Prior Professional Experience Research Articles

An analysis of qualifications and requirements for geographic information systems (GIS) positions in the United States

AbstractAs the demand for geospatial analytics continues to grow, geographic information systems (GIS) professionals are needed to build, operate, and maintain GIS technologies, data, and software to provide geospatial insights for modern industries and organizations. To best train the next generation of GIS professionals, an understanding of qualifications and requirements of GIS positions is needed. Thus, this work analyzes 508 GIS positions, grouped by position type (analysts, developers, educators, managers, specialists, technicians) to provide insights on key pre‐requisite requirements, such as education, experience, certifications, soft communication skills, programming skills, and knowledge of GIS or IT. In general, possession of a bachelor's degree in GIS, geography, or computer science, prior professional experience, and knowledge of GIS and IT software were common pre‐requisites for most GIS roles. Soft communication skills were also frequently desired for GIS roles. We also found that some position requirements tended to vary by position type, such as manager and developer roles requiring on average 5 years or higher prior experience, while analyst, specialist, and technician roles had much lower experience and education requirements. Higher education institutions and GIS training programs should note the desired requirements for GIS position types and continue to refine programs and develop pathways for success for aspiring GIS professionals.

Analysis of Knowledge and Satisfaction in Virtual Clinical Simulation among Nursing Students: A Mixed Study.

Virtual simulation offers a powerful educational tool with considerable, albeit underexplored potential. This technology immerses students in lifelike digital scenarios, fostering the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for their future careers. This study aimed to assess knowledge acquisition and satisfaction outcomes among students using a virtual simulation teaching approach. The specific objectives were (1) to compare pre-and posttest knowledge acquisition, (2) to investigate the influence of prior professional experience on knowledge, and (3) to explore satisfaction levels with virtual simulation. One hundred and fifty-nine nursing students participated in a virtual simulation-based clinical intervention, entailing the resolution of a virtual adult patient hospitalized with respiratory pathology. Sociodemographic data and prior professional experience were collected, and knowledge was evaluated through pre-to-post tests. Satisfaction levels were assessed using open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, and Cohen's tests, while qualitative data underwent keyword-in-context analysis. Significant differences were noted between pre- and posttest knowledge levels, with prior experience showing no significant impact on knowledge acquisition. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction. Lexicometric analysis identified four clusters of words related to the key terms "simulation", "learn", "activity", and "knowledge". Virtual clinical simulation effectively enhances knowledge acquisition and fosters satisfaction, with students recognizing the positive impact of this approach on their learning. Consequently, virtual simulation contributes to the training of competent health professionals.

Leadership coaching relationships: a qualitative examination of underlying factors

PurposeThis study explores factors that influence the initiation of leadership coaching relationships that include externally employed coaches and school administrators.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research study includes semi-structured interviews, observations and documents collected across three academic years within the context of a university-based leadership coaching program. Participants included six leadership coaches and six school administrators who participated in the program.FindingsQualitative analysis indicates that gender and race, prior professional experience, pre-existing professional relationships and the complexity of the district’s organizational structure influence the initiation of the coaching relationship.Research limitations/implicationsConfidentiality restrictions imposed by the program limit opportunities for member checking and other forms of triangulation. Additional data collection using more expansive research methods would help address this limitation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the sparse literature about leadership coaching with school administrators by describing how different factors influence initiation coaching relationships.

Investigating critical success factors and risks of construction technology startups: a systematic literature review

The construction industry has been strongly embracing innovation and technology in the past few years. Along with emerging technologies, many entrepreneurs have started to play a vital role in this process by providing solutions for specific problems in the construction sector through startups. However, the development of a construction technology (Contech) startup and the factors affecting its success are still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate critical success factors and risks of Contech startups by utilizing the systematic approach of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Forty-five (45) articles were included and analysed, and a total of 18 critical success factors were identified under (i) organizational capability, (ii) market strategy, and (iii) ecosystem engagement categories. Additionally, five (5) factors were presented under the risk factors category. The results showed that business model innovation, entrepreneurial support organization, founding team’s prior professional experience, and collaboration and inter-organizational learning, while uncertainty and marketing are the most highlighted risk factors in the selected articles. The study’s findings make a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge, as they address the gap in understanding the factors and risks that contribute to the success of Contech startups.

