Human Resources Management Commons^™

Learning Styles, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are learning styles?

The concept of learning styles is the idea that people differ in the way that they learn best, and instructors should determine each trainee’s optimal style and then use training methods that match the trainee’s style (Pashler, 2009). There are dozens of different learning style classifications, including such styles or dimensions as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modality preferences (Dunn & Greggs, 2003, cited in Coffield et al., 2004); concrete vs. abstract and sequential vs. random (Gregorc, 1982a, cited in Coffield et al., 2004); holistic vs. analytic and verbalizer vs. imager (Riding & Raynor, 1998, cited …

Professional Development Newsletter, March 2022, Odu Career Pathways Program, Old Dominion University

Career Pathways

March 2022 issue of ODU Career Pathways Professional Development Newsletter.

A Reference Architecture For Augmented Reality Maintenance Support, Daniel A. Cuellar

Theses and Dissertations

The current method of preparing Airman to perform tasks in their designated Air Force Specialty is to provide coursework-based initial skills training and on-the job training (OJT) for that specialty. Full qualification for a single Air Force Specialty is estimated to average seven years with OJT consisting of seventy-five percent of that timeline. OJT primarily consists of mastering the use of the Technical Order (TO), a governing document that provides step-by-step task instruction that must be followed explicitly. Though TOs have transitioned to an electronic format, employment of the information has remained the same. A proven aid in instruction and …

Improving Task-Operator Analysis For Training Through The Integration Of Human Learning Taxonomies And Systems Engineering Models, James M. Earley

Theses and Dissertations

Training is a critical part of force sustainment, but the life-cycle cost of recurring training can be quite high. Further, the promotion of the Multi-Capable Airman (MCA) concept leads to questions on how best to train airmen on tasks outside of their core career field. The MCA concept, coupled with continued increase of technology effectiveness, incentivize the replacement of formerly in-residence-only training with distance training that enables Just-in-Time (JIT) learning. However, effective implementation of the MCA concept may also require adaptive training which considers the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) developed by a trainee within their core career field when …

Exploring The Value Of Training System Alternatives Through Methods Technologies, And Relevant Attributes, Brian R. Novitsky

Theses and Dissertations

Skilled maintainers are being lost at a higher rate than average of all enlisted career fields within the Air Force. Although incentive programs can provide some retention, attrition rates may continue to vary, placing the readiness of the warfighter in jeopardy. Additionally, the technologies used to train maintainers have evolved substantially, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) solutions, among others. These technologies have recently gained notoriety as novel ways to increase training effectiveness, providing avenues for maintainers to achieve greater skill levels at a faster rate than traditional platforms. Through semi-structured subject matter expert (SME) interviews, this qualitative …

The Application Of Virtual Reality In Firefighting Training, Dylan A. Gagnon

Theses and Dissertations

Immersive simulations such as virtual reality is becoming more prevalent for use in training environments for many professions. United States Air Force firefighters may benefit from incorporating VR technology into their training program to increase organizational commitment, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and job performance. With implementing a new training platform, it is also important to understand the relationship between these variables and the perceived benefits and efficacy of the VR training, which has not yet been studied in previous research. This study addresses this issue by gathering data from fire departments currently fielding a VR fire training platform.

A Phenomenological Study On How Exemplary Community College Chief Human Resource Officers Lead From The Heart To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Angela Love

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how exemplary community college chief human resource officers lead from the heart using Crowley’s (2011) four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight exemplary community college chief human resource officers lead from the heart using Crowley’s (2011) four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish …

Perceptions Of Employability Skills Of Undergraduate Business Students In A Developing Country: An Exploratory Study, Wise Mainga, Reuben M. Daniel, Luis Alamil

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of different employability skills for business graduates seeking initial employment.

Method: Semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to human resources representatives from industry, business lecturers, and graduating business students to determine gaps in perceptions between the three stakeholder groups.

