Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Social Connectedness And Financial Independence Strategies Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability, Christopher Edmund Maylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) often lack strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations beyond initial funding, resulting in significant risk to program continuity. Grounded in social entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies used by 3 leaders of a small NPO in the southwest region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Through thematic analysis, 6 social themes emerged: optimization of business strategies, income and donor growth, program cost management, funding diversification, program licensing, and public awareness of NPO programs. The contributions to …

Use Of Force Citizen Complaints, Use Of Force Violations, And Early Intervention, Drema Ann Hymon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Mounting public protests, increasing expensive payouts, and shootings of unarmed victims by police is a call to reexamine options to problem solving, service recovery, and preventing police misconduct as it pertains to the use of force. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the correlation between early intervention system data

(a) use of force, citizens' complaints (race and gender), and use of force violations (race, gender, and years of service for officers). The disruptive theoretical framework provided an innovative lens to examine police misconduct of a large midwestern large law enforcement agency. This secondary data study did …

Water Sustainability Leadership Fostering Stakeholder Engagement, Rosa Elena Bustillos Wong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Water conservation management and water use behaviors of U.S. citizens are critical to secure water for future generations. An American citizen consumes approximately 88 gallons of water per day. On a local scale, a Florida citizen uses 134 gallons per day and wastes 71% of the total municipal drinking water provision in landscape activities. The problem addressed in this study was that administrators working on water conservation programs undergo difficulty fostering stakeholder engagement to advocate a water use behavioral change. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to understand how citizen water use behaviors influence stakeholder water …

Effectively Managing Energy Costs In The Resort Industry, Justin Whitesides

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hawaii's commercial consumers pay the highest electricity rate in the United States;these costs are expected to rise 3-3.5% in 2021. Management in the Hawaiian resort industry that lacks adequate knowledge of controlling these rising costs is at a competitive disadvantage. Utilizing the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies used in the resort industry to control energy costs. The participants comprised of 10 energy management professionals with successful experience managing energy consumption in the resort industry. Data were collected through telephone interviews, archival documentation, and field notes. Using Yin's 5-step process of …

Borehole Water And Sachet Water Production In Southeast Nigeria, Joseph Emerenini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDrinking water is potable and safe if it is free from physical, chemical, and microbiological contaminants. Despite the Nigerian government's interventions to alleviate water contamination, a considerable number of Nigerians are still without safe potable water. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine whether the level of contamination of drinking water sourced from boreholes and sachet packaged water in Owerri City, Southeast Nigeria was in compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards, and to examine the relationship between the physical, chemical, and bacteriological parameters of drinking water sourced from borehole and sachet packaged water The conceptual framework …

Sustainability Strategies Of Small Business Owners In Northcentral Texas, Danielson Ledum Dukor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While small businesses contribute significantly to job creation in the United States, they fail financially at alarming rates. Fifty percent of small businesses survive 5 years or longer, and only one-third of small business startups survive more than 10 years. Owners of small businesses could benefit from strategies used to mitigate the small firms’ failure rate by obtaining suitable leadership values and skills, understanding the business’s nature, and engaging in financial planning. Grounded in Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small home health business owners used to sustain their businesses beyond …

Relationship Between Nonprofit Leadership Intention, Leadership Development Programs, And Succession Planning Documentation, Denise March

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding the importance of efficient and effective leadership transition to retain organizational intelligence can mitigate the risks of significant disruption. The problem for nonprofits is the potential loss of organizational intelligence, funding, and continuity as baby boomers retire and transition out of their leadership roles without effectively addressing leadership transition and an impending leadership deficit. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership intention factors, succession planning documentation, and leadership development programs. The research questions pertained to the relationship between leadership intention factors, succession planning documentation, and leadership development programs. Ajzen’s theory of …

Engaging External Stakeholders To Improve Public-Private Partnership Water Project Completion Rates, John Paul Kolman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public-private partnership (PPP) water projects may have competing external stakeholders, resulting in a disproportionately high project failure rate when compared to other types of infrastructure projects. Private companies and local governments use PPP projects as a means to bridge deficiencies in local government funding and knowledge to assist in bringing improved water to their communities. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine strategies leaders use to engage their external stakeholders in improving their PPP project completion rates. The study was grounded in Freeman's stakeholder theory. The participants consisted of 3 leaders who recently completed stakeholder activities …

Effective Strategies Processing Companies Use To Sustain Business Operations Beyond 5 Years, Travis C. Souders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small food processing businesses in the United States lack strategies to remain financially viable beyond 5 years of operation. Owners and managers of small food processing businesses could benefit from an improved understanding of the importance of effective strategies to improve small business sustainability. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies small food processing companies use to sustain operations beyond 5 years. The participants were 1 small-business owner and 8 managers in Lexington, Kentucky, who used effective strategies to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. Data collected came from semi-structured …

Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility And Social Performance Of Small Businesses, Melva Steps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders affected by negative social performance may also experience a diminishing customer base and minimized profits. Grounded in the strategic success paradigm framework, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between four elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic posture (workplace, marketplace, community, and environment) and social performance. The participants consisted of retail trade small business owners in the United States. The Survey of CSR in Small Business was conducted via SurveyMonkey and provided the data for analysis (N = 85). Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the regression model significantly …

