A quantitative analysis of motivations of association executives to earn the certified association executive credential

Abstract

The Certified Association Executive credential is a professional certification designed to identify association management professionals committed to a wide range of knowledge essential to the management of an association. Though the CAE has existed since 1960, no research exists related to the motivations of those individuals that chose to purse the certification. The purpose of this study was to identify the most significant motivations that lead association professionals to sit for the Certified Association Executive certification and the relationship of those motivations to certain demographic variables. The researcher used the Educational Participation Scale A-Form to ascertain the motivational factors most relevant to association management professionals that choose to sit for the CAE. The researcher's survey included three demographic questions that asked participants to self-identify their gender, race, and career stage at the time they sat for the CAE. The results of this study were organized to answer four research questions that examined these motivations overall and how they related to the demographic data. The study concluded there were not significant differences in motivations amongst the demographics identified by the researcher, but the data did ascertain that the motivational factors of professional advancement and cognitive interest were the prevailing motivators across all demographics.