<p> Na (2013) identified human capital as one of the important resources Professional Service Firms (PSFs) use to stay successful. This study examined the past and current literature on skill underutilization, perceived job match, perceived overqualification and perceived overeducation. The relationship that exists between these concepts and skill underutilization was also examined to help understand how the Big Four accounting consultants in the United States perceive skill underutilization. This study adopted a quantitative study to examine how accounting consultants perceive skill underutilization. Survey responses from 119 accounting consultants were used to examine how Big Four accounting consultants perceive skill underutilization. The results of the research reveals that perceived skill utilization was positively related to perceived job match (<i>r</i> = .76, <i>p</i> &lt; .001) while being negatively related to perceived overeducation (<i> r</i> = -.42, <i>p</i> &lt; .001) and perceived overqualification (<i>r</i> = -.50, <i>p</i> &lt; .001). The three independent variables Perceived Job Match, Perceived Overeducation and Perceived Overqualification together account for 61.5% of the variance in the dependent variable Perceived Skill Utilization. Perceived Job Match accounted for 36.6%, Perceived Overeducation accounted for 0.04% and Perceived Overqualification accounted for 1.2% of the variance. The remaining variance, 23.7% (61.5% - 37.84%), is shared variance among the three independent variables. The variables, Perceived Overeducation and Perceived Overqualification actually contributed very little to the variance in Perceived Skill Utilization beyond that provided by Perceived Job Match, despite being significantly significant. Much of this contribution is due to the inter-correlation of these variables with Perceived Job Match.</p>

<p> The military faces unprecedented limitation of resources due to fiscal cuts through all branches of service. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore succession planning (SP) strategies used by Air National Guard leaders to retain skilled workers. The target population consisted of 5 leaders of the Washington Air National Guard (ANG) with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the ANG. The five tenured candidates were selected given proven leadership performance, ability to influence the organization, and they provided institutional knowledge and corporate insight of SP efforts spanning nearly a century. Additionally, these leaders had direct first-hand experience with local selective retention process and successful force management practices. The conceptual framework included organizational leadership theory, succession theory, and employee retention. Semistructured interviews were conducted and relevant documents collected. All interpretations from the data were subjected to member checking to ensure trustworthiness of findings. Coding, clustering, and thematic analysis were methods used for data analysis. Prominent ideas and actions taken were coded, common codes were clustered and themes evolved. Based on the methodological triangulation of data, 5 themes surfaced: (a) skills focus verses strategic, (b) informal verses formal SP, (c) individual verses organizational, (d) priority for retention verses recruitment, and (e) limited skill leads to mission gaps. The application of the findings from the study may contribute to social change by inspiring military leadership to adopt more strategic succession planning and ensure business sustainability by changing existing SP from a recruitment-based technique to culture of retention.</p>

<p> Cairo School District has a chronic truancy rate that far exceeds the State of Illinois&rsquo; average. The purpose of the study was to understand the reasons for truancy at Cairo School District. Through data review and semi-structured interviews, the researcher was able understand recent graduates attitudes and perceptions regarding school attendance. Based on the finding of this research study, implications for practice emerged, and will provide the foundation to establish the necessary structures to improve educational and social emotional practices to improve student attendance. </p>

The intent of this degree paper is to describe and analyze problems of inefficiency in personnel administration in the Personnel Direction of the National Institute of Housing in Venezuela. The paper includes a general description of the National Institute of Housing, the actual structure and functions of the Personnel Direction as well as the functions of those divisions and departments attached to it. The study draws attention to those existent inefficiencies in personnel administration and authority distribution. The study found that public employees at the National Institute of Housing are not regulated by the provisions of the Administrative Career Law designed as a guide for the Venezuelan public administration system. Consequently, Public employees are laid off every five years, employees are not selected on merit basis, employees are promoted through political patronage and personal alliances, and they are paid inadequately. Furthermore, the Personnel Direction lacks sufficient delegated authority in the administration of personnel. The main sources of information were a combination of secondary sources and the writer's observation during his tenure as head of the department of classification and remuneration within the Personnel Direction. Included in this study are proposed reforms in the above mentioned areas in an attempt to help create a better and more efficient public administration system. The suggested reforms address the inequities of the Personnel Direction and are proposed as corrective measures for the Personnel Direction's present ineffective policies in recruitment, selection, promotion, authority distribution, and call for the enforcement of the Administrative Career Law.

