A Narrative Inquiry With Three Formerly Abrasive Leaders: Stories of Disruption, Awakening, and Equipping

Psychological aggression in the workplace is known to be destructive. Most commonly, knowledge of this workplace dynamic is through the literature of workplace bullying or abusive supervision and from the perspective of the accuser. Very little is known of the perspective of the accused. Moreover, unknown in the literature is the valued perspective of the leader who (a) acknowledged his or her behavior was inappropriate and (b) significantly improved his or her interpersonal behavior and management strategies. The purpose of this study was to inquire into the experience and meaning making of three formerly abrasive leaders who were positively influenced with intervention and whose complaints of abrasive behaviors were substantially reduced or eliminated. Narrative inquiry, a highly relational and collaborative method, was used to inquire into the developmental experience. Using this method, each leader and the researcher inquired into the stories of the leader. The inquiry culminated with a co-composition of the leader’s experience of moving away from the use of abrasive behavior. Each leader’s co-composition was included as a stand-alone chapter and was the initial level of experiential analysis. The final chapter of this dissertation, a proposed journal article, offered a secondary level of analysis to examine three emergent narrative threads (disruption, awakening, and equipping). Related stories and experiences of each leader were presented within the discussion of each emergent thread. In addition, the conceptual framework of adult development theory, specifically the works of Jack Mezirow and Robert Kegan, enhanced understanding of the experience of each leader. Stories from each leader offered insight into four-shared concepts of Mezirow and Kegan (meaning making, impetus of development, assumptions, and blind spots). Practical implications and study limitations as well as future research directions were also discussed

Abrasive Leaders Who Changed: Learning From Their Experience

The purpose of this paper is to understand the experience of three formerly abrasive leaders who improved their conduct and management strategies following a workplace intervention. Narrative inquiry, a personal and collaborative research method, revealed the experience of three leaders in their shift from destructive behaviors. Concepts from adult development, specifically Kegan\u27s constructive-development theory (CDT) and Mezirow\u27s transformative learning theory (TL), provided a lens to better understand the leaders\u27 personal development. This study culminated with three co-composed narrative accounts and an analysis of narrative threads. The focus of this paper is the interpretive narrative thread analysis. The developmental experience of these three leaders included disruption, awakening and equipping. This study included three leaders. The experience of these leaders may not be representative of other formerly abrasive leaders. This initial exploratory study contributes to CDT and TL by suggesting leader interpersonal development is an intensely emotional experience that transcends the mechanics of developmental stages. In practice, this study indicates abrasive leaders may improve their conduct and management strategies with organizational support, including supervisor intervention and specialized professionals. This paper offers insight for scholars and human resource (HR) professionals on the emotionally intense experiential journey of leaders who improved their interpersonal conduct. This study introduces concepts from CDT and TL into the study of workplace psychological aggression (WPA), and it expands the limited knowledge of how HR can support positive perpetrator change

Community College Student Persistence in the Online Learning Environment

Online course enrollment at community colleges has increased in recent years. Student persistence rates in online courses are lower than in traditional face-to-face courses. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore student perceptions of the external and internal factors that contribute to students’ persistence in online learning. Rovai’s composite persistence model was the conceptual framework used to explore the perceptions of eight students who were 18 and older and had completed a minimum of two online courses within the past 2 years at a Midwest community college in the United States. Findings from inductive coding analysis of semistructured interview data indicated that students perceived that certain individual characteristics, skills, and external factors had a positive influence on their persistence in online courses. Participants also revealed that they were being asked to do tasks online that faculty were not familiar with, indicating a need for faculty to have increased training in online teaching. This study’s findings contribute to positive social change by informing the development of strategic initiatives that may improve student persistence in online courses

A recurring rollercoaster ride: A qualitative study of the emotional experiences of parents of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Background: Despite the wealth of clinical research carried out in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), little is known about the emotional experiences of their parents. This article describes the predominant emotional experiences reported by parents of children with JIA in two Canadian cities. Methods: Research participants included 15 experienced parents and 8 novice parents (\u3c6 months since children\u27s JIA diagnosis). Their children were 2 to 16 years old with various JIA categories. A qualitative dataset including audio recordings and verbatim transcripts of three focus groups, and written reports of 59 reciprocal interviews (parents interviewing each other) were examined by a multidisciplinary research team following a four-step qualitative analytical process. Results: Parents of children with JIA experienced recurrent mixed negative and positive emotions that varied over time. Between disease onset and diagnosis, mounting anxiety, fear and confusion were the predominant emotions. Shortly after diagnosis there were shock, disbelief, and fear, with a sense of having being blindsided by the disease. At times of disease quiescence there was hope and gratitude, but also fatigue and frustration with ongoing treatment and fear of flares. During periods of increasing or ongoing symptoms there was admiration and sympathy for the courageous way children coped with JIA, as well as sorrow and frustration for ongoing pain and limitations. There were at times, frustration and indignation with peers and teachers unable to understand the child\u27s fluctuations in physical activity and schoolwork. Throughout the disease, parents felt an underlying anxiety and powerlessness. Conclusions: Parents of children with JIA described complex emotional journeys akin to the recurring ups and downs of rollercoaster rides, instead of ordered emotional phases ending in resolution. This has implications for healthcare providers who need to be aware of the complexity of these emotional journeys to support parents more effectively, thereby helping improve patient outcomes

