Impact of Education on Veterans Empowerment to Enhance Careers and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example

? Impact of Education on Veterans Empowerment to Enhance Careers and Job Satisfaction Concept Paper Submitted College of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION By NAME Month Year Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Background of the Problem 2 Theoretical Foundations and Review of the Literature 3 Definition of Key Terms 4 Review of the Literature 4 Summary 9 Problem Statement 9 Purpose of the Study 10 Research Questions 10 Primary research question 10 Secondary research questions 10 Significance of the Study 11 Research Methodology 11 Research Design 12 Sources of Data 12 Data Collection Procedures 13 Data Analysis Procedures 13 Ethical Considerations 14 References 15 Annotated Bibliography 17 Introduction Education is an economic pillar. Moreover, it enhances people’s lifestyles by increasing their earning levels. Education improves people’s social life and social status. It also leads to career and job satisfaction, just as many previous studies reveal. Many studies carried out in the past link high educational levels to increased job and career satisfaction. As people increasingly learn, notes many studies, their lives goes through various transformational processes. Studies conducted indicate a direct correlation between the level of education and the kind of lives that people live. Taste, class and preferences included. It is due to this transformational process that I will undertake to conduct this study on the impact of education on veterans’ empowerment to enhance careers and job satisfaction. War soldiers and especially the Iraq and Afghanistan fighters underwent a special program that incorporated them back into the society (Nelson, 2012). Additionally, they were introduced into education, low interest mortgages and loans and paid tuitions. While previous studies have concentrated on the influence of these benefits in transforming the soldiers’ lives, little focus is put on the impact of education in helping them find better jobs that would enable them fit into the normal lifestyles. According to Offner (2012), the returning soldiers were faced with the problem of finding jobs. Further, he points out that while some of these soldiers were lucky to find jobs, they could not effectively handle them due to lack of expertise and knowledge. This will form the main basis of this research paper. It will majorly draw reference to previous studies done on the same issue. Background of the Problem Soldiers of the World War II spent a considerable period of their lives in the battle field. Incidences taking place in the battle field caused psychological torture and trauma on these soldiers. During their homecoming, the process was characterized by a mixture of feelings and emotions. While those left in their homes advanced academically and improved in the social class, particularly friends and relatives, the soldiers were less educated, with their education stagnating. The civilians acquired higher education and got married, changed their lifestyles among others. On the contrary, the war soldiers came back to start their lives, some from destroyed families and others stalled careers. These problems they faced right on their return were too hard to bear (Nelson, 2012). To solve them, they required economic, financial and psychological support. As a congratulatory message, they were presented with a range of benefits after completing the GI program. Education largely featured among these benefits. The potential of education in bringing the soldiers back to normal life as well as putting them in the same social class contributed to this emphasis. Many scholars undertook to conduct studies on the effects of these benefits in transforming the lives of these soldiers. While some argued that these were of no use in changing their way of life, others were confident that they would adequately change them. It is due to these conflicting studies and arguments that I will conduct this study. Its main intent will be seeking the relationship between education and the lives of the service military men after the war and the GI program. Theoretical Foundations and Review of the Literature Education has the potential of transforming a population’s lifestyle through a number of ways. A variety of studies supports this argument. According to Hill et al. (2005), education improves an individual’s earning levels as well as improving their lifestyles. Other studies indicate that education changes the social status of people in the society. According to these studies, the more education a person receives, the higher a person ranks in the society. Social ranks come along with power and increased social responsibilities. Knowledge is power, and many theories have sought to back this reality. Educating a group of people significantly improves their lifestyles. Moreover, education leads to job satisfaction, as these researchers argue. It also elevates their social status and class. Drawing relevance to this, this study will seek to explore the impact that education has on improving job satisfaction of the ex-military service men. In their transformation to a civilian lifestyle, the soldiers undergo a number of stages. They are taken through the GI program, and later introduced to a number of benefits, aimed at elevating their social class at per with the rest of the society. Among these benefits, include subsidized loans to