An Analysis of Public Opinion Polls: Employee Engagement, Financial Perspectives, and Social Issues

Posted: October 10th, 2024

An Analysis of Public Opinion Polls: Employee Engagement, Financial Perspectives, and Social Issues

Public opinion polls serve as valuable tools for gauging societal attitudes and trends across various domains. This paper examines three recent Gallup polls, focusing on employee engagement and health, Americans’ financial perspectives, and evolving views on same-sex marriage. By analyzing these diverse topics, we gain insight into the multifaceted nature of public opinion and its implications for policy and social change.

Employee Engagement and Health Outcomes

The first poll, conducted by Harter and Adkins (2015), explored the relationship between employee engagement and health problems. This topic is particularly relevant given the increasing focus on workplace well-being and its impact on organizational performance. The study revealed a significant correlation between employee engagement levels and the likelihood of experiencing health issues.

According to the findings, actively disengaged employees were more prone to reporting health problems compared to their engaged counterparts. Specifically, 56% of actively disengaged workers reported having been diagnosed with depression, in contrast to only 15% of engaged employees (Harter & Adkins, 2015). This stark difference underscores the potential health benefits associated with fostering employee engagement in the workplace.

The total sample size for this poll was 80,000 employed adults, with a margin of error of ±1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. This implies that if the survey were conducted 100 times, the results would fall within 1 percentage point of the reported figures in 95 of those instances, providing a high degree of reliability to the findings (Harter & Adkins, 2015).

Americans’ Financial Perspectives

Newport’s (2018) poll on Americans’ views of their spending and saving habits offers valuable insights into the financial mindset of the population. This topic is crucial for understanding economic behaviors and potential policy implications. The study revealed interesting trends in how Americans perceive their financial situations and manage their resources.

One of the most intriguing findings was that 59% of Americans reported enjoying saving money more than spending it, while 38% preferred spending over saving (Newport, 2018). This preference for saving represents a significant shift from previous years and may reflect changing economic conditions or evolving financial attitudes among the population.

The poll was conducted with a random sample of 1,015 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of error for this survey was ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level (Newport, 2018). This margin indicates that the true population value is likely to fall within 4 percentage points of the reported results, 95% of the time if the survey were repeated.

Evolving Views on Same-Sex Marriage

McCarthy’s (2017) poll on U.S. support for same-sex marriage provides insight into changing social attitudes on a contentious issue. This topic is particularly relevant given its implications for civil rights and social policy. The study documented a continued upward trend in public support for same-sex marriage.

The most striking finding was that 64% of Americans reported that same-sex marriages should be legally recognized, representing a new high in public support (McCarthy, 2017). This figure marks a significant increase from previous years and reflects evolving social norms and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.

The poll was based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,011 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of error was ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level (McCarthy, 2017). As with the previous polls, this confidence level suggests that if the survey were repeated multiple times, 95% of the results would fall within 4 percentage points of the reported figures.

Conclusion

These three Gallup polls provide valuable insights into diverse aspects of public opinion, from workplace dynamics to financial attitudes and social issues. The findings underscore the importance of employee engagement for health outcomes, reveal shifting financial priorities among Americans, and document evolving social attitudes towards same-sex marriage.

Understanding these trends is crucial for policymakers, business leaders, and social scientists alike. The consistent use of rigorous sampling methods and the reporting of margins of error at the 95% confidence level lend credibility to these findings, allowing for informed decision-making based on reliable data.

As public opinion continues to evolve on these and other issues, ongoing polling and analysis will remain essential tools for tracking societal changes and informing public policy. Future research could explore the intersections between these topics, such as how financial attitudes might influence workplace engagement or how changing social norms affect various aspects of public life.

