This qualitative study was designed to explore the career development of Black female chief nurse executives. Although a small proportion of Black female nurses have achieved positions at the nurse executive level, there remains a paucity of Black female nurse executives in this crucial position which raised the question of what factors contributed to this lack of advancement, but, more important, what factors have contributed to the success of the few who have achieved such level of success in healthcare organizations. The purpose of the study was to explore the career paths of Black female chief nurse executives with a view of understanding the factors which both facilitate and hinder the career development of these leaders in healthcare organizations. The guiding research question was, How do Black female nurse executives in this sample describe their career development? The participants in this study were Black female chief nurse executives located throughout the United States who, for the most part, were raised in segregation with a strong family foundation. To collect data, semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 10 Black female chief nurse executives throughout the United States. The transcripts from the interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Using Super’s (1990, 1996), and Gottfredson’s (1981, 1996, 2002, 2005) career development theories and critical race theory (Crenshaw, 1995; Delgado, 2000) as the theoretical framework, the researcher found that the participants’ career development was influenced by (a) strong support system, (b) guidance, (c) influence of diversity, and (d) servant leadership. The findings help us understand the factors that have contributed to their successes as Black chief nurse executives. With the increasingly diverse population and concurrent increasing diversity in nursing and concerns about healthcare disparities, it is imperative that organizations attract, hire, develop, retain, and advance qualified Black nurses. Future studies addressing not only the career development of Black nurses but nurses in general might be informed by the present study’s findings. Recommendations are offered for nursing practice, education, and organizational policy.

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A dissertation submitted to the FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, 1999. / Staff supervision is central to the improvement of the quality of teaching in a school and if educators are well supervised and are aware of the benefits inherent in supervision, they need to be amenable to supervision. Yet educators are not, and they use every trick in the book to avoid or resist supervision. On the other hand, the principal struggles to persuade educators to understand the value of the exercise. Some resort to threats which may lead to animosity and resentment. The bottom line is that the principal is not able to play his/her role to encourage staff development, and as a result, the quality of teaching may drop. This study sought to assess the principal's understanding of his/her role in staff development. Secondly, it sought to ascertain the extent to which principals' supervision strategies enhanced educators' professional development. Lastly, the study aimed to obtain an understanding of educators' perceptions regarding supervisors as an aspect of staff development. Review of relevant literature of supervision and staff development was undertaken for the conceptual framework upon which the problem could be analysed. An interview schedule was administered in principals with an aim to soliciting information that would reveal the approach that they used to supervise their staff. Questionnaires were adrriinistered to educators with an aim of obtaining information from them about the perceptions that they had regarding supervision and staff development. The study established that principals have the desire to play a constructive role in the professional development of their teaching staff, but they unfortunately lack the capacity to do so. Secondly that principals' supervision strategies as currently employed do not enhance the educator's professional development. Lastly that educators do not have a clear understanding of supervision as an aspect of staff development. They seem to understand the role that the principal can play but they have problems in implementing that role.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Zululand, 2004. / This study investigates the influence of career education on career choices. The aim was to find out if there is any significant difference amongst learners in their career choices. The second aim was to establish the relationship, if any between gender and career choices. To this end, a questionnaire was administrated to a representative sample of high school learners from Aquadene Secondary and Richards Bay Secondary in the Empangeni District of Education. The present study revealed that there is a significant relationship between learners' fields of study and their career choice. Findings also reveal that there is no relationship between learners' gender and their career choice. This shows that there is very little difference between male and female learners choice of careers. As a result learners are choosing careers across various fields irrespective of gender.

Internships are a great way for college students to gain real-world work experience. Students who participate in an internship should learn valuable skills, build a network and gain professional confidence. Employers want to see prior, relevant work experience when deciding who to hire and an internship can provide that. This quantitative research study examined the impacts on career outcomes and starting salaries for college graduates who participated in a paid internship, unpaid internship or no internship and in a structured internship program for which they receive college credit, a non-credit internship and no internship. The results clearly showed that students who completed any type of internship were employed at a higher rate than those who did not complete an internship. There was also a substantial impact on higher starting salaries for those who completed a paid internship.

