The public sector is the largest employer that requires a background check. When African-American male ex-offenders return to their communities, they are often unable to find work in local government because of their criminal record. The central research question for this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African-American male ex-offenders regarding their employability in the local government sector. Guided by Sampson and Laub's life course perspective theory, a purposeful sample of 5 African-American male ex-offenders who applied for work or who currently work for local government entities in the state of Georgia was selected for this study. A three-interview approach was employed to include life history, details of experience, and reflection on the meaning of experiences. The Van Kaam method of analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Eleven central themes emerged that included the importance of employment, limited knowledge of employment, background and hiring process, stigma of a criminal record, lack of available resources, attitudes and biases of hiring managers, good support system, and limited opportunity for a second chance. It is recommended that local government agency officials use positions classified as 'hard to fill' as training opportunities in an apprenticeship program to help ex-offenders learn new skills to help them secure employment. The findings and recommendations have implications for positive social change in local government agencies. Local government entities may modify organizational policy and practices including recruitment strategies that eliminate discrimination against African-American ex-offenders to help improve their quality of life and become contributing citizens within the community.

The problem addressed in the study was that Georgia's economic development leadership faced obstacles that challenged the state's growth in attracting new business and developing existing business. The purpose of this case study was to explore the obstacles encountered by a specific agency to attract businesses to generate economic growth. Accessing obstacles that hinder leaders to promote the state of Georgia growth is pertinent, including exploring where the system may be constrained. The theory of constraints guided this study to investigate what obstacles state leaders face in economic development. An embedded case study was conducted using purposeful sampling to select 11 participants for interviews, including managers, directors, and a deputy commissioner from a state agency in Atlanta with significant experience in attracting and maintaining businesses for growth. Inductive coding using Attride-Stirling, Braun and Clark's 6-step approach resulted in 4 themes. Themes that emerged as findings were: low quality education, time delays deterred corporations to locate to Georgia, perception of limited public transportation and affiliated crime, and infrastructure and accessibility dilemmas. The implications for positive social change included needed improvements to education, elimination of traffic barriers, expansion of public transportation, and development of infrastructure to benefit and enhance a better life for Georgia residents.

Nigerian women have become more integrated into the workforce, but this integration has led to conflicts between work and family responsibilities. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Nigerian women regarding challenges and strategies in management and leadership positions in relation to their domestic lives and responsibilities. Liberal and social feminist theory and gendered leadership theory were used as the conceptual framework of the study. The findings of this study came from data obtained from semistructured interviews with 15 Nigerian women in leadership and management positions regarding their perceptions and lived experiences of balancing work and family responsibilities. The data analysis consisted of using a modified Van Kaam process, which resulted in 7 themes including multiple roles make balance difficult, supportive husband as a key to balance, and the role of God in supporting and guiding the women. The findings of this study could contribute to positive social change by providing necessary information regarding how Nigerian women perceive their roles in management and leadership positions as they grapple with the challenges of pursuing a career and maintaining their families, leading to more informed organizations and policymakers. This study includes findings about how women perform and are evaluated as managers, which could eventually influence hiring practices by highlighting the barriers and strategies to overcome them as experienced by Nigerian women in management positions.

Employee turnover continues to be an issue in federal organizations, including the Social Security Administration (SSA). While issues such as retiring baby boomers and budget constraints are beyond the control of any agency, retaining employees is critical to maintain essential services. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore SSA employee's lived experiences of job satisfaction and employee turnover to uncover motivators and satisfaction strategies. The conceptual framework for the study was based on Maslow's human needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory. Data were collected from 20 SSA frontline employees using 6 open-ended interview questions. The data were analyzed using a modification of van Kaam's method of analysis of phenomenological data and NVivo 11 Pro. Study results revealed that time, stress, pay and benefits, public service, and interoffice relationships were the prime intrinsic and extrinsic factors participants perceived as directly related to their job satisfaction. They highly valued job enrichment programs, cohesive teams, and pay and benefits, which override daily stressors inherent to the public demands strategies for the agency. Conducting the study in depressed socioeconomic areas might also provide significant insights, particularly since stress and workload were essential dissatisfiers. SSA provides critical services to many vulnerable groups. Strategies that employees perceive as motivating enhance the quality of services and benefits to eligible American citizens, many of whom rely on these services for quality of life, thereby reducing the burden of local communities to support these individuals if SSA services fail.

Voluntary employee turnover in the fast-food industry is 50%. Employee turnover costs fast-food restaurants $10 billion annually. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the strategies of 5 fast-food restaurant managers in the Midwestern United States who achieved higher employee retention than did peers in their districts. The conceptual framework was the 8 motivational forces of voluntary employee turnover. Data were collected via semistructured, face-to-face interviews, recruiting materials, retention activities, policy manuals, and overall voluntary termination reports. Data were compiled, disassembled into groups, reassembled into patterns and themes, and interpreted for conclusions, revealing 3 themes that influenced the managers' employee retention: organizational support, communication, and employee training. These findings suggest that proactively developing a culture of support, implementing communication and feedback channels for employees, and maintaining a training and development program can improve employee retention. Findings might contribute to social change by helping managers develop strategies for improving employee retention, and in turn, financial performance. Employees of fast-food restaurants could benefit from improved retention and financial performance, as they could contribute to new employment opportunities and increased career longevity. Society could benefit from expanded aggregate employment and tax revenue.