Sustainable Building Certification In Healthcare And Patient Satisfaction, Brian Jay Goehner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eco-friendly healthcare delivery concepts are becoming more accepted as hospital leaders seek to control energy costs, mitigate contributions to climate change, and preserve scarce resources. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offers healthcare leaders a framework for designing and constructing sustainable facilities that meet efficiency goals. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to build an understanding of whether LEED certification influences Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings. Using complex systems theory as the framework, the research questions were focused on exploring if higher levels of LEED certification led to greater HCAHPS overall hospital …

Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flooding is a severe threat to livelihoods and socioeconomic development in Ogbaru riverine communities of Anambra State, Nigeria. Limited success in the traditional approach of using predominantly structural measures, such as flood channels, to manage floods makes it imperative to explore nonstructural resilience initiatives that would potentially better protect vulnerable flood-prone communities. This study contributes to addressing the problems of ineffective flood management by developing vital social responsibility (SR) data and information that can enhance community flood resilience through individual and collective responsibilities for resilient action. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore SR perceptions of flood …

Strategies To Maintain Profitability When Crude Oil Prices Fluctuate, Yussif Sulemana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid and sustained fluctuations in the crude oil market have remained a threat to the financial performance of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. Such fluctuations can reduce the profitability of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive single case study was to explore strategies oil production leaders used to maintain profitability when crude oil prices fluctuate. The participants included 6 senior oil production leaders in a national oil corporation in Ghana who employed successful strategies to maintain profitability. Kraus and Litzenberger’s trade-off theory of capital structure served as the conceptual framework for …

Green Innovative Strategies Construction Business Leaders Implement To Increase Organizational Performance, Janelle Sharee O'Mard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The construction industry lacks innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. However, construction business leaders are hesitant to implement innovative green strategies due to the possibility of decreased organizational performance. Grounded in Fiedler’s contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the innovative green strategies implemented by construction business leaders to increase organizational performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents with 5 construction business leaders in Antigua who successfully used innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step process. Five themes emerged: innovative research and design, collaboration, …

Risk Assessment Strategies To Reduce Profitability Losses From Pipeline Accidents In The Natural Gas Industry, Cynthia Hurdle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective risk assessment strategies can negatively impact the natural gas industry.

Engineer project managers who struggle to maintain a risk assessment plan are at high risk of failure, which could result in devastating consequences for the business and environment. Grounded in the theory of risk assessment, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies engineer project managers in the natural gas industry use to improve risk assessment planning to reduce pipeline accidents and improve profitability. The participants comprised of 5 engineer project managers in Virginia, who effectively use risk assessment strategies to promote safety metrics and …

The Way Forward For The Integration Of Sustainability Standards, Tobi Petrocelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large-scale environmental failures within public companies in the United States have led to a globally growing trend in stakeholder insistence that company leaders maintain formal integrated sustainability accounting in their financial reports. Companies that rate high on communications of their sustainability efforts and integrating corporate social responsibility develop investment efficiency and ultimately increase their financial performance. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies 5 chief sustainability officers within publicly held companies in New York can integrate into their annual reporting in order to generate maximum value for stakeholders. Data were collected …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Style And Financial Sustainability, Tameika R. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 50% of the U.S. small businesses opened in 2011 were able to maintain financial sustainability. Small business owners struggle with identifying the type of leadership style needed to increase financial sustainability. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and financial sustainability. The participants consisted of 76 small business owners located in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. The business owners completed a survey containing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Financial Capability Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple …

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In New Restaurant Industry, Alexandria Norma Wilhoite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half of small businesses in the United States are unsustainable within the first five years of existence. Small business owners who do not implement successful and sustainable strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small restaurant owners use to sustain business beyond five years. The participants included three small business owners in Connecticut who have been in business for five years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company websites, and company documents. Yin’s 5-step thematic analysis was …

Microcystins And Liver Disease Mortality, Insights From An Ecological Study, Rajesh Tirpaul Melaram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. Algal bloom subsidence can stimulate MC release, which can impair liver function if orally exposed to in large doses. The purpose of this retrospective, U.S. ecological study was to determine if MC exposure represented an environmental risk factor for liver disease mortality using a socioecological approach. A longitudinal ecological substudy investigated the association between average total MCs in Lake Washington and Lake Manatee and age-adjusted chronic liver disease (CLD)/cirrhosis death rates in Brevard County and Manatee County, Florida (FL). A prediction model of total MCs was deduced by quantifying levels …

Use Of Force Citizen Complaints, Use Of Force Violations, And Early Intervention, Drema Ann Hymon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Mounting public protests, increasing expensive payouts, and shootings of unarmed victims by police is a call to reexamine options to problem solving, service recovery, and preventing police misconduct as it pertains to the use of force. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the correlation between early intervention system data

(a) use of force, citizens' complaints (race and gender), and use of force violations (race, gender, and years of service for officers). The disruptive theoretical framework provided an innovative lens to examine police misconduct of a large midwestern large law enforcement agency. This secondary data study did …