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<p> Breast cancer survivors represent the largest proportion of cancer survivors, and the rate of young breast cancer survivors who are diagnosed before the age of 40 is increasing. Cancer survivorship has begun to address many aspects of survivors' quality of life, yet the role of work and career issues have been understudied. To explore the work lives and career development of young breast cancer survivors, this study consisted of qualitative interviews with 13 young women who were diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40. Participants also completed the Quality of Life-Cancer Survivors (QOL-CS) Breast Cancer Version (Ferrell, Dow, &amp; Grant, 1995). The qualitative data was analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research Methodology (Hill et al., 2005; Hill, Thompson, &amp; Williams, 1997). The 11 domains that emerged from the data were: (1) discovery of breast cancer and the navigation of treatment; (2) career development: influences and sacrifices; (3) cancer-related work challenges; (4) coping with cancer-related work challenges; (5) re-appraisal of career development after cancer; (6) components of career and life satisfaction after cancer; (7) impact of breast cancer on life outside of work; (8) lessons learned from breast cancer; (9) thoughts about the future; (10) advice for other survivors; and (11) participants' feelings about participating. Overarching themes of re-appraisal and meaning-making appeared across the domains. The experience of breast cancer before the age of 40 intensified most participants' need for purpose in life. Many sought work that provided a sense of meaning, yet their need for financial security and insurance prevented some of them from having the freedom to make that sense of meaning the primary focus of their career or from redirecting their career paths to one that better expressed their re-appraised life meaning. Findings are integrated with literature on women's career development, Career Construction Theory (Savickas, 2002, 2005), and Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, &amp; Hackett, 1994, 2000, 2002) and implications for research and practice are discussed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative descriptive correlational research study using the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) survey instrument was to examine to what extent a relationship exists between a project leader&rsquo;s emotional intelligence (EI) and project success (Hay Group, McClelland Center for Research and Innovation &amp; Wolff, 2006). Literature reviewed found a gap existed regarding relationships between emotional intelligence of a project leader and project success. The survey sample consisted of project managers, project leaders, or other project management designation. The survey sample contained 60 respondents self-identified within the project management profession and others providing multi-rater reviews of survey participants. The study, using the ECI, Spearman&rsquo;s correlation, chi-square statistical analysis, and other descriptive statistics was to examine relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Results suggested no correlation between emotional intelligence of project leaders and project success but do suggest emotional intelligence is a factor to consider within project leadership.</p>

<p> Emerging research has shown that, in the last twenty years, dramatic corporate and workforce changes have taken place in terms of when and where work is performed. Telework has emerged as a popular mode of work design, characteristic of a modernizing workforce. As a flexible work arrangement, telework options have been linked with improved work-life balance, feelings of autonomy, and intrinsic satisfaction for employees. However, concerns for employees' lack of presence and distance from the office and how individuals remain connected to the organization and its members continue to surface. More particularly, increasing time being physically away from the organization can impact employees' feelings of becoming invisible, isolated, and less able to identify with the organization. This is noteworthy because a sense of connectedness and feelings of belonging at work have been linked to engagement, productivity, and performance. To date, however, no studies have focused on what happens to individuals' sense of belonging when they engage in high-intensity telework, consistently working from home more than sixty percent of the time. The purpose of this phenomenological study, then, was to describe and understand the essence of the high-intensity teleworkers' experience of organizational belonging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten individuals who were employed in full-time roles across different organizations, who worked from home at least three days a week, and had been doing so for at least six months. The findings reveal especially unique and important perspectives on the employee-supervisor relationship, how high-intensity teleworkers engage from a distance, and how a sense of belonging is realized. Notions of identity fulfillment surface as central to how organizational belonging is experienced by high-intensity teleworkers. An identity-based definition of organizational belonging is also offered. Recommendations for further research and practical suggestions for organizations employing high-intensity teleworkers are highlighted. </p>