Effects of online continuing medical education on perspectives of shared decision-making among Chinese endocrinologists

BackgroundShared decision-making (SDM) may influence the clinical outcomes of patients with endocrine disorders. There are few studies describing perspectives towards SDM among endocrinologists in China.MethodsIn the first stage, we conducted a national survey using an online questionnaire about SDM among endocrinologists in China. The national survey focused on attitude and propensity, potential barriers, and the effectiveness of SDM implementation strategies. In the second stage, survey participants were further recruited to participate in a prospective cohort study in the online continuing medical education (CME) program of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. The Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-Doc) was employed to assess the effects of online CME on physicians’ perspectives during the process of SDM, which was conducted before and after the CME course was provided.ResultsIn the national survey, 280 endocrinologists (75.7% female, mean age 38.0 ± 4.5 years, 62.5% with a duration of practice of more than ten years) completed the questionnaire. Participants had a generally positive attitude towards SDM in clinical practice. The main perceived barriers included time consumption, information inequality between doctors and patients, and a lack of technical support and training for SDM. The main uncertainties of implementation steps included inviting patients to participate in SDM (16.3%), assisting in decision-making (15.3%), facilitating deliberation and decision-making (13.7%), and providing information on benefits and risks (12.6%). Of the physicians who participated in the national survey, 84 registered for the eight-day online CME course. The SDM-Q-Doc score increased from 87.3 ± 18.2 at baseline to 93.0 ± 9.3 at the end of the 8-day online CME training (p = 0.003, paired t test). The participants’ age, sex, education level, practice duration, the annual number of patients with rare endocrine diseases, and the annual number of patients requiring MDT or CME were not significantly related to increased SDM-Q-Doc scores after online CME (all p > 0.05).ConclusionsChinese endocrinologists had a generally positive attitude towards SDM in clinical practice. There were also several uncertainties in the implementation steps of SDM. Regardless of a physician’s educational background or prior professional experience, CME may help to improve their perspectives regarding SDM.

Building the Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Workforce: What are Employers Looking for?

A trained workforce is needed to protect operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) within national critical infrastructure and critical industries. However, what knowledge, skills, and credentials are employers looking for in OT cybersecurity professionals? To best train the next generation of OT cybersecurity professionals, an understanding of current OT cybersecurity position requirements is needed. Thus, this work analyzes 100 OT cybersecurity positions to provide insights on key prerequisite requirements such as prior professional experience, education, industry certifications, security clearances, programming expertise, soft verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of OT frameworks, standards, and network communication protocols, and position travel. We found that OT cybersecurity roles are typically non-entry level, as experience was the most common requirement, and was required on 95% of analyzed positions. Possession of a bachelor’s degree or higher was required for 82% of positions, while industry certifications such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) were listed on 64% of positions. Knowledge of OT or IT frameworks and standards and strong communication skills were listed on 48% of positions, while programming expertise, possession of the United States security clearance, and knowledge of OT or IT networking protocols were required for 18%, 24%, and 27% of positions, respectively. A work travel requirement was listed on 29% of positions. Individuals seeking to enter the OT cybersecurity field, and educational programs focusing on training OT cybersecurity professionals should prioritize obtaining experience, education, and certification, possessing strong communication skills, and knowledge of relevant OT and IT industry standards and frameworks.

Trends in Brazil’s Forestry Education: Overview of the Forest Engineering Programs

Our study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of forestry programs in Brazil, including a comparative analysis with other countries while considering geographical factors. Over the past 25 years, the number of forestry programs in Brazil has increased from 43 to 75, leading to a rise in the annual number of graduates from 850 to 1500. Nevertheless, our findings reveal that only 60% of the available vacancies at universities are filled. On average, each institution enrolls 169 students (from 40 to 360 students per program). We also observed that, on average, each program employs 13 professors with a background in forest engineering (from 4 to 33). The results show that, among the professors from the ten oldest programs in the country, 78% had no prior professional experience outside academia, and 48% remained affiliated with the same university where they completed their undergraduate or graduate studies. There is a concerning and significant decline in the number of applicants for forestry programs, representing a strategic risk for the country. We identified a direct relationship between the number of programs, the population size, and the country’s total forest cover area when comparing Brazil with 12 other countries.

