Business Commons^™

The Sixty-Six Percent, Natalie Abruzzo

Capstones

The Sixty-Six Percent represent the percentage of women in the U.S. who are overweight. They are regarded as full-figured or “plus” size in the world of women’s apparel. Even though more than half of American women wear a “plus” size - size 14 and up - designs for these women account for a fraction of women’s apparel - Only 37% of women's wear is plus-size.

The Sixty-Six Percent is coming at an important time in a broader conversation about de-stigmatizing what it means to be a plus-size woman in America. Fat shaming has become taboo and mainstream media as well …

Improving The Patient Experience By Implementing Patient-Centered Care In A Community Hospital, Richard A. Billingsley Dnp, Mha, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Health care is a complex business currently undergoing extensive reform. These changes require new methods of care deliver and ways in which health care organizations are operating. At the forefront of this change effort is the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is transforming health care from a volume-based, fee-for-service process to the delivery of services that have value, improve quality outcomes, increase satisfaction, elicit greater efficiency, demonstrate improved safety outcomes, show cost-effectiveness, promote better access to services, and result in high reliability between providers and organizations. The goal of providing a more positive health care experience is …

Capstone Revival, Mary Mesele, Ruochen Lu, Quilin Jiang

School of Professional Studies

The capstone project is a culminating experience whereby students choose to research a topic that is relevant in their field of study and have been highly regarded as important learning activities. The capstone allows students to use research, analytical, problem solving and evaluation skills they have learned in the course of the graduate program. McGill indicates the benefit of the completion of a capstone project not only in gaining knowledge in capstone but also in learning how to apply the knowledge gained in other courses in the major (McGill, 2012). Currently, COPACE (College of Professional and Continuing Education) has three …

Assessment Of Orthodontic Patients' Preferences Regarding Treatment From General Dentists Or Orthodontists, Brian Robert Wilde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study evaluated how parents of prospective orthodontic patients choose between taking their child to a general dentist or an orthodontist for orthodontic treatment. It also looked at which factors influence patients’ satisfaction with the progress of treatment and likelihood to refer other patients to the practice. This study included two phases. The first phase was a qualitative assessment of the decision making process through conducting and analyzing focus groups. The second phase was the development and administration of a nationwide online survey regarding the topics covered in the focus groups. Influential factors in the decision making process fell into …

Recognizing Occupational Stress: A Case Study Of Admission Staff In A For-Profit Nursing College, Carie L. Powers

All Theses And Dissertations

While numerous studies have looked at the influence of occupational stress on employees, less is known about the effects on employees in the for-profit higher education industry. Admissions advisors in particular must endure cyclical pressures to fill classes to ensure a college’s financial viability. A criterion sample of 12 admissions advisors employed at a for-profit nursing college with campuses located throughout the United States were interviewed. The participant criterion sample specifically sought to include advisors who enroll pre-licensure nursing degree-seeking students.

The purpose of the study was to acquire a richer understanding of nursing admissions advisors’ convergence of personal recognition …

The Value Of Integrated Information Systems For U.S. General Hospitals, Liuliu Fu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Each year, huge investments into healthcare information systems (HIS) are being made all over the world. Despite the enormous cost for the hospitals, the overall benefits and costs of the healthcare information systems have not been deeply assessed. In recent years, much previous research has investigated the link between the implementation of Information Systems and the performance of organizations. Although the value of Healthcare Information System or Healthcare Information Technology (HIS/HIT) has been found in many studies, some questions remain unclear. Do HIS/HIT systems influence different hospitals the same way? How to understand and explain the mechanism that HIS/HIT improves …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between And Among Power, Trust And Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Managers In Acute Care Hospitals Using Rogers Science Of Unitary Human Beings, Maureen A. Schneider

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Defined as control and freedom, power is often characterized as hierarchical. Power-as-freedom exists as a unitary manifestation of the whole and is acausal. Thus a worldview that emphasizes mutual process rather than a causal (control) view supports a culture of trust in the healthcare environment that generates a committed and a thriving work force. When nurse leaders support a climate of trust, managers develop a sense of commitment to the organization which may lead to job satisfaction. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the relationship between power, trust and job satisfaction among nurse managers.

