Correctional officers work in a stressful environment and are regularly exposed to dangerous and emotionally charged situations. Researchers have detailed the potential negative outcomes of this occupation, yet little research has examined the extent to which correctional officers experience emotion while on their shifts, and how those emotions may translate into stress, divorce, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, and high mortality rates upon retirement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn how correctional officers experience their felt and expressed emotions while at work. Data collection was done using a 15-item open ended questionnaire designed by the researcher and accessed via an online website. The 15-item questionnaire was prescreened by correctional officers not participating in the survey to assure for trustworthiness. Anonymous online survey data was collected from 23 correctional custody staff members working throughout California. The responses from the survey were coded and analyzed using NVivo and Survey Monkey software to account for reoccurring themes in the data. The findings of this study show a high percentage of respondent's report feelings of anxiety throughout a shift at work. Further, the findings show that the participants consistently report a disconnect between felt and expressed emotions while at work. These findings may be used to reform training programs for correctional officers to offer them better ways to process the emotions they experience throughout their career.

Research has shown that emotional intelligence (EQ) is positively related to beneficial outcomes in organizations. Research has also found that negative perceptions of organizational credibility (OC) can result in adverse economic and social costs for organizations and communities. To date, the existing research has failed to examine whether employee EQ might affect employee perceptions of OC. A quantitative, non-experimental study was conducted using a sample of employees in large health and medical organizations throughout the United States. The variables in the study were measured using the Assessing Emotions Scale and the Comprehensive Organizational Credibility Inventory. Multiple regression analyses and Pearson correlation examined the relationships between employee EQ and employee perceptions of OC. Results of the study showed that employees with high EQ perceived their employing organizations to have high OC for areas of accountability, goodwill, integrity, legitimacy, and power, but low OC for areas of attractiveness, corporate social responsibility, expertise, and trustworthiness. Results also showed that high employee EQ predicted high OC for areas of accountability, goodwill, legitimacy, and power, but not for areas of attractiveness, corporate social responsibility, expertise, or trustworthiness. Results supported existing research that has identified links between EQ and organizational-related factors. Results also supported existing research that showed that credibility constructs may be culturally and situationally determined. This study has provided an incentive for leaders of organizations to integrate pro-EQ hiring and training interventions that can foster positive OC behaviors and strengthen organizations both internally and externally.

Negative attitudes and stigma associated with mental illness have a profound impact on individuals who experience them. Researchers have defined stigma as the attribution of a deviant characteristic to members of a particular group. Persons with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) face many difficulties that impact their full participation in social life. Although attitudinal reactions to individuals with SPMI have improved considerably over the last few decades, there are still areas for improvement. Limited research has been conducted to evaluate attitudes and stigma associated with individuals with SPMI among human service professionals-in-training (HSPs). For this study HSPs were defined as individuals entering into social service, mental health, and substance abuse professions. Further, there have only been a few published studies in attitude research that utilized randomized vignettes portraying individuals with two different mental health diagnoses. Data collection occurred in counselor education and similar programs at many universities. A total of 79 participants (20 males and 58 females) took part in this study. Recruitment efforts reached HSPs at 27 universities throughout the contiguous United States. For this study, participants were asked to respond to self-report surveys and to one of two written vignettes to quantify their attitudes toward the individuals depicted in them. The two vignettes described an individual with a mental illness and differed in the diagnosis attributed to the individual: schizophrenia spectrum disorder in one vignette and generalized anxiety disorder in the other vignette. Results indicated that although there were slight mean differences between the two groups of participants, the differences were not statically significant, t (77) = 0.63, p =53. The Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27; Corrigan, 2012) gathered overall attitudes towards mental illness. The Mental Health Provider Stigma Inventory (MHPSI; Kennedy, Abell, & Mennicke, 2014) was used to collect data on attitudes, behaviors, and social pressure impacting stigma towards individuals who have SPMI. Data collected with these two scales yielded evidence to indicate that participants held stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with SPMI. Data gathered suggested that graduate students in rehabilitation counselor education programs expressed fewer stigmatizing attitudes than students from other programs. This result was seen across both measures. Data were collected on frequency of contact with persons with mental illness to evaluate the association between contact frequency and knowledge of mental illness and negative attitudes. Demographic data gathered included gender, age, professional training, and number of years of work experience in a counseling-related role. Further, a hierarchical multiple regression was used to determine which order of predictors were statistically significant to the outcome measure. Prior literature suggest that prior contact and familiarity scores playing a more important role in predicting the outcome variable (AQ-27) then the demographic information. The first model was statistically significant F(6,72) =3.64, p= .003 and explained 23% of the variance in the dependent variable (AQ-27 total scores). After the input of these demographic factors the second step included LOF and SADP- PCF-R scores. After entry of the second step the overall variance was 28%. The second model was statically significant F(8,70) = 3.39 p = 002 and explained an additional 4% variance in the model. In the final adjusted model, four out of the seven predictor variables were statistically significant. A small pilot study consisting of rehabilitation counseling professionals was used to develop the methodologies for this study. The primary limitation of the primary study was the sample size. Further details of the methodology used and limitations of this particular study will be described in subsequent chapters. Implications of this study and suggested future research are proposed.

