3.3 CURRENT EMPLOYMENT SITUATION

3.3.1 Nature of current employment

Four out of five currently in a permanent full-time job

When asked about the nature of their current employment, the respondents had the possibility to choose several alternatives. Indeed, nine persons had chosen more than one alternative. With regard to these persons, the alternative marked with the smallest ordinal number in the questionnaire has been taken as their response in Table 7. Of the persons working in fixed-term full-time jobs, 85% had graduated after 1991, and of those working in fixed-term part-time jobs, all had graduated after 1994. The nature of employment was also examined in respect of the type of employer, which showed that of those working in fixed-term full-time jobs and part-time jobs, 85% worked in state institutions. If these respondents working in state institutions were ignored, the proportion of those employed in permanent full-time jobs increased to 95%.

Of those who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, 77% stated that they were in a permanent and 14% in a fixed-term full-time job. Of those in fixed-term full-time jobs, nine out of eleven were employed at TUT.

3.3.2 Position in the current organization

Every third employed in a managerial position

It was possible to choose several alternatives. Four persons had chosen more than one alternative. With regard to these persons, the alternative first in order (with the smallest ordinal number) in the questionnaire has been taken as their response in Table 8. The majority of respondents had been employed in expert positions (62%). Of the respondents, 32% were employed in managerial positions (manager or director), whereas 5% worked in teaching and salaried positions. The majority of women who had responded to this question (77%) also worked in expert positions. Five of them were in managerial positions (16% of the female respondents). The number of the female respondents in teaching and in salaried positions was one in each at the time of respondence.

Of the persons in managerial positions, 67% had been in working life since the 1980’s. Conversely, the majority of those employed in expert positions (81%) had graduated in the present decade. When comparing those who had graduated in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the proportions of those in managerial positions and those in expert positions were reverse. Of those graduated prior to 1990, 32% worked in managerial positions and 61% in expert positions. Correspondingly, of those graduated in the 1990’s, 16% worked in managerial positions and 74% in expert positions.

Among those who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, 46% (36 persons) worked in expert positions in their current organization, 37% as managers of an organization, 7% as directors of a company, 5% in teaching and 4% in salaried positions.

3.3.3 Correspondence between current job and education

Current job corresponds well with the education

The current job corresponded to a large extent with the education obtained from TUT for 50% of the respondents (Figure 13). Conversely, 18% of the respondents stated that the current job only corresponded a little or not at all with the education in the Master’s degree programme. For those graduated in the 1990’s, the current job corresponded with the education obtained from TUT a little better than for those who had been engaged in working life since the 1980’s.

Of the respondents who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, 39% (31 persons) estimated that their current job corresponded with the education obtained from TUT to a large extent. Of this group, 41% estimated that the education corresponded with their current job to some extent and 15% a little. Only 4% stated that the education they had obtained from TUT did not correspond with their current job.

3.3.4 Significance of Biomedical Engineering for acquiring the current job

Biomedical Engineering was significant for finding the current job for every third

Of the respondents, 30% estimated that the Biomedical Engineering education was at least quite significant for acquiring the current job (Figure 14). Conversely, 52% perceived that the Biomedical Engineering education had no significance for finding the current job. Since almost one half of the respondents (46%) were still working for their first employer (Figure 7), a separate examination was conducted among those who had worked in more than one job. Here the significance of Biomedical Engineering increased slightly, but the changes in percentages were only at the rate of a few points.

When examining the question in respect of the year of graduation, variations between individual years were naturally quite large, but a distinct difference was also discernible when comparing those graduated in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Of those graduated in the 1980’s, 36% stated that Biomedical Engineering had been at least quite significant for acquiring the current job. The corresponding figure for those graduated in the 1990’s was 24%. The figures are undoubtedly influenced by the development of telecommunications technology and the extremely good employment situation in that field. This influence manifests itself in a very concrete manner when comparing the names of the current employers (Table 10) with the first employers (Table 5).

