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Financial aid administrators administer various aspects of financial assistance programs; oversee, direct, coordinate, evaluate, and provide training for program activities and the personnel who manage office operations and supervise support staff; and ensure alignment of student and institutional needs while protecting the public interest. They have long recognized the value of professional standards in this complex field. This study uses Peterson's (2011) professionalization theory, 2010 archival data, analyses of variance, and risk estimation to examine the need for, benefits of, and level of support for certification, credentialing, and establishing basic core standards for financial aid practitioners. Among 2,756 survey respondents, 72% agreed with the need for basic core standards; 82% agreed professionalization would increase the stature of and respect for the occupation; and 79% agreed to support a process if adopted. A voluntary process, mandatory basic training, a recognized financial aid curriculum, and a phase-in period for current practitioners were the components agreed on most (ICCA = .98, a2 = .01). With an item reliability index of alpha = .91 (p = .001) and a margin of error of ± 1.75% at the 95% confidence level, the results indicate financial aid administrators want to move forward with certification, credentialing, and setting standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transfer of repatriate international knowledge to their colleagues is essential for organisations to capitalise on the benefits international assignments can offer and to gain a competitive edge. Literature on knowledge sharing and repatriate effectiveness was reviewed for the development of the repatriate knowledge sharing environment (RKSE) measure. The first phase of the study created and pilot tested a proposed seven-dimension measure of the RKSE. Phase two confirmed the dimensions of the measure and examined the validity of the measure. The first phase alluded to an eight-dimension RKSE factor structure: source credibility, knowledge quality, source awareness, employee interaction, source recognition, workplace professionalism, supervisor support and promotion of knowledge exchange. Phase two exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the eight-dimension RKSE scale. Furthermore, construct validity was found for the eight dimensions of RKSE scale and criterion-related validity was established. Through the use of this new instrument, organisations can improve their understanding of the organisations support towards repatriate knowledge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]