Digital Commons Network^™

Financial Self-Efficacy Among Puerto Rican Women In The United States: An Ethnographic Action-Based Research Study, Melinda Jimenez Perez

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic action research study was to better understand the financial self-efficacy of Puerto Rican women in the United States. There is a gap in the literature in identifying the relationship between middle-class Puerto Rican women and financial literacy. In a pilot study, four major findings emerged from the survey about Puerto Rican women and their relationship with finances: (a) as children, mothers taught them to save, and as adults, they rely on the male figures in their families; (b) the traditional education systems did not provide financial education; (c) the childhood culture of poverty and scarcity …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Hispanic Restaurants In South-Central Texas: A Qualitative Study, Javier Apolinar

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. The COVID-19 pandemic generated a major crisis for the restaurant industry in 2020 and 2021. The nationwide shutdown resulted in widespread restrictions on social gatherings, significantly impacting this industry. Hispanic businesses were not immune to this crisis, and its impact had profound effects on small businesses.

Most of the research in this field has primarily concentrated on small businesses and entrepreneurship under favorable circumstances, highlighting factors such as entrepreneurial drive, maximizing profits, taking risks, developing ideas, and promoting fair competition. Consequently, the current body of research is insufficient and fails to address the specific experiences of minority small …

A Self-Exploration Of A Project Leader’S Career Tilt, Transformation, And Motivational Challenges In The Face Of A Mass Organizational Layoff: An Organizational Evocative Autoethnography, Valentina Rada

Theses & Dissertations

In this study, I reflected on my behavior as a project leader in an organizational culture undergoing significant transformations. I explored motivational and engagement best practices for personal and professional career growth in a changing environment, such as layoffs due to downsizing. This study includes my research rationale for improving performance given the impacted career of a project leader. I highlighted the role of goal setting as a critical part of project leadership to facilitate performance in times of organizational crisis. Additionally, I focused on autoethnography as a research method to self-reflect on the impact of self-determination on goal achievement. …

Where Are All The Latinas In Information Technology? Understanding And Engaging "La Fuerza Potente" Of A Powerful Demographic, Diana Orozco

Theses & Dissertations

This study was inspired while I was researching other studies on employee motivational factors for non-profit organizations. I stumbled across the employment factors of Latinas in IT. This led me down a path of researching numbers, facts, organizational campaigns, and employment statistics. Latinas represent only 1% of the IT workforce, despite educational and organizational hiring campaigns and efforts. This led me to further inquire: What are the obstacles, what are the motivators, what is the solution and finally how would the resolutions be implemented? With many qualitative and quantitative studies that identify the deficiency, there has been little done to …

Testimonios Of Latinas In The Federal Government Senior Executive Service: Honoring Women Who Excel In Public Service, Amarylis Lopez

Theses & Dissertations

The Senior Executive Service (SES) is the highest tier of executive management and leadership in the federal government. The Latino/a population has significantly increased in the past three decades with no corresponding increase in the federal workforce and the number of Latinos/as serving in the SES remains low. As Latinos/as in the SES are largely underrepresented, their ability to influence federal policies is significantly undermined. The purpose of this study is to explore the testimonios (testimonies) of Latinas in the SES to better understand their experiences while navigating entry into the SES and maintaining their respective positions.

This study used …

Medicare Shared Savings Performance: Three-Year Pandemic Analysis, Bryan Adams

Theses & Dissertations

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) Office of Actuary predicts that U.S. national health expenditures will surpass U.S. gross domestic product per capita by 1.1% annually until 2028, totaling $6.2 trillion in healthcare spending. A significant portion of this spending, 36%, is attributed to Medicare and Medicaid. To address this issue, CMS has implemented the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to assist Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in reducing healthcare costs and improving the quality of care for beneficiaries. The main objectives of this dissertation are twofold. Firstly, it aims to investigate the relationship between various factors, such as quality …

Ceo Characteristics And Compensation In Fortune 100 Companies, Adam C. Carroll

Theses & Dissertations

The existing literature on CEO compensation places heavy emphasis on the interrelationships between educational background and personal experiences of a CEO and how it affects a firm’s performance and, in-turn, how the firm’s performance impacts the CEO compensation. However, there is sparse research on the direct impact that socio-demographic factors and other variables have on CEO compensation. This dissertation’s aim is to identify if socio-demographic factors play a role in how a firm compensates its CEOs by using information gathered from the CEOs of the top Fortune 100 companies.