Purpose: The …

Critical Analysis Of The Confounding Of Clinical Trials, Eleanor L. Jordan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

To provide a comprehensive overview of issues confounding clinical trials, Chapter 2 will discuss the parties involved in the research and development of medications and detail the individual responsibilities of each. However, the ambition of these individual entities often produces a conflict of interest especially when profits are involved [9]. Organizations and individuals such as insurance corporations, pharmaceutical companies (sponsors), pharmacy benefit managers, investigators (doctors/medical professionals) and most importantly patients, are all involved in carrying out clinical research and have definitive responsibilities they are required to follow for unbiased results. However, many rules are overlooked and biases go unrecorded causing …

An Information Privacy Examination Of The Practices Of Pharmaceutical Companies Regarding Use Of Information Collected Through Their Websites, Shonda Dellena Brown

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Consumers have begun to take a more proactive approach to their healthcare by accessing pharmaceutical companies Websites to obtain health and drug information, support groups, rebates, coupons, as well as free drug trials. In exchange for these benefits, companies require consumers to voluntarily disclose information. However, research has shown that consumers continue to be concerned about how their information is managed, used, and distributed by companies, especially if accessed via the Web. To date, there has been limited empirical research to examine the actual online practices of companies when it comes to privacy, especially those of pharmaceutical companies. Using Delphi …

Nurse Managers' Hiring Selection Of Newly Licensed Rns: A Grounded Theory Approach, Susan Adamek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research study was to construct a substantive grounded theory regarding how acute care nurse managers select the newly licensed RNs (NLRNs) they hire. This is important because a good selection process can reduce expensive employee turnover and improve teamwork on units. There has been extensive research regarding interventions that improve the retention of NLRNs after they are hired, such as residency programs, preceptors, mentors and support groups, but there is very little in the literature about the processes or preferences nurse managers use to select the right candidates to be hired. A constructivist grounded theory approach …

The Impacts Of A Smoking Ban On Gaming Volume And Customers' Satisfaction In The Casino Industry In South Korea, Sojeong Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A growing number of countries have legislated smoke-free policies in enclosed public areas and have extended the policies to hospitality facilities. However, some states and countries exempt gaming areas from the smoking law fully or partially. Anti-smoking policy is controversial for a number of reasons, such as smokers’ strong opposition, government ordinance, public health, and economic anxiety. Casino management may worry that a smoking ban policy will result in a significant decline of casino revenue because the break for smoking may interfere with continuing play.

This thesis examined a smoking ban impacts on gaming volume and customers’ satisfaction in the …

Patient Service Quality And Health Maintenance Organizations: Not An Oxymoron, Jessica Mcbeath

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today’s quality movement in health care has driven the importance of patient satisfaction and experience across the industry. While the subject is of huge interest to researchers and health care companies, many struggle to identify a unified list of attributes that are applicable globally. Due to the industry’s uniqueness, it becomes necessary to understand the population and specific attributes for each. In review of previous service quality research, this study presents many dimensions and attributes for application. Using existing service quality framework 5Qs, this study provides unique findings correlated to existing literature and presents actionable items.

Purpose: The purpose of …

Consumer Inferences Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Claims On Packaged Foods, Gaeul Kim

Open Access Theses

With the growing public demands in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the food industry, CSR claims have begun to appear on food packages, as companies started communicating their CSR initiatives to consumers. Although food packages emerged as an important CSR communication tool, consumers' processing of CSR claims and the effects of these claims on product evaluations still remain unknown. In this regard, the present study carries two important research questions. First, do non-health/nutrition-related CSR claims influence consumers' product evaluations, such as perceived health benefits or tastes? If so, how does the effect of CSR claims differ by type of CSR …

Orphan Drug Development: Incentives Under The Orphan Drug Act, Sara H D Smith

Senior Theses and Projects

After describing the intellectual property and regulatory environment for orphan drugs in the United States, this thesis compares the investment decisions in the orphan drug market with the larger pharmaceutical industry. A series of case studies trace the development paths of different orphan products using information collected through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approved Drug Product and Orphan Drug Product Designation Databases. In addition to this analysis, difference-in-differences estimates calculated using annual revenues compare the relative success of different orphan products under the current incentive system. This study finds that partial orphan drugs are associated with larger revenue growth. …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Workplace Breastfeeding Support, Katrina Marie Russo Burks

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Despite substantial evidence that breastfeeding is the optimal way to feed the healthy, full-term infant, data show that, although most mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding their infants, there are often barriers to continued breastfeeding beyond the first few weeks or months. Among the reasons cited are lack of support and the need to return to full or part time paid employment. As a result of the Surgeon General's 2011 Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, many initiatives have been implemented on national, state, and local levels to improve support for breastfeeding in the workplace. The purpose of …

