Academic literature on the topic 'JOB SEEKING DECISIONS'

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore how new family medicine graduates who want to include obstetrics in their scope of practice identify and select jobs and to understand how employment influences scope of practice in family medicine, particularly the ability to provide maternity care and deliver babies.DesignMixed-methods study including a survey and qualitative interviews conducted in 2017.SettingWe electronically surveyed US family physicians and followed up with a purposeful subsample of these physicians to conduct in-depth, semistructured telephone interviews.Participants1016 US family medicine residency graduates 2014–2016 who indicated that they intended to deliver babies in practice completed a survey; 56 of these were interviewed.Main outcome measuresThe survey measured the reasons for not doing obstetrics as a family physician. To identify themes regarding finding family medicine jobs with obstetrics, we used a team-based, immersion–crystallisation approach to analyse the transcribed qualitative interviews.ResultsSurvey results (49% response rate) showed that not finding a job that included obstetrics was the primary reason newly graduated family physicians who intended to do obstetrics were not doing so. Qualitative interviews revealed that family physicians often find jobs with obstetrics through connections or recruitment efforts and make job decisions based on personal considerations such as included geographical preferences, family obligations and lifestyle. However, job-seeking and job-taking decisions are constrained by employment-related issues such as job structure, practice characteristics and lack of availability of family medicine jobs with obstetrics.ConclusionsWhile personal reasons drove job selection for most physicians, their choices were constrained by multiple factors beyond their control, particularly availability of family medicine jobs allowing obstetrics. The shift from physician as practice owner to physician as employee in the USA has implications for job-seeking behaviours of newly graduating medical residents as well as for access to healthcare services by patients; understanding how employment influences scope of practice in family medicine can provide insight into how to support family physicians to maintain the scope of practice they desire and are trained to provide, thus, ensuring that families have access to care.

This article presents a counterpoint to a structuralist view of job quality and argues that it can be understood as an outcome of contested power dynamics of interest representation within institutions of labor market regulation. The article presents studies of unions in two sectors in the UK (health care and industrial cleaning) where bad jobs are common. It examines how unions have sought to regulate job quality through representing new interests within existing institutions and by extending institutional regulation to new groups. The evidence highlights the contested nature of these decisions and the importance of collective actors in exercising agency in seeking to improve job quality. The evidence shows how new interests can be promoted within institutions to (seek to) improve job quality, despite internal resistance.

Intuitive career decisions can influence people’s career choices and subsequent job competencies, which are related to their development and happiness. There is evidence that both anxiety and social distance influence intuitive career decisions individually, but it is unclear how employment anxiety and social distance influence intuitive career decisions individually and how they interact to influence intuitive career decisions. Drawing on the cognitive–emotional dual-system model, in this study, 298 college students and 386 senior job-seeking students were tested through behavioral experiments and questionnaires, respectively. The results showed that employment anxious individuals have a higher intuitive level in career decision making, and they also have a higher intuitive level when making career decisions for others at a far social distance. In addition, employment anxiety and social distance interact to influence the intuitiveness of career decision making. When making career decisions for themselves and those who are close to them, the increase in employment anxiety will increase the intuitive level. Therefore, in a non-anxious situation, you can make career decisions on your own or get help from someone close to you, but in anxious situations, you can turn to others who are at a far social distance to help make decisions.

Although recent reviews of executive selection have catalogued much that we as industrial–organizational (I–O) psychologists are doing right in our research and practice, we are confronted with the facts that executive selection decisions are often, if not usually, wrong and that I–O psychologists seldom have a place at the table when these decisions are made. This article suggests that in our thinking we have failed to differentiate executive selection from selection at lower levels and that we have applied the wrong models. Our hope for the future lies not in job analyses, developing new tests, meta-analyses, or seeking psychometric validity, but in viewing executive selection as a judgment and decision-making problem. With the right focus, applying our considerable methodological skills should enable us to contribute toward making better judgments. When we have a better mousetrap, organizations (if not the world) will beat a path to our door.

