Professional Self-esteem Research Articles

Самооценка преподавателя вуза в контексте современных медиа

Self-esteem and personal development depend on the social context. This article describes this correlation, within which personality affects the professional success. Such an impact is manifested in the work of a modern university educator, both in the media space and beyond. The social role of the teacher changes together with public relations: today, it is part of cultural capital and information economy. The professional self-esteem of a university educator, expressed in managerial metrics, determines their performance. The metrics can reveal a social interaction between the specialist and the society, where the specialist exchanges skills for reward, which affects the self-esteem and further interaction. The work of a university educator depends on the presence of the student as an actor, formal requirements of the university administration, and the ability to meet the students’ need for personal contact under standardization and mass production of information. The article gives university teaching personnel some recommendations on maintaining self-esteem connected with the development of emotional intelligence, impression management, and identification. The recommendations are supported by media presence cases.

Leadership Virtues, Professional Self-Esteem, and Teaching Management of Chinese University Professors: Basis for Professional Development Plan

Leadership Virtues, Professional Self-Esteem, and Teaching Management of Chinese University Professors: Basis for Professional Development Plan

Examining audiologist candidates' self-esteem and professional self-esteem

BackgroundSelf-esteem is an individual's perception of themselves. Professional self-esteem is defined as the individual's perception of worthiness regarding their preferred profession. The research aims to examine the relationship between the self-esteem and professional self-esteem of Audiology department students and raise awareness of this issue.Material and MethodIn our study, 532 students in the Audiology undergraduate department were included. Professional Self-Esteem and Self-Esteem questionnaires were delivered to the students online via Google Forms, using snowball sampling, in social media groups of the Audiology undergraduate students. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis Test. p < 0.05 was accepted as significance value.ResultsAccording to the results, it has been observed that there is a weak and significant positive correlation between the professional self-esteem of the audiologist candidates and their total self-esteem scores (p < 0.05). Self-esteem and professional self-esteem scores of those who chose the profession willingly were significantly higher than those who did not choose the profession willingly (p < 0.05). As the grade level increased, professional self-esteem decreased significantly (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the scores in both scales according to income, university type, and gender (p > 0.05).ConclusionAs a result, it was observed that as the self-esteem of the audiologist candidates increased, their professional self-esteem increased. Also, as the class level increased, their professional self-esteem decreased.

Unveiling the link between organizational commitment, professional self-esteem, and work engagement of Filipino faculty members in state universities and colleges

Employees’ commitment serves as the backbone of every organization and their unfathomable allegiance equates to success and future endeavors. Loyal employees tend to do their work with dedication, innovative in creating new ideas and always going the extra mile. They will devote their time and effort to attaining the vision and mission of their organization. Thus, this descriptive-correlational research design determined the relationship between organizational commitment, professional self-esteem, and work engagement among Filipino faculty members of State Universities and Colleges. The respondents of the study were 251 faculty members from the State Universities and Colleges in the Philippines. Simple Random Sampling identified the respondents of the study. Standardized research instruments were employed in this study. The data were gathered through an online survey. The findings revealed that the respondents’ level of organizational commitment in terms of affective, continuance and normative are relatively high. Likewise, the assessed level of professional self-esteem of the respondents in terms of satisfaction, knowledge development, commitment, adaptation, and communication are generally very high. Similarly, the work engagement levels of the respondents in terms of vigor, dedication, and absorption are all extremely high. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between organizational commitment, professional self-esteem, and work engagement among faculty members; hence, the null hypotheses were rejected. Therefore, it can be justified that satisfaction singly predicts work engagement, satisfaction, and knowledge development as sub-factors of professional self-esteem both explain work engagement, and satisfaction, knowledge development, and affective commitment in combination channels work engagement.

An Evaluation of the Relationship Between Professional Self-Esteem and Job Satisfaction Levels of Audiologists According to Their Workplace Types.

