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Exploring Midcareer Women's Graduate School Transition: Department Socialization Tactics and Perceived Fit

Mitchell, Julie B.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1270745471

Abstract Details

2010, MA, Kent State University, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies.
This applied, phenomenological study explored how 20 midcareer transition women experienced their socialization into traditional fulltime graduate study. Participants were asked about communication socialization processes they recalled in their academic departments during their first semester adjustment. Qualitative thematic analysis of e-mail interviews revealed six interrelated themes: department fit, identity losses, interactive stress reactions, internal success strategies, positive proactive communication and sink or swim survival communication. Departments' socialization tactics influenced midcareer transition women students' interpretations of good or bad department fit. Participants' adjustment experiences within their departments were also strongly influenced by pre-entry identity losses related to jobs they had voluntarily given up before graduate school. Participants responded to socialization messages from academic departments through non-instrumental interactive stress reactions, instrumental proactive internal success strategies, and positive proactive communication. Participants who perceived bad department fit reported a distinct type of negative proactive communication labeled sink or swim survival communication. Findings suggested that department divestiture tactics, specifically a lack of faculty support and identity affirmation, led to a perception of poor department fit and subsequent sink-or-swim communication. Findings have theoretical implications for communication socialization processes and practical implications for academic departments wishing to recruit, socialize and retain midcareer transition women students.
Robyn Parker, PhD (Advisor)
Mei-Chen Lin, PhD (Committee Member)
Janet Meyer, PhD (Committee Member)
122 p.
Communication; Higher Education; Organizational Behavior; Social Research
organizational socialization; proactive newcomers; nontraditional graduate students; socialization tactics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mitchell, J. B. (2010). Exploring Midcareer Women's Graduate School Transition: Department Socialization Tactics and Perceived Fit [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1270745471

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mitchell, Julie. Exploring Midcareer Women's Graduate School Transition: Department Socialization Tactics and Perceived Fit. 2010. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1270745471.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mitchell, Julie. "Exploring Midcareer Women's Graduate School Transition: Department Socialization Tactics and Perceived Fit." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1270745471

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1270745471
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.