEC ADAPT funding program (CIDA funding) in order to contribute a positive impact in developing communities
AIESEC CONFERENCES The majority of participants in this study (97%) attended an AIESEC conference.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF IMPACT
LEADERSHIP Leadership development has become increasingly important and is a growing trend in many organizations. According to Bersin & Associates, organizations spent up to 30% of their learning
and
development
development,
in
order
management
training,
to
budget build
succession
the
on
leadership
foundation
planning,
for
executive
education, and other critical management responsibilities. When asked if they believe in “socially responsible leadership” (the framework aligning
internal beliefs and
“Primarily
through
conferences, AIESEC opened my eyes to CSR/sustainability issues and I am still working with
these
issues
in
values with the external behaviours), 95% of alumni
Bangladesh with MicroEdit and
answered “yes” against a 5% who didn’t know, and 0%
sustainability programs. I am
answering “no”.
now
Determining
the
importance
of
“socially
responsible
leadership” is to outline whether alumni feel that AIESEC develops this type of leadership not only in Canada but also around the world. So, when participants were asked if they believe that AIESEC develops socially responsible leaders around the world, 89% answered “affirmative”, 9% answered
a
partner
of
an
organization which works on addressing programs businesses
complex and to
social
setting
up
promote
sustainable baby products.” Christen Schotlen, alumna from the ‘90s
“don’t know,” and 1% answered “do not believe so”.
“AIESEC gave me pure leadership experience and I really became more sensitive to global and national issues. That's important in a large country like Canada.” Francois Pintal, alumnus from the ‘80s
LEADERSHIP When given the opportunity to rate the importance of “socially responsible leadership” in their everyday life, on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 meaning none at all and 10
How would you rate the importance of “Socially Responsible Leadership” in your everyday life?
being extremely important), 55% of alumni answered between 8 and 10, 39% situated their ratings between 5 and 7, and 6% rated less than 5. We have gathered that 86% of members who have gone through the entire AIESEC cycle rated the importance of “socially responsible leadership” from 6 and above. Statements about what a person believes and rates in certain topic are important to determine attitudes and behaviours towards certain matters.
How frequently do you assume a leadership role in your work life or within the local community?
When alumni were asked, “How often do you assume a leadership role in your work life or community?”, 7 out of 10 claim that they either “always” or “often” assume a leadership role in their work life or community while 21% do it sometimes, and 8% rarely or never take a leadership role.
Members were asked to rate their interest in taking leadership roles in their communities PRIOR and AFTER their AIESEC experiences. On a scale from 1 to 10, 64% of alumni rated their interest as 6 or above prior to joining AIESEC. This figure jumps to 91% after taking part in an AIESEC experience.
How has your level of interest in assuming a leadership role in your community changed since your experience in AIESEC?
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AIESEC provides its members with an integrated experience comprised of leadership opportunities, international internships, and participation in a global learning environment. Each member’s experience develops skills that could be useful in their professional lives. When past members were asked to rate the impact that they felt AIESEC had on their
“The work that I did as an AIESECer
professional lives on a scale of 1 to 10, 74% of
determined the career path I followed in my
alumni gave ratings between 8 and 10 and 4%
professional life.” Francis Prevost, Alumni 00’s
gave ratings of 4 and below.
It was also relevant to determine the skills that alumni felt they had developed from joining the organization, which could be useful in their professional lives. At
all
stages
of
their
experiences,
AIESEC members should be able to increase their theoretical knowledge of functional and interpersonal skills, and put that knowledge into practice. The survey gave the participants the option to select which skills alumni had prior to and after AIESEC.
It is important to highlight the growth in the number of members who experienced an increase in certain competencies. Our results show that the surveyed alumni believe that their networking skills increased 55%, project management skills increased 42%, strategic thinking skills had a 41% increase, and leadership skills improved by 35%.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Languages
Non-Profit Sector
Learning another language is always an asset as
Starting a not-for-profit organization is an
the world is reflecting greater need for multicultural
activity which requires strong leadership, a
accommodation and international business.
clear vision, passion and commitment.
