This dissertation joins a conversation in the special education arena about the academic and vocational agenda for special education high school students. It explores the influence of enrollment in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses on the achievement of high school special education (SPED) students. The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of special education (SPED) students enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses with special education (SPED) students who were not enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses. The study was designed to determine whether or not SPED students enrolled in CTE improved on the academic scores as measured by the Graduate Exit Exam (GEE) standardized test. The target population of this study was special education students enrolled in Louisiana public high schools. The sample for this study was made up of all 10th and 11th grade special education students who had taken part in the state mandated GEE during the 2008-2009 school year. The instrument used to collect data for this study was a computerized recording form. The variables of the investigation were copied directly from the archival data source, developed by the Louisiana State Department of Educations Division of Student Standards and Assessments, into the studys recording forms. To determine if relationships existed between CTE participation and achievement scores on standardized testing, ELA and Math scores were used as dependent variables. The other variables were treated as independent variables including the demographics of Age, Gender, Race, Socioeconomic Status (Full, Reduced and Free Lunch) and CTE program participation. The major findings were that the CTE students had significantly higher scores on the overall ELA measures than non-CTE students. All six of the Math standards for which data were available were found significantly higher for the CTE students than for the non-CTE students. Also according to the finding, the majority of SPED students did not participate in a CTE program. This researcher concluded that there was a positive academic outcome for those SPED students who participated in CTE. She recommended that SPED students be enrolled in CTE courses while participating in Louisiana public high school program.

The personal, business, and executive coaching industry is large and growing. In spite of the size and growth of the industry, the coaching research literature reveals a lack of understanding about the competencies of outstanding executive coaches. This grounded-theory study sought to discover a model of executive coach competencies, through in-depth interviews with coaches rated as outstanding by a large purchaser of coaching services. Sixteen coaches participated in the recorded and transcribed interviews. A line-by-line analysis of the transcripts led to a competency model for executive coaching. For the coaching research community, this study will fill a key gap in our understanding of executive coach competencies. For coaching practitioners, this study will clarify what it takes to become an outstanding executive coach. For prospective coaches, this study will help in self-assessment against competencies and in selecting appropriate coach education programs to fill competency gaps. For buyers of coaching services, this study will be helpful in improving coach recruitment and selection procedures. In addition, large organizations with internal coaching programs might find the results of this study useful in selecting and preparing their coaches. Finally, for coach educators, this study may point to changes in curriculum, and to changes in how students are admitted, trained, and evaluated.

As the result of multiple psychological conditions that are inflicted by war, the need for veterans well-being is ever evident. PTSD changes the bodys response to stress, often making it difficult for PTSD victims to live their lives as they normally would (Stokes, 2013, p. 1). It is possible to touch individuals who do not react to traditional therapy with a different type of therapy. It is recommended that veterans besieged with these same symptoms could benefit from therapy with animals. Renson (2010) concluded that animals have delivered numerous benefits to people using therapy. The benefits that animals offer in helping veterans break down the walls that are built from wartime experiences are astounding (Alers & Simpson, 2012). Renson (2010) noted that levels of loneliness and depression decreased, while levels of trust increased from Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT).

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected factors that influence small business owners perceived obstacles to strategic planning in Louisiana small businesses. This study was guided by five research objectives. To achieve the study purpose, the researcher developed The Perceived Obstacles to Strategic Planning Inventory, which consisted of four scales, measuring perceptions using a six point Likert-type response scale in addition to various demographic factors. An important finding was that of the 70 respondents, only 34.3% had a written long-term plan and the majority (67.1%) of respondents fell below a four on the interpretive scale suggesting they perceived that their organizations did not conduct strategic planning. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between the perceived degree to which the organization conducts strategic planning and each of the following scales measuring obstacles to strategic planning 1) perceived quality of the organizations employees. 2) leadership has knowledge of the planning process, and 3) perceived available time the organization has to strategically plan. Lastly, a model was identified explaining a significant portion of the variance in, the perceived degree to which the organization conducts strategic planning. Based on the impact of the perceived quality of the organizations employees, scale the researcher concluded that the majority of small businesses felt that their employees were technically competent. Since the majority of the organizations did not plan, but have technically competent employees, the implication is that technical competence alone does not provide a business with everything they need to accomplish long-term goals and purposes. Therefore, other factors must be influencing their decision. One potential factor is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence might be defined as making a conscious decision regarding behavior despite ones emotional state. This behavior is associated with self-awareness, and those who are self-aware are conscious of their strengths and weaknesses and are able to avoid irrational thinking and impulsive behavior. Thus their thinking, is in essence, strategic. The researcher recommends further investigation into the relationship between strategic planning and other factors such as emotional intelligence of business owners/managers.

