This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and selfesteem on undergraduate college students' academic involvement and career preparation. In addition, the effects of emotional intelligence and self-esteem on problem-solving skills and group skills were also examined. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between the different variables. The survey instrument employed had been previously tested and reliability tests were run to ensure alpha levels were appropriate A sample of 292 undergraduate college students voluntarily completed surveys that measured emotional intelligence, self-esteem, academic involvement, group skills, problem-solving skills, and career goals. Data was collected from four different academic institutions in Northern California-two community colleges, and two universities. Consistent with hypotheses, it was found that emotional intelligence and selfesteem were both positively correlated to academic involvement (defined as participation in academic activities) and career preparation (defined as career orientation) .. Both emotional intelligence and self-esteem were significant predictors of academic involvement and career preparation.

The workforce in society today has rapidly growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Females are largely underrepresented in these fields in colleges and also careers. Previous research cites multiple reasons that could cause this disparity between the genders, and this study adds to that. Females in their developmental years are equal to or outperform males in STEM fields in school, and the number of females who are beginning to choose these areas in college is on the rise. This study sought to determine if females choose colleges and careers based on their family’s emotional or financial influence. Utilizing data from the United States Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 with a follow-up study in 2012, answers to the research questions were sought. Analysis using t-tests determined that while a family’s financial situation does have an effect on college choice, females are supported by their families as they choose math and science fields of study. Future research could seek to determine more specifically why females continue to choose careers in fields of education and healthcare to provide community colleges better information to help direct females into the expanding fields of STEM.

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This dissertation brings new causal evidence on three topics in education and health. In the first chapter, I study how in-utero exposure to floods affects the education and health outcomes of individuals. I focus on the 1982-1983 El Niño event in Peru to exploit a natural experiment. I assess the impacts of plausible and exogenous in-utero exposure to excess rainfall on education achievement at adulthood. I find that individuals exposed in-utero to the 1982-1983 El Niño floods, have less chances to have completed primary education at adulthood with different effects by place of residence and gender. In the second chapter, I study how a low-cost face-to-face intervention, that exposed senior-year high school students to female role models affects career preferences and reduces the gender preference gap for STEM programs in Peru in a randomized controlled trial. I find that exposure to role models increased preference for engineering majors only for those girls in the top math ability quartile; and that the effect was stronger for those who reside geographically close to the role models' university. Finally, in the third chapter, I investigate how to optimally allocate students to academic programs. I evaluate external signals of ability transmitted to students by academic probation rules in Peru using a regression discontinuity design. The analysis suggests that academic probation is associated with higher drop-out rates from programs and a deterioration in subsequent academic performance. I conclude that in a society with predominant gender norms, signals of ability could aid to the retention of only qualified students in selected programs with further implications on aggregate productivity and the allocation of talent. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study sought to understand how exposure to different adverse events in life affects individuals' decision choices. I focus on a developing country, Peru, where returns to education are high and investment in human capital can improve individuals' lives. In the first chapter, I study how prenatal exposure to extreme weather conditions (i.e. the 1982-1983 El Niño floods in Peru) affected the education achievement of those individuals when they were older. This adverse and unpredictable event, affecting the evolution of babies while in-utero, during the nine months of gestation, reduced the probability that the exposed individual had completed primary education. In the second chapter, I implement an experiment in the field to understand the effect of the exposure to role models on the reduction of the gender gap in careers that are male dominated such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The gender gap in STEM fields is a major cause of concern for policymakers around the world since it not only contributes to talent misallocation but also critically deepens gender-based socioeconomic inequalities. I find that a brief exposure to role models of about 20 minutes increases preferences for engineering majors of high talented female high school students, and I attribute this to inspiration rather than information mechanisms. The evidence suggests that, inspired by role models, high math ability girls had increased self-confidence for succeeding in engineering majors. Finally, in the third chapter I investigate the misallocation of students to academic programs and more specifically the effect of one university policy related to academic probation on attrition rates and subsequent academic performance. Academic probation is a warning received by students failing to make substantial academic progress required for graduation. By receiving academic probation, students get additional information of their capabilities to successfully complete a degree. The analysis suggests that academic probation is associated with higher drop-out rates from programs and a deterioration in subsequent academic performance aiding to the retention of only qualified students in selected fields of study.

