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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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2011

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The Influence Of Strategies Used To Communicate Sustainable Corporate Responsibility On Reputation Of A Major Airport, Benno D. Hoffmann Nov 2011

The Influence Of Strategies Used To Communicate Sustainable Corporate Responsibility On Reputation Of A Major Airport, Benno D. Hoffmann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-presentation of a corporation as a citizen committed to sustainable corporate responsibility can, according to scholarly findings, help the organization improve its reputation among key stakeholders. The purpose of this case study was to explore the success of one major airport in aligning communication strategies to improve its reputation. The research question involved how effectively a major German airport communicated its commitment to sustainable corporate responsibility to its key stakeholders during 2005--2009. Of particular interest was how key stakeholders perceived the airport's stance towards the impacts of aircraft noise. Corporate documents, newspaper articles, and semistructured interviews comprised the data. Data …


Factors Affecting Cervical Cancer Screening Among African Women Living In The United States, Mosunmola Adeyemi Jan 2011

Factors Affecting Cervical Cancer Screening Among African Women Living In The United States, Mosunmola Adeyemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half of the incidents and mortality rates from cervical cancer occur among minority groups, including immigrant women from continental Africa living in the United States. Although researchers have examined cervical cancer screening practices among minority populations, including Black women in Africa and in the United States, there are few studies on cervical cancer screening and associated risk factors, specifically among African women living in the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between selected factors and cervical cancer screening practices among African immigrant women living in the United States. Using the behavioral model …


Understanding Psychosocial Rehabilitation Workers' Perceptions Of Difficult Psychiatric Situations, James B. Arnold Jan 2011

Understanding Psychosocial Rehabilitation Workers' Perceptions Of Difficult Psychiatric Situations, James B. Arnold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) is a community-based service that addresses the challenges faced by people diagnosed as having psychiatric disabilities. While working with co workers and clients, PSR workers may harbor perceptions that could lower the effectiveness of their work and hinder recovery by their clients. Although cognitive-behavioral theory has suggested an association, research has not yet connected PSR worker attitudes about psychiatric situations to their feelings and behavior. In this nonexperimental factorial design, 196 PSR workers were surveyed about the frustrations presented by stressful interpersonal job situations using the Psychiatric Situations Scale to identify whether occupation (case workers, residential workers, …


Barriers And Supports To Implementation Of Principal Leadership For School Change, Jodi M. Delucia Jan 2011

Barriers And Supports To Implementation Of Principal Leadership For School Change, Jodi M. Delucia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Practices for supporting school change have not been implemented consistently in K-12 schools in the United States. Researchers have not studied the needs of K-12 principals who fail to implement these practices, and barriers or supports to implementation have not been identified. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methodology study was to understand K-12 principals' perceptions of the supports and barriers related to their abilities to implement the practices of challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, and encouraging the heart. Seven public school principals and 29 teachers in their schools completed …


Comparison Of Principals' Leadership Practices By Methods Of Professional Development, Marcia J. Grande Jan 2011

Comparison Of Principals' Leadership Practices By Methods Of Professional Development, Marcia J. Grande

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the roles of instructional leader and lead learner have become central in the work of 21st century principals, their professional development has garnered little attention. This quantitative, non-experimental, comparative survey study investigated differences in the self-reported leadership behaviors of principals who identified themselves as using either supported or unsupported professional development. Brain based learning, constructivist learning, and adult learning theories, together with professional development standards, created the conceptual framework for this study. Participants were obtained through a purposive national sampling of 7,000 of 230,600 U.S. principals, delimited to leaders in their school for 2 years or more. The voluntary, …


African American Student Retention In The Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rotc) Leadership Program, Elaine A. Edwards Jan 2011

African American Student Retention In The Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rotc) Leadership Program, Elaine A. Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The percentage of qualified African American senior military leaders is significantly lower than the percentage of African Americans serving in the enlisted ranks. With the changing demographics of the 21st century, increasing the number of African American Army officers is a practical as well a moral issue. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand African American cadets' perception of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Leadership Program and the impact of ROTC on their lives. The theoretical basis for this study is Sternberg's theory of intelligence and Woodman, Sawyer, and Griffin's theory of organizational creativity. The …


