Digital Commons Network^™

Theatre As An Intervention For Empathy Development Among Undergraduate Students, Jonathan Stewart

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Empathy is the ability feel into, or put oneself in the place of another. It is the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. Studies have shown that this ability is decreasing among today’s college students and on the rise as a desired trait for today’s leaders. This dilemma provides an interesting opportunity to explore how institutions of higher education can help develop the leaders of tomorrow by increasing empathy among students. Specifically, this research explores theatre as an intervention for empathy development among college students.

Theatre, as a program of study, is unique within the college experience in that …

Once Upon A Time There Was A Mountain Of Paper, Robert P. Zaepfel Jr.

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

Abstract

James Madison University and the Office of Human Resources recently faced a significant challenge in the arena of records management. As the department migrated to an electronic records management system a unique yet complicated situation arose from simultaneously storing unorganized boxes of duplicate paper records. This topic which was presented at the CUPA-HR (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources) Southern Regional Conference last April and again this year at the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) National Conference will focus on the importance of a strategic and analytical approach to electronic records management, paper removal, sensitive data …

Empowering Your Staff To Solve Problems: Evidence-Based Training For Strategic Thinking, Rebecca B. French, Jennifer A. Keach

Libraries

Are you teaching procedures or are you teaching problem solving? Discover an approach to help develop your staff’s strategic thinking skills to meet the needs of the 21st-century library workplace. Explore how to apply learning theory and walk away with actionable steps for training independent problem solving.

5 Steps To Creating Quality Educational Programs: Lessons From The Field Of Instructional Design, Jennifer A. Keach

Libraries

Whether you are developing a staff training program or programming for your community, the field of instructional design offers valuable advice if your goal is to help your attendees to learn. Learn how to build your own programs from scratch with easy-to-implement steps based on learning science.

The Funding Of Start-Up Nonprofits: An Exploration Of Funder Perceptions, Attitudes, And Advice, Christina George

VA Engage Journal

With the rapid expansion of the nonprofit sector, there is approximately 43 percent of nonprofits that are not surviving past five years of operation. As there are many misconceptions about start-up organizations, this may affect their growth and financial viability. A qualitative study was conducted to understand the perception of start-up nonprofit organizations and how that may influence funder giving behaviors. Interviews were administered with three funders of Greater Richmond area foundations and corporations. Five major themes were developed from the findings to include mission alignment, life cycle stages, perception, elimination of bias, and organizational barriers and common mistakes. Funder …

Group Culture In Successful Organizations, Courtney Cybert

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Eta Delta chapter of Beta Alpha Psi and determine whether its group culture is enhancing or diminishing its success. Daniel Coyle, in his book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, examined several successful organizations including the U.S. Navy’s Seal Team Six, IDEO, the San Antonio Spurs, and Google. From his observations, he classified the characteristics of successful group culture into three traits: build safety, share vulnerability, and establish purpose. Through these traits, he places an emphasis on the idea that the interaction of group members, rather than …

Antwerp-Opedia: A Microsoft Sharepoint Site, Catherine Susco

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

As my Honors Capstone project, I implemented a Microsoft SharePoint site where JMU study abroad alumni from the College of Business Semester in Antwerp program can share their experiences and travel tips with other JMU students preparing to go to Antwerp. The goal of this project was to develop an online portal to host a collaborative, centralized site where students can find information regarding the Semester in Antwerp program. Resources on the site include information about the Antwerp program, tourist information and general international travel information. The Microsoft SharePoint site developed throughout this project includes a Wiki general information page, …

Expanding Business To Harrisonburg, Graham Maguire

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This study will attempt to determine whether Harrisonburg is a viable option for expanded retail options. Fifteen stores will be examined that have performed well throughout the United States over the past several years based on several different metrics. Data used to compared these stores will be collected via a survey distributed to James Madison University students and public census data. Additionally, several stores that are already in operation in Harrisonburg will be assessed to serve as a comparison group. By the end of this study, I will offer recommendations on which of the 15 stores in the study would …

