Career Reentry Strategies for Highly Educated, Stay-at-Home Mothers.

Career Reentry Strategies for Highly Educated, Stay-at-Home Mothers by Cheryl M. Guc MS, Walsh College, 1993 BS, Wayne State University, 1990 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Psychology Walden University September 2017 Abstract Most stay-at-home mothers wish to return to the workplace; yet, the majority are not successful. There is a looming labor shortage and increasing organizational initiatives to increase female participation at most levels, providing opportunity for this talent pool. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the reentry strategies of networking, volunteerism, additional education, and additional training upon the reentry success for highly educated, stay-at-home mothers. In conjunction with the theoretical framework of the social cognitive career theory, self-efficacy, as measured by the New General SelfEfficacy Scale, was also examined as a reentry strategy. Survey research was used to gather data from previous stay-at-home mothers who had successfully reentered and stayat-home mothers currently in the job search process (N=157). Logistic regressions and Pearson correlations were used to determine significant relationships between network size and self-efficacy upon reentry success; however, network size was negatively correlated with reentry success. The results of this study can be used by highly educated, stay-at-home mothers contemplating workplace reentry as well as vocational counselors who assist this group of job seekers. Highly educated, stay-at-home mothers can use the results of this study to improve their chances of effectively transitioning back into the workplace while also altering the perception of the traditional, stay-at-home mother.Most stay-at-home mothers wish to return to the workplace; yet, the majority are not successful. There is a looming labor shortage and increasing organizational initiatives to increase female participation at most levels, providing opportunity for this talent pool. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the reentry strategies of networking, volunteerism, additional education, and additional training upon the reentry success for highly educated, stay-at-home mothers. In conjunction with the theoretical framework of the social cognitive career theory, self-efficacy, as measured by the New General SelfEfficacy Scale, was also examined as a reentry strategy. Survey research was used to gather data from previous stay-at-home mothers who had successfully reentered and stayat-home mothers currently in the job search process (N=157). Logistic regressions and Pearson correlations were used to determine significant relationships between network size and self-efficacy upon reentry success; however, network size was negatively correlated with reentry success. The results of this study can be used by highly educated, stay-at-home mothers contemplating workplace reentry as well as vocational counselors who assist this group of job seekers. Highly educated, stay-at-home mothers can use the results of this study to improve their chances of effectively transitioning back into the workplace while also altering the perception of the traditional, stay-at-home mother. Career Reentry Strategies for Highly Educated, Stay-at-Home Mothers by Cheryl M. Guc MS, Walsh College, 1993 BS, Wayne State University, 1990 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Psychology Walden University September 2017 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my family; to my husband, Bill, and especially to my beautiful daughters, Courtney, Sydney, and Gwen. This has been a very long journey, but I hope that through it all, I did not lose sight of the roles that mean the most to me, that of wife and mother. For my girls, I hope this research has provided you with some of the tools to help you make the best choices for you and your loved ones at defining moments in your life and that you will be able to chart your own path regardless of what society prescribes. I hope each of you becomes a strong woman in your own right, with your own thoughts, ideas, opinions, and passions. I hope that each of you are able to discover your unique and individual gifts, and are able to use them wisely and to their greatest extent. And finally, I hope that each of you can find joy in just being you. Acknowledgments First and foremost, my success in this endeavor would not have been possible without the grace of God. Through Him, all things are possible. To my committee chairperson, Dr. James Brown, thank you for having the patience, energy, and expertise to help me endure through this arduous process. Your quick wit, humor, and invaluable experience brought positivity and light during each and every step of the process and for that, I am forever grateful. My sincerest appreciation is also given to the additional members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Stephen Burgess and Dr. Marlon Sukal. Your knowledge of the subject matter and expert guidance with this process were vital in my achievement of this educational goal. Finally, this study would have been very different without the foresight and vision of those who are passionate about the lived experiences of reentry women, especially the founders and staff at iRelaunch.