<p> The unemployment rate for people with developmental disabilities is almost 7 times higher than the current national unemployment statistics. Research indicates that the majority of those with developmental disabilities do wish to work and moreover, have many skills and talents that organizations can benefit from. This paper aims to use common industrial and organizational psychological measures in a unique population--developmentally disabled adults. Specifically, the present study examines the job satisfaction, affective commitment, and turnover intentions of adults with developmental disabilities from the Harbor Regional Center and Regional Center of Orange in Southern California. This is the first research h that examines affective feelings about employment in the developmentally disabled population in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Results from the study show that adults with developmental disabilities had higher than expected job satisfaction and affective commitment towards their job. They also had lower turnover intentions than expected.</p>

<p> Workplace bullying is a global problem that leaves workers emotionally harmed and organizations financially strapped; yet in many cases, business leaders fail to adequately address the problem. The purpose of this research was to determine if the top leader had a direct impact on the presence of bullying within the workplace. Based on personality trait theory as a theoretical foundation, the key issue this study explored was the relationship between the presence of workplace bullying and observed narcissistic behaviors exhibited by the top leader. Participants consisted of 84 human resources professionals reporting directly to the CEO/president of companies located in the United States. Observer-rated assessments were used to measure the leader's observed narcissistic behaviors along with the prevalence of bullying within the workplace. Logistic regression and Pearson correlation were used to analyze assessment data. Results revealed a strong and positive relationship between top leaders' observed narcissistic behaviors and the presence of bullying within the organization. These results suggest the top leader may not only directly impact the presence of workplace bullying, but may actually create the problem. This study contributes to social change by providing support for the need to use personality assessments when hiring or promoting top leaders. By identifying those who contribute to the sustainability of bullying, these individuals can be excluded from the selection process and workplace bullying will therefore be minimized, improving the well-being of employees and the financial performance of organizations, world-wide.</p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to explore whether training and clinical supervision were predictive of compassion fatigue when controlling for burnout and personal history of trauma. The study used quantitative methodology to analyze the relationships among the predictor variables training, clinical supervision, burnout, and personal history of trauma and the criterion variable, compassion fatigue as measured by compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress. The sample was 217 mental health care providers serving traumatized persons in Washington State, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Maryland. Participants completed the ProQol and endorsed one of three levels of training (no trauma-specific training, some trauma-specific training or trauma certificate training), whether or not they receive clinical supervision, and whether or not they have a personal history of trauma. Sequential multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess whether the predictor variables predicted compassion fatigue. A multiple regression with interaction terms was performed to assess whether clinical supervision moderated the association between training and compassion satisfaction. The results show that, burnout was the best predictor of both secondary traumatic stress (<i>t</i>(215) = 13.60, <i> p</i> &lt; .001) and compassion satisfaction (<i>t</i>(215) = -15.51, <i>p</i> &lt; .001). Neither training nor clinical supervision were significant predictors of secondary traumatic stress when controlling for burnout and personal history of trauma. Training was a significant predictor of compassion satisfaction. However, clinical supervision was not a unique predictor of compassion satisfaction. None of the interaction terms were significant predictors of either secondary traumatic stress or compassion satisfaction. </p>

<p> Most companies lack the ability to implement organizational change; over 70% of Organization Change Initiatives (OCIs) fail. This inability has negative economic and survival implications for companies. OCIs must be effective and rapid to match the high pace of change in the business environment. Transformational leadership (TL) has been linked to successful OCIs through its positive influence on employee commitment and reduced resistance to change, yet little research has been done to identify its association with OCI implementation speed. This study tested TL and change theory and their association with change implementation. It sought to determine if a relationship exists between TL behavior and OCI implementation time. Archival survey and change data from 98 domestic and international manufacturing plants were used to examine relationships between employees' perceptions of leadership communication and trustworthiness and the speed of change. Hierarchical linear regression was used to determine if these behaviors could predict the change speed of an OCI. The study confirmed the association between effective leadership communication and employee trust in leadership, but it found no significant relationship between TL behavior and the speed of change. This finding is inconsistent with the majority of TL literature; however, companies may still benefit from exploring the potential of the study's theoretical concepts to help them improve the speed of organizational change. The limitations of the study were also noted as a potential contributor to the lack of significant findings, and recommendations are offered to reduce validity risk for similar studies in the future.</p>

