Browsing by Subject "Career"
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Item A Phenomenological Exploration of Combat Veterans? Experiences as They Transition to Civilian Employment Using Higher Education as Career Development(2014-01-09) Minnis, SarahWhen enlisted combat arms military service members return from deployment and enter or reenter the American workforce, they often find it challenging to explain their Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) positions and associated responsibilities and accomplishments to employers. Particularly in an economy that has gone from being prosperous to becoming stagnant and recessed in recent years, veterans have returned from military service to find increased competition for fewer jobs that are mostly at the lower end of the skill requirements and pay scale. Many service members have utilized higher education as career development to mitigate the transition from being a military service member to being a civilian employee. The purpose of this study was to explore, using hermeneutic phenomenology, the lived experiences and feelings of combat arms veterans about the transition process from higher education to the civilian work environment while allowing veterans to share their feelings about their experiences in their own words. The aim of this research was to better understand the veterans? perceptions of their career development transition to civilian employment in order to identify strategies to assist them through the transition and into civilian employment. Seven veterans of military service in the infantry were identified with purposeful sampling from the population of OEF/OIF veterans with combat arms MOSs pursuing higher education at a large southwestern university. Because there is no direct civilian employment correlate for the combat arms MOS, it necessitates that the participants identify new career directions. Participants were at least junior level in their education at the time of interview. Each participant was interviewed twice face-to-face with hermeneutic interviews conducted three weeks apart. Themes that emerged from my review of the research data are reflective of the phenomena occurring within the veteran participants? career development experiences as they move through and move out of higher education into civilian employment. The themes that emerged from the participants? stories of their experiences share common roots of power and have intertwining branches: new structures, new systems, and new relationships that impact the veterans? career development. Feelings of fear and hope about their career development and future civilian employment are part of the veterans? career transition process and experiences as illustrated in the data. This process and the constructs brought into relief from analysis provide the answers to the research questions posited about infantry veterans? experiences using higher education as career development for civilian employment. While they expressed a clear understanding of their skills and capabilities gained through military service that they believed should be of value in civilian employment, the participants also acknowledged their concerns and worries that their experiences and abilities to contribute in civilian employment would not be recognized.Item An analysis of the effect self-efficacy has on interest for urban minority students toward an agricultural major/career(2008-12) Settle, Quisto Dossey; Doerfert, David; Akers, Cindy; Burris, ScottThe agriculture industry is facing a need for qualified workers while colleges of agriculture, which are the primary sources of these qualified workers, are also facing declining enrollments. In order to amend this problem, it has been suggested that increasing the number of non-traditional students (ethnic minorities with little-to-no experience in agriculture) could be a potential solution. One of the areas of consideration is the self-efficacy and career interest levels of these students. This study sought to answer the question of what effect would a workshop in agricultural communications have on participants’ levels of self-efficacy and career interest for agriculture? At three locations, a five-day workshop was conducted with lessons in risk/crisis communications, photography, video, news writing, and Web design. At two locations, students did not have access to formal instruction in agriculture-related content, while the third location included students at an agriculture high school Participants’ levels of self-efficacy and career interest were assessed before and after the workshop to assess any changes. It was found that two of the three workshops were effective at increasing self-efficacy and career interest levels of participants while the third, consisting of students from an agricultural high school, didn’t show the same improvements. The results suggest that the students’ characteristics and prior experience were not responsible for most of the changes, leading to the conclusion that it was likely the workshop. It was recommended to create more permanent agricultural institutions, such as agriculture programs in high schools and 4-H clubs, to increase urban, minority participation in agriculture. In the mean time, workshops and programs that serve as introductions to agriculture should continue.Item An assessment of recruitment and training practices of the National FFA Livestock Career Development Event(2006-08) Rayfield, John; Fraze, Steven; Brashears, Michael T.; Davis, Chad S.; Lawver, David; Jackson, Samuel P.Career Development Events (CDE’s) are FFA activities that are used to showcase knowledge and skills gained by agricultural education students. These competitive venues are useful teaching tools for agricultural education teachers and can serve as a great recruitment opportunity for these teachers. This dissertation investigates and assesses recruitment and training practices used in 