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Walden University

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

2018

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An Exploration Of Knowledge Transfer And Career College Executive Succession Planning, Cyndie Feaster Shadow Jan 2018

An Exploration Of Knowledge Transfer And Career College Executive Succession Planning, Cyndie Feaster Shadow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The career college sector of the post secondary education industry contributes more than $20 billion to the U.S. economy annually, but turnover in executive leader roles at career colleges is extremely high. Usually, such turnover occurs without succession planning or knowledge transfer for the new executive. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore the need for knowledge transfer when executive turnover occurs in career colleges. This single case study was framed on theories of knowledge addressing concepts such as knowledge stickiness, transfers, and gaps. The overarching research question concerned how lack of knowledge transfer during executive leadership …


Sustainability Strategies For Immigrant Small Business Owners, Hope Obika Waobikeze Jan 2018

Sustainability Strategies For Immigrant Small Business Owners, Hope Obika Waobikeze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2017, the Texas economy grew faster than the U.S. economy; however, the rate of failed immigrant-owned small businesses is an economic problem for the southwestern United States. The objective of this multiple case study was to explore strategies immigrant small business owners practiced in sustaining their businesses for longer than 5 years. The population of the study was 3 immigrant small business owners in the southwestern United States. The conceptual framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. Thematic analysis of interviews, member checking, participant observations, and field notes identified 5 emergent themes: acquired leadership skills (with transformational leadership …


Strategies For Sustainability In Multilevel Marketing Organizations, Nicole Renea Cordell Jan 2018

Strategies For Sustainability In Multilevel Marketing Organizations, Nicole Renea Cordell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of entrepreneurs in the direct sales industry has steadily increased since 2010; however, the annual turnover rate is 56%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore multilevel marketing (MLM) entrepreneurial leadership strategies implemented to help ensure sustainability of entrepreneurial MLM businesses for longer than 5 years. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 entrepreneurs who maintained an MLM business more than 5 years and used a hierarchical status that required a team. The transformational leadership theory constituted the conceptual framework for researching leadership as a concept of entrepreneurship and sustainability in MLM. Data were collected …


Creating An Effective Writing Center: A Case Study On Improving Student Writing, Kathryn Leber Jan 2018

Creating An Effective Writing Center: A Case Study On Improving Student Writing, Kathryn Leber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The writing skills of students in the United States have been declining, leaving many unprepared for the academic demands of college as well as for the current job market. There is a need to improve students' writing skills to bridge these gaps. The purpose of this case study was to examine students and instructors perceptions regarding the services provided by a college writing center.. Knowles's theory of andragogy was used to emphasize the importance of focusing on adult learners and the motivation behind adult learning with regard to students' decisions to visit campus resources such as the writing center. The …


Effects Of Race And Gender On Probability Of Juvenile Delinquency Leading To Recidivism, Britney Latoya Smith Jan 2018

Effects Of Race And Gender On Probability Of Juvenile Delinquency Leading To Recidivism, Britney Latoya Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that U.S. juvenile recidivism rates range from 50% to 80%, and many risk factors have been associated with adolescent delinquency and recidivism. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to evaluate the Future Generation mentoring program's effectiveness by examining the relationships between race and gender (independent variables) and youth progress (dependent variable). The Future Generation mentoring program is a pseudonym for the actual program to help protect confidentiality and anonymity of the organization. Juvenile progress was measured by how well a youth met their goals. Youth progress was classified as successful, progressing, or unsuccessful in relation …


Strategies To Reduce Occupational Injuries And Illnesses In Government Agencies, Sandra Montgomery Jan 2018

Strategies To Reduce Occupational Injuries And Illnesses In Government Agencies, Sandra Montgomery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite regulatory efforts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 104 cases of nonfatal occupational illnesses and injuries (OIIs) per 10,000 full-time workers required time away from work in 2015. Although OII rates in private and public sectors are high, the rates among state and local government agencies were over 50% higher than private sector rates in 2015, especially in the healthcare industry. OIIs can lead to reduced organizational productivity and performance. Guided by the leader member exchange theory (LMXT) and risk homeostasis theory (RHT), the purpose of this single case study was to explore effective strategies that supervisors …


Strategies For Improving Profitability Through Effective Internal Controls, Melissa M. Washington Jan 2018

Strategies For Improving Profitability Through Effective Internal Controls, Melissa M. Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2009, the United States experienced a financial crisis. Many businesses experienced difficulties obtaining funds for projects and working capital due to the great recession. As a result, many business owners filed for bankruptcy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small business owners in the construction industry used when implementing internal control processes to improve profits. The study population entailed 6 individuals in the southeast region of the United States who successfully implemented internal control processes to improve profits. The data collected were from face-to-face interviews, analysis of company documents, and …