Results: There was some alignment and moderate discrepancies in perceptions of the relative importance of different employability skills between the three stakeholder groups. There were statistically significant differences in perceived importance of communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills between graduating students and employers. There is evidence that employers were satisfied with …

Trainee Reactions, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are trainee reactions?

Trainee reactions refer to “subjective evaluations learners make about their training experiences” (Sitzmann et al., 2008, p. 280). Commonly referred to as “level 1” evaluations (e.g., Kirkpatrick, 1998), reactions are the most commonly used type of training evaluation and are measured with post-training surveys. Though measures are occasionally included in published research, there are no universal or even widely used measures. Instead, questions are developed by each organization or trainer based on their particular goals and interests. As a result, there is significant variation in what is measured. Originally, reactions referred only to how well a …

Professional Development Newsletter, February 2022, Odu Career Pathways Program, Old Dominion University

Career Pathways

February 2022 issue of ODU Career Pathways Professional Development Newsletter.

Organizational Change Process Milwaukee - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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This Intervention Overview draws heavily from Building Cultures and Climates for Effective Human Services: Understanding and Improving Organizational Social Contexts with the ARC model, Oxford University Press (2018). This book was written by Drs. Anthony Hemmelgarn and Charles Glisson based on 20+ years of intensive implementation and research experience within child welfare and mental health organizations. Dr. Hemmelgarn consulted with the QIC-WD on this project and served as the ARC specialist in Milwaukee.

ARC is an organizational change process aimed at improving organizational culture and climate and the availability, responsiveness, and continuity of services in human service organizations. It …

Organizational Change Process Milwaukee - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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What is ARC and why was it selected?

ARC stands for availability, responsiveness, and continuity and is an organizational change process. It is aimed at improving the organizational culture and climate and the availability, responsiveness, and continuity of services provision in human service organizations. ARC involves three primary strategies:

1. embedding five core principles of effective organizations into all aspects of organizational functioning;
2. installing most (but not necessarily all) of 12 key organizational component tools and processes to improve services in accordance with the five principles; and
3. building mental models and shared beliefs that support the successful application of ARC principles …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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What is Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and why was an intervention designed to address it?

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD), in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), conducted several surveys with a sample (40%) of child welfare workers and supervisors in December 2017, as a part of the needs assessment process. One of those surveys assessed the presence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. Of the child welfare workers and supervisors that responded, 53% indicated that they had recently experienced elevated levels of STS symptoms. This …

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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What is onboarding and why was this intervention selected?

Onboarding (also referred to organizational socialization) is “…the process by which newcomers make the transition from being organizational outsiders to being insiders” (Bauer, et al., 2007, p. 707). The overall goal of onboarding is to facilitate newcomer adjustment (Bauer & Erdogan, 2011), meaning that new employees understand the key tasks of their job (i.e., role clarity), have confidence in their ability to perform the key tasks of their job (i.e., self-efficacy), feel like they are an accepted member of the organization (i.e., social acceptance), and understand the …

Compensation, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is compensation?

For the purposes of this review, compensation is defined in two primary ways: a) pay and b) pay satisfaction. Pay refers to “the amount of money an individual receives for their job” (Rubenstein et al., 2017, p. 6). It is sometimes measured as the exact amount or in terms of pay levels (Judge et al., 2010). Pay satisfaction is about an employee’s feelings about their pay, either in general or in terms of more specific aspects. Depending on how it is measured, pay satisfaction often also includes feelings about benefits, which might be more appropriately called compensation …

Cognitive Offloading Strategies And Decrements In Learning: Lessons From Aviation And Aerospace Crises, D. Christopher Kayes, Jeewhan Yoon

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Examples from aviation and aerospace illustrate the potential consequences that emerge when organizations replace learning from experience with technology, a process referred to as a cognitive offloading strategy (COS). Examples include the Air France Flight 447 crash involving an Airbus 330-203 and the Lion Air Flight 610 crash involving a Boeing 737 Max. From the perspective of human performance in extreme environments, COS represents an underexplored source of organizational vulnerability which presents a particular challenge for learning in organizations. Decrements in learning result from COS because COS creates gaps in procedural knowledge and deprives operators of opportunities to learn in …

Diversity And Inclusion Climates, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are diversity and inclusion climates?