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. One hundred fifty-five FFA members from 40 states participated in this census study. Forty-three teams registered to participate in the 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. Ninety-three percent of the contest participants responded to the survey. The 2005 participants of the National FFA Livestock CDE completed a researcher-designed questionnaire. The first section contained demographic variables such as age, gender, and population of community. The second section of the survey dealt with how the students were recruited to be a member of their FFA chapter's livestock judging team. Students reported which factors were most important and least important in terms of their recruitment to the Livestock CDE team on a 16 question four-point Likert-type scale. The third section of the survey consisted of training practices that were used to train team members for the 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. Participants reported how beneficial certain training practices were in their preparation for the contest on 15 Likert-type scale items. The researcher found that there was a moderate correlation between the recruitment factor competitiveness and team emblem earned at the contest. There was also a moderate correlation between working out with college livestock judging teams as a training practice and team emblem and moderate correlations existed between the demographic variables of years of involvement in livestock judging, prior livestock judging experience, and 4-H and junior FFA livestock judging experience as they relate to team emblem. Communication scores had a substantial correlation with team emblem and cognitive and evaluation scores both posted moderate correlations with their relationship to team emblem. Regression analysis was used to predict factors leading to a gold emblem placing at the National FFA Livestock CDE. Competitiveness and good study skills were significant recruitment factors in predicting team emblem. Working out with college livestock judging teams proved to be a positive training practice while video judging practices yielded negative significant results. Four demographic variables were significant in the regression model. Number of years involved in livestock judging, gender, and grade point average all showed a positive impact on predicting team emblem. Participants who reported they were best at judging cattle saw a negative impact on team emblem. Recommendations include developing a teacher resource guide for training CDE teams and distributing findings to current and pre-service agriculture education teachers. Further research is recommended to follow-up on participant’s post-secondary education choices and their career choice based on participation in the National FFA Livestock CDE.Item An assessment of recruitment and training practices of the National FFA Livestock Career Development Event(Texas Tech University, 2006-08) Rayfield, John; Fraze, Steven; Davis, Chad S.; Lawver, David; Jackson, Samuel P.; Brashears, Michael T.Career Development Events (CDE’s) are FFA activities that are used to showcase knowledge and skills gained by agricultural education students. These competitive venues are useful teaching tools for agricultural education teachers and can serve as a great recruitment opportunity for these teachers. This dissertation investigates and assesses recruitment and training practices used in 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. One hundred fifty-five FFA members from 40 states participated in this census study. Forty-three teams registered to participate in the 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. Ninety-three percent of the contest participants responded to the survey. The 2005 participants of the National FFA Livestock CDE completed a researcher-designed questionnaire. The first section contained demographic variables such as age, gender, and population of community. The second section of the survey dealt with how the students were recruited to be a member of their FFA chapter's livestock judging team. Students reported which factors were most important and least important in terms of their recruitment to the Livestock CDE team on a 16 question four-point Likert-type scale. The third section of the survey consisted of training practices that were used to train team members for the 2005 National FFA Livestock CDE. Participants reported how beneficial certain training practices were in their preparation for the contest on 15 Likert-type scale items. The researcher found that there was a moderate correlation between the recruitment factor competitiveness and team emblem earned at the contest. There was also a moderate correlation between working out with college livestock judging teams as a training practice and team emblem and moderate correlations existed between the demographic variables of years of involvement in livestock judging, prior livestock judging experience, and 4-H and junior FFA livestock judging experience as they relate to team emblem. Communication scores had a substantial correlation with team emblem and cognitive and evaluation scores both posted moderate correlations with their relationship to team emblem. Regression analysis was used to predict factors leading to a gold emblem placing at the National FFA Livestock CDE. Competitiveness and good study skills were significant recruitment factors in predicting team emblem. Working out with college livestock judging teams proved to be a positive training practice while video judging practices yielded negative significant results. Four demographic variables were significant in the regression model. Number of years involved in livestock judging, gender, and grade point average all showed a positive impact on predicting team emblem. Participants who reported they were best at judging cattle saw a negative impact on team emblem. Recommendations include developing a teacher resource guide