The three articles included in this dissertation are connected through theory and practice. Study one identifies the factors influencing Extension agents' participation in supplemental professional development opportunities using Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior. Study two was a systematic investigation of Extension personnel's…

This study utilized a quantitative approach to compare extension employee perceptions across organizational structures in the West region on the following issues: program delivery, program evaluation, funding, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The three extension structures characterized in this study were county-based, area-based, and a…

The United States continues to experience rapid urbanization and demographic changes leading to diverse urban communities representing more than 80% of the nation's population. This has led to an increasing urban influence in the United States and to conversation among Cooperative Extension professionals regarding what its engagement in urban…

Good mentoring has many positive effects for new employees, but for extension professionals with promotion eligibility, mentoring through the first promotion opportunity can be pivotal. This case study analyzed the mentoring experiences and perceptions of the NTT promotion process of 13 extension professionals at one institution who are eligible…

With the establishment of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, communities have depended on Extension Agents to address relevant needs. Extension Agents have used different approaches such as the Texas Community Futures Forum to obtain information on issues affecting people. The problem was that Texas Community Futures Forums have never…

Mid-level managers are one component of Ohio State University Extension's talent management system that contribute to the organization's effectiveness. OSU Extension uses mid-level managers known as Area Leaders to supervise county offices. These individuals have great impact on the support and success of local programs. Therefore, it is critical…

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived leadership style of the University of Missouri Extension Service county staff and their level of engagement and study the relationship between variables. Administrators with University of Missouri Extension Service can utilize this information to better serve Extension Staff and ultimately…

Extension's relevancy in the 21st century is dependent upon the organization's ability to adapt to internal and external pressures. Extension's responsibility to bridge LGUs and communities requires commitment from the entire university and the original agricultural Extension model must embrace an expanded portfolio including complex problems such…

As the use of social media has expanded in society, its use has also become more prevalent in the Cooperative Extension Service. This mixed-methods study was developed to determine current social media usage for professional purposes among 4-H Extension Agents in Kentucky, as well as identify barriers to social media use for educational purposes.…

Policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic shifted many extension programs from face-to-face delivery to virtual delivery. As a result, community nutrition programming offered through extension shifted. Despite the limited literature that currently exists related to the virtual delivery of adult community nutrition education programming, there are…

Extension agents are non-formal educators located in counties and parishes across the United States. Agents develop educational programs for the citizens of the counties and parishes based on the specific needs of the community, and the content of the programs is rooted in research conducted at the state's land grant universities. Over the past 50…

During the second week of March 2020, work shifted from the county extension office to home during the Coronavirus pandemic. During COVID-19, workers were shifted into new all-digital work environments without establishing boundaries that melded the work and home environment into one (Katsabian, 2020). While this shift to remote work was possible…

Based on the research by Reid in 1997, the needs of the County Extension Agents in the agriculture/natural resources/forestry, family consumer sciences, and youth programs were addressed. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) has since expanded their educational efforts into fourteen program-specific areas. Along with expanding the…

This qualitative case study focused on career commitment in two types of professional adult educators, extension agents and missionaries. Past research studying extension agents and missionaries had documented decades of early career attrition. Research documented the issues, explored causes, and proposed solutions. Yet, the problem persists. Much…

The Cooperative Extension service was established in 1914 with the passage of the Smith-Lever Act. The role of Cooperative Extension to give non-formal, research-based education to the people. Cooperative Extension has been a partnership between the federal, state, and county government and the state land- grant universities. 4-H has been the…