What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study

BackgroundOrganized volunteer initiatives can reduce response times and improve outcomes in emergencies such as cardiac arrests or fires. Retention of volunteers is important to maintain good coverage and capabilities. The current study explores factors underlying volunteers’ motivation to continue as volunteers.MethodsData from 5347 active volunteers were collected through an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors that were then used in a regression analysis to predict intention to continue as a volunteer. Group differences based on, among others, number of alarms and prior professional experience in emergency response were explored.ResultsThe results showed that the factors community, self-image, and competence were the strongest positive predictors for the motivation to continue, whereas alarm fatigue and negative experience were the strongest negative predictors. Volunteers with professional background had higher competence and lower Alarm fatigue. Volunteers from rural areas and small cities had higher community than those in large cities.ConclusionsAlarm fatigue can make it hard to retain volunteers, which could be addressed using improved dispatch algorithms. Support after dispatch is important to prevent negative experiences. Finally, increased competence, e.g. through education and training, can improve volunteer’s motivation to continue.

The Effect of Managerial Adverse Experience on Financial Reporting

ABSTRACT We identify executives who have experienced significant accounting-related adverse events during their careers as a powerful setting to examine the extent to which prior professional experience can influence subsequent financial reporting policies. We find that firms led by senior financial executives who have experienced accounting-related adverse events during their careers exhibit greater unconditional accounting conservatism, a lower likelihood of experiencing future accounting-related adverse events, and less positive abnormal discretionary accruals. This effect tends to be stronger when the experience is more frequent, recent, severe, or proximate. Overall, our results reveal a meaningful relationship between managers’ professional experience and accounting policies. Data Availability: All data used in this study are obtained from publicly available sources. JEL Classifications: G40; M40; M41.

Teacher Agency in Implementing the Getting-to-Know-English for Grade 1 and Grade 2: How Teachers Enacted

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training issued a new general education curriculum and Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2. Teachers are crucial to implementing Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2. However, teacher agency has been understudied, despite recent studies in Vietnam. These studies examined teacher agency in executing the language policy, the pilot English program under the National Foreign Language Project 2020. Little study has been done on how teachers use the Getting-to-know-English in Grades 1 and 2. The current study, based on the ecological approach, seeks to understand how Vietnamese primary teachers utilize the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2. Documents and interviews provided data. Data analysis showed that teachers adapted teaching activities and resources, accepted and resisted assessment methods and lesson planning, accepted teaching methods, and accepted and adapted teaching content. Prior professional knowledge and experience, curriculum map and evaluation, students’ learning styles, resources, and professional development program affected teacher agency enactment. The study advises more professional training programs for teachers to implement the Getting-to-know-English for Grades 1 and 2.

Multiple principal conflicts and technological innovation performances of international new ventures: Moderating role of founder's experiences

To examine technological innovation performances of international new ventures (INVs), this study investigates how and under what conditions insider and institutional ownership might matter. Building on the perspective of multiple principal conflicts, we theoretically and empirically address this central question by developing an understanding of how insider and institutional ownership could improve and hinder technological innovation performances of INVs. We also examine the influence of INV founding entrepreneurs’ experience to determine whether their prior professional and startup-founding experience could constrain or enhance innovation performance implications of insider and institutional ownership. Empirical results obtained from a sample of 219 Korean INVs demonstrate that insider ownership and institutional ownership can differentially affect INVs’ technological innovation performances by providing positive and negative innovation contributions, respectively. We also found that founders’ prior experience was an important aspect of enhancing the technological innovation of INVs. Specifically, prior professional experience and startup-founding experience of INVs’ founders were found to negatively and positively affect the contribution of institutional ownership to technological innovation performances of INVs, respectively. By contrast, we discovered that the contribution of INVs’ insider ownership to technological innovation performances of INVs had no relationship with their founders’ experience. We ultimately draw meaningful contributions to the literature by examining roles of corporate governance structure of INVs and their founders’ experience in explaining innovation performances of INVs.

Exploring healthcare professionals' experiences with informal family cancer caregiving.

