Although the recent annual growth rate in the US paramedic field has been 4%, Latino and African American men have been significantly underrepresented in the field compared to their proportion in the US population at large. This problem threatens both the quality and quantity of available emergency health care. The purpose of this study was to describe how men of color (MOC) in community college paramedical programs experienced their awareness, interest, and proactive choice of paramedicine as a course of study. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach and social cognitive career theory as a theoretical framework, I interviewed 23 MOC enrolled during one semester across three community college paramedical programs in the southwestern US: 9 Latino and 14 African American, aged 18-29 with mean age 22 years. The focus of the interviews was the participants' lived experiences at various career points, as well as the enablers and disablers they had encountered. I identified three primary themes for possible use in enhancing recruitment of MOC to the paramedic field: strategic use of new digital media, promotion of the vocation's quasi-familial characteristics, and augmentation of neighborhood-based outreach. Identified areas for further research included recruitment dynamics of female paramedics, MOC persistence issues, and MOC job satisfaction assessments.

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the challenges and benefits associated with cultural diversity within groups. The research hypotheses were proposed to test the effects of cultural diversity on group performance and group processes by comparing culturally diverse and culturally homogeneous groups under conditions of intergroup competition and noncompetition. This experiment was conducted using 500 upper-level undergraduates enrolled in the principles of management course for the fall semester.

In this climate of increasing diversity in the population of patients requiring Physical Therapy (PT) services, PT educators should prepare students and future clinicians to work competently in culturally diverse environments. To be able to achieve this goal, PT educators should be culturally competent as well. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a workshop aimed at improving cultural diversity awareness of the University of the Pacific (UOP) PT educators. The seminar content and class materials were developed by the author in close consultation with the workshop facilitator, who is an expert on cultural diversity. These materials were validated by Physical Therapists and cultural diversity experts. To determine the effectiveness of the workshop in improving cultural diversity awareness, the Cultural Diversity Awareness Questionnaire (CDAQ) was developed, validated for content, analyzed for reliability, field tested and pilot tested. Results indicated that the instrument was valid and reliable. The one-day workshop was presented to twelve academic and clinical faculty of the UOP PT Department. The one group pretest-posttest experimental design was used, with the participants completing the CDAQ before and after the workshop. The attendees also completed a course evaluation at the conclusion of the seminar. Results showed a statistically significant positive change in the pretest/posttest results. This indicated that the workshop was effective in improving cultural diversity awareness of the participants. Results of the workshop evaluation affirmed the achievement of the educational objectives and effectiveness of the facilitator. This study provided-a-solid-initial-foundation-on-which a-comprehensive cultural competence program can be developed.

Native American and First Nations (hereafter referred to as indigenous) women college students are faced with a challenge to balance both their culture and the demands of the dominant Western culture in family, school, and work/employment roles. The presence of indigenous women in higher education and in the work force has increased since World War II. While there is an abundance of literature on work-family balance and work-family conflict, with some focus on the perspectives and expectations of college-aged students, there is a dearth in both of these areas with regards to indigenous populations. In order to begin to explore the experiences and perspectives of work and family, this study analyzed unstructured qualitative interviews of 11 Native American and 9 First Nations female college students. Themes resulting from the hermeneutic analysis of texts that describe the tensions around career, family and education were (a) honoring indigenous culture and community, (b) living in two worlds, (c) pursuing individual fulfillment and goals, and (d) acknowledging the importance and influence of family. This paper was later published in the Journal of College Student Development. You can access the paper here.

Leading multicultural teams is one of the main challenges faced by today’s leaders. The advantages often associated with multicultural teams (e.g., collaboration and integration of different knowledge, ideas, and approaches to a task) are often the major challenges in leading these teams. The literature on effective multicultural teams has identified leadership as an important factor for team effectiveness. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of leader social distance in multicultural teams. A lab study was designed to test the impact of experimentally-manipulated leader social distance (socially close or socially distant) on the relationship between team member diversity and team affect, processes, and performance. Results varied for female and for male teams. Specifically, the nature of the interactions between leadership and team diversity depended on the specific cultural dimension measured and the gender of the team. In the end, the impact of diversity on culture in female teams was improved by close leaders (the relationships were positive), and worsened by distant leaders (the relationships were negative) for team affect, processes and viability. For male teams, the impact of diversity was always negative in both leader conditions; however, in distant leader conditions the relationship was more negative. Implications for theory and practice are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Racial identity invalidation is a social identity threat that occurs when a person’s racial or ethnic group membership is denied by others. While this phenomenon can be experienced by people of all backgrounds, it is particularly prevalent among multiracial people, whose mixed-race identities do not neatly fit the categories typically used to define race. Racial identity invalidation has been associated with several negative effects on mental health, social relations, and physical and emotional well-being; yet, because multiracial issues and experiences often go unnoticed in our largely monoracial society, this form of multiracial microaggression has been overlooked in discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Moreover, little research has explored how identity invalidation plays out specifically in the workplace setting—an important context tied to one’s livelihood—making it unclear what downstream effects invalidation may have on work outcomes such as job satisfaction, engagement, and team cohesion. The present study expands on prior research by exploring how multiracial identity invalidation unfolds in various work contexts, with a focus on how multiracial people respond to instances of invalidation at work and what consequences these events might have for their professional relationships and career advancement. Qualitative data were collected through an online questionnaire and one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with multiracial people of diverse backgrounds and industries. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the study aimed to better understand the experiences, responses, outcomes, and contextual factors related to this phenomenon, with the ultimate aim of inductively developing a comprehensive model of multiracial identity invalidation in the workplace. Findings from this study suggest that multiracial people experience similar types of invalidation incidents (e.g., being asked to prove one’s heritage) in the workplace as they do in other arenas of life, yielding similarly negative intrapersonal responses (e.g., hurt, resentment, self-doubt). However, due to the power dynamics at play in most workplaces, their options for how to outwardly respond to these invalidation incidents are often limited, with responses ranging from passive (e.g., laughing it off) to more active approaches (e.g., trying to create a learning opportunity), depending on the perceived risk and likelihood of change. Although repeated invalidation experiences can lead to several negative work outcomes (e.g., strained coworker relationships, disengagement, self-silencing), some of the study participants also made changes for the better, by seeking new work opportunities at organizations that embraced their full and complex identities, aligned with their personal values, and recognized the strengths of having a mixed-race perspective. Finally, this study noted several contextual factors that appeared to influence the process of invalidation, with a particular emphasis on the need for social support systems and inclusive organizational practices. These study findings and the resultant comprehensive model offer practical insights for individuals, teams, and organizations, and suggest avenues for future research into the topic of multiracial identity invalidation in the workplace.

