In 1989, the City of Pittsfield implemented an entrepreneurial education program for the unemployed using federal funding. This study describes the evolution of the educational program and identifies key elements in the entrepreneurial education process. The literature review sets the context of the case study in the new, burgeoning field of entrepreneurial education. The lack of consensus on a definition and the "idiosyncratic" nature of entrepreneurship creates a fluid, volatile climate for this case study. The case study responds to the call for research in the field by providing a seven year in depth analysis of the results of an entrepreneurial educational program for the unemployed. A personal, narrative case study approach reflected my role as a participant/observer and included participant and staff responses. Data analysis also included document review and participant surveys. The key elements that emerged in this case study were: (1) issues of unemployment needed to be addressed in the curriculum design; (2) adult learning strategies provided methodologies that addressed those issues; (3) a staff composed of present or former business owners provided the necessary practical, relevant orientation; (4) networking skills were enhanced by interaction with peers; (5) continual feedback from participants provided essential guidance for curriculum development; and (6) beneficial results beyond business starts need to be included in assessments of entrepreneurial training programs. The case study reports that 264 of the 428 participants included in the study started businesses and almost all of the others secured employment or went on for other training. This study concludes with recommendations for support of future entrepreneurial educational programs for the unemployed as a way to create a climate for small business development in turbulent, changing economies.

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of five individuals who shifted their work and career from the business world to the nonprofit service sector. Through in-depth personal accounts, I show how the research participants made sense of "work" and "career" as they moved through, and after they completed the transition out of the business setting; and the degree to which their subjective experiences in the nonprofit work environment transformed their prior perspectives on “work life” and “career” that had been shaped by their experiences in the business world. According to the literature of subjective career development (how people shape their personal identity through their work over a lifetime) and transformative learning (how people change their worldview perspective to accommodate significant changes in their life circumstances), people who shift from business careers to nonprofit jobs are likely to be confounded by certain realities in the nonprofit world that cannot be readily understood or explained through past experience in the business workplace. The real-life personal stories of five such career shifters manifest clear differences in the “discourse of work and career” across the two sectors, resulting in an apparent disorienting paradox between the profit-driven “business mindset” (where the fundamental motivation is survival of the enterprise and objective personal advancement) and the mission-driven “nonprofit worldview” (where the fundamental motivation is service for a better world and subjective personal meaning-making). An analysis of these paradoxes of discourse suggests that the mission-driven nonprofit discourse (“we work for a better world”) offers a valuable and constructive counterpoint to the more dominant enterprise-driven business discourse (“we work to sustain the company”) that pervades the organizational landscape of our society. The implications of these findings as reviewed in the last chapter are significant for policy, practice and research in both nonprofit management and business organizational development. The work concludes with the suggestion that the nonprofit mindset opens the possibility for re-orienting one.s ¡°career¡± to a life-long process of self-actualization, where one works to find meaning and purpose through making a difference toward improving quality of life for a better world.

We used Kolb's Model of Experiential Learning and learning style (LS) theory to design a group workshop (GW) and correspondence course (CC) to instruct adults on reducing cancer risk through diet. Kolb's model has four stages: having a concrete experience, reflecting on that experience, forming abstract concepts about the experience, and actively experimenting with what has been learned. Individuals prefer one stage of learning and are classified into four LSs: divergers, assimilators, convergers, and accommodators. The purpose of the study was to test the relationship of LS and instructional method to knowledge, attitude, and behavior change; knowledge and attitude maintenance ten weeks after instruction; and course attrition. Through mass media we recruited adults interested in diet and cancer prevention. Subjects completed Kolb's LS Inventory II (an instrument to determine LS), demographic questionnaire, and knowledge, attitude, and behavior pretests. Subjects were randomly assigned, by LS, to the GW, CC, or control group. Following the educational intervention, participants completed posttest measures of knowledge and attitude and delayed posttests of knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Both courses improved knowledge and attitude at posttest. However, knowledge gain was not maintained in either course, but attitude was maintained in the CC. Each course increased self-reported behavior scores, but only the GW values were significantly greater than controls. The CC improved "Yellow and Dark Green Vegetable" intake and lowered fat consumption in those subjects who had high fat intakes before the study began. No relationship was found between LS and knowledge and attitude change or maintenance, self-reported behavior, nutrient intake, nutrient density, or attrition. However, the converger LS had a significant decrease in consumption of citrus fruits at delayed posttest as compared to divergers and accommodators. In addition, convergers attending the GW had decreased fruit and vegetable consumption. The negative outcomes of convergers in the GW may be due to their preference for technical tasks rather than people. Thus, successful knowledge, attitude, and behavior change can result from nutrition education programs designed to reach all learning styles. Further research is needed to compare Kolb's model to other theories of behavior change and maintenance.

Individuals who pass the General Educational Development (GED) exam often pursue higher education. Although GED diploma students tend to enroll in two-year colleges, an increasing number are enrolling in four-year postsecondary education institutions. GED diploma college students are characterized as nontraditional students and usually possess risk factors that impede academic performance and cause attrition. Collective data and analysis of their academic performance and persistence and attrition behavior is needed to determine their success in attaining a bachelor's degree.;The purpose of this study was to analyze the academic performance and persistence and attrition behavior of GED diploma undergraduates who applied directly to Virginia's public, four-year postsecondary education institutions fall 1993 and fall 1994. Data on demographic factors, first-year grade point average, and persistence and attrition behavior for Virginia GED undergraduates and a national sample of nontraditional undergraduates were analyzed and comparisons were conducted within the groups and between the groups.;Statistical tests were used to determine if relationships existed between gender and academic performance and gender and graduation. Multiple regression was utilized to determine if relationship existed between demographic variables and GPA. Discriminant analysis was used to classify first-year dropouts and six-year graduates.;Comparatively, GED diploma undergraduates do not perform as well as other nontraditional undergraduates. GED diploma undergraduates who complete more credit hours in their first-year can earn satisfactory grades and are likely to persist to a second year. Female GED undergraduates should be expected to earn higher GPAs than their male counterparts. Older GED undergraduates are more likely to achieve higher GPAs and accumulate more credit hours than younger GED undergraduates. The majority of GED undergraduates who enroll directly in four-year degree programs drop out in their first year and over time and subsequently, do not earn a bachelor's degree.