Acceptance And Usage Of Electronic Health Record Systems In Small Medical Practices, Ritu Tannan Jan 2011

Acceptance And Usage Of Electronic Health Record Systems In Small Medical Practices, Ritu Tannan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the objectives of the U.S. government has been the development of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including adoption and use of an electronic health records (EHR) system. However, a 2008 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics indicated a 41.5% usage of the EHR system by physicians in office-based practices. The purpose of this study was to explore opinions and beliefs on the barriers to the diffusion of an ERH system using Q-methodology. Specifically, the research questions examined the subjectivity in the patterns of perspectives at the preadoption stage of the nonusers and at the postadoption …


Attachment, Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, And High School Outcomes In A Large Inner-City High School, Silvana Amar Jan 2011

Attachment, Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, And High School Outcomes In A Large Inner-City High School, Silvana Amar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. and world communities face the challenges of understanding how children grieve and of giving them sufficient social and educational support. Inner-city minority adolescents have not been represented well in the bereavement and attachment literature. The purpose of the quantitative study was to use the attachment theory to understand the impact of parental bereavement on these adolescents. Data were collected using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale (2nd ed.), and school records. MANOVAs were used to analyze the influence of attachment organization, bereavement status, and gender on self-concept and academic and behavioral functioning in school. …


Authentic Instruction And Achievement Of Fifth Grade Charter School Students, Novea Mcintosh Jan 2011

Authentic Instruction And Achievement Of Fifth Grade Charter School Students, Novea Mcintosh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students' performance on standardized tests continues to dominate the discourse in the educational arena as it reflects student growth and teacher performance. The low performance index scores of 5th grade students at 2 elementary charter schools in urban southwestern Ohio has been a major concern of the school district. Guided by social constructivism, the purpose of this research study was to identify curricular practices that influence student academic achievement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 4 reading teachers and 2 administrators; curriculum maps, tests scores, and lesson plan documents were also reviewed. Interview, test score, and lesson plan documents were analyzed …


Impact Of The Study Island Program On Students' Reading Comprehension, Rodney L. Gernert Jan 2011

Impact Of The Study Island Program On Students' Reading Comprehension, Rodney L. Gernert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators at the research site, which is a public school district, had been under pressure to improve low reading state scores of Grade 11 students as measured by Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. A web-based reading software called Study Island was integrated into the literacy curriculum for students to increase their reading proficiency and pass PSSA state tests. The research problem was that the integration of Study Island had not been evaluated and students were not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). The purpose of this study was to provide research-based evidence on whether Study Island helped students …


Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions, Fidelia Johnson Jan 2011

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions, Fidelia Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have connected student achievement to teacher collaboration; however, there is a paucity of studies conducted on how teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions to achieve better student performance, professional development, teacher effectiveness, and job satisfaction. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how rural southeast Georgia elementary school teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions. The theory of collegial coaching provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on improving teacher effectiveness and student learning via collaborative …


Protocol Use In A Professional Learning Community: Teachers' Perceptions Of Instructional Design And Understanding Of Students' Critical Thinking, Jeffery D. Rieck Jan 2011

Protocol Use In A Professional Learning Community: Teachers' Perceptions Of Instructional Design And Understanding Of Students' Critical Thinking, Jeffery D. Rieck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in business, government, and education have sought to improve students' ability to think critically. While research on professional learning communities (PLCs) suggests PLCs positively impact standardized test scores and teacher efficacy, there is little evidence of how PLCs using inquiry protocols influence teachers' perceptions of instructional design for critical thinking and understanding students' critical thinking. Demands for critical thinking instruction rather than test preparation, plus teachers' misunderstanding of their students' critical thinking, support the purpose for this case study. This study examined how PLCs using inquiry protocols influence teachers' perceptions of instructional design for critical thinking and understanding students' …


The Evolution Of The African American Mother-Daughter Relationship: A Grounded Theory Study, Toneka R. Etienne Jan 2011