Diversity climate and inclusion climate are separate but related concepts, and there are various definitions of each. For the purposes of this review, diversity climate refers to “employees’ shared perceptions that an employer utilizes fair personnel practices and socially integrates underrepresented employees into the work environment” (McKay et al., 2008, p. 350). Inclusion climate goes one step farther to value and leverage diversity, such that “individuals of all backgrounds—not just members of historically powerful identity groups—are fairly treated, valued for who they are, and included in core decision making” (Nishii, 2013, p. 1754). A …

Technology, Case Practice, And Turnover: Early Findings From Virginia, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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Listening sessions conducted by Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) staff with child welfare staff across the state and exit survey results from the 120 local departments of social services (LDSS) found that the biggest complaint among caseworkers, particularly those leaving their jobs, was the lack of technological supports and flexibility to help them complete administrative tasks more quickly. VDSS, in partnership with the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QICWD), designed a multi-phase case-supportive technology intervention to help child welfare caseworkers complete their case notes and other administrative tasks required as part of their job. The goals of the …

Learning Systems In Schools And At Work, Richard D. Busby

Publications & Research

Key Points in this Post:

1. Learning systems in schools differ from learning systems at work
2. The content is different
3. The context is different
4. The complexity is different, specifically about promotion criteria

Question explored: Is it time to assess the current K-12 education system paradigm in order to adapt to the future of work?

I Learned From A Struggling Student, And You Can Too., Richard D. Busby

Publications & Research

Themes:

1. A learner’s ability to articulate their own learning struggle is a skill worth developing
2. A learning leader’s ability to facilitate the discussion to articulate specific learning obstacles is essential
3. Specificity about “the problem” mitigates the risk of a “poor solution” being implemented

The article presents a case example of insights from a student, then describes three observations about education/learning systems:

1. Consider Content Complexity vs Pace of Change
2. Be precise about assessing the defining the specific gap between expected performance and current performance
3. Differentiate problems "learning" from problems with the "learning solution"
4. Analyze the learning system (diagram included)

The article …

Untapped Potential For Child Welfare Administrative Data, Dana Hollinshead

QIC-Takes

Although a lot of data are captured through child welfare management information systems, there is much we still need to learn about the experiences of children and families involved in child protective services, and especially why some fare better than others. This is especially true with respect to dynamics that may influence caseworkers’ decisions, actions, and case outcomes. For example, are there certain caseworkers or service providers who are more effective in engaging families? Is there something about the type or dosage of services that makes a difference? Which workers or supervisory units are more likely to place a child …

Worker Turnover Is A Persistent Child Welfare Challenge--So Is Measuring It, Megan Paul, Courtney Harrison, Jonathan Litt, Michelle Graef

QIC-Takes

Turnover and other workforce challenges for child welfare professionals have been the subject of attention for many years. Consider this statement from a study published by the Children’s Bureau in 1960, “Turnover of staff in social agencies has been a serious concern of agency administrators for at least the past 10 years. Repeatedly, at conferences and in the professional journals, the complaint has been heard that staff turnover (1) handicaps the agency in its efforts to provide effective social services for clients; (2) is costly and unproductively time consuming; and (3) is responsible for the weary cycle of recruitmentemployment-orientation-production-resignation …” …