Fair treatment of employees is an important ethical question. With the increasing number of tattooed workers in the workplace and on the job market, their work experience and the treatment they receive deserve more attention. To date, however, very few studies have focused on such a niche group of employees. The intention of this study was to offer insights on the experience of tattooed individuals in job interviews. Using an experimental design, this study examined the influence of visible tattoos on hiring decisions and interviewers’ evaluations. Participants (N=233) were recruited online, in China, and they were assigned to one of four experimental conditions: tattoo vs. no tattoo job applicant and entry-level vs. managerial positions. The results show that applicants with visible tattoos had decreased chances of being hired. Interviewers in the study were also more likely to perceive the virtual job candidate with tattoos as less competent, especially when hiring at the management-level position. These results serve to raise awareness around biases and stereotypes experienced by tattooed individuals seeking employment.

“Employee’s Intention to Stay” as a term is broadly used in organization surroundings. The administrators must be identifying the importance of their staffs not only inspiring them to stay but also discourage them from seeking a better job to another place. Conversely, Job embeddedness is a construct which explains the reason for an individual’s choice to stay or leave by considering the community and organizational forces that may retain employee on the workplace. Thus, the current study examined the relationship between off-the-job embeddedness, continuance commitment and employee’s intention to stay using a sample of 177 employees of ICT industries. Simple Random probability sampling technique and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach were employed to examine the relationship as drawn by the hypotheses. The findings of this paper discovered that there was a significant positive relation between fit and links dimension of off-the-job embeddedness, organizational continuance commitment and intention to stay. These outcomes suggest that organizations like the ICT industry (technology organization) need to consider off-the-job embeddedness relationships along with continuance organizational commitment when developing programs designed to affect the intention to stay decisions of members.

ABSTRACT: This research examines accounting faculty job search and selection in the tightening academic job market. Surveys were sent to all new accounting Ph.D.s and to faculty who relocated from 2002 to 2004. The survey included 37 factors of importance (e.g., salary, geographical location) to new Ph.D.s in selecting their initial faculty position and to relocating faculty. Overall, faculty appear to be very concerned with their teaching load, criteria used for promotion and tenure decisions, and compatibility with other faculty. Most faculty viewed likelihood of getting tenure as very important. We note that new faculty going to doctoral schools view this item as much less important than others. The opportunity to teach desired courses was much more important for those going to non-Ph.D.-granting schools. Most faculty viewed salary as being relatively important, but those going to nondoctoral institutions viewed salary as somewhat less important than geographic location. Examination of other factors suggested significant differences between different faculty groups. The study's results provide important implications for universities seeking to hire or retain qualified faculty in a challenging job market, and for faculty wishing to obtain the most rewarding position.

PurposeAnonymous recruitment seeks to limit managers’ reliance on stereotypes in employment decisions, thereby reducing discrimination. This paper aims to explore how managers interpret the information embedded in anonymised job applications and how they interpret the organisational priorities driving the adoption of anonymous recruitment.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 30 managers in two Australian public sector organisations were analysed.FindingsThe results showed that managers used implicit signals and cues to infer the gender identities of applicants in anonymised applications, reintroducing the possibility of bias. Managers perceived that anonymous recruitment sent positive external signals to prospective employees but were sceptical about its effectiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe results showed that removing applicants’ names and identifying information from applications may not be sufficient to reduce bias. In organisations where managers are sympathetic to equity and diversity issues, use of anonymous recruitment may provoke resentment if managers perceive organisational distrust or inconsistent objectives. Limitations regarding the size and nature of the sample are acknowledged.Practical implicationsOrganisations seeking to reduce gender discrimination in recruitment may consider adopting standardised application procedures or training managers to understand how stereotypes affect evaluations. Organisations should also assess managerial support for, and understanding of, anonymous recruitment prior to implementation.Originality/valueThe findings add to existing knowledge regarding the effects of implicit gender signals in managers’ assessments and the effectiveness of anonymous recruitment in reducing gender bias. It also contributes to signalling theory by examining how managers interpret the signals conveyed in organisational policies.

