Information technology professionals effectively manage complex, tactical processes and procedures for internal and external customers. At the time of this study there was a gap in the literature regarding the effects of emotional intelligence on information technology professionals. An organization's internal and external customers may become dissatisfied with the information technology professionals because of their communication style lacking an increased level of emotional intelligence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to research the effects of increased emotional intelligence by surveying 315 information technology professionals. Data were collected using 3 electronic surveys including a general questionnaire to collect demographic data, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and the EQ-i. 2.0 questionnaire to capture the relationships between leadership styles (transformational, transactional and Laissez-Faire) of information technology professionals and gender, race, or levels of emotional intelligence. Using descriptive, multiple regression, and independent-samples t tests, the results indicated there were no statistically significant difference in levels of emotional intelligence with transformational (.615) and transactional (.068) leadership where p < .005. There was a statistically significant difference with Laissez-Faire leadership results of .004 (p < .005). The study findings indicated that the variables investigated provided only predictive value with the Laissez-Faire leadership style of information technology professionals. This study contributes towards positive social change within the information technology community by supporting the value of emotional intelligence, regardless of leadership styles.

Despite regulatory guidelines, unreliable financial reporting exists in organizations, creating undue financial risk-harm for their stakeholders. Normal accident theory (NAT) identifies factors in highly complex integrated systems that can have unexpected, undetected, and uncorrected system failures. High-reliability organization (HRO) theory constructs promote reliability in complex, integrated systems prone to NAT factors. Enterprise risk management (ERM) integrates NAT factors and HRO constructs under a holistic framework to achieve organizational goals and mitigate the potential for stakeholder risk-harm. Literature on how HRO constructs promote ERM in responsible integrated financial systems has been limited. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to use HRO constructs to identify and define the psychological factors involved in the effective ERM of responsible organizational financial reporting. Standardized, open-ended interviews were used to collect inductive data from a purposeful sample of 13 reporting agents stratifying different positions in organizations that have maintained consistent operational success while attenuating stakeholder risk-harm. The data were interpreted via transcription, and subsequent iterative open, axial, and narrative coding. Results showed that elements of culture and leadership found in the HRO construct of disaster foresightedness and mitigation fostered an internal environment of successful enterprise reporting risk management to ethically achieve organizational goals and abate third-party stakeholder risk-harm. The findings will contribute to positive social change by suggesting an approach for organizations to optimize strategic objectives while minimizing stakeholders' financial risk-harm.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences among special education enrollments for specific learning disabilities (SLD) and other disabilities within districts using school-wide response to intervention (RTI). Differences between rural and suburban school districts during the phases of the insufficient criterion rollout for SLD identification were explored as were environmental factors' impact on RTI implementation. Systems theory framed how concerns in rural districts impact the ability to use RTI data for special education enrollment. The research questions examined prevalence rates of SLD and other disabilities, compared RTI implementation fidelity in rural and suburban districts, and explored environmental factors' impact on RTI fidelity. A repeated measures ANOVA, a series of ANOVAs, and a multiple regression analysis were used with archival data (274 cases) to examine the relationships between the variables. Results indicated rural schools are increasing identification of students with other disabilities and decreasing identification of students with SLDs. Compared with suburban schools, rural schools' SLD rates are not declining as quickly, while other disabilities increased to rates similar to that found in suburban settings. There were no significant differences between rural and suburban districts in RTI implementation fidelity; however, overall staff salary appears to impact RTI fidelity rates, especially in rural districts. Further research is needed to explore changes in special education enrollment practices and environmental factor's role in these changes. This study provides groundwork for positive social change by recognizing differences between school districts in identifying disability areas and obtaining necessary resources to implement new educational initiatives.

