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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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2016

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii Jan 2016

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The debate about healthcare reform revolves around a triple aim of improving the health of populations, improving the patient experience, and reducing the cost of care. A major tool discussed in this debate has been the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to record and guide care delivery. Due to low adoption rates and limited examples of success, the problem was a lack of understanding by healthcare organizations of how the EHR fundamentally changes an organization through the interactions of people, processes, and technology over time. The purpose of this case study was to explore the people, processes, and …

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Exploring Organizations' Software Quality Assurance Strategies, Scott Underwood Jan 2016

Exploring Organizations' Software Quality Assurance Strategies, Scott Underwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor software quality leads to lost profits and even loss of life. U.S. organizations lose billions of dollars annually because of poor software quality. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that quality assurance (QA) leaders in small software development organizations used for successful software quality assurance (SQA) processes. A case study provided the best research design to allow for the exploration of organizational and managerial processes. The target population group was the QA leaders of 3 small software development organizations who successfully implemented SQA processes, located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The conceptual …

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Drinking Water And Autism: Using Spatial Cluster Detection To Explore Patterns Of Autism Cases In Lane County, Oregon, Sherry Sandreth Jan 2016

Drinking Water And Autism: Using Spatial Cluster Detection To Explore Patterns Of Autism Cases In Lane County, Oregon, Sherry Sandreth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a complex array of neurological disorders with a diverse presentation, multiple etiologies, and long-term ramifications. Prevalence of ASD in the United States is about 1 in 50 children as of 2013, making it a significant public health problem. The etiology is not understood, and it is widely accepted that it is multicausal, with genetic and environmental influences. Prior research suggests an association between water source and ASD. Contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, pharmaceuticals and pesticides found in water are associated with developmental disorders suggesting that a systematic review focused on water source was warranted. …

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The Successful Implementation Of Electronic Health Records At Small Rural Hospitals, Daniel Richardson Jan 2016

The Successful Implementation Of Electronic Health Records At Small Rural Hospitals, Daniel Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Electronic health records (EHRs) have been in use since the 1960s. U.S. rural hospital leaders and administrators face significant pressure to implement health information technology because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, some leaders and managers of small rural hospital lack strategies to develop and implement EHRs. The focus of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of hospital leaders and administrators who have used successful strategies to implement EHRs in small rural hospitals. Diffusion of innovation theory shaped the theoretical framework of this study. Data were collected through telephone interviews conducted with participants …

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The Association Between Osteoporosis And Early Menopause Following Hysterectomy, Mia Meeyaong-Won Botkin Jan 2016

The Association Between Osteoporosis And Early Menopause Following Hysterectomy, Mia Meeyaong-Won Botkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Osteoporosis is considered to be the most adverse public health disease associated with substantial mortality among postmenopausal women. Hysterectomy, surgically induced menopause, contributes to the early onset of menopause. However, there was no evidence of an association between early menopause following hysterectomy and osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between demographic and behavioral factors and the prevalence of osteoporosis among hysterectomized postmenopausal women. The integrated theory of health behavior change theoretical framework guided study. Cross-sectional secondary data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Multiple logistic regression …

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Water Management Efficiency In The Food And Beverage Industry, Maria Del C Reyes Torres Jan 2016

Water Management Efficiency In The Food And Beverage Industry, Maria Del C Reyes Torres

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Water is critical for food production, food security, and health. Water quality management influences freshwater sustainability, land, and energy administration. Global agriculture accounts for more than 70% of all water consumption; the fertilizer, manure, and pesticide overspills are chief sources of water pollution worldwide. On a global scale, food-related waste directly impacts local food production and water resource management. The purpose of this multiple-case study on the food and beverage (FB) industry in the State of Georgia was to identify successful strategies for improving water management efficiency. The concepts of systems thinking, adaptive resource management, and integrated water resource management …

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Establishing Mobile Financial Services In Ethiopia, James R. Kanagwa Jan 2016