Research has shown that, worldwide the nursing profession is faced with image-related challenges impacting on its status, prestige, power and the ability to attract more young and suitably qualified students to nursing. There is adequate evidence of a link between the image of nursing and the number of young people entering and leaving the profession. A positive image of nursing attracts applicants and the intention to leave nursing correlates positively with holding a negative image of nursing. There is also evidence of poor perception of the image of nursing among student nurses. The study aimed at exploring the potential of appreciative inquiry (AI) as a teaching strategy to transform the image of nursing among 3rd and 4th year, college and university student nurses in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The second aim was to describe student nurses’ experiences regarding their participation in the process of AI. A qualitatively dominant, sequentially embedded, mixed methods design with explorative-descriptive and quasi-experimental features was utilised. Sequential data collection and analysis were conducted during five stages comprising: a pre-test survey, intervention (appreciative inquiry), a post-test, description of the experiences of student nurses of AI and an integration stage. The pre-test results showed more positive than negative perceptions of the image of nursing among student nurses. The negative perceptions of the image of nursing among student nurses that needed intervention included the working conditions of nurses and the perception of nursing as a profession that was not respected and appreciated. The student nurses who took part in appreciative inquiry showed a significant and positive change in their perception of the image of nursing as a respected and appreciated profession. From the individual interviews on the student nurses’ experiences of AI, the themes “experience of positive emotions” and “experiential learning” emerged. The student nurses experiences described their engagement in AI as a positive and enjoyable experience from which multidimensional learning resulted. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Health Studies)

This is an empirical study that aims to contribute to knowledge about the opportunities the career counselling conversation offers young migrants in shaping their future. Conversations play a central role in career counselling activities in Swedish schools; furthermore, the question of how the Swedish society promotes the inclusion of its immigrants has become an increasingly urgent issue. The study draws on a dialogical framework on interaction and meaning making and seeks to gain insight into how meaning about the future is formed in career counselling conversations. The following questions were formulated: How is the interaction between migrant students and their counsellors formed in counselling conversations? How can the interaction be understood in relation to the participants and their contexts? What seems to enable or constrain students’ meaning making about the future in these conversations? The study was conducted in an introductory course for newly arrived immigrants at the upper secondary level. Researcher followed a series of two career counselling conversations between five students and five counsellors, respectively. The empirical material comprises three parts: audio-recordings of conversations, observations of these conversations and audio-recorded interviews with counsellors and students. The students, three men and two women, have a non-European background and had been in Sweden between one and three years. All except one can be considered a refugee. The material was transcribed, and the conversations were analysed with the concepts of communicative projects and strategies. The conversations are the primary empirical material. The results show that the counsellors’ and the students’ communicative projects primarily are complementary. Both the counsellor and the conversations appear as crucial for students learning about Swedish opportunity structures and meaning making about the future. The analysis also elucidated interactional patterns and interplay that seem to constrain the students’ possibilities to shape a future with their own conditions within the conversations. The conversations focused on Swedish career opportunities and lacked a transnational perspective. Furthermore, the students’ migrant background was not made relevant in the conversations; hence, the conversations risk contributing to students’ stigmatisation. The counsellors’ methods also seem at risk of individualising issues related to institutional preconditions and structural constraints. However, the analysis also displayed how the counsellor can counteract these constraining effects. The result implicates, in alignment with other studies, that the responsibility for the students’ career processes cannot be put on counselling conversations alone; more comprehensive and integrated activities for career learning in the schools are necessary to provide immigrant students with reasonable possibilities for shaping a future. Moreover, the conclusion is drawn that counsellor’s conversation skills are important for the students meaning making about the future but that counsellors also must have, among other things, the ability to comprehend migrants’ feelings and existential issues regarding the future and, not least, knowledge about the conditions of migrants and the ability to both comprehend and actively recognize injustices and different expressions of power. There are seldom others advocating for the rights of migrants. / Vägledning mellan erkännande, rättvisa och skillnadsskapande