Turnover rate is a benchmark economic measure and affects the customer service and profitability of organizations. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between general managers' emotional intelligence (EI), operations evaluation scores (OE), and employee turnover rates at Brand X quick service restaurant (QSR) companies using Salovey and Mayer's theoretical framework of EI. Data were collected from a sample of 69 QSR general managers, with at least 6 months of experience, in the Southeastern United States using the EQ-i 2.0 self-assessment instrument. The mean employee turnover rate for the sample (M = 161%), was 157% greater than the 2013 average restaurant and accommodation turnover rate and 281.5% greater than the average overall private sector turnover rate for 2013. None of relationships between the predictor variables and the dependent variable in the multiple regression analysis model were statistically significant, at the p -?¤ .05 level. There was no significant relationship between manager's EI, OE scores and employee turnover rates. As a result, HR managers can redirect resources to finding alternate solutions for improving other components of employees' work environment for the subject population. By identifying QSR as one area of elevated employee turnover rate, the results of the study can serve as the basis for catalyzing research and developing findings for identifying alternate solutions to improve employees' health and reduce QSRs employees' work-related stress.

Despite the positive changes occurring regarding American attitudes toward members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, empirical evidence indicates that LGBT individuals do not believe inclusive environments exist, as 48% of the population remains closeted at work. A gap exists in the literature relating to the formulation of practical solutions that establish and sustain inclusive environments. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the possible influence of cultural lag on the workplace engagement of LGBT employees. Ogburn's cultural lag theory served as the conceptual framework. The following research questions guided the study: (a) The impact that antidiscrimination, social, legal, and organizational changes have had on LGBT employees, (b) the effect of cultural lag on the career paths of LGBT employees, and (c) best practices for implementing strategies that create and maintain inclusive environments for the advancement of LGBT employees. Purposeful snowball sampling led to the selection of individuals who were open about their sexual orientation in the workplace. Twenty-seven participants came from various industries within the Northeastern, Midwestern, Northwestern, and Western regions of the United States. Data were obtained from open-ended interviews and were coded to find themes and subthemes. The results indicated that generalizations can occur across geographical locations or work environments and identified emergent themes for recommended best practices and strategies for organizations. Implications for positive social change include a greater understanding of, and support for establishing and maintaining inclusive environments for LGBT employees.

The increasing prevalence of work-life issues in the manufacturing industry is a problem to manufacturing employees in numerous ways. The problem addressed in this study was the relationship between organizational support and work-life quality among employees of a large manufacturing organization located in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the provision of formal and informal organizational support and employees' work-life quality. Ecological system theory, role theory, and social exchange theory informed the theoretical framework of the study. The focus of the research questions was the extent of the relationship between the provision of formal and informal organizational support and employees' work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. The study involved multiple linear regression to analyze data collected through an online survey from 74 randomly selected manufacturing employees. A statistically significant correlation was found between the provision of formal organizational support and job satisfaction and turnover intention, but not with work-family conflict. Informal supports were not statistically significant for predicting work-family conflict, but they were statistically significant for predicting job satisfaction and workplace turnover rates. Social change implications include organizational leaders using the results to identify and implement organizational supports that can improve employees' job satisfaction, increase organizational commitment, reduce work-family conflicts, lower job stress, and decrease turnover intention.

Military veterans face various challenges during their transition into the civilian workforce, including mental health problems. Veterans experience challenges like emotional trauma and physical distress while transitioning into the civilian workforce. The challenges result from the nature of the civilian work. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the challenges among veterans in California and Michigan while transitioning into the civilian life. The study participants included 30 veterans from California and Michigan who had retired and those who were expecting to retire from the military within six months at the time of conducting the study. Schoenberg's 4S transition theory was used as a conceptual framework. Data, collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to develop themes for each research question. The findings indicated that transition challenges were related to emotional trauma and physical distress. Themes identified in relation to coping strategies that veterans can use to cope with the transition challenges include physical exercise, social interaction/open communication, and mutual support. The results of this study have significant social change implications. Leaders in the military and civilian workforce, government, and future military veterans could benefit from the findings by understanding the traditional challenges faced while transitioning into the civilian workforce. The study's findings could benefit policymakers and senior leaders in developing and implementing strategies that ensure smooth transition by military veterans into the civilian workforce.

The general problem is that while technical engineering firms today require entry-level, full-time engineers to possess leadership skills, companies have failed to indicate which leadership competencies are most important in their recruitment and hiring process. This study's contributions could have implications for the long-term career prospects of engineers as well as the future outlook and sustainability of engineering companies. The specific problem is that various disciplines in the engineering profession, such as the construction sector, have yet to clearly define which leadership competencies are most important for the job market in their specific areas. Advancements in this regard are important for both entry-level engineers and engineering companies given the strong competition in local and international markets. The purpose of this qualitative study using a multiple case study design was to explore the views of managers in the construction industry on leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers. The study was framed by three concepts of engineering leadership. The research question was: How do the perceptions of managers in the construction industry establish a basis of leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers? Applying the knowledge gained from this inquiry has the potential for positive social impact by driving reforms in educational curricula and professional settings and with industry leaders to further the personal development of early-stage civil engineers, supporting their career success and the success of their companies.