The Evolution Of The African American Mother-Daughter Relationship: A Grounded Theory Study, Toneka R. Etienne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mother-daughter relationship holds a special place in the lives of African American women, given the rich history of women of African descent and the complexities of female relationships. However, few studies have discussed the evolution of this relationship and what it means in the lives of African American mothers and daughters. Using relational-cultural theory (RCT) and Black feminist theory, this qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences and evolution of the African American mother-daughter relationship. A sample of 10 mother-daughter dyads was interviewed together about their relationship. Research questions addressed how African American mothers and daughters define, maintain, and …


Helping Educators Foster A Growth Mindset In Community College Classrooms, Marianne Adams Auten Jan 2011

Helping Educators Foster A Growth Mindset In Community College Classrooms, Marianne Adams Auten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research shows that students with a growth mindset are more motivated to learn, want to work harder, are less discouraged by difficulty, use more effective strategies for learning, and have higher academic performance in comparison to students without this mindset. Despite these promising findings, a growth mindset is sometimes not reinforced or is even refuted by classroom conditions. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore how community college educators create classroom environments that foster a growth mindset. The conceptual framework for this study was a social constructivist approach where the interviewer and the participants co-constructed the …


Effect Of Stress, Emotional Lability And Depression On The Development Of Pregnancy Complications, Servitje, Estibalitz Laresgoiti Servitje Jan 2011

Effect Of Stress, Emotional Lability And Depression On The Development Of Pregnancy Complications, Servitje, Estibalitz Laresgoiti Servitje

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic stress and other emotional factors may have relevant impacts on pregnancy outcomes because they are related to neuroendocrine changes that lead to alterations in immunomodulation during pregnancy. In this quantitative prospective cross-sectional study, the relationship of emotional lability, depression, and stress during pregnancy and the development of preterm labor, preeclampsia, placental abruption, and low birth weight for gestational age babies was examined. Additionally, social support scores were compared to levels of stress/anxiety, depression, and emotional lability in pregnant women. Two hundred and forty two pregnant women who received prenatal services at the National Institute of Perinatology in Mexico City …


An Action Plan For Improving Mediocre Or Stagnant Student Achievement, Kimberley B. Redmond Jan 2011

An Action Plan For Improving Mediocre Or Stagnant Student Achievement, Kimberley B. Redmond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although all of the schools in the target school system adhere to a school improvement process, achievement scores remain mediocre or stagnant within the overseas school in Italy that serves children of United States armed service members. To address this problem, this study explored the target school's improvement process to discover how different stakeholder groups viewed that process. The aim of these investigations was to determine if different stakeholder groups' competing values hindered the school's improvement efforts. The conceptual framework of this study was Schein's organizational culture theory along with recent findings by Creemers and Kyriakides that show that school …


Values, Perceptions, Conceptions, And Peacebuilding: A Case Study In A Mexico City Neighborhood, Mauricio Meschoulam Jan 2011

Values, Perceptions, Conceptions, And Peacebuilding: A Case Study In A Mexico City Neighborhood, Mauricio Meschoulam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mexico is not a country at peace. Despite the government's fight to restore stability, violence has erupted since 2006 in several areas of the territory. According to Vygotsky's social constructivism and to Galtung's integral perspective of peace, some elements of peacelessness are informed by values, perceptions, and conceptions about violence and peace. These topics have not been qualitatively investigated in Mexico. The purpose of this case study was to explore the process involving the social construction of values, perceptions, and conceptions in regard to organized criminal violence and peace possibilities in Mexico. Research questions focused on the role of mass …


The Influence Of Community Support Services In Reducing Potentially Preventable Readmissions, Camille Rose Bash Jan 2011

The Influence Of Community Support Services In Reducing Potentially Preventable Readmissions, Camille Rose Bash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ranked all hospitals based on Medicare readmission rates for heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia. CMS offered subsidies to hospitals ranked in the 4th quartile to develop community support services to reduce the problem of potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs). CMS cited 4 of the 5 hospitals in Prince George's County in the 4th quartile. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between community support services and the reduction of PPRs in Prince George's County. The Evans and Stoddart field model of health and well-being guided this …


Exploration Of The Project Management Practitioner's Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Linda A. Hooper Jan 2011