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar se os alunos da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo (FOUSP) apresentavam tendência a algum perfil psicológico específico e relacionar os resultados com respostas sobre escolhas profissionais, investigando se há associação entre escolhas do campo de trabalho e perfil comportamental. O estudo foi transversal, realizado por meio de dois questionários autoadministrados, um de perfil psicológico e outro sobre interesses profissionais, distribuídos aos estudantes da FOUSP. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da FOUSP. Os dados foram organizados e analisados no programa STATA 12.0. Resultados: Participaram da pesquisa 415 alunos matriculados nas disciplinas de graduação da FOUSP, dos períodos diurno e noturno de todos os semestres. A coleta de dados foi realizada durante o segundo semestre de 2011. As características sociodemográficas apresentadas mostram que 72,29% dos estudantes eram do gênero feminino e 27,71% do masculino e apresentavam idade entre 17 e 44 anos (média de 21,98 anos). Quanto às razões para a escolha do curso de odontologia, 54,94% dos participantes apontaram a vocação; 15,70% por terem cirurgiões-dentistas na família; 14,22% devido à possibilidade de horários flexíveis; 9,88% por sucesso financeiro e 19,76% outros motivos. Em uma situação hipotética, de mesma condição de renda e carga horária para diversas alternativas de trabalho, 58,07% dos alunos prefeririam trabalhar em consultório próprio, 27,47% em emprego público, 15,18% serem docentes e 8,19% empregados no setor privado. Como início provável das atividades profissionais, 42,89% imaginam que seu primeiro trabalho seria em emprego privado, 25,06% em consultório próprio, 23,37% em emprego público e 16,63% seguiriam carreira na docência. Em projeção para 10 anos à frente, 73,25% se viam trabalhando em sua própria clínica, 19,28% no emprego público, 13,01% como docentes e 7,47% em emprego privado. Os conteúdos considerados mais importantes para o sucesso profissional do cirurgião-dentista foram, em ordem decrescente de importância: disciplinas clínicas (58,31%), básicas (26,75%) e sociais (14,94%), para ambos os gêneros. Quase todos os alunos, 98,31%, valorizavam o conhecimento de processos administrativos para gerir consultórios, clínicas ou equipes e 89,40% tinham interesse em adquirir conhecimentos no campo da gestão de recursos humanos. Com relação ao temperamento, 46,27% foram identificados como SJ (Guardião), 21,45% NF (Idealista), 14,70% NT (Racional) e 3,13% SP (Artesão); 14,46% eram indefinidos. Os tipos psicológicos predominantes foram o ESTJ/Supervisor (13,49%), ISTJ/Inspetor (13,25%), ISFJ/Protetor (6,51%) e INFJ/Conselheiro e ENTJ/Marechal de campo com iguais 6,27%. O temperamento SJ foi o mais frequente tanto em estudantes do gênero feminino (48,00%) quanto do masculino (41,74%), mas o segundo tipo mais comum diferia entre os gêneros: NF em mulheres (23,67%) e NT nos homens (21,74%). Houve diferença estatisticamente significante nessa associação, demonstrada no teste do Qui-quadrado de Pearson (p=0,003). Conclui-se a maioria dos alunos apresentavam tendência ao temperamento SJ; o segundo mais frequente foi o NF em alunos de praticamente todos os semestres, porém diferiu entre os gêneros: NF em mulheres e NT em homens. Diferença estatisticamente significante foi encontrada na associação entre temperamento e gênero. A grande maioria dos alunos pretendia exercer suas atividades profissionais em consultório próprio. As outras opções seguiram a seguinte ordem de preferência: emprego público (com menos da metade percentual da primeira opção), docência e emprego privado. Não houve associação entre perfis psicológicos e escolha do campo de atuação. / The objective of this study was to determine if students of the University of São Paulo School of Dentistry (FOUSP) had a tendency to a particular psychological profile and relate the results with answers about career choices, investigating whether or not there was an association between choices of work and behavioral profile. The study was cross-sectional type, using two selfadministered questionnaires: a psychological profile one and another about professional interests, both of which were distributed to FOUSP students. The study was approved by the FOUSP Ethical Comittee. Data were organized and analyzed using STATA 12.0. Results: Participated on the study 415 students enrolled in Dentistry course, from all classes and semesters. Data collection was conducted during the second half of 2011. The sociodemographic characteristics