Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Ugandan Women Smallholder Farmers: Documenting Her Mighty Hands Agriculture Extension Nonprofit, Anna Mathis

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women smallholder farmers in East Africa, including Uganda, provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, women are significantly less productive than men due to extreme barriers such as their lack of decision-making rights, inability to solely own land, and familial responsibilities. The purpose of this project was to create a full integrated communications and fundraising campaign for Her Mighty Hands, an agriculture extension nonprofit whose mission is to connect Ugandan women subsistence farmers to technology and knowledge which empower them to advance their agricultural business; enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. Photos …

Salvation May Just Be A Click Away: A Case Study In The Impact Of New Media Communications In The Evangelical Church In The Bible Belt, Robert Montgomery Peerson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This was an exploratory qualitative case study into the usage of new media in the evangelical church within the context of the Bible Belt region of the United States. The problem with the current status of new media communications within the evangelical church is that some churches seem to struggle with using these mediums successfully. The purpose of this study was to gather information on how churches are using new media communications in their environment and equip churches with greater knowledge and tools on how to leverage new media communications to grow the Kingdom. This study features three main research …

Should We Move To Suspend Robert’S Rules Forever: A Review And Proposal For Student Government Communication, Harper Estus

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to understand and improve how student leaders in student government (senators) communicate with one another during their meetings. My research question was, how can I effectively work with the Associated Student Government (ASG) at the University of San Diego (USD) to improve the senator’s meeting communication through parliamentary practice? The use of Robert’s Rules (parliamentary procedure) is common for student government. I analyzed mixed-method data through three cycles: focus group, survey, and semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that there are pros and cons to meeting structures, most participants are open to different meeting …

End-Of-Life Patient Communication: Exploring Comfort, Communication And Education Of Healthcare Professionals For End-Of-Life Care, Madison Gremillion

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Historically, the medical field has viewed death and dying as incurable ‘medical failures,’ and as a result, many healthcare professionals have difficulties when facing a patient who is dying or at the end of their life. These individuals will use avoidant behavior to avoid end-of-life (EOL) patients or can have difficulty providing essential aspects of care including communication, that contribute to building a strong relationship between the healthcare provider and patient. For the healthcare professional (HCP), this can stem from anxiety related to thoughts of death and a lack of educational support or experience. The study of death is where …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Mask Mandate On Effective Communication Between Healthcare Providers And Deaf/Hoh Patients, Antonia J. Conti, Alexa Gingerich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries mandated the use of facial masks in public environments, especially in healthcare settings.[3] While this was beneficial in reducing the spread of the coronavirus disease, it created many challenges for the deaf/HoH community.[4] In particular, it limited effective communication between healthcare providers and deaf/HoH patients. It was found that masks limit word recognition for both deaf/HoH and non-deaf/HoH individuals. Additionally, both surgical and N95 masks hinder word recognition for deaf/HoH individuals and significantly impact communication during medical appointments.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 8 - May 2, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 8 - May 2, 2024. 28 pages.

Political Orientation And Its Effect On Engagement And Perception Of The Arts, Parker Robert Mckenzie

Communication Studies

Utilizing the Symbolic Interactionism Theory (Gusfield, 2011), this study explored the relationship between political orientation and one’s engagement with and perception of art forms. The study utilized qualitative methods analysis to analyze similarities between participant responses. Findings from participants revealed the following themes: engagement with history leading to a more profound understanding of art, art causing real-life inspiration, and engagement with art leads to the formation of sub-cultures. Additionally, interviews revealed that people choose not to engage with certain art based on political orientation, people who consider themselves to be “spiritual” engaged with art differently, and many people’s perception of …

Organizational Cultural Entrenchment: Exploring Cultural Antecedents Of Actively Destructive Employee Behaviors As A Manifestation Of Voice In Mergers And Acquisitions, Keith Dellano Holloway

Theses and Dissertations

Mergers and acquisitions are frequently leveraged as a vehicle for company growth. However, many of these transactions fail to yield a positive result and often cause a net loss of shareholder value.

There are many interrelated factors at work within a merger or acquisition. Structure, leadership, finances, strategic fit, market, and price are just a few variables to consider. However, the factor of culture, and the failure of cultural integration, has surfaced in literature as a significant contributor to losses within mergers and acquisitions.

