The success of an organization's employees is affected by many factors, including the organizational entry process itself. While much emphasis is given to the selection of new employees and developing them for future advancement, organizations, employees and universities often overlook the critical process of transforming the new employee from naive outsider to knowledgeable insider capable of making a significant contribution. Although the research shows that the first year is a critical time period, the organizational entry and socialization processes are not well understood. In particular, very little research is available to describe the process from the new employee's perspective rather than the organizations. The central question of this study is: what exactly do new college graduates encounter as they enter work organizations and does that experience affect their opinions and attitudes. An exploratory, descriptive study of Virginia Tech's May 1990 undergraduate graduating class was conducted to systematically describe and analyze their transition from college into work organizations. Key research questions included analyzing demographic characteristics; the effectiveness of their preparation for the transition; their perceptions of the organizational entry experience; their opinions about their first jobs and organizations; their understanding of their organization's structure and culture; the extent to which their expectations about the job were met; their attitudes toward their organizations; the tactics and strategies they used to adapt; and the socialization tactics they encountered. The survey was mailed to 2,306 graduates approximately one year after graduation with 846 (38.6%) returned. Only those employed in a position appropriate for starting their career and employed in a business or for-profit organization were used in this study (n=378). Data were factor analyzed and then mean responses calculated for scales identified. Correlational analysis and analyses of variance were used to probe for possible relationships between the scales. Respondents generally reported positive transition experiences but with considerable variability. However, use of individual adaptation strategies and organizational socialization strategies were low. Important relationships were found between critical job attitudes, anticipation of the transition, organizational socialization strategies and individual adaptation strategies and important aspects of the transition. Implications for HRD programming, university curricula and individual career strategies are discussed. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the compensation preferences of seniors at the University of Central Florida. The sample consisted of 86 females and 77 males currently registered as seniors at the university. Subjects were mailed a questionnaire and asked to rank order 11 compensation options and answer nine demographic questions. One-way and repeated measures analyses of variance were used to compute significant differences, 10 were found between groups in compensation preferences as related to the demographic variables. For example, those students with children had significant differences in preferences for four of the options. Significant differences in rankings were also found for all 11 options within the academic major categories. Three of the groups had no significant differences in preferences for the options including males and females.

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of each of the production typewriting factors of keystroking, planning, and error correction on proficiency at typing business letters at two levels of instruction, at three levels of difficulty, and under three conditions. The conditions were designed to isolate the effect of each of the three factors on proficiency in typing business letters. A secondary purpose was to estimate the relationship between straight copy and letters, between letter conditions, and between speed and accuracy for straight copy and letters. The study involved 107 beginning typewriting students and 84 advanced typewriting students who were enrolled in six suburban high schools in Virginia. The same straight-copy timed writings and business letters were used in both the beginning and the advanced typewriting classes. The two 3- minute timed writings consisted of paragraph materials that had a stroke intensity of 6.0. The nine business letters also had a stroke intensity of 6.0 and consisted of three 150-word letters at low, medium, and high difficulty levels. The primary data analysis of mean performance scores for speed and accuracy on letters was carried out via repeated measures ANOVAS. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to compute the relationship between variables. Some of the major findings of the study were as follows: 1. Keystroking accounted for a little less than half of total production time, planning accounted for a third of production time, and error correction accounted for approximately a fifth of production time. 2. Keystroking and error correction were greatest for low difficulty letters; planning was greatest for high difficulty letters. 3. At the advanced instructional level, the percentages of production time used for keystroking and planning increased, while the percentage of production time used for error correction decreased. 4. The correlation between straight copy and letters for speed was moderate to high; the correlation between straight copy and letters for accuracy was low. 5. The correlations between letter conditions were high for speed and moderate for errors. 6. For straight copy, the correlations between speed and accuracy were not significantly different from zero. For letters there was a weak negative relationship between speed and accuracy. / Ed. D.