As a result we included a second list of skills that
For this reason, the option of starting an NFP
alumni felt could be acquired through working with
was included among the list of activities alumni
AIESEC.
describe for their lives after AIESEC.
Approximately
37%
of
alumni
participating in the survey learned or developed
Responses showed that 7% of past members
further a new language after joining AIESEC.
started an NGO or project focused on giving back to the community.
Entrepreneurship
International Aspect
Having entrepreneurial skills was another asset
Gaining an international mentality is vital in a
that alumni felt they acquired through AIESEC.
world which is rapidly becoming globalized, yet
Approximately 24% of AIESEC alumni had, at
maintaining
some point in their lives, started a company.
barriers.
its
stereotypes
and
cultural
This international orientation can be acquired through experiences working with international students or going abroad for a conference, CEED, or internship About 35% of alumni started or joined an organization with an international component while 41% are currently working or have worked
previously
for
an
international
organization. “Since AIESEC, I’ve worked with Amnesty international, Engineers Without Borders, the Engineering Student Society,and the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada. AIESEC has contributed to my pursuit to be active in the communities in which I’m a part” Jomar Manzano, alumni ‘00s
WORKPLACE In many organizations, development of the talent pipeline is key to eventual and sustained growth. Consequently, companies tend to hire candidates with leadership skills who might be able to take on more responsibilities and overcome new challenges. Therefore when alumni were asked when they received their first promotion, the most frequent answer was “in less than a year after being hired.” Thirty-one percent chose “between 1 and 2 years after being hired”. These results show that a significant number of AIESECers are perceived as contributors of value. More than half of the AIESEC alumni are likely to be promoted to a higher position within 2 years.
Seeking to have a better understanding of the context of their career path, alumni were also asked about the types of organizations they started
working
AIESEC.
for
post
Responses
show
These promotions in the working environment are also related to
that 53% started in large
the level where alumni began their professional careers; for this
organizations (more than 500
reason a question aiming to find out at what level they began a
employees), 15% started in
professional career was added into the survey. The results show
medium-sized
that 54% started as an employee, 19% as a Project Manager,
and
11%
organizations.
in
Middle
Management,
2%
Senior
Manager,
5%
22%
organizations, joined
small
Entrepreneur*, 9% other. “The results of your AIESEC experience will show in your professional career as they did mine and many of my fellow graduates. Being involved on an international level creates an incredible opportunity to learn how differences can be overcome as we head towards a common goal.” Murtaza Albiz, ‘00s alumnus
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AIESEC
creates
an
environment in which members and
can
clarify
expand
their
ambitions. Throughout their
experience,
members
engage
mentorship, planning, setting
in
personal and
allowing
goalfor
greater awareness of the
opportunities
contribution
in
AIESEC works to make a positive impact on society, and it also has a unique way of achieving impact. One of them is to develop positive values that will stay with its members for life. To measure the strength of the organization’s
values,
were
which
asked
alumni of
the
AIESEC values they felt they most identified with. About 83% feel they indentify with “Striving for Excellence”. AIESEC’s core values also link with taking
for
action in response to global issues.
the
wanted to know if alumni found increased
world.
global awareness as a result of their experience in AIESEC. Approximately
Being an outstanding member
in
89% of alumni felt that their awareness
local
did increase, 7% don’t believe so, and 3%
communities or at work drives
We
activities
don’t know.
that
help those who are less
fortunate
and
Being aware of global issues is relevant to
contribute towards the
working with communities, therefore when
common good.
asked if they were more involved in their local community as a result of their involvement with the organization, 60% of alumni believe so, 31% do not believe so, and 9% don’t know.