for training CDE teams and distributing findings to current and pre-service agriculture education teachers. Further research is recommended to follow-up on participant’s post-secondary education choices and their career choice based on participation in the National FFA Livestock CDE.Item Beyond balance : examining work-family interface, role negotiation, and coping strategies for female caregivers in STEM(2016-08) Reilly, Erin Dawna; Awad, Germine H.; Rochlen, Aaron B.; Cokley, Kevin O; McCarthy, Christopher J; Walkow, Janet CThough the retention of female caregivers in STEM fields has become increasingly discussed, there is a lack of research investigating the major factors impacting their successful negotiation of work and family responsibilities and roles. This body of research examined the impact of societal roles, external support structures, and coping resources on work-family satisfaction and psychological well-being. In particular, this study investigated the following: (1) the relationships among work support, family support, coping, and satisfaction; (2) the relationship between family- and occupational-support, work-family conflict, and satisfaction; (3) coping resources as a mediator of the relationship between work-family conflict and work and family satisfaction, and; (4) the impact of internalizations of competing societal myths (i.e., the ideal worker myth and motherhood myth) as moderating the impact of work-family conflict on interpersonal guilt. Participants included 204 women in STEM fields who also reported caregiving responsibilities. The majority of the recruited sample identified as mothers, and reported approximately equal amounts of time spent on occupational responsibilities and caretaking work. Results indicate that women who reported higher levels of family support and occupational support tended to have higher levels work and family satisfaction, as well as greater perceived internal coping resources. In addition, women with greater perceived abilities to identify, predict, and plan for demands and possible stressors tended to have greater levels of family and work satisfaction. In terms of modeling work-family interface, women who reported higher levels of familial and career-climate support tended to also report greater perceived coping resources and abilities. However, the hypothesis that work-to-family and family-to-work conflict would significantly predict lower work satisfaction and family satisfaction was not supported when modeled alongside other variables (external support and coping). On the other hand, the hypothesis that the relationship between family-to-work conflict and work satisfaction was mediated by perceived coping resources was supported. Finally, results suggest that greater internalization of the motherhood myth, the ideal worker myth, and the presence of work-to-family conflict are associated with higher levels of guilt for female caregivers in STEM fields. Limitations, future research areas, and practical implications of these findings are discussed.Item Effects of the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program on 4-H Youth and the Perceived Impact on Leadership Skills, Livestock Production Knowledge and Agricultural Career Development(2012-02-14) Zanolini, WilliamSelected 4-H youth participated in the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador program. Forty six youth attended one of the 2011 Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Short Courses held on the campuses of Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University. The three-day short course is in an intense introduction of animal science principles delivered by university professors and staff, Texas AgriLife Extension faculty and industry representatives. Upon completing the short course, the students must contribute 30 hours to youth livestock projects and Texas animal agriculture. Two instruments were developed to evaluate the perceptions of the participants regarding their perceived impact of the program on: 1) livestock production knowledge gained, 2) career development, 3) understanding of higher education, and 4) leadership development. The students perceived the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program to increase their understanding of livestock production knowledge, career development, higher education and leadership development. The results of the study validate the need for advanced educational opportunities to develop high school aged 4-H members in the state of Texas.Item Mixed method study of the career lines of chief financial officers (CFOs) in academic medical centers(2005-08) Hooten, Michael E.; Cejda, Brent D.; Murray, John P.; Duemer, Lee S.The purpose of this study was to investigate the meaning of a career as a chief financial officer (CFO) in an academic medical center. The mixed method, two phase model used a survey for the quantitative portion and semi-structured interviews for the qualitative portion. The research design followed the examples of Creswell (1998) and Van Manen (1990). The quantitative data provided descriptive statistics. The qualitative portion used phenomenological methods to analyze the data. Career mobility is typically observed and reported as a hierarchical progression within a labor market. This research utilized three theoretical concepts to frame the study of career mobility as a career line. They were the concepts of phenomenology, critical incidents, and professional relationships. The central question of the study was what essential experiences, critical incidents, and professional relationships occurred along the career line of a chief financial officer. The survey consisted of 21 questions and was used to identify a criterion sample for an interview. The interview contained eight open ended questions that allowed for probing questions. Four themes emerged, they were career, critical incidents, professional relationships and professional associations. The