Corporate Governance Implementation In The Nigerian Banking Industry, David Nkata Bassey Jan 2018

Corporate Governance Implementation In The Nigerian Banking Industry, David Nkata Bassey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing level of fraud, the collapse of banks, and the loss of confidence in the Nigerian banking industry have been attributed to poor corporate governance. The problem of this study was effective implementation of corporate governance in Nigeria where multiple regulations are in place. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to understand how corporate governance is implemented in the Nigerian banking industry in the face of a multiplicity of regulations. The research question investigated how Nigerian bank managers implement corporate governance regulations in the face of a multiplicity of regulations. The conceptual framework was grounded in …


The Impact Of Shared Governance On Nursing Satisfaction And Retention, Melanie Wetmore Jan 2018

The Impact Of Shared Governance On Nursing Satisfaction And Retention, Melanie Wetmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shared governance is a practice model that supports shared decision making between direct care nurses and their leaders. Developed from Kanter's theory of structural empowerment, shared governance allows employees to influence decisions made in an organization. Shared governance has been shown to increase nursing satisfaction, positively impact outcomes, and reduce nursing turnover. The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between implementation of a system-wide, multihospital shared governance structure and registered nurse (RN) satisfaction, turnover, and perceptions of shared governance. The 3 sources of evidence used in the study were 2016-2017 organizational RN engagement survey results, 2016-2017 organizational …


Social Work Practice With Older Adults, Carley Yvonne Vailu'u Jan 2018

Social Work Practice With Older Adults, Carley Yvonne Vailu'u

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers working for adult protective services (APS) face many clinical challenges to ensure the safety and well-being of older adult clients. APS social workers often interact with older adults who engage in self-neglecting behaviors that compromise their ability to function in a healthy and independent manner. The purpose of this research study was to explore challenges in direct social work practice to identify how APS services can be improved when working with the older adult population, particularly individuals who engage in hoarding behaviors. Using action research methodology, 2 focus groups were conducted to explore the experiences and knowledge of …


Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson Jan 2018

Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter substances other than alcohol is becoming a prevalent issue; therefore, it is important to identify factors that may help predict risk for this abuse. Some demographic and situational factors have been identified for traditional 4-year college students. However, less is known about community college students, who enter college less academically prepared and may be still enmeshed with family and peer groups from high school. In this correlational study, predictors of substance abuse other than alcohol were explored among a convenience sample of 118 students from an American community college. The research question was developed based …


Improving Nutrition Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients Using A Monetary Incentive Model, Jezabel Urbina Jan 2018

Improving Nutrition Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients Using A Monetary Incentive Model, Jezabel Urbina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the United States' largest government assistance program that aims to alleviate food insecurity. The SNAP program allows low-income individuals and families the ability to purchase nutritious foods through a monthly benefit. However, the current body of literature presents evidence of the program's counterproductive effect. The purpose of this study was to determine whether incentivizing SNAP recipients to purchase additional fruits and vegetables was beneficial in increasing such purchases. Social cognitive theory was used as a theoretical framework to address research questions associated with shopping patterns and attitudes and beliefs. This quantitative study used …


Latino Parents With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Children And The Catholic Doctrine Towards Homosexuality, Axel Monroig Jan 2018

Latino Parents With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Children And The Catholic Doctrine Towards Homosexuality, Axel Monroig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents who experience their children's coming out encounter emotional reactions that could compromise their ability to function, particularly when challenged by the Catholic doctrine towards homosexuality. It is not well known how Latino parents experience their children's coming out and how they mediate their Catholic identity. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of these parents considering phenomenology as the method of inquiry. The theoretical lens was based on the parental acceptance-rejection theory. The research questions addressed how Latinos experienced the coming out of their children and how they mediated their identities as Catholics and as parents …


Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck Jan 2018

Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Awareness of the sustainability of our natural resources is a continuing concern. Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) workshops ensure educators' have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, these workshops have rarely been monitored. Specifically, it appears no researchers have focused on the reflective experiences of an EAE PD workshop on educator participants at least 5 years after participation. This basic qualitative study used telephone interviews of 8 past participants to explore whether and how they perceive their behavior changing in relation to natural resources conservation years after …


Effective Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In The Retail Industry, Robert Clayton Jan 2018

