PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

This study evaluated the experiences of faculty-practitioners, graduate students, and a community partner within the context of a professional development (i.e., career education) course at a large, research-intensive institution. Over the course of a 16-week academic semester graduate information technology students worked in collaborative project teams to develop information technology-related resources for a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Students worked in three separate teams charged with aiding the not-for-profit organization with (1) website development/enhancement, (2) mobile application consultation, and (3) database design. This study considered the impact of practice-based learning (PBL) through project assignments contributing to enhanced professional development pedagogy for instructors, heightened student career preparation, and reciprocity by providing access to information technology-related resources for the community-based organization while simultaneously aiding students in gaining professional experience. An action research approach was applied to the study's framework thereby involving multiple stakeholders in aspects of the study from inception to completion. Additionally, the study sought to create sustainable curricular change for the professional development curricula associated with the research. Findings of the study indicated students in the course said they were prepared to enter the workforce, course instructors claimed they could teach the course more effectively in the future, and the community-partner experienced benefits from access to new technology resources.

Committee: Stephen Kroeger Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Sharp Ed.D. (Committee Member); Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2023, Business Administration

When autistic professionals in the United States secure employment, over half remain underemployed (Linden & Wiscarson, 2019). Underemployment impacts a significant portion of the U.S. population, as autism appears in 2.4% of males and 0.5% of females in the United States (Austin & Pisano, 2017). Even with a college degree, 85% of autistic Americans remain unemployed compared to 4.5% of the general U.S. population (Lyn Pesce, 2019). Employment programs have been developed for autistic people. However, these programs may stereotype autistic people as pattern-recognizing-savants and build autism employment programs centered on these stereotypes (Austin et al., 2017). Furthermore, autistic professionals, especially those lacking visible characteristics of autism, feel that a disclosure of a clinical autism diagnosis negatively affects their employability (McMahon, 2021). However, limited autism self-disclosures by prominent tech executives, such as Elon Musk (Musk, 2021), anecdotally demonstrate autistic professionals self-directing themselves to attain leadership roles. This study used qualitative research to determine 12 self-directed career growth success factors of autistic business leaders who served the U.S. Tech industry. A phenomenological approach with semi-structured interviews was used in the research to understand themes as data was collected to determine how autistic business leaders self-directed themselves to their leadership roles. The research study aims to empower autistic professionals to own their career development with or without third-party support.

Committee: Susan Campbell (Committee Chair); Joel Light (Committee Member); Courtney McKim (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Business Education; Communication; Information Systems; Information Technology; Mass Media; Neurology; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2022, Educational Administration (Education)

In Appalachian Ohio, a grassroots group of citizens across industry sectors have convened to use community assets to create solutions impacting multiple parts of the community system, thus attempting to solve complex rural problems in innovative ways. One intermediary organization, Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), has implemented community and career connected learning programs as a way to solve problems threatening rural community viability through engaging multiple community stakeholders including the community's youth. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, this study investigated the contributions of stakeholders and the impact to community systems of one community and career connected learning program: high school internships. This study conceptualizes the place-based, cross-sector, bidirectional interactions facilitated by community and career connected learning as a learning ecosystem. Further, this study uses Social Return on Investment (SROI) to quantify impact within the learning ecosystem to communicate and maximize change. This study found for every $1 invested in high school internships, between $13.07–$15.37 of value to social and economic systems is created. The ability to explore career fields through experience in order to eliminate career paths not of interest to them and then to be able to clearly define next steps in career paths that were of interest to them were outcomes valued most by students as stakeholders. Host site stakeholders reported the most valuable impacts to economic and social systems were, respectively, development of a workforce with basic skills and the personal satisfaction of being able to watch a young person in their community grow and develop through the internship period and beyond. For community supporting stakeholders, the most valuable impacts were the increased connection between schools and businesses in the community as well as the potential to reduce outmigration. Repeatedly, participants drew (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Lowery (Advisor); Jacqueline Yahn (Committee Member); Lesli Johnson (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); Emmanuel Jean-Francois (Committee Member); Tasha Werry (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Educational Studies: Hums, Science, Tech and Voc

