Training and Development Commons^™

Harnessing The Power Of Cliftonstrengths®: How Multinational Corporations Can Use Deep-Level Diversity To Enhance Organizational Inclusion, Trapper Kay Pace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explicitly investigated how multinational corporations can enhance workplace inclusion through the novel use of the CliftonStrengths® assessment as a dimension of deep-level diversity. The study gleaned insights from employees’ perspectives, employing a constructivist grounded theory approach to explicate their experiences in rich qualitative narratives. Through open-ended surveys and intensive interviews, participants were selected using purposeful sampling to ensure meaningful data collection from the study organizations’ three global regions. The researcher conducted the analysis systematically through the constant comparison of data utilizing the NVivo14 software to assist in constructing codes, themes, and a theoretical schema. Results highlighted the significance …

Empowering Voices: Exploring The Career Trajectories Of Women Of Color Hr Professionals Amid Disruptive Change, Brandi R. Muñoz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated strategies to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in organizational leadership, focusing on supporting women of color in the workplace. The specific problem addressed was the underrepresentation and barriers faced by women of color in leadership positions despite their potential contributions to organizational success. The study employed a qualitative approach, combining qualitative interviews with socioeconomic data analysis. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews with women of color and a survey to gather demographic and employment information. The sample consisted of 16 women of color human resource professionals working in various industries and organizational settings across the …

The Emotional Intelligence And Conflict Management Relationship In Black Women Leaders, Tina Raylyn Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and conflict management styles in Black women leaders in the United States. The lack of literature surrounding Black women leaders' emotional intelligence or conflict management styles presented an opportunity to offer quantitative data connected to these constructs. A cross-sectional survey design was used to administer three surveys the Situational Test of Emotional Management- B, the Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory, and a modified version the Multidimensional Inventory of Black of Identity, that focused on Black female identity. Data from 124 participants were analyzed to learn if identity mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence …

The Correlation Between Transformational Leadership And Mental Health Clinician Burnout, Rebekah E. Shutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health clinicians working in a hospital setting are at a high risk of experiencing burnout due to the stressful demands of their caseloads, compassion fatigue, limited resources, and unsupportive leadership. While there is ample research regarding the cause and effect of burnout on clinicians there is a gap in the literature when it comes to the impact leadership has on mental heath clinician burnout. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to determine if and to what extent there is a correlation between Transformational Leadership and mental health clinician burnout. Participants for this study consisted of 200 mental …

Call Center Retention: A Correlational Study Of Work Attitudes And Satisfaction Of Training And Development For Customer Service Agents, Jacquelyn Holmes Birocci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was the theoretical model of work attitudes that customer service representatives have about their jobs, the level of satisfaction they have with training and development, and the relationship of work attitudes and satisfaction with employee retention within U.S.-based software as a service inbound call centers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to investigate if and to what extent work attitudes and satisfaction of training and development had a relationship with employee retention within U.S.-based inbound call centers. A quantitative methodology was used to explore if work attitudes and satisfaction of training and development …

Barriers To Succession Planning: A Case Study Of Atlanta Nonprofit Organizations, Adonnis J. Jules

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Succession planning is not a common practice among nonprofit organizations, despite support for its effectiveness in supporting leadership development and providing organizational stability during a planned or unplanned transition. Nonprofits have acknowledged that their leadership ranks are thin, and a leadership transition tends to bring challenges to the organizations when vacancies need to be filled. Barriers exist that prevent nonprofits from engaging in succession planning, but little research has examined the nature of these barriers. This study focused on nonprofit organizations across four different industry sectors to determine the extent of their succession planning efforts and the barriers that exist …

Executive Coaching: A Cohesive Conceptual Model And The Qualitative Investigation Of Executive Coaching Styles, David Morelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive coaching is a field in search of a conceptual model to tie together disparate studies and theories. While several decades of research validate ‘that’ coaching works (Athanasopoulou & Dopson, 2018), it’s been unclear is to ‘how’ coaching works. For over two decades, the field has been calling out for a conceptual model (Kilburg, 1996; Athanasopoulou & Dopson, 2018) and hasn’t known where to turn. While several attempts have been made, each of them suffered from conflation and lack of specificity, perhaps due to the lack of theoretical grounding amidst coaching’s nascence as a field. Answering this call is important …

Identifying Competencies And Outputs Of Sss Role In Stem Bridge Programs In The Silicon Valley, Alexandra C. Duran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study identified the competencies and outputs associated with the role of student support specialists (SSS) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) bridge programs in the community colleges of Silicon Valley. The growth of STEM education, coupled with the increasing diversity of student population in community colleges, has made the work of SSS professionals in the region challenging. While the SSS professionals are often positioned as comprehensive, nonacademic support for STEM students, not enough has been documented on the competencies and outputs associated with SSS role in STEM bridge programs. In addition, most studies on student affairs professionals primarily …

Assessing Public Health Workforce Informatics Competencies: A Study Of Three Health Departments In Metro Atlanta, Olatanwa Adewale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is a need for the public health workforce to be current and versatile in technology usage. Public health leveraging technology usage in service delivery has the potential to improve efficiency and bring it to the forefront in the provision of healthcare services. The purpose of this study was to assess public health workforce informatics competencies in select Atlanta health districts and determine the correlates of public health informatics proficiency.

