Education Commons^™

Effective Business Survival Strategies Among Women-Owned Small And Medium Enterprises After A Natural Disaster, Clorinda Valentina Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women business owners (WBOs) who experience natural disasters face significant challenges, such as disruption of business operations, damage, or detriment to infrastructure, decreased revenue, and low customer confidence. WBOs are concerned with business continuity and the social and economic impact of natural disasters in their communities. Grounded in the resource-based view and marketing entrepreneurship theories, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies WBOs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) use to survive a natural disaster. The participants were four women SME owners in northeast Florida who implemented strategies to maintain business continuity during and after …

Training Strategies To Improve Salesperson Confidence And Production, William B. Bronson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many sales leaders need strategies to improve the productivity and confidence of their sales personnel. Ineffective sales training programs cost organizations billions of dollars in annual revenue and profits. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative mini-ethnographic multiple-case study was to explore successful strategies used by sales leaders that combine and balance virtual and online resources with traditional face-to-face training methods to increase the productivity and confidence of sales personnel. Data were collected by interviewing eight salespeople and two sales managers spanning two Texas insurance companies and reviewing company documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step process …

Professional Staffing Small Business Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee, Gwendolyn L. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business owners need help reducing voluntary employee turnover, often putting the business at risk for performance failure. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies professional staffing small business owners used to decrease voluntary employee turnover. The participants were five professional staffing small business leaders in the Washington, D.C., area with successful strategies to retain talented employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin’s five-step process. Three themes emerged: (a) employee recognition, (b) communication, and (c) advancement and training. A key recommendation for small business owners …

Leadership's Impact On Employee Work Motivation And Performance, Tonia Marilu Joseph-Armstrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLeadership is a major factor in terms of motivating employees, leading to enhanced performance. A study was conducted to examine the influence of supervisory leadership style on employee work motivation and job performance in organizations, specifically in a K-12 school setting. The main goal was to determine if there is a relationship between type of leadership demonstrated by school administrators and its impact on the teaching staff’s motivation and performance. Data for this quantitative study were gathered and analyzed from various public and private schools and included a sample of 100 participants. The predictor variable leadership was assessed using the …

Sustainability Strategies For Nonprofit Organizations, Ramchand Francisco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders face the challenges of ensuring their organizations are financially healthy while navigating economic and organizational issues that require strategies to support program growth with limited financial resources. Grounded in Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders used to support program growth and sustainability with limited financial resources. The study participants were three leaders of a nonprofit organization in the northwest region of the United States who had expertise related to the focus of the research. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, analyses of the client organization’s internal …

Leadership’S Impact On Employee Work Motivation And Performance, Tonia Marilu Joseph-Armstrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLeadership is a major factor in terms of motivating employees, leading to enhanced performance. A study was conducted to examine the influence of supervisory leadership style on employee work motivation and job performance in organizations, specifically in a K-12 school setting. The main goal was to determine if there is a relationship between type of leadership demonstrated by school administrators and its impact on the teaching staff’s motivation and performance. Data for this quantitative study were gathered and analyzed from various public and private schools and included a sample of 100 participants. The predictor variable leadership was assessed using the …

Factors That Affect Alternatively Certified Teachers’ Attrition Decisions, Vida Szabat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a southern state, 22% of alternatively certified teachers enrolled in the State Alternative Certification Program (STACP) leave the teaching profession within the first 3 years. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of demographic, career, personal/family, and school satisfaction factors that influenced STACP candidates to leave the profession. The theoretical framework that grounded the study was the emerging theory of teacher attrition developed by Nguyen et al. The data for the study were collected by administrating the U.S. Department of Education Teacher Follow–Up Survey to a sample of 56 STACP candidates. Data were analyzed using the …

Small And Medium-Sized Enterprise Beauty Salon Employer Strategies Used To Improve Employee Retention, Angela Lynette Loyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention strategies are important to beauty salon leaders as they directly affect retaining a reliable workforce. Grounded in self-determination theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative case study was to explore retention strategies used by some SME beauty salon leaders in the United States to improve employee retention. The participants were five SME beauty salon leaders who retained at least two employees for 2 consecutive years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and company documents. The four themes from the thematic analysis were leadership, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, and engagement. A key recommendation is to have SME beauty salon leaders …

Strategies Hotel Leaders Use To Improve Employee Engagement, O'Neil Orlando Dacres

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement is a significant factor that drives performance and productivity in many organizations. Hotel leaders are typically concerned with the negative impact of disengaged employees, which reduces profitability. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies hotel leaders use to improve employee engagement. The participants were five hotel leaders in Jamaica who have successfully implemented strategies to improve employee engagement. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and five themes emerged: staff engagement, communication, rewards and recognition, employee training and …

Strategies Used By Small Traditional Retail Business Owners For Sustainability, Linda Ogbah Faas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses fail at an alarming rate, negatively affecting job creation because small business owners create a major portion of jobs in the United States. In March of 2020, 274,000 businesses failed in the United States, resulting in 76,000 lost jobs. Owners of small traditional retail stores are significantly challenged to avoid financial failure. Grounded in Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies owners of small traditional retail stores used to survive beyond the first 5 years of operations. Participants included five owners of small traditional retail stores in Missouri whose businesses survived …

