This thesis purpose was to examine to what extent and why loan officers’ judgment influence mortgage credit decisions. A mixed method was used to collect primary data from loan officers’ at a Swedish commercial bank. Quantitative data were collected from 39 loan officers answering an identical mortgage application, and qualitative data were collected from interviews held with five loan officers. The findings showed a considerable inconsistency among the loan officers' mortgage credit decisions and that judgment plays a vital role in the decision-making process. The credit amount granted ranged from SEK 4.25 million to 5.6 million, whereas the charged interest rate ranged from 40 to 51 basis points across four fixed interest periods. Overall, the findings can be understood by loan officers’ lacked explicit rules controlling the relationship between assessing data presented in the mortgage application and which credit decisions they should make. The theoretical contribution of the thesis is to enhance our understanding of how loan officers make credit decisions and the role of judgment in the process. The research findings imply that households should expect large variations in offered credit amounts and interest rates, depending on which loan officer managing their loan application.

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of poaching within the Southern Appalachian Region. To date, little research has been conducted on the general topic of poaching and no studies have focused on this Region. Several research questions were pursued, including perceptions of poacher motivations, methods and concern regarding apprehension and punishment. The study gathered data through qualitative interviews with 27 conservation officers and outdoorsmen located in Southern Appalachia to address these questions. Results provided useful information regarding the unique characteristics of the poaching problem within the Region, which are discussed in detail. Implications and directions for future research are also covered.

Research relating to police stress has typically focused on officers working in urban areas, neglecting their rural counterparts. This is especially true of conservation officers, who are tasked with enforcing laws in state parks and other recreational areas. To date, only a handful of studies have sought to better understand their experiences and perceptions. This is problematic due to the fact that these officers face unique duty-related stressors and are increasingly tasked with performing more general law enforcement duties (e.g., drug enforcement, serving warrants). The current study seeks to further our understanding of the topic using survey data gathered from 346 conservation officers spread across six states. Specifically, it assesses whether officer characteristics (e.g., age, education, length of service) and frequency of performing traditional law enforcement duties influence perceived stress. Results of the multivariate analyses indicate that higher levels of education, longer tenures in the field, and a higher frequency of performing traditional duties all serve to increase officer stress. The implications of these finding for conservation agencies and their officers are discussed.

Previous research on the community supervision model entitled Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) focuses on the increased attention trained probation officers (POs), as opposed to non-trained POs, pay to using core correctional practices (Smith et al. 2012). While studies like this present a picture of what POs do during face-to-face interactions, there is little focus on PO perceptions of these day-to-day practices. Furthermore, still less studies center the clients on supervision in order to better understand topics such as ideal PO, ideal relationship, and perceptions of common community supervision strategies. To address these gaps, this study uses 30 semi-structured interviews with 15 POs and 15 clients either employed by or under supervision in West County in a northwest state in the U.S. Findings highlight the importance of identity verification for both PO and client. Moreover, this study highlights specific strategies used by POs seeking to balance the care and control aspects of their job. In addition, findings highlight the negative impact that grouping or labeling has on clients, while also showing the potentially positive effect addressing these fears has on the PO-client relationship.

African American police officers, as other African Americans, report being subjected to racial profiling by police officers, and that these encounters have, in some cases, resulted in excessive and unjustified use of force. These types of occurrences have resulted in a divide between African American and Caucasian police officers. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of African American male police officers in the State of New Jersey who feel they have been discriminated against by fellow law enforcement officers. Weber's social relationship theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with a snowball sample of 20 participants. Data were coded and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method of analysis. Findings revealed that most participants felt they had been stopped for no reason, and that they were disrespected by fellow officers, even when they revealed they were law enforcement officers. Many times, participants sensed that the disclosure of their status as a police officer was met with increased suspicion. Consistent with social relationship theory, a significant theme was that participants perceived that they were considered by Caucasian officers to be a member of a subgroup, rather than a member of the dominant group. The implications for positive social change include recommendations to law enforcement policymakers and leaders to learn about the detrimental effects of racial profiling on African American male police officers' morale, work ethic, job satisfaction, and personal feelings of worth as well as to focus resources on creating stronger policies against racial profiling and effective training and oversight of police officers.