The concept of occupational self-esteem is the value judgment developed towards the chosen profession, while job satisfaction includes positive emotional attitudes towards the job. Professional self-esteem and job satisfaction levels of audiologists are a matter of curiosity. To determine the effect of the workplace types of audiologists in Turkey on their professional self-esteem and job satisfaction levels. The study included 307 audiologists working in various types of workplace. Participation in the study was voluntary. A Personal Information Form, Arıcak's Occupational Self-Esteem Scale, and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale were administered in all individuals via Google forms and the scale scores were compared according to the workplace types. A statistically significant relationship was found between professional self-esteem and job satisfaction, age, satisfaction with workplace, satisfaction with working conditions, effect of workplace on professional development, and income satisfaction (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between professional self-esteem and professional tenure and tenure in the current organization (p>0.05). There was a strong positive statistically significant relationship between job satisfaction and professional self-esteem of audiologists working at state hospitals, hearing aid centers, university hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and cochlear implant centers and academics (p<0.05). According to the present results, although the professional self-esteem of audiologists in Turkey showed a small difference according to the type of workplace, their mean score was high. This shows that audiologists enjoy their profession. Job satisfaction levels were lower especially in rehabilitation centers and private hospitals. We think that improving the working conditions of audiologists in private institutions will be effective in improving the services provided to patients by leading to better job satisfaction.

Nurses' collegiality: An evolutionary concept analysis.

Collegiality is one of the fundamental values of the nursing profession. During the nursing history, collegiality has been described as part of a nurse's relationship with their peers and it influences the quality of care they provide and job satisfaction and commitment to their work. Despite earlier definitions, the concept of collegiality in nursing has remained unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the concept of collegiality in the nursing profession, using Rodger's evolutionary concept analysis. We carried out electronic searches using the CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SocINDEX, PsycINFO and Eric databases and manual searches of the reference lists of the selected papers. The searches were limited to peer-reviewed papers published in English language from the inception of database to November 2022. This identified 25 papers. Based on our analysis, the attributes of the concept of collegiality were achieving mutual goals together with equality, reciprocity, trusted advocacy, powerful self-regulation and engaged belongingness. Antecedents of the concept included existing professional group, connection between professionals and professional self-esteem. The consequences were strengthening nurses' professional status, job satisfaction and their ability to provide the best possible patient care. We found that nurses' collegiality was a value-based concept, with a unique character based on professional connections. The concept brought together ethical and pragmatic strategies to achieve the best possible results for the nursing profession. Provided knowledge can be applied for further development of the concept and applying it in clinical research and practice. The concept of nurses' collegiality should also be studied in the future because both the profession and their working environment are constantly changing.

The problem of technical teacher training in modern conditions

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of selecting the content of the training of future teachers of general technical disciplines. It is proved that in conditions of multi-vector technical development, and turbulence associated with the transition to a multi-polar world order, the content of this training should change rapidly. Not only the given invariant of this content is important, but also the methodology of its formation.Aim. The present research aims to formulate the problem of developing the content for technical teacher training.Methodology and research methods. The developed methodology foundations for the selection of optimal content for technical teacher training are based on activity, competence-based, transfessional and transprofessional approaches. The empirical base was obtained using a distance questionnaire to technical teachers from 26 universities. The following theoretical methods were applied: retrospective analysis of the working conditions of teachers of technical disciplines; analysis of scientific and methodological literature on the problem of combining subject-professional and pedagogical training of a technical teacher; analysis of disciplines from professional training programmes in the Russian universities.Results. The analysis of vocational training programmes of technical and pedagogical universities made it possible to compare them with each other and to correlate the disciplines of the general professional block and elective courses to the main current directions of the Russian technical development in the current conditions. This made it possible to identify the content of the professional activity of the future technical teacher, as well as to indicate the possibilities for changing this content both in technical and pedagogical universities in order to more accurately match it with the existing tasks of technical development of the state. As a result of a retrospective analysis, a historically formed “portrait” of a technical was described. The following problems were indicated: “physical and technical snobbery” as unwillingness to enter the humanities and pedagogical field of professional activity from the physical and technical content of their subject; a low level of methodological knowledge and skills; lack of erudition in technical fields among young teachers; low professional self-esteem.Scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time the analysis of the disciplines of the general professional module and elective courses of technical and pedagogical universities of Russia revealed their correlation with the main directions of the development of science, technology and engineering.Practical significance. The conducted research allowed the authors to raise questions about the selection of the content of technical teacher training. This should help in the formulation of the principles of content selection to develop its methodology.