findings indicated that career was a lived experience that was shaped by challenge and opportunity and influenced by mentors and sponsors. The study gave meaning to the aspect that career was not confined to entering a labor market and moving vertically in a sequence of positions. An individual may have a profession, but a career is composed of a combination of meaningful events.Item Mixed method study of the career lines of chief financial officers of academic medical centers(Texas Tech University, 2005-08) Hooten, Michael E.; Cejda, Brent D.; Murray, John P.; Duemer, Lee S.The purpose of this study was to investigate the meaning of a career as a chief financial officer (CFO) in an academic medical center. The mixed method, two phase model used a survey for the quantitative portion and semi-structured interviews for the qualitative portion. The research design followed the examples of Creswell (1998) and Van Manen (1990). The quantitative data provided descriptive statistics. The qualitative portion used phenomenological methods to analyze the data. Career mobility is typically observed and reported as a hierarchical progression within a labor market. This research utilized three theoretical concepts to frame the study of career mobility as a career line. They were the concepts of phenomenology, critical incidents, and professional relationships. The central question of the study was what essential experiences, critical incidents, and professional relationships occurred along the career line of a chief financial officer. The survey consisted of 21 questions and was used to identify a criterion sample for an interview. The interview contained eight open ended questions that allowed for probing questions. Four themes emerged, they were career, critical incidents, professional relationships and professional associations. The findings indicated that career was a lived experience that was shaped by challenge and opportunity and influenced by mentors and sponsors. The study gave meaning to the aspect that career was not confined to entering a labor market and moving vertically in a sequence of positions. An individual may have a profession, but a career is composed of a combination of meaningful events.Item The Career Experiences of African American Female Engineers(2012-10-19) Rice, Delores NichelleWomen of color, specifically African American women, within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are significantly underrepresented in workplace organizations. However, the majority of the research addressing STEM issues is centered on increasing the pipeline, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented groups in the K-12 and collegiate domain. There is little, if any, literature focused on the career development of African American female engineers holistically. This is a critical missing link in the research which would support efforts to increase diversity in STEM. The purpose of this study was to provide this missing link by examining the career experiences of African American female engineers and exploring their challenges and support systems during their career development. This qualitative study was guided by the basic interpretive inquiry utilizing a life history approach. There were nine African American female participants in the study who currently work in an engineering field within an engineering industry. Data were obtained using in-depth interviewing where the participants were digitally recorded and the files were transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Item The Influence of Birth Order and Gender on Narcissism as it Relates to Career Development(2011-08-09) Duffy, Clare 1978-This study explored the relationship between self-development as evidenced in the domain of narcissism and the process of vocational development as evidenced in career values, planning, and decisiveness/self-efficacy. It was suggested that this relationship would be impacted by family birth order and gender. Heinz Kohut's theory of self-psychology was utilized to understand narcissism from both an adaptive and maladaptive, developmental perspective. A review of narcissism and self-development theories was included to provide a comparative and comprehensive approach. Literature indicated that the development of narcissism was influenced by birth order and gender. Additionally, a review of the literature suggested a connection between Kohut's theory of the self and narcissism and aspects of the career development process, such as planning, decision-making, and occupational values. The sample consisted of 346 undergraduate students. Structural Equation Modeling was performed to test causal hypotheses. The major findings of the current study were that superiority (a measure of grandiosity) predicts altruistic career values and career decisiveness. Superiority is a slightly better predictor of altruistic career values than decisiveness. Additionally, goal instability (idealizing) predicts altruistic career values and career decisiveness. Goal instability had a predictive value that was nearly three times stronger for decisiveness. The results indicated that birth order and gender were not moderator variables in examining the relationship between goal instability and superiority. This study provided insight into the relationship between narcissism and the vocational/career development processes. These relationships may be important for career counselors and other related professionals. These findings may encourage counselors to assess and understand a client's narcissistic tendencies and individual representations when assisting in the career development process. A client's values regarding career options, along with his/her associated self-efficacy and ability to make important decisions, appear to be factors to consider when counseling an individual through vocational/career development. Limitations of the study were addressed and directions for further research discussed.