A mental health practitioner must refrain from partaking in any mental health work if personal problems interfere with his or her ability to provide services in a competent manner. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mental health practitioners manage personal problems to stay ethically compliant. Previous research has indicated that a significant amount of literature has revealed the causes and damaging effects of burnout among mental health workers. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature that links burnout directly with competently providing quality care. Ethical compliance, self-care, and mental health practitioners' perceptions were explored to answer research questions that were centered around the lived experiences of mental health workers. Guided by these research questions, semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 8 current mental health practitioners who practice in a southern U.S. state. The data were analyzed according to interpretive phenomenological analysis procedures. Themes that were extrapolated are (a) building inner self-care rapport, (b) establishing healthy mental health practitioner and client relationships, and (c) personal and professional balance. Findings from this study, in addition to existing literature on mental health practitioner's self-care and ethical requirements, indicated that mental health practitioners' perceptions assist in their ability to maintain ethical compliance. This would be an important contribution to the existing literature and would enhance social change initiatives by explaining the importance of more self-care training for mental health practitioners and the facilities that employ them.

The bidirectional link between insufficient sleep and the distress related to a parasomnia known as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) might lead to chronic health effects. The impact of fear-ridden hallucinations related to this REM sleep disorder can be both distressful and embarrassing for individuals often resulting in a reticence to seek help. This quantitative study was guided by a biopsychosocial approach with an integrated theoretical framework. One aim of the study was to determine if fear parameters of ISP (low and high) differ when considering psychosocial factors and sleep quality, based on the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes About Sleep Scale, the Social Phobia Inventory, the Locus of Control (LOC) subscales, and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Inventory. Predictive associations between psychosocial factors and subjective sleep quality (SSQ) were also investigated. Retrospective online data from a sample of 159 participants ages 18 and over were analyzed via MANOVA, multiple regression, and independent samples t-tests. Findings from the MANOVA were significant and showed that participants who experience ISP with more fear scored higher on two measures, external other LOC and social phobia. The MANOVA regarding differences in SSQ in relation to psychosocial variables were not significant, and independent sample t-tests did not differentiate fear parameters for DBAS and SSQ (poor sleep was found for both parameters). Providers of therapeutic treatments should take factors of social phobia and external other LOC into account with regards to poor sleep quality for those distressed by ISP. Sleep quality assessments might benefit those who are afraid to disclose about ISP sleep distress, as long term poor sleep can place some at risk for negative health outcomes.

The impacts of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are far reaching, resulting in many burdens in the individual lives of CFS patients. One notable challenge lies in the inability to participate in the workforce due to associated physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Previous research indicates that alternative employment options may help to overcome work related barriers presented with various types of chronic illness. Entrepreneurship is one path to working that offers many benefits, including autonomy, flexibility of work schedule, choice of work environment, and control. Questions though remain as to whether entrepreneurship enhances QOL or exacerbates symptoms among individuals with CFS. This interpretive descriptive study investigated the lived experiences of individuals diagnosed with CFS who have pursued a path of entrepreneurship. A semistructured interview was used to gather the 12 participants' descriptions of their history of living with CFS while working as entrepreneurs. The interviews were coded and analyzed to extract overarching themes. Results included the ways in which participants were transformed as a result of having CFS, their experiences of living with CFS and being self-employed, and the interpersonal factors that arose in connection with these experiences. This study served to shed light on the challenges involved in being self-employed while living with CFS, how being self-employed affected participants' quality of life both positively and negatively, and how participants interpret these changes. The findings of this study have the potential to set the stage for future qualitative and quantitative research that would provide more support in terms of tangible action when it comes to employment options for individuals living with CFS.

Body objectification theories propose that humans have an innate desire to compare themselves with others. When self-objectification is influenced by media exposure to idealized body images, results may be unrealistic self-perceptions and increased risk of depression, eating pathology, and overexercising. Although considerable work has been done to study these processes among women, much less is known about effects of media exposure on adult men. In response to this gap, this quantitative research study examined effects of exposure to an idealized man's body image on men observers' body dissatisfaction and related behaviors. A convenience sample of 119 freshman and sophomore community college men ranging in ages 18 to 29 was assigned to 1 of 2 conditions where they were exposed to images of male models with idealized bodies or to a neutral landscape image (independent variable). They completed questions to assess their body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, disordered eating, and depression. BMI and workout frequency also were assessed as covariates. It was predicted that body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, disordered eating, and depression scores would be higher for the group exposed to the idealized body images, as compared with neutral images. The research hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA analyses. No statistically significant between-group differences were found for any of the dependent variables. Design limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed. This study has social significance as it helps to keep the focus of researchers and mental health providers on media exposure as a risk factor among males for negative body image and related behaviors.