Balancing Act: Successfully Combining Creativity And Accountability In The Practice Of Marriage And Family Therapy, Nathalie Duque Bello

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The conditions that allowed early MFTs the freedom to creatively explore different interventions and theories of change are no longer available in today’s mental health care system. Although there are many benefits to the structure of managed behavioral healthcare organizations, a thorough review of the literature demonstrates that many therapists working in managed care agencies struggle with maintaining their theoretical creativity, claiming third-party payers’ service requirements and paperwork a barrier to their creativity. A phenomenological transcendental research method was utilized to understand the phenomenon of successfully combining creativity and accountability in the practice of marriage and family therapy from the …

Relevant Decision Criteria And Their Level Of Importance In Consumers' Choice Of Hospital, Jordan Brelje

Honors Program Theses

As the health care industry becomes increasingly consumer-driven, it is crucial for hospitals to understand the considerations involved in their patients’ choice of health care institution. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which most heavily influence consumers’ choice of hospital, as well as to make recommendations to health care marketers based upon the conclusions reached. This study also hoped to provide beneficial insights to public policy makers who desire to give consumers more control in the health care decision-making process. Very little research has been performed in recent years as to consumers’ choice of hospital decision …

The Relationship Between Information Technology And Organizational Effectiveness As Perceived By Health Care Providers, Christian Chikwem Ukaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Congress has made health information technology a central component of the national quest to improve health care delivery. The problem addressed in this study was the uncertainty among healthcare providers regarding the benefits of health care information technology adoption relative to healthcare delivery processes and outcomes. The purpose of the study was to understand the effectiveness of information technology as perceived by healthcare providers. The research questions were designed to investigate the relationship between health information technology and organizational effectiveness, exchange of information, organizational process, organizational productivity, and direct personal care. Sociotechnical systems theory and Donabedian's framework for …

Icd-10-Cm Implementation Strategies: An Application Of The Technology Acceptance Model, Judith Monestime

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States is one of the last countries to transition to the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding system. The move from the 35-year-old system, ICD-9, to ICD-10, represents a milestone in the transformation of the 21st century healthcare industry. All covered healthcare entities were mandated to use the ICD-10 system on October 1, 2015, to justify medical necessity, an essential component in determining whether a service is payable or not. Despite the promising outcomes of this shift, more than 70% of healthcare organizations identified concerns related to education efforts, including lack of best practices …

One Hospital's Patient Satisfaction Plans In Response, Valerie A. Smart Shoup

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent changes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement programs resulted in $1 billion in payments to hospitals based on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Approximately 50% of the 3,000 hospitals currently receiving Medicare supplements may receive increases in reimbursement payments while 50% will receive decreases in payments. This case study explored how one hospital team in North Texas achieved high HCAHPS scores. The primary provider theory, Deming's model of plan-do-study-act (PDSA), and disruptive innovation theory framed the study. The data collection process included administrator interviews (n = 7), hospital document analysis …

Internal Attributes That Mitigate Perceived Job Insecurity: Improving Employee Satisfaction, Shelly Leigh Rogers-Sharer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee satisfaction has been found to have a strong relationship with perceived job security. This study explored job insecurity in an unstable global economy. Specifically, it examined internal attributes of employees, hypothesizing that such attributes would enable employees to better cope with work-related stressors such as job insecurity. Specific attributes of personality and employability were assessed as potential moderators of job satisfaction and security, utilizing the theory of work adjustment and person-environment correspondence as theoretical frameworks. The specific attributes included facets of conscientiousness and neuroticism as well as dispositions of employability including openness to change at work, work and career …

Factors Motivating Employee Participation In Employer-Sponsored Health Awareness Programs, Markanthony Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employers adopt worksite health promotions to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases, reduce healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, and improve productivity. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the motivational factors affecting employee participation in employer-sponsored health awareness programs. The theory of planned behavior grounded the study and formed the conceptual framework. Data collection occurred through semistructured interviews with 24 participants in the northeastern United States with lived experiences in worksite health promotion. Participants answered open-ended interview questions regarding the motivations for engaging in health promotions. Data were transcribed and coded for trends and themes. During …

