“Social Recruiting: Exploring the Impact of Online Social Networking Sites (SNS) on Digital Natives’ Occupational Opportunities” is a study about the rise of the Digital Native market segment in Greece. Relevant to a number of different fields where recruitment is present (i.e. affiliations, employment and university enrolment), next generation digital nativity has radically transformed capacity-building strategies by organisations. This study on social recruiting explores the impact of social networking sites (SNS) on Greek college graduates’ occupational opportunities and elucidates candidate’s response to SNS strategies as part of the contemporary human resource management (HRM) recruitment models in Greece. It also addresses candidate and HRM professionals’ perceptions in the interest of entrance into the global sphere of employment. SNS integration is becoming vital to the interface of human intelligence in the web-based talent search. Primary data was gathered using both quantitative and qualitative methods, though tripartite research instrumentation. 1) an online survey, distributed on SNS; 2) two focus groups, organised to provide a more in-depth understanding of the responses given on the use of SNS in career development; 3) two semi-structured interviews and one open interview held in Athens with senior level HR managers of multinational organisations located in Greece, for further understanding of this question and to compare student responses. The thesis’ main argument is that Greek university students and graduates are using SNS either to start their career in the private sector or to develop their own professional opportunities that will lead them to a career anywhere in the world. However, whilst they constantly use SNS, Digital Natives make a clear distinction between social and professional use of SNS. This thesis introduces a new taxonomy of web users in relation to their understanding and use of SNS. The four categories, which define contemporary Digital Natives, are (1) Denials (2) Socialisers (3) Contributors, and (4) Achievers.

The focus of this research study is occupational therapy students’ perceptions of employability and professionalism. Using some key principles of grounded theory, data was collected through the Ideal ***Inventory (Norton 2001), through a focus group and through seven individual interviews with final year students on a part time BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy degree programme. The thesis maps two journeys, that of the researcher from novice to more experienced and that of the student occupational therapist from recruitment to graduation examining the trajectory of development for both. The thesis focuses on some pertinent methodological issues around researcher distance and creativity in the study; the term used for this is contamination. The work of Charmaz (2006) on constructivist grounded theory and Clarke (2005) on situational mapping in grounded theory have been used to provide reference points in my research to support the researcher’s engagement with data. It is suggested that the research is situated in the borderlands of modernist and postmodern ideas. There is a critique which focuses on theory, its value and purpose in the study and in grounded theory more generally. Analytical tools and the way in which these support understanding of the data are also debated. Relational Situational Maps (Clarke 2005) were used to engage and display data, to show assumptions about relationships between data and to highlight sites of contamination. Mapping the data in this way has assisted in the researcher to see the data differently and to engage with it more interestingly. Consideration is given to the interpretation of meaning in the data analysis, including the labelling of categories and sub- categories and the consequences of this for dissemination. A greater understanding of professionalism for occupational therapy students has been gained by undertaking the study and the importance of role models, authenticity, a prospective professional identity, personal values and the alignment of these to professional ones are discussed. Individual conceptualisations of professionalism alongside external professional regulation are also considered. Recommendations for curriculum development as a result of this study have also been identified.