<p> This qualitative grounded theory study sought to identify what motivates women to stay in or return to science, technology, engineering, and math professions (STEM) long-term, leading to a motivation model. Twenty women, each having a minimum of 10 years of experience in STEM professions, participated in the study. Four of the 20 participants had a career path where they left the STEM workplace for more than 26 weeks and then returned. The results of this study suggested that there may be five themes related to motivating factors for women who stay in STEM professions long term: a) interest in STEM is the constant as individual needs and priorities change, b) direct manager influence on development is critical c) performance-based workplace policies and culture are continuously sought, d) moving towards a no-bias workplace remains important, and e) the career growth path at life's crossroads remains a challenge. While this study's results suggested that some bias does still exist in the STEM workplace, as previously documented. The results suggested that an equitable workplace does not yet exist regarding career growth opportunities. As career growth is one of the motivating factors for women in STEM and environments for career growth opportunities vary in the workplace, this study's results also suggested that career growth opportunities continue to be a barrier for women in STEM.</p>

<p> This study explored authentic leadership behaviors to determine if the behaviors would relate to follower satisfaction with supervisor, overall job satisfaction and the intent to quit and in age groups of 20-24, 25-34 and 35 and over and predict the same relationships in age groups of 20-24 and 25-34. The intent was to determine if authentic leaders could positively affect the intent to quit in younger workers that in turn may attenuate turnover. This non-experimental quantitative study significantly supported the relationship to and the prediction between authentic leadership behaviors, follower satisfaction with supervisor, overall job satisfaction and a lower intent to quit. Age groups did not significantly moderate the relationships. This study demonstrated that authentic leaders significantly related to and predicted follower satisfaction with supervisor, overall job satisfaction and the intent to quit with all age groups, suggesting that authentic leaders may attenuate turnover, including younger workers.</p>

<p> In order to remain effective in an increasingly digital workplace, many organizations have shifted towards the automatic and electronic collection of employee performance data. For example, employees completing computer-based training may be monitored to collect objective performance information for either developmental or administrative purposes. Though this allows for more objective employee feedback and evaluation, little remains known about the effect of pervasive electronic monitoring on key self-regulatory processes which underlie learning. This study was designed with this gap in mind and explores the relationship between electronic monitoring type (developmental or administrative), goals, and feedback perceptions, feedback usage, and learning. In order to understand this relationship, the current study extends classical theories of performance management and self-regulation to supplement emerging research on electronic monitoring. Results of this experiment suggest that monitoring purpose does not have a strong impact on state goals. Monitoring purpose, however, may affect feedback perceptions. Using the results of this study, evidence-based recommendations can be made for the theoretical understanding and practical of monitored training.</p>

<p> Several demographers and scholars have dubbed the baby boomers&rsquo; transition to retirement as the <i>graying society</i>. Therefore, and recognizing its importance, the main objectives of this study were to learn about the transition to retirement process and its related meanings for baby boomers in the public sector. Using a mixed methodology, 382 retirees shared their perceptions on the subjects via questionnaire and 6 via interviews. This study concluded with a validation of previous authors on the importance of being prepared prior to retirement especially in the case of those with disability retirement.</p>

<p> Job performance aids (JPAs) have been studied for many decades in a variety of disciplines and for many different types of tasks, yet this is the first known research experiment using JPAs in a quality assurance (QA) context. The objective of this thesis was to assess whether a JPA has an effect on the performance of a QA observer performing the concurrent dual verification technique for a basic assembly task. The JPA used in this study was a simple checklist, and the design borrows heavily from prior research on task analysis and other human factors principles. The assembly task and QA construct of concurrent dual verification are consistent with those of a high consequence manufacturing environment. Results showed that the JPA had only a limited effect on QA performance in the context of this experiment. However, there were three important and unexpected findings that may draw interest from a variety of practitioners. First, a novel testing methodology sensitive enough to measure the effects of a JPA on performance was created. Second, the discovery that there are different probabilities of detection for different types of error in a QA context may be the most far-reaching results. Third, these results highlight the limitations of concurrent dual verification as a control against defects. It is hoped that both the methodology and results of this study are an effective baseline from which to launch future research activities.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine women's career journeys and how these journeys vary by generational cohort. Sixteen women wage-earners were interviewed to examine women's career journeys and how these journeys vary by generation. Specifically, the internal and external barriers to and facilitators of women's career advancement, success and fulfillment were examined. The women reported five influencers on their career choices: mentors or role models, work-life balance considerations, passions and interests, financial needs, and hostile work environments. The process of career planning and exploration the women described was consistent across the generations and included a period of exploration, failure of their initial plans leading to continued exploration or limbo, and their avocations and careers ultimately seeming to unfold naturally.</p>