Marketplace Clinics Complementing Community-Based Diabetes Care For Urban Residing American Indians, Robert Steven Rick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American Indians population in Minneapolis, Minnesota has experienced limited health care access and threefold diabetes health disparity. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which collaborating marketplace clinics and community-based support groups expanded diabetes care and provided self-management education for this largely urban Indian neighborhood. The marketplace clinics located in nearby CVS, Walmart, Target, and Supervalu stores committed financial support, certified educators, and pharmacy staff for the community-based support group. The study was conducted within the patient activation measure (PAM) analytical framework to assess the participants' acquired knowledge, skills, and confidence for diabetes self-management. A …

Nursing Staff Participation In Chart Audits Increases Documentation Compliance, Susan Elaine Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical documentation is an essential quality element that is often not adequately completed. Current data demonstrate that 32% of home health claims do not meet the requirements for federal reimbursement. Rogers's diffusion of innovation was used as a conceptual framework to guide this quality improvement project which determined whether home health nurses with education and chart audit experience demonstrate increased documentation compliance relative to nurses with education only. After completing a 1-hour education program on documentation, a convenience sample of home health nurses (n = 8) was divided between a chart-audit group (n = 4) and a no-chart-audit group (n …

Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Cardiovascular Profitability Under Health Care Reform, Gordon Brian Wesley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular (CV) patients receive one-third of the care and account for $444 billion of the health care costs in the United States. The cardiovascular service line (CVSL) in hospitals contributes to the profitability influenced by elements of resource dependence theory (RDT). The purpose of this study was to understand whether the regression model of hospital characteristics and outcomes would predict profitability in a CVSL through the cost-to-charge ratio (CCR). The use of a general linear model and multiple regression analysis to examine the 2012 National Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project allowed estimates from a weighted sample …

Racism Vs. Social Capital: A Case Study Of Two Majority Black Communities, Bruce W. Strouble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several researchers have identified social capital as a means to improve the social sustainability of communities. While there have been many studies investigating the benefits of social capital in homogeneous White communities, few have examined it in Black homogeneous communities. Also, there has been limited research on the influence of racism on social capital in African American communities. In this dissertation a comparative case study was used within a critical race theory framework. The purpose was to explore the role of racial oppression in shaping social capital in majority African American communities. Data were collected from 2 majority Black communities …

Emotional Labor And Employee Engagement Within A Pediatric Hospital, Michele Louise Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of emotional work, staffing shortages, high turnover rates, low workforce engagement levels, and complex healthcare reforms are common problems in healthcare settings. Healthcare leaders are increasingly aware of the vital impact an engaged workforce can have on patient outcomes and an organization's ability to survive despite current challenges in the healthcare setting. It is important for leaders to understand what factors may influence the ability to engage with their organization, such as emotional labor. The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to test whether emotional labor is related to employee engagement within a large Midwestern pediatric hospital. …

Ranking Small Business Resistance Criteria Toward The Affordable Care Act, Rakesh M K Gupta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, politicians, media, and lobbyists rendered a number of conflicting and confusing interpretations of its merits and demerits. Such interpretations intensified the skepticism and concerns of small business enterprise (SBE) owners. The purpose of this study was to develop a representative, prioritized list of SBE owners' concerns or resistance factors. The goal was to create a useful guide for SBE owners who are seeking ways to reducing the adverse financial impact of the law. With social choice theory as the theoretical framework, 50 randomly selected SBE owners across 5 distinct …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Firefighter Participation In Wellness Programs Within A Career Fire Department In Northern Ohio, Conner O'Halloran

Online Theses and Dissertations

Firefighters respond to dangerous emergencies every day. The physical and mental wellness of firefighters is very important to their overall job performance. To support this, fire departments must have established, comprehensive wellness programs (International Association of Firefighters, 2008). Even with national standard recommendation of wellness programs, one does not exist in a fire department located in Northern Ohio.

The focus of this research is to explore reasons why these highly recommended wellness programs are not established. Successful establishment of a wellness program requires understanding why this fire department is hesitant or unsuccessful in implementing and maintaining a wellness program.

This …

Behavior Based Safety And The Multi-Generational Workforce, Edward Paul Grzybowski

Online Theses and Dissertations

Generational differences of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials regarding their acceptance of feedback and observations were studied in order to determine if different approaches to each were needed in order to effectively implement a Behavior Based Safety program within a specific company. The study found that there was a greater difference between generations regarding observations than on other domains. The results suggest that additional research should be undertaken in order to extrapolate the findings to a larger population.