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VOICES FROM THE MARGINS: WOMEN OF COLOR ON DIVERSITY POLICIES AND WORKPLACE CULTURE
Get PDFWomen of Color (WoC) in corporate leadership experience distinct problems that stem from the intersection of race, gender, and class. Despite the extensive implementation of diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policies in companies, these initiatives often emphasize quantitative metrics over genuine lived experiences. Many of the DEIA policies seem cosmetic and do not tackle the fundamental challenges faced by WoC such as the glass ceiling, sticky floor, and exclusion from sponsorship networks; how the lack of an intersectional approach in policy development might overlook the subtle biases. By placing the voices and lived experiences of WoC at the center, this study examined the disconnect between DEIA policy, workplace culture, and their effectiveness in facilitating the advancement of WoC in leadership roles by employing Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) as foundational frameworks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 WoC in leadership roles. Data from the interviews were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) and Framework Analysis to identify patterns, themes, and systemic gaps. Findings revealed that while some DEIA efforts have contributed to positive change, many fall short due to weak leadership commitment, performative implementation, exclusion from sponsorship networks, and a lack of intersectional accountability. Participants emphasized the need for more meaningful action, including tailored mentorship, transparent promotion pathways, and leadership engagement rooted in equity. This study highlights the critical importance of centering lived experiences and adopting an intersectional lens to design more effective and inclusive leadership environments
DEVELOPMENT OF A JAMAICAN-INSPIRED COOKBOOK AND NUTRITION RESOURCES FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES
Get PDFBackground & Aims: Diabetes disproportionately affects minority populations, including Jamaicans affected by dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and socioeconomic factors. Culturally relevant interventions are essential for promoting sustainable health behaviors to prevent diabetes. This project developed a Jamaican-inspired cookbook with nutrition education to improve dietary habits among Jamaicans to avoid diabetes.
Methods: The project titled Authentic Flavors: Healthy Jamaican Dishes for People with Pre-Diabetes, a cookbook and resources featuring 34 modified Jamaican recipes with nutrient-dense, low-glycemic ingredients to prevent rapid spikes in blood glucose. Participants were recruited from Jamaican community; and they completed an online nutrition education with pre- and post-tests via Qualtrics. They also tested and evaluated the recipes for acceptability.
Results: Thirty-four out of 54 subjects participated (73.5% female, mean age 40.3 years). Most (64.7%) had no dietary restrictions, while 20.6% followed vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free diets. Preliminary findings of pre- and post-test showed increased awareness of diabetes prevention and greater confidence in making culturally relevant, healthier food choices. Also, participants highly rated the cookbook for accuracy, ease of preparation, cultural authenticity, and health benefits.
Conclusions: The Jamaican-inspired cookbook with resources and education program effectively addressed cultural barriers to healthy eating and improved nutrition knowledge and behaviors. This study highlights the importance of culturally tailored resources and interventions for diabetes prevention among individuals from different countries and regions. Future research should explore long-term dietary adherence and health outcomes using culturally appropriate resources and education material targeting population based on their traditional practices
The role of masculine and feminine gender enactment in hospitality leadership
Get PDFPurpose: The stereotypical assumptions of what it means to be hegemonically masculine and to be a leader are aligned in current society, potentially creating role incongruity for anyone who does not fit into this definition. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether masculine and feminine leadership traits of men and women hospitality managers affect employees’ intention to trust leaders and organizational attractiveness.
Design/Methods/Approach: Explanatory mixed methods were employed. First, two experiments (study 1 = woman manager, n = 137; study 2 = man manager, n = 117) were conducted with current hospitality employees to test the interaction of masculine versus feminine enactment and the leadership gender composition (3%, 23%, or 53% women) on organizational attractiveness and intent to trust the leader. Results did not align with the theories; therefore, three focus groups were held with 13 current hospitality employees.
Findings: Results indicate a shift toward the preference for communal (feminine) characteristics in hospitality leadership with a balance of masculine traits.
Research Implications: The influence of managers’ gender-related behaviors on trust and organizational attractiveness goes beyond their physical gender traits, indicating that gender plays a more crucial role than previously understood.