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the roles of school counselors and the participation of students in CTE programs using data from an extensive survey of high schools in New Jersey. The roles of school counselors defined as the goals and activities they provided. Their activities were consisted of four areas: career services, post-secondary education selections, school and personal problems, and academic services. In addition, the extent to which specific subgroups of school settings, such as socio-economic status of school, school type, and school size and the characteristics of school counselors. This study is based on data from 401 high schools in New Jersey. The survey data for the study came from New Jersey state project, Profile and evaluation of career and technical education in New Jersey high schools. The project used four sources of data: administrative data (New Jersey high school report card, vocational education data system), mail survey of high school principals, and mail survey of high school counselors. The results of the study show that the goal of job placement promoted the outcomes of CTE and effectively impacted the services of school counselors associated with enrollment in CTE. Second, in the case of their activities the career and academic services enhanced the outcomes of CTE. The service of school and personal problems also is related to improve the outcomes of CTE. This study provides several significant implications for future study and the professional development of scholars, educators, and policy makers regarding career and technical education, career development, and workforce development. The first is high schools need to clarify the roles of school counselors. The second is that schools might need to arrange school counselor's roles to improve CTE outcomes with understanding their evolving roles in changing socio-economic surroundings. The third is that high schools should consider the district's c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joshua Hawley EdD (Advisor); Christopher Zirkle PhD (Committee Member); Christopher Wood PhD (Committee Member); David Stien PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Music

Learning communities were essential to the teaching practices of exemplary mid-career elementary general music teachers. Meaningful stories contributed insight into the teachers' communities, career development, attitudes, and resilience. Accounts at a specific time in the teachers' careers initiated documentation of elementary general music teachers' career life cycle. Twenty-four exemplary mid-career elementary general music teachers were selected with combination criterion and snowball method. Teachers participated in a pre-interview descriptive survey and an interview. Most teachers allowed a classroom observation without students and submitted documents reflecting the incorporation of their learning community into their teaching. Research questions resulted in a description of their learning communities, meaningful experiences from their learning community, and how theses events influenced their teaching and their students' learning. Data emerged in two forms: individual teacher profiles and four broad themes across all interviews: (a) Multiple Learning Communities, (b) Membership Rationale, (c) Professional Development, and (d) Job Satisfaction. The exemplary mid-career elementary general music teachers (a) were dedicated, (b) loved music and loved teaching music, (c) practiced systematic reflection, (d) responded to change, (e) revealed an intrinsic drive towards being a life-long learner, (f) sought their own professional development, (g) reflected upon their professional development needs, and (h) valued sharing with other teachers. The teachers' learning communities were (a) diverse, (b) rich, (c) multiple, and (d) involved greatly with the teachers' practices. Inspiration and adaptation to change were themes associated with lifelong learning. Developing teacher biography would lead to further knowledge about resilience and lifelong learning. Further research into the use of learning communities for sustainable professional development is requi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Patricia Flowers (Advisor); Edwards Jan (Committee Member); Williams Kenneth (Committee Member); Danielle Marx-Scouras (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education; Teacher Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The goal of this study is to provide a plan for nonprofits to provide a succession plan for their organization. The action plan to be utilized is the career development of the existing staff. The transferability of this study can be used in for-profit organizations. The implications of this study are that the organization can utilize the data obtained to support and sustain the growth of services provided to the population served and to attract talent to the organization. This provides a strategic advantage to organizations that compete to attract talent as well as sustain their organizational growth.

Committee: Ricardo Garcia (Committee Chair) Subjects: Business Administration; Continuing Education; Teaching

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Education

The present study investigated the effects teacher selection of professional development had on the implementation of the learned professional development. A group of 15 elementary school teachers participated in the study in which they were asked to complete surveys and participate in professional development. All teachers were assessed on their thoughts about professional development within the school, were given the opportunity to choose a professional development, and then ultimately implement the new professional development into their classrooms. The results showed that implementation of the professional development was not positively affected by teacher selection.