Of the respondents who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, 33% (26 persons) estimated that the Biomedical Engineering education had been very significant for acquiring the current job. The education was regarded as quite or somewhat significant by 20% and 13% of this group, respectively. Among this group, 33% stated that the Biomedical Engineering education had had no significance in acquiring their current job.

Figure 14. Significance of the Biomedical Engineering education for acquiring the current job (n = 202).

3.3.5 Connection of Biomedical Engineering with the current job

Figure 15 presents the relation of the nature of the respondents’ current job description to Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical Engineering was fully or to some extent related to the job description in the current job for 36% of the respondents. On the other hand, for almost one half of the respondents, Biomedical Engineering had no relation to their job description in their current job. The percentage distribution among those respondents who had worked for two or more employers was very similar (variation of two percentage points). Conversely, there appeared to be some difference between those graduated in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The current job description was fully or almost fully related to Biomedical Engineering for 29% of those graduated in the 1980’s and for 23% of those graduated in the 1990’s. Of those graduated in the 1980’s, 38% stated that the current job had no relation to Biomedical Engineering, and the corresponding proportion for those graduated in the present decade was 55%.

With regard to the respondents who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, Biomedical Engineering was clearly more often related to their current job description when compared to the other respondents. The job description was fully or almost fully related to Biomedical Engineering for 42% (33 persons) of this group. Among the group, those who stated that Biomedical Engineering was related to their current job description to some extent, very little or not at all accounted for 14%, 11% and 32%, respectively.

Since almost one half of the respondents are still working for their first employer, the majority of the respondents (69%) had experienced no changes concerning the relation of Biomedical Engineering to the job description. Conversely, when examining the respondents who had worked for two or more employers (n = 107), it was noted that 36% estimated that Biomedical Engineering was related to their current job description to a lesser extent than to their first job description, whereas 16% stated that Biomedical Engineering was related to their current job description to a larger extent than to their first job description. The remaining 48% had perceived no change in the relation of their first and current job descriptions to Biomedical Engineering.

Figure 15. Relation of the job description to Biomedical Engineering in the current job (n = 203).

A decrease in the relation of Biomedical Engineering to the current and first job descriptions in respect of those graduated in different decades was distinctly more often discernible for those graduated in the 1980’s (35%) when compared to those graduated in the 1990’s (15%). This variation can probably be attributed, to a large extent, to the change in the nature of work and to the fact that those who had started their career earlier were concentrating more on managerial, administrative or marketing duties. This conclusion is clearly manifest in the comparison of the areas of expertise required by the respondents in their current job (Section 3.4.1). Of the areas of expertise, personnel administration, financial administration, as well as sales and marketing are clearly in a more significant position for the respondents graduated in the 1980’s when compared to those graduated in the 1990’s.

3.3.6 Current employer

One half still in Tampere. The telecommunications technology attraction is increasing

Table 9 presents the respondents’ current employers by type. Four fifths of the respondents have been employed by Finnish-owned companies and state institutions. When compared to the first employers, the proportion of Finnish-owned companies among the employers had increased and that of state institutions decreased. At the time of response, three persons worked as entrepreneurs or were self-employed.

As with the first employers, the respondents were enquired, in addition to the type of employer, also the name of the employer and location of current job (Tables 10 and 11). At the time of conducting the study, the Nokia Group with its 25% had attained the position of the employer having employed the largest proportion. The significance of TUT as the current employer had diminished when compared to the first employers, but its importance as a major employer was still manifest in its 12% share. The biomedical engineering company Instrumentarium Corporation had become as important an employer as the University with its 11% share. Of individual companies/institutions, those employing the largest numbers at the time of study were Nokia Mobile Phones (19 persons), Nokia Telecommunications (14 persons), Instrumentarium Corporation Datex-Engström (13 persons) and Ragnar Granit Institute (11 persons). During the last three years, Nokia Mobile Phones had become the current employer of 15 persons, whereas with the other companies employing the largest numbers, placement in the current job had distributed more equally over a longer period of time. Of the respondents who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, 14% (11 persons) were currently employed by Instrumentarium Corporation and the same number by the Nokia Group, whilst 13% were employed by TUT.

