Studies of Individual traits perceived as necessary to achieve managerial effectiveness, while multitudinous in the world of commerce, have yet to be undertaken as they apply to managers in residential facilities serving mentally retarded individuals. The problem of this study was to identify a group of individual traits perceived as characteristic of effective managers in residential facilities for the mentally retarded. Projectively, the identified traits could constitute valid criterion for consideration in the selection process utilized in employing managers for both public and private facilities. The primary purpose of this study was to develop an instrument which would enable the interviewer to secure information regarding specific individual traits. An informed predictive decision regarding the effective management potential, of the individual, for a residential facility for mentally retarded individuals would be greatly enhanced. The secondary purpose of the study was to focus on a comparison between group responses for each of the 25 trait items. The study will identify significant differences and relationships between the responses of State Directors of Mental Retardation Programs, Assistants to Texas Deputy Commissioner for Mental Retardation, Superintendents of Texas State Schools for the Mentally Retarded and a select group of managerial personnel within Texas State Schools for the Mentally Retarded. Comparison of response profiles contribute to an index of preferential traits for each of the managerial groups by contrasting patterns of preferences between all managerial groups and delineating traits which were common in preference among all groups. The tertiary purpose of the study was to identify patterns of personal traits which should constitute valid criterion for consideration in the selection process utilized in employing managers for both public and private facilities. Specific attention was given to the managerial trait preferences of each group of managers included in the study.

A velocidade das transformações econômicas e tecnológicas no ambiente social e no mundo dos negócios exige do empreendedor capacidades cada vez mais adaptativas para que consiga manter a competitividade de seu negócio. O sucesso ou o fracasso empresarial estão condicionados à habilidade deste profissional em superar as adversidades que caracterizam o contexto dos negócios. A diversidade de enfoques teóricos sobre o sucesso traz diferentes perspectivas sobre a sobrevivência das empresas diante da realidade concorrencial do meio empresarial. Por outro lado, no que se refere ao insucesso ou fracasso empresarial, percebe-se uma carência de estudos sobre o assunto. No momento em que se relaciona o comportamento do empreendedor diante desse insucesso, suas características comportamentais, seus estilos de enfrentamento, sua capacidade de superar a adversidade do fracasso, maior ainda é a carência de pesquisas sobre o tema. Essa capacidade de superação evidencia o grau de resiliência do empreendedor diante do insucesso e está relacionada aos estilos de enfrentamento que o empreendedor adota. Em função disso, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar o comportamento resiliente e os estilos de enfrentamento dos empreendedores em situações de insucesso empresarial, especificamente em casos de descontinuidade do negócio. Para isso, treze empreendedores que vivenciaram a descontinuidade do seu negócio foram entrevistados. Os relatos permitiram um processo de análise e de comparação entre as características comportamentais dos mesmos antes, durante e depois da descontinuidade do negócio. A partir das transcrições das entrevistas aplicou-se a Escala de Funcionamento Defensivo (EFD) na linha do tempo da pesquisa, antes, durante e depois da descontinuidade do negócio, o que permitiu a caracterização dos comportamentos dos empreendedores em cada momento. Juntamente com a EFD, aplicou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdos para a análise das categorias a priori e não a priori definidas para o estudo. Os resultados da pesquisa permitiram identificar aspectos comportamentais dos empreendedores entrevistados, bem como evidenciar variáveis que influenciaram diretamente na capacidade de superação e no comportamento resiliente do empreendedor diante do fracasso. Antes da descontinuidade do negócio, os estilos de enfrentamento mais utilizados indicam que eles agiram sem pensar e sem planejar, eram onipotentes, acreditavam que poderiam transpor qualquer obstáculo e se achavam melhores que os outros. Durante a descontinuidade do negócio, a ideação suicida e a identificação projetiva foram evidências significativas. Depois da descontinuidade do negócio, o comportamento dos empreendedores caracterizou-se pela utilização de estilos mais adaptativos, como a auto-observação, o humor e a afiliação. Constatou-se que a onipotência voltou a ser significativa nesse momento, o que indica similitude com as características de autoconfinaça e autoestima, características de empreendedor e do comportamento resiliente, respectivamente. Constatou-se, também, que o apoio familiar ou de outras pessoas, como amigos ou colegas de trabalho, representaram um suporte relevante para a superação do insucesso empresarial. Palavras-chave: Administração aspectos psicológicos. Comportamento resiliente. Insucesso empresarial. Empreendedor. / Given the speed of economic and technological changes in both social and business environments, the entrepreneur has been demanded to constantly nurture adaptive abilities to keep his/her business competitive, the entrepreneurial success or failure being a function of this professionals ability to overcome adversities in the business world. Although a wide range of theoretical approaches to success have developed varied perspectives on a company survival in the face of increased competition, a few studies