The problem addressed in this study was the limited available knowledge of why people volunteer. There had been an apparent lack of research among populations of volunteers based on current theory. The purpose of this study was to identify a theory of motivation appropriate for application to volunteers or develop such a theory if one did not exist, and to utilize that theory to explore motivation in a sample of volunteers. Related purposes were to develop an instrument which would be useful in subsequent research among volunteers and to pilot that instrument. A thorough review of the literature pertaining to volunteers and to motivation was conducted, and a model for organizing motivation theories was identified. The organizational model was adapted, and offered as a theory of motivation appropriate for application to volunteers. The theory was based on the individual's value system, and the thesis that an individual will undertake action to preserve and/or create that which is believed to be good and beneficial. A comprehensive list of reasons for volunteering was developed from the literature. Eighty-seven questions pertaining to potential reasons for volunteering were developed, offering respondents a range of seven responses from "not a reason" to "an extremely important reason" for volunteering in 4-H. These questions were combined with questions pertaining to demographic information to compile a self-reporting research instrument. The instrument was administered by mail to 453 volunteers in the Massachusetts 4-H program, and yielded in a response rate of 76%. The theory was found to be operationally useful. Analysis of responses confirmed the importance of values in reasons for volunteering. Visual inspection of rank ordered means of responses revealed that reasons clustered in groups corresponding to values, and factor analysis revealed that individuals responded to questions regarding motivation in accordance with individually held values. Subgroups based on motivation were identified within the sample. Every motivational construct was rated a motivator by some respondents and not a motivator by others. Additional findings included the existence of subgroups identifiable by their transiency versus longevity, and inclination in the sample towards continuity and perpetuation of present practices. Recommendations for further research included exploration of differences among motivators regarding causing people to agree to accept a volunteer role, to remain in that role over time, to increase productivity, to improve quality, and to change practices in that role.

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of healthcareadministrative-educators and middle managers from three Midwestern hospitals about employer-provided management education for middle managers. The vision of the Chief Healthcare Administrator (CHA) of each hospital is reflected in the vision, mission andstrategic plan. The availability of formal training and development programs for middle managers is evident in the CHA's commitment to education. Using individual interviews of one-hour, the study examined the behaviors of managers and reactions to the experience of ongoing formalized middle-management education.Non-profit institutions selected had over a 250-hospital bed size with a formal department or division of management education. Hospitals chosen were HCIA Sachs designated "100 Top Hospitals" for 1999 or 2000. Each participant signed a consent form. The sample size was a minimum of one administrative-educator responsible for delivering middle manager education, two clinical managers, and two non-clinical managers from each hospital. The administrative-educator selected the interviewees. Managers interviewed had at least three years of management experience. Attitudes and practices varied due to social, political and contextual variables.Respondents were free to withdraw from the study at any time. For verification and enrichment, participants reviewed their individual interview transcripts. Managers described experiences with management education, reported increased levels of confidence, listed helpful resources, and named driving forces to support management education. Findings revealed clinical and non-clinical managers have common learningneeds. For successful management education, administrative-educators address the hospital's social, political, and cultural needs.Interviews were electronically recorded and kept confidential, as well as the verbatim transcriptions of the interviews. After the research process was complete, all tapes were destroyed. Each institution received a summary of the final document.In future years, the anticipated benefit to the participants will be that hospitals utilize the collective information to plan and deliver improved educational programming for the middle manager. This study found common themes among the respondents to develop new ways of thinking to improve managerial performance. Results may direct others to set a standard of managerial competency in healthcare. Healthcare middle managers' learning needs warrant further investigation. / Department of Educational Studies

Fishery and wildlife biologists employed by state fish and wildlife agencies were surveyed to determine their continuing education needs related to specific job tasks. In addition, proficiency levels required for job tasks were rated. An organizational analysis was also conducted to ascertain agency climate for support of continuing education programs. Forty-seven state fish and wildlife agencies responded to the organizational analysis. Agencies valued their employees and understand the benefits of continuing education, but did not allocate many resources to support programs. A positive climate does not presently exist for the development and implementation of continuing education programs. Continuing education was not an important part of state fish and game agencies’ organizational culture. Differences in continuing education needs of fishery and wildlife biologist have little correlation to undergraduate/graduate curricula, highest degrees attained, or length in the profession. Biologists’ greatest needs for continuing education related to technical tasks in research/data collection and analysis, and specifically computer and software usage. Other continuing education needs were related to population and habitat tasks. Biologists identified low proficiency levels needed for modeling and genetic tasks, but indicated a high need for continuing education. Continuing education needs for non-technical tasks related to communication, interpersonal relations, management and leadership skills were rated significantly higher by agency administration than fishery and wildlife biologists. Additional data were provided on proficiency levels identified for job tasks. Recommendations are made to state fish and wildlife agencies, providers of continuing education programming, and university faculty. / Ph. D.