This study examined comparisons of gender stereotypes of executives in two cultures, American and Japanese. Undergraduate students in Japan and the U.S. estimated the extent to which executives in general, male and female exectuives possessed person-oriented and task-oriented leadership traits.

Look at the challenge of gender equity and global trends and its impact on Eskom / Women form 52 percent of the adult population in South Africa, the majority of the population, but their status in the workplace is marginalized. The Commission of Employment Equity 2003 report revealed that women represent only 37% of the total workforce and 21% of all senior management positions and only 14% of top management positions. The study firstly investigates if gender barriers are creating obstacles for the advancement of women to senior management positions. The evidence of the research indicates that barriers do exist and the most prominent of these barriers included organizational culture, men not supporting women in the organization, division of labour, lack of after care facilities and women not supporting each other. Organizations need to admit that barriers do exist before any meaningful change can be made to the working environment of women. Secondly the study investigates the impact of gender equity targets as some organizations are attempting to increase the number of women in their business. Although gender targets results in an increase of women in the workplace it has negatively impacted the morale of men. Lastly the effectiveness of some of the strategies like mentorship, training and development, networking, flexible work policies are examined. These strategies will only be effective if the organizations are committed in ensuring a balanced workforce. Organizations needs to realize that diversity should be seen as a great opportunity to be encouraged and nurtured. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

The main purpose of this study was to determine the positive relationship between transformational leadership and organisational culture using a sample of 238 employees of a military organisation. A secondary objective was to determine whether individuals from different race, position and age groups differ significantly in perception regarding transformational leadership and organisational culture. The instruments used in the study were the Leadership Profile Inventory and the Organisational Culture Inventory. The results of the empirical study indicated that there was a significant statistical positive relationship between transformational leadership and the constructive dimension of organisational culture. The findings also indicated that demographic groups differ significantly in perception regarding transformational leadership and organisational culture. It is recommended that interventions aimed at leadership development and organisational culture change take into consideration the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational culture. This study is concluded with recommendations for industrial and organisational psychology practices and further research. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The question of how to address diversity in the professional training of clinical psychologists is of concern in South Africa and elsewhere. This concern is particularly salient in contemporary South Africa, where much of the sociopolitical discourse centres on issues of race, transformation, relevance and redress. This research is in line with current debates, and set out to explore the self articulated racial identities as well as the impact of those identities on the work of trainees in the second year of their clinical psychology masters degree, at three universities in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Trainees’ perceptions of the role of the universities in facilitating the working through of challenges identified in trainees’ racial identities and in facilitating multiracial competencies, were also explored in this study. Individual interviews were conducted with nineteen trainee psychologists. A minimally structured questionnaire was used in this qualitative inquiry. The theoretical framework underpinning the methodology used in this thesis endeavour, with a critical lens as background, is primarily supported by the “interpretive” or “hermeneutic” approach to psychological theory. Critical theory offered further support to understanding some of the complex issues in working with racialised discourses. Whilst all trainees identified themselves in racial terms, race continues to be a complex and, for many, a painful construct. For many, the family has been the primary source of racial socialisation, largely premised on essentialist, stereotypical discourse. With regard to the impact of their racial identity on their work, many indicate that their race significantly impacted on this. They reported a particular concern with working in cross-racial dyads. Racial difference was sometimes reported to enhance the clinical process, but was far more often experienced as a difficulty. The trainees were unanimous that the universities at which they had studied had fallen far short of what they would have wished in terms of facilitating multiracial competencies. The findings suggest that whilst legislation has changed the political profile of South Africa, the process of transformation within the psychological sites studied, is cause for concern. The dissatisfaction with the training provided, for many trainees centres around issues of relevance to the South African context. Despite efforts by some universities to diversify the racial profile of trainees, in the attempt to address the needs of people of colour, trainees believe efforts to be insufficient. While this study did not collect data, that could corroborate or question the opinions of trainees, results clearly suggest that trainee psychologists do not believe universities are currently doing enough. The implications of the trainees’ views are discussed and implications considered for trainees, trainers, the users of psychological services, and for the role of psychology as a discipline in civil society.