<p> In this two-part quantitative and qualitative descriptive study, the phenomenon of being engaged at work by physicians currently employed by health care organizations (HCOs) was explored. A purposive sample of eight physicians practicing medicine in the US in a variety of specialties and at seven different HCOs participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of work engagement. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model served as the theoretical framework of the study. The JD-R model was developed to describe factors associated with both work engagement and burnout, indicators of positive and negative employee well-being, respectively, with implications for individuals and their employing organizations. This study focused on identifying antecedents of positive experiences of work engagement rather than on the negative state of burnout. </p><p> Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and identify those main job demands, job resources, and personal resources that were described as associated with being engaged at work by employed physicians. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)^&copy; was used to assess physicians&rsquo; relative levels of work engagement, a three-dimensional construct which included vigor, dedication, and absorption. The most commonly identified patient-care-related job demand was patient volume, while the most commonly identified HCO demands were RVUs/financial targets and work pressure. The only job resource theme found across all participants&rsquo; interviews was their physician colleagues, while the personal resource theme of self-efficacy was common to all participants. Job resources and personal resources, individually and in combination, lead to work engagement according to the JD-R model. Implications for physician work engagement and well-being in HCOs include improved quality of patient care, safety, and satisfaction.</p><p>

<p> This quantitative study examined self-compassion as a buffer in burnout of teaching assistants working with students on the autism spectrum. An on-line survey was developed using the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) to investigate self-compassion, burnout, and a number of demographic variables. The survey was shared with teaching assistants who work with students on the autism spectrum in nine New York Counties. One hundred forty-five (<i>N</i> = 145) teaching assistants participated in the study. The self-kindness factor score, the mindfulness factor score, and the overall self-compassion composite score of teaching assistants working with students on the autism spectrum demonstrated statistically significant negative relationships with all areas of burnout: personal, work-related, and student-related. This indicates that as the teaching assistants' scores for self-kindness, mindfulness, and self-compassion increase their scores for all areas of burnout decrease. Overall, the findings indicate that there may be buffers that prevent against burnout in teaching assistants who work with students on the autism spectrum.</p><p>

<p> Construction companies are able to show an increased bottom line by developing strategies to retain employees. However, the cost to develop and implement strategies that can decrease employee turnover is a substantial investment. As costs continue to rise in most business functions, strategies to facilitate cost savings must be identified and implemented to become or remain profitable. The Herzberg Two-Factor Theory served as the conceptual framework was chosen for this study and provided a baseline for developing retention strategies within the construction industry. The purpose of this single quantitative exploratory case study was to identify the retention factors that provided the greatest impact to retain construction employees. There was a sample of 68 individuals selected for this study, consisting of laborers within the U.S. construction industry. An online survey was used to collect the data, and the findings are intended to add to the current body of knowledge by identifying the impact that job satisfaction factors in the construction industry. A correlational analysis as well as a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to reveal the relationships between job satisfaction and employee turnover intention. The findings of this study results revealed a moderate negative relationship between job satisfaction, both intrinsic and extrinsic and employee turnover intention. Additionally, the study found that by implementing developed retention strategies using factors of job satisfaction, organizational leadership can understand the drivers for employee retention, and increase overall job satisfaction, profitability, and productivity. The study limitations, implication, recommendations for practice and future research are also discussed in detail. Lastly, the study shows that the nature of the association between job satisfaction and employee turnover intention is significant to industrial psychological practices.</p><p>

<p> With many organizations facing the challenge of helping their employees prepare for change, it is important to identify the psychological constructs of employees that positively relate to their readiness for organizational change. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to assess the relationships between psychological capital and its four dimensions (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) and readiness for organizational change among behavioral health professionals in one behavioral health organization in the southwestern United States. The theoretical foundation of the study was provided by the psychological capital theory and the readiness for organizational change theory. The researcher collected primary data via online survey from a convenience sample of 101 behavioral health professionals using the CPC-12 and Readiness for Organizational Change Measure (ROCM) instruments. The results of the nonparametric Kendall&rsquo;s tau-b correlation analysis identified statistically significant positive low to medium level correlations of readiness for organizational change with self-efficacy (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .217, <i> p</i> = .003), hope (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .355, <i> p</i> &lt; .001), and resilience (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .236, <i>p</i> = .001). Additional analysis showed a significant correlation between the compound construct of psychological capital and readiness for organizational change (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .271, <i> p</i> &lt; .001). The findings of this study are important to behavioral health and organizational change leadership interested in increasing employee readiness for organizational change through interventions aimed at enhancing employee&rsquo;s psychological capital and providing for their psychological well-being.</p><p>