presented show that 72.29% of the students were female and 27.71% male and were aged between 17 and 44 years (mean age 21.98 years). As to the reasons for choosing the course of dentistry, 54.94% of the participants indicated the vocation; 15.70% by having dentists in the family; 14.22% due to the possibility of flexible hours; 9.88% for financial success and 19.76% for other reasons. In a hypothetical situation of the same income and hours of work for several career alternatives, 58.07% of the students would prefer to work in his/ her private practice, 27.47% as an employee in the public sector, 15.18% as a faculty member and 8.19% as an employee in the private sector. Nonetheless, predicting the beginning of the career, 42.89% believed that their first job would be as an employee in private sector, 25.06% in his/her private practice, 23.37% as employee in the public sector and 16.63% pursuing a career in teaching. Looking 10 years ahead, 73.25% saw themselves working in their own clinic, 19.28% as employees in the public sector, 13.01% as faculty members and 7.47% as employees in the private sector. The contents considered more important to the professional success of dentists were, in descending order of importance: clinical (58.31%), basic (26.75%) and social disciplines (14.94%), for both genders. Almost all students, 98.31%, valued knowledge of administrative processes to manage dental offices or teams and 89.40% were interested in acquiring knowledge in the human resource management field. Regarding temperament, 46.27% were identified as SJ (Guardian), 21.45% NF (Idealist), 14.70% NT (Rational) and 3.13% SP (Artisan); 14.46% could not be defined. The predominant psychological types were ESTJ/Supervisor (13.49%), ISTJ/Inspector (13.25%), ISFJ/Protector (6.51%) and INFJ/Advisor and ENTJ/Marshall Field, which presented equal 6.27%. The SJ temperament was the most frequent in both female (48.00%) and males students (41.74%), but the second most common type was different between genders: NF in women (23.67%) and NT in men (21.74%). There was a statistically significant difference in this association, as demonstrated by the chi-square test (p = 0.003). To conclude, most of the students were likely to be SJ psychological temperament and the second most frequent type was the NF for students in virtually all semesters; however there was a difference between genders: the second category between women was NF, but NT for men. A statistically significant difference was found in the association between temperament and gender. The vast majority of students intended to exercise their professional activities in his or her own dental office. The other options followed this order of preference: employee in the public sector (less than half the percentage of first choice), member of faculty and employee in the private sector. No association was found between psychological profiles and choice of career.

Inom revisionsbranschen är det få kvinnor på de högre positionerna och speciellt på positionen delägare. Även tidigare forskning har visat att det råder stora skillnader i könsfördelningen på de högre positionerna i revisionsbyrån. Trots att könsfördelningen har på senare åren blivit jämnare på de lägre positionerna och mellanpositionerna i revisionsbranschen är det fortfarande väldigt små förändringar på delägarpositionen. Syftet med studien är att förstå och försöka få en mer ingående och mångfacetterad bild av hur karriärvalen för auktoriserade kvinnliga revisorer kan se ut.För att besvara studiens frågeställning har studien genomförts med en kvalitativ metod och med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien utgår ifrån teorier och tidigare forskning inom området för kvinnliga revisorers karriär inom revisionsbranschen. Empirin har insamlats med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med kvinnliga auktoriserade revisorer från olika revisionsbyråer. Vidare har analysen belyst olika teorier och faktorer som var relevanta för komma fram till resultat och slutsatser.Studiens slutsats blev att de kvinnliga revisorernas karriär påverkas av ett antal faktorer som är viktiga och avgörande för karriärutveckling och avancemang. Vidare när det gäller att få kvinnor innehar delägarpositionen kan det förhållandevis förklaras genom att vikten ligger hos själva kvinnliga auktoriserade revisorer. Eftersom de själva som individer tar olika beslut och val vilka påverkar och formar kvinnors karriär inom revisionsbranschen. Dessa beslut och val är kopplade till andra prioriteringar och intressen kopplade till privatlivet till exempel familjen och moderskap. / In the auditing industry, few women appear in higher positions and especially in the position of co-owner. Previous research has also shown differences in the equality at the higher positions in the audit firms. Even though it has become more equal in the lower and middle positions in the auditing industry in recent years, there are still very small changes in the co-owner position. The purpose of this study is to understand and try to get a more detailed and multifaceted picture of how the career choices for authorized female auditors can