<p> This dissertation explores a gap in understanding about how hiring managers determine whether an ex-offender job applicant passes or fails a selection and hiring process based on their subjective evaluations of the applicant. The research question posed was <i>how do hiring managers describe the process of considering ex-offender job applicants?</i> A grounded theory design was selected to answer the research question so that a concept, model, and/or theory could be developed. The larger population for this dissertation research included hiring managers within organizations residing in the state of Oregon. The sample was recruited from publicly available Chamber of Commerce directories, and consisted of eight voluntary participants from five small businesses who had varied experiences with considering ex-offender applicants for employment. These experiences were analyzed using systematic grounded theory data analysis techniques to develop a theory. The proposed theory explains the concepts and processes that participants used when evaluating an ex-offender applicant for employment and includes 32 detailed concepts and considerations for hiring decisions model. The model explains how participants weighed applicant offense history, severity of crime, and job position requirements when evaluating an applicant. The proposed theory contains three phases, which include a hiring manager’s worldview concerning ex-offenders, such as a belief that employing ex-offenders is a service to the community that reduces crime; a hiring manager’s cognitive and psychological processes related to recruitment, selection, and integration of ex-offenders into his or her organization; and the primary phase where the decision undergoes additional scrutiny when the applicant is an ex-offender. Movement through these phases appeared to assist participants in arriving at a decision to hire or not hire an ex-offender applicant. Further research is suggested to test and refine the proposed theory and its components.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10258419 |
| Date | 31 March 2017 |
| Creators | Dunn, Leonard K. |
| Publisher | Capella University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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