Role-playing activities, as a form of active learning, enable instructors to teach difficult concepts in ways that better facilitate student learning. This note tests the effectiveness of a role-playing activity that simulates the job market: Most students play job seekers seeking employment, and a few play the employers who make employment decisions. However, students are constrained in that they can only talk to students they already know or meet during the game. We find two major results: (1) Students successfully achieved the learning goals from the activity, including understanding the basics of social networks and how social networks reproduce inequality in the labor market, and (2) students enjoyed the activity and felt like they learned a lot. We were especially pleased that these results were true even of students typically unengaged in the courses. Overall, we recommend role-playing activities to other instructors teaching difficult concepts to successfully engage all students.

PurposeThis paper discusses the factors to consider when designing studies to measure hiring discrimination against transgender job applicants.Design/methodology/approachThe paper builds on academic literature related to hiring discrimination and transgender employment to build a detailed discussion of the numerous factors and issues inherent in hiring discrimination against transgender job applicants. By isolating and describing a number of relevant considerations, the paper aims to act as a guide for future studies to build upon.FindingsThree types of hiring discrimination studies are discussed: correspondence tests, in-person experiments and student cohort experiments. Three main categories of factors relevant to an experiment’s design are then discussed: the legal context, industry/role factors and transgender population-specific factors. A flow-chart detailing the research design decision-making process is provided.Research limitations/implicationsThe discussion within this paper will act as a reference and a guide for researchers seeking to address the dearth of empirical studies in the literature. The list is not exhaustive; while a number of factors relevant to transgender-specific studies are identified, there may be more that could affect an experiment's design.Originality/valueHiring discrimination against transgender people has been recorded in many surveys, but there is little empirical measurement of this discrimination. To the author's knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the experimental design decisions related to transgender hiring discrimination. In doing so, it provides contributions for two primary audiences: those researching transgender employment issues but who have never conducted a study measuring hiring discrimination; and those who have previously conducted studies on hiring discrimination, but have not done so with reference to transgender job applicants.

Job seekers have often made job choices based upon the degree to which they fit the tasks requirements of the job. This concept is referred to as person-job (P-J) fit. In addition, research has suggested that job seekers self-select organizations to work for based upon the perceived fit between themselves and the organization. This concept is referred to as person-organization (P-O) fit.