Methods: A 10-item instrument adapted from the recommendations of a Working Group document by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 2015 Informatics Capacity and …

Organizational Conditions That Promote And Impede Research Engagement: The Principal’S Perspective, Renee Treat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher explored perceptions of the research-practice gap in education, the process through which central actors make decisions related to teacher retention and development, and the organizational conditions that promote and impede research-engagement in this qualitative study. The researcher limited the study to the role of the campus principal and used purposive sampling to select participants from 3 diverse districts in the state of Texas. Because there may be discrepancies between leaders’ perceptions and behaviors, the researcher conducted interview sessions with principals and principal supervisors and conducted observation sessions in principals’ natural work environments. The study results showed that good …

Community College Grow Your Own Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Employee Perceptions Of Individual And Organizational Leadership Development, John Delozier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges often face challenges with leadership as a result of retirements and turnover. In reaction to these challenges some community colleges have developed Grow Your Own (GYO) leadership development programs. Although the topic of leadership and leadership development has been researched extensively, more research is necessary concerning GYO programs and their perceived impact on participants and their colleges. This study was designed to determine the perceived development of GYO participants as well as the perception of a GYO’s impact on the organization. Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in Greensboro, North Carolina has had a GYO program for 30 years. …

A Narrative Inquiry With Three Formerly Abrasive Leaders: Stories Of Disruption, Awakening, And Equipping, Lori J. Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychological aggression in the workplace is known to be destructive. Most commonly, knowledge of this workplace dynamic is through the literature of workplace bullying or abusive supervision and from the perspective of the accuser. Very little is known of the perspective of the accused. Moreover, unknown in the literature is the valued perspective of the leader who (a) acknowledged his or her behavior was inappropriate and (b) significantly improved his or her interpersonal behavior and management strategies. The purpose of this study was to inquire into the experience and meaning making of three formerly abrasive leaders who were positively influenced …

Eyes In The Field, A Seat At The Table, A Voice At The Ranch : A Study On Optimal Farm Labor Conditions., Christine Wiggins-Romesburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of human resource development has twin obligations to promote the performance of organizations and the satisfaction and welfare of all workers. Nevertheless, agriculture appears to be an understudied industry in the field, despite this obligation and the potential for suffering experienced by workers performing crop work. This case study sought to understand the process through which a single agricultural operation fosters optimal conditions for workers engaged in labor-intensive crop production. This study found employees experienced better treatment compared to other agricultural operations, and that conditions were rich in both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors were marked by …

Evaluating The Impact Of Training Employees To Identify Victims Of Human Trafficking, Emily Roman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global epidemic that steals the freedoms away from those who have been oppressed by it. Providing victims with resources begins with identifying them. Unfortunately, identifying victims is not an easy task. Trafficked victims are controlled and protected by their traffickers, and recipients may not even realize that they are victims of human trafficking. Also, the vague nature of trafficking makes it difficult for service providers, such as those in law enforcement, healthcare, and social services, to identify victims readily. Furthermore, research efforts imply a general lack of training provided for employees to know how to identify …

Public Health Workforce Perceived Impact Of Emerging Issues In Public Health, Kristie C. Waterfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In an era where public health has been viewed as a global, multi-disciplinary field, the public health workforce has remained united to unfailingly holding fast to the mission of protecting, promoting, and improving the health of the public. However, the practice of public health is consistently evolving, and the workforce is continually facing a mirage of challenges. In order to overcome these challenges, practitioners need to be up-to-date on the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver the core public health services.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the perceived impact of emerging trends in public …

Emotional Intelligence Instruction For Millennials In Undergraduate Education, Jason M. Pollett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the improvement, if any, of emotional intelligence scores of students who participated in and completed the specified professional development seminar. In addition, this study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence subscales of students enrolled in a professional development seminar that focuses on enhancing the emotional intelligence. The research design for this study was an ex post facto, quasi-experimental correlational quantitative research design. Data from the 371 students who enrolled in the Professional Development Seminar course during academic years 2015-2017 served as the sample for this study.

