Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of The Viability Of African American Adoption Recruitment Videotapes As A Promotional Tool For The One Church, One Child Of Pennsylvania, Incorporated Recruitment Campaign, Renee B. Gettys

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the enormous number of African American children in foster care in Pennsylvania, members of the Pennsylvania African American clergy, led by Reverend William B. Moore and the Honorable John F. White, Jr., Secretary of Public Welfare met with Governor Robert Casey in 1987.

This successful meeting resulted in the development of the One Church, One Child of Pennsylvania, Incorporated in 1987. The program is a branch of the national One Church, One Child organization, founded by Father George Clements in Chicago, 1970.

One Church, One Child of PA, Inc. is a non profit corporation in partnership with the Department …

A Study Of Empowered Employees At Two Sears, Roebuck And Company Department Stores, Wellington Watts

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed and compared the results of two surveys. The first survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Deptford, New Jersey. The second survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Alexandria, Virginia.

Both surveys tried to determine if being empowered helped employees feel valued by the company. The surveys also tried to determine if being empowered helped employees improve customer service and if managers upheld their obligations to let employees solve customer problems.

The survey results showed that empowered employees at both stores felt they were better …

Guide To Web Site Promotion: How Companies Can Draw More Qualified Traffic To Their World Wide Web Sites, Donald L. Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile techniques available to public relations practitioners to promote World Wide Web sites to a targeted business-to-business audience, Without an active promotion program, using a variety of online and offline media, companies are unlikely to draw sufficient qualified traffic to their web sites to justify the cost of a site. Web technology is changing so fast, and content and usage are growing so quickly, that the only way to keep up is through use of online resources. Finding the resources specifically focused on web site promotion can be daunting, however, without guidance as …

Telecommuting (And Its Effect On Productivity And Morale), Shown M. Swangin-Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the type of effect telecommuting would have on employee morale and productivity. The sample population consisted of one hundred companies and corporations from seven eastern states.

The study indicates that telecommuting had a positive effect on respondents, as their morale and productivity increased. However, some expressed concern about resentment from on site employees and resistance from management regarding the program.

The researcher concluded that with economic, social and environmental concerns, telecommuting can be considered a feasible work solution.

Reading Attitude And Academic Achievement In Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Children, Denise L. Moretz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between reading attitudes and academic achievement of elementary school children in grades three, four, and five. Also, the researcher wanted to determine if variables such as gender or time in school affected the relationship between reading attitude and academic achievement.

The subjects consisted of seventy students from three intact classrooms. This study took place in a middle class suburban elementary school in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven students were from third grade, twenty-one students were from fourth grade, and twenty-two students were from fifth grade, Thirty-eight females and thirty-two …

Self-Concept In Gifted Children: A Developmental And Comparative Study, Sherri L. Evangelista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various dimensions of self-concept in gifted children, to compare self-concept in gifted and nongifted children, and to attempt to discover a relationship between self-concept and achievement in gifted children. The 25 subjects who participated in this study were a sample of gifted students taken from a population of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used to assess self-concept. Mean self-concept scores and standard deviations were calculated for each subscale. …

The Effect Of Gender And Birth Order On Reading And Mathematics Achievement Among Third Grade Students, Laurie D. Rosenberg-Asch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine that there was no significant correlation between the effect of gender and birth order on reading and mathematics achievement among third grade students.

The sample in this study consisted of students in a third grade class, in a public elementary school in a suburban school district in southern New Jersey. The sample was comprised of forty randomly selected students from two third grade classes in the school. Twenty students were female, and twenty students were male.

Interim report cards were used as the instrument to determine achievement in reading and mathematics. The …

The Effects Of Social And Tangible Reinforcement On Vocabulary Acquisition In Whole Language, Carolyn M. Brida

Theses and Dissertations

In this study the effects of social and tangible reinforcement in whole language was measured. The purpose was to determine if there were any significant effects of the various treatment conditions on vocabulary acquisition.

Social reinforcement and tangible reinforcement are used to motivate students to perform (Neihoff & Mesch, 1991) and achieve (Hitz & Driscoll, 1989). The academic performance and achievement of students in the area of vocabulary acquisition is an important part of the academic process. Vocabulary remains a key focus in education (Nagy, 1988). Whole language programs include vocabulary acquisition (Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996).