Committee: Brian Yontz (Advisor); Kathryn Randenburg (Committee Member); Amy McGuffey (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

Black urban youth face many obstacles in their personal development and future pursuits. Many of these obstacles result from systemic challenges that exist within their communities and cultural norms that negatively shape their self-concept and possible selves, a concept which argues that future self-concepts are constructed through personal evaluation of a current and desired future state. Corporate-education partnerships have recently been introduced to urban communities as a way to introduce youth to alternative professional pathways, although there are few studies about the extent to which Black urban youth are impacted by such partnerships. Using the possible selves theory, this study explored how one corporate-education partnership influences the self-concept and possible selves of Black urban youth engaging in a mentoring program, and the extent to which engagement in the program affected their view of themselves and future aspirations. This study focused on the Infinity Mentoring program, which is a partnership program between the Ascension corporation, Woodsby High School, and community-based organization Cincinnati Youth Connection (all pseudonyms). Findings from this study showed that participants in the program had improved feelings or self-concept about themselves and that participants gained increased motivation toward college, career, and their future aspirations as a result of the Infinity Mentoring program. The study adds to the scholarship on corporate-education partnerships, demonstrating the intrinsic impact these partnerships can have on Black urban students.

Committee: Dr. Kate Rousmaniere (Committee Chair); Dr. Sherrill Sellers (Committee Member); Dr. Michael Evans (Committee Member); Dr. Denise Taliaferro Baszile (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Behavioral Sciences; Black Studies; Business Community; Developmental Psychology; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Individual and Family Studies; Social Psychology; Teacher Education; Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Higher Education

The present phenomenographic research aimed to explore the qualitatively different ways early childhood educators experienced career pathway transitions from a Child Development Associate credential to an associate degree program. I applied Schlossberg's Transition Theory as a data collection and analysis framework. I collected narratives from fifteen early childhood educators across Ohio who earned their credentials and transitioned to or graduated from associate degree programs in early childhood education within the past five years. I interpreted the data and created the outcome space identifying six categories of description highlighting the context, conditions, motivation, support, strategies, and progress of the collective transition experience. From the categories of the outcome space, I produced six key findings: (1) level of support needed, (2) impact of star-rating on the decision to transition, (3) swirling movement, 4) motivation despite obstacles, (5) benefits of higher education on teaching preparedness, and (6) a new application of Schlossberg's Transition Theory. The findings point to potential, actionable strategies to support early childhood educator professional development, including continued and increased scholarship funding to early childhood educators, empowerment of program administrators/directors, individualized higher education recruitment practices, and advocacy efforts to promote the profession by showcasing success stories.

Committee: Snejana Slantcheva-Durst (Committee Chair); Kimberly Kiehl (Committee Member); Katherine Delaney (Committee Member); Debra Brace (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Management

The S&P 500 companies account for 75% of American equity markets, and according to a recent Korn/Ferry Executive Survey, 98% of firms consider CEO succession planning to be an integral part of the corporate governance process. Despite the importance, only 35% of respondents considered themselves prepared for the departure of their CEO (Korn Ferry, 2010) and as much as 40% lack enough talent to replace executives and high potentials (Talent Management.com, 2011). The risk to global economies of mismanaged executive succession is significant. Not only is there significant risk to current financial performance, but risk to missing growth targets necessary to fuel economic growth domestically and abroad. Fueling the succession challenge is the global economic slowdown that began in 2008 which has since stalled the progress of many careers. Much has been written on the topic of the succession planning process, value and organizational impact; however, little has been written on the individual factors that accelerate organizational ascension. This mixed-methods three-phased study is conducted within a single S&P50 enterprise and seeks to understand individual characteristics that enable ascension to the most senior levels of leadership. Conducting all research within xiii one high-performing and well-admired long-standing firm creates a valuable set of findings. We find that while career experiences do indeed have a significant role to play among those who ascend, the impact is only effective when mediated through other constructs, two of which being career commitment (referring to both the commitment one has to one's profession or occupation and the ambition to ascend to higher level positions) and cosmopolitanism (a worldview that transcends any particular culture or environment). Cosmopolitanism has not previously been explored in the area of executive development, succession planning, and readiness. We also found that boundaryless and protean career orientations ha (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Boland Jr. (Committee Chair); Carlsson Bo (Committee Member); Liozu Stephan (Committee Member); Buse Kathleen (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2016, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

