Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

The present study explores relationships between work-family conflict and turnover via affective mechanisms, expanding beyond organizational turnover to also examine occupational turnover. Extant theories of turnover also highlight the importance of the labor market in both organizational and occupational turnover processes, such as alternative opportunities that are available to the individual (e.g., Mobley et al. 1979), yet the labor market is often not included in empirical tests of turnover theory. The present study expands this literature by examining occupation-specific unemployment (N=328) and projected occupation growth (N=347) in both the organizational and occupational turnover processes. Results indicate that occupation-specific unemployment rates may play a role in both forms of turnover, providing evidence that researchers and practitioners should measure and assess labor market characteristics in future practical, empirical, and theoretical endeavors. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, are also discussed.

Committee: Ryan Johnson Dr. (Committee Chair); Jeffrey Vancouver Dr. (Committee Member); Lindsay Dhanani Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

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 Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2023, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

This study examined the relationship between life satisfaction and perception of educational and career-related barriers. Perceived barriers threaten career development and can subsequently enhance negative appraisals of personal worth and ability. Coping efficacy, an individual's belief or confidence in their ability to manage and overcome challenging or stressful situations, was evaluated as a mediator of this relationship among a sample of 208 undergraduate college students. The findings of this study suggest a significant negative relationship between the perception of barriers and life satisfaction, which indicates that individuals with higher levels of perceived barriers endorsed lower life satisfaction and vice versa. Additionally, individuals with higher coping efficacy exhibited higher life satisfaction, and those with lower coping efficacy endorsed higher perceptions of barriers. Contrary to expectations, coping efficacy did not mediate the relationship between the perception of barriers and life satisfaction. Implications for research, practice, and theory are discussed. Increased understanding of the relationship among coping efficacy, perceived barriers, life satisfaction, and career development will facilitate the creation of more effective interventions and inform targeted approaches for working with clients.

Committee: Graham Stead (Committee Chair); Justin Perry (Committee Member); Julia Phillips (Committee Member); Kelly Yu-Hsin Liao (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Higher Education; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Management

This research aims to look at the changes and inequities that minority women face in the financial services industry, specifically African American Women in Organizational Leadership. This research focuses on the differences and behavioral impact of these leaders, as well as the lack of representation at the “C-Suite” level, to better understand some of the challenges and barriers they faced that were unique from those faced by their peers, as well as success factors that allowed them to advance to senior-level management positions. Many consumers will unwittingly come across a section titled “Diversity and Inclusion” while browsing the websites of today's leading banks. Almost every bank in the world has made it a requirement to promote this relatively new policy, which aims to ensure that employees of all genders and backgrounds have an equal chance of being hired and progressing through their organizations in a fair manner. We've seen some progress in women's representation in corporate America over the last five years. Since 2015, the number of women in top leadership positions has increased. This is especially true in the executive suite, where female representation has increased from 17 percent to 21 percent. Although this is a step in the right direction, parity is still a long way off, particularly for women of color, who are underrepresented at all levels. Women's representation gains will eventually stall unless significant changes are made early in the pipeline. Women have a significantly harder time advancing in their careers than males due to gender bias. Gender bias, on the other hand, isn't the only roadblock to women's career advancement. Women whose social identities differ from the dominant workplace expectations—that is, women who are not White—face additional challenges, including navigating more precarious situations, being forced to conform to cultural norms that may contradict their social identities, and encountering biases other than gend (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Diana Bilimoria (Committee Chair); Yolanda Freeman-Hildreth (Committee Member); Corinne Coen (Committee Member); Paul Salipante (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Management; Womens Studies

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2021, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