The sample for this …

The Effect Of Coeducational And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Michelle L. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "same-sex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group." The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles – cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three …

Effects Of Choice Restriction On The Intrinsic Motivation To Produce Creative Products, Karen M. Suloff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether choice restriction decreased intrinsic motivation for a task resulting in a less creative product. The study focused on two kindergarten classes in a half day school setting. The students were to make collages. The students were either given choice or no choice of materials when making their collage. The morning class was given choice of materials. They were allowed to freely choose what they wanted from the boxes of materials. The afternoon class was given no choice of materials. They were given materials chosen by the experimenter. Two weeks later the …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Target Words By Second Grade Students Through Storybook Read-Aloud Sessions, Joann Ulbrich

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of three conditions of vocabulary presentation were examined to determine which method is optimal for vocabulary acquisition of the meanings of unfamiliar words in elementary school students. The design of this study was similar to that used by A. Brett, L. Rothlein, and M. Hurley (1996). Three intact classes of second grade students, N = 59, in a suburban area in Southern New Jersey were randomly assigned to a control group, a group where students received no explanations of target words when they were read a storybook aloud, or a group where students received brief explanations of target …

A Study Of Political Campaign Communication Tactics, Janine M. Aruanno

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified issues and campaign elements important to registered voters in Atlantic County during the 1995 general election. In addition, it measured the importance of issues versus party affiliation and character.

The researcher surveyed 197 registered voters in New Jersey's second legislative district. The survey queried voters about their campaign and candidate preferences in the race for the New Jersey State Assembly.

The study determined the importance of several campaign elements: channels, messages, party affiliation and voting records, Additionally, the research showed which issues sparked interest in voters.

Finally, the research determined that party affiliation and effective campaigning are …

The Impact Of Intranets On College And University Public Relations Professionals, Daniel Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the impact of intranets with regard to the future job responsibilities and functions of public relations professionals in the field of higher education.

The hypothesis of this paper was that as more and more colleges and universities begin embracing intranets as a communication tool, the issue of information management will arise. The question of who or what department will be responsible for the information that is placed on an educational institution's intranet will be consistent and problematic.

College and university public relations professionals need to be aware of the problems, opportunities, changes …

The Relationship Of Attendance (Absenteeism) To Achievement And To Single-Parent And Two-Parent Home Status, Kristi H. Weikel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant correlation between student attendance and overall achievement level. This study also investigated if there was a significant difference in the absentee rate of students from single-parent homes versus students from two-parent homes.

The sample in this study consisted of one hundred and thirty-five fourth grade students from an elementary school in southern New Jersey. This was the entire fourth grade population for this district. The school was located in a suburban area.

The report cards were used to determine the grade point averages for the students. Their …

Interdisciplinary Public Relations: A Curriculum For Undergraduate Study At Oakwood College, Patrice Thomas Conwell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a public relations curriculum for undergraduate study to prepare students as effective practitioners and communicators in the 21st century.

Public relations education has changed over the years to meet the needs and trends of the industry, and today is no exception. The continued rise of Integrated Marketing Communications, and the desire to strengthen the counseling and management functions of public relations make it necessary to evaluate undergraduate curricula to ensure students are being properly prepared to enter the workforce.

The undergraduate curricula of 11 schools were analyzed and compared for subject matter …

Seashore Tourism Brochures And Advertising: Characteristics Of Effectiveness, Andrew Cripps

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the visual design elements that contribute to the effectiveness of seashore tourism brochures and print advertising.

For the first part of the study, the researcher interviewed seven tourism communications professionals for resorts from Cape Cod, Mass., to Virginia Beach, Va. The researcher asked them to indicate the most effective elements in the following categories: brochure format, color tones, overall tone, use of text, style of text, use of photos and the elements within those photographs.

The researcher also conducted a survey of a non-random sample of 31 potential seashore resort visitors. The …

An Assessment Of The Sister Cities International Program As An International Public Relations Entity, Laura A. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Going global is the business perspective for the 21st century. Unfortunately, global perspective from American business and organization is limited. With the world shrinking at an astonishing pace, organizations need to find their communication channels to their international publics.