Researchers and practitioners have a shared interest in understanding how to encourage employees to seek out and take opportunities to better themselves. A great deal of extant research has explored the effectiveness of and participation in formal development programs. To that end, previous work has focused on understanding the personal and contextual variables that facilitate interest and motivation in self-development, giving special emphasis to the supportive role supervisors can play by encouraging employees and publicizing opportunities for voluntary development. Consistently, researchers have concluded that participation is influenced directly or indirectly by perceptions that development is needed, and that employees who have firm career goals are more likely to participate. Feedback is one tool supervisors can use to share information critical to effective goal setting and development decision making. The feedback environment provided by supervisors has been tied to positive organizational outcomes that benefit both employee behavior and well-being on the job. Although feedback has been examined extensively in the context of performance management, the value of the feedback environment as a catalyst for self-development has been relatively ignored. The present study examined this relationship and hypothesized the ways in which the supervisor feedback environment relates to self-development. A sample of over 400 respondents to an online survey was used to investigate the questions presented in the present study. Ultimately, results suggest that the supervisor feedback environment meaningfully relates to career insight and to self-development, and that employee's own tendency to seek, appreciate, and use feedback also plays a role in determining whether the supervisor feedback environment and self-development are tied together.

Committee: Paul Levy Dr. (Advisor); James Diefendorff Dr. (Committee Member); Joelle Elicker Dr. (Committee Member); Andrea Snell Dr. (Committee Member); Debmalya Mukherjee Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2013, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

Performance management systems that rely solely on organizationally driven employee development strategies are ill-suited to develop current and future leaders in today's organizations. Successful performance management systems need to be flexible and dynamic in regards to employee development. In order to meet this need, traditional development strategies should be supplemented with self-directed development (Casio 2008; Hall 2004). Self-directed development is a process whereby employees take responsibility for their development. Self-directed development is critical for individual success in today's workforce (Boyce, Zaccaro, & Wisecarver, 2010; De Vos & Soens, 2008). Still, there are few empirical studies examining possible antecedents of employee engagement in self-directed development. The current study sought to address this gap by identifying contextual, individual, and cultural antecedents of employee participation in self-directed development. Additionally, this study proposed interactions between these antecedents and identified important work-related outcomes of self-directed development. This study utilized a cross-cultural sample of full time employees and managers from China and the United States, working in a large, multinational organization. This research found that the empowering environment an important antecedent of self-directed development. Individual differences such as learning goal orientation, feedback orientation, career insight, and instrumentality of development were also positively associated with employee engagement in self-directed development. This study also tested possible interactions between the empowering environment and several other antecedents of the empowering environment. These tests revealed that learning goal orientations and feedback orientations significantly moderated the relationship between the empowering environment and self-directed development. Cultural variables, which were measured at the individual level, also (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul Levy Dr. (Advisor); Joelle Elicker Dr. (Committee Member); Rosalie Hall Dr. (Committee Member); Maria Hamdani Dr. (Committee Member); Jennifer Wessel Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2010, Leadership and Change

"One in 4 women entering the engineering profession leaves after age 30, while only 1 in 10 of their male counterparts does" (Perusek, 2008, p. 20). I was interested in analyzing the factors supporting women engineers' leadership development and success. My particular focus was on women engineers in corporate environments—the personal characteristics needed for a successful career and the impacts of social support, career development, and the corporate culture on their career progression. The aspects of social support included the factors of family, friends, and significant others and the levels of supports during the woman's career. The features of corporation culture considered in this study were whether the culture was male- or female-dominated, as well as a combination of gender consciousness, networking, mentoring, and career development opportunities available for women. Personal characteristics included the level of perseverance, persistence despite adversity or discouragement, and self-reliance (a belief in oneself and capabilities). The findings of this study showed that the personal characteristics of having a positive attitude and resilience were the biggest factors in overall career success and satisfaction. Other findings based on the survey and participant comments also pointed to the critical component of corporations having an open environment that provided opportunities for leadership training, mentorship, networking, and special assignments. Also based on the comments, social support of family was important to overall career success and satisfaction. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway PhD (Committee Member); Carol Baron PhD (Committee Member); Susan Cannon PhD (Other) Subjects: Engineering; Management; Organizational Behavior; Womens Studies