abstract: There are some factors that have been used to explain why the presence of a calling (i.e., “an approach to work that reflects the belief that one's career is a central part of a broader sense of purpose and meaning in life and is used to help others or advance the greater good in some fashion” (Duffy & Dik, 2013, p. 429) reduces work stress and its potential negative outcomes, such as absenteeism, job performance and productivity, work-related accidents and overall employee health. The effect of problem-focused coping, however, remains largely untested as a potential mediator in this relation. The present study was conducted to quantitatively test whether problem-focused coping would mediate the relation between having a calling to work and perceived work stress in zookeepers. Participants were recruited through an online survey. They responded to questionnaires regarding calling, problem-focused coping, and work stress. Using hierarchical regression analyses, it was found that problem-focused coping partially mediated the relation between presence of a calling and perceived work stress. Specifically, having the presence of a calling to work predicted greater problem-focused style of coping, which, in turn, led to lower perceived work stress. Future directions for research were discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2018

<p> Bullying has long been associated with school children. In recent years, however, more attention has been paid to the bullying that has reached beyond the playground and into the workforce. One population facing this problem is staff nurses. To date, no one has found an effective way to address workplace bullying in the healthcare field, nor have effective methods been found for retaining trained nurses affected by this problem. The focus of this dissertation was on understanding nurses&rsquo; lived experiences and how nurses decided to remain in their current working position despite these problems. Taking a phenomenological approach and using the conceptual framework of resilience, the study included telephone interviews of 2 pilot study participants and 12 main study participants. Recorded and transcribed participant responses to interview questions were coded thematically and analyzed. Three main themes emerged: stories of working with workplace bullying, challenges of the lived experiences of being bullied, and special techniques of nurses being bullied. Three subthemes also emerged: despair, love of being a nurse, and resilience. This study gave a voice to nurses affected by this problem, revealing special challenges they encounter and coping strategies they employ. Hospital administrators can use the findings of this study to create social change within nurses&rsquo; working environment by implementing policies that will keep their nurses safe and happily employed. Future research should focus on workplace bullying in the nursing field and how it affects patient safety.</p><p>