Effective Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In The Retail Industry, Robert Clayton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover negatively affects retail organizations and can lead to poor financial performance, a decrease in competitive advantage, loss of productivity, deficiencies in retaining external customers, and economic failures. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that retail store leaders from the Illinois area of the United States use to reduce frontline employee turnover. Herzberg's 2-factor theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from documents pertaining to retention methods and through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 7 leaders of a retail company in the Illinois area who had experience with effective employee retention strategies. …


Resiliency Factors In African American Female Students In Single-Gender Educational Settings, Phyllis Lynette Hill Jan 2018

Resiliency Factors In African American Female Students In Single-Gender Educational Settings, Phyllis Lynette Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Resiliency is a critical factor in educational success; the gap exists in the research regarding the effect of resiliency in the educational success of African American female students. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological research (IPR) study was to explore and describe the lived experience of single-gender education through African American female student alumnae to capture and distill their shared experience of educational resilience and competence. Framework drew on gender-relevant education, social capital, racial identity and socialization. Research perspective that participants were viewed consisted of critical race feminism theory and competency versus deficit or risk perspective. Research questions focused on …


Strategies Small Business Salon Owners Use To Survive Longer Than 5 Years, Delita Netrice Johnson Jan 2018

Strategies Small Business Salon Owners Use To Survive Longer Than 5 Years, Delita Netrice Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners are the primary initiators of innovation and economic growth but fail at high rates. Fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operations. Through the lens of systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies some small salon business owners use to remain in business for longer than 5 years. Using purposeful sampling, the 7 owners of small salon business owners in the southeastern United States were selected based upon evidence of their strategies to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Data were collected through …


Males' Spouses Experiences Of Deployed Wives, Pamela Morales-Garcia Jan 2018

Males' Spouses Experiences Of Deployed Wives, Pamela Morales-Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to determine the psychological and emotional effects of female deployment on male spouses. The current research was designed to study the emotional and psychological experiences of male spouses of deployed women. The research question was focused on understanding the lived experience of the male spouses of their deployed active duty wives. The intent was to describe male spouses' lived experiences, focusing on mental health, physical health, marital problems, caregiving, and other reintegration related problems as well as the role transfer stress experienced by these male spouses of deployed wives. Gender role …


Influence Of An Educational Program On Opioid Drug Abuse, Gloria Nkiru Nnah Jan 2018

Influence Of An Educational Program On Opioid Drug Abuse, Gloria Nkiru Nnah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prescription opioid abuse in the United States is an alarming health issue. In 2015, approximately 2 million people abused prescription opioids, and 12 million individuals misused their prescription opioid pain relievers. The percentage of individuals who died as a result of opiate abuse increased from 22% in 2013 to 76% in 2014. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the influence of an inner-city drug treatment (DTBF) program on opioid users' behavior. The practice question addressed whether knowledge of signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal obtained from the DTBF program resulted in a significant behavioral change in opioid use …


The Impact Of Role Strain On Nontraditional Community College Students, Ruthie Igwe Mcgraw Jan 2018

The Impact Of Role Strain On Nontraditional Community College Students, Ruthie Igwe Mcgraw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nontraditional students have become the majority on community college campuses; however, a national report showed that 46.2% of nontraditional students were no longer enrolled after two years. Nontraditional students have competing life roles that affect their attrition rates as well as their academic performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the relationship between the number of roles and the academic achievement and persistence of nontraditional community college students. The roles identified were student enrollment status (full-time or part-time), spousal roles, parental roles, and employment status (full-time or part-time). Goode's theory of role strain was used as the …


Intrinsic And Extrinsic Job Motivators Predicting Likelihood Of Employee Intent To Leave, Rachara Jefferson Jan 2018

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Job Motivators Predicting Likelihood Of Employee Intent To Leave, Rachara Jefferson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An employee's intent to leave an organization is the most common predictor of employee turnover. Employee turnover can cost an organization 150% to 250% of a worker's annual compensation to replace and train an employee. Understanding employee intent to leave is vital for federal agency leaders to help reduce turnover. Grounded in Herzberg's 2-factor model, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the likelihood of employee perceptions regarding work experience, leadership practices, and supervisor relationships with employees predicting employee intent to leave. Archival data were analyzed for 297 employees who completed the 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The …


Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo Jan 2018

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Counterterrorism Efforts And Implications For International Humanitarian Law, Kunle Adebamiji Olulowo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States increasingly has resorted to the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for targeted killings of terrorists as a counterterrorism strategy. More states and terrorist organizations also are acquiring UAVs and this development can lead to indiscriminate and unregulated use of UAVs. Previous researchers have indicated the surveillance ability and precise weapon delivery capacity of UAVs make them a weapon of choice for U.S. counterterrorism efforts. Although the U.S. government estimated the collateral damage involved in the use of UAVs at 3-5%, nongovernmental sources put it at 25-40%. A gap exists in the current literature regarding public perception …