Introduction: Policing is a public health issue. The police often encounter vulnerable populations. Police officers have wide discretionary powers, which could impact on how they support vulnerable populations. In encountering vulnerable populations the police officers are required to be professional; maintaining mental health in the face of challenges is part of professionalism. Their encounters with vulnerable populations might influence their mental health which in turn might influence the way they use their discretion when making decisions. Background/context: Sweden receives more unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children than any other country in Europe. The number of asylum applications for such children increased from 400 in 2004 to 7000 in 2014 to over 35,000 in 2015. These children come to Sweden and apply for asylum without being under the care of their parents or other legal guardian. Some are denied asylum. If they do not return to their country of origin voluntarily the police are responsible for their deportation. The Swedish government wants an increasing number of deportations and wants them carried out with dignity. This thesis is about the police officers’ perceptions of how to interpret the seemingly contradictory demands for more deportations, that is, efficiency; and concerns for human rights during the deportation process, that is, dignity. This is conceptualized using three theoretical frameworks: a) street-level bureaucracy, b) job demand-control-social support model and c) coping. These theoretical frameworks indicate the complexity of the issue and function as constructions by means of which understanding can be brought to the police officers’ perceptions of deportation work involving unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children and how such work is associated to their mental health. Aim: The current research aims to investigate and analyse Swedish police officers’ mental health in the context of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children. Methods: This thesis uses both qualitative and quantitative methodology. The qualitative approach comprised interviews conducted to achieve a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of police officers’ perceptions of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children. The quantitative method involved the use of validated questionnaires to investigate the association between police officers’ mental health and psychosocial job characteristics and coping. This approach made it possible to study a complex issue in a complex environment and to present relevant recommendations. A total of 14 border police officers were interviewed and 714 police officers responded to a survey. Results: The police officers utilize their wide discretionary powers and perceive that they are doing what is best in the situation, trying to listen to the child and to be aware of the child’s needs. Police officers with experience of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children were not found to have poorer mental health than police officers with no such experience. Furthermore, high job demand, low decision latitude, low levels of work-related social support, shift work and being single are associated with poor mental health. Coping moderates the association between mental health and the experience of carrying out deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking, refugee children, and the police officers seem to utilize both emotional and problem-solving coping during the same complex deportation process. Implications / conclusions: The general conclusion reached in this thesis is that if police officers are subject to reasonable demands, have high decision latitude, access to work-related social support, and utilize adaptable coping, the deportation work does not seem to affect their mental health. When police officers meet vulnerable people, they utilize their discretionary powers to deal with seemingly contradictory demands, that is, efficiency and dignity. The executive role in the deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children and the awareness of dealing with a child threatened with deportation might give rise to activation of a sense of protection, safety and security. Discretion might make it possible to act on this sense of protection, safety and security and to combine efficiency and dignity. Further studies, which integrate cognitive and emotional discretion with coping, need to be undertaken.
Introduktion: Polisarbete är i mångt och mycket en folkhälsofråga, något som inte minst blir tydligt i polisers möte med utsatta människor. Poliser har ett stort handlingsutrymme, vilket kan påverka hur de bemöter utsatta människor. I mötet med dessa människor behöver poliserna vara professionella; att ta hand om sin psykiska hälsa när man möts av utmaningar är en del av professionalismen. Att möta utsatta människor kan påverka polisernas psykiska hälsa, som i sin tur kan påverka hur de använder sitt handlingsutrymme när de fattar beslut. Bakgrund: Sverige tar emot fler ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn än något annat land i Europa. Antalet asylansökningar för sådana barn ökade från 400 år 2004 till 7000 år 2014 till över 35 000 år 2015. Dessa barn kommer till Sverige och ansöker om asyl utan sina föräldrar eller annan vårdnadshavare. Somliga av dem nekas asyl. Om de inte återvänder till sitt ursprungsland frivilligt är polisen ansvariga för utvisningen. Den svenska regeringen kräver ett ökande antal verkställigheter av av- och utvisningar samt fastlår att verkställigheterna ska genomföras med respekt för människors värdighet. Denna avhandling handlar om polisers uppfattningar och tolkningar av de till synes motsägelsefulla kraven på att verkställa fler av- och utvisningar, det vill säga effektivitet; och hur man hanterar de mänskliga rättigheterna under utvisningsprocessen, det vill säga värdighet. Detta beskrivs och analyseras med hjälp av tre teoretiska ramverk: a) gräsrotsbyråkrati, b) jobb-krav-kontroll-socialt stödmodellen och c) coping. Dessa teoretiska ramverk visar på arbetsuppgiftens komplexitet och fungerar som utgångspunkt för att skapa förståelse för polisernas uppfattningar av arbetet med att verkställa av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn och hur sådant arbete är associerat med polisernas psykiska hälsa. Syfte: Denna avhandling syftar till att undersöka och analysera svenska polisers psykiska hälsa i relation till av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Metod: Både kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod användes i denna avhandling. Det kvalitativa tillvägagångssättet innefattade intervjuer för att uppnå en djupare förståelse för hur poliser uppfattar av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Den kvantitativa metoden innebar tillämpning av validerade frågeformulär för att undersöka sambandet mellan polisernas psykiska hälsa och psykosociala jobbkarakteristika samt coping. Detta tillvägagångssätt gjorde det möjligt att studera en komplex fråga i en komplex miljö och att presentera relevanta rekommendationer. Totalt intervjuades 14 gränspoliser och 714 poliser svarade på en enkätundersökning. Resultat: Resultatet visar att poliserna utnyttjar sitt stora handlingsutrymme och uppfattar att de gör det som är bäst i situationen, att de försöker lyssna på barnet och vara medvetna om barnets behov. Poliser med erfarenhet av av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn har inte visat sig ha en sämre psykisk hälsa än poliser utan sådan erfarenhet. Vidare är höga krav och lågt beslutsutrymme på arbetet, låga nivåer av arbetsrelaterat socialt stöd, skiftarbete och singelliv associerat med dålig psykisk hälsa. Coping mildrar effekten på den psykiska hälsan hos de som har erfarenhet av att utföra av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Poliserna verkar utnyttja både emotionell och problemlösande coping under en och samma komplexa utvisningsprocess. Slutsats: Den viktigaste slutsatsen i denna avhandling är att om poliser utsätts för rimliga krav, har stort beslutsutrymme, tillgång till arbetsrelaterat socialt stöd och använder sig av anpassningsbar coping, verkar det som att arbetet med av- och utvisningar inte påverkar deras psykiska hälsa. När poliser möter utsatta människor utnyttjar de sitt handlingsutrymme för att hantera de till synes motsägelsefulla kraven, det vill säga effektivitet och värdighet. Den verkställande rollen i av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn och medvetenheten om att hantera ett barn som hotas av utvisning kan ge upphov till en aktivering av känslan att ge skydd, trygghet och säkerhet. Handlingsutrymmet kan göra det möjligt att agera på denna känsla av skydd, trygghet och säkerhet samt att kunna kombinera effektivitet och värdighet. Ytterligare studier, som integrerar kognitivt och känslomässigt handlingsutrymme med coping, behöver emellertid genomföras.