<p> Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing career fields, with the demand for qualified professionals growing at a rate 3.5 times faster than traditional information technology or computing-related jobs and 12 times faster than the overall job market. Women are largely underrepresented in the field, comprising a mere 11% of the global workforce. This qualitative study uses a modified grounded-theory methodology to explore factors influencing women&rsquo;s perceptions of the field of cybersecurity. Interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of how female college students perceive the existing gender gap and to identify motivators or barriers of entry to the field. This study resulted in the development of a substantive theory depicting the core concept of finding her way and how women take action by seeking to relate, seeking reassurance, and seeking return. Findings from this research will be used to inform efforts to attract, train, and retain future generations of women in the cybersecurity profession and to aid in meeting the growing workforce needs. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore the occupational stress on law enforcement officer relationships and if there is a positive or negative impact. Researchers suggest that law enforcement officers carry occupational stress and work- related behaviors home, which may cause negative impacts on their relationships. To accomplish this task a mixed method study examined occupational stress as perceived by law enforcement personnel assignments throughout the Tri-cities of Richmond Virginia to include the County of Henrico and the City of Richmond to determine the existence of stress experienced and relationships. There is not enough known about the difficulties officers experience in their relationships with their loved ones resulting from occupational stress and whether such factors have negative or positive impacts on their emotions and behaviors when at home. A qualitative method of research included one-on-one interviews with 15 full time active law enforcement officers from various ranks, genders, and assignments. Additionally, quantitative methods of research included the usage of Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-Op and PSQ-Org) to measure both operational and organizational stress, and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) to measure the influence on relationships of the officers. These surveys were administered to 89 full time active law enforcement officers from various ranks, genders, and assignments from the City of Richmond and the County of Henrico. </p><p> The conceptual themes endorsed by the law enforcement officers were (1) impact of occupational stress, (2) communication and stress (3) whether occupational stress is negative or positive, and (4) resources and support system for significant others. The differences in how the law enforcement officers perceived their stress and the implications on their relationships include (1) lack of resources for significant others, (2) officers finding ways to manage stress, (3) significant others finding ways to manage stress, (4) officer need to communicate with significant other, (5) providing informational and educational sessions for significant others (6) support system for significant others and family members and (7) department providing a support system of resources to manage stress for officers. </p><p> The results found suggest implications for law enforcement departments to implement several items to assist with officer occupational stress and their significant relationships. The results of the study described the need for programs, services and resources for officers and their significant others. This includes (1) orientation for officer significant others to assist with understand work schedules and work demands of officers, (2) provide counseling sessions and peer network groups for significant others, (3) provide appreciation and reward to officers that will create a positive work environment, (4) improving training programs to assist officers with physical, emotional and psychological stressors, and (5) intervention measures to assist officers to perform at their highest level and reduce a stressful home environment for their families reducing strain on relationships. </p><p> The law enforcement officers perceived that their departments should do more to assist their significant others in understanding their work demands. Additionally, officers explained the departments must do more to ensure that their significant understand what to do if the officer is experiencing occupational stress or a traumatic incident. The officers expressed that their occupational stress have both negative and positive implications in their significant relationships. The officers explained the importance of communication with their significant other as it relates to occupational stress and their relationships</p><p>

<p> Economic forecasts predict an unprecedented shortage of STEM workers in the United States. This study examined the vocational anticipatory socialization factors and classroom stratagems influencing middle school students&rsquo; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career development. Student attitudes towards STEM content areas and related career aspirations were measured. Parental, peer, media, out-of-school time activities and physical school environmental influences were examined along with teacher and school counselor capacities. The results showed middle schools were not actively engaging in STEM identity formation and career development practices nor were they providing out-of-school time STEM activities for their students. Parents, peers and the use of the online learning platform, Learning Blade did, however, have significant influences on students&rsquo; STEM career development.</p><p>

<p>The boundaries within our workplace continue to disappear and employees at all levels are impacted by the cultural and technological differences among generations. The gaps in values, beliefs, life experiences and attitudes are increasing. Leadership is essential in bridging these gaps to achieve top performance and operational excellence. There is no single strategy to provide support for developing leaders, each business must implement what works for them. Executive coaching, as an increasingly popular leader development strategy, seems to maximize employee engagement while fostering collaboration and teamwork. This exploratory research study explores how executive coaches are preparing leaders to succeed in managing the multigenerational workplace. Through a virtual interview process, the researcher explores the experiences, discussions and perceptions of 88 executive coaches about different generational cohorts, as it relates to leadership development and the workplace. Most of the coaches responding to the survey belong to the Baby Boomer generation (72%, n = 55), followed by Generation X (19%, n = 14) and Traditionalists (9%, n = 7). The respondents claim to have coached on average 105 individuals during the last five years. The vast majority of them hold an executive coaching credential (72%, n = 55). Through a rigorous textual analysis process five themes emerged from the data: (a) developmental assignments, (b) feedback processes, (c) formal programs, (d) self-development assignments, and (e) developmental relationship assignments. The information gathered provides a better understanding of these best practices as well as areas of opportunity in developing leaders in a multigenerational setting. These findings suggest that although executive coaches are aware of the need their clients have for being prepared to successfully lead a multigenerational workplace; executive coaches still need to develop ways to tailor their specific coaching approaches considering the growing impact of the multigenerational workplace phenomena. In addition, findings suggest the need for organizations to have a clear strategy for addressing the multigenerational workplace phenomena and that in doing so, they can start by implementing effective leader development programs.