The Differences in Individual-psychological Properties Of Students-journalists and Professional Journalists

Background: This article delves into the examination of distinctions in personal traits, professional qualities, and professional self-esteem between seasoned journalists and aspiring student journalists. Numerous studies have undertaken comparisons between student and professional individuals across various domains, but not in journalists. Methods: The study involved a sample of 48 students and 48 established journalists, with average ages of 19 and 25 years, respectively. Participants were subjected to a battery of tests, including Rusalov’s Temperament Structure Questionnaire, Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, the “Motivation of Professional Activity” method by Zamfir K., “Motivation for Career” method by Noe A., Noe R., Bachhuber D., Zakirzyanova L.A.’s method for Assessing Journalist Professionalism, Kalina N.F.’s method for Evaluating Social Intelligence, among others. Results: We found no disparities in temperament attributes, personal characteristics, and social aptitudes between these two groups. Differences were observed only in certain aspects of self-esteem, such as operational activity and self-esteem of result. Specifically, these differences concern the assessment of hard skills, job satisfaction, and professional responsibility. All the aforementioned aspects were found to be more pronounced in professional journalists compared to their student counterparts. Conclusion: The demarcation between students and professional journalists encompasses variations in personal competencies and self-esteem, which form the core of one’s professional self-concept. However, significant differences in personality traits between students and professional journalists were not identified in this research.

Professional self-esteem and experiences of nurses on organizational involvement: A mixed methods study

ABSTRACT Professional nursing organizations (PNOs) contribute to improving the quality of nursing services while raising occupational awareness. This study aimed to describe the professional self-esteem levels of nurses and their experiences with PNOs membership. This study used a mixed methods design. A survey was administered to 453 participants, and focus group interviews were held with the participation of 30 nurses during the quantitative and qualitative phases. Data were collected using the ‘Professional Self-Esteem Scale’ and a ‘Semi-Structured Interview Form.’ Stepwise regression analysis and content analysis were utilized for data analysis. Interview data were analysed in two categories (perception of PNOs and membership in PNOs). The regression analysis revealed that opinions about the effectiveness of the activities of PNOs, the type of institution, the job position, and the type of the unit as the workplace acted on the professional self-esteem of nurses. Most nurses were not members of PNOs, and their professional self-esteem levels were moderate. Political awareness needs to be promoted; students need to be brought together with leaders of PNOs and nurse leaders; the increased focus should be enabled on concepts of leadership, policymaking, and the awareness of legal rights should be raised.

THE KEY SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF THE PROCESS OF FORMING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE HISTORY TEACHERS DURING THE STUDY OF SPECIALISED DISCIPLINES

The article updates the view that the knowledge, value-semantic and general cultural and purely personal components of the professional competence of a future history teacher are considered by the author as one's ability to generate and adhere to own responsible decisions and to actively participate in identifying and solving both professional and socially important problems, subject to defending one's position. The author characterises some key social determinants of the process of forming professional competence of future history teachers while studying specialised disciplines, which ensures both the development of their intellectual and creative abilities and promotes ongoing creative and socially active interaction with all subjects of the educational process of a higher pedagogical education institution. The following social determinants have been identified: formation of social competence of future history teachers along with the processes of their socio-cultural identification; actualisation of the leading features of a creative personality; solving the problem of professional self-esteem of future history teachers; their self-development in the processes of obtaining the pedagogical profession; modern higher pedagogical education institutions provide equal start-up opportunities in acquiring quality professional education and facilitate the implementation of their potential, creative abilities, and interests and requirements in the process of professional training in the study of specialised disciplines. The paper determines that in the processes of professional training of future history teachers in higher pedagogical education institutions, it is important to create conditions for their effective development as a citizen of Ukraine, a patriot of the country, the professionally and life-competent and competitive personality who successfully self-realise in society.