start businesses, low mortgages and free tuition as well as funded college and university education. Among these benefits, education stands out. The fact that it improves people’s lifestyles and elevates their social status prompts more such related studies. This study will major on the contribution of education on the soldiers’ level of job satisfaction. Definition of Key Terms Veteran- This is a person who has previously served in the army, thus being exposure to acts of military conflict GI program- this is an education program established by the department of war veterans seeking to provide war soldiers with the necessary education to acquire civilian jobs. Social capital- this is the connection within and between networks of people or groups of people in the society. Social circles- these are groups of people who are well interconnected to each other Review of the Literature According to a study focusing on the challenges facing the employment challenges of the war veterans by Williamson & Mulhall (2009), education is the biggest challenge facing soldiers seeking employment in different parts of the world. Results from this study indicate that many of the soldiers seeking job opportunities face rejection since they do not have the required academic qualifications. Instead of them living like the heroes of war they are, they end up facing a number of problems such as poverty among other problems. Most of these people would like to work in the corporate world and lead normal lives. However, the fact that they are not educated well enough to meet the qualifications of most positions, they end up remaining jobless or doing odd jobs. In a 2009 report, Williamson & Mulhall (2009) reported that many of the veterans lost their jobs when they joined the army. On return, their academic qualifications could hardly meet the demands of their previously held positions, making it even more difficult for these soldiers to be absorbed in their previous organizations. Although the directive issued by the USERRA required these organizations to give them their previous positions or equivalent positions, their levels of satisfaction on these positions were relatively low. Offner (2012) observes that these soldiers could not effectively handle the requirements of these positions due to the knowledge and skills demanded by the organization. They therefore had to go back to school to seek further training in order to comfortably and effectively handle their duties. The support they received from the government was overwhelming. Realizing the impact that education had in improving these soldiers prompted a number of programs that over saw that most of these soldiers went back to school and received equivalent education. Education benefits people in a number of ways. Not only does it improve the economic status of the people by increasing their income levels, it also gives people power and social class. Strong (2007) observes that there is an increase in the social and economic mobility of people in the United States due to improved education standards. The fact that systems of higher education provide avenues for power and legitimacy is proof enough of the significant role played by education in establishing and defining people’s social classes. Huang (2008) observes that education affects social trust and social participation in a particular way. In his analysis, he points out that education largely contributes to the positive correlation between an individual and social capital. Highly regarded people in the society are at a better position and ranks better than poorly educated people. Social capital is referred to as the connection within and between networks of people or groups of people in the society. Arguments raised point out that social capital expands more as people acquire more income. Interestingly, wealth opens up a person’s world, an element commonly associated with good education. However, the paradigm does not end just there. The fact that education equips individuals with public relations skills and knowledge, people can effectively handle others more effectively and efficiently. Moreover education opens doors to opportunities of wider networks with other people, especially those of different cultures. As such, education increases a learner’s networks and social circles. Many authors and experts agree that as educational ladders increase, an individual gets exposed to more people and builds more networks around him or herself. Job satisfaction is linked with high educational standards. Among the previous surveys and research done, results indicate that the level of income correlates with the level of job satisfaction and motivation of workers and employees in an organization (Stillo, 2011). At the lower levels of the bureaucratic system, the level of job satisfaction is very low. Most of these workers as studies have revealed are less motivated to work. In fact, few people agree that they are satisfied if they work in the low levels of the organizations. However, this is in contrary to those people in the top management positions of the same organizations. Managers and Chief Executives agree that they are more satisfied in their job positions and would be willing to remain in their job positions. Highly ranked job positions in an organization are characterized by high job satisfaction and better pay for the employees (Stillo, 2011). Moreover, the kinds of tasks handled by these employees are not effort demanding, but rather require more reasoning and thinking. For