References

Harter, J., & Adkins, A. (2015). Engaged employees less likely to have health problems. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/187865/engaged-employees-less-likely-health-problems.aspx

McCarthy, J. (2017). U.S. support for gay marriage edges to new high. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/210566/support-gay-marriage-edges-new-high.aspx

Newport, F. (2018). Update: Americans’ views of their spending and saving. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/232801/update-americans-views-spending-saving.aspx

Rumsey, D. J. (2019). How to interpret the margin of error in statistics. Dummies. https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/math/statistics/how-to-interpret-the-margin-of-error-in-statistics-169721/

Witters, D., & Agrawal, S. (2022). Getting to know Gen Z: How the pivotal generation is different. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/336275/getting-know-gen-how-pivotal-generation-different.aspx

============

a. To answer some of the questions you might have about public opinion polls and surveys:
1. First, read Langers’ (2008) article, “ABC News’ Guide to Polls & Public OpinionLinks to an external site..”
2. Second, make sure you understand the article’s answer to the concern that “[the pollsters] never call me.”
3. Third, make sure you understand the article’s answer to the concern that “nobody I know says that.”
b. To better understand what “margin of error” means in statistics:
1. First, read Rumsey’s (no date) article, “How to Interpret the Margin of Error in StatisticsLinks to an external site..”
2. Second, make sure you understand the difference between sampling a population and surveying (or polling) an entire population.
3. Third, make sure you understand what a margin of error means in a public opinion poll or survey.
c. Choose three of the following five topics for which Gallup has recently conducted a public opinion poll. Then, within each of the two topics you’ve chosen, read one of the listed reports.
1. Employment
 Harter and Adkins (2015): “Engaged Employees Less Likely to Have Health ProblemsLinks to an external site.”
 Newport (2017a) “Email Outside of Working Hours Not a Burden to US WorkersLinks to an external site.”
 Newport and Dugan (2017): “Americans Still See Manufacturing as Key to Job CreationLinks to an external site.”
 Newport (2018a): “Average American Predicts Retirement Age of 66Links to an external site.”
 Swift (2017a): “Most U.S. Employed Adults Plan to Work Past Retirement AgeLinks to an external site.”
2. Finance
 Newport (2017b): “Young, Old in US Plan on Relying More on Social SecurityLinks to an external site.”
 Jones (2017a): “Worry About Hunger, Homelessness Up for Lower-Income in USLinks to an external site.”
 Norman (2017): “Financially Stressed in US Now Prefer Saving to SpendingLinks to an external site.”
 Jones (2017b): “Half of Non-Homeowners Expect to Buy Homes in Five YearsLinks to an external site.”
 Newport (2018b): “Americans’ Views of Their Spending and SavingLinks to an external site.”
3. Well-Being
 Rigoni and Nelson (2016): “Millennials Want Jobs That Promote Their Well-BeingLinks to an external site.”
 Witters (2017a): “Hawaii Leads US States in Well-Being for Record Sixth TimeLinks to an external site.”
 Witters (2017b): “Naples, Florida, Remains Top US Metro for Well-BeingLinks to an external site.”
4. National Policy
 McCarthy (2017a): “US Support for Gay Marriage Edges to New HighLinks to an external site.”
 McCarthy (2017b): “Americans More Positive about Effects of ImmigrationLinks to an external site.”
 Swift (2017b): “More Americans Say Immigrants Help Rather Than Hurt EconomyLinks to an external site.”
 Reinhart and Ray (2018): “Record Unhappiness with Women’s Position in U.S.Links to an external site.”
5. Higher Education
 Auter (2018): “Half of College Students Say Their Major Leads to a Good JobLinks to an external site.”
 Maturo (2017): “One in Three Veterans Consult Coworkers About College MajorLinks to an external site.”
 Auter (2017): “Second Thoughts on College Major Linked to Source of AdviceLinks to an external site.”
d. Make a new post of at least 300 total words in which you provide the following information for each of the three reports you chose to read (three topics x one report per topic). It will be easiest if you write a separate paragraph for each of the three reports.
1. What was the topic of the public opinion poll?
2. Why did you choose this topic (and read this report)?
3. What finding from this public opinion poll do you think is the most interesting – and why do you think this finding is interesting?
4. What was the total sample size?
5. What was the poll’s margin of error?
6. Was the margin of error calculated at the 95% confidence level?
7. What does it mean that the margin of error was calculated at the 95% confidence level?