The purpose of this grounded theory study was to better understand the differences in the way older, male workers perceived themselves as they aged, particularly with reference to work and aspects of the work environment. Career theorists have, for the most part, paid scant attention to this population. Research efforts that have focused on the “older worker” implicitly assume that they are homogeneous, that aging itself has a uniform impact, and that aging is a process of inevitable loss. A grounded theory approach was chosen because it was deemed most suitable to explore the phenomena because the basic variables were not readily identifiable, the field was rather ill-defined, and the research questions were best asked from within the “lived experience” of the participants. A sample of older, male workers, who were actively employed, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. A number of major categories and subcategories emerged through the research analysis including attitudes toward aging, the meaning of work, and the value of interpersonal relationships. The content of these categories were observed to change over the lives of the respondents, and these changes were neither uniform nor necessarily predictable. The differences that were observed among, and within, the respondents were attributable to the interaction of the level of cognitive development, locus of control, self-knowledge, interpersonal orientation, adaptive competence, spiritual courage, and the emotional viability of one's life story. The results of the study suggest that “older workers” do not constitute a unique population within the general workforce and that, in the future, researchers must attend to their individual differences. The findings of the study provide strong support for the notion that adult development is not the result of the passage of time alone, but rather is the result of an interaction among a diversity of factors. The results also affirm that, for many older workers, aging is a time of ongoing growth and renewal, and further that personal development is inseparable from career development. Older workers have the potential to not only contribute to the postmodern workplace, but also markedly enhance the quality of working life for all. / Graduate

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this thesis was to look at the relationship between the experiences of work related stress among male bank employees and how they dealt with potential stress. The thesis focused on male bank employee’s experiences and management of work related stress with the control requirements and support model as a starting point. Work related stress is a phenomenon that has become a serious problem with economic impact for both the individual and organizations. Increased absence from work due to medical issues is one example of such consequences. The study is based on a field survey at a bank office located in a municipality in the middle part of Sweden. Four male bank employees were interviewed. The result of the study showed that working conditions affected how the men experienced and dealt with work related stress. The conclusion was that a lack of demands, control and support in the workplace affected the personal life, and this imbalance could lead to stress. In order to deal with the work related stress, the bank employees tried to take control over their work situation and after work they dealt with the stress by exercising and dog-walks to name a few examples.

Thesis (D.B.A.)--Argosy University, Sarasota, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-[176]).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Daniel S. Hamermesh. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

In higher education, the field of student affairs, as demonstrated in previous research, suffers from high turnover, and often, the choice to leave the student affairs field seems to coincide with starting a family and simultaneously taking care of elder family members. Previous research has demonstrated that care-giving commitments hinder women in the advancement of their career and given the changing culture of shared care-giving responsibilities, the previous findings may now be true for men as well. This study focused on Caucasian male middle managers’ perceptions of the student affairs work environment in relation to their families and workplace supportiveness and advancement. I interviewed eight Caucasian, male student affairs middle managers about their perceptions about workplace supportiveness of family obligations in the student affairs field. The participants placed high importance on family and were no longer willing to risk family life for career success. All eight men talked fondly of their family obligations and were willing to change career paths to demonstrate how much they valued their families. In addition, these men frequently commented on the desire to represent cultural change. Therefore, student affairs divisions should implement supportive informal benefits across the board to all professional full time employees for increasing long term stability in the field of student affairs.

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