instance, forecasting and accounting tasks are very different from manufacturing and production tasks. Employees ranked lowest in the organizational structure hardly receive satisfactory salaries. A comparison of their earnings with those of the top managers, they earn quite little. Salaries significantly feature in the motivational packages of the employees in an organization. While high salaries lead to increased levels of motivation, low salaries are on their own demotivating. A highly demotivated workforce performs poorly. Moreover, the rate of employee turnover is very high. Job satisfaction and education are positively related. Reality in the employment sector reveal that the more a person is educated, the more that person earns as they are offered better jobs, contrary to the poorly educated people. Most of the soldiers have the very basic education. According to Elbogen et al (2012), the highest numbers of the soldiers are young men who have not yet gone through tertiary education. As such, whenever they leave the army and join the corporate world, they acquire the lowest jobs, those that pay poorly and have fewer benefits. Different research did in the past have associated the level of income to the level of education of people. According to Stillo (2011), the more a person is educated, the more they are likely to earn. It is believed that as a person pursue higher education, the more the likelihood of that person acquiring knowledge and skills that are applicable to different situations in the organization. More knowledge means that a person can handle more jobs. Additionally, it means that the mistakes that they are likely to commit in their work are minimal. Thus, their work is thorough, free of mistakes and on top of that delivered in time. Due to these reasons, well educated people are involved in the decision making process of the organizations, their expertise is essential in setting up goals of the organization, allocating resources in the organization, supervising other people, and financing the organization, among others. Subsequently, these people earn more salaries for their services rendered to the organization. Contrary to this, poorly educated people in an organization are likely to make many mistakes. Moreover, they are not specialized in any particular field. As a result of this, such employees receive little pay for their services to the organization. The discussed differences between the rich and the poor people in the society are as a result of educational differences between members of the two groups. The very educated people in the society own the power and the capacity to control resources. The fact that only a small group of people controls resources create the situation whereby only a few people benefit, especially those who not own the means of production. The poor people who cannot afford the means of production are left to offer poor labor to the rich people. As a result, they remain poorer. The government, to avoid such in eventualities to the loyal soldiers implemented a plan that was to help the ex-military to get back to the society and ensure that they perfectly fit and blend with the people in the society (Elbogen et al 2012). This plan that involved the introduction of the military to the GI program and later a number of benefits that would catapult them and place them in a similar level has had a number of positive impacts to these people. Particularly, they received support aimed at getting them back to the world of reality by offering them, mental and psychological support and introducing them to the normal m life of the common people. Later, they were provided with loans to start up their businesses as well as low cost mortgages to buy their own houses. However, the education plan is arguably the most influential of all the implemented plans for the ex-military personnel. The education plan was aimed at improving the lifestyles of these soldiers. Humensky (2013) points out that due to the importance of the education in transforming the lives of people in the society was the main reason why this element of the plan was given high emphasis. Summary Past studies link a person’s level of education to the level of satisfaction. The higher a person’s level of education is, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their jobs. This is because there is a close relationship between education and job rankings. High-ranking individuals enjoy their jobs more than the low ranking individuals do. Additionally, there is a positive relationship between a person’s occupation and their lifestyles. This is because better jobs are associated with better salaries. Problem Statement Soldiers of war, especially those of the Iraq and Afghanistan, having spent a considerable amount of time in the battle field had little education. Since most of the soldiers were in their youth and young adult lives (18-24), they are hardly advanced in their education Humensky et al. (2013). One main characteristic of these men is that close to all of them are people who had just completed their secondary and tertiary education. The time spent in the field is long enough for these people to find a variety of changes in the society. Many of the people who never joined the army were very much advanced in their careers and others in their families, already married. These soldiers, coming from the battle field with psychological torture of the battle field were faced with another bigger problem. They were coming home to a world that was