With the passage of Title IX legislation women have gradually integrated a space that had been an exclusively male domain, simultaneously upsetting and renegotiating the traditional social arrangements found within it (Lipsyte, 1979; Adams, Schmitke, and Franklin, 2005). This integration is an ongoing process, impeded or smoothed by the cultural ideologies of the historical moment. Rather than being simply an athlete, the modifier of ‘female’ often carries with it expectations of behavior, appearance, and values that may be in conflict with those same expectations of ‘athlete.’ Thus, while social norms and attitudes as well as legal mandates may now clearly permit and facilitate female athletes’ entrance into that historically male space, one can still question the process through which young women reconcile potentially contradictory identities. This thesis reports on a study of thirteen college-aged female athletes at two liberal arts colleges, that sought to understand the various identities they negotiate in settings such as on the field, in the classroom, and in the dorm. Using a poststructuralist framework for discourse analysis, this study explored the self-positions that subjects adopted and the conflicting discourses they utilized to reveal the multiple subjectivities the women take up in order to make sense of themselves and their lives.

No / FP7

In the post-industrial society, career management has become vitally important for assisting workers to be employable. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between career anchors and employability. The effort of researching these concepts is geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, so that the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other organisations in South Africa can adopt a strong career management culture. A quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N=108) of full-time employees in a South African financial company. The Career Anchors Inventory (COI) and the Employability Attribute Scale (EAS) were used to gather data. The study found a statistically significant positive relationship between career anchors and employability. In addition, there were significant correlations between the sub-constructs of career anchors and employability, while significant differences in career anchor preferences and employability perceptions between males and females emerged. The only differences in career anchor preferences were detected between racial and age groups. The results indicate a mutual and positive relationship between career anchors and employability, which can be useful in career guidance in the 21st century. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

In the post-industrial society, career management has become vitally important for assisting workers to be employable. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between career anchors and employability. The effort of researching these concepts is geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, so that the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other organisations in South Africa can adopt a strong career management culture. A quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N=108) of full-time employees in a South African financial company. The Career Anchors Inventory (COI) and the Employability Attribute Scale (EAS) were used to gather data. The study found a statistically significant positive relationship between career anchors and employability. In addition, there were significant correlations between the sub-constructs of career anchors and employability, while significant differences in career anchor preferences and employability perceptions between males and females emerged. The only differences in career anchor preferences were detected between racial and age groups. The results indicate a mutual and positive relationship between career anchors and employability, which can be useful in career guidance in the 21st century. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

An investigation of several potential explanatory factors underlying the discrepant gender distributions within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) field positions across different higher education institution types was undertaken. Data collection consisted of a main online survey of a nationally representative sample of STEM faculty members from a variety of institution types (N = 4, 195) and a follow-up survey of a subset of main survey respondents (N = 712). Regression analyses were conducted to assess predictors of initial job preference, work hours, and WFC (work-family conflict). Family friendliness ratings of research jobs, work centrality, and rated importance of the family friendliness of various jobs during one’s initial job search predicted initial job preferences and displayed significant gender differences, so these variables are supported as explanatory factors underlying the discrepant gender distributions across institution types. In predicting work hours, the presence of dependent children was associated with significantly reduced work hours among women but not among men. Workload emerged as the only consistent significant predictor of WFC. Comparisons of respondents employed at research-focused and teaching-focused institutions revealed nonsignificant or smaller than expected differences in workload, WFC, and work centrality. These findings run counter to reported faculty beliefs that jobs at teaching-focused institutions are more family friendly than those at research-focused institutions. Women reported adjusting their work goals and habits in order to accommodate their family goals, and vice versa, more frequently than did men. Women frequently reported heightened commitments to their families, relative to those reported by men, although in some cases the predicted gender differences were not observed or were of smaller magnitude than was expected. Analyses were conducted separately for two cohort groups created by splitting the sample at year in which PhD was earned. These two cohort groups differ in meaningful ways with respect to the relationships among the variables under investigation, such that many observed gender differences were isolated to, and/or were stronger within, the group of earlier PhD earners as compared to the group of later PhD earners. These results highlight how and why male and female faculty members differ in their early career planning decisions and their behaviors and adjustments within the context of their STEM higher education career paths.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the facilitators and barriers to women in STEM through comparison to men and non-STEM faculty members. The Pipeline Model and The Vanish Box model were examined to explain the underrepresentation of women in STEM. The current study, using the established facilitators and barriers to women in STEM by Bolton (2016), examined 12 categories that were identified through existing literature, critical incidents (CIs), and a subject-matter expert (SME). It was hypothesized that Teaching, Service, Research Funding, Mentoring, Professional Development, Administrative Leadership, Hiring Policies, New Child Leave/FMLA policies, and Promotion and Tenure Policies would be identified as barriers to academic careers in STEM disciplines more often than non-STEM disciplines and by women more often than by men. It was also hypothesized that Fairness of Policy Implementation and Practice, Other Policies, and Research Support other than Funding will be identified as a facilitators to women’s academic careers to academic careers in STEM disciplines more often than non-STEM disciplines and by women more often than by men. Two-hundred and forty-two participants completed a survey via Qualtrics that assessed facilitators and barriers to academic careers. Of those that completed the survey, only 134 were used in the analyses, as identification of sex and STEM status was essential for inclusion in the study. Results revealed that neither hypothesis was confirmed. Exploratory analyses examining the frequencies 12 categories as well as specific facilitators and barriers were conducted. The implications, limitations, and future directions for research were suggested.

