Differences in Public Understanding of and Reactions to
GSPED Based on Awareness of the Initiative
Arizona Workforce Development Briefing Paper #1

November 1998

by Judith A. Vandegrift, Morrison Institute for Public Policy
in consultation with Joel Wright, Wright Consulting Services

In the spring of 1998,

the Office of Workforce
Development Policy (OWDP) of the Arizona
Department of Commerce commissioned a statewide
opinion poll to assess public attitudes toward the
state’s plan for economic development as
implemented through GSPED (“G-Speed”) — the
Governor’s Strategic Partnership for Economic
Development. The poll was designed to assess both
the public’s understanding of GSPED and their
reactions to using the concept of industry clusters as
a tool for organizing both economic and workforce
development efforts.
More than 2,000 Arizonans participated in the poll,
including 600 parents, 600 businesses, 500 teachers
and 500 school administrators (i.e., principals and
superintendents). These sample sizes yield results
that are statistically accurate within a 95% level of
confidence (with margins of error not exceeding +
4.5 percentage points). Results of the poll, discussed
in an earlier briefing paper1, were summarized in
relation to:
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overall public awareness of GSPED,
support for GSPED,
attitudes toward GSPED as a tool for economic
development,
attitudes toward workforce development, and
linking workforce development with GSPED.

Polling results showed that awareness, or “brand
name” recognition, of GSPED was low. However,
once the concept of industry clusters was explained
to respondents, support for the initiative and related
workforce development efforts was higher than
opposition for every question posed. Even so, results
also indicated that many respondents were unsure
about GSPED and its implications.
Because of the low percentage of respondents who
had heard about GSPED and high percentage of
responses indicating uncertainty, a question was
posed by members of the Governors’ Council on
Workforce Development Policy as to whether polling
results were based truly on informed opinions.

Specifically, the question pertained to whether the
14% (n = 308) of the respondents who had heard
of GSPED answered questions differently than the
86% (n = 1,892) who had never heard of the
initiative. Therefore, at the request of the Council,
results of the polling were analyzed in order to
answer the question:
Does “brand name” recognition (i.e.,
awareness) of GSPED affect respondents’
answers?
The answer to this question is, in short, Yes.
In general, there are statistically significant
differences between respondents who are
aware of GSPED versus those who are not.
Those who have heard about GSPED are
significantly more likely to indicate support
for the initiative, and efforts to link
workforce development with economic
development, than their peers (i.e.,unaware
respondents).
This holds true for all four constituent groups:
parents, businesses, teachers and school
administrators. These groups are represented in the
“aware” sample as follows: 23% of all school
administrators surveyed had heard about GSPED, as
had 14% of the businesses surveyed, 13% of the
teachers, and 7% of the parents.
Whereas the “aware” sample is more likely to
respond positively to questions posed, “aware” and
“unaware” samples do not vary significantly from
one another on levels of opposition (which are
relatively low across all questions). However,
“unaware” respondents are more than twice as likely
as aware respondents to indicate that they are “not
sure” about GSPED. This pattern of responses is
illustrated in Figure 1 which shows levels of support
for, opposition to, and uncertainty toward using
GSPED as a tool for economic development.

Morrison Institute for Public Policy • College of Public Programs
School of Public Affairs • Arizona State University • (480)965-4525

Figure 1

Arizonans’ Support for GSPED As a Tool to
Develop the Economy (by Awareness)

responses were analyzed with respect to four
issues—whether people support or oppose:
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targeting resources to specific populations (e.g.,
high school students, the working poor),
working to establish closer cooperation and
communication between business/community
leaders and state government in deciding how
education and training programs are developed
and how funds are spent,
obtaining greater business commitment to help
develop the system, and
consolidating of at least some existing publicly
funded workforce development programs.

Both “aware” and “unaware” respondents were
significantly more likely to support these notions
than oppose them. However, “aware” teachers voice
the highest levels of opposition to all concepts
measured (ranging from 16% opposed to targeting
resources to 26% opposed to consolidation).

The pattern of responses holds true for most
questions asked on the survey. One notable
exception is found regarding attitudes toward using
GSPED as a tool to develop Arizona’s economy. In
response to the statement “GSPED smacks of too
much interference in private business by
government,” both “aware” and “unaware”
businesses are more likely to agree with this
statement than other constituent groups. Forty-three
percent of “aware” businesses and 33% of “unaware”
businesses indicated that GSPED smacks of
government interference. (The difference between
aware and unaware businesses is statistically
significant. “Aware” businesses are more likely than
their “unaware” peers to view GSPED in a potentially
negative light.)
Another exception to the pattern of responses is in
terms of attitudes toward using “the GSPED system”
as a tool for educating and training Arizona’s
workforce.
Typically, “aware” parents show the highest levels of
support for the concepts measured than any other
group. For example, they are most likely to voice the
opinions that businesses are having a hard time
filling jobs with competent employees, that most
people coming out of high school are not prepared
for the world of work, and that workforce
development efforts like GSPED will result in betterprepared and more productive employees.
In terms of “what it would take” to develop a
workforce development system linked with GSPED,

In conclusion, awareness of GSPED appears to
make a great deal of difference in terms of levels of
support versus uncertainty toward using the notion
of industry clusters as a way to organize and link
economic development with workforce
development. The more aware one is, the more
supportive. The exception to this pattern is among
“aware” businesses, who tend to view GSPED as
“government interference” with respect to economic
development. This finding suggests a need for the
state to recruit increased private sector involvement
in continuing efforts to link economic and
workforce development.

Endnote: Baseline data on GSPED polling results
are reported in Public Understanding of and
Reactions to GSPED, Arizona School To Work

Briefing Paper #12 (August 1998).
Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, Morrison Institute for
Public Policy.

For additional information about
Arizona’s Workforce Development efforts contact:
C. Diane Bishop, Director,
Office of Workforce Development Policy or
Gary Abraham, Director, Workforce Development
Division
at (602) 280-8130.
Divisions of the Arizona Department of Commerce
Jackie Vieh, Director

2Morrison Institute for Public Policy !! School of Public Affairs !! College of Public Programs !! Arizona State University !! (480)
965-4525