Role Conflict and Nonsexual Boundary Violations Among Correctional Officers by Ronald Ruggiero Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Service--Criminal Justice Walden University May 2014 Abstract Despite the growing presence of prisons in American society, little is known about challenges experienced in the job performed by correctional officers (COs); specifically, no research has investigated how their intermediary status between inmates and prison management can result in role conflict. This descriptive case study explored role conflict among 10 retired CO's and the presence of inmates who enter prison with a high public profile. It also examined and if nonsexual boundary violations are prompted by COs' role conflict. Role conflict theory provided the framework for the study. Open-ended interview questions were generated to address the study's research questions, which concerned the effects of role conflict on COs' perceptions of prison operations, safety, and employee morale. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, then analyzed for recurring themes using open and axial coding. Three themes emerged from the analysis: high-profile inmates were described as more popular, more intelligent, and more manipulative than regular prisoners. These differences heightened the possibility for affinity between inmates and CO's, which contributed to perceptions of role conflict among the COs assigned to guard high-profile inmates. This study contributes to social change by providing insight into the challenges of COs' job roles that may influence the training and development for prison staff and management of high profile inmates.

The problem: A historical study of the United States Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corus Tragic as it may seem, every generation of Americans, without exception, has had to go to war. Americans, as hopeful and idealistic about peace as any people in history, have been forced into war three times in four decades—twice in the last one. When a great nation must choose between war and survival, there really is no choice. It must fight.

Swedish correctional facilities are under heavy pressure; overcrowding and its difficulties are threatening security. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of correctional officers' reflections on risk, concerns, consequences of overcrowding and risk minimizing measures existing in custody. Three research questions are asked: How do employees reflect their concerns in relation to work-related risk, and how can ontological security be disturbed? What risks and concerns do employees reflect on in relation to prevailing overcrowding? And how do correctional officers reflect on which risk management the authorities taken to minimize risks for the employees? Little previous research has focused on custody. Nevertheless, research in custody service showed, influencing factors on staff regarding psychosocial factors, exposure to violence and the consequences of overcrowding. This study is based on qualitative interviews where correctional officers reflected over the before mentioned research questions. The result showed a sociologically interesting and social problem that several risks and concerns in relation to how employee’s workplace effects private life. For example, education was found to be a risk prevention measure in order to minimize risks and increase risk awareness among correctional officers. Furthermore, it showed how the phenomena of overcrowding has an impact on and increases solitary work. / Kriminalvården i Sverige är under hård belastning och överbeläggningens placeringssvårigheter hotar säkerheten. Syftet med denna studie är att erhålla empirisk kunskap om häktesanställdas erfarenheter av risk, orosmoment, synliggöra konsekvenser av överbeläggning samt hanteringsåtgärder myndigheten vidtagit i syfte att minimera risker. Vidare ställs tre frågeställningar: Vilka orosmoment reflekterar häktesanställda över i relation till arbetets risker samt hur kan den ontologiska skyddshinnan rubbas? Vilka risker och orosmoment reflekterar häktesanställda över i relation till rådande överbeläggning? Vilka säkerhets- och riskhanteringsåtgärder reflekterar häktesanställda över att myndigheten vidtagit i syfte att minimera risker för de anställda? Tidigare forskning relaterat till häkten är relativt outforskad. Forskning inom kriminalvård belyser bland annat, psykosociala faktorer, våldsutsatthet och överbeläggningens konsekvenser. Denna studie är baserad på kvalitativa intervjuer där häktesanställda reflekterade över tidigare nämnda frågeställningar. Resultatet visar ett sociologiskt- och ett socialt intressant problem, då flertalet risker och orosmoment påträffades i relation till häktesanställdas arbetsplats och hur arbetssituationen påverkar privatlivet. Grundutbildning påträffades vara en säkerhetsåtgärd, vilken syftar till att minimera risker och öka riskmedvetenheten bland häktesanställda. Slutligen påvisade resultatet att utförandet av ensamarbete ökar och påverkas av fenomenet överbeläggning.