“I volunteer organizing different things with my family. We organize internationally themed dinners, and we help new immigrants to get settled in the community. Talking to Canadians about immigrants and getting immigrants more comfortable with the Canadian culture is something I’m very passionate about.” Robin Rooke, ‘80s alumna
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AIESEC members develop competencies through the different learning experiences that AIESEC offers. Our analysis shows that 76% of alumni feel they developed or acquired a global mindset, 74% feel they became aware of global issues, 70% feel they developed the ability to adapt to change, 68% feel they developed a sense of social responsibility, 68% mentioned becoming more proactive when learning, 56% feel they acquired a developmental/philanthropic inclination, 49% feel they developed emotional intelligence, 44% mentioned they developed an entrepreneurial outlook, and 43% felt they were more inclined to responsible risk taking after joining AIESEC.
A study published for an international exchange program revealed that 57% of North Americans felt they could identify more with their home country than anywhere else after going abroad. Our results show that 50% of past members feel like they are citizens of the world, 38% feel they identify more with their own country, 7% felt they identify most with their city or province, and 2% feel they identify most with another continent. “AIESEC took me out of my box. I thought I was globally aware, but I truly wasn’t until I lived and worked somewhere else, particularly somewhere less advantaged than where I grew up.” Heather Campbell, ‘90s alumna
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Interest in global issues PRIOR/AFTER their experience in AIESEC
Do you currently/have you previously spent time promoting awareness about any of the following global issues? Poverty and Hunger Violation of Human Rights Gender Inequality Health Issues
Regarding
AIESEC’s
influence on alumni’s interest
in
global
issues,
alumni
were
asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10 their interest in global issues prior
to
their
involvement AIESEC.
in
30%
rated
their interest between a 5 and 7, while 15% rated 4 and below.
A
There is a significant difference alumni’s
between interest
None of the Above
before
and
after
joining
AIESEC. It is important to note that zero alumni gave ratings below five regarding their interest in global issues after AIESEC.
Universal Eduaction Substance Abuse
issues
worked
Violence/War
in
global
having
Environmental Issues
with
Other
Of the alumni surveyed, 71% have spent time promoting awareness about global issues. Among that number, 41% spent time promoting awareness about environmental
issues,
32%
about
universal education, 29% about gender inequality, 28% about both health issues
majority of 81% rated
and poverty/hunger, 25% about human
their interest between 8
rights, 17% about violence/war, 7%
and 10.
about other issues, and 6% promoted awareness about substance abuse.
“AIESEC opened a whole world of possibilities for me. I met many people of different backgrounds and had a better connection and understanding of what life is like around the world.” Mark Vreugdenhill, ‘90s alumnus
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Volunteering
for
different
non-profit
organizations is a way to give back to the community;
therefore,
we
included
a
question in the survey to find out how often alumni participate in volunteer activities. According to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, in 2004, 45% of adult Canadians (15 years and over) give up some of their time to volunteer for notfor-profit organizations. When AIESEC alumni were asked, “How often do you participate in volunteer activities?” 45% often or always volunteer, 41% sometimes participate in charity work, and 14% rarely or never volunteer. This means that 86% of AIESEC alumni devote some significant measure of time to volunteer activities. Another way of giving back to the community and generating awareness about global issues is through getting involved with non-governmental organizations. Results show that 33% of AIESEC alumni are currently involved with an NGO.
“ I’m involved with five not-for-profit organizations: AIESEC Laurier, my Church, and three disability-related charities and am simultaneously an advisor, board member, finance member, fundraising member, and volunteer.” Mike Simpson, ‘80s alumnus
IMPACT ON PERSONAL LIFE “I had an excellent experience on many different ways. The first, I think, was that it increased my interest in the Canadian Foreign
The organization is well known for positively contributing to students’ careers by strengthening skills and developing global mindsets, cultural understanding, and social responsibility.