Given the non-random and limited sample, the primary research methods in …

The Black Male Triumph Story: Successfully Achieving Graduate Degrees, Albert Charles Furlow Iii

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. In post-baccalaureate education, Black males have historically and continuously been underrepresented and misrepresented; however, this research was focused on abstracting the positive characteristics that were similar among successful post-baccalaureate Black male graduates. My research looked at the post-baccalaureate attainment of 16 Black male participants in a nuanced way by pinpointing the common positive attributes of the successful scholars. Specifically, I explored the importance of informing educators about necessary tools that contributed to the success of Black males in graduate school. The goal of my study was to target policymakers in education, present and future researchers, practitioners, and faculty …

An Autoethnograpy Of A Baby Boomer In Higher Education: Challenges And Catalysts For Change, Deborra Finlan

Theses & Dissertations

Higher education as a baby boomer brings mental, physical, and economic adjustments, concerns, and insecurities. Additionally, life delivers unexpected challenges and barriers which can cause hardships requiring various types of motivation. Fortunately, there are also catalysts which can contribute toward successes. Literature from four major elements were the focus in this study: motivation, adult learning, challenges, barriers, and catalysts. Theorists and theories included Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation with the added factor of cost, and Ryan and Deci’s theory on self-determination; Mezirow’s transformative learning and Knowles’s self-directed learning; Cross’s theory on educational barriers—situational, dispositional, and institutional; and Cobb’s social support …

U.S. Army Physician Assistant Retention: A Latent Class Analysis, Robert Greener

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Retaining employees is crucial to the success of organizations. While significant effort has been made to model employee retention, models have been unable to significantly predict retention. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was to develop an improved employee retention model which could be used as a practical guide to improve employee retention. Materials and Methods: The study analyzed a survey created, implemented, and collected by the Statistical Cell at the U.S. Army Center of Excellence. In September of 2020, all 864 active-duty PAs were sent a link to the survey and 290 completed the survey, …

The Impact Of E-Service Quality On The Customer Satisfaction Of Electronic And Small Appliances Online Shoppers In Saudi Arabia, Majed A. Almobarak

Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this quantitative study, which utilized a non-experimental, correlational predictive design, was to evaluate the association between perceptions of e-service quality by Saudi Arabian adult residents and their overall satisfaction with the online retailer from which they buy their electronics and small appliances products. The study also sought to determine to what extent e-service quality factors, as a group and independently, predict the customer satisfaction of the participants of this study. The participants of this study were limited to adults (18 years of age or older), male and female, who live in any region of Saudi Arabia, and …

How Positive Practices In Organizations Are Associated With Employee Engagement Via The Moderating Effects Of Generational Cohorts In U.S. Customer Service Organizations, Deborah A. Poole

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role that the respective workforce generational cohorts may have on the relationship between positive practices in organizations and levels of employee engagement of U.S. based adult customer service representatives of all races. Studies show that higher employee engagement positively affects employee motivation, satisfaction, productivity, and ultimately the financial success of the organization. However, the levels of engagement for front line customer service positions are some of the lowest of occupations measured by Gallup and have actually declined in recent years. The broaden and build theory of positive emotions shows that …

How Leaders And Employees Experience, Make Sense Of, And Find Meaning In Humility, David Perryman

Theses & Dissertations

By just about any measure, organizations today are more dynamic, diverse, and interdependent than at any other time in history. This environment puts unprecedented pressure on the human capacity to lead. And still, we demand more from our leaders—even as employees experience rising stress levels, declining loyalty, and deteriorating trust in their employers, and organizations face historically high rates of employee turnover along with the resulting financial and emotional costs. Clinging to romanticized notions of the larger-than-life leader blinds us to the paradoxical promise of humility; namely, that a leader’s greatest strength may lie, ironically, in the ability …

A Narrative Inquiry Exploring The Experiences Of Latina Entrepreneurs In South Central Texas, Alma Fernández Villanueva

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. The U.S. Hispanic population is the second-fastest-growing group followed by Asian Americans (Krogstad & Noe-Bustamante, 2019) and is the largest minority group in the United States (Duffin, 2020). In addition, the population of Latina women in the United States is rapidly growing and is projected to double by 2050 (Martinez-Restrepo & Stengel, 2017). On a microeconomic level, 40% of women in the United States are the primary economic source of income for their families, while on a macroeconomic level, almost 50% of women are in the workforce (DeWolf, 2017). Specifically, Latina women are becoming business owners through entrepreneurial …

The Effect Of Faculty Leadership Style On The Results Of Student Evaluation Of Teachers, Sadeq Sohrabie

Theses & Dissertations

Higher education administrations use Student Evaluation of Teacher (SET) frequently as a performance metric for instructors and professors. Many decisions are being at least partially made based on SET results such as recruiting, retention, and promotion decisions. SET has been subject of many studies but just recently leadership style is being studied as a factor affecting SET. Research shows instructors’ transformational leadership in classrooms can lead to more effective and efficient classrooms, which in turn yields higher student satisfaction and academic gains. In this Study, the relationship between SET and transformational/transactional leadership style has been examined using structural equation modeling. …