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

In recent years, secondary education has experienced a significant transformation driven by the need to better prepare students for life beyond graduation. Central to this shift is the integration of Career Readiness Programs, which not only provide academic knowledge but also equip students with practical skills, vocational insights, and an understanding of professional landscapes. This study investigates whether an embedded Career Readiness Program influences the development and enhancement of partnerships between schools and businesses. Guided by Ohio's legislative framework, which emphasizes college and career readiness, this research explores how career readiness programs can foster effective collaborations between educational institutions and the business sector. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology to understand how these partnerships evolve and their impact on students' preparedness for post-secondary pathways. The data collection involved face-to-face interviews with business representatives and school personnel directly engaged with the Career Readiness Program. Thematic analysis of the interview notes revealed patterns and themes that highlighted the potential of these programs to bridge the gap between education and workforce demands. The study's findings suggest that integrating Career Readiness Programs strengthens school-business partnerships by aligning educational practices with industry needs, creating opportunities for internships, mentorships, and hands-on experiences. This collaborative approach not only enhances student readiness for professional careers but also benefits the local business community by developing a skilled workforce.

Committee: Guy Parmigian (Committee Chair) Subjects: Business Education; Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

While Perkins V legislation and newer career and technical education programs were designed to prepare students for success in both college and career pathways and modern career and technical education programs are supposed to expand college and career readiness outcomes for students, there is a lack of research examining supports that promote the academic engagement and success of Black male students in high school career academies. Career academies are a type of high school reform initiative that is designed to prepare students for college and careers in career fields such as engineering and informing technology (Fletcher & Tan, 2022; Fletcher et al., 2018). In the 1970s, career academies were designed as career-oriented schools that delivered college preparatory instructional curriculum, and operated as smaller schools within larger schools (ACTE, 2019; NAF, 2023). Comprehensive school reform efforts like career academies are likely to ensure that Black male students are prepared for college and careers with personalized resources and services such as trade and apprenticeship pathways, work-based learning, early career exploration, guidance counseling, and college-level examination programs. In this study, I described the need for research to examine college and career readiness of high school Black male students at a NAF (formerly known as the National Foundation Academy) Academy of Engineering. I utilized the theoretical frameworks of college and career ready by Stone and Lewis (2012) and culturally relevant pedagogy by Ladson-Billings (1992) to review the research questions, background of the problem, problem statement, purpose statement, and significance of the study. Since Black males are a vulnerable group of youth with lower academic achievement and performance and barriers to career prospects and access to higher education (Brown et al., 2019; Hines et al., 2014; Wright, 2019), I explored the role of career academies, culturally relevant education for Bla (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Edward Fletcher Jr. (Advisor); Christopher Zirkle (Committee Member); Antoinette Errante (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Black Studies; Cultural Resources Management; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; School Administration; Science Education; Secondary Education; Sociology; Teacher Education; Teaching; Technology; Vocational Education

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2024, Business Administration

The research explored the underrepresentation of minorities (racial/ethnic minorities) in leadership roles in the workplace. With the recent surge of diversity programs, minority representation has grown in lower-level roles; however, minorities are sparse in higher-status roles. The study utilized literature and a phenomenological qualitative design to collect participant data. Leaders and organizations must understand the behaviors that can help BIPOC people advance into leadership roles. The purpose of this study was to discover why there is a low representation of minorities in leadership roles and how current leaders can help them advance in their organization. The study utilized a qualitative methodology phenomenological design to collect data from 11 minorities (racial/ethnic minorities). LinkedIn community was used to find the sample for interviewing. Semi-structured questions were used to gather data from participants' experiences in the workforce. Atlas. It was implemented to help establish themes and codes from the interviews. Participants described their challenges when looking to advance and how they overcame them. In addition, they also share leadership behaviors that can assist minorities with career growth. Understanding the obstacles that minorities face and the behaviors to help them succeed can help organizations strategize and grow in markets they don't have representation. Additionally, it builds strength regarding the recruitment and retention of minorities and contributes to innovation.