Thesis advisor: Stephen P. Borgatti / This study was an investigation of the effects of social identity on career progression and career resilience. Particular attention was given to the predictive impact of social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping. Using NCAA basketball coaches as an empirical setting, quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to predict the status of next employer for job seekers who voluntarily changed jobs (n = 282), and the employability resilience of job seekers who were fired (n = 151). Job seekers with the social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping (in this empirical setting, defined as membership in a coaching family or coaching tree) were hired for positions with employers of higher status, and exhibited greater employability resilience than was the case for job seekers without such a social identity. Because membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping signals concise information about the social identity of an individual above and beyond prior performance, network connectivity and status affiliations, it is theorized that individuals with such a social identity are more easily understood, more predictable, and are therefore more valuable in the labor market. Additional career benefits are accrued by individuals who claim their ascribed identity, and by individuals who have social identities characterized as relational actors. Recommendations for future research on social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping are offered. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Organization Studies.

“Soft skills” are soft no longer; when it comes to leading research endeavors in academic or industry settings, the most successful researchers are those who can harness their ability to mentor, advocate, manage and adapt to enhance their scientific skills. This session for graduate program faculty, administrators and trainees will showcase the universal nature of “power skills” across job sectors and explore how colleges of pharmacy can incorporate these skills into their research training programs.

The purpose of the study was to present descriptive data bout the industry, determine the importance of the competencies needed for job entry, and assess the manpower needs of the ornamental horticulture industry in Utah. The identified population of 576 ornamental horticulture enterprises was categorized into seven areas of specialization: Arborists (4.5%), Maintenance of Landscapes (10.8%), Landscape Construction (18.6%), Golf Courses (13.5%), Greenhouse Production (5.4%), Florist-Plant Shops (30.9%) and Garden Center-Nurseries (16.3%). The data were collected by a survey-questionnaire. One hundred and sixteen ornamental horticulture enterprises responded to the survey. This amounted to 38% of the industry sampled and 20% of the population. Findings of the study indicated that single enterprises conduct work in a number of the areas of specialization. Ninety-two of the ninety-four competencies were rated at least of some importance to entry level workers. The most important competencies common to all the areas of specialization were: Human relations and communications, pest identification and control, record keeping, and safety. Other highly rated individual competencies in the major areas of specialization included: 1) Arborists--mix and handle chemicals safely, turf establishment and maintenance, removal of trees and shrubs, and pruning techniques; 2) Maintenance of Landscapes--mix and handle chemicals safely, apply fertilizer materials, operate and maintain spray equipment, maintain turf and operate and service automatic systems; 3) Landscape Construction--plant and transplant, turf establishment and maintenance and sell products and services; 4) Golf Courses-apply fertilizer materials, maintain golf greens and turf and apply knowledge of irrigation and watering methods; 5) Greenhouse Production-apply knowledge of irrigation and water ing methods; sell products and services, and operate a cash register and handle money; 6) Florist-Plant Shops--design and construct floral pieces, dish gardens, and terrariums, operate a cash register and handle money and design displays; 7) Garden Center Nurseries--operate a cash register and handle money, sell products and services, and select plant materials according to growth habits and uses. The number of employees anticipated in the future is growing at a 16% yearly rate. The greatest anticipated yearly expansion of full time employees in the areas of Landscape Construction (63%), Arboriculture (35%) and Greenhouse Production (32%). Members of owners' families comprise 17% of the industry's employees. The study also indicated a preference for workers presenting specific job competencies at job entry.

Health disparities continue to persist in the United States, with individuals in rural areas often experiencing greater health concerns and health outcomes than individuals living in suburban or urban areas. Lack of access to healthcare providers is one contributing factor to these disparities. Studies have shown that healthcare providers from rural areas are more likely to return to those areas to work. Increasing pipeline education programs within K-12 settings may help create a larger pool of rural individuals interested in healthcare professions. Connecting education and careers to the well-being of a community may help students to see how their future careers can contribute to the vitality of their community, such as through sociopolitical development. This dissertation evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two conditions of an existing healthcare career education program, Project HOPE. The seven-week intervention was implemented with rural 8th grade students within the context of a seminar class. The results of the study showed, overall, that the intervention is effective at increasing healthcare career search self-efficacy; however, the findings suggest that it decreases community engagement. In contrast to the hypothesis, the results showed that the standard condition of the intervention was more effective at increasing socio-cognitive variables than the sociopolitical development condition. The findings are discussed in context of existing literature and with consideration to the sociopolitical context in which the intervention was implemented. Implications of the findings for vocational psychologists, as well as future directions of study are discussed.