This study is conducted to analyse how some particular factors affect the job seeking decisions of candidates enrolled in enrolled in a professional training course and prepare a predictive model to predict whether a candidate who has enrolled in a training course is seeking employment with any firm or not. Primary data of 155 participants was collected through a structured questionnaire. Multiple models based on different classification algorithms were created and compared to find the most accurate one. The results indicated that the SMOTE Logistic Regression was most accurately predicting the class labels of the target variable, i.e., whether the person is ‘job-seeker’ or ‘non-job seeker’, with an accuracy score of 72.4%.

碩士
元智大學
經營管理碩士班(領導學程)
107
CSR is company‟s responsibility to give positive externalities to local public to balance company‟s interest with public interest (Prihatiningsih et al., 2015). In Indonesia, corporate social responsibility is already regulated by Government under Law UU No 40 Tahun 2007, which forcefully requires all companies to implement corporate social responsibility. Companies emphasizing Corporate Social Responsibility activities could be benefited from its pactice. It directly provides a very good influence on the company's reputation and enhances companies‟ attractiveness to prospective employees with consideration about socially responsible practices, community mindedness and sound ethics (Marika et al., 2017). Even though the implementation of corporate social responsibility is regulated by the law, the disclosure itself is still voluntary. Therefore, this research aims at investigating the the awareness level of young job seeker in Indonesia about companies‟ CSR activities and how important the CSR activities are for young job seeker/ prospective employee when finding jobs. This study uses quantitative survey reserch method and attempts to collect 400 respondents from top universities in Indonesia. The findings expect to provide a new piece of evidence that companies can benefit from its‟ CSR activities not only for its public reputation, but also for its attracting top younb talents. Keywords : corporate social responsibility, job seeker, company, employee

Return migration has a great impact for all parties involved, considering that motivation greatly shapes the migration and indeed the return migration experience it is beneficial to explore the motivation behind a migration decision and understand how this shapes the processes that follow. This study extends current research in migration by considering the motivation behind the decision in greater depth through the Self-Determination Theory. Semi-structured interview were used to explore motivation in this context and consider how this shaped behavioural and occupational outcomes. Overall, we found that employment opportunities were a greater motivator, and this greatly influenced the preparation undertaken following the migration decision. We also found that while social motivations were not considered when making the decision, the social network was used as a tool for research following the return migration decision.
A migração de retorno tem um grande impacto para todas as partes envolvidas. Considerando que a motivação molda grandemente a migração e, de fato, a experiência de migração de retorno; explorar a motivação por trás de uma decisão de migração e observar como isso molda os processos que se seguem ia beneficiar o nosso entendemento nesta area. Este estudo amplia as pesquisas atuais em migração, considerando a motivação por trás da decisão em maior profundidade através da Teoria da Autodeterminação. Entrevista semi-estruturada foi usada para explorar a motivação neste contexto e considerar como isso moldou os resultados comportamentais e ocupacionais. No geral, descobrimos que as oportunidades de emprego era o motivador maior, e isso influenciou muito a preparação realizada após a decisão de migração. Também descobrimos que, embora as motivações sociais não tenham sido consideradas na tomada de decisão, a rede social foi usada como ferramenta de pesquisa após a decisão de migração de retorno.