The largest proportion of the respondents (50%) were still working in the Tampere area. The respondents who had found their current employment in the Helsinki area and the Turku area accounted for 29% and 8%, respectively. All in all, migration between different locations had been relatively modest; 74% of the respondents were currently working in the same location as with their first job. A total of 18 persons had left the Tampere area to work elsewhere, whereas 4 persons had returned to work in the Tampere area. The majority of those who had moved from the Tampere area (8 out of 18) had found their current employment in the Helsinki area. The Helsinki area was indeed by far the leading city in terms of migration gain. An additional 22 persons had come to work in the Helsinki area, whereas the number of those moving from the Helsinki area to work elsewhere was 8. A list of the employers of the moment of enquiry with their locations can be found in Appendix 1.

Figure 16 shows the distribution of the personnel volumes in the respondents’ current job at the level of their own unit. The distribution of the respondents in units of different sizes in terms of the personnel volume was relatively equal. A little more than one half of the respondents worked in units with less than 100 employees, one quarter of the respondents were employed in units with the number of personnel between 100 and 500, and one fifth worked in units with 500 or more employees. Variations in the distribution were very small when examining the number of personnel in the respondents’ own units with those graduated in the 1980’s and 1990’s, respectively. Conversely, those who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute worked on average in smaller units than the others. Of this group, 58% worked in units with the number of personnel less than 100 and 19% in units with 500 or more employees.

Figure 16. Number of personnel in the respondents’ own unit (n = 185).

Figure 17 shows the distribution of the personnel volumes in the current job at the level of company/group/institution. The majority of the respondents (61%) worked in large companies of more than 1,000 employees. The smallest companies with less than 20 persons employed 3% of the respondents. There was not much difference between those graduated in different decades in the three smallest categories, but with the two largest categories, the situation was quite the opposite. Of those graduated in the 1990’s, 23% worked in companies with 1,000 - 4,999 employees and 35% in those with more than 5,000 employees. The corresponding proportions for those graduated in the 1980’s were 36% and 25%, respectively. Among those who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute, the distribution of the number of personnel in their job was similar in respect of the three smallest categories when compared to the entire research population. Conversely, 41% of this group worked in companies with 1,000 - 4,999 employees and 19% in companies with more than 5,000 employees.

Figure 17. Total number of personnel in the entire company, group or institution (n = 180).

3.3.7 Area of assignments and responsibilities

One half employed in product development and design, project or research positions

Figure 18 presents the number of subordinates. The majority of the respondents (61%) had no subordinates, and 90% of the respondents had less than 10 subordinates. None of the respondents had more than 100 subordinates. Of the female respondents, 26 had no subordinates, and two stated that the number was less than 10 (the remaining female respondents had not answered the question).

Quite expectedly, the proportion of respondents with 10 or more subordinates among those graduated in the 1980’s (26%) was higher when compared to those graduated in the 1990’s (2%). Those graduated in the 1980’s and 1990’s with no subordinates accounted for 36% and 75%, respectively. It was slightly more common for those who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute to have subordinates when compared to the entire research population. In this group, 55% had no subordinates, 30% had less than 10 and 15% had 10 or more subordinates.

 

Figure 18. Number of subordinates (n = 200).