Service. I think the assignments I
There are many different ways in which AIESEC can positively
had abroad with AIESEC and the
impact members’ personal lives such as expanding their global
work I did for AIESEC had a
network, creating life-long friendships, and future business
positive contribution toward my
partners.
interview for the Foreign Service; they saw that I had a certain amount of experience that might be useful to them.” Jason
When asked to rate the impact that the organization had on their personal lives, on a scale from 1 to 10, 84% of AIESEC alumni rated between 8 and 10, with only 3% rating 4 and below.
Reiskind,
‘60s alumnus “I met wonderful, fabulous people, I got to express my interest in internationalism, I got to travel the world, I was given management and executive responsibility miles ahead of where I would have been in other organizations, and it was a wonderful recommend
experience. everybody
I
highly to
get
AIESEC exposure.” Theresa Kane, ‘70s alumna “AIESEC provided me with life-long connections and lasting friendships which have sustained for more than 10 years, and many of us are now married, have careers, and have children. I think the best thing that AIESEC does is open the eyes of youth to the broader world outside of their own universities, cities, and countries. This perspective is very valuable.” Lena Jerabek ‘90s alumna
CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) As previously stated, some AIESEC alumni received funding from CIDA, which helped them to go abroad and live the AIESEC Exchange Experience. AIESEC’s exchange programs took Canadian students to countries to work on specific projects related to helping the development of communities.
“[ADAPT funding] helped so much; I had just finished university before going abroad, and I had no
These high-impact experiences gave members the opportunity to
money. CIDA helped get
travel and develop a strong sense of commitment to the
me the funding I needed to
development of their respective communities.
go to a lesser-developed
With the aim to get a closer look at the impact of the CIDA program, we observed that 25% of alumni were able to benefit from the program. Results show that from the list of alumni who received ADAPT funding
country. Receiving ADAPT funding was very useful, especially
56.6% are or have previously worked in an NGO or project focused on giving back to the community 8.3% at some point in their lives started their own company 41.6% are currently working for an NGO 91.6% sometimes, often or always volunteer in their
right after having graduated from university.” Thierry Kbeya, ‘00s alumnus
communities and; 93.3% sometimes, often, or always assume a leadership role in their community or work life
“I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford my whole internship if I didn’t receive the ADAPT funding, so without it I wouldn’t have gone on an internship, I wouldn’t have worked abroad, and I wouldn’t have found a newfound understanding of Chinese culture. Because my parents didn’t fund my education I had to shell out for everything. I had to pay for food, textbooks, housing, and tuition fees so I didn’t have anything left by the end of my university career. The ADAPT funding I received was very critical to my voyage on an internship.” Kyle Burgess, ‘00s alumnus
CONCLUSIONS AIESEC is an organization that has a strong impact in its member’s lives, both personally and professionally. Even though AIESEC is fairly strong in developing skills and positive attitudes, programs like ADAPT foster lasting impact for both the individual and community by providing the opportunity to go abroad for development initiatives.
AIESEC helps young professionals develop skills, positives attitudes and needed competencies. Its many programs can help Canadian members work in developing communities around the world. There is significant growth in the skills and positive behaviour of students and recent graduates who have gone through the AIESEC Experience in AIESEC Canada. AIESEC alumni tend to be active members in their community after they complete the AIESEC Experience. AIESEC alumni care deeply about global issues. AIESEC alumni strongly believe in responsible leadership. AIESEC alumni are more likely to pursuit a career in the non-profit sector AIESEC alumni are likely to start their own business. AIESEC members are likely to get promoted by a company within two years of being hired. AIESEC alumni are active in international environments. AIESEC alumni have a strong sense of cultural understanding. AIESEC develops globally minded responsible leaders who become involved in their communities.
AIESEC CANADA
*This study was created and conducted by Danhalit Zamalloa for AIESEC Canada
Phone: (416) 368-1001 Fax: (416) 368-4490 Email: info@aiesec.ca Web: http://www.aiesec.ca Registered Charity # 129835872 RR000