This study focused on …

Exploring Alumni Valuation Of An Undergraduate Leadership Program, John D. Egan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored alumni’ valuation of an undergraduate leadership program by gaining an understanding of what leadership learning and leadership behaviors transferred into their work environments. The alumni graduated from the same university in the southeastern United States, and while enrolled completed a four-year, co-curricular leadership program. In this mixed methods study, eight participant alumni engaged in semi-structured interviews as well as completed the Leadership Practices Inventory. Alumni perceived that leadership experiences, learning community, classroom learning, peer coaching, and intentional reflection were the most valuable attributes of the program. The leadership learning that effectively transferred to work environments included collaboration, …

The Landwarnet School, The Army Learning Model, And Appreciative Inquiry: How Is A Centralized Training Organization Improved By Introducing Decentralization?, Lisa Jayne Stamper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory, qualitative case study describes how a centralized training organization (LandWarNet School) was improved by introducing decentralization (Army Learning Model) toward “the best competitive position” or "sweet spot," defined by Brafman and Beckstrom (2006) as “enough decentralization for creativity, but sufficient structure and controls to ensure consistency” (pp. 189, 191). Any presence of the six chaordic elements of a decentralized organization, as described by Hock (1999), was also considered.

LandWarNet School (LWNS) trains approximately 6000 US Army Soldiers annually and is centrally organized. The new Army Learning Model (ALM) is a vision for a more decentralized training approach where …

The State Of The Anti-Union Address: A Rhetorical Critique Of Select Service Worker Training Methods, Richard Ries

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an interdisciplinary master's level thesis that explores links among technical writing, training manuals, surveillance, and anti-union rhetoric used with service workers in select American chains and franchises. Brief histories are provided, including those of technical writing, the rise of unions in America, and how technical writing became inextricably linked with labor. A major shift occurred in the 20th century when workers began interacting less with products and more with the public. The research focuses on training manuals, techniques, and rehearsed dialogues of McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Panera, and Publix, though similar organizations are referenced. Service worker language, …

Development Of A Measure Of Corporate Safety Culture For The Transportation Industry, David V. Colarossi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to develop the Corporate Safety Culture Scale, a unique measure of corporate safety culture that is supported by a strong theoretical foundation. Items were developed conceptually, discussed in cognitive interviews, and submitted to expert review. Survey items were administered to employees of a large public transportation organization. Principle components analysis reduced the data and identified an empirical model. The empirical model held two domains identified as: 1) "Values," and 2) "Behavior." Confirmatory factor analysis compared the fit of the empirical model with that of a modified empirical model, and the hypothesized model, which held the following …

Characteristics Of Viable And Sustainable Workers For The Year 2015, Brenda P. Dean

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to forecast characteristics of valuable workers within Middle Eastern Tennessee for the year 2015. The following areas were studied as they related to the forecast: (1) the projected employment skill demands of business and industry; (2) the initiatives required and proposed by business and industry to meet their respective employment demands; and (3) the external support by education required for industry and business to meet their employment needs. The Delphi panel was composed of 22 business and industry leaders who were nominated by the county executive of the ten counties of the study, officials …

Prediction Of Student Completion Of An Associate Degree Radiologic Technology Program, Donna R. Shehane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the admission/selection process of the Radiologic Technology Program at East Tennessee State University to ascertain predictive validity of the admission process and to identify specific indicators leading to program completion. The population for this investigation consisted of 510 students who had applied to East Tennessee State University and the Radiologic Technology Program from 1991 through 1993. Data were collected from institutional and program academic records. Correlation research was chosen to establish validity. One-way Analysis of Variance and t-test were applied to investigate different admission parameters and discriminate analysis was completed due …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Civilian Conservation Centers And Contract Centers From 1984 To 1988, Robert P. Slaughter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the continuous instability of policy decisions relating to the effectiveness of Civilian Conservation Centers and Contract Centers was a result of measurable differences in performance between the two models. Six hypotheses tested differences between types of centers on six quantitative variables which were: average length of stay, job placement, hourly starting wages, educational gains in reading, math, and General Educational Development (GED). To investigate the problem, 30 Civilian Conservation Centers and 17 comparably sized Contract Centers were selected. Reports from the Department of Labor's Automated Management System provided data for comparison …

An Automated Diagnostic Test And Tutorial Package For Basic Skills Of Mathematics In Post Secondary Vocational Education Of Kentucky: Construction And Validation, Odell D. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine characteristics of entering vocational students in Kentucky Area/State vocational schools and to develop a computerized diagnostic instrument and tutorial package for assisting students in the mastery of necessary basic skills in mathematics. After specific math skills were identified in which proficiency is required of vocational education students, item pools were constructed for each skill. The skill item pools were validated using approximately 500 public school students throughout the grades of four through eight in public schools of Harlan County, Kentucky, Lee County, Virginia, and Washington County, Tennessee. The items within each …

The Effects Of An Experiential Based Instructional Program For Exploring Vocations In Emerging And New Technologies As Reflected By Student Growth In Career Maturity, Hilton A. Seay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in an experiential based instructional program for exploring vocations in emerging and new technologies would enable academically able high school juniors and seniors to attain increased maturity of attitudes and competency in career decision-making skills as measured by the Career Maturity Inventory. A total of 64 students participated in the study. Participants came from a pool of 132 junior and senior high school students identified as having a grade point average that placed them in the top thirty percent of their class. A pretest and posttest utilizing the Career Maturity …