fully transformed and one that was way advanced for their education standards. Most of them succumbed to the reality on the ground, a society where they little could fit. There were no jobs for them as most positions required training, knowledge and skills. Yet, all the skill they had was that of war. They could not handle management tasks, and neither could they be offered highly demanding tasks. Many became very poor, as they did not have any forms of incomes. The government, as a way of showing its concern offering with support set up the GI program and a number of benefits for the returning soldiers. Education prominently featured in these benefits, with the soldiers receiving free tuitions as well as education loans. This was in realization of the benefits of education in transforming the lives of the people and winning them a better social class as well as improving their economic status. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative ethnography is to explore the impact of education on war veterans in enhancing careers and job satisfaction in their transition to civilian life after the GI program in the United States. At this stage in the research, the war veterans will be generally be defined as the soldiers who took part in the Second World War. Research Questions To successfully cover its purpose, this study will be divided into two types of research question, i.e. the primary and the secondary research questions. It will seek to answer these questions in a comprehensive manner. Primary research question What is the impact of education on war in empowering Veterans to enhance careers and job satisfaction during in after their transition from military service to the civilian lifestyle after completing the GI Bill program? Secondary research questions i. What is the contribution of education in empowering war veterans? ii. Does education influence the kind of jobs that war veterans acquire after the GI program? iii. What factors make education a significant factor in these veterans’ transition process? iv. What is the impact of education in enhancing careers? v. What is the impact of education on job satisfaction? vi. Does education influence the kind of lifestyles that war veterans live after going through the GI process? Significance of the Study A gap exists in the previous studies conducted on the problem of veteran’s transition into civilian lives. Among the various benefits provided to the war veterans, education features significantly. The planner of the program had one in mind; that education provides people with unlimited opportunities for their career growth and job satisfaction. Subsequently, the veterans were given loans to pay for their education to any level that they wished. In addition to that, they were also provided with paid tuition in various learning institutions (Burnett-Zeigler et al 2011). The influence of education and its ability to transform the lives of these people cannot be underestimated. If anything, it helps them in acquiring the very best of careers and jobs available in the market. Previous studies have not covered this in a comprehensive manner. Therefore, the main aim of this study wills bridging this research gap existing in literature, access the advantages and disadvantages of education on these war veterans and provide recommendations after the study is complete. Research Methodology To complete this study, a qualitative study will be used. Qualitative research method is an inquiry method that researchers employ in different academic disciplines such as market research among other contexts. Panneerselvam (2004) defines quantitative content analysis as “a research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text data through the systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns.” In real research work, two methods of quantitative research are used. These include the inductive and the deductive research methods. In inductive reasoning, the themes and categories emerging from the current data through careful examination and comparison of the data collected by the researchers takes place. On the other hand, deductive reasoning uses data from the previous studies and incorporating them in the current research especially in data analysis to draw inferences and conclusions. The efficiency of these factors in the current study makes the whole study a comprehensive and study. Research Design The research design includes the research methodology and procedures employed in conducting a scientific research. In its very own sense, it defines the type of the study, which is descriptive, experimental, correlational, and semi-experimental, a review or either a meta-analytic. Sub-types of research design are either descriptive-longitudinal case study. In particular though, this research study will be a qualitative ethnographic study of the impact of education on the war veterans. To comprehensively answer the questions in this study, the research will focus on the lives of a particular group of people in the society, which are the war veterans. Since this study seeks to look at the lives of these people and their career prosperity, linking these to the level of education they have acquired. Sources of Data Sources of data are instruments used in collecting data required in the study (Panneerselvam, 2004). The instruments used must sufficiently serve to accomplish the purpose of the research and study. In conducting a thorough research, this study will effectively employ interviews and questionnaires