Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-68).

Most stay-at-home mothers wish to return to the workplace; yet, the majority are not successful. There is a looming labor shortage and increasing organizational initiatives to increase female participation at most levels, providing opportunity for this talent pool. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the reentry strategies of networking, volunteerism, additional education, and additional training upon the reentry success for highly educated, stay-at-home mothers. In conjunction with the theoretical framework of the social cognitive career theory, self-efficacy, as measured by the New General Self-Efficacy Scale, was also examined as a reentry strategy. Survey research was used to gather data from previous stay-at-home mothers who had successfully reentered and stay-at-home mothers currently in the job search process (N=157). Logistic regressions and Pearson correlations were used to determine significant relationships between network size and self-efficacy upon reentry success; however, network size was negatively correlated with reentry success. The results of this study can be used by highly educated, stay-at-home mothers contemplating workplace reentry as well as vocational counselors who assist this group of job seekers. Highly educated, stay-at-home mothers can use the results of this study to improve their chances of effectively transitioning back into the workplace while also altering the perception of the traditional, stay-at-home mother.

Thesis (M.S.) --Minot State University, 2006." / "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Information Systems, Minot State University." Includes bibliographical references. Corresponding website: http://www.geekymoms.com/mambo/

<p dir="ltr">This research studies post-stay-at-home mothers from a traditional nuclear family who enter the workforce after divorce. While family communication scholars have explored topics surrounding divorce, very little about how mothers make sense of their transition from being stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) to working mothers (WMs) after divorce.</p><p dir="ltr">Through an interdisciplinary approach, this research uses Transitional Theory (Anderson et al.<i>, </i>2012; Schlossberg, 1981; Schlossberg, 2008) and Communicated Narrative Sense Making (CNSM) (Koenig Kellas, 2018; Koenig Kellas & Horstman, 2014) to understand how mothers make sense of their experiences during this change in their lives. It further studies the participants through mixed methods, using the Shift and Persist Scale (Chen <i>et al.,</i> 2015) and Sense of Control Scale (Lachman & Weaver, 1998a, 1998b) along with reflexive thematic analysis (TA) (Braun & Clarke; 2021; 2006).</p><p dir="ltr">The results of the qualitative section of this study brought forth seven themes displayed in the realms of sense-making during transition. These themes are <i>Belief themes: Out of control</i>, <i>taking back life</i>, and <i>finding a place to belong</i>; the <i>Value themes:</i> <i>Finding the wherewithal to survive</i>, <i>discovering and reclaiming self</i>, and <i>accepting of accomplishments</i>; and the <i>Meaning-Making theme: Recognizing resolve</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The quantitative results of this study indicated that there were significantly higher levels of persistence and personal mastery with those who told narratives framed positively as opposed to those who told narratives framed negatively. There was, however, no significance in their ability to shift or in their perceived constraints.</p>

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