An Explanatory Sequential Study of Cadet Commitment at the United States Air Force Academy

Character and leadership are the essence of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). USAFA’s mission is to develop leaders of character responsible for defending this nation. Our country has the most lethal Air Force this world has ever known. The men and women entrusted with protecting its citizens must be committed to the highest standards of ethical leadership. To accomplish this, USAFA provides a robust education and training program with extensive opportunities for cadet development. However, achieving USAFA’s vision of creating the nation’s best leaders of character relies upon cadet trust in the process and commitment to their development into leaders with high character. Although commitment is an instrumental measure for understanding human behavior and a central component of learning organizations, it has never been studied at USAFA. To fill this gap, this study used an explanatory-sequential design by first employing a survey to quantitatively measure how committed cadets are to their development as leaders of character and to USAFA as an organization and then to determine which factors are associated with commitment variation. The second phase of the study used semistructured interviews to understand commitment antecedents more comprehensively, as well as how and why these variables are related to commitment. Although commitment research, generally, has focused on outcomes (e.g., performance, job satisfaction, and turnover reduction), understanding the factors that explain variation in commitment-related outcomes is vital to improving organizational effectiveness. The range of cadet commitment to the mission and organization was significant with commitment antecedents at the personal, interpersonal and organizational levels. Expected findings included the prominence of person-fit characteristics, the importance of leadership, and the influence of organizational subcultures (e.g., squadrons, teams). Key findings included the interrelationship between goals, identity, motivation, and priorities and their impact on commitment; the power of social influence (e.g., cynicism); and how organizational factors (e.g., communication, empowerment, trust, and workload) impact cadet commitment. Emergent findings included the power of perspectives; the decrease in cadet commitment to USAFA over time; the higher level of organizational commitment of female cadets compared to their male counterparts; and an awareness of how COVID-19 can affect commitment

Manufacturing in Scotland

Set against the backdrop of current thinking that UK manufacturing needs to move into higher value, this report, commissioned on behalf of the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) Board, set out to: Give an account of the current status of manufacturing SME’s in Scotland including current activities, aspirations, strategies and challenges facing them; Assess the progress Scotland has made towards high value manufacturing; Make recommendations as to the type of support needed to enable Scottish manufacturing SMEs invest in their long-term future. The resulting report is based on findings of a survey that delivered responses from 435 Scottish manufacturing companies and in-depth interviews with directors of 45 companies. This research was carried out during the period April to September 2008. Our research suggests that there have been significant shifts within manufacturing SMEs in Scotland. The most notable shifts include: A shift in the basis of competition. Our research suggests that the primary basis of competition for Scottish manufacturing SMEs is not price. Increasingly Scottish SMEs are adding value through quality and customer service. A shift in the nature and scope of operations. Whilst the primary business function of manufacturing companies remains production, there is evidence of increasing levels of design and service activity taking place. Companies reported they expected this trend to continue as the shift in the basis of competition away from price towards innovation and customer service gains pace. These changes suggest a move towards high value manufacturing. However there are major challenges facing Scottish SMEs if they are to compete on new value propositions. Of particular concern are: Lack of strategic vision and understanding of the capabilities and competencies needed to compete on the new value propositions. Whilst companies largely recognise the need to improve manufacturing efficiency, many have not embraced the need to develop and improve processes that deliver value to the customer (eg. Customer service processes, new product development processes etc). If customer service, innovation and quality are key differentiators and the way they add value, then companies need to ensure they have sustainable processes to deliver this value. Changes in operational activity have tended to be the result of evolution and opportunity rather than coherent operational strategy. Many companies need help in generating and enacting strategic change There is a lack of appreciation of the potential value of innovation in delivering value (and indeed the understanding of innovation in its many guises). Almost all companies interviewed reported some problems finding and retaining staff. Whilst in some cases labour shortages were due to specific skills and knowledge, there was also a general problem recruiting people with basic employability who had a desire to work in manufacturing. The poor image of manufacturing was a worry to the vast majority of interviewees. Many companies recognised the potential to exploit opportunities overseas. Some alluded to the fact that it might not be enough to market and export overseas, but that a manufacturing presence may be needed to fully exploit the opportunity. In terms of the support needed, companies stated that they would be looking increasingly for help and support in the areas of manufacturing efficiency and sales and marketing. Supply chain was also an area where companies reported they would be looking for help and support. Companies also suggested that they would like to see improvements in terms of “community”, with a number of interviewees looking for help in accessing not just help and support, but also introductions to other organisations. The research team believe that whilst not always recognised by the companies, support is also needed in the areas of strategy (and linked to this leadership) and in developing and improving processes that add value. Finally, the research suggests worryingly low levels of manufacturing entrepreneurship in Scotland, with only 3% of companies surveyed established within the past 5 years. This is worthy of further investigation. 4 Key findings and recommendations are expanded upon in Table 1. However the key recommendations can be summarised as: Manufacturing SMEs continue to require support in manufacturing efficiency, sales and marketing and supply chain. As companies move away from price as the main basis for competition and towards alternative value propositions, they also need support in developing and enacting strategy. Of particular urgency, companies need help in developing and improving the processes and capabilities that deliver value (beyond traditional manufacturing) Establishing processes that support innovation and product development will be central to the sustainability of many Scottish SMEs Further work needs to be done to investigate the apparent low levels of manufacturing start-ups Further work is needed to understand the areas where Scottish SMEs can actually compete on high volume /low complexity – often due to “localisation” factors Consideration should be given to supporting companies who wish to establish manufacturing overseas to exploit global opportunitiesA skills strategy must be created in line with the needs of manufacturing industry The poor image of manufacturing in Scotland needs to be addresse

