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Rural regions of the United States have experienced detrimental out-migration, or brain drain, of college-educated individuals. The present study used survey data, gathered with an interactive website tool containing a comprehensive collection of economic and lifestyle features, to determine those most important in migration decisions for public university graduating seniors from the rural state of Iowa. Economic features (overall cost of living and a strong local economy) were ranked as the top features, followed by lifestyle features including two surprising features (access to basic consumer goods and access to health facilities). The impact of individual differences on the likelihood of moving and the selection of desired community features was also examined and proved to be statistically significant. For instance, in comparison with female graduates, male graduates selected educational level of residents and higher percentage of nonmarried residents features more frequently. Implications for policy development and marketing and economic development strategies are discussed.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The transition from higher education to employment is a major life change for many college seniors (currently, the Generation Y cohort). The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of Generation Y and to present new insights regarding Gen Y's retail career expectations, perceptions of retail careers, future psychological contract/entitlement perceptions of retail careers, and career exploration of the US retailing industry. Design/methodology/approach -Utilizing quantitative research methods via an on-line survey, the authors examined 193 Gen Y college seniors' retail career perceptions and expectations, and explored the influence these factors have on future psychological contract/entitlement perceptions of employer-employee obligations and retail career exploration from nine US universities. Findings -College seniors' pre-entry retail job expectations, perceptions of retail careers, and future psychological contract/entitlement perceptions of employee obligations were significant predictors of career exploration; college seniors' preconceived notions of retail careers, combined with what they feel they would owe their future employer, are instrumental in determining retail career exploration decisions.Research limitations/implications -Findings suggest directions for university faculty, academic advisors, and industry practitioners on facilitating college seniors' transitions from higher education to the world of work by suggesting recruitment strategies that can attract, retain and motivate Gen Y. Originality/value -The findings provide useful criteria for organizational development strategies to assist with the transition from higher education to the workforce and may also improve the success of recruiting Gen Y employees. In addition, the conceptualization of psychological contracts (i.e. entitlement perceptions) differentiates this study from prior psychological contract research.

PurposeThis study aims to focus on the unique challenges of retail service delivery in rural tourism markets. This paper specifically seeks to address: factors attracting individuals to a rural tourism community; factors motivating resident and tourist customers to engage in tourism shopping; satisfaction of resident and tourist customers with local retailers; and strategies to assist retailers in successful service delivery.Design/methodology/approachUsing Dillman's survey techniques, data were collected from two different groups: resident customers and tourist customers in a rural Iowa tourism community. Given the study's exploratory focus, a case study methodology was selected.FindingsShopping experiences were much less satisfying for resident customers than for tourist customers in this study. Tourism retailers may not be effectively differentiating their customer service and providing adequate attention during the shopping experience, particularly to resident customers.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation is that the study represents an initial test of self‐designed and/or modified scales to capture the variables of interest in a single rural tourism community in Iowa. Therefore findings may only be generalizable to the unique nature of an established tourist population in Midwestern regions of the USA.Practical implicationsAn important implication from this study is rural tourism retailers need to develop a comprehensive customer relationship management strategy to encourage repeat shopping and sustained patronage behavior.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable strategic implications for rural tourism entrepreneurs, business consultants and economic development professionals in rural tourism communities, and fills a void in the tourism and patronage literature.

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to investigate interns' supervisory support expectations, psychological contract obligations, job satisfaction, perception of advancement opportunities and affective organisational commitment in an attempt to gain a better understanding of how these variables influence interns' conversion intentions. Design/methodology/approach -This study focuses on college juniors and seniors who were enrolled in retail/service programs at one of three major US universities, and successfully completed a retail/service internship. An online survey was used to assess the influence of interns' psychological contract expectations regarding employer obligations, supervisory support expectations, job satisfaction, perception of advancement opportunities, and affective organisational commitment on interns' conversion intentions (intent to accept an offer for full-time employment). Findings -Findings indicate that employers can establish a foundation for intern retention by fulfilling obligations, both implicitly and explicitly. Furthermore, to ensure continued success of their interns, retailers should rely on supervisors and/or mentors to provide guidance, support and feedback. Research limitations/implications -Research is limited to students who completed a retail/ service internship during 2008. Practical implications -Results provide practical implications to aid in internship program development, assist in interns' educational and professional development, and enhance the likelihood of successful conversion of interns to employees for retail/service businesses. Originality/value -This paper is based on actual feedback from interns. Findings will assist retailers in identifying how they can differentiate their internship programs from their competitors', and how they can increase internship conversion rates. Additionally, the paper identifies salient factors that motivate interns to accept an offer for full-time employment from their internship company.