Supervision In A Virtual Workplace, Cynthia F. Parry

QIC-Takes

Some agencies have increased their use of telework due to office closures, a desire to decrease their carbon footprint, or because of the pandemic. This can add stress on supervisors as they have to manage staff virtually. Remote supervision requires changes in communication (both styles and tools) which can result in staff feeling micromanaged or neglected. Navigating these and other issues have been difficult for many child welfare agencies. The QIC-WD sites, like other child welfare agencies around the country, pivoted to virtual supervision quickly due to the pandemic. Most supervisors were unprepared for managing a virtual workforce and are …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Theory Of Change, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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Several workforce challenges were discussed as opportunities for intervention during the needs assessment process conducted partnership with the Nebraska Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) to address child welfare workforce turnover. Through a series of steps and causal links, a theory of change provides a roadmap to address the root causes of an identified workforce problem and describes how and why changes are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. Ultimately, two theories of change were developed to step through the “if, then” logic:

1. building resiliency skills within child welfare workers and supervisors; and
2. implementing a debriefing protocol focused …

Organizational Change Process Milwaukee - Theory Of Change, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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Through a series of steps and causal links, a theory of change provides a roadmap to address the root causes of an identified workforce problem and describes how and why changes are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. In Milwaukee, the theory of change was driven by the results of the Organizational Social Context (OSC) Measure administered during the needs assessment process. More specifically, the OSC showed that there were several aspects of both culture and climate that were in need of improvement, including 1) a hierarchical and rigid decision-making structure, 2) high role conflict and change resistance within …

Professional Development Newsletter, January 2022, Odu Career Pathways Program, Old Dominion University

Career Pathways

January 2022 issue of ODU Career Pathways Professional Development Newsletter.

Emotional Intelligence: Using Relationship Management In Leadership, Lauren Odette

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The professional world is evolving, and business leaders are required to operate in sometimes difficult situations for which they might feel unprepared. While in recent years, research on emotional intelligence has shown to be an important leadership component, it is not always translated successfully to business leadership nor contextualized to young leaders. This project aims to present a workshop to help people in leadership communicate effectively with their employees using skills stemming from increased emotional intelligence. The workshop draws on a range of literature and experiences in leadership training and emotional intelligence. Key concepts that serve as the focal points …

Athletic Training Preceptors' Perceptions Of The Characteristics For Contemporary Expertise, Nicholas J. Philpot, Julie M. Cavallario, Stacy E. Walker, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context

As a part of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) 2020 Standards for Accreditation of Professional Athletic Training Programs, all preceptors affiliated with accredited programs must identify an area of contemporary expertise in a routine area of athletic training practice. However, little is known regarding preceptors' perceptions of contemporary expertise.

Objective

To explore preceptors' perceptions of the characteristics of contemporary expertise.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Online survey with open-ended questions.

Patients or other participants

A total of 277 preceptors affiliated with 80 CAATE-accredited professional programs accessed the survey; 259 respondents completed at least 1 open-ended question, and …

Improving Networking Supports For Women In The Workplace, Karen E. Pennesi, Javier Alvarez Vandeputte, Zsofia Agoston, Rawand Amsdr

Anthropology Publications

This report describes findings from research on networking activities and strategies among women in executive and leadership positions in Canadian organizations. The project was carried out by graduate student researchers in collaboration with the Women's Executive Network. Networking is defined as the creation and maintenance of a community of diverse interests, through in-person and online engagements, that can be mobilized for the benefit of oneself or other members of one’s network. We found that the shift to primarily online networking activities due to COVID-19 removed some existing barriers related to age, gender and location, while introducing others related to family …

Evaluating Job Redesign: Strategies And Preliminary Findings From Louisiana, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Child Welfare Division (CWD), in partnership with the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) conducted a needs assessment of their child welfare system. The needs assessment indicated high caseloads and administrative tasks were barriers to caseworkers’ ability to support families, engage clients, determine root causes of maltreatment, and implement timely services. Furthermore, surveys conducted with caseworkers revealed that they perceived their jobs as highly complex - requiring a wide range of tasks, a variety of specialized skills, and a high degree of information processing. These findings resulted in CWD and the …