Caring for a family member with cancer is often associated with significant cognitive, emotional, and physical demands. Although considerable research has explored informal cancer caregiver role burden, research has seldom focused on the experiences of individuals who hold the dual role of informal caregiver and healthcare professional. This qualitative study begins to explore this dual role experience. Participants (N = 12) who had at least 1 year of prior professional experience and cared for a family member with cancer were recruited conveniently from a large university-affiliated hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted. Using thematic analysis, key themes were developed from verbatim transcripts: (1) salient dual role advantages, (2) significant challenges related to this role, (3) changes in professional practice as a consequence of informal caregiving, and (4) important palliative and end-of-life care access issues. Whereas professional knowledge helped advocate on behalf of patients, the dual role often came with over-solicitation from others, enhanced sense of responsibility, increased burden, and significant distress. Further study of critical ramifications linked to jointly enacting informal and professional caregiving across various health contexts should continue to inform supportive care strategies for this understudied yet increasingly prevalent segment of the caregiver population.

CFO credentials, stock market signaling, and firm performance

PurposeThis paper examines how “strategic” chief financial officers (CFOs) with an elite MBA (i.e. elite CFOs) influence (1) stock market reaction to CFO hiring announcements (ex ante measure) and (2) post-hiring firm performance (ex-post measure).Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes a comprehensive, proprietary database with information about the educational qualifications and prior professional experience of 1,340 CFOs hired during the period 1994–2014. For each CFO, the authors hand-collected data on the CFO's prior experience as well as CFO's educational profile. The authors also identified the date of CFO hiring from financial press articles. To evaluate performance, the authors consider two different, yet complementary performance measures: (1) the stock market reaction, a priori measure and (2) a traditional measure of performance, which is a post-facto metric related to firm performance.FindingsThe results show that hiring CFOs with scarce and strategic human capital elicits a positive market response and leads to significant improvement in firm performance. Further, firms with greater managerial discretion benefit more from hiring elite CFOs. The results hold after controlling for chief executive officer (CEO), CFO, top managment team (TMT), and board characteristics.Originality/valueThis study shows converging and mutually consistent results about what specific types of CFO human capital create firm value and, more importantly, show that such value-creation is only in the case of small firms and high growth firms. The study also advances the stream of literature that contrasts the relative benefits of specialist versus generalist qualifications.

New market creation through exaptation: The role of the founding team's prior professional experience

This paper focuses on the creation of new markets through technological exaptation i.e. the repurposing of existing technologies to serve new functions in a different market domain. We conceptualize the ability of new ventures to create new market applications for existing technologies as dependent on the knowledge, skills, and cognitive frames developed by the founding teams’ members during their professional careers. Specifically, we hypothesize that the extent of the founding team's employment experience across different organizations influences the probability that the new venture will create a new market through technological exaptation. We also explain why experience in entrepreneurially prominent organizations changes this relationship at various levels of prior employment experience. We test our arguments using data on blockchain startups (and their founders/co-founders) in the worldwide energy sector established between 2010 and 2019. The results show that the likelihood that a new venture develops a new market application for blockchain technology in the energy sector is associated with the professional experience of the founding team members. We discuss the implications of these findings.

Employee Non-compete Agreements, Gender, and Entrepreneurship

I contribute to the literature on institutions, gender, and entrepreneurship by showing that macrolevel institutional policies that do not explicitly target women nonetheless discourage them from leveraging prior professional experience—their own and that of others—in founding new ventures. Most ventures fail, but chances of success are greater if founders can bring to bear their professional expertise. However, employee non-compete agreements enjoin workers from leaving their employer to found a rival business in the same industry. Thus, non-competes add legal risk to business risk. To the extent that women exhibit greater risk aversion, the threat of litigation from their ex-employer may act as a sharper brake on startup activity than for men. Examining all workers who were employed exclusively within 25 states and the District of Columbia from 1990 to 2014, I find that women subject to tighter non-compete policies were less likely to leave their employers and start rival businesses. Non-competes increase the risk of entrepreneurship by making it harder to hire talent with relevant experience, shifting women away from higher potential ventures. A review of thousands of filed lawsuits suggests that firms do not target women in non-compete cases. Rather, it appears that non-competes disproportionately discourage women from leveraging their professional networks in hiring the sort of talent necessary for high-growth startups to succeed.