A primary change in modern marriages is the shift from traditional marriages to modern dual-earner marriages. With this change comes significantly higher divorce rates with traditional marriages averaging over forty years and modern marriages averaging seven years. This paper reviews research studies conducted from the 1980s to present day on heterosexual dual-earner couples and marital satisfaction, particularly in regards to gender role beliefs and household chore division. The social construction of gender remains virtually unaltered and resistant to change; therefore, it follows that individual beliefs regarding gender roles remain unchanged. While dual-earner marriages contributed significantly to changing gender roles external to the home, role expectations within the home mostly remain the same and women continue to shoulder most of the responsibility for household and childcare duties. Metaphorically speaking, women now work two full-time jobs while men continue with their primary job but picking up some secondary “part-time work.” Despite participants proffering gender equality, research reviewed in this paper indicate this is not the case. It remains unclear what might translate to equality or even whether equality is something spouses truly desire. Determining what the construct of equality within a marriage would look like to modern couples continues to be a relatively unexplored area in need of further research. Traditional roles try to dominate within non-traditional marriages yet research is lacking in determining the impact gender role beliefs, degree of gender identification, and satisfaction with household chore division have on overall marital satisfaction. Appropriate assessment measures for gender identity, gender role beliefs, and household chore division and satisfaction are also scarce. Clinical approaches in the past have contributed to helping wives become more accepting of the power imbalances within marriage, often using gender as an expl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Theodore Ellenhorn PhD, ABPP (Committee Chair); Vince Pignatiello PsyD (Committee Member); James Benton PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2020, Psychology

Expatriates constitute a significant financial investment for organizations that utilize them, and expatriate failure can cost organizations even more. This study examined job satisfaction between American expatriates and domestic employees, along with the relationships between both expatriate and significant other adjustment and expatriate job satisfaction, and the relationship between perceived career advancement value of an international assignment and expatriate job satisfaction. All participants were asked to fill out demographic information and complete the Index of Organizational Reactions (IOR). Expatriates from dozens of countries spanning five continents were also asked about their adjustment, their significant other's adjustment if they had a significant other, and the perceived career advancement value of their international assignment. There were no significant differences in overall satisfaction between expatriates and domestic employees, although there were significant differences discovered in five of the eight facets of the IOR. The relationships between expatriate adjustment and expatriate job satisfaction and between significant other adjustment and expatriate job satisfaction were not significant, but there was a significant and positive relationship between perceptions of career advancement and expatriate job satisfaction. This study helps add to previous research, which has shown there are no significant differences in job satisfaction between expatriates and domestic employees.

Committee: Mark Nagy Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Morrie Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Occupational Psychology; Psychology

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2018, School Psychology

Job satisfaction of school psychologists is under-examined in professional literature, particularly as it relates to career burnout. The purpose of this study was to examine school psychologists' perceptions related to career burnout as well as career satisfaction. The researcher explored factors associated with school psychologist burnout, including risks, symptoms, and mitigations, through semi-structured interviews that produced qualitative data. Specifically, procedures and techniques from a grounded theory framework were used. The major findings from the perspectives of the participants were: there is too much paperwork in their jobs; much time is spent on tasks not directly benefiting students; and the types of clients (middle school, preschool, and even other teachers) can impact stress levels. Major symptoms of burnout observed in other fields, such as illness, absenteeism, and ineffective work did not surface in the present study. Results also indicated that the participants felt that training has not been useful other than on-the-job training; stress management is self-taught; and supervisory support in general is good and a positive factor. Implications for meditation as well as collegial interaction and teamwork were discussed, as they relate to beneficial stress relievers.

Committee: Susan Davies Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Elana Bernstein Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jim Ayers Ed.S. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Management

There is a dearth of literature on STEM-educated self-employed or entrepreneurs, so this dissertation is a contribution to education, and Entrepreneurship theory and practice. The dissertation includes four studies to identify common career blueprints that individuals pursued to gain career success and job satisfaction to flourish. This mixed-methods qualitative, quantitative and quantitative-qualitative research examines what experiences effectively prepare STEM-educated majority and underrepresented minority students (URM) for the workforce when 74% of STEM-educated individuals are not employed in STEM fields (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Half of all majority white STEM degree holders go into a STEM job, but the likelihood is lower than 30% among underrepresented minority (URM) workers (ESA, 2011). These statistics point to the importance of educating URM STEM students with skills beyond a STEM degree to achieve career success and job satisfaction. This is concerning when government funding is focused on increasing U.S. STEM-educated in STEM fields. Study 1 is a qualitative study consisting of interviews with 38 individuals including 22 underrepresented minorities (URM) and 8 counselors whose insights were used to explore their definition and experiences of career success, education, transition into the workforce, diversity, workforce experience, and what fostered or hindered their career success. The study examines how individual experiences influence career success. The research revealed five characteristics common to career success: intrinsic satisfaction, the illusion that individuals can achieve career success based on their education alone, vocational experience, supportive guidance, and the presence of a personal champion. The research also suggests a need to educate individuals about the reality of the challenges of achieving successful careers and improvement in the career counseling process. Quantitative Study 2 focuses on job satisfaction of URM with (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul F. Salipante, Jr. Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Philip A. Cola Ph.D. (Committee Member); Richard J. Boland, Jr. Ph.D. (Committee Member); Chris Laszlo, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Bo Carlsson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Education; Education; Engineering; Entrepreneurship; Mathematics; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Science Education; Technology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Educational Studies