in collecting data for use in the study. To an extent, observations will be used to link the logics between the information provided by the respondents and the actual reality. For instance, a veteran who claims that he acquired a good job and was paid well after going back to school should be in a position to show this through his lifestyle. The kind of life such a person lives should be a reflection of such a claim. Open ended and closed ended questionnaires will be used as the people will have to give direct answers in some questions while others will seek to include their personal opinions. As some of the veterans are already dead, the study will try to seek the kind of job positions that they used hold from their previous organizations. Additionally, others will be represented by their keens, and this will necessitate the use of the interviews. Data Collection Procedures The target population in this study will specifically be the ex-war soldiers, especially the Iraq and the Afghanistan war soldiers. The main aim of the study is to determine the impact of the education in transforming the lives and the lifestyles of these people through a number of ways such as their career selection and job position. Therefore, the study’s target population will be the ex-soldiers in the United States. In a further analysis, it will seek to verify whether education has any significant effect on the people’s lifestyles by comparing the lives of the soldiers who enrolled to school after the GI program and those who did not. After drawing the data collection tools, the researcher will book appointments from the target population through emails or by phone contact. This will especially take place for the interview cases. Questionnaires administered will be of two types, an electronic version and a hard copy. Some of the questionnaires will be directly emailed to the respondents while others will be handled to the respondents. Data Analysis Procedures Data analysis is the process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming and modeling data with the main goal of discovering useful information from this data an suggesting conclusion, as well as supporting the decision making process. A multifaceted approach involves different techniques in a variety of names as well as domains. The procedure begins with cleaning of data where the collected data is inspected and the erroneous data corrected. This effectively takes place during the data entry stage. Initial data analysis is the next step. This stage involves determining the quality of data, quality of data measurement, and the initial transformations of data. The next stage was main data analysis, which involved exploratory and confirmatory approaches to data collection, the stability of the results collected and the statistical methods used in the data analysis. In the data analysis process, a number of software is used. Increase in technological development has revolutionized the research sector. As such, there are different software and systems used in different stages of a search process. The most common stage that applies the services of software is the data analysis stage. Although similar software could be used for different types of study, there are specific software designed for different types of researches. This study will use the DevInfo data analysis software is a system endorsed by the United States development group for monitoring and analyzing the human development process. Ethical Considerations This research will keep the respondents anonymous. Information collected will solely be used for the research purpose of the study alone. Only the researcher and his assistants will handle all the data. No outsider who is not party to this research will have any access to the data provided by the respondents. References Burnett-Zeigler, I., Valenstein, M., Ilgen, M., Blow, A. J., Gorman, L. A., & Zivin, K. (2011). Civilian Employment Among Recently Returning Afghanistan and Iraq National Guard Veterans. Military Medicine, 176(6), 639-646. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fee4f9af-dc0d-4929-a504-f03006f13817%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=6 Elbogen, E. B., Johnson, S. C., Wagner, H., Newton, V. M., & Beckham, J. C. (2012). Financial Well-Being and Postdeployment Adjustment Among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. Military Medicine, 177(6), 669-675. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f5ec0790-8e6d-460f-b057-a311c800f26e%40sessionmgr11&vid=2&hid=6 Humensky, J. L., Jordan, N., Stroupe, K. T., & Hynes, D. M. (2013). How Are Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans Faring in the Labor Market?. Armed Forces & Society (0095327X), 39(1), 158-183. doi:10.1177/0095327X12449433 Kumudha, A. & Abraham, S. (2008). Organization Career Management and Its Impact on Career Satisfaction: A Study in the Banking Sector. Nelson, B. (2012). Should the Senate Pass S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act?. Congressional Digest, 91(9), 270-272. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5e251583-17cb-4e57-aa80-0db55734b910%40sessionmgr12&vid=2&hid=6 Offner, J. (2012). Returning Veterans Face New Battle Finding Jobs. Community College Week, 24(18), 12-13. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c07f7150-41fe-46b6-823f-c8aab8ec3c8c%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=6 Panneerselvam, R. (2004). Research methodology. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. Stillo, S. (2011). The Role of Salary as a Motivating Strategy for Increasing the Quality and the Stability of the Public Administration in Albania. International Journal Of Economic Perspectives, 5(1), 5-15. Strong, A. B. (2007). Educating for Power: How Higher Education Contributes to the Stratification of Social Class Williamson, V. & Mulhall, E. (2009). Invisible Wounds: Psychological and Neurological Injuries Confront a New Generation of Veterans. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Retrieved from http://iava.org/files/IAVA_invisible_wounds_0.pdf  Annotated Bibliography Burnett-Zeigler, I., Valenstein, M., Ilgen, M., Blow, A. J., Gorman, L. A., & Zivin, K. (2011). Civilian Employment Among Recently Returning Afghanistan and Iraq National Guard Veterans. Military Medicine, 176(6), 639-646. This article will provide information on the factors contributing to the veteran soldiers acquiring civilian jobs after serving in the G1 program. It will also provide information on the ability of these soldiers to conduct their jobs. Having different jobs with those of the army is not an easy task. The article thus will provide information on the support provided to these soldiers to conduct their business in an effective way. Elbogen, E. B., Johnson, S. C., Wagner, H., Newton, V. M., & Beckham, J. C. (2012). Financial Well-Being and Postdeployment Adjustment among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. Military Medicine, 177(6), 669-675. After the return of the soldiers, some of them had good lifestyles while others merely survived. All of them went through a similar program, and then were offered equal opportunities to study and acquire civilian jobs. While some went back to school, others did not. This was the post adjustment program of these soldiers. The career paths they took in a big way determined the kind of lifestyles they lived. Humensky, J. L., Jordan, N., Stroupe, K. T., & Hynes, D. M. (2013). How Are Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans Faring in the Labor Market?. Armed Forces & Society (0095327X), 39(1), 158-183. doi:10.1177/0095327X12449433 This article takes a close look at how the war veterans were fairing in the labor market after their absorption into civilian jobs. As this study involves looking at these soldiers’ lives after the war, it will concentrate on their job performance standards. It will also look at how education played a big role in either good or poor job performance. Kumudha, A. & Abraham, S. (2008). Organization Career Management and Its Impact on Career Satisfaction: A Study in the Banking Sector. This article provides information on the ways in which people can organize their careers to become successful people in the society. Information contained in this article will help this study ion establishing the various ways in which the veterans could have improved their careers. Nelson, B. (2012). Should the Senate Pass S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act?. Congressional Digest, 91(9), 270-272. After the war, the war soldiers faced a myriad of challenges, especially in securing civilian jobs. Amid these challenges, the senate realized the contribution of these soldiers in protecting the country. As such, as a way of thanking them, they enacted laws that would enable them acquire decent jobs in the United States. Offner, J. (2012). Returning Veterans Face New Battle Finding Jobs. Community College Week, 24(18), 12-13. Finding jobs for the war veterans was an uphill task. Employers and business owners received them with scientism. However, some of them, especially the learned ones faired considerably well in the job market. This article will provide information on the contribution of education to acquiring good jobs. Panneerselvam, R. (2004). Research methodology. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. This publication helps this study with the means of conducting a good research. Differentiating the various research methods and choosing the best out of them will be the kind of information provided by this article. Stillo, S. (2011). The Role of Salary as a Motivating Strategy for Increasing the Quality and the Stability of the Public Administration in Albania. International Journal Of Economic Perspectives, 5(1), 5-15. Salary plays a big role in determining a person’s level of performance in a particular job. This is however one of the motivational strategies available for managers to motivate their employees. As such, it will provide information on the role played by salaries in ensuring job satisfaction for the veteran soldiers. Strong, A. B. (2007). Educating for Power: How Higher Education Contributes to the Stratification of Social Class Returning soldiers found themselves falling into different social classes in the United States. This was depended on the kind of jobs they found. Education n played a major role in the kind of jobs they found. The article provides information on the contribution of education on the social class status of these soldiers. Williamson, V. & Mulhall, E. (2009). Invisible Wounds: Psychological and Neurological Injuries Confront a New Generation of Veterans. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Just after their return, the war soldiers faced new problems in their own society. As this article argues, the war soldiers had to contend with job problems and lack of education. This article will thus aid in establishing the kind of problems they faced with reference to education standards and acquiring jobs. Read More