Spartan Daily, February 23, 1988

Volume 90, Issue 15https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7674/thumbnail.jp

The increasing rate of undergraduate male attrition: What the men tell us. A qualitative case study.

The current study explores the factors that may contribute to undergraduate male attrition and ways of improving retention at James Madison University (JMU) using qualitative case study methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five men who were currently enrolled at JMU, six men who had previously been enrolled at JMU but who had left before completing a degree, and two university administrators who work closely with students at risk of dropping out. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. They were analyzed using QSR’s N-Vivo 9, a qualitative data management software package. Themes and sub-themes emerged around two major categories: factors that contribute to undergraduate male attrition and factors that may encourage male retention. Major themes around factors contributing to attrition included incomplete cognitive maturity, financial difficulties, lack of motivation, and JMU-specific factors. Sub-themes around factors that encourage retention included mentorship programs, exploration classes, alcohol-management programs, and off-campus supervision

The Alestle - Vol. 50 No. 29 - 10/30/1997

Vol. 50 No. 2

Columbia Chronicle (03/10/1997)

Student newspaper from March 10, 1997 entitled The Chronicle of Columbia College Chicago. This issue is 20 pages and is listed as Volume XXX, Number 19. Cover story: Dorms raise money for Girl-X: the 9-year-old brutally beaten at Cabrini-Green captured the attention of Columbia College Editor in Chief: John Henry Biedermanhttps://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle/1375/thumbnail.jp

The Lived Experience of Clinical Nurse Experts Transitioning to the Role of Novice Educators

The national nursing shortage is compounded by a critical shortage of nursing faculty. Despite a growing interest in nursing, thousands of qualified applicants are turned away primarily due to lack of faculty to teach. The recruitment of expert nurses from clinical practice is one strategy being utilized by many colleges and universities to fill faculty vacancies. Many novice educators enter academia lacking formal preparation in teaching and learning; orientation and mentoring programs vary greatly between institutions, making the transition challenging. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain insight into the experiences of clinical nurse experts transitioning to the role of novice educators. Nine novice educators from associate degree nursing programs in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States participated in this study. In-depth interviews using open-ended questions were conducted, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis and manual coding resulted in five themes: (a) anticipating the transition, (b) starting out, (c) learning to teach, (d) factors influencing the transition, and (e) getting there. Findings from this study revealed the transition experience from expert clinician to novice educator to be complex and challenging. Participants lacked knowledge about how to teach and were ill-prepared for the role of nurse educator. Many experienced shortened orientations and inadequate mentoring and had to navigate academia on their own. Informal mentoring and support by co-workers was found to play a critical role in facilitating the transition. Novice educators also reported that their nursing expertise and experience was helpful in increasing their comfort level in the clinical setting. Despite many challenges, participants exhibited perseverance and started to identify growth, recognize rewards, find satisfaction in their role, and a desire to continue. Findings from this study support previous findings in the nursing literature. This study uniquely contributes to the body of knowledge by filling in a research gap: the transition experience in full-time appointments in the community college setting. Implications for nursing education include identifying educators earlier in their careers, integrating pedagogical training in graduate education including a teaching practicum, developing evidence-based orientation and mentoring programs, and advocating for funding to make faculty salaries more competitive with industry and advanced practice