Committee: Kathy Richie (Committee Chair); Sarah Jouganatos (Committee Member); Tonia Young-Babb (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Ethnic Studies; Social Research

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The study examined the high turnover rate of academic advisors at The University and focused on potential growth areas and strategies to slow down employee turnover. The study focused on conducting qualitative research around areas that may cause academic advisers to leave the field, such as pay, connection to work, relatable professional development, job satisfaction, and career mobility, to see if those play significant factors in turnover. Findings show that these factors are a major cause of employee turnover. I have generated a professional development opportunity that promotes career progression in my action research. As an English academic advisor at The University, my action plan consists of engaging the academic advisors in being a part of their professional development that can help build their resume for potential career growth or growth in their current role. Academic advisors will have the opportunity to measure their levels of transferable skills with a list generated by the research and a focus group. Academic advisors will build their learning plan on the transferable skills they must include. I hope academic advisors take pride and accountability in building their professional development plan to further their career development. Overall, this action plan is designed to bridge the gap between qualified employees and meaningful professional development, promote connection with the university, and provide an opportunity for the administration to communicate with academic advisors.

Committee: Dr. Aaliyah Baker (Advisor) Subjects: Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Organization Development

Title IX regulations have been in place for five decades, and various studies have examined the impact of these regulations on athletics, adjudication, and the experiences of complainants and respondents involved in cases. Although Title IX has evolved, skeptics and supporters have debated whether the regulations are effective. As of late, each presidential administration has revised guidance and steepened the risks for those responsible for Title IX compliance. The Department of Education, through the Office for Civil Rights, requires that institutions of higher education have Title IX coordinators. Results of surveys conducted on the state of the profession have signaled there may be high attrition in Title IX roles, yet limited research has focused on Title IX administrators. The purpose of this study was to understand career commitment influences for Title IX administrators in higher education, with a specific focus on the role of institutional resources. Career entrenchment (Carson et al., 1995; Wilson et al., 2016) and career commitment (Wilson et al., 2016) form the conceptual framework of the study. Additionally, I explored how organization development and change principles may intersect with Title IX work. Career and organizational commitment, as well as resources, are all central to how organizations develop and change. The research questions were: (1) What influences career commitment for Title IX administrators navigating case management and compliance? (2) What role do institutional resources play in Title IX administrators' ongoing career and organizational commitment? I used generalized inductive qualitative research and conducted semi-structured interviews with ten participants with a minimum of three years of experience in Title IX investigation, adjudication, or compliance at Ohio college or university campuses. Seven themes emerged to explain what influenced the participants' career commitment: “Sweat Equity”: Profession (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maureen Wilson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Steven Cady Ph.D. (Committee Member); Tiffany Davis Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Pauken J.D., Ph.D. (Committee Member); Danielle Kuhl Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Education Policy; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Organization Theory

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Service design: the transition from a new discipline to an established field. Service design is a relatively new discipline that has emerged in recent years to improve the design and delivery of services to customers. The concept was first introduced in the early 1980s by Lynn Shostack, who defined it as "the activity of planning and organizing the people, infrastructure, communications, and physical components of a service to improve its quality and the interaction between the service provider and its customers."  (G. Lynn Shostack, 1984, Page 1) This paper reports on an empirical study investigating service design programs at leading universities and art colleges. The investigation is based on desk study and an inductive analysis method of examining the course content and pedagogical objectives of 15 universities and art colleges that offer master's degrees in service design, exploring the focus of service design programs offered by universities of different natures to develop talent in private, public, and third-party needs.

Committee: Brooke Brandewie M.S. (Committee Member); Matthew Wizinsky M.F.A. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Design