Teacher turnover is widely understood to be one of the most pressing challenges facing the American elementary and secondary education system. Studies indicate mid-career teacher attrition is a growing phenomenon in the United States. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of mid-career teachers with an aim toward understanding the factors that encourage them to stay in the profession and those that repel them from it. Using a qualitative research design, I employed a life history approach from a naturalistic inquiry and constructivist paradigm. I interviewed eight mid-career teachers, four who currently teach and four who left teaching at mid-career. Findings indicate there is a range of factors that influence teacher's career decisions. Some of these factors are particular to the individual and some are particular to the profession. While experience mitigates some of the challenges of being a beginning teacher, adverse working conditions present ongoing barriers to satisfaction. The mid-career teachers in this study who continued in the profession developed strategies to confront these barriers. Relationships are the key sustaining force for the participants in this study. For some, a sustaining force is their faith. Policies could better support teachers, so they could rely less on themselves, their families, their colleagues and their faith, and more on institutional and organizational structures. Further, education policy to stem mid-career teacher attrition needs to respond to the objective professional aspects of the job and not the personal ones. We will never be able to eliminate an individual's preference to stay or leave teaching, nor would we want to, but we can make schools and the profession more desirable places to work for teachers in the system and those considering becoming a part of it.

Committee: Belinda Gimbert (Advisor); Antoinette Errante (Advisor); Ann Allen (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Leadership Studies

Rachel Vannatta Reinhart, Advisor The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to explore the relationship between investments that students make in themselves while enrolled in a higher education program and their post-graduation career satisfaction, and (2) to gather information about the importance apparel and textile professionals place on selected competencies identified by the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA). Graduates (n=123) of an apparel and textiles (A&T) program at a four-year, public research institution were surveyed to examine which investments in self best predict post-graduation career satisfaction. The Survey of A&T Graduates' Career Satisfaction consisted of 86 items measuring perceived importance and preparation of the ITAA meta-goals and competencies, career satisfaction, co-curricular activity involvement, on-the-job training, health and well-being, career competencies, and willingness to relocate. Multiple regression showed that Career Competencies and Health and Well-being best predicted participants' post-graduation career satisfaction. Participants rated the Professional Development meta-goal; the Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability meta-goal; and Critical and Creative Thinking meta-goal of highest importance. These same meta-goals received highest perceived preparation ratings. Lastly, ANOVA findings revealed that buyers, retail managers, marketing professionals and others indicated differences in perceptions of competencies and meta-goals. The buyers/merchandisers rated the Industry Processes and the Critical and Creative Thinking meta-goals of higher importance than retail managers. Retail managers perceived the Global Interdependence meta-goal as less important than marketing professionals did. The Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability meta-goal was perceived more important by retail managers than “others” category did. Graduates' career satisfaction differed mostly by Income levels (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Vannatta Reinhart (Advisor); Gregory Rich (Other); Barbara Frazier (Committee Member); Joyce Litten (Committee Member); Patrick Pauken (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Design; Economic Theory; Economics; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Health; Health Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Home Economics; Home Economics Education; Mental Health

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Educational Administration (Education)

Challenges with institutional fit, burnout, overall job satisfaction and retention of female faculty in medical schools continue to persist. Fueling much of this is the omnipresent disparities between male and female faculty in senior and leadership positions, leaving junior female faculty little hope for advancement. Faculty development programs that include formal mentoring which can influence perception of culture have been shown to improve job satisfaction of female faculty, thus improving retention of this important resource. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to evaluate similarities and differences between female faculty members in medical schools who plan to stay employed at their current institution and those who plan to leave or are undecided. Personal and workplace status characteristics, as well as perception of job satisfaction, culture, career advancement opportunities, and participation in a formal mentoring program were the specific attributes studied. In addition, a binomial logistic regression was conducted to assess the predictive value of one or more of these variables with a goal of determining whether or not participation in a formal mentoring program can predict intent to stay. Results of the analysis showed statistically significant differences between female faculty who intend to stay and those who plan to leave their institution or are undecided. The model, including perception of global job satisfaction, interpersonal culture (fit/collegiality) and equal opportunity for all faculty members, coupled with participation in a formal mentoring program, was statistically significant and was able to predict intent to stay.