Professional Staffing Small Business Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee, Gwendolyn L. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business owners need help reducing voluntary employee turnover, often putting the business at risk for performance failure. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies professional staffing small business owners used to decrease voluntary employee turnover. The participants were five professional staffing small business leaders in the Washington, D.C., area with successful strategies to retain talented employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin’s five-step process. Three themes emerged: (a) employee recognition, (b) communication, and (c) advancement and training. A key recommendation for small business owners …

Sustainability Strategies For Nonprofit Organizations, Ramchand Francisco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders face the challenges of ensuring their organizations are financially healthy while navigating economic and organizational issues that require strategies to support program growth with limited financial resources. Grounded in Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders used to support program growth and sustainability with limited financial resources. The study participants were three leaders of a nonprofit organization in the northwest region of the United States who had expertise related to the focus of the research. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, analyses of the client organization’s internal …

Training Strategies To Improve Salesperson Confidence And Production, William B. Bronson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many sales leaders need strategies to improve the productivity and confidence of their sales personnel. Ineffective sales training programs cost organizations billions of dollars in annual revenue and profits. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative mini-ethnographic multiple-case study was to explore successful strategies used by sales leaders that combine and balance virtual and online resources with traditional face-to-face training methods to increase the productivity and confidence of sales personnel. Data were collected by interviewing eight salespeople and two sales managers spanning two Texas insurance companies and reviewing company documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step process …

Psychological Capital And The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership And Employee Well-Being, Bianca Cardenas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is not known whether authentic leadership predicts employee well-being, and whether psychological capital moderates the relationship between authentic leadership and employee well-being. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the extent that authentic leadership predicted employee well-being and whether psychological capital had a moderating effect on the relationship between authentic leadership and employee well-being. The two theoretical frameworks that supported this study included the authentic leadership theory and social exchange theory. The research design consisted of a quantitative, correlational study using multiple and hierarchical regression analysis. The two research questions that guided this study examined whether perceived …

Emergency Department Operational Strategies, Joyce W. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmergency Department Operational Strategies by Joyce W. Davis MBA/MHA, Pfeiffer University, 2011 BS, North Carolina A&T State University, 1980

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University December 2022

The Association Between Vocational Training Programs And Recidivism In A South Florida Prison, Audrey Karlene Ives

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTo lower recidivism, a private rehabilitation and correctional facility (PRCF) in South Florida provides educational and therapeutic programs to inmates; however, the facility reported increased recidivism rates for several successive years. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between 12 vocational training programs at the local PRCF and recidivism. The study’s theoretical framework was Hirschi’s social bond theory of attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. The research question sought to determine whether significant associations exist between specific vocational training programs and recidivism. A convenience sample of 187 inmates who completed one vocational training program and left the …

Transition Of Expert Clinical Nurse To Novice Nursing Professional Development Practitioner, Lisa Marie Langdale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing professional development (NPD) is an evolving nursing specialty role that combines expertise in clinical nursing with ongoing education in acute care settings. A novice NPD practitioner may not understand the complexities, demands, and stressors that accompany a work role transition. This qualitative case study used thematic analysis and revealed four themes associated with the successful work role transition of an expert clinical nurse to the novice NPD practitioner. The conceptual framework guiding this study was Nicholson’s work role transitions theory. The first research question sought to determine the professional experiences of expert clinical nurses as they transition into the …

Strategies For Competitive Advantage In Small Construction Businesses, Syheed Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Syheed Fields

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Michael Lavelle, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Carol-Anne Faint, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. William Stokes, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and ProvostSue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

AbstractStrategies for Competitive Advantage in Small Construction Businesses by Syheed Fields

MLD, The Pennsylvania State University, …

Implementation Strategies For Organizational Change Initiatives, Laura Massie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Change initiatives within the higher education industry often fail because leaders are not successful in implementing change strategies. Higher education leaders who lack successful implementation strategies decrease employee productivity and increase educational costs for students. Grounded in Kotter’s (1995) eight-step model of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies senior-level executives in higher education use to implement organizational change initiatives. The participants were four leaders of two higher education organizations in West Virginia who successfully implemented change initiatives in finance operations. Data were collected from virtual semistructured interviews and organization documents. Yin’s 5 step …

Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Strategies In Small- And Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises, Tatianna Gilliam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The difficulty SME leaders of manufacturing firms experience in the executing of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems threatens the longevity of innovative change within firms seeking to adopt ERP systems. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to examine critical success factors used to successfully implement ERP systems. The participants were four ERP business leaders of small to medium size manufacturing firms based on the east and west coasts of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured online interviews and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, five themes were …

The Short Business Life Span Among Entrepreneurs In Aba, Southeastern Nigeria, Uche Kalu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Southeastern Nigeria is known for high entrepreneurial activity. However, there is an observable high small business mortality in one of the major commercial cities, which many scholars argue could be connected to insufficient entrepreneurial development. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the phenomenon of insufficient entrepreneurial development and short business life span among small and medium scale businesses in a major city of Southeastern Nigeria. Scholars have stated five years or less as the average lifespan of a small or medium scale business enterprise in Southeastern Nigeria. This study was based on the theories of …