The Factors Affecting the Level of Job Satisfaction of Family Physicians and their Relationship with Professional Self-Esteem

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and professional self-esteem levels of family medicine practitioners working in Family Health Center. &#x0D; Materials and Methods: Between April 2021 and April 2022, 128 family physicians who volunteered from 155 family physicians working in family health centres in Giresun province were included in the study. The socio-demographic descriptive form, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction and Occupational Self-Esteem Scales were administered face-to-face and online (via WhatsApp groups and e-mail communities). &#x0D; Results: There was no significant relationship between job satisfaction and its sub-dimensions with age, gender, marital status, specialisation status, physical conditions of the Family Health Center, total years of practice and years of training in family medicine (p&gt;0.05). The mean level of occupational self-esteem was 112.48. It was found to be significantly positively correlated with age, total years of practice, years of family medicine practice and average number of patients seen (p=0.05, p=0.004, p=0.004, p=0.004, p=0.009, respectively). &#x0D; Conclusion: Professional self-esteem levels increase as professional age, total years of profession, and total years of working in family medicine increase.

Determination of the Relationship Between Clinical Practice Stress and Professional Self-Esteem in Nursing Students

This study aims to investigate the relationship between clinical practice stress and professional self-esteem in nursing students in terms of some variables. The study is of a descriptive-relationship-seeking type. The study population consisted of 806 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students studying at Gazi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing in the fall semester of 2022-2023. It aimed to reach 261 students by calculating the sample of which the population of the study is known. The sample of the study was obtained by systematic sampling method. The data collection forms used were the Personal Information Questionnaire, the Clinical Stress Questionnaire, and the Professional Self-Esteem Scale. According to the research results, there is a statistically significant difference between the medians of the professional self-esteem scores related to department choice, satisfaction with the department, positive communication with instructors, and positive communication with medical staff (p&lt; 0.001). As a result of our study, it was found that the older students, those who had voluntarily chosen the department, those who were satisfied with the department, those who had no difficulty meeting expectations, and those who were considering continuing in the profession had higher professional self-esteem. There was no relationship between clinical practice stress and professional self-esteem.

The Role of Demographics, Professional Quality of Life and Public Image in Social Workers’ Self-Esteem

Abstract Professional self-esteem refers to the importance that individuals attribute to their profession. It plays an important role in many personal and work-related aspects in the life of social workers (SWs). The purpose of the current study was to examine the contribution of select demographic variables (gender, length of professional experience and satisfaction with pay), variables related to professional quality of life (secondary traumatic stress, burnout and compassion satisfaction) and SWs’ view of their public image, to explaining their professional self-esteem. The data for this study were collected using structured online questionnaires administered to a convenience sample of 350 SWs in Israel. A three-step hierarchical regression was conducted to examine the contribution of independent variables to explaining SWs’ professional self-esteem. The findings show that SWs with greater professional experience, higher satisfaction with pay, higher compassion satisfaction, lower self-reported burnout and a more positive view of their public image reported higher professional self-esteem. Yet, gender and secondary traumatic stress did not contribute to explaining SWs’ professional self-esteem. Hence, to improve the professional self-esteem of SWs, efforts must be made to improve their professional quality of life and public image.

Psychological intervention for career self-esteem among students of agricultural education programme.

This study determined the efficacy of rational career intervention on career self-esteem of students of Agricultural education programmed in Universities in Southeast Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample of 54 students. The sampled students were allocated to 2 (treatment and control) groups using the sequence allocation software package. Students in the treatment group were counseled through a rational career intervention programmed that lasted for 12 sessions while similar students in the control group were not treated. The 2 groups of students were then assessed 3 times based on a career self-esteem scale. Data collected were analyzed using Analysis of variance and partial eta square statistical tools. The study's findings indicated a strong impact of rational career intervention on career self-esteem levels. The findings also showed that group and gender interaction effects had a substantial impact on the professional self-esteem scores of students in agricultural education. The findings also indicated a statistically significant relationship between time and students career self-esteem in agricultural education. The findings also showed that the group and time interaction effect had a substantial impact on the professional self-esteem scores of students in agricultural education. The follow-up findings showed that the rational career intervention has a long-term impact on career self-esteem among students in Agricultural Education. It was concluded that rational career intervention is useful in improving self-esteem among students of agricultural education in universities in Southeast Nigeria. It was then recommended that year-1 students should be counseled immediately after registration.

