The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to obtain new facts and details about the lived experiences of Ohio funeral directors during their first five years of licensure after graduating from mortuary college. The study aimed to understand these lived experiences as told by the funeral directors to understand better the factors…

The increased use of technology has not decreased the need for soft skills, which are critical for companies that provide interchangeable products and services. Employers are looking to recruit applicants with technical and soft skills, but research has revealed that new hire soft skills are not meeting employers' expectations. Employers expect…

The U.S. service industry has struggled significantly with retaining workers following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic resulted in hundreds of thousands of job losses due to closures in accommodations and food service businesses, followed by a record high percentage of voluntary resignations among service industry workers. This explanatory…

Women students are entering mortuary science programs, being retained, and graduating at much higher rates than ever before. This is despite research that shows women in science-related programs often face discrimination and other barriers to degree completion (Bailey & DiPrete 2016; Jesse 2006; Shauman 2016; Steele et al., 2002; Title IX at…

This nonexperimental, correlational study examined the relation among job fit, psychological climate, and employee engagement and discretionary effort and job performance. An Internet-based self-report survey was administered to a sample of 307 cruise line customer contact center reservation agents. The research hypotheses were evaluated using…

Research on adult learners is ever evolving, and Knowles (1990) considered them to be a neglected species. Andragogy is the coined term that describes the manner in which adults learn. Adult learners are considered autonomous, experience-driven, and motivated. However, despite the strides made in adult learner literature, there still remain many…

Educational practices needed to be adjusted overnight and have continued to change in the two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. This study evaluates the perspectives of various educators in three Connecticut public school districts about the provision of special education and related services, from the onset of the…

This qualitative study utilized narrative inquiry to examine the experiences of disability service professionals working with students with significant cognitive disabilities in college-level courses. Through 10 semi-structured interviews with disability service professionals within the Florida College System, the following four meta themes…

This quantitative research examines the perceptions of culinary arts/management educators and culinary industry practitioners on the future of online culinary arts education. Specifically pertaining to the recommended procedures by educators and chefs to judge and critique the quality of food products in terms sensory modalities, and what the key…

This dissertation comprises three essays that explore the relationship between knowledge and social structure through an examination of the use of science in the culinary arts and finance. The first two of these essays focus on how science has influenced practices and social structure within the culinary arts; the final essay provides a comparison…

This dissertation examined the relationship between employee engagement and the factors that may influence the three psychological conditions of engagement: meaningfulness, safety, and availability for the sector of employees classified as maintenance, grounds, and custodial employees in a community college setting. The factors for each of the…

Waiters who serve alcoholic beverages at the majority of bars and restaurants in the United States are apt to serve alcohol to patrons who are visually intoxicated, notwithstanding laws prohibiting such service. Adverse effects of this practice include patron injuries, deaths, and law violations resulting in fines, incarceration, and lawsuits.…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that Alabama funeral service licensees had towards their academic preparation for entry-level funeral service careers in a professional field that was changing. More specifically, this study identified and examined specific learning objectives within the American Board of Funeral…

Domestic workers have played an essential role in the history of South Africa; and yet, current research neither explores the educational experiences of these women nor examines the ways in which national discourses surrounding English language learning influence their educational motivations. This dissertation aims to ameliorate this dearth of…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of 20 customer service agents regarding employee turnover. Building upon the Herzberg 2-factor theory, research was conducted to identify factors contributing to employee turnover. Data were collected through participant interviews and explored using…