Denna uppsats har genom kvalitativa, djupgående intervjuer med poliserundersökt vilka faktiska omständigheter som påverkar hur poliser bemötergärningspersoner i deras yrkesutövning. I studien behandlas även hur poliser serpå möjligheten att påverka gärningspersoners kriminella aktivitet. Studienredovisar att samtliga respondenter avser att bemöta gärningspersoner medrespekt, men bemötandet är till mångt och mycket beroende av hurgärningspersonen agerar gentemot poliserna. Huruvida respondenterna gavutrymme åt att reflektera kring gärningspersoners bakgrund varierade, där somligauppgav att reflektionen ges stort utrymme medan andra uppgav att de väldigtsällan funderade över gärningspersonens bakgrund och förutsättningar.Möjligheten till att påverka gärningspersoners kriminella aktivitet benämndes sombegränsad. Detta då gärningspersonen i slutändan måste fatta ett beslut om attvilja lämna den kriminella livsstilen, om så inte är fallet uppgav respondenternaatt deras möjlighet att påverka är obefintlig. / This paper has examined the actual circumstances that affect how police officerstreat offenders in their profession, through qualitative, in-depth interviews withfive police officers. The study also discusses how the police officers look at thepossibility to influence the offender’s criminal activity. The results reports that allrespondents intend to treat offenders with respect, but the treatment is very muchdependent on the perpetrators acts against the police officers. Whetherrespondents gave space to reflect on the offender’s background varied to somedegree. Though some respondents said that the reflection was given much spacewhile others said that they rarely thought about offender’s backgrounds. Theability to influence offender’s criminal activity as police officers was described asrestricted by the respondents. If the offender doesn’t want to leave the criminallifestyle, it is impossible for the police to influence the offender, according to therespondents.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Problem of the Study The United States has wide global commitments. Thousands of Americans are serving in overseas countries as official representatives of this nation. Air Force officers, airmen and civillian employees, and their dependents, comprise a large part of U.S. representation abroad, stationed with our Air Force organizations abroad is a small but important group of Air Force information officers. They work closely with U.S. diplomatic and information service personnel and aot as public relations advisors to their commanders, official spokesmen for the Air Force and community relations representatives. It is upon the duties and responsibilities of these officers and the necessity that they be provided special training and skills to insure better performance overseas that this study was focused. It is generally accepted that Americans serving overseas require special training and knowledge. The problem tackled in the study was to determine the urgency and degree of the requirement for training and knowledge; the areas of knowledge and special technology essential for maximum productivity of Air Force information officers overseas; and wars and means to make such knowledge available to the officers. Study Methods The following study methods were used: 1. A literature search was conducted in order to examine materials on public relations, information activities abroad, international communications, foreign language and area training, and related fields. It included an examination of materials published by the Departments of State and Defense, the Air Force, Army and Navy. 2. Overseas training facilities in Washington, D.O., were visited or contacted, and various Air Force and other government officials were interviewed. 3. A questionnaire was sent to the entire population of Air Force information officers stationed in foreign countries. It assessed their attitudes and solicited their views on overseas training. Findings and Conclusions It was concluded that: 1. Special training and knowledge are required for the improved performance of Air Force information officers serving overseas. Few Air Force I.O.s are now specifically trained for foreign duties. 2. Selection, initial training, intermediate and advanced education of Air Force I.O.s should be expanded and improved. 3. Foreign language skills and training in the host area should be emphasized, along with education in cultural differences, psychological factors, international relations and U.S. foreign policy. Implication for Future Research In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the need for foreign language skills and knowledge of overseas oulturea on the part of military officers. Special training for overseas duties has been provided special categories of Air Force officers, such as attaches, military assistance and intelligence personnel. Future research should be centered on the possible expansion of overseas training systems to include Air Force information officers as recommended in this study. / 2031-01-01