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of leisure counseling provided in Texas Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers. Data was gathered from responses to a survey sent to Texas Community MHMR Centers. There was a ninety-three per cent response rate. The results indicated leisure counseling was not being provided, although some minor components of leisure counseling were being conducted at individual centers. Recommendations were made for expansion of recreation programs, the institution of counseling sessions dealing with leisure related topics on a regular basis, the use of leisure interests.:assessment instruments, and the development of a systematic recreation information referral system.

Abstract EXPLORING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS COMMUNITY OUTPATIENT COUNSELORS’ EXPERIENCES TREATING CLIENTS WITH CO-OCCURRING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Lauretta Anne Cathers, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: Amy Armstrong, PhD, Chair, Rehabilitation Counseling The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study presents the findings from a qualitative study examining substance use disorders (SUD) community outpatient treatment counselors’ experiences treating clients with co-occurring medical conditions. Interviews from five SUD community outpatient treatment counselors resulted in four emerging super-ordinate themes. The findings illustrate the relationships between SUDs, medical conditions and other predisposing, enabling and need factors. In order to assist clients in focusing on therapy, counselors work to identify resources to treat the basic needs of the clients, including medical care. Challenges included limited resources, complex system processes, and client fear and apathy. In addition, various unique challenges related to medical conditions treated by potentially habit forming medications and traumatic brain injury were identified. Counselors discussed how their roles and responsibilities have expanded to include case management and additional responsibility for the overall well-being of the clients they serve. They encouraged SUD educators to include more education on counselor self-care, trauma, pain conditions and the assessment process. Implications from the study highlight the need for integrated behavioral and physical health care.

Poor executive leadership of organizations over the last 20 years has resulted in the destruction of stakeholder value, loss of jobs, and in some cases, risk to the entire enterprise. An executive search firm database, encompassing 16,000 leaders from 300 organizations, was analyzed to determine if the commonality and transferability of leadership competences could be used to improve executive assessment. Implicit leadership theory, where leaders are gauged by the individuals that surround them, served as the theoretical foundation. The study also relies on a leadership competency model used by the executive search firm that constructed the database and is based primarily on behavioral-event interviewing method of assessment. Inferential statistics were used to analysis the data with analysis of variance and Tukey post-hoc methods for testing mean differences, and with correlation and regression analysis to test for associations and explained variances. The executive roles were found to show a commonality of competency profiles and transferability across the disciplines studied, with the exception of the chief executive officer (CEO) role. These findings suggest that a new CEO should not be sourced directly from the other executive functions inside or outside the firm. The Outstanding leader database indicates a strong universality and interchangeability of leaders at this higher-ranking level, regardless of discipline and industry; the database is a source of new potential CEOs. Results Orientation is by far the strongest developed of the competencies for all leaders. Social change will result from better selection of top executive leaders with a positive impact for employees and all the stakeholders of the corporation or institution.