The purpose of this study was to learn if the techniques used in the Sister Cities International Program are effective for international public relations. The findings of this study would prove helpful to international public relations professionals in planning their own programs based on the effectiveness of the Sister Cities Program.

Five cities were evaluated based on their activities, public relations …

A Study Of Selected Hebrew High Schools In Cherry Hill, New Jersey To Determine How They Confront The Problem Of Assimilation In The American Jewish Community, Linda Friedman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the goals and curricula of two supplementary Hebrew high schools and questions whether they changed their focus after the release of the 1990 Council of Jewish Federations' National Jewish Population Survey, which cited a 52% rate of intermarriage since 1985. The study investigates the synagogues' response to the reported 52% rate of intermarriage, as well as the response of the south Jersey Jewish community as a whole. It probes successful strategies for synagogues and their staff to increase the retention rate of their post bar/bat mitzvah students, through their confirmation.

By means of interviews with rabbis, principals, …

A Survey Of The 1997 Whitesbog Preservation Trust Membership To Determine Motivational Factors That Successfully Encouraged Members To Join Or Renew Membership In Whitesbog Preservation Trust, Patricia L. Frasier

Theses and Dissertations

A survey was conducted to determine what factors successfully motivated members to join or renew membership in the Whitesbog Preservation Trust (a.k.a. the Trust). The survey was sent to 127 members who responded to the 1997 annual membership letter sent in December 1996. Of the 127 members who received the survey, 70 responded.

The survey asked respondents to identify the Seasonal Series event or other factor(s) that motivated them to become or renew membership in the Trust. The survey also included a section on demographics for the purpose of analyzing the data. The statistical analysis of the survey was done …

A Case Study To Evaluate The Strategies And Techniques Used By The Cooper Foundation And Radio Station Wxtu, 92.5 Fm, To Coordinate And Conduct The First Annual Wxtu Cooper Kids Radiothon Broadcast, January 24 And 25, 1997, Randi Woerner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategies and techniques used by The Cooper Foundation and radio station WXTU, 92.5 FM, to coordinate and conduct the first annual WXTU Cooper Kids Radiothon broadcast, January 24 and 25, 1997.

To start the evaluation process, a telephone survey was carried out by the author. To produce a +/- 8% margin of error, at the 95% confidence level, the author conducted 150 telephone surveys of donors who called-in pledges during the 1997 Radiothon. The systematic random sample method was used to draw names from the master list of 1100 Radiothon donors. …

A Case Study Of The Restoration Of College Athletic Programs And Academic Image, Edward P. Callinan

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to show that public relations is an integral part of a college's athletic program.

The researcher conducted questionnaires and solicited interviews of 15 individuals from three different institutions The three chosen schools were Fordham University, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Those interviewed from each school included the coach of the selected team, the public relations director, an athlete of the selected team, student government president, and professor.

This study proved that public relations is necessary to restore a college athletic team's image. It also found that division affiliation, the language the …

Creating Effective Employee Newsletters, Linda M. Blair

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose was to produce a source of information and procedures for readers to create and maintain a high quality employee newsletter. Today it is difficult for companies, both small and large, to maintain good communication between management and employees. Lack of and poor communication are major problems in the workplace. It is necessary for companies to create and maintain a timely and well written newsletter to inform, communicate, recognize and motivate employees. The primary research performed for this study included a completed questionnaire from twenty professionals who had won an award in their professional society and five other noted …

The Relationship Among Sports Reporters, Coaches And Sports Information Directors Regarding Student-Athlete Interviews, Scott Ronaghan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to determine if sports information directors were preparing their student athletes for media interviews. The author surveyed SIDs and student athletes from 30 different ECAC institutions sponsoring men's basketball. Also surveyed were newspaper reporters who cover the respective schools. A major portion of the survey involved the amount of media training SIDs conduct for their student-athletes.