This dissertation provides an economic explanation for Ph.D. unemployment. The discussion begins with a theoretical investigation of policy making in nonprofit colleges. The predictions of this analysis are that colleges will operate less efficiently than for-profit firms; that faculty salaries will exceed market-clearing levels (in most disciplines); and that faculty salaries will tend to equalize across disciplines (while market-clearing salaries will probably vary across disciplines). The theory of rent-seeking unemployment is then presented. When the academic wage exceeds the nonacademic wage, those gaining faculty positions receive rents; so some individual will refuse nonacademic jobs (accept unemployment) and search for rent-yielding academic jobs. The hypothesis is that unemployment rates will be highest in those disciplines where the intersectoral wage differential is greatest. Empirical evidence is presented which supports the major hypotheses of this study. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the selected students' characteristics, participation in vocational education, and the labor market achievement (job satisfactoriness, income, job satisfaction) of 1983/84 graduates of a comprehensive high school in S.W. Virginia. Data were collected from students, their academic records (transcripts and test records), the students and their employer follow-up. The selected student characteristic variables used were: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT VARIABLES: Grade Point Average (GPA), Virginia Competency Test scores in Reading and Mathematics (VCT-Reading, VCT-Math); ACADEMIC APTITUDE VARIABLES: Science Research Associate scores in Language and Applied Science (SRA-Lang., SRA-App. Sci.); SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES: Educational level of head of household (HEAD-ED); OTHER VARIABLES: the number of vocational education credits taken (VTE-Credit), Sex, Job Satisfactoriness (Boss-Sat) of the graduates, job performance, income earned per hour, and Job . Satisfaction. The data collected were analyzed by using the stepwise regression to predict the labor market achievement variables. A partial correlation was used to investigate the relationship between overall labor market achievement variables and each of the independent variables while the effect of others were controlled. Cohen's criteria were used to investigate the strength of relationship (practical importance) between variables. The coefficient of determination and the partial correlation of the findings outlined below were too small to be of practical importance in the investigation of high school graduates' labor market achievement. However, the results of the analyses of graduates' job satisfactoriness showed that male graduates with high academic achievement, low socioeconomic status, low aptitude tended to have higher job satisfactoriness. Females with high degree of participation in vocational education tended to experience higher job satisfactoriness. In terms of income earned by male graduates, academic achievement (GPA) was the best predictor. Analysis showed that females with low socioeconomic status (SES) tended to earn higher income. Those females with high degree of participation in vocational education tended to earn higher income. For job satisfaction of males, those with low SES tended to be more satisfied with their job, while females with high aptitude and high degree of participation in vocational education tended to be more satisfied with their jobs. For overall job satisfaction, without sex differentiation, individuals with high academic achievement tended to have low job satisfaction. High aptitude in English language tended to make graduates more satisfied with their jobs. In terms of income, graduates with high achievement tended to earn low income. On job satisfactoriness, graduates with high achievement tended to have higher job satisfactoriness. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

by Lau Yuk-kam, Eileen. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leave 60). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.vii / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Organization of the Report --- p.3 / Chapter II. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.4 / Literature Review --- p.4 / Data Collection --- p.5 / Curricula Information --- p.5 / Job Advertisement --- p.6 / Data Analysis --- p.7 / Chapter III. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.8 / Computer Science (CS) Curriculum --- p.8 / Information System (IS) Curriculum --- p.10 / Differences between CS & IS Curricula --- p.14 / Related Works --- p.15 / Chapter IV. --- RESULTS --- p.17 / Computer Related Curricula in Hong Kong --- p.17 / Computer Related Job Market in Hong Kong --- p.25 / Chapter V. --- ANALYSIS --- p.29 / Design of Computer Curricula by Local Universities --- p.29 / Employers' Perception of CS & IS --- p.31 / CS & IS Job Mis-match --- p.34 / Appropriateness of Universities in Preparing Graduates --- p.35 / Computer Science Curricula --- p.35 / Information Systems --- p.36 / Chapter VI. --- CONCLUSION & FUTURE WORK --- p.38 / Future Work --- p.39 / APPENDIX --- p.41 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.60

by Chung Yuen-wah, Alice & Yam Pui-ling. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese Unviersity of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 80-81.