Table 12 presents a list of all the respondents’ areas of assignments and responsibilities in their current job description. Table 12 contains each alternative chosen by each respondent (n = 474), and the percentages have been calculated as the ratio of the number of answers for each area of assignments and responsibilities to the total number of respondents (n = 202). On average, each respondent had at least two areas of assignments and responsibilities. The respondents who had selected only one, two, three, four, and more than four areas of assignments and responsibilities accounted for 39% (79 persons), 22%, 21%, 9% and 9%, respectively. The most common combinations contained areas of assignments and responsibilities in either product development and design, project assignments or research. Data processing, personnel administration and purchasing or materials assignments did not occur individually but only in connection with other areas of assignments and responsibilities. One of the respondents had technical and general design as the only area of assignments and responsibilities. Similarly, one had chosen financial administration as the only area of assignments and responsibilities. The most common areas of assignments and responsibilities with the respondents were product development and design, project assignments and research. Of the respondents, 79% stated that at least one of these belonged to their areas of assignments and responsibilities. The distribution of all areas of assignments and responsibilities in the questionnaire by job title can be found in Appendix 2.

Female respondents (n = 30) had selected a total of 60 areas of assignments and responsibilities. The most common areas with female respondents were also product development and design (47%) and project assignments (33%). The most common after these were sales and marketing (23%) and research (20%). These were followed by quality-related assignments and teaching and training (13 % each). The proportions of other areas of assignments and responsibilities remained below five per cent.

The persons who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institute (n = 79) had chosen a total of 213 areas of assignments and responsibilities. Among this group, the five areas occurring most commonly included product development and design (48%), research (32%), project assignments (24%), teaching and training, and data processing (22% each).

Of the respondents, 194 had given their job title. There was a total of 92 different job titles. The most common titles were related to managerial, design or research positions. Table 13 presents those job titles which occurred in the responses at least five times. Thus, the titles included in Table 13 only cover 40% of the responses. All job titles and the corresponding areas of assignments and responsibilities are presented in Appendix 2.

Among those graduated in the 1980’s, the range of job titles was considerably more varied when compared to those graduated in the present decade. The job titles presented in Table 13 covered 30% of those graduated in the 1980’s. Of those graduated in the last decade, two persons (3%) were employed with the title of researcher, whereas the figure for those graduated in the 1990’s was 23 (17%). However, an additional seven persons (11%) of those graduated in the 1980’s had other job titles related to research, whereas corresponding job titles with those graduated in the present decade were found in three respondent’s questionnaires (2%). Six persons of both those graduated in the 1980’s and those in the 1990’s worked as project managers. One of the graduates of the 1980’s and nine of those of the 1990’s were employed with the title of design engineer. Of the hospital engineers, two had graduated in the 1980’s and three in the 1990’s. Conversely, none of those with the title of electronics designer had graduated in the 1980’s, whereas none of those who had achieved the position of managing director had graduated in the present decade.

The distribution of job titles among the respondents who had submitted their Master’s thesis to Ragnar Granit Institution was in a similar vein. Of them, 14% (11 persons) were researchers, whereas product managers, design engineers and project managers accounted for 9%, 6% and 5%, respectively.

3.3.8 Working abroad

Every seventh has worked abroad

A total of 15% (31 persons) of the respondents had worked abroad. Five persons had stated that they had worked in two different countries and five had not given the name of the country. The longest working periods abroad had been 5.5 years, whereas the shortest had been two months. On average, the time spent abroad amounted to 16 months. The respondents who had worked abroad had found a placement in 16 different countries. The most popular country had been the USA (eight different persons). Over the years, four persons had worked in Sweden and three in France. A list of countries where the respondents had worked after graduation is presented in Table 14.

3.3.9 Own enterprise

There is an interest in establishing a company

Of the respondents, 11 persons (5%) stated that they had established an enterprise. Of these, eight persons had also given more specific information concerning their company. There were a total of six companies (Atrotech Oy, Avitax Oy, Integra Oy, Innovative Research Group Oy, Medicom Oy and Smartech Oy). With the exception of one, the registered office of all the companies was in Tampere.

In addition, the questionnaire contained a point enquiring of the respondents as to whether they had considered establishing or were planning to set up their own enterprise. This question was answered by 203 persons, of which 6% (12) stated that they intended to set up or had considered establishing their own enterprise, whereas 31% (71) regarded it as possible and 59% (120) had not considered establishing their own enterprise.