Browsing by Subject "minority"
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Item Examining the world of subcultural existence: a descriptive analysis of African American management experiences and values(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Stephens, Chandra D.As today's global businesses acknowledge the criticality of being competitive in international markets, this new awakening also compels these businesses to not just understand the diverse cultures across which they manage and operate, but to also recognize the impact of their own cultural grounding within their business contexts. However, there is comparatively less attention given to the subcultural aspects of business culture. Acknowledging a gap in research examining attitudes of subcultures in a single nation to particular management approaches, Peppas conducted a comparative study in 2002 between the subcultures of African Americans and Euro Americans regarding 18 values statements framed around the managerial functions. This study builds upon that quantitative research addressing specifically the management values of the African American subculture. However, while this study is similarly framed around some values examined in Peppas' research, the purpose of this study was to explore the African American subcultural experiences in practice through qualitative inquiry, presenting the informants' emic views to understand uniqueness or commonalities of their management values (attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors). The methodology utilized a purposive sample of 10 African American managers across technology, financial services, oil and gas, healthcare, and banking industries. This basic qualitative, exploratory study employed semi-structured interviews framed around some of the management values examined in the Peppas study in 2002. The data specifically revealed insight regarding aspects of management values of planning, evaluating, innovating; organizing and controlling; recruiting, selecting, rewarding; leadership; communication; and relationships between work and social life. The findings in this study mainly corroborate the findings of related values in the Peppas study of 2002. However, interpretation of the informants' behavioral experiences sometimes contrasted to their expressed beliefs. Emergent themes reveal a consistency in the belief of these African American managers that they are observed more closely than other non-minority managers and that they are challenged and tested by others particularly because they must prove their worthiness. Also, entrenched educational values proved common across all informants' experiences.Item The class of 1990: a longitudinal study of a freshman cohort at Texas A&M University-Kingsville(Texas A&M University, 2005-08-29) Dollar, SusanExtensive research has been conducted on college student retention and graduation and many studies have found certain characteristics to be predictive of successful completion of college. However, few studies have focused on a target population which is primarily Hispanic. This study examined the 1990 entering freshmen class of students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), of which more than 68% were Hispanic. An attempt was made to examine characteristics that would predict success, defined as graduation from TAMUK. Data derived from institutional records and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board were examined using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple logistic regression. Pre-college characteristics studied included age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, high school GPA (Grade Point Average), high school class rank, high school of origin, county of origin, and American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores. In-college characteristics studied included residency status, admission status, enrollment status, number of hours enrolled fall 1990, college major, the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) scores, developmental courses, semester GPA??s, academic standing, and finally, attrition, transfer or graduation status. The fall 1990 entering students were evenly divided between males (53.4%) and females (46.6%), were young (79% were age 19 or less), single (91.4%), and Hispanic (68.2%). Almost half (46%) of the students came from high schools within 50 miles of Kingsville. The mean college entrance exam scores (ACT=16.76 and SAT=766) were well below the national means of 21 and 999, respectively. Of the 1106 entering freshmen, 307 (27.7%) graduated from TAMUK within the 10 years under study. An additional 490 (44.3%) transferred to other state institutions, and 309 (27.9%) dropped out of TAMUK and did not enroll in any other state college or university. The fall-tospring attrition rate was only 16.5%; however, the fall-to-fall attrition rate was 50.0% at the end of the first year. Stepwise multiple logistic regression (backward) analysis revealed that only high school GPA and the ACT composite score were statistically significant predictors of graduation.Item The role of parental involvement in the amelioration of the effects of low socioeconomic status on academic achievement(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Grayson, Nancy E.Previous studies in the area of parental involvement in the education system were based on inconsistent parameters or definitions of the construct (Baker and Soden, 1997). The present study seeks to more clearly define and quantify parental involvement and examine the reduction of academic risk factors for economically disadvantaged students through a program of parental involvement in the educational setting. This study compares the academic achievement (ITBS scores) of 70 students enrolled in 1st thru 5th grades at an elementary public charter school in relation to the level of documented parental involvement (PI). Data indicate that in comparison to students enrolled at two neighborhood traditional public elementary schools, students at the charter school are 1.2 to 1.7 times more likely to pass the state mandated TAKS test in grades three through five. However, statistical analyses did not support the hypothesis that level of parental involvement was associated with academic achievement.