A survey of newly enrolled school psychology trainees: Estimates of key role and function

AbstractExamining school psychology trainees' perceptions regarding school psychologists' key role and function is important because inaccurate perceptions may lead to unmet professional expectations, reduced job satisfaction, and burnout. One hundred and eighty two first‐year school psychology graduate students enrolled in National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) approved and/or American Psychological Association accredited school psychology specialist and/or doctoral training programs were surveyed regarding their perceptions of how school psychologists spend their time. Responses were compared to results from the 2010 NASP survey of school psychologists, in which NASP members reported the percentage of time engaged in various school psychology functions. Respondents in the current sample underestimated time spent conducting special education evaluations t(399.54) = 12.2, p < 0.000, d = 0.76 and overestimated time spent providing individual student counseling, t(465.27) = 2.94, p < 0.001, d = 0.17 and student groups t(444.74) = 5.42, p < 0.001, d = 0.409, η2 = 0.04. A positive correlation between prior professional public school experience and time estimates for special education evaluations was found, r(175) = 0.14, p = 0.03. Implications for the field of school psychology are discussed, including the provision of updated information on key role and function to applicants along with screening to assess knowledge of the field.

Second-career teachers’ workplace learning and learning at university

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine career-change student teachers’ practice-based learning in teacher training, with a special focus on the support they received. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a qualitative content analysis of 15 group interviews, including 58 career-change student teachers and focuses on their learning at university and the workplace. Findings This paper indicates that career-change student teachers’ learning is task-related and based on interactions. It benefits from the support provided by actors at the university and workplace. Their learning is highly self-regulated and built on skills from prior professional and life experience. However, behaviourist learning and trial-and-error learning strategies are more often mentioned than constructionist learning and goal-oriented learning. Practical implications The findings underline the fact that universities and schools can enhance career-change student teachers’ learning by providing professional support, helping them to form links between experience from their prior profession, as well as their knowledge acquired at the university and experience from the workplace. Originality/value Until now, few studies have addressed workplace learning in teacher education. The present study aims to address this lack. Moreover, the study shows how career-change student teachers deal with the challenge of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during practice-based teacher education.

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Qualitative Study of Experiences of Cooperation Among Healthcare Workers Participating in COVID-19 Aid Mission in China and Its Implications for Offsite Pandemic Response Planning

Background: Most recent studies on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have focused on its epidemiology and on frontline healthcare workers’ (HCWs’) physio-psychological experiences, with few studies examining their experiences of cooperation. To assist future offsite planning for pandemics, we documented lived experiences of cooperation among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted an empirical phenomenological investigation among 25 HCWs (17 nurses and eight physicians), selected through convenient and purposive sampling, who participated in a medical aid mission in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected via semi-structured online video interviews, and the interview transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.Findings: (1) The government-organized multi-level and multi-departmental management structure ensured appropriate arrangements of human and material resources. (2) High morale among voluntarily recruited HCWs and a supportive context entailing mutual learning encouraged cooperation among team members. (3) A continuous, streamlined workflow and communication was crucial. Adequate communication enabled HCWs, confronting shock and unfamiliar situations, to adjust quickly by drawing on their rich prior professional experience. (4) Nurse managers, who were the core internal and external team coordinators, juggling multiple roles and tasks, experienced severe stress. (5) A comprehensive person-centered care model and cooperation within multidisciplinary teams of HCWs were needed to balance infection management and patient-centered care.Interpretations: Planning for a pandemic aid mission is challenging, given the unpredictable nature of the circumstances and the political context within a specific region. We offer the following recommendations for future pandemic planning.Funding Statement: No external funding.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the researchers’ institute (IRB number: 202025).

Exploring Work-Life Balance for Recreation and Leisure Professionals Enrolled in an Undergraduate Degree Pathway Program

Many recreation and leisure professionals are looking for opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge in the context of their work. For some professionals that involves returning to post-secondary education. Yet, most undergraduate degree programs are designed in formats for students who are assumed to have little prior professional experience, knowledge, and skills and who do not work full-time. As such, in 2016, Brock University in partnership with Centennial College, launched a university degree pathway program for recreation and leisure professionals. In this paper we explore experiences of recreation and leisure professionals enrolled in the degree pathway program. The findings highlight how students navigated (and attempted to balance) full-time studies while managing competing priorities and responsibilities in their personal and professional lives. In the discussion, we share implications of this research for curriculum developers interested in designing post-secondary programs for diverse students.