Two-thirds of the 18 SIDs said they trained their student athletes for interviews. The most common technique SIDs used was one-on-one meetings with the student athletes. Representing the team in a positive light was the most Common subject stressed to the …

A Study Of The Presence Of Bias In Reporting On The Socially Sensitive Issue Of Abortion, Benjamin E. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

In a content analysis of news articles and a survey of newspaper editors, this study determined if bias in print media can be detected through the content of news writing.

For the content analysis, news articles dealing with abortion were taken from the New York Times and the Washington Post. The articles, which appeared between Oct. 5 and Nov. 5, 1996, are straight news stories and do not include editorial or opinion articles. Coders were given a series of ten questions to answer for each article. For the survey, editors in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania were surveyed …

The Effects Of Print Advertising Campaigns On Consumers' Attitudes Towards Physician Primary Care Practices Affiliated With Jefferson Health System, Maryann Lobianco

Theses and Dissertations

Due to managed care, the recent, rapid changes in healthcare forced hospitals to form health systems by joining with other hospitals and individual physician practices. As these health systems form, the competition for patients increases as does the need to keep consumers abreast of the changes within the forming health systems.

As a result, both health systems and physician practices launched advertising campaigns to reach these consumers. These campaigns must be tested for their effectiveness.

Two major healthcare competitors, Jefferson Health System and Main Line Health System, recently affiliated and formed Great Valley Health, which is a physician primary care …

A Historical Study Of Payola: Advertising And Public Relations Or Bribery, Christina Guadagno

Theses and Dissertations

Payola helps get songs played on radio stations. Decades ago, it involved record company promoters giving cash, marijuana and other inducements to disc jockeys so they would add a new song to their playlist. The courts always found the disc jockey at fault.

Then in 1973, the courts began to go after the record companies. This caused the record companies to seek a middleman – independent promoters. Independent promoters helped record companies get songs added to the playlist so record companies did not have to deal with radio stations directly.

Some independent promoters gave large amounts of cash, harder drugs …

Hydrocatalysis: A New Energy Paradigm For The 21st Century, Peter Mark Jansson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will review the problems of worldwide energy supply, describe the current technologies that meet the energy needs of our industrial societies, summarize the environmental impacts of those fuels and technologies and their increased use by a growing global and increasingly technical economy. This work will also describe and advance the technology being developed by BlackLight Power, Inc. [BLP], a scientific company located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. BLP's technology purports to offer commercially viable and useful heat generation via a previously unrecognized natural phenomenon - the catalytic reduction of the hydrogen atom to a lower energy state. A review of …

A Comparison Of Multiage Education And Graded Education In The Areas Of Academics, Social Skills And Attitudes Of Participants, Cheryl L. Buff

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of multiage education and graded education on academic performance, social skills development and parent, student and teacher attitudes toward school.

The 34 multiage students and the 27 graded students were assessed through curriculum based tests and informal reading inventories. Statistical analyses were completed A significant difference was found.

Both groups of students completed a social skills development survey. Cafeteria/playground aides were surveyed and discipline referrals were examined to find the percentage of students in each group who received a detention for a discipline violation. Data was collected, and statistically analyzed. No significant difference was found. …

A Preliminary Study Of New Jersey's Charter Schools, Carol Sowney Datz

Theses and Dissertations

Charter schools have recently become an innovative method of educating a portion of today's students. A charter school is a deregulated public school that is performance-based. It operates under a charter (contract) between people who want to start a school and an official body authorized to grant a charter.

On January 11, 1996, New Jersey Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law The Charter School Program Act of 1995. This act enabled the beginning of New Jersey charter schools. This study investigates the paths New Jersey's eighteen approved charter schools are taking. Becoming familiar with the Charter School Program Act …

An Investigation Of The Technology-Related Courses And Experiences In Five University Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs, Julie R. Mandes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most relevant issues facing schools today is the incorporation of technology into classroom instruction. The literature reveals that knowledge is the most critical factor which determines the degree to which teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Teachers with high levels of anxiety are less likely to integrate technology into their curricula. Elementary school teachers are not generally comfortable and skilled in the use of instructional technology and are therefore unable to exploit its potential. It was the purpose of this study to define whether or not there is a need for undergraduate teacher education programs to further …