Committee: Yegan Pillay (Committee Chair) Subjects: Higher Education; Medicine; Organization Theory

Master of Science, Miami University, 2016, Sport Studies

Leaving sport can be a difficult transition for an athlete. This process is one comprised of both positive and negative events, which can significantly affect individual development. Much of the previous research utilizing the Conceptual Model of Adaptation to Retirement Among Athletes (Taylor & Ogilvie, 1994) has focused on normative and non-normative career-ending injury. No prior investigations have used the entire conceptual model to focus on spinal cord injury specifically. This study was a multiple case investigation into athletes' experiences of leaving able-bodied sport with a spinal cord injury. Semi-structured interviews and multiple inventories were conducted with three athletes who had left able-bodied sport due to a spinal cord injury. In general, findings indicated that athletes adjusted to transition in various positive and negative ways. The influence of the adaptive community, coping strategies, and social support were perceived to facilitate transition. Support for the conceptual model was found.

Committee: Robin Vealey (Advisor); Valeria Freysinger (Committee Member); Karly Geller (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Kinesiology; Recreation

MS, Kent State University, 2012, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Due to the college application and admission systems in China, college students' major studies do not always match their career interests. As a result, students who major in tourism management may not choose to enter this industry after graduation; and that leads to increased training costs. This research investigated the factors that affect students' career choices and exploration behaviors (i.e., career advancement, income and welfare, experience accumulation, etc.). The interplay of career variables such as coping, career exploration, career choice anxiety, and vocational identity were examined. Regression and ANOVA were used to investigate the relationships and detect the differences among career variables with regard to gender, academic level, and school type (university and junior college). Results revealed that coping behaviors were significantly related to environmental and self-exploration. The Internet and mass media were cited the most frequently used resources by college students in China. University and junior college students appeared to have differing levels of satisfaction with information. Low income, tough jobs, poor working conditions and low social status are also the reasons why Chinese tourism management students drop out of the tourism industry. Suggestions are presented for both educators and practitioners in the tourism industry to assist tourism management students with their career planning. Implications and limitations are discussed and will serve as a basis for further studies.

Committee: Ning-kuang Chuang PhD (Committee Chair); Barbara Scheule PhD (Committee Member); Philip Wang PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Education; Management

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Higher Education Administration

There is limited research available on the relationship between motherhood and career satisfaction. This dissertation examined women who worked as student affairs professionals to develop a greater understanding of the relationship between motherhood and career satisfaction. The following research questions were addressed: Is there a difference between the levels of career satisfaction for women who work full-time in student affairs based on the independent variables? To what degree are the independent variables predictive of career satisfaction for women working in student affairs? What combination of the independent variables will produce the best predictive model of career satisfaction for women working in student affairs? Is there a statistically significant difference in levels of career satisfaction between mothers and non-mothers who work in student affairs? Is there a statistically significant difference in levels of career satisfaction of mothers who work in student affairs based on the independent variables? Feminist standpoint theoretical framework was utilized and women who were members of ACPA – College Student Educators International were surveyed. Chi-square tests of independence was used to determine differences between groups and ordinal regression was utilized to model the relationship between levels of career satisfaction and independent variables. Findings showed that women were very satisfied or satisfied with four of the career satisfaction areas: career success, meeting overall career goals, professional development goals, and the development of new professional skills, but not for progress toward meeting goals for income. There were statistically significant relationships between the five areas of career satisfaction and degree attainment and motherhood status. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.

Committee: Dafina Stewart PhD (Committee Chair); Vikki Krane PhD (Committee Member); Maureen Wilson PhD (Committee Member); Robert DeBard PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration