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1 – 10 of 21Efforts to make the television landscape more equitable for people of color have been evident both within and outside the industry as early as the 1940s. These advancements made…
Abstract
Efforts to make the television landscape more equitable for people of color have been evident both within and outside the industry as early as the 1940s. These advancements made by individuals within broadcasting were an attempt to allow more people of color to get opportunities to prove themselves competent in front of and behind the scenes in broadcast television. While these early attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, they laid the groundwork for future diversity initiative efforts. The purpose of this chapter is to expose the landmark events that introduced changes in diversity policy that eventually resulted from diversity initiatives at NBC despite the racial barriers within its corporate structure. This chapter will show that the trajectory of these early events exhibits that the diversity initiatives seen today resulted from decades of pressure from the government, the press and outside citizen activist groups.
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Joanna F. Norman, Leah Aiken and Tomika W. Greer
The purpose of this research was to empirically examine the career transitions of mid-career African American women leaving traditional careers for entrepreneurship. The authors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research was to empirically examine the career transitions of mid-career African American women leaving traditional careers for entrepreneurship. The authors illustrate how transition theory and effectuation principles ameliorate an African American woman's transition to entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with nine African American woman entrepreneurs. The data collected were evaluated through the lens of transition theory and effectuation theory.
Findings
The study results show that despite being the chief officer, many African American women still face inequalities when negotiating business deals, interacting with partners and when seeking capital for their business. Effectuation theory partially supports an African American woman's career transition to entrepreneurship, but the theory does not fully address the unique experiences of this demographic.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this study reveal that effectuation principles do not fully explain the entrepreneurial career transition experiences of African American women. Theory development and extensions of existing theories should consider the potential discriminatory practices that limit financial resources and strategic partnerships for African American women entrepreneurs. The authors also advocate for consideration of identities, particularly related to gender and race, as factors that contribute to entrepreneurial experiences.
Practical implications
The study findings support the notion that each woman's situation will be different and unique, requiring aspiring African American woman entrepreneurs to assess their individual situation. Consistent access to minority-specific programs can help aspiring African American women entrepreneurs visualize her new identity and provide the support needed to enhance her career transition. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so each woman will need to craft her own individualized plan.
Social implications
Findings from this study solidify the role of African American women entrepreneurs as business leaders with influence and direct impact on the US economy. Their success enables African American women to contribute to more inclusive societies through their service to diverse members of society. In addition, their attainment of success serves as a testimony to aspiring African American women that entrepreneurial success is achievable, encouraging more diversity in entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
Few entrepreneurial studies exist on both women and racial minorities, resulting in a paucity of strategies to support African American women throughout their entrepreneurial journey. The results of this study revealed barriers which require specific strategies to address discriminatory lending practices and acceptance when forging new business relationships.
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Leah Halliday and Charles Oppenheim
Economic aspects of digital journal production and delivery were explored using Ithink Analyst, a modelling software package. Three models were developed and simulations were used…
Abstract
Economic aspects of digital journal production and delivery were explored using Ithink Analyst, a modelling software package. Three models were developed and simulations were used to monitor the effect of variations in the values of key model elements. The results suggest that scholarly journals can be produced and distributed for a modest fee as long as there are at least 500 subscribers. Alternative models such as author‐funded production are also viable. While a model that shares costs between authors and subscribers is viable, administration of two sets of fees would increase costs.
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Leah Joyce Ellison, Tara McClure Johnson, David Tomczak, Alina Siemsen and Manuel Francisco Gonzalez
The use of game-based assessments (GBAs) is growing in selection contexts, yet test-takers have varying reactions to such assessments, which have important implications for…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of game-based assessments (GBAs) is growing in selection contexts, yet test-takers have varying reactions to such assessments, which have important implications for applicant behavior. This paper reviews the literature on applicant reactions and explores classic assessment models in the context of GBAs, identifying best practice recommendations and pitfalls for enhancing the candidate experience.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 374 participants from MTurk completed cognitive GBAs and questionnaires regarding test-taker reactions (job-relatedness, perceived opportunity to perform, provision of selection information, face validity, task engagement, task motivation and willingness to refer others to the company), technology self-efficacy, and game/technology experience.
Findings
Fairness mediated the relationship between procedural justice rules and willingness to recommend the company to others. Technology self-efficacy was significantly related to fairness perceptions and procedural justice perceptions. Males had significantly higher procedural justice perceptions of GBAs than females.
Research limitations/implications
The study underscores the importance of considering fairness perceptions and individual differences in reactions to GBAs. Future research should study participants within high-stakes hiring situations and examine other individual difference factors such as ethnicity.
Practical implications
GBAs are a viable assessment method for personnel selection, yet organizations must recognize that individuals are more likely to respond positively to GBAs if they perceive such assessments as fair and job-related, and perceive themselves as capable of performing well on the assessment.
Originality/value
This study tests a classic model of procedural fairness in a novel and timely assessment context.
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A recent study considered the extent of workplace bullying in four-year colleges and universities (Hollis, 2015a). However, as 60% of all community college employees (faculty and…
Abstract
A recent study considered the extent of workplace bullying in four-year colleges and universities (Hollis, 2015a). However, as 60% of all community college employees (faculty and staff) are represented by collective bargaining (Berry, Savarese, & Boris, 2012), no studies consider the impact of labor unions on the extent of workplace bullying at community colleges and the impact on people of color in labor unions.
Guided by a theory on social responsibility espoused by Dawkins (2010), this study considered a sample of 142 community colleges through a correlation analysis to reveal that 67% of those who belong to unions are subject to workplace bullying, 3% higher than the general population reporting their experiences in relationship to workplace bullying at community colleges. Further, 76% of people of color in unions also are affected by workplace bullying in community colleges. In contrast, 68% of people of color not in unions are affected by bullying.
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Leah Halliday and Charles Oppenheim
This article explores recent developments in the production and delivery of scholarly journal articles in digital form. It identifies the key stakeholders as authors, publishers…
Abstract
This article explores recent developments in the production and delivery of scholarly journal articles in digital form. It identifies the key stakeholders as authors, publishers, librarians and end users. It explores their concerns with regard to the digital journal production and delivery chain. It also explores the interrelationships of different stakeholder groups and considers how their concerns accord or conflict. The paper goes on to review cost and pricing developments. There appears to be no relationship between production costs and subscription prices of scholarly journals. Journals are priced according to what the market will bear, but, at the same time, the market is inelastic. As a result, prices have consistently increased annually at a rate well above the general inflation rate for the last two decades. Digital publishing by publishers has done nothing to relieve this problem. The ‘serials crisis’ has been the impetus for a number of developments that aim to use digital technology to reduce costs for the HE sector. These include alternative models of journal production such as that proposed by Harnad, and initiatives that aim to influence the structure of the market for scholarly journals with a view to driving prices down such as SPARC and HighWire Press. These developments are reviewed.
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David J. Finch, Leah K. Hamilton, Riley Baldwin and Mark Zehner
The current study was conducted to increase our understanding of factors that influence the employability of university graduates. Through the use of both qualitative and…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study was conducted to increase our understanding of factors that influence the employability of university graduates. Through the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the paper explores the relative importance of 17 factors that influence new graduate employability.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive review of the existing literature was used to identify 17 factors that affect new graduate employability. A two‐phase, mixed‐methods study was conducted to examine: Phase One, whether these 17 factors could be combined into five categories; and Phase Two, the relative importance that employers place on these factors. Phase One involved interviewing 30 employers, and Phase Two consisted of an empirical examination with an additional 115 employers.
Findings
Results from both the qualitative and quantitative phases of the current study demonstrated that 17 employability factors can be clustered into five higher‐order composite categories. In addition, findings illustrate that, when hiring new graduates, employers place the highest importance on soft‐skills and the lowest importance on academic reputation.
Research limitations/implications
The sectors in which employers operated were not completely representative of their geographical region.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that, in order to increase new graduates’ employability, university programmes and courses should focus on learning outcomes linked to the development of soft‐skills. In addition, when applying for jobs, university graduates should highlight their soft‐skills and problem‐solving skills.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the employability of university graduates by empirically examining the relative importance of five categories of employability factors that recruiters evaluate when selecting new graduates.
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Raphael Travis, Scott W. Bowman, Joshua Childs and Renee Villanueva
This paper builds upon a new era of research seeking to understand variability in how desirable outcomes result from engaging rap music as a health enhancing artifact. More…
Abstract
This paper builds upon a new era of research seeking to understand variability in how desirable outcomes result from engaging rap music as a health enhancing artifact. More specifically, the study explores the music mediated pathways to individual and community well-being. The study emphasizes female music engagement. Quantitative methods are used to examine listening habits and preferences associated with empowering rap music engagement among a female sample of 202 university students using an a priori established path analysis model. Results echo prior research that suggests the functional value of music in helping to define the self independently and articulate one’s social identity within the context of community (Dixon, Zhang, & Conrad, 2009; Hill, 2009; Travis & Bowman, 2012). Specifically, results suggest that among females in this sample, (a) their appropriation of rap music can be empowering, (b) specific factors play a significant role in determining the difference between females that feel more or less empowered from their interactions with rap music, and (c) female listeners were more likely to appropriate rap music for personal and community growth if it was their favorite music type, if they listened often, and if they tended to listen alone more often than with friends. These research findings offer promising routes for more in depth qualitative analysis to help uncover the nuances of preferred engagement strategies and to help define the subjective lived experiences that lead to feeling empowered by music to act toward positive change for oneself and others. Practical results indicate the possibility for gender-specific education, therapeutic or empowerment-based programs that utilize rap music as a rubric.