Children Of Milagros: Bringing Aid To A Community Center In Need, Matthew Ashley

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Children of Milagros, Inc. (COM) was organized for the charitable purposes of providing tuition for educational and developmental services to underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. Currently COM offers aid to a sole beneficiary, Espacio Infantil Madison (EIM). EIM is a community center in Gurabo, Dominican Republic that provides a safe, educational environment for young children of low-income families. To establish a rationale for funding the space, this project explores the needs of the community as well as the present and future benefits of early childhood education and socialization for individuals. The remainder of this project discusses the founding of …

Learning How To Learn, Kyle Duffie

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and create a discussion regarding the human science of learning. For the last two semesters, I have been involved in tutoring students in the principles of accounting. The key difference between these two semesters was my mindset towards learning. My first semester tutoring I taught “firing from the hip.” Simply answering questions or working problems myself and explaining them as I went along. And yes, I do believe this style of tutoring helped these students. Looking back however, I can’t help but think of myself as someone living in the 17^{th …}

Cause Campaign For Dating Abuse In College, Isabel Elaine Kerr

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Through a cause campaign and partnership with the James Madison University (JMU) Health Center (UHC), this project confronts the widespread social issue of intimate partner violence (IPV), or dating abuse, in college-aged relationships. Encompassing all forms and subsets of dating abuse, the campaign intends to initiate conversation, facilitate awareness, and express support within the university community. The campaign is scheduled for implementation in October 2019, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in conjunction with the UHC’s other awareness efforts.

Examining The Relationship Between Technostress And The Effectiveness Of Organizational Communication, Lisa K. Hajdasz

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Research has shown that organizational communication plays a pivotal role in both employee engagement and commitment to the organization. However, in today’s business world, employees are required to process ever increasing amounts of information through a growing number of communication channels using various information and communication technologies (ICT). This leads to a phenomenon termed technostress. The purpose of this study was to determine if the quantity of communication disseminated by James Madison University (JMU) had any impact on the stress levels of its faculty and staff. The study utilized an anonymous online Qualtrics survey which was disseminated to all active …

Failure To Launch?: Advancing The Case For Financial Literacy Interventions In Postsecondary Education, Cathleen Snyder

Dissertations, 2014-2019

For college undergraduates, the thought of managing money is often new, exciting, and terrifying in the same breath. Some students have learned well from their parental and prior academic influences, and yet others may be overwhelmed by a lack of those same resources. As postsecondary institutions endeavor to level the proverbial playing field, helping college graduates launch into meaningful, financially independent lives, it begs additional consideration on the intervention methods that might be most impactful.

This study examined a for-credit, curriculum-based intervention specific to personal finance topics. It attempted to answer several key questions: How knowledgeable are students relative to …

Development And Protection Of Economic Competition In Kosovo: Case Study Gjilan Region, Gani Asllani, Bedri Statovci, Gentiana Gega

International Journal on Responsibility

This paper investigates development and protection of economic competition in Kosovo focusing on the analysis of the level of competition in one region of Kosovo (the Gjilan region). The paper deals with the legislative aspects of competition, the sensitive sectors (banks, insurance, gas stations and pharmacies) where the competitions is damaged and finally are presented the measures on improvement based on the EU practices. Like other economies in transition, the economy in Kosovo the activity for protection of competition is faced with many challenges. Moreover, these challenges result from the fact that Kosovo was the last country in South Eastern …

An Analysis Of Tourism’S Impact On Our Modern World And Possible Solutions To Creating Sustainable Tourism Management, Morgan Hack

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

→ This is an in-depth analysis of how tourism impacts communities around the world, looking at four specific case studies, taking into account each nation’s human development index (HDI), population, location, and the number of tourists traveling to these destinations each year. The research concentrates on the strengths and weaknesses of each city’s tourist management practices, and then there are proposed solutions based on their needs and available resources. When talking about sustainable tourism, it is essential to understand it in terms of future maintainability. Sustainable tourism is defined as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future …

The Future Of The Euro In A Post-Greek Environment: Opportunities And Perils, Mallory Orr

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This thesis will discuss the integration across Europe within the past century that led to European monetary union with the creation of the euro currency. It will then explain how the global financial crisis manifested in Europe, namely with the European sovereign debt crisis. This crisis deeply affected the economy of the eurozone, notably Greece and other southern European nations. Finally, this thesis will examine the future of the currency as well as the European Union.