How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson Jan 2018

How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of …


Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus Jan 2018

Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health counselors who counsel adolescents suffering from substance abuse and obesity issues have successfully used motivational interviewing with their clients; however there is little data that has explored motivational interviewing when it has been used to address academic concerns in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who have used motivational interviewing to improve student academic performance. This heuristic phenomenological qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of professional school counselors who had used motivational interviewing in their schools. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 9 middle and high schools counselors from …


An Exploration Of Male College Student Departure In The Southcentral United States, E. Ted Siebert Jan 2018

An Exploration Of Male College Student Departure In The Southcentral United States, E. Ted Siebert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male college students' attrition has been a concern for higher education for 3 decades. This study focused on why young male college students leave postsecondary education before graduating. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences former male college students that led to their decision to leave a community college in the Southcentral United States. Research questions in this generic qualitative study were: How do men describe their experiences leading to the decision to discontinue their community college education and what supports do men perceive colleges could offer to support their decision to continue postsecondary education. Astin's theory …


Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons Jan 2018

Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relational aggression (RA) is a social phenomenon that can severely impact organizational profitability and employee productivity. A gap in the literature exists concerning appropriate interventions to manage RA. The purpose of this study was to explore successful interventions that have been used to manage RA. The theoretical framework was informed by psychological contract theory. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews with 12 victims, and then analyzed using data management, reading and memorization, description, classification, interpretation, and representation. NVivo software was used to organize the data in this study. The research consisted of 3 subquestions addressing the role of written …


Employee Turnover And Its Effect On Remaining Colleague Motivation, Glenn Eric Windom Jan 2018

Employee Turnover And Its Effect On Remaining Colleague Motivation, Glenn Eric Windom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Voluntary employee turnover is damaging to the sustainability of child protective services (CPS) organizations, as 60% of social workers who contemplated leaving their organizations quit during the year of consideration. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine the strategies CPS leaders used to reduce voluntary employee turnover and motivate employees. The conceptual framework for this study included the motivational hygiene theory and the behavior engineering model. The target population consisted of 9 CPS leaders from a large metropolitan area in Southern California who had specific knowledge of voluntary employee turnover. Data collection involved face-to-face semistructured interviews, company …


County Health Leadership And Readiness For Noncommunicable Disease Services, Paul Wekesa Agunga Jan 2018

County Health Leadership And Readiness For Noncommunicable Disease Services, Paul Wekesa Agunga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Premature mortality resulting from the growing global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is a contemporary development challenge. Low-income and lower-middle-income countries are disproportionately affected, with the poorest in society considered the most vulnerable. A paucity of literature exists on how leadership practices at the implementation level relate to ensuring readiness for NCD services. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether any relationship exists between leadership practices at the county level and readiness for NCD services in Kenya. Path-goal and adaptive leadership theories were used to guide this quantitative correlational study, using secondary data from a 2013 Service Availability …


Educational Manager Perceptions Towards Integrated Management Information System Implementation In Yemen, Mahfood Hussain Alkaabi Jan 2018

Educational Manager Perceptions Towards Integrated Management Information System Implementation In Yemen, Mahfood Hussain Alkaabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The government of Yemen has been developing government offered services designed to improve the quality of education management. Yemen's managers of education and managers of higher education in the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) have sought to improve quality of education, reduce costs, and provide timely information for decision-making processes by implementing an integrated management information system (IMIS). The problem was the lack of understanding the barriers that hinder successful IMIS implementation by the MOE and MOHE, and the role that lack of collaboration has played in prior unsuccessful attempts. The purpose of this …


Policy Addressing Family Presence During Resuscitation, Crystal Emanuel-Hayes Jan 2018

Policy Addressing Family Presence During Resuscitation, Crystal Emanuel-Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When hospitals became the primary care setting for very ill patients, visiting hours and restrictions related to family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) became common. During medical crises that occur in hospital settings, families are separated from loved ones because family members may impair resuscitation efforts or such efforts might psychologically traumatize family members. Various national health care organizations have endorsed family presence during resuscitation; however, practices preventing family presence persist. This project used evidence from the peer-reviewed literature to develop a healthcare institution policy that addresses family presence during resuscitation. Theories, concepts, and models that guided this DNP project included: …