This study built on the work of Harris, Hirschman, Kotter, and Schlesinger and examined the deleterious …

Implementing And Marketing Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Practices And Resources: Creating The E‐Buzz!, Essraa Nawar, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Leatherby Libraries Librarians are committed to supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. We demonstrate this commitment holistically through the provision of all resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, and engagement through educational outreach in order to raise awareness of diversity related issues.

In 2020, Library administration selected a Diversity and Outreach librarian that was charged with creating a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Outreach plan. As a result, a number of practices and initiatives …

A Study Of Leadership's Role In Building Relationships Among Virtual Team Members, Danna V. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study focused on leadership's role in building relationships among virtual team members. A qualitative case study, the research focused on organizations in the medical device industry within the Charlotte Metropolitan region of North Carolina. The research was formed using 15 open ended questions in an interview of 20 leaders of virtual teams. Each leader was interviewed individually and allowed to elaborate on their answers to help the researcher to thoroughly understand the approach used to help the relationships form among their virtual team members. During the interview, the discussion between the researcher and the leader being interviewed covered …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 7 - April 25, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 7 - April 25, 2024. 24 pages.

Communication Of Mental Health Diversity To The Early Childhood Age Group: “The Adventures Of Anxious Anderson, Distracted Daniel, And Organized Olive”, Jessica Gower

Honors Projects

In this project, I aim to explore various aspects of communication, cognitive ability, and mental health diversity in early child development. The three research questions guiding this project are: What cognitive and language abilities do children in the early childhood stage of development have? What are the most effective strategies for communicating information about mental health disorders to children ages 4 to 7 through storytelling? And lastly, how do anxiety, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) manifest, particularly in children? The storybook's purpose is to create a sense of empathy and understanding of mental health diversity in children …

Communicative Ai And Techno-Semiotic Mediatization: Understanding The Communicative Role Of The Machine, Göran Bolin

Human-Machine Communication

Mediatization discourse has so far mainly been centered on media from institutional or social-constructionist approaches. The technological developments within communications industries coupled with the wider societal process of datafication might, however, beg for dusting off the smaller, although the long-time existing, technological approach to mediatization as a complement to the two other approaches, in order to understand aspects of automation and human-machine communication. This theoretical article explores how existing mediatization approaches can refocus to include lessons learned from human-machine communication. The first section accounts for the main mediatization approaches. The second section discusses debates on communication, artificiality, and meaning-making. The …

The Current - Volume 34 Issue 12, Nova Southeastern University

The Current

No abstract provided.

The Scowl - V. 88 N. 6 - April 4, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 6 - April 4, 2024. 20 pages.

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Communication Skills Intervention For Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Kiara Ainsworth, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many individual's participation in daily activities. There is a lack of research in the area of occupational therapy (OT) treatment for veterans with PTSD. However, there has been an expressed need in the literature for a developed intervention for veterans with PTSD that includes communication skills as a component. To date, a manualized communication skills OT intervention for veterans with PTSD has not been created. The purpose of this paper was to develop a resource tool for occupational therapists to utilize as an intervention when treating veterans with PTSD using the framework of the Model …

The Effects Of Social Media Marketing On Consumer Behavior, Katelin Schuiteman

Communication Senior Capstone Projects

Social media has drastically changed consumer behavior, revolutionizing the way businesses engage with their audiences. This paper explores the impact of social media marketing on consumer decision-making processes and the transformation brought about by digital marketing strategies on social media platforms. The literature review considers the significance of personalized advertising, the vulnerability of younger demographics to marketing tactics, and the emergence of influencer marketing as a powerful tool for brand promotion. Looking at insights in communication theory and marketing research, the paper underscores the vital role of engagement, community-building, and content personalization in successful social media marketing campaigns. Comparing the …

The Current - Volume 34 Issue 11, Nova Southeastern University

The Current

No abstract provided.