have focused on the entrepreneurial failure. These few studies have not been able to properly investigate the entrepreneurs behavior that precedes failure, his/her behavioral characteristics, his/her coping styles and particularly his/her ability to overcome failure, a measure of the entrepreneurs resilience to failure and coping skills. Against this background, this dissertation aims to analyze entrepreneurs resilient behavior and coping styles in failure situations, more specifically in cases of business discontinuance. Building on interviews with 13 entrepreneurs that have experienced business discontinuance, this study compares and contrasts these entrepreneurs behavioral characteristics before, during and after their experience of business discontinuance. The understanding of the entrepreneurs behavior before, during and after the episodes of business discontinuance draws both on the use of a Defensive Functioning Scale (DFS) to analyze the transcribed interviews and on the content analysis technique to examine both a priori and a posteriori categories determined for this study. The results underpin entrepreneurs behavioral characteristics and point to variables directly influencing their coping styles and resilience to failure. Before business discontinuance, the most common coping styles are those consisting of acting without thinking and planning, being allegedly omnipotent, believing in the ability to overcome any obstacles and despising others. In the course of business discontinuance, the most common coping styles involve suicidal ideation and projective identification. Finally, the most common post-discontinuance coping styles involve the use of more adaptive styles, such as affiliation, auto-observation and humor. In this latter moment, alleged omnipotence is once again present, indicating similitude to characteristics of self-confidence and self-esteem, which are typical of entrepreneurship and resilience respectively. Additionally, family support and aid from friends and workmates reportedly play an important role in the entrepreneurs overcoming of business failure.

A velocidade das transformações econômicas e tecnológicas no ambiente social e no mundo dos negócios exige do empreendedor capacidades cada vez mais adaptativas para que consiga manter a competitividade de seu negócio. O sucesso ou o fracasso empresarial estão condicionados à habilidade deste profissional em superar as adversidades que caracterizam o contexto dos negócios. A diversidade de enfoques teóricos sobre o sucesso traz diferentes perspectivas sobre a sobrevivência das empresas diante da realidade concorrencial do meio empresarial. Por outro lado, no que se refere ao insucesso ou fracasso empresarial, percebe-se uma carência de estudos sobre o assunto. No momento em que se relaciona o comportamento do empreendedor diante desse insucesso, suas características comportamentais, seus estilos de enfrentamento, sua capacidade de superar a adversidade do fracasso, maior ainda é a carência de pesquisas sobre o tema. Essa capacidade de superação evidencia o grau de resiliência do empreendedor diante do insucesso e está relacionada aos estilos de enfrentamento que o empreendedor adota. Em função disso, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar o comportamento resiliente e os estilos de enfrentamento dos empreendedores em situações de insucesso empresarial, especificamente em casos de descontinuidade do negócio. Para isso, treze empreendedores que vivenciaram a descontinuidade do seu negócio foram entrevistados. Os relatos permitiram um processo de análise e de comparação entre as características comportamentais dos mesmos antes, durante e depois da descontinuidade do negócio. A partir das transcrições das entrevistas aplicou-se a Escala de Funcionamento Defensivo (EFD) na linha do tempo da pesquisa, antes, durante e depois da descontinuidade do negócio, o que permitiu a caracterização dos comportamentos dos empreendedores em cada momento. Juntamente com a EFD, aplicou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdos para a análise das categorias a priori e não a priori definidas para o estudo. Os resultados da pesquisa permitiram identificar aspectos comportamentais dos empreendedores entrevistados, bem como evidenciar variáveis que influenciaram diretamente na capacidade de superação e no comportamento resiliente do empreendedor diante do fracasso. Antes da descontinuidade do negócio, os estilos de enfrentamento mais utilizados indicam que eles agiram sem pensar e sem planejar, eram onipotentes, acreditavam que poderiam transpor qualquer obstáculo e se achavam melhores que os outros. Durante a descontinuidade do negócio, a ideação suicida e a identificação projetiva foram evidências significativas. Depois da descontinuidade do negócio, o comportamento dos empreendedores caracterizou-se pela utilização de estilos mais adaptativos, como a auto-observação, o humor e a afiliação. Constatou-se que a onipotência voltou a ser significativa nesse momento, o que indica similitude com as características de autoconfinaça e autoestima, características de empreendedor e do comportamento resiliente, respectivamente. Constatou-se, também, que o apoio familiar ou de outras pessoas, como amigos ou colegas de trabalho, representaram um suporte relevante para a superação do insucesso empresarial. Palavras-chave: Administração aspectos psicológicos. Comportamento resiliente. Insucesso empresarial. Empreendedor. / Given the speed of economic and technological changes in both social and business environments, the entrepreneur has been demanded to constantly nurture adaptive abilities to keep his/her business competitive, the entrepreneurial success or failure being a function of this professionals ability to overcome adversities in the business world. Although a wide range of theoretical approaches to success have developed varied