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Thoughts About Emotion Regulation Therapy To Improve Students’ Employability, Phyllis R. Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHigh school graduates with language deficits often have poor emotion regulation (ER), enter the workforce unprepared to meet the emotional demands, and experience workforce outcomes that lead to a poor quality of life. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) teach ER, but little is known about ER-targeted speech-language therapy (ERSLT) for high schoolers with mild-to-moderate language impairments and ER deficits (MMLI/ER). This study was designed to explore SLPs’ views and decisions about providing ER-SLT to improve career readiness and employability for students with MMLI/ER. Several studies, the evidence-based practice (EBP) model, and a thematic analysis approach informed this integrative interpretive description design and …

Strategies Human Resource And Line Managers Use To Reduce Workplace Bullying, Gregory James Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace bullying is a growing problem that costs companies billions of dollars each year. Human resource leaders who do not employ strategies to reduce workplace bullying may experience poor organizational performance and high turnover rates. Grounded in the organizational culture workplace bullying model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies human resource and line managers (HRLM) use to reduce workplace bullying. Participants were five HRLM who managed programs that successfully reduced workplace bullying in Michigan. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of archival documents. Yin’s five-phase analytic cycle was used to guide the …

Relationship Between Perceived Quality Of Student Learning Experience, Perceived Quality Of Mentoring, And Student Satisfaction, George Edwin Thorpe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Entrepreneurship education (EEd) is essential to addressing youth unemployment, which reached 30% in Nigeria in 2018. Understanding the role of learning experience and mentoring is vital for EEd leaders to enhance student satisfaction from self-employment after graduation. Grounded in the direct performance-satisfaction link model of the expectancy disconfirmation theory of customer satisfaction and Kram’s mentor role theory, the purpose of the quantitative correlation study was to examine whether the perceived quality of learning experience and mentoring predicted student satisfaction in EEd institutions. The participants were 47 students of two EEd institutions in Lagos who had completed at least 50% of …

Employee Training Strategies For New Technology Implementation In Small Business, Eddy Varela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to implement new technology creates a barrier to success for small businesses. Small business owners must create competitive advantages by implementing new technology as there is a need to maintain an advantage when competing in the local market economy. Grounded in the human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the employee training strategies small business owners use to implement new technology. The participants were five small business owners in Central Florida who used employee training strategies to implement new technologies Data were collected using (a) semistructured interviews, (b) member checking interviews, (c) …

University Student Descriptions Of Their Financial Knowledge Of Student Loan Debt, Dr. Loraine Edwards Griffiths

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

University students and university personnel are important contributors to the economy of the United States regarding excessive student loan debt. As such, a lack of financial literacy is a significant problem. The purpose of this single descriptive qualitative case study was to describe the experiences of certain individual university students about their financial knowledge of their student loan debt. Bandura's social learning theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory was used to analyze the results of this study. The research questions asked how university students describe their experiences regarding student loan debt and their financial acuity, and how do university …

Workforce Development Strategies That Impact Reentry Of Released Females In New York City, Shonae L. Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formerly incarcerated women often find it difficult to reintegrate into their communities after release. For this population, adjustment to changes directly impacts their reentry success in all areas of life. Previous research has identified significant gaps in social services for formerly incarcerated females (FIFs). Service providers' perspectives about practices and policies to address the problem are inadequate, and as a result, service provisions suffer. Therefore, this qualitative study was used to examine the shared experiences of 15 workforce development professionals who assist FIFs during their reentry process to evaluate and assess the most effective methods or policies that assist this …

Reinventing Business Collaborations For HawaiʻI Career Academies: A Delphi Study, Jennifer Ann Slotter Clawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Hawaiʻi high schools have adopted the career academy model to meet the innovative goals set by the state’s department and board of education. Few guidelines exist for implementing this model in a new and unique setting. In the literature, the most predominant component across successful career academies was high-quality business collaborations. However, no research was found that examined how business collaborations are implemented in Hawaiʻi schools, nor studies that reinvent the business collaboration component to develop variations for a specific location. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to develop possible variations of the business collaboration component found …

Understanding Instructional Needs Of Entrepreneurs Learning Social Media Marketing, Kathryn A. Tomlinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch has shown that early adoption of innovations often converges with the need for knowledge. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was understanding what types of instruction small business owners and their employees required to fill a gap in learning necessary skills to launch and maintain social media marketing campaigns. The conceptual framework was based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model, which originated from social cognitive theory, the technology acceptance model, diffusion of innovations theory, and other sentinel studies. Research questions explored the needs and experiences of entrepreneurs learning how to launch and maintain …

Strategies To Retain Call Center Employees, Michele Boston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Call center executives who lack effective strategies to retain employees face a disruption in service, employee performance and productivity, as well as an increase in operational expenses. Ineffective retention strategies can negatively impact call centers by increasing cost, decreasing talent quality and loss of the customer experience. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore employee retention strategies that call center executives use to maintain employees within their organizations. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and physical artifacts. The interview participants comprised five call center executives, managers, or team leaders in …