Individuals who experience a traumatic event may have an adverse emotional reaction that negatively impacts their quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of training in the martial arts as an intervention in the treatment of interpersonal trauma. The biopsychosocial model provided the framework for the study. The research questions addressed the effects of training in the martial arts and the biological, psychological, and social functioning of individuals who had sustained a form of interpersonal trauma. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 9 participants. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's modified van Kamm method. Findings indicated that martial arts training was transformative and positive for participants. Benefits included mentorship, a sense of achievement, increased confidence, better parenting, and recovery from substance abuse. Findings may be used to promote martial arts training as a treatment intervention for people who have experienced interpersonal trauma.

Research has been accumulating on the positive outcomes that people may experience following trauma. However, scholarly literature is deficient in the area of investigating the association among centrality of event (CE), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and health behaviors of women with histories of sexual trauma. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to (a) determine the extent of the relationship between CE and PTG, (b) explore the relationship between PTG and health behaviors (i.e., drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and physical activity), and (c) to determine whether general self-efficacy (SE) mediated these relationships. The theoretical frameworks used to inform this study were the theories of PTG and SE. A sample of 123 women with histories of sexual violence completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Centrality of Events Scale-SF, the New General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Drug Abuse Screening Test-10, and health behavior questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The majority of participants reported that their experiences were highly central. Simple regression analysis indicated a marginal relationship between CE and PTG as well as a significant relationship between PTG and SE. PTG was not directly related to the health behaviors in this study. However, a bootstrap mediation analysis indicated that SE significantly mediated the relationship between PTG and physical activity. This study contributes to positive social change by helping women understand how their cognitions influence their SE and behaviors. Likewise, this study can inform practitioners on developing interventions through a lens of positive psychology to promote beneficial health behaviors.

A restorative justice alternative to crime prevention termed reintegrative shaming theory by Braithwaite has seen increased attention as an alternative to retributive justice, although empirical investigations of its efficacy are limited. The purpose of the present study was to test confirmatory measurement and structural models of reintegrative shaming theory in order to assess the underlying theoretical model and the application of this theory in response to drunk driving offenses. Nine latent constructs were included in these models: reintegration, stigmatization, perceived fairness, self esteem, shame-guilt, embarrassment-exposure, unresolved shame, offender responsibility, and family support. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to assess for measurement invariance of indicators used to measure these nine latent constructs between 724 drunk driving offenders randomly assigned to traditional court processing versus offenders assigned to reintegrative shaming conferencing following arrest. Partial metric and partial scalar invariance were found. Thus, analyses proceeded by conducting tests for significant differences in the latent means between groups. Offenders assigned to conferencing reported significantly higher mean values on the constructs reintegration, perceived fairness, self-esteem, shame-guilt, and family support, supporting Braithwaite's theory. Finally, a structural model was hypothesized based upon Braithwaite's theory to assess the relationships between the latent constructs. Three additional structural paths were included to achieve an acceptable model fit. This structural model was found to be partially invariant between groups. As predicted, a higher level of reintegration was associated with greater perceived fairness, while a higher level of stigmatization was related to decreased self-esteem and lower perceived fairness. In turn, greater self-esteem and perceived fairness were significantly related to higher reported experiences of shame-guilt and lower ratings of embarrassment exposure. Greater perceived fairness also corresponded to lower reported unresolved shame. Finally, greater shame-guilt was significantly related to greater offender responsibility and family support, while unresolved shame was significantly related to less offender responsibility acceptance. The findings from the current study support Braithwaite's hypotheses regarding the importance and benefits of disapproving of the criminal act and not the person, while allowing offenders to accept responsibility for their actions and attempt to remediate the wrong that they committed.