Nowadays, people enjoy the sense of freedom by moving from one place to another, seeking personal and professional growth, and satisfaction with life. Borders have become fluid. In the global world, education and employment seem to be within easy reach. People are pursuing lifelong learning and training to adjust to a changing job environment and maximise career opportunities. However, migrating qualified individuals can face specific difficulties in their way. The present research aims to study high-skilled migration in Portugal. For this purpose, a qualitative approach, with a focus group methodology, was applied. Two focus groups were conducted with foreign-born individuals residing in Portugal. The chapter aims to add to the understanding of how highly qualified migrants make decisions on migration, and how they perceive the job market, professional development, and career growth opportunities in Portugal.

What looks like a cake tin on wheels is working its way around the room. The robot vacuum cleaner is just as noisy as a normal one, but there’s an important difference: You don’t have to lift a finger to clean your floor. The dirt collects inside the robot’s body, swept up industriously by the rotating brushes and sucked in by the motor. The machine’s sensor flickers over the spot where some bread crumbs just fell, telling it that this is an especially dirty place, which requires an extra sweep for good measure. At the edge of the stairs, the cake tin detects the drop and changes course in the nick of time. Having surveyed the room three times, the robot concludes that its job is done. Everything is clean. No more arguing over who has to vacuum the floor. Let the machine do the work while you sit in a comfortable chair, maybe with another robot for a pet. You can already buy devices like this for a couple of hundred dollars. In fact, much of the Industrial Revolution is about machines working for us. That has dramatically changed productivity and labor. In our households, too, we have a number of machines that do the work for us. Examples are our washing machines and dryers. But for as long as machines have existed, we have dreamed of robots that could take over more tedious chores—metal people who would obey our every order and do our work for us—open the door, boil the potatoes, fix the car. It’s no coincidence that robot derives from the word for “work” in most of the Slavic languages. Robots spark fantasies of large factories full of metal workers lifting boxes, toiling on the production line, and designing new products at their drawing boards. These are some serious toys. They extend our human capacities in much the same way as all the other tools we have developed in the course of our history. Some are already in use in our daily lives, including ones that make independent and crucial decisions without seeking our input.

This chapter studies the component of stress among HCWs related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its influencing factors and interventions in preventing stress at work. Staff were interviewed using the job content questionnaire a validate version of Karasek model with 26 questions. Sociodemographic and stress variables were entered into correlation analysis to find the variables associated with occupational stress. The empiric results show in the first part that the component of occupational stress is essentially from low decision latitude and high psychological job demands. The empiric results show in the second part that certain sample characteristics have crucial impact on the Karasek score either positive or negative. Moreover, the healthcare staff are using multiple techniques and strategies to cope with the job strain during this pandemic, but only 11% are seeking professional support.

Looking for work is complex. It involves a synthesis of decisions relating to many separate jobseeking tasks, requiring discrimination of how an individual’s skills match the job description, whether the salary offered is acceptable, location of the work and the logistics of arranging suitable transport. These job-seeking tasks are even more difficult for the disabled, and despite the Web Access Initiative (WAI), there are no Web-enabled work searching systems designed as vocational rehabilitation tools. An opportunity exists among the educational technologists to devise a customizable learning platform that can supply a much needed life-long learning resource. It is becoming increasingly obvious that a range of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) systems may provide a ubiquitous approach to fulfilling the desire for reskilling the general population. This paper describes a research project in progress, designed to provide an interactive Web-enabled work searching resource for those undergoing vocational rehabilitation.

