Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing is performing a National ESOP Employee Survey of ESOP firms.

This survey, when completed, will replace the 15-year old NBER data and will be used to develop the next generation of insights on worker ownership. This is a unique opportunity for your ESOP company and Employee Owners to participate in this research; and similar to the NBER data have a long-lasting profound impact on employee ownership and profit-sharing.

About the National ESOP Survey:

Project Overview: This survey aims to understand various aspects of employee attitudes and behaviors of ESOP companies. The findings will contribute academically to a better understanding the impact of ESOPs and related management practices on the workers and the ESOP companies, and practically to generating ideas to improve the practices and performance of ESOP companies.

Project Leaders: The project is being led by multiple scholars, from Rutgers’ School of Management and Labor Relations and other universities, who are being closely advised by Prof. Joseph Blasi and Prof. Douglas Kruse. As part of the effort by the school’s Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, this study will help to better understand the world of ESOP firms and their employees.

Schedule and Administration: The 45-60 minute survey is open for participation until mid 2019. There are two options to participate in this research.

• Option 1: Rutgers researcher(s) will personally administer the instrument on-site at your chosen location. There is no cost to the companies, and participating firms will receive a written analysis report of the results. In addition, participating firms may choose to add 10-20 questions of their own and those results will be provided in the respective company’s report.
• Option 2: Rutgers researcher(s) will administer the survey via an online tool. There is no cost to the companies, and participating firms will receive a written analysis report of the results. In addition, participating firms may choose to add 10-20 questions of their own and those results will be provided in the respective company’s report.

Questions include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

• Job satisfaction, pay (wage) satisfaction, ESOP satisfaction
• Worker commitment and intentions to stay
• Worker well-being including burnout and work-life balance
• Perception of fairness
• Questions on other attitudes and behaviors of the workers

Jung Ook Kim and Rick Van Doel, both Louis O. Kelso Fellows, will be attending the ESOP Association’s Indiana Chapter Annual ESOP conference on March 6th, and be available to answer any questions. If you are not attending the conference and have questions or are interested in participating you may contact Jung Ook Kim, Dan Weltmann, or Rick Van Doel.

Thank you in advance for your support of this key research initiative.