Research has shown that private industry has a better grasp on knowledge management concepts and practices than in the higher education arena. Given the internal and external challenges facing colleges and universities, the processes and systems associated with knowledge management could serve as a resource for performance improvement and greater levels of effectiveness and efficiency. This phenomenological study was conducted to determine the perceptions and perspectives of deans regarding the usefulness and value of implementing knowledge management best practices typically employed by organizations in the private sector. Four research questions guided this study: 1) What level of awareness exists of the impact of knowledge management in higher education administration? 2) What methods exist for capturing and sharing knowledge? 3) Can knowledge management strategies practiced in private industry translate successfully in the higher education arena? 4) What elements exist in the administration of higher education that either support or prevent the retention of institutional knowledge? Data was gathered in the form of a series of semi-structured interviews of past or present deans of public RU/VH institutions (Research University with Very High research activity as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education) in the southern portion of the United States. Participants for this study were selected based on their leadership positions in the administration at the selected institution, each were interviewed, in part, to determine their awareness and perception of knowledge management. The following themes surfaced after data analysis was performed: 1) there is a general lack of awareness of the specific term, knowledge management; 2) deans understand the conceptual value of knowledge management and are open to employing its practices in their college, but are resistant to doing so as it relates to their job responsibilities; 3) a cultural misalignment exists between the higher education environment and private industry; 4) the human resource is a highly valued commodity in higher education; 5) knowledge management practices are siloed and limited in scope; and 6) obstacles exist that thwart the growth of knowledge management in higher education. Finally, recommendations, limitations, suggestions for future research, and conclusions are offered to encourage the expansion of this specific topic.

As proven in the aftermath of World War II, whenever the U.S. government shifts its efforts from wartime mobilization to peacetime demobilization, the Department of Defense (DoD) faces the complex task of transitioning military personnel to civilian life. In March of 2015, the researcher began an exploratory evaluation of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) employment workshops. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal and professional demographic characteristics on the perceptions of the effectiveness of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) in accomplishing its stated purposes among exiting military servicemembers at military installations in Louisiana. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified Education level, Job Search Skills/Counseling and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in the literature as indicators of exiting military servicemembers (EMS) toward the TAP. A total of 67 participated in the study and a sample of 53 (EMS) provided useable responses from a researcher-designed survey and reported the perceptions of the effectiveness of the TAP. Based on this study, 86.8% of EMS reported having at least a four-year degree. Of the 53 study participants who provided useable data for the survey, the majority reported Yes to whether or not Job Search Skills/Counseling was covered in the TAP. Of the 53 respondents, 38 (71.7%) reported Yes. No relationship was found between whether or not MOS was transferable to the civilian labor force and the perceived effectiveness of TAP. Study participants indicated all survey items had a mean rating of Agree. Four of the 11 correlations were found to be statistically significant. The highest correlation was EMS perceptions of the effectiveness of the TAP and Job Search Skills/Counseling, which asked study participants Was your Job Search Skills/Counseling covered in the TAP? The remaining three correlations were Income level, Active Duty Status and Length of Service. Based on these findings, the researcher found the systems are currently in place to explore more personal and professional demographic characteristics and that more accountability is needed among the federal agencies to provide more quantifiable research on EMS perceptions toward the effectiveness of the TAP.

Entrepreneurship is part of the American dream; about 10% of the US work force owns a small business. In a stable economy owners that are focused on product and market development see continuous growth and expansion; however in turbulent economic times businesses are forced to focus on their competitive advantages. For small enterprises, the most valuable asset is the human capital of the firm; nonetheless many start-up founders tend to overlook the importance of administrative issues like human resource management (HRM). This report shall discuss how founders initially approach the employment relations in the start-up, and what effects their choices have in the long run on the business performance. / text

This descriptive correlational study sought to measure the development of leadership life skills and the perceptions of youth-adult relationships by youth serving on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards. Members of the 2013-2014 Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards (N = 99) served as the population for the study. Overall, 4-H members who served on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards perceived they gained a lot of leadership life skills from their board involvement. Board members reported high levels of youth involvement, adult involvement, and youth-adult interaction. Based on the high levels of involvement and interaction, youth-adult partnerships were present on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards. The participants involved in this study and the total population of 4-H members is not concurrent with each other in terms of race or gender. Youth development professionals could vary the recruitment efforts of potential board members to include a more diverse pool of applicants. This could include widening the range of diverse adult sponsors. Future research should be conducted to determine if there is a difference in youth who serve on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards and other 4-H members who do not serve on the boards. No statistically significant relationship existed between development of leadership life skills and youth-adult partnerships. Future research should investigate the subject deeper to determine why in this study the leadership life skills and youth-adult partnerships had no significant relationship.

<p>En personalomsättning på 70 procent och en minskning av antalet sökande på 50 procent ledde till att Gröna Lunds arbetsgivarvarumärke ifrågasattes, eftersom ett starkt arbetsgivarvarumärke bidrar till ökad arbetslojalitet samt ökar arbetsgivarens attraktivitet.</p><p>För att se hur Gröna Lunds Human Resource (HR) avdelning förmedlar arbetsgivarvarumärket internt gentemot säsongsansanställda, genomfördes intervjuer med HR-personal och personer i företagsledning samt bearbetades ett flertal dokument.</p><p>HR kommunicerade arbetsgivarvarumärket i enlighet med teorier och tidigare forskning, ändå kvarstår problemen. Gröna Lund måste visa ett större engagemang för långsiktiga satsningar på sin personal genom att undersöka möjligheterna till utvecklingssamtal, utbildning och tillsvidareanställningar. Alternativt acceptera sin situation och lägga resurserna på att göra det bästa utav det.</p> / <p>Employee commitment and employer attractiveness is influenced by a good employer branding. Having an employee turnover rate of 70 percent and 50 percent decreasing in job applications, Gröna Lund’s employer branding started to be questioned.</p><p>Interviews were made and different document was processes to see how Gröna Lund´s Human resource department worked with employer branding inside the organisation to affect their seasonal employees.</p><p>Human Resource communicated the employer brand according to previous research but their problem still remains. Gröna Lund need to show greater interest in the long-term investment of their employees by investigating possibilities to employee dialogue, training, permanent position or alternatively accept the situation and make the best of it.</p>

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