perspectives on a company survival in the face of increased competition, a few studies have focused on the entrepreneurial failure. These few studies have not been able to properly investigate the entrepreneurs behavior that precedes failure, his/her behavioral characteristics, his/her coping styles and particularly his/her ability to overcome failure, a measure of the entrepreneurs resilience to failure and coping skills. Against this background, this dissertation aims to analyze entrepreneurs resilient behavior and coping styles in failure situations, more specifically in cases of business discontinuance. Building on interviews with 13 entrepreneurs that have experienced business discontinuance, this study compares and contrasts these entrepreneurs behavioral characteristics before, during and after their experience of business discontinuance. The understanding of the entrepreneurs behavior before, during and after the episodes of business discontinuance draws both on the use of a Defensive Functioning Scale (DFS) to analyze the transcribed interviews and on the content analysis technique to examine both a priori and a posteriori categories determined for this study. The results underpin entrepreneurs behavioral characteristics and point to variables directly influencing their coping styles and resilience to failure. Before business discontinuance, the most common coping styles are those consisting of acting without thinking and planning, being allegedly omnipotent, believing in the ability to overcome any obstacles and despising others. In the course of business discontinuance, the most common coping styles involve suicidal ideation and projective identification. Finally, the most common post-discontinuance coping styles involve the use of more adaptive styles, such as affiliation, auto-observation and humor. In this latter moment, alleged omnipotence is once again present, indicating similitude to characteristics of self-confidence and self-esteem, which are typical of entrepreneurship and resilience respectively. Additionally, family support and aid from friends and workmates reportedly play an important role in the entrepreneurs overcoming of business failure.

Ph.D. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study investigated effects of selected demographic variables and styles of leadership on the self-perceived leader effectiveness scores of vocational administrators at two-year postsecondary institutions in Texas. Demographic variables were type of institution represented, teaching experience, age, trade experience, administrative experience in vocational education, highest degree earned, institutional enrollment and vocational enrollment. Seventy-eight administrators were mailed copies of the Leader Behavior Analysis II—Self (LBA) and a demographic questionnaire. The LBA contained twenty supervisory situations. Respondents were to select the alternative approach that most closely resembled action they might take. Scoring determined the respondents' primary leadership styles and leader effectiveness scores. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine if selected demographic variables or primary leadership style was significant in determining a difference in their effectiveness scores. Primary leadership style and degree held were significant in determining leader effectiveness scores at alpha .05. It was determined that 84 percent of the administrators completing the questionnaire preferred the supporting style. None of the administrators preferred delegating or directing styles. Recommendations included studies using the LBA with supervisors in associations serviced by the institutions to provide an understanding of relationships between the leadership style of the administrators of training institutions and those of the associations served. Additional studies should be done to ascertain any differences in the self-perception of the administrators' leadership style and perceptions of their subordinates. A final recommendation included the implementation of programs to assist administrators in the utilization of the broader situational leadership approach.

The goal of this study was to explore the perceptions, challenges and coping strategies of social work managers regarding their management functions. Management is vital for growth and survival of the social welfare sector and this can be realized if social work managers understand and are able to execute their management functions. This study utilized a qualitative research approach to unpack the perceptions and challenges of social work managers. Explorative, descriptive and contextual research designs were used to explore how social work managers cope in their settings. Data were collected from social work managers in the NGO sector and the Department of Social Development, through semistructured interviews. A sample was selected by using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Creswell’s (2007:150) analytical spiral model, and data was verified using Guba’s model in Creswell (2007:150). Relevant social research ethical issues were fully considered in this study. The study revealed that there were social work managers who had the basic understanding of what social work management entails, whilst there were also those who did not understand what is meant by the concept ‘social work management’. In this study it was found that social work managers perform key management functions and roles such as planning, organising, leading, controlling, supervision, fundraising and financial management, coordination of services and performance management. The study revealed common challenges which are faced by social work managers. These challenges include a shortage of human resources, physical resources shortage, a lack of knowledge on management and a lack of adequate funding. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)