This paper reports the results of a comprehensive review of state-level loan and grant funding programs specifically for local freight railroad infrastructure improvements. A total of 33 unique funding programs exist in 24 states. A majority of the programs are administered through the State DOT; however, other agencies can be involved. Programs typically offer a low-interest loan, grant, or a combination of loan and grant assistance; however, some loan programs allow for conversion to a grant if performance targets (typically jobs or local carloads) are achieved. Eligible entities typically include public agencies, freight railroad companies, or private industry. While these programs appear to be providing local communities with much-needed funding for rail projects, this review finds that administrative details of state-level funding programs within the public domain, such as published project selection criteria or a clear process of decision-making for funding, are the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, ex post evaluation of project outcomes appears to be rare, underscoring the need for greater transparency in reporting of funding awards and assessment of how funding has been used to advance economic development goals. The findings from this paper can be used by state and local policymakers considering the creation of loan or grant funding programs for freight railroad infrastructure projects or by those who are seeking to improve existing programs.

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Skills and Lifelong Learning, Volume 15.] Aim/Purpose This study aims to determine where nursing students from a metropolitan university subsequently work following graduation, identify the factors that influence decisions to pursue careers in particular locations, ascertain educational plans in the immediate future; and explore the factors that might attract students to pursue postgraduate study. Background The global nursing shortage and high attrition of nursing students remain a challenge for the nursing profession. A recurrent pattern of maldistribution of nurses in clinical specialities and work locations has also occurred. It is imperative that institutions of learning examine their directions and priorities with the goal of meeting the mounting health needs of the wider community. Methodology Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained through an online 21-item questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered data such as year of graduation, employment status, the location of main and secondary jobs, the principal area of nursing activity, and plans for postgraduate study. It sought graduates’ reasons for seeking employment in particular workplaces and the factors encouraging them to pursue postgraduate study. Contribution This study is meaningful and relevant as it provided a window to see the gaps in higher education and nursing practice, and opportunities in research and collaboration. It conveys many insights that were informative, valuable and illuminating in the context of nurse shortage and nurse education. The partnership with hospitals and health services in providing education and support at the workplace is emphasized. Findings Twenty-three students completed the online questionnaire. All respondents were employed, 22 were working in Australia on a permanent basis (96%), 19 in urban areas (83%) with three in regional/rural areas (13%), and one was working internationally (4%). This pilot study revealed that there were varied reasons for workplace decisions, but the most common answer was the opportunity provided to students to undertake their graduate year and subsequent employment offered. Moreover, the prevailing culture of the organization and high-quality clinical experiences afforded to students were significant contributory factors. Data analysis revealed their plans for postgraduate studies in the next five years (61%), with critical care nursing as the most popular specialty option. The majority of the respondents (78%) signified their interest in taking further courses, being familiar with the educational system and expressing high satisfaction with the university’s program delivery. Recommendations for Practitioners The results of the pilot should be tested in a full study with validated instruments in the future. With a larger dataset, the conclusions about graduate destinations and postgraduate educational pursuits of graduates would be generalizable, valid and reliable. Recommendation for Researchers Further research to explore how graduates might be encouraged to work in rural and regional areas, determine courses that meet the demand of the market, and how to better engage with clinical partners are recommended. Impact on Society It is expected that the study will be extended in the future to benefit other academics, service managers, recruiters, and stakeholders to alert them of strategies that may be used to entice graduates to seek employment in various areas and plan for addressing the educational needs of postgraduate nursing students. The end goal is to help enhance the nursing workforce by focusing on leadership and retention. Future Research Future directions for research will include canvassing a bigger sample of alumni students and continuously monitoring graduate destinations and educational aspirations. How graduates might be encouraged to work in rural and regional areas will be further explored. Further research will also be undertaken involving graduates from other universities and other countries in order to compare the work practice of graduates over the same time frame.