<p> The number of female superintendents in Wisconsin public schools remains disproportionately low compared to males. With research supporting a connection between female leaders and transformational leadership, the question as to why more females do not enter the realm of leadership and how they see themselves as leaders remains unanswered. This quantitative research sought to find whether or not there was a statistically significant difference between female and male superintendents&rsquo; self-perceived transformational leadership behaviors in Wisconsin public school districts. Using the survey tool, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), the finding was that female respondents self- assessed their transformational and transactional leadership behaviors and outcomes with greater statistical significance more often than males. While more research into the leadership of the superintendency needs to be done, these findings may be used to encourage school boards to consider leadership behaviors when hiring and to encourage current superintendent leaders to reflect on their own leadership styles.</p>

<p> The current study asks four primary research questions to address several questions about the psychometric properties of emotional intelligence (EI) assessments; is there a statistically significant difference in (a) the predictive validity of a participant&rsquo;s EI scores for their leadership performance as measured by Charismatic/Transformational Leadership (CTL) behavior occurrence when EI is measured using an assessment based on the ability-based as compared to an assessment based on the mixed model; (b) the predictive validity of a participant&rsquo;s EI scores for their leadership performance as measured by CTL behavior occurrence when EI is measured at different levels of leadership within the organizational hierarchy; (c) the predictive validity of a participant&rsquo;s EI scores when measured using an assessment based on the abilities-based model for their leadership performance as measured by CTL behavior occurrence when EI is measured at different levels of leadership within the organizational hierarchy and; (d) the predictive validity of a participant&rsquo;s EI scores when measured using an assessment based on the mixed model for their leadership performance as measured by CTL behavior occurrence when EI is measured at different levels of leadership within the organizational hierarchy? The goals were to determine (a) if there is a difference in how well the ability-based and mixed models each predict the self-reported CTL and (b) if this predictive relationship is affected by a leader&rsquo;s position within the organizational hierarchy. Current supervisors from all levels within their organization&rsquo;s hierarchies completed the MSCEIT, Genos EI, MLQ, and a demographic questionnaire which asked for their leadership level. 168 current leader&rsquo;s data was obtained from Qualtrics, LLC. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the predictive validities of the abilities-based and mixed models of EI for self-reported CTL. Regression-based tests for moderation effects showed a statistically significant difference in the regression coefficients between front-line leaders and other leadership levels for the MSCEIT, but no statistically significant differences for the Genos-EI. Possible artifacts and confounding variables were discussed, with particular focus on the use of self-report versions of the assessments.</p>

<p> School improvement plans and major reform initiatives most often target core academic competencies. They might include strategies to improve the physical safety of school campuses, but they rarely include discussions about creating psychologically safe environments. School safety has garnered national attention in the aftermath of violent high profile shootings on K through12 campuses across the country. The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Education have offices dedicated to providing schools with funding, training and resources to improve security and develop strategic crisis plans. There are a variety of resources available about lessening physical vulnerabilities as related to school safety. There is however, far more to establishing a safe school culture than physical safety and secure facilities. It is equally imperative to ensure that schools are psychologically safe spaces for children. Very little work has been done to provide resources on practices for creating a culture of school safety related to student resiliency and well-being. This research examines best practices of K through 12 school leaders in establishing a culture of school safety - specifically targeting student resiliency and well-being.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the need for qualified Contracting Officers in the execution and administration of contracts formulated under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program. This 15-year Program is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 7898, otherwise known as the AFP Modernization Act. This law is implemented through Department of National Defense Circular (DC) No. 1 dated 06 March 2000 (replacing DC 29 dated 19 May 1996). The Circular provided adequate guidance for the conduct of major system contracting, but barely touched on the process of contract execution and administration by Contracting Officers, except for assigning this function to the Major Services under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP). It assumes that the parties involved would infer the process of contract administration from the terms and conditions of the contract itself. Contract administration, as handled by qualified Contracting Officers, is a vital process in government acquisitions. It ensures the successful completion of the contract according to the satisfaction of the parties involved. Without this system in place, the AFP risks failure in its Modernization Program (AFPMP). This thesis ascertains the need for qualified Contracting Officers to handle the complex contracts that are sure to come out of the AFPMP. It evaluates the existing contract execution and administration structure in the AFP vis-aÌ -vis existing guidelines to establish the need for βContracting Officerγ positions. Once established, the thesis expounds on the envisioned role of Contracting Officers as they handle the various contracting activities in the AFPMP. It also recommends the associated career paths, education, training and certification programs needed to establish the said position. / Philippine Navy author