Professional Self-Esteem of Turkish Midwifery Students: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Professional self-esteem (PSE) is the individual's judgment of worthiness formed regarding the self-attributions related to the individual's profession. A well-developed PSE is important for midwives to be successful in their profession, have a strong sense of belonging, and see the profession as important and valuable. This study aims to determine the perception of PSE among midwifery students, explain how their perceptions are formed, and reveal how they perceive the midwifery profession and how the components that make up this perception determine their PSE. Students' average PSE score was analyzed, and the study was conducted using an explanatory sequential, which is a mixed-method approach, to interpret the results of the questionnaire and comparative analysis in more detail through direct interviews with university midwifery program students in western Turkey. Quantitative data were collected using the Individual Data Collection Form and the Professional Self-Esteem Scale. One-way analysis variance and independent sample t-tests were used to analyze the quantitative data. The students with the highest and lowest scale scores from each class level were interviewed using a Semi-Structured Interview Form. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the qualitative data. The mean PSES score was 117.51 ± 17.60. The t-test analysis result shows that there was a significant difference between the PSES score and choosing the midwifery department willingly, believing that they could perform the midwifery profession before and after starting the midwifery education (p < 0.05). Three main themes were obtained: the meaning of being a midwife, deciding to become a midwife, and the difficulties of being a midwife. It can be said that the main force behind the students' belief that the difficulties of the midwifery profession can be overcome is their strong love for the midwifery profession and their internalization of its importance.

OSınıf Öğretmenlerinin İş Güvencesi Algıları ile Mesleki Benlik Saygıları Arasındaki İlişkide Örgütsel Muhalefetin Aracılık Etkisi

The purpose of this study is to determine whether organizational dissent has a mediating role in the relationship between elementary school teachers’ job security perceptions and professional self-esteem. The research was conducted using the descriptive-relational survey model with 211 elementary school teachers working in 14 public primary schools in the city center of Amasya in the 2018-2019 academic year. The data in the study were collected using Arıcak's (1999) Professional Self-Esteem Scale, Kassing's (2000) Organizational Dissent Scale, and the Job Security Perception Scale developed by the researcher. According to the results of the research, elementary school teachers exhibit vertical dissent behavior rather than horizontal dissent behavior. In addition, job security positively and significantly affects Vertical and Horizontal dissent. Vertical Dissent affects Belief in the Functionality of the Profession sub-dimensions significantly and positively; its’ effect on Acceptance of the Profession and the Value of the Profession is not statistically significant. Horizontal Dissent does not significantly affect Acceptance of the Profession, Value of the Profession, and Belief in the Functionality of the Profession sub-dimensions. It was concluded that there is a low and positive relationship between elementary school teachers’ job security perceptions and professional self-esteem, organizational dissent is a partial mediator in the relationship between job security perception and professional self-esteem, and vertical dissent is a partial intermediator in the relationship between job security perception and belief in the functionality of the profession.

Professional self-assessment of the future special teacher

The article deals with the problems of professional self-assessment of a future special teacher. Previously, various approaches were investigated in determining the necessary personal and professional qualities, the content of education and professional training of a teacher. For the personality of the future special teacher today it is necessary to develop such qualities as competence, decency, politeness, self-control of their personal and professional behavior. The analysis of scientific works and empirical experience has shown the importance of a holistic study of the professional qualities of a future special teacher. The purpose of the article is the scientific substantiation of the development of professional self–esteem of the future special teacher.&nbsp; A structural and meaningful model of the development of professional self-esteem of students-future special teacher was developed. The model includes three components: cognitive, motivational, and self-management. The experiment was attended by 220 students KazNPU named after&nbsp; Abai&nbsp;&nbsp; university. To establish the level of self-government and self-esteem, diagnostics were used: I. Motkov's questionn aire, G.Kazantseva's questionnaire "Self-assessment of personality", as well as diagnostics of Bubnova's value orientations. The results of the study made it possible to establish an average level of self-management and self-development among students of the 2-3 courses, higher than average in the 4th year. The number of students with normal self-esteem by the 4th year increases from 46.7% to 64.3%. For the development of self-management and self-esteem of students, a new course "Self-assessment elective course" was tested. Keywords:&nbsp;self-assessment, self-improvement, professional, Correctional pedagogy, special education.