這項研究探討父母角色、性格及性別相關的變量對香港中學生於事業相關的自我概念發展的影響。事業相關的自我概念包括兩個關鍵構念：職業興趣和職業選擇目標(即抱負和實際期望)。同時，這項研究量度職業抱負和實際期望之間的不一致性(包括興趣類型、職業地位及性別典型性)。研究的六大目標包括：(1)確定社會認知事業理論於香港學生的適用程度，(2) 研究個人(即職業決策自我效能、性格及性別相關的變量)及環境變量(即父母的影響)對職業選擇目標的影響，以拓展社會認知事業理論，(3)識別具文化獨特性的性格維度，以解釋職業興趣和職業選擇目標，(4)估計父母對學生職業選擇目標的影響因素，包括父母社會經濟地位、學生感知的集體職業決策效能、父母期望及支持，(5)探索父母個人對孩子的學業成就和職業選擇的期望，以及對於協助孩子作職業決策的自我效能，及(6)調查性別和性別相關變量(即性別角色的傳統觀念)對於職業選擇目標的影響。一共有1382名中學生參與這項研究。另外，其中114位參加者的父或母親亦參加了這項研究，組成114對親子二人組合。結構方程模型顯示社會認知事業理論中的選擇模型適用於香港學生。此外，具文化普遍性及具文化特定價值的性格因素有效解釋了社會認知事業理論模型中的職業興趣和對興趣類型的自我效能。學生的職業選擇目標及抱負和實際期望的不一致性，亦與職業決策自我效能、父母社會經濟地位、及性別角色觀念直接相關。學生感知的母親影響因素，與學生的職業決策自我效能有直接關係。父親因素對事業發展的影響並無顯著性。大多數性格因素都有效預測職業決策自我效能，而人際取向因素亦與感知的父母影響因素相關。研究亦發現男生和女生於職業興趣、自我效能、性別角色觀念及職業選擇目標有顯著的性別差異。親子二人組合的子樣本顯示父母的期望和學生的選擇目標具一致性。這項研究將個人及文化相關因素融入現有的理論模型，在理論層面上擴大了西方的事業理論框架。在應用層面上，研究結果將有助研究員及教育工作者理解香港中學生的事業發展。 / This study investigated the roles of parental influences, personality and gender variables in career-related self-concept development among secondary school students in Hong Kong. Two key career constructs, namely vocational interests and choice goals (i.e., aspirations and expectations), were included to assess the career-related self-concept. The incongruence between aspirations and expectations, in terms of interest types, occupational status and gender-typicality, was also estimated. The six major goals of this study include: (1) to determine to what extent the choice model of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) is applicable to Hong Kong students, (2) to expand the SCCT by examining how individual (i.e., career decision-making self-efficacy, personality and gender-related variables) and contextual variables (i.e., parental influences) may account for the aspirations and expectations as well as the aspiration-expectation incongruence, (3) to identify the value of culture-relevant, relationship-oriented personality dimension beyond the culture-general dimensions in explaining interests and aspiration-expectation incongruence, (4) to estimate the specific roles of paternal and maternal influences, including parental socio-economic variables, collective contributions to career efficacy, perceived parental expectation and parental support, in the development of aspiration-expectation incongruence, (5) to explore the parents’ perceived expectation on their child’s academic achievement and career choices, as well as their efficacy in assisting their child’s career decision-making, and (6) to investigate the differential effects of gender and gender-related variables (i.e., gender role traditional attitudes) on the development of aspiration-expectation incongruence among boys and girls. A total of 1382 secondary school students and a sub-sample of 114 parent-child dyads were used in this study. Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that the choice model of SCCT was applicable to Hong Kong students. In addition, both culture-general and culture-specific personality factors were useful in explaining vocational interests and self-efficacy in interest types in the SCCT models. In relation to students’ aspirations, expectations and aspiration-expectation incongruence, these factors were directly associated with career decision-making self-efficacy, parental socio-economic variables and gender role attitudes. Perceived parental influences from mother (i.e., collective contributions to career efficacy, perceived parental expectation and parental support) were directly associated with students’ career decision-making self-efficacy and indirectly related to outcomes of aspirations and expectations (via career decision-making self-efficacy). The effects of perceived parental influences from father on career variables were insignificant in general. Most personality factors were predictive of career decision-making self-efficacy. Furthermore, Interpersonal Relatedness was related to perceived parental influences from both parents. Gender differences in interests, self-efficacy, gender role attitudes, and gender-typicality in aspiration-expectation incongruence were observed. As demonstrated in the parent-child dyads, there was a good degree of concordance in interest types and gender-typicality between parents’ expectation and students’ choice goals. Parents’ efficacy in assisting child’s career decision-making was positively associated with students’ perceived career-related parental support. On a theoretical level, this study expanded the current western-based theoretical frameworks by incorporating individual, contextual and cultural variables relevant to the Chinese culture into the existing career models. On an applied level, the findings would inform researchers, practitioners and educators about the career development of secondary school students in Hong Kong. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Wan, Lai Yin. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 228-262). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vi / List of Tables --- p.viii / List of Figures --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER I: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Cultural generalizability of western career theories and models --- p.3 / Possible cultural gaps and cultural biases in current career theories --- p.4 / Need for studying career choices among Hong Kong students --- p.9 / Chapter CHAPTER II: --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.13 / Vocational interests --- p.13 / Vocational choice goals --- p.26 / Theoretical frameworks in studying vocational aspirations and expectations in adolescence --- p.38 / Evaluation of theoretical frameworks in studying vocational interests and choice goals --- p.48 / Predictors of vocational interests and choice goals --- p.52 / Chapter CHAPTER III: --- OBJECTIVES and research questions of the study --- p.77 / Chapter CHAPTER IV: --- METHOD --- p.100 / Participants --- p.100 / Measures --- p.108 / Procedure --- p.119 / Planned analysis --- p.121 / Chapter CHAPTER V: --- RESULTS --- p.123 / Descriptive statistics of major variables --- p.123 / Inter-correlations among demographics and major variables --- p.128 / Differences in major career variables across gender --- p.146 / Measurement applicability of adopted instruments --- p.149 / Identification of the original SCCT choice models --- p.150 / Role of personality factors in the SCCT choice models --- p.155 / Effects of personality, gender role attitudes and perceived parental influences on students’ career decision self-efficacy, occupational status and gender-typicality in career choices --- p.165 / Effects of personality, gender role attitudes and parental influences on career decision self-efficacy and discrepancies in occupational status, gender-typicality and interest types between aspirations and expectations --- p.173 / Concordance between parents’ expectations and students’ aspirations and expectations --- p.182 / Gender differences in parents’ expectations --- p.183 / Inter-relationships between parental efficacy, parental expectation on academic achievement and career choices, and students’ career variables --- p.186 / Incremental values of parent-child concordance, parents’ efficacy and parents’ expectation in explaining students’ career decision-making self-efficacy --- p.194 / Chapter CHAPTER VI: --- DISCUSSION --- p.198 / Applicability of SCCT’s choice models in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents --- p.198 / Interest types of aspirations, expectations, and aspiration-expectation incongruence among Hong Kong students --- p.200 / Interest types, occupational status and gender-typicality of aspirations, expectations, and aspiration-expectation incongruencea gendered pattern --- p.202 / Career decision-making self-efficacy as a key predictor in aspirations, expectations, and aspiration-expectation incongruence --- p.205 / Perceived parental influences on adolescents’ vocational choices in the SCCT framework --- p.206 / Concordance between parents’ expectations and students’ aspirations and expectations --- p.213 / Roles of socio-economic status of parents in adolescents’ career development --- p.215 / Roles of culture-general and culture-specific personality in explaining interests, choice goals and career-related parental influences in SCCT --- p.216 / Limitations of study --- p.220 / Directions for future research --- p.222 / Implications and significance of study --- p.224 / REFERENCES --- p.229

Based on the social cognitive view of the school-to-work transition proposed by Lent, Hackett and Brown (1999), the study presents a comprehensive conceptual framework for career counselling, with special emphasis on enhancing adolescents' career-exploration behaviours and work-related motivations and attitudes. The career readiness model proposed in this study deals with interactions among a number of variables that affect career decision-making self-efficacy, career decision-making outcome expectations, career decision-making intentions, career-exploration behaviour, vocational identity and performance goals. It explains and illustrates the paths and factors that play a significant part in the development of career readiness. / The findings of this study may be used to develop individual and group interventions that will nurture students' school-to-work transitions. / The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships among students' performance goals, vocational identity and career-exploration behaviours and to examine the effects of their personal attributes on these variables. / The results support the hypothesis that career decision-making self-efficacy in plays a significant role in career decision-making outcome expectations, career decision-making intentions, exploration behaviour, performance goals and vocational identity of secondary school students. Most of the structural paths in the model were found to be significant. / The study also shows that a strong intention to develop one's career decision-making capacities may significantly enhance exploration behaviour, which Phillips and Blustein (1994) have found to be a vital element of career readiness and job choice. Exploration behaviour is directly correlated to the development of realistic career expectations (Stumpf & Hartman, 1984) and it enables individuals to determine the suitability of certain work environments (Stumpf et al., 1983). The process of career exploration should therefore be essential preparation for students' job searching. / The study concludes that students' self-efficacy in career decision-making is a crucial factor, which, together with outcome expectations, significantly affects performance goals and exploration activities, and strengthens subsequent effort. Students develop an affinity for career-exploration and decision-making activities when they have sufficient self-efficacy and expect positive outcomes. They normally establish goals for sustaining or increasing their involvement in these activities and maintain high performance goals, which, turn, increase the likelihood of active engagement. / The target population was secondary fourth form and secondary sixth form students in Hong Kong. A total of 1216 students from 14 secondary schools participated in this study. Gender had a more significant impact on scores than the effects of different backgrounds. Male respondents generally had lower mean scores than female respondents in most variables. It was also found that the standard deviations of the male students' scores from were greater than those of female students. Apart from gender differences, there were no significant differences among students from various grade levels and streams of study. / Chui, Yat Hung. / Adviser: Alvin Leung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0584. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 224-246). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Philosophy