<p> Previous research illustrated how principals effectively facilitate the development of teachers&rsquo; instructional practice through actions such as differentiating professional development, providing continuous professional development, establishing learning communities and using supervision/evaluations to help modify instruction; however, what is missing from that research is how personal/professional experiences influence specific principal behavior and actions in regards to facilitating the development of teachers&rsquo; instructional practice. </p><p> The idea of school principal as teacher-educator is supported within the requirements to become a principal (ISSLC Standards, 2015) as well as within daily necessities of school leaders (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Fullan, 2012, 2014; Hargreaves &amp; Fullan, 2013). Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, believes the best way to get strong teachers is to adopt a &ldquo;fundamentally different way of looking at teachers, how we recruit, <i>train and support them and give them the latitude and tools and conditions to do their jobs&rdquo;</i> [emphasis added] (Layton, 2015). The question that remains is how specific experiences influence the actions of principals to focus on the development of teaches&rsquo; instructional practice. </p><p> Potential influential personal or professional practices might include: principals&rsquo; teacher and administrative training and experiences, mandates from central administration vs. local needs, the context and community of school and/or the personal life experiences of the principals. Hence, it is imperative to take a closer look into what experiences influence principal actions to facilitate the development of teachers&rsquo; instructional practices. </p><p> This study employed narrative inquiry methodology and analysis to examine personal and professional experiences of three selected principals who have been identified as outstanding in their field. Findings provide detailed insight into how personal and/or professional experiences influence their actions in regards to the development of teachers&rsquo; instructional practice. The results of this study unpack the journey these individuals took in becoming learning leaders of their school community. Additionally, the results are informative to the field of educational leadership.</p>

<p> The general business problem is that competitive advantage suffers because of the lack of employee engagement and employee innovative work behavior. Inability of business to determine methods or opportunities to affect levels of work engagement and innovative work behavior of employees limits the ability of the business to gain competitive advantage. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine the relationship between levels of resilience and levels of work engagement, and levels of resilience and levels of innovative work behavior. The body of literature in these three areas fails to identify a relationship between resilience and work engagement or between resilience and innovative work behavior. This proposal examined the concepts of resiliency, work engagement, and innovative work behavior to determine if a relationship exists between the three constructs building on Fredrickson&rsquo;s 1998 broaden and build theory. Data was collected using an online survey tool. Participants were employed by large, for-profit U.S. based companies. The researcher employed River Sampling to collect data. Results were analyzed for completeness and incomplete surveys were not used in the data analysis. Raw data was translated into two categories of resilience (low and high), and three categories each for work engagement and innovative work behavior (low, medium, and high). The findings show a significant, positive relationship between levels of resilience and levels of work engagement, and between levels of resilience and levels of innovative work behavior. This study provides meaningful contributions to the body of literature in the areas of resilience, work engagement, and innovative work behavior by establishing a significant relationship between resilience and work engagement and between resilience and innovative work behavior. Practitioners can use the results of this study to develop new methods for improving levels of work engagement and levels of innovative work behavior by developing efforts to improve resilience.</p>