Rodriguez Receives Dissertation of the Year Award from AHRD
Ana Carolina Rodriguez, a 2024 PhD graduate and coordinator of the OLPD Master's of Learning and Talent Development, received the Esworthy Malcolm S. Knowles Dissertation of the Year Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development for her dissertation "Integrating Care and Paid Work: The Career Development of Parents of People with Disabilities in Brazil." Her advisor was Dr. Alexandre Ardichvili.
Abstract
Parenting a person with disabilities (PWD) is an experience that transforms one’s beliefs, family relationships, social connections, financial stability, and professional trajectory. Parents of PWD engage in what scholars call exceptional care – intense, lifelong, cyclical, and crisis-driven care. Studies show that parents of PWD often experience heightened work-family conflict and physical, emotional, and financial stress. Nevertheless, employment is critical for these parents’ financial and mental health, as work provides necessary income and personal fulfillment.
Ana Carolina Rodriguez
This study applied a grounded theory methodology to investigate how Brazilian parents of PWD make career decisions to accommodate care and paid work, also examining the systemic factors that influence these decisions. The findings of this study contribute to advancing and integrating career development and work-life theories, highlighting the importance of intersecting identities and organizational and social dynamics. Additionally, this study offers practical implications for career development professionals, HRD practitioners, organizations, and public policymakers on how to support the professional development of caregivers.