External productivity of the faculty of Agriculture technology, Lampang Rajabhat University (FAT-LPRU), Thailand

The study attempted to determine the external productivity of Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Lampang Rajabhat University (FAT-LPRU)in preparing its graduates for opportunities in the workplace, identify the facotra that could have influenced graduates' job satisfaction and performance, and find out the extent of its contribution to job satisfaction. This research studied 85 graduate-respondents of the FAT-LPRU. Descriptive and quantitative research methods were employed to gather data using open-and close-ended questionnaires and tests. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means, range, standard deviation, and percentagesinferential statistics, chi-square test, Spearman Rank Correlation, stepwise regression, multiple correlation coefficient (R) and multiple coefficient of determination (square R) were also used. Results of the study revealed that graduate-respondents were primarily young, male, single and residents of the northern pa rt of Thailand. Most of them graduated from high school and opted to enroll in an agricultural university because of personal choice and proximity to place of residence and obtained an average grade point average in college. The graduates gave an overall perceived undecided rating for selected school-related factors and for the extent of competence obtained from college training by category. Graduate-respondents judge themselves prepared for work as a result of their college preparation. On-the-job training, English, and Computer/internet were the trainings attended and perceived necessary to equip them for their work. Majority of the graduates were employed and preferred the northern and central regions' provinces as their place of work. Most of them work in public establishments and handled various positions ranging from production/quality control, research, instruction, extension, marketing, financial, supervisoty and clerical. Findings of the study tend to show that the demand for agriculture graduates was not significant based on the variables used to determine the correlation of demand and external productivity indicators except for job applications, number of job acceptances and willingness to hire FAT-LPRU graduates. Five predictors of the dependent variables (external productivity) and four independent variables (i.e. sex, faculty competence, administrative and educational support services, and type of agency) were subjected to multiple regression analysis. Results showed that 55.2% of the factors were significantlt associated with job satisfaction as identified in the regression model. The multiple coefficient of determination (square R) identified sex to have the strongest contribution to job satisfaction with 35.1% followed follwed by faculty competence(10.0%), administrative and educational sipport services (5.2%) and type of agency (4.9%). The remaining 44.8% of the factors which were not identified in the model suggest that other factors outside the school system should be includedin future studies to validate present findings.