Exploration Of The Project Management Practitioner's Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Linda A. Hooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The success rate of information technology projects is on a downward trend, with reported losses in the billions of dollars. Recent studies indicate a 50--56% project success rate based on quality, budget, and on-time criteria. Building upon the conceptual framework of the emotional intelligence and knowledge management theories, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how project management practitioners apply self- and cultural-awareness competencies to affect project outcomes. Using a purposeful sampling method, 24 experienced U.S.-based project management practitioners participated in a web-based questionnaire. Following Giorgi's data reduction process resulted in numeric data coding. Thematic analysis revealed themes …


Administering And Implementing The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum At A Learning Center, Hannah Colette Reaume Jan 2011

Administering And Implementing The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum At A Learning Center, Hannah Colette Reaume

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A learning center in the southeastern part of the United States used the Singapore mathematics curriculum (SMC) to support student learning of a wide range of mathematics skills. However, a study had yet to be conducted to gain an understanding about the administration and implementation of the program. This case study was conceptually based on constructivist pedagogical theory, where learning is constructed between the teacher and students. The research questions explored how the learning center staff administered and implemented the SMC. Data for this study were collected through multiple in-depth interviews and observations of 2 educators at the learning center. …


Physician Decision Criteria Regarding Omega-3 Dietary Supplements, Warren P. Lesser Jan 2011

Physician Decision Criteria Regarding Omega-3 Dietary Supplements, Warren P. Lesser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Heart Association officials and other expert cardiologists recommend omega-3 (n-3) dietary supplementation for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a prevalent health problem in the United States. Physicians' lack of understanding of possible n-3 preventive health benefits results in underprescribing n-3 dietary supplements and lower n-3 dietary supplement product sales. N-3 dietary supplement marketers do not understand physician n-3 prescribing decision criteria enough to optimize high-impact communication to physicians to increase n-3 dietary supplement product use. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to improve n-3 marketers' understanding of how physicians reach decisions to prescribe or recommend products …


The Relationship Of Self-Care To Burnout Among Social Workers In Health Care Settings, Jennifer D. Weekes Jan 2011

The Relationship Of Self-Care To Burnout Among Social Workers In Health Care Settings, Jennifer D. Weekes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout among human services professionals, but specific information on the role of self-care among social workers in healthcare settings is limited. This correlational study was designed provide a fuller understanding of this relationship. Orem's theory of self-care and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior served as the theoretical foundations of this study. The sample included 185 members of the National Association of Social Workers, who volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed online versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Self-Care Assessment Work Sheet. Correlation and analysis of variance …


Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox Jan 2011

Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has experienced decreased return on investment caused by hiring too many air traffic controller specialists (ATCSs) who performed poorly in field training, thus failing to become certified professional controllers (CPCs). Based on Schmidt and Hunter's theory of job performance and biodata theory, this quantitative, archival study examined whether factors of cognitive ability and biodata could predict job performance status of 2 generations of ATCSs, poststrike (PS) and next generation (NG) controllers. For each generation of controllers, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if any of the independent variables---transmuted composite (TMC) score for PS …


Program Evaluation Of A High School Science Professional Learning Community, Rebecca Mclelland-Crawley Jan 2011

Program Evaluation Of A High School Science Professional Learning Community, Rebecca Mclelland-Crawley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers may benefit more from a professional learning community (PLC) than from professional development initiatives presented in single day workshops. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to identify characteristics of an effective PLC and to determine how the members of the PLC have benefitted from the program. Fullan's educational change theory provided the framework for the study, which refers to learning experiences of teachers when collaborating with peers. The sample consisted of 9 biology teachers during the 2012-2013 school year. Data were collected through online surveys and face-to-face interviews regarding effective PLCs. The online survey questions were asked …


The Effect Of Positive Verbal Information On Reducing Fears About Bats In School-Aged Children, Kimberly J. Williams Jan 2011