The main purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the energy commitments of two groups of subjects. The two groups were Traumatically Physically Disabled Sheltered Workshop Employees and Non-Disabled Industrial Employees. The second purpose was to determine the change in the energy commitments of the subjects over an intervening period of time. Thirdly, the study was concerned with the extension and utility of the theoretical foundation of the study.The theoretical framework chosen for the investigation was Energy Commitment Theory developed by Hollis and Hollis. The theory was broad and encompassing and provided the vehicle for a. comparative analysis of energy commitments, Energy commitment was defined as the consigning of the individual's personal energies and connotes a promise of energy expenditure so as to be directed toward facilitating action in a projected manner. Each energy commitment was seen as possessing three dimensions--direction, thrust, and flexibility. The dimension of direction was subdivided into three categories--people, objects, and ideas. The dimension of thrust was subdivided into the categories of priority, force, and amount.The design of the investigation was planned to have sixty hypotheses originating from four major stem statements. In the first major stem statement the two groups were compared at the time of the first Structured Interview. In the second stem statement the two groups were compared at the time of the second interview. The third and the fourth stem statements were concerned with the comparison over time of the disabled group and the industrial group respectively.Subjects for the two groups were selected by predetermined criteria. Criteria common to both groups included age, sex, education, and marital status. In addition, specific criteria were detailed for each group. For the disabled group, subjects were required to fit certain specifications regarding type of disability, time since onset of disability, and length of employment. The industrial group subjects had to meet criteria regarding type of job, and length of employment on the job.Prior to the major study, a pilot study was conducted. The major focus of the pilot study was the improvement of the Structured Interview Guides and Interview Rating Sheets. These farms were designed specifically from Energy Commitment Theory. In the major study, each subject was interviewed by one interviewer who tape recorded the structured interview. The interviews were later reviewed and classified as to each direction by a group of trained raters.By a comparison of the rating sheets prepared by the interviewer and the raters, it was shown that the interview and classifications on the rating sheets provided a consistent means of obtaining each subject's energy commitments.From the analysis of the data, it was found the disabled group had qualitatively different energy commitments from the industrial group. Further, the industrial group's energy commitments remained stable during the two months between the two interviews. The disabled group did change and did tend to become more like the industrial group during the two month period.Specifically from the data of this investigation, it was concluded the disabled individuals were more idea oriented while the industrial group was more committed toward objects. The two groups were essentially the same regarding commitments to people. For priority the two groups viewed their commitments to people most important, but the two groups differed in priority toward objects and ideas. From other data, it was found the disabled group perceived their commitments, regardless of whether toward people, objects, or ideas, as requiring more force than the industrial group. The data for amount were that the disabled group gave greater amounts (a ranking) of energy toward people and ideas while the industrial group gave more energy toward objects. Further, the disabled subjects were less flexible than the industrial group.

<p>The purpose of this research was to explore the subjective lived experiences of women leaders to understand how they experience courage. Women remain disproportionately represented in leadership roles within most areas of organizations and society. Researchers indicate that women ideally rise to successful leadership roles once they have served, or possess the potential to serve, in leadership. Additionally, previous narrative research suggests a rather significant interrelationship between women who have more frequently advanced past barriers into leadership roles and their remarkable attribute of courage. A heuristic phenomenological approach was used to collect and analyze the described lived experiences of eight courageous women leaders. The themes from the study reveal that women who experience courageous leadership (a) inhabit their authentic voices; (b) experience moral courage; and (c) experience vulnerability. Additional insights provided by the co-researchers in this study revealed some individual distinctions necessary for strong, courageous leadership; these included a strong sense of personal agency, an inner need to express autonomous identity and convictions, and the ability to build connections to followers for collaborative results. Unanimously, the women in this study reported that their experiences with courageous leadership had transformative effects on themselves and within their environment. Further research related to specific evidenced-based coaching interventions are recommended to explore how women grow toward courageous leadership. These outcomes related to authentic, morally courageous, and yet vulnerable leadership may help to establish a new paradigm for how power and leadership can be experienced in a new century for both courageous men and women. </p>

<p> Researchers have found that minorities suffering from traumatic stress report increased levels of stress in the absence of supportive and committed work environments; however, a paucity of empirical research exists for First Nations Peoples (FNP). The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the nature of the relationship between FNP's associated symptoms of historical loss, assessed by the Historical Loss and Associated Symptoms Scale, and organizational commitment, as measured by the Three Component Employee Commitment Survey. A total of 118 residential school survivors completed surveys. Correlation analysis was used to determine the significance of historical loss in relation to organizational commitment among survivors. Results showed an inverse relationship between affective commitment and associated symptoms of historical loss and between continuance commitment and associated symptoms. No statistically significant correlation was found between normative commitment and historical loss or associated symptoms. Findings can help inform targeted engagement, recruitment, and retention initiatives designed to accommodate FNP perspectives and experiences into organizational culture and systems. Implications for positive social change include better understanding of factors impacting career progression among FNP, such as organizational commitment. Results may also inform culturally safe interventions that help FNP to be successful.</p>