look.In order to answer the study's question, the study was conducted with a qualitative method and with semi-structured interviews. The study is based on theories and previous research in the field of female auditors' careers in the auditing industry. The empirical material has been collected using semi-structured interviews with female authorized auditors from different auditing firms. Furthermore, the analysis has illustrated various theories and factors that were relevant for the results and conclusions.The conclusion of the study is that female auditors' career is influenced by several factors that are important and crucial for career development and advancement. Furthermore, to understand why few women have a co-ownership position, it can be explained by the fact that it depends on female authorized auditors themselves. Because they as individuals take different decisions and choices that affect and shape women's careers in the auditing industry. These decisions and choices are linked to other priorities and interests for example such as the family and motherhood.

Females have been discouraged from taking science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes during high school and college, resulting in limited access to high-paying STEM careers. Therefore, these females could miss opportunities for these high-paying careers. The rationale of this research was to quantify the relationship between the number of STEM classes the sampled females took, the number of female role models they had during high school and college, their career choices, and salaries. The theoretical construct was based on Erikson's social developmental theory, which postulates a relationship between earlier life events and later life events, and Acker's masculinity theory, which postulates that females in traditionally male fields may be uneasy performing functions opposite to what they naturally perform. Key questions examined the relationships between STEM classes, role models, career choices, and salaries. The sample was a stratified random sample (n = 48) of female alumnae of 4 universities, born after 1980. Data were collected from a designed online instrument, validated by a pilot. The data were analyzed with a multiple regression and an analysis of variance. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the number of STEM classes, career choices and salary. However, there was no significance found between the numbers of role models, career choices and salary The implication for social change is that by making scholars in the fields of education and management aware about the relationship between the number of STEM classes taken, career choices, and salaries, females can be more encouraged to become interested in STEM courses earlier in life, making it more likely they will choose STEM careers This can be accomplished through scholarly journals, which hopefully will improve perceptions of the STEM abilities of females.

Research has shown that, worldwide the nursing profession is faced with image-related challenges impacting on its status, prestige, power and the ability to attract more young and suitably qualified students to nursing. There is adequate evidence of a link between the image of nursing and the number of young people entering and leaving the profession. A positive image of nursing attracts applicants and the intention to leave nursing correlates positively with holding a negative image of nursing. There is also evidence of poor perception of the image of nursing among student nurses. The study aimed at exploring the potential of appreciative inquiry (AI) as a teaching strategy to transform the image of nursing among 3rd and 4th year, college and university student nurses in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The second aim was to describe student nurses’ experiences regarding their participation in the process of AI. A qualitatively dominant, sequentially embedded, mixed methods design with explorative-descriptive and quasi-experimental features was utilised. Sequential data collection and analysis were conducted during five stages comprising: a pre-test survey, intervention (appreciative inquiry), a post-test, description of the experiences of student nurses of AI and an integration stage. The pre-test results showed more positive than negative perceptions of the image of nursing among student nurses. The negative perceptions of the image of nursing among student nurses that needed intervention included the working conditions of nurses and the perception of nursing as a profession that was not respected and appreciated. The student nurses who took part in appreciative inquiry showed a significant and positive change in their perception of the image of nursing as a respected and appreciated profession. From the individual interviews on the student nurses’ experiences of AI, the themes “experience of positive emotions” and “experiential learning” emerged. The student nurses experiences described their engagement in AI as a positive and enjoyable experience from which multidimensional learning resulted. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Health Studies)