Understanding Effectuation Theory As An Entrepreneurial Cognitive And Behavioral Process In Firm Creation And Expansion To Create Local, Contextual Knowledge In Morocco, Ada Gonzalez

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this 2-year case study in the Kingdom of Morocco was to understand the entrepreneurial cognitive and behavioral processes expressed in the creation and expansion of a venture by American owners and Moroccan and American team members. The study used an interpretative design and narrative analysis methodology to develop themes. In the first phase of the study, I interviewed the co-founders and associates to learn to what extent the five principles of effectuation theory and other entrepreneurial cognitive processes played a role in the first few years of the school’s creation. In the second phase, I worked in …

Understanding Employee Engagement: A Mixed-Methods Study, Joren M. Scharn

Theses & Dissertations

For over 4 decades businesses around the world have been conducting employee satisfaction surveys at regular intervals and this surfaced a strong positive relationship between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and overall company performance. In recent years however, academics and researchers have reopened the debate on whether employee or job satisfaction metrics are in fact reliable indicators of productivity, suggesting that employee engagement has a far stronger correlation to productivity. This study addresses two interrelated problems that are associated with a practice that is common in working environments all over the world. According to literature, it is generally accepted that (a) …

The Role Of Mentoring In The Development Of Minority Faculty In The Texas State Higher Education System, James Onyeneke

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. The purpose of this study was to explore the role that mentoring played in the professional development of minority faculty in the Texas State higher education system.

Research Methods. A phenomenological qualitative research design was employed for this study. Data was collected using open ended in-depth interviews with eight minority faculty purposefully selected from across the Texas State institutions of higher learning.

Research Results/Findings. Minority faculty in the Texas State higher education system often experienced cultural taxation, marginalization, discrimination, isolation, and lack of mentoring. The study indicated that mentorship boots minority faculty support, retention, promotion, empowerment, trust, accountability, …

The Initial Planning Process Of An International Service-Learning Pilot Initiative Under Development, Denise P. Krohn

Theses & Dissertations

This research explored the initial planning process of an international service-learning (ISL) initiative under development that involved a collaboration among a south-central Texas private university, a ministry of Catholic Sisters in Peru, a U.S. non-profit organization, and a Peruvian optometry school. Three collaborators were founded by the same religious order. An overlapping in mission and values influenced the context. By delving into the expectations of higher education and its pedagogical practices, ISL’s history and conceptualizations, and concepts of program planning and designing related to the fields of ISL and adult learning, this study presented significant program development aspects. Furthermore, the …

Factors Impacting The Intent To Use An Interactive Visual Aid On A Tablet Pc Platform By A Biotechnology Sales Force, Tom Dotter

Theses & Dissertations

The interactive visual aid on a tablet PC technology platform is a relatively new marketing tool. The interactive visual aid was developed to replace the visual aid brochure, also known as pharmaceutical promotional literature. The interactive visual aid is used by biotechnology area business managers to promote their respective medications directly to a healthcare provider. Biotechnology corporations are equipping their sales forces with tablet PCs to leverage customer relationship management tools, adhere to compliance and Food and Drug Administration regulatory policies, and to launch marketing tools such as the interactive visual aid. Do these companies know the factors contributing to …

The Sport Commitment Model’S Effect On The Participation Frequency And Purchase Behavior Of Golfers, Kevin Rubel

Theses & Dissertations

Golf has a multi-billion dollar impact on the U.S. economy. Golf course revenues have flattened since the industry peaked in 2005. Many golf courses have closed as fewer and fewer golfers continue to play. Golf course managers must develop effective marketing plans to retain customers. This means developing effective systems to retain golfers who have a large variety of playing and equipment options. Determining what factors are related to the reasons a golfer continues to play would help in the development of needed programs. Commitment to golf could be one of the factors related to the purchase intention and participation …

Motivations Of Ncaa Student Athletes In Community Service, Karen Boleska

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. Research is ongoing around the United States on volunteer motivations; however, NCAA student athletes remain an understudied population. This quantitative study investigated the motivations of NCAA student athletes in community service to determine if the importance of motivational functions differ demographically. The specific purpose of this study was to examine and determine the order of the motivational function of importance for NCAA student athletes in connection to their participation in mandatory community service. Determining if the importance of motivational functions differ demographically by gender (male, female), academic classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate students), and by sport type …

How Decision Makers Learn To Choose Organizational Performance Measures, Annemarie N. Hooge