The Effect Of Positive Verbal Information On Reducing Fears About Bats In School-Aged Children, Kimberly J. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many school-aged children fear certain animals. Fear tends to make children worry and exhibit anxious behaviors, and this can negatively affect many aspects of their lives. Rachman (1977) speculated that some children might acquire fear through receiving negative verbal information. Few studies have examined whether positive verbal information can influence children's fear beliefs about bats. Based on Rachman's Theory on the Acquisition of Fear Behaviors this experimental research study examined whether positive verbal information might relate to decreasing fears about bats. One hundred and seventy-two participants in Grades 2 through 4 completed the Fear Beliefs Questionnaire (FBQ) and the Bat …


Effect Of Education On Stigma Of Epilepsy In South Eastern Nigeria, Augustina Chinyelu Maduakor-Ugo Jan 2011

Effect Of Education On Stigma Of Epilepsy In South Eastern Nigeria, Augustina Chinyelu Maduakor-Ugo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a need for epilepsy-based health education programs to enlighten Nigerian communities and reduce the stigma associated with epilepsy. Epilepsy in Nigeria is viewed by some as a contagious and an infectious disease or a condition imposed from the gods, possessed by demons, as the work of witchcraft, or punishment from ancestral spirits, which are all related to a lack of knowledge about epilepsy leading to stigmatization of persons with epilepsy. Guided by the stigma theory, the purpose of this community-based, cross sectional study was to quantitatively examine the effect of an educational program on interpersonal, internalized, and institutional …


Credit Default Swaps Regulation And The Use Of Collateralized Mortgage Obligations In U.S. Financial Institutions, Jon Patraic Neill Jan 2011

Credit Default Swaps Regulation And The Use Of Collateralized Mortgage Obligations In U.S. Financial Institutions, Jon Patraic Neill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The fast and easy global movement of capital throughout the financial system, from lenders to borrowers and through intermediaries and financial market participants, has been recognized as a source of instability associated with illiquidity and financial crises. The purpose of this research was to better understand how regulation either enables or constrains capital movement. The theoretical framework comprised 2 contrasting public policymaking models, Arrow's rational-comprehensive model and Kingdon's garbage can model, which were used to derive opposing hypotheses. The research question addressed the nature of the relationship between Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) regulations and the flow of capital into Collateralized …


Transformational Leadership Influence On Rapid Organizational Change In Procter And Gamble Global Manufacturing Operation, Timothy M. Williams Sr. Jan 2011

Transformational Leadership Influence On Rapid Organizational Change In Procter And Gamble Global Manufacturing Operation, Timothy M. Williams Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most companies lack the ability to implement organizational change; over 70% of Organization Change Initiatives (OCIs) fail. This inability has negative economic and survival implications for companies. OCIs must be effective and rapid to match the high pace of change in the business environment. Transformational leadership (TL) has been linked to successful OCIs through its positive influence on employee commitment and reduced resistance to change, yet little research has been done to identify its association with OCI implementation speed. This study tested TL and change theory and their association with change implementation. It sought to determine if a relationship exists …


Nurses' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Rapid Response Teams In A Psychiatric Facility, Kimberly Cecil-Riddle Jan 2011

Nurses' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Rapid Response Teams In A Psychiatric Facility, Kimberly Cecil-Riddle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric illnesses can sometimes lead to behavioral outbursts that need to be addressed quickly to deescalate potentially explosive situations. Nurses are in a unique position to respond to such outbursts by calling for a rapid response team. Nurses who are part of the rapid response team should be well-informed of their roles and responsibilities in managing aggressive and violent behavior. The purpose of this project was to explore RN's and LPN's knowledge and perceptions of a rapid response team in a psychiatric facility. The Iowa model of evidence-based practice provided the framework to integrate theory into practice to improve care. …


Leadership Styles And Nursing Satisfaction Rates, Wilma Lee Jones Jan 2011

Leadership Styles And Nursing Satisfaction Rates, Wilma Lee Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to translate evidence-based literature into policy and practice guidelines in order to improve leadership standards and skills among nurse managers and improve patient outcomes and the quality of care. Guided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Model and Lewin's change theory, which sets the framework for creating exceptional nursing leaders, a literature search was conducted from studies ranging from 2010 to 2012 from several databases. Inclusion criteria were based on the presence of one or more leadership styles discussed in the articles and the impact of leadership style on nursing satisfaction. A total …