Despite government polices and organisational practices intended to redress this imbalance, women in business continue to face what they have faced for many years already: under-representation. More specifically, under-representation in the upper echelons of higher management, under-representation on company boards, under-representation in senior positions within firms. Despite more years in the workforce, more woman systematically entering previously labelled “male” fields, despite more years receiving higher education, women still don’t often find the road to senior positions a road easily travelled.This research seeks to explore one very specific approach to advancing women’s careers—women’s leadership development programmes designed for women identified as potential senior managers, leaders and board members. As a number of these programmes exist, this research sought to explore the programmes’ strengths and weaknesses, to explore ways to improve such programmes to the increased benefit of women in business, and finally, to investigate ways that businesses themselves can support such programmes to the benefit of their female employees: more representation in higher positions.Findings showed that women’s leadership development programmes do in fact provide a safe and supportive environment for nurturing confidence, acquiring new business skills, and learning from the experiences of successful women role models. They are a useful addition to other strategies designed to increase the number of women in senior positions, as factors such as organisational culture and commitment from CEOs also impact on a woman’s career progression. This research proposes a model to organisations that can be used to design and position future women’s development programmes. For maximum benefit, programmes should be strategically positioned, taking into account the environmental context and should help women identify and tap into existing networks and access suitable mentors. Further, elements unique to women must be inherent in the design of these programmes in order to facilitate career advancement, with the goal at hand: equal representation in senior positions / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The diploma thesis deals with the relationship and connections between career guidance and the personal well-being of adults. The aim of the work is to analyse the impact of career guidance on the personal well-being of adults. The theoretical basis of the work is devoted to the current form of career guidance in an andragogical context, the work of a career counsellor and various concepts of personal well-being are introduced. Subsequently, the relationship between career guidance and personal well-being is identified and specific mechanisms of the impact of career guidance on the personal well-being of an adult are described. Part of the diploma thesis is also a quantitative research, which aims to evaluate how clients of career guidance perceive its impact on specific dimensions of personal well-being. It was found that career guidance has the greatest impact on the dimension called self-acceptance and the dimension called meaning of life and has the least impact on the dimension called positive relationships. The results of the research also point to the importance of a form of career guidance in relation to the impact on personal well-being. Key words: career, counselling, career guidance, career education, career coaching, well-being, life satisfaction

The diploma thesis deals with the relationship and connections between career guidance and the personal well-being of adults. The aim of the work is to analyse the impact of career guidance on the personal well-being of adults. The theoretical basis of the work is devoted to the current form of career guidance in an andragogical context, the work of a career counsellor and various concepts of personal well-being are introduced. Subsequently, the relationship between career guidance and personal well-being is identified and specific mechanisms of the impact of career guidance on the personal well-being of an adult are described. Part of the diploma thesis is also a quantitative research, which aims to evaluate how clients of career guidance perceive its impact on specific dimensions of personal well-being. It was found that career guidance has the greatest impact on the dimension called self-acceptance and the dimension called meaning of life and has the least impact on the dimension called positive relationships. The results of the research also point to the importance of a form of career guidance in relation to the impact on personal well-being. Key words: career, counselling, career guidance, career education, career coaching, well-being, life satisfaction

Subjects in this study were 5,523 respondents from a survey which was sent to households throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine two basic components of career orientation: career indecision and career insight. Correlational analyses found relationships between career indecision and average job tenure, industry leaving intentions, industry staying intentions, and job satisfaction. Correlational analyses found relationships between career insight, industry staying intentions and job satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses were run using both career indecision and career insight as independent variables found that they had useful levels of incremental validity in predicting industry leaving intentions and job satisfaction. Potential uses of the two-dimensional career indecision - career insight model are discussed.