All of our choices and all that sets us apart are governed by what we can do, what we want to do, and what we know. This dissertation aims to quantify two of these channels to better understand why we differ. The first two chapters focus on what we know and how it shapes societal gaps. The first chapter attacks the question of how much of the gap…

The study investigated the use of formalized cybersecurity apprenticeships as a means of workforce development to meet the needs of employers seeking to fill cybersecurity positions. The study employed a quantitative analysis using a constructivist grounded theory approach utilizing a survey with questions based on the findings of apprenticeships…

A practice that dates back centuries, apprenticeship is a workforce development model that has gained recent attention in the American higher education system. The researcher conducted a review of existing literature that included apprenticeships in higher education and other models of community college workforce development. Existing literature…

Cybersecurity job roles and responsibilities constantly evolve due to technological advancements, complex infrastructure, and increasing cybersecurity threats and regulations. As a result, organizations require a highly skilled and experienced cybersecurity workforce in both the public and private sectors. Many colleges and universities offer…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model for a career development program for entry-level student affairs (SA) women professionals based on the lived experiences of current mid-level SA professionals and senior-level SA professionals. As new women professionals pursue their careers in SA, they must navigate many barriers…

The information technology field changes at a fast rate and, combined with the fast pace of change in the higher education environment, it is more important than ever that Information Technology professionals be productive and that retention rate increase in this field. This phenomenological study is an exploration of the professional experiences…

Employee turnover continues to be discussed as an outcome in Human Resources (HR), but comparatively few studies have examined the relationship between turnover as the independent variable and institutional outcomes. Although the call to HR practitioners has often been made over the past 20 years regarding the importance of tying HR programs and…

This qualitative study examined the role and value of NCAA Division II athletics on enrollment, finances, and student success. Comparing the perspectives of small, private NCAA Division II college presidents and athletic directors, the study's purpose was to better understand their perspectives on the impact of intercollegiate athletics at their…

The internationalization of higher education has resulted in a growing number of Western expatriate higher education administrators working as expatriates worldwide. The accelerated development of higher education in several countries on the Arabian Peninsula has included the global mobilization of student affairs and services administrators from…

Chapter 1 investigates asks the question how do financial frictions affect the type of human capital investments that students make in college? To study this question, I build a novel dataset covering more than 700,000 U.S. students, merging commencement records with address histories, credit bureau records, and professional resumes. I document…

Community colleges, which are public, two-year institutions of higher education, have become a major provider of education and training that directly leads to a job in a particular occupation. To help community colleges build capacity to provide job training, the federal government has funded several grant programs over the past 15 years. Recent…

The value proposition for learning and talent development (LTD) is often challenged due to human resources' inability to demonstrate meaningful outcomes in relation to organizational needs and return-on-investment. The primary role of human resources (HR) and the learning and talent development (LTD) function is to produce meaningful outcomes to…

This paper builds a model of human capital accumulation driven by increasing specialization of the workforce. Individuals increase the efficiency of time dedicated to human capital acquisition by focusing investments on narrower sets of skills. The evolution of secondary and post-secondary curricula in the United States from 1870-2000 confirms the…

This mixed method study examines HRD professionals' decision-making processes when making an organizational purchase of training. The study uses a case approach with a degrees of freedom analysis. The data to analyze will examine how HRD professionals in manufacturing select outside vendors human resource development programs for training,…

Today, women comprise nearly half the U.S. workforce and outnumber men in many previously male-dominated fields. This seismic cultural and demographic shift has dramatically impacted organizations. The most obvious impact is the presence of, and dependence on, increased numbers of women employees throughout organizations. Retention of talented…