Rural Food Pantry Users’ Stigma and Safety Net Food Programs

Increasing numbers of individuals in our community have been seeking local food pantry assistance. Previous studies of food pantries found that users show low rates of governmental aid receipt, especially in rural areas. We assessed evidence that suggests that post-recession need has mitigated rural reluctance to pursue government assistance. The inadequacy of government and local food assistance to address the problem of food insecurity in our community is discussed

The critical components of an electronic care plan tool for primary care: an exploratory qualitative study

Background A critical need exists for effective electronic tools that facilitate multidisciplinary care for complex patients in patient-centered medical homes.Objective To identify the essential components of a primary care (PC) based electronic care plan (ECP) tool that facilitates coordination of care for complex patients.Methods Three focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews were conducted at an academic PC practice in order to identify the ideal components of an ECP.Results Critical components of an ECP identified included: 1) patient background information, including patient demographics, care team member designation and key patient contacts, 2) user- and patient-centric task management functionalities, 3) a summary of a patient’s care needs linked to the responsible member of the care team and 4) integration with the electronic medical record. We then designed an ECP mockup incorporating these components.Conclusion Our investigation identified key principles that healthcare software developers can integrate into PC and patient-centered ECP tools

The future of work in shaping the employment inclusion of young adults with disabilities:a qualitative study

Purpose: The world of work is changing and creating challenges and opportunities for the employment inclusion of young people with disabilities. In this article, the perceptions held by young adults with disabilities regarding participation in the future of work are examined. Design/methodology/approach: One-on-one interviews were conducted with Canadian young adults (ages 18–36 years) living with a disability. Participants were asked about their thoughts regarding the impact of the changing nature of work on their labor market involvement and career aspirations. A thematic analysis was performed to identify and examine emergent salient themes. Findings: In total, 22 young adults were interviewed; over half held secure employment. Career aspirations and work-related decisions were primarily shaped by a participant's health needs. The future of work was seen as a more proximal determinant to employment. Digital technologies were expected to impact working conditions and create barriers and facilitators to employment. Participants who indicated being securely employed held positive expectations regarding the impact of digital technology on their work. Participants working precariously held negative appraisals regarding the impact of digital technologies on employment opportunities. The role of technological and soft skills was critical to participating in a labor market reliant on advanced technology. Participants reported barriers to developing job skills related to their disability and their work arrangements. Originality/value: This research highlights the importance of considering changes in the future of work, especially the digital transformation of the economy, in the design of initiatives which promote the employment inclusion of young adults with disabilities. Despite the significance of the changing nature of work, supporting health needs and encouraging access to secure work arrangements also remain paramount.</p

Effects of Stellar Feedback on Stellar and Gas Kinematics of Star-forming Galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0

Recent zoom-in cosmological simulations have shown that stellar feedback can flatten the inner density profile of the dark matter halo in low-mass galaxies. A correlation between the stellar/gas velocity dispersion (σ_(star), σ_(gas)) and the specific star formation rate (sSFR) is predicted as an observational test of the role of stellar feedback in re-shaping the dark matter density profile. In this work we test the validity of this prediction by studying a sample of star-forming galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 from the LEGA-C survey, which provides high signal-to-noise measurements of stellar and gas kinematics. We find that a weak but significant correlation between σ_(star) (and σ_(gas)) and sSFR indeed exists for galaxies in the lowest mass bin (M_* ~ 10¹⁰ M_⊙). This correlation, albeit with a ~35% scatter, holds for different tracers of star formation, and becomes stronger with redshift. This result generally agrees with the picture that at higher redshifts star formation rate was generally higher, and galaxies at M_* ≾ 10¹⁰ M_⊙ have not yet settled into a disk. As a consequence, they have shallower gravitational potentials more easily perturbed by stellar feedback. The observed correlation between σ_(star) (and σ_(gas)) and sSFR supports the scenario predicted by cosmological simulations, in which feedback-driven outflows cause fluctuations in the gravitation potential that flatten the density profiles of low-mass galaxies

Fragmentation in the future of work:A horizon scan examining the impact of the changing nature of work on workers experiencing vulnerability

Introduction: The future of work is characterized by changes that could disrupt all aspects of the nature and availability of work. Our study aims to understand how the future of work could result in conditions, which contribute to vulnerability for different groups of workers. Methods: A horizon scan was conducted to systematically identify and synthesize diverse sources of evidence, including academic and gray literature and resources shared over social media. Evidence was synthesized, and trend categories were developed through iterative discussions among the research team. Results: Nine trend categories were uncovered, which included the digital transformation of the economy, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning-enhanced automation, AI-enabled human resource management systems, skill requirements for the future of work; globalization 4.0, climate change and the green economy, Gen Zs and the work environment; populism and the future of work, and external shocks to accelerate the changing nature of work. The scan highlighted that some groups of workers may be more likely to experience conditions that contribute to vulnerability, including greater exposure to job displacement or wage depression. The future of work could also create opportunities for labor market engagement. Conclusion: The future of work represents an emerging public health concern. Exclusion from the future of work has the potential to widen existing social and health inequities. Thus, tailored supports that are resilient to changes in the nature and availability of work are required for workers facing vulnerability