Organizations spend significant amounts of money to address low job satisfaction. As much as 16.5% of an organization's pretax income is lost due to employee withdrawal behaviors, with 27% of that amount associated with turnover. Building on the quality of working life theory, this single-site case study took place at a for-profit university located in the Midwest United States to understand the role that work-life balance programs play in employee job satisfaction. The population consisted of 6 front-line admissions managers, as that population was appropriate for understanding the work-life balance strategies college officials use to improve the job satisfaction of admissions representatives. The data collection process consisted of semistructured interviews, a review of observational field notes, and a review of employee surveys. Based on methodological triangulation of the data sources and analysis of the data, 3 emergent themes were identified. Participants indicated that both autonomy and flexibility contributed to employee job satisfaction, which the quality of working life theory and existing research on the subject supports. Participants also indicated that the manager-employee relationship was fundamental to improving job satisfaction, which was a finding outside of the scope of the conceptual framework used in the study. Social change implications include improving policy makers and business leaders' understanding of the role that work-life balance plays in job satisfaction. Employees will also find the results of this study informative when attempting to understand how work-life balance programs may contribute to the level of satisfaction they experience with their jobs.

Insurance companies provide financial protection to the general population, but their workforce challenges may destabilize the companies to the point of financial distress. Senior insurance company leaders lack effective strategies to recruit skilled professionals. With contingency theory and resource-based view theory as the framework, the focus in this multicase study was the exploration of the recruiting strategies of human resources (HR) managers in New York City area insurance companies. Four insurance company HR managers were recruited via a purposeful and snowball sampling method for semistructured interviews. These interviews were analyzed through a reflective interpretation process, which was guided by the van Manen method. Additional data were gathered through document analysis of the managers' companies' job postings. Participants reviewed the transcription of the interview by member checking and verifying the commonly identified patterns. The findings included themes such as applying strategy vs. tactics to job postings, building the pipeline before the need arises, and target marketing for the multigenerational workforce. By implementing executive support for strategic management of the recruitment process, insurance companies can overcome the barriers to recruiting qualified candidates. The findings from this study may influence social change by reducing the literature gap, enhancing the learning amongst companies in the insurance industry, and creating jobs in local communities.

leadership styles homogeneous versus heterogeneous manufacturing leaders contractor workforce

Effective leadership, ethical leadership, and leadership emergence have been extensively researched, but there remains a lack of research on the relationship between the big 5 personality traits and authentic leadership. This quantitative study was based on the empirical principles of the big 5 model and guided by the big 5 theory. In addition, this research asked if there was a relationship between the big 5 model and authentic leadership, and which combination of the 5 personality traits best predict authentic leadership. Fifty-five adult participants, employed in various corporations, were recruited from a convenience sample. They rated their leaders by completing an Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3, and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses and the results showed that the big 5 personality model explained 46.9% of the variance (F (5, 49) = 8.65, p < .001. Conscientiousness positively (β = 0.40, p = .003) correlated with authentic leadership while neuroticism was inversely (β = -0.04, p = .046) correlated. These 2 traits best predicted authentic leadership and provided the strongest correlation. Extraversion (β = -.04, p = .739) and openness-to-experience (β = .25, p = .080) were non-significant traits. In the Pearson Correlation analysis, agreeableness had a weak inverse correlation with authentic leadership, (r (53) = -0.30, p = .027), and contributed 8.9% of the variance in predicting authentic leadership. Conscientious leaders with low level of neuroticism, who practice authentic leadership, will bring about positive social change by reducing unethical practices, improving communication with employers, employees, and consumers, and improving employee morale.