<p> Workplace bullying has affected almost half (47%) of American working adults corresponding to approximately 71.5 million workers who either experienced bullying directly or witnessed it. This resulted in an alarming turnover of 21 to 28 million workers. This qualitative historical study explored, identified, and documented through historical records and documents, the patterns and trends of workplace bullying in organizations, characteristics and types of bullies, and types of mistreatment workplace bullies direct toward intended targets over the past 30 years. The data analysis yielded eight major themes of bullying styles and traits. These consisted of the four bully styles reinforced from the literature review of the snake, gatekeeper, screamer, and nitpicker. Additionally, the three new bully styles of the tyrant, joker, and discriminator, and one outlier bully style of the reverse bully. Themes of leadership skills associated with reducing or eliminating workplace bullying were also identified and analyzed. These themes coincided with the successful leadership traits and attributes of ethical leadership, social responsibility, and encouraging the heart, which led to the development of the GUARDIAN model. The GUARDIAN model presented recommendations to leaders of organization that would limit or prevent workplace bullying, which would provide significant financial savings for organizations because of less human resource issues.</p>

<p> The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has experienced decreased return on investment caused by hiring too many air traffic controller specialists (ATCSs) who performed poorly in field training, thus failing to become certified professional controllers (CPCs). Based on Schmidt and Hunter's theory of job performance and biodata theory, this quantitative, archival study examined whether factors of cognitive ability and biodata could predict job performance status of 2 generations of ATCSs, poststrike (PS) and next generation (NG) controllers. For each generation of controllers, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if any of the independent variables&mdash;transmuted composite (TMC) score for PS controllers, Air Traffic and Selection and Training (AT-SAT) test score for NG controllers, average of high school arithmetic/math letter grade, overall high school average letter grade, self-estimation of time to become fully effective in the ATCS role, self-estimation of percentile ranking in the FAA program relative to the class, size of neighborhood raised, or socioeconomic status&mdash;are significant predictors of job performance status for controllers as measured by whether they pass the field OJT (i.e., certified or still in training, or failed certification or left training). The regression results for the PS and NG controllers were found to be statistically significant (&chi;² (23) = 68.377, p &lt; .001) and (&chi;² (17) = 99.496, p &lt; .001), respectively. Findings that overall high school grade point average and socioeconomic status significantly predicted ATCS job performance for both PS and NG controllers could influence the FAA's use of revised biodata to better predict ATCS job performance. Further research should include studies of socioeconomic status, gender, and race to address new evidence that the AT-SAT has adverse impact.</p>

<p> We are facing an unprecedented level of interconnectedness that has engendered a level of complexity that defies our historical reasoning capacity. Building off of the literature on sensemaking, this action research study proposed and investigated a new concept in leadership to respond to the growing complexity: sensecrafting. Sensecrafting refers to deliberate, collective sensemaking, while sensemaking refers to "how [people] construct what they construct, why, and with what effects . . . " (Weick, 1995, p. 4). The study answered the research question: How can individuals develop their capacity for sensecrafting in order to cultivate a more generative relationship with the organizations to which they belong? Employing Herda's hermeneutic participatory research, the study consisted of three, 1-hour conversations with six research participants which were recorded via Skype and transcribed. The purpose of the study was to see how participants employed nine traits of sensecrafting (learning, tolerating ambiguity, discernment, openness, framing, mindfulness, envisioning, action and reflection) in the workplace. Additionally, the study investigated how participants worked with stories to create a generative working environment. In the study, participants worked with a set of 18 cards that presented techniques for enhancing their sensecrafting skills. A thematic analysis of the study found that participants made frequent use of the sensecrafting traits at a personal level, and less frequent use of the traits at a collective level. The findings suggest that participants' possessed a high degree of potential to further develop their skills. Participants' exhibition of the sensecrafting traits generated value both for the individuals in the study and for their organizations. Benefits that accrued to individuals included improved relationships with key personnel and insights into how to cope with changes in the workplace. Implications from the study included the observation that a useful way to work with the sensecrafting traits would be through an instrument that measures participants on each of the dimensions of sensecrafting and that provides feedback to individuals about how they can capitalize on strengths and develop areas of opportunity.</p>