Online Fan Communities: Welcoming Behavior, Brand Community Markers, And Multiple Identities In Sports Fandom, Blaine R. Huber

Doctoral Dissertations

Online fan communities have revolutionized the way sport consumers engage with fellow fans and the sports product. The traditional regional boundaries that once characterized sports fandom have been mitigated by the emergence of new media, social media platforms, and online fan communities. This dissertation explores the non-geographically bound nature of contemporary sports fan communities, examining the evolving dynamics of fan behavior in the digital age. In Study 1, an interactional perspective is employed to explore online fan socialization. The focus is on how new fans' self-presentation influences acceptance within NFL team-specific Reddit communities. Utilizing data mining, textual analysis, and qualitative …

The Formation Of Tiktok’S Influencer-Led Mental Health Community: A Content Analysis Of Social Penetration Theory, Kellie Ford Stillwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following research used a qualitative content analysis to explore the communicative and communal characteristics of online communities that form around the topic of positive mental health communication on the social media platform TikTok. These characteristics were analyzed in the context of social penetration theory in consideration of how TikTok influencers use thematic messaging and acts of self-disclosure to build and enhance their online communities centered on positive mental health communication. In total, 135 TikTok videos and their accompanying comment feeds were analyzed to identify emergent themes, patterns, and concepts relative to the communicative and communal characteristics that define online …

The Current - Volume 34 Issue 10, Nova Southeastern University

The Current

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 5 - March 7, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 5 - March 7, 2024. 16 pages.

The Impact Of Work-Life Balance Programs On Quality Of Work-Life (Qwl) Among Female Employees Within The Banking Sector, Mohammad Al Qudah

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

The purpose of the current study is to examine the impact of work-life balance programs (Flexible work arrangements, Maternity leave policies, Childcare support, Women's health programs, Leadership development programs, Pay equity, and Communication) on quality of work life (QWL) among female employees within the banking sector. Quantitative methodology was carried out, and a questionnaire was self-administered on (296) female full-time employees within commercial banks in Jordan. SPSS was employed to screen and analyze the gathered data. Results of the study indicated that acceptance of study hypotheses under the main allegation of the fact that characteristics of female employees' work-life balance …

Politeness Strategies In Whatsapp Messages Between Undergraduate Students And Their Professors, Mouad Al-Natour, Shafiq Banat

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

This study investigates the politeness strategies that are used by undergraduate students with their professor using WhatsApp messages. Using technology and social media applications facilitates communication among societies in general and students with their professors in particular. Moreover, it shows the disparity of using politeness strategies among the students while they were contacting their professors by WhatsApp application. A Qualitative approach is used to analyze WhatsApp messages sent by the students to their professors from 30/07/2022 to 30/08/2022. The data was collected from four WhatsApp groups for specific courses they study at Jerash university. Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory …

Learning And Listening: A Podcast On Navigating Latinx/E Identities, Lilianna A. Rivas

Communication Studies

Utilizing the Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), the present podcast seeks to explore and understand how individuals with intersectional identities in the Latinx/e community communicate their identity to others in the Latinx/e community and society. Research in the fields of Ethnic Studies, Psychology, Education, and Communication focuses on issues and identities in the Latinx/e community. Much existing research focuses heavily on intersectionality, and the podcast will seek to do the same. These intersections of identities can conflict or be perceived as in conflict. This creates a gray area in the spectrum between interpersonal and intergroup interactions. Some examples …

Investigating Communication Of Findings In Environmental Impact Assessment And Developing A Research Agenda For Improvement, Alan Bond, Francois Retief, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Jenny Pope, Reece C. Alberts, Claudine Roos, Dirk Cilliers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims to embed consideration of the significance of predicted environmental consequences (the findings) of proposed developments into approval decision making. Achieving this aim relies on adequate communication of the findings of the EIA to the stakeholders, especially the decision makers responsible for the approval decision. However, the naïve assumption that this communication of findings can be effectively achieved through the publication of a written report pervades legislation worldwide, despite decades of evidence to the contrary. As a first step towards improving such communication, this research identifies the contingent conditions associated with effectively transferring EIA findings from …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 4 - February 22, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 4 - February 22, 2024. 16 pages.

The Current - Volume 34 Issue 9, Nova Southeastern University

The Current

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Communication, Knowledge Sharing, And Trust On Agile Virtual Team Effectiveness, Ivana Pino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ongoing globalization and the evolution of technology in the workplace reinforce the need for virtual teamwork. Individuals working together across the globe comprise virtual teams. Many teams across industries value and use agile methodology to manage their projects. Research shows that agile virtual teams face challenges based on social and organizational problems such as lack of trust, knowledge sharing, and suitable communication. Therefore, this quantitative study aimed to address a gap in the current literature on the effect that communication, trust, and knowledge sharing have on agile virtual team effectiveness. Additionally, the aim was to determine the moderating effect of …

The Current - Volume 34 Issue 8, Nova Southeastern University

The Current

No abstract provided.