Theses & Dissertations

This study, framed by decision making, program theory, and performance measurement theory, explored the knowledge and experience that enable decision makers to identify organizational performance measures. It used a mixed method, exploratory sequential research design to discover the experience, knowledge, and skills (EKS) senior decision makers felt were important in learning to choose organizational performance measures. From the analyzed interviews, a survey was designed to measure the importance of the EKS characteristics. Qualitative analysis identified 55 life, work, or educational experience; knowledge; or skill characteristics and 23 effective measure characteristics. Regression analysis and PCA were used to extract 6 components. …

Call Center Experience Optimization: A Case For A Virtual Predictive Queue, William Pugh

Theses & Dissertations

The evolution of the call center into contact centers and the growth of their use in providing customer-facing service by many companies has brought considerable capabilities in maintaining customer relationships but it also has brought challenges in providing quality service when call volumes are high. Limited in their ability to provide service at all times to all customers, companies are forced to balance the costs associated with hiring more customer service representatives and the quality of service provided by a fewer number. A primary challenge when there are not enough customer service representatives to engage the volume of callers in …

The Impact Of Lean Startup Theory Upon Local Business Entrepreneurs, Gary Boyd

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the entrepreneurs in South Texas are aware of the Lean Startup Methodology, and have utilized its principles in their business startup decisions. If so, how have these Lean Methods impacted their ongoing operational management? Additionally, this study ascertains the degree of satisfaction these entrepreneurs have with their startup processes. Finally, this study determines whether selected entrepreneurs would recommend a Lean Startup approach to other entrepreneurs. The research focused only upon selected business entities formed since 2000.

Research Methods. This study utilized a survey methodology. In particular, …

The Impact Of Culture On Hispanic Entrepreneurs As Mediated By Motivation, Challenge, And Success, Valerie V. Ballesteros

Theses & Dissertations

In the modern economic environment, demographic shifts in U.S. population resulting from changing immigration, changing economic policies and environments, and growing socioeconomic disparity, scholarly research examining the business behavior of specific groups and the impact of behavior on the broader marketplace is valuable and necessary. Hispanic entrepreneurs, when compared to both minority and non-minority business-owners, started and flourished in successful business ownership at a greater growth rate than any other group (Davila, Mora, & Zeitlin, 2014). Since the beginning of the 21st century, Hispanic entrepreneurs have become a measurable economic force. The cultural experience of the Hispanic entrepreneur is important …

Relationship Between Generations Of Entrepreneurs And Entrepreneurial Traits, Ihsan Eken

Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative descriptive study investigated the relationship between 3 different generations of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship traits. The specific purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial traits and generations of U.S. entrepreneurs in Southwest (San Antonio), Northeast (Dallas), Center (Austin), and Southeast (Houston) Texas, to see whether generational differences are associated with entrepreneurial traits. 3 different generations of entrepreneurs were investigated in the study: baby boomers, generations Xers, and millennials. The research aimed to contribute beneficial insights to their understanding in enterprising potential and differentiate themselves in entrepreneurial traits in (a) need for achievement, (b) need for …

Evaluating A Chaplain Corps Change Initiative: Examining The Relationship Between Change Beliefs And Job Satisfaction, Steven Thomas Sill

Theses & Dissertations

The Air Force Chaplain Corps is experiencing a period of rapid change that challenges traditional approaches to providing ministry for Air Force personnel. The need for an effective chaplaincy has never been greater; the Air Force’s critical manning shortages and worldwide duty requirements are adding stress and uncertainty to the lives of Airmen (Losey, 2015). To better support these Airmen the Chief of Chaplains directed a change initiative aimed at increasing the effectiveness of unit-based ministry, including aggressive goals for the amount of time spent in direct unit engagement. This study utilized a survey to explore beliefs of Chaplain Corps …

A Case For Spiritual Change Readiness: A Correlational Study, Wanita Nicole Mercer

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between spirit at work and attitudes towards organizational change among adults working in various industries. The Spirit at Work Scale (SAWS) measured the independent variable and the Attitudes Towards Organizational Change (ATOC) scale measured the dependent variable. Four factors (engaging work, sense of community, mystical experience, and spiritual connection) measured spirit at work. Three factors (cynical attitudes, fearful attitudes, and accepting attitudes) measured attitudes towards organizational change. Three hundred and ten responses were collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk online workforce and analyzed. A Pearson’s correlation test …

Alumni Commitment: Exploring The Process Of Transition From Participants To Donors, Tina Siller

Theses & Dissertations

Traditionally, the mission and values of institutions of higher education tend to be positioned around nurturing students to realize their full potential. This includes growing students holistically as whole people, through their academic, social, and emotional interactions while enrolled. Through this focus, institutions hope to connect with students and build an emotional connection or affiliation that will last beyond the student years and into the alumni years. Alumni play a pivotal role in institutional advancement in that they serve as sources of support through their active participation, networking representation, serving as community liaisons, and their charitable contributions. The 2 most …