Originality/value: By employing role congruity theory and hegemonic masculinity, this study offers a nuanced understanding of masculine and feminine gender enactment and broadens leadership theory by including the perspectives of non-hegemonic men and assertive women
TAMING THE WILD TONGUE OF FRIDA KAHLO: AN ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION AS ADAPTATION IN PERSONAL NARRATIVES
Get PDFThis thesis discusses topics of adaptation and translation theory by looking at the way Frida Kahlo’s diary has been transformed through both adaptation and translations of it in the texts The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait and The Diary of Frida Kahlo: A New Perspective. Scholars have paid much attention to the connections between Kahlo’s diary and her portraits, focusing on artistic critique and the painter’s diary as a drafting space for what eventually became her famous self-portraits. Researchers have also documented Frida Kahlo’s artistic and cultural influences in Mexico and abroad. However, none have addressed the translations and adaptations of her diary in literary editions as I have done in this thesis. The translations analyzed in this thesis, The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait and The Diary of Frida Kahlo: A New Perspective, recast their respective presentations of her diary with translations and commentary functioning as a method of adaptation. Thus, I retitle these texts “adaptive translations,” acknowledging their potential to alter, and potentially “mythologize,” Kahlo’s diary and the artist herself. This research is significant, because it argues for careful attention that is always necessary to retelling the experiences of figures in history, particularly figures of color through anglophone lenses, such as in the case of Frida Kahlo and her intimate diary
BRICKS, BUSHES, AND BONES: URBANIZATION INFLUENCE ON WESTERN FENCE LIZARD (SCELOPORUS OCCIDENTALIS) MORPHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE
No full textWith increasing urbanization due to rising human populations, organisms may be forced to adapt rapidly to changing environments. Urbanization is replacing natural surfaces with more impervious substrates which can result in morphological changes affecting organismal locomotion, then also impact fitness. This study compares urban and natural habitat impact on Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) and their adaptations in such settings. We captured lizards from three locations in inland Southern California with both urbanized and natural habitats in order to compare the morphological differences between lizards, and then measured their performance to determine the possible impacts from their morphology. We hypothesized that lizards will be found more often on human-made substrates in urban habitats, showing a shift in substrate use. We also hypothesized that limb and toe lengths in Western Fence Lizards would be correlated with locomotion ability and predicted that urban lizards would have shorter limb and toe lengths (based on prior work), and thus run slower when compared to lizards living in natural habitats. We measured snout-vent-length, tail length, forearm, hindlimb, plantar, and toe length, components that have been shown to affect the movement of lizards. We measured the speed and stride characteristics of each lizard by filming them running across a trackway. We compared speed, stride length, stride frequency, and duty factor to the lizard morphology data. Results show that tail length, and toe length are shorter in urban lizards compared to natural lizards. Other trait measurements also had significant results, but varied by location, with urban lizards in Claremont showing larger morphological traits, while those in Redlands exhibited smaller ones compared to their natural counterparts. Although there were changes to morphology, there were no differences in performance and stride attributes between urban and natural lizards. The reasons for these results remain unclear, as locomotor speed in animals can be influenced by many factors, and further historical context of each location; as well as testing additional performance traits beyond running speed may be necessary to fully interpret these patterns. This study provided valuable insight into the complex relationship between morphology and performance in Western Fence Lizards. Our findings highlight the need for long-term, multi-site studies to better understand how urbanization shapes organismal biology
HOUSING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR TRANSITIONAL AGE YOUTH POPULATION: A SCOPING REVIEW
No full textTransitional Age Youth (TAY), are defined as individuals aged 16 to 24 transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. TAY face unique challenges in securing stable housing and developing the life skills necessary for independent living. This population often encounters significant barriers such as a lack of affordable housing, limited access to supportive services, and the residual effects of childhood trauma, systemic inequities, or time spent in foster care or juvenile justice systems. Without adequate support, TAY are at a heightened risk of homelessness, unemployment, poor mental health outcomes, and continued cycles of instability. This research paper explores and identifies effective housing policies and community-based interventions that have demonstrated success in aiding TAY to secure stable housing and transition to self-sufficiency. This study employed a scoping review methodology to synthesize existing data and research, providing a comprehensive understanding of evidence-based practices and resources available to this vulnerable population.
The research focuses on policies and programs that address immediate housing needs and the acquisition of essential life skills, such as financial literacy, education, employment readiness, and emotional resilience. The research also examines the impact of interventions such as transitional housing programs, wraparound services, and mentorship initiatives on TAY outcomes. The findings of this research highlight the critical role of social work in addressing systemic gaps and advocating for policies that empower TAY. This research also discusses the significance of tailored, strengths-based approaches in meeting the diverse needs of TAY, emphasizing the long-term societal benefits of investing in their success. With this detailed analysis of effective practices and limitations, this study provides information on policy development, enhancing service delivery, and contributing to the broader field of social work dedicated to promoting stability and self-sufficiency among TAY
Robustness of Network Inference Algorithms under Network Class Misspecification
No full textInferring phylogenies in the presence of hybridization remains a difficult problem. As a result, many current methods for reconstructing phylogenetic networks are restricted to a simple class of networks known as level-1. This restriction arises from theoretical considerations rather than empirical evidence, with real data possibly arising from complex networks. In this work, we evaluate the robustness of two level-1 network inference methods, SNaQ and NANUQ+, through a simulation study, when the input data originates from a more complex network. Specifically, we investigate whether these methods can accurately recover important features of the true species network, such as the circular order (the arrangement of taxa around a network), taxa of hybrid origin (taxa that arose from a hybridization event), and other structural properties. Our results show that while both methods are accurate in recovering the circular order of the network, they lack in other network features such as determining which taxa are product a hybridization event. These results highlight the strengths and limitations of current level-1 methods under model misspecification, guiding the interpretation of their outputs in practice
Scaling down SAFe: Can the Scaled Agile Framework be adopted by Small and Medium Enterprises? A multiple case study
Get PDFThe Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) has gained significant traction in recent years as a strategy to mitigate the risks associated with traditional front-end planning, which often results in downstream development challenges. The adoption of SAFe is not common for Small- and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as its implementation is often perceived as complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive. However, the application of SAFe can add value for SMEs as well, when adapted and scaled down for use in those organisations. This qualitative multiple case study was undertaken to deepen our understanding of the applicability of the seven core competencies of SAFe in business software implementation projects at SMEs in The Netherlands, as well as detecting challenges they face when adopting this framework. Data, collected via document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key project stakeholders, was analysed using flexible pattern matching and thematic analysis. Cross-case analysis identified key themes and relationships related to project success and challenges. The results reveal that SAFe uniquely offers support in dealing with resistance, stakeholder-focused agility boosting bottom-up innovation, and a continuous learning culture enabling organisations making strategically aligned decisions faster. Resource limitations in SMEs require careful consideration for successful SAFe implementation