INCREASING MOTIVATION OF EMPLOYEES OF UKRAINIAN ENTERPRISES IN CRISIS CONDITIONS

Purpose. Effective personnel management is one of the most important tasks of a modern enterprise. In recent years, methods of motivation in the world have undergone significant changes due to the impact of the covid pandemic and military aggression against Ukraine. Many companies were not prepared for the need to suddenly change approaches to personnel management due to new realities. The purpose of the study is to analyze the problems of increasing employee motivation and measures to solve them in conditions of pandemic and military invasion into Ukraine. Design/methodology/approach. The study tested the hypothesis regarding the emergence of problems motivating employees of Ukrainian enterprises and a decrease in the level of their work efficiency due to demotivation, in particular due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and military aggression against Ukraine. The results of our own survey of Lviv employees, as well as successful examples of motivating employees in the world and in Ukraine, in particular in the conditions of a pandemic and military invasion, from open sources of information are presented. The following research methods are used: analysis, synthesis, generalization, analogy, comparison, systematization, graphical methods of data display. Findings. The factors and causes of demotivation were investigated. According to the results of our survey, the following most important demotivating factors were determined: unfair remuneration, lack of recognition and lack of meaning in the assigned tasks. The gamification method, which increases the employee's professional self-esteem, job satisfaction, a sense of the importance of the work performed, success, and creates a desire to work harder and better, is analyzed in detail. To improve the employee motivation system, a monitoring and gamification technique was proposed. With the help of it it is possible to monitor the motivational factors influencing the productivity of an individual employee and the department as a whole. As a result, the motivational picture of each employee is formed and his satisfied and unsatisfied needs are determined in order to create an effective system of both material and non-material motivation. It is shown that in connection with the Covid pandemic (since 2020) and the war in Ukraine (since 2022), existing problems of increasing employee motivation became particularly acute and new ones emerged. The war led to new regional features of the Ukrainian labor market, the outflow of qualified personnel abroad, the freezing and reduction of average wages in most industries. At the same time, concrete examples showed that Ukrainian business is able to adapt to modern crisis realities and many employees even acquired new useful competencies. Accordingly, it is recommended to make the motivation systems particularly flexible and aimed primarily at the resilience (psychological resistance) of the staff: communicate with employees as much as possible in a safe atmosphere, try to hear them – understand verbal and non-verbal messages, encourage and explain the purpose and content of their work. Practical implications. The hypothesis regarding the emergence of problems motivating employees of Ukrainian enterprises and a decrease in the level of their work efficiency due to demotivation, in particular due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and military aggression against Ukraine, was confirmed. Originality/value. According to the results of the survey, the following most important demotivating factors were determined: unfair remuneration, lack of recognition and lack of meaning in the assigned tasks. The negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic and military aggression against Ukraine on the motivation of employees is analyzed, and recommendations and successful cases for overcoming it are given.

Is the audiology education process effective on professional self-esteem and career decision-making self-efficacy?

Is the audiology education process effective on professional self-esteem and career decision-making self-efficacy?

Työttömien luovien alojen ammattilaisten kokemukset digitarinatyöpajasta

In this article we explore the potential of Digital Storytelling to support creative professionals’ identity work, and to improve their self-efficacy beliefs and professional self-esteem. We base our analyses on the experiences of five workshops organized for unemployed arts and culture professionals. We describe the theoretical foundations and practical implementation of the workshops, and analyse feedback collected from the participants. In the workshops, Freewriting and Digital Storytelling practices were used for reflecting on careers and professional identities of the participants. Qualitative content analyses of the feedback shows, that the participants valued the learning experiences, peer support, encouraging atmosphere and self-reflection opportunities provided by the workshops. Many participants expressed improved self-awareness and satisfaction with one’s competence and accomplishments, as well as optimism about the future. Based on these findings, we suggest that applying autobiographical, narrative and art-based practices in a facilitated, group-based process can indeed improve self-esteem and self-efficacy of creative professional, and this may in turn improve their employment opportunities.