Establishing Mobile Financial Services In Ethiopia, James R. Kanagwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mobile phone service is increasing among low income populations; however, with over 1 billion mobile service users worldwide, many people still lack banking services. Banks do not reach out to the poor because of the high operational costs involved. Scholars and industry practitioners have indicated that mobile phones could be an alternative channel for delivering financial services to the less advantaged and unbanked, without requiring a traditional bank with a branch network. The purpose of this bounded case study was to explore the strategies bank managers used to implement the new mobile banking service to the Ethiopian community. The new …

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Comparative Analysis: Successes And Failures Of St. Louis, Stephen Anane-Boakye Jan 2016

Comparative Analysis: Successes And Failures Of St. Louis, Stephen Anane-Boakye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The St. Louis School District (SLSD) provided its students with a virtual education program (VEP) but abandoned it following a cut in federal funding, omitting an alternative pathway for students to complete their education. The problem addressed in this study was the effect of technology and management's decision to discontinue the VEP. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine management's role and the effect of the technology in discontinuing the VEP. Dewey's theory of education and Koskela and Howell's theory of management established the theoretical foundation for the study. A purposeful sampling selection approach was used to recruit …

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An Online Statistics Course From Faculty And Students' Perspectives: A Case Study, Ruth Best Jan 2016

An Online Statistics Course From Faculty And Students' Perspectives: A Case Study, Ruth Best

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Faculty at a private college in the northeastern United States found students lacked prerequisite mathematical skills and were unable to transfer quantitative reasoning skills to upper level business courses. Guided by Mezirow's transformative learning theory and Knowles' approach to self-directed learning, this study examined how undergraduate students learn statistics online. The purpose of this qualitative embedded case study was to examine faculty and students' perspectives about the online statistics course design and delivery while exploring possible barriers to students' learning. Data collection occurred by review of course documents and the learning management system. Archival data generated questions for semistructured interviews …

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Adoption Of Electronic Health Record Systems Within Primary Care Practices, Marvin Leon Reid, Jr. Jan 2016

Adoption Of Electronic Health Record Systems Within Primary Care Practices, Marvin Leon Reid, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Primary care physicians (PCPPs) have been slow to implement electronic health records (EHRs), even though there is a U.S. federal requirement to implement EHRs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine why PCPPs have been slow to adopt electronic health record (EHR) systems despite the potential to increase efficiency and quality of health care. The complex adaptive systems theory (CAS) served as the conceptual framework for this study. Twenty-six PCPPs were interviewed from primary care practices (PCPs) based in southwestern Ohio. The data were collected through a semistructured interview format and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method. …

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Teachers' Perceptions Of Manipulatives During Middle School Math Instruction, Angela L. Vizzi Jan 2016

Teachers' Perceptions Of Manipulatives During Middle School Math Instruction, Angela L. Vizzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Colorado school district, school personnel and parents were concerned that middle school math proficiency levels were low for 2011-2014 and math teachers were not using manipulatives in their classes to increase math performance. The district's math coordinator did not foresee providing specific professional development (PD) for math manipulative use to address these concerns. Without this PD, math teachers may be ill-quipped to teach math concepts when using manipulatives, which, in turn, could lead to further poor math performance. The purpose of this qualitative bounded collective case study was to explore middle school teachers' perceptions of PD and perceived …

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Methylmercury Exposure Via Canned Tuna Fish Consumption And Breast Cancer, Jennifer Bodenrader Jan 2016

Methylmercury Exposure Via Canned Tuna Fish Consumption And Breast Cancer, Jennifer Bodenrader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Widespread consumption of canned tuna fish since the 1950s may explain some of the increase in breast cancer prevalence in the United States and Europe. Although canned tuna is the primary source of human exposure to methylmercury, its role as an estrogen activating metalloestrogen has been overlooked in the etiology and incidence of breast cancer. Carcinogenic theory asserts that increased exposure to estrogen elevates the risk of breast cancer. The purpose of this population-based, case control study was to examine the association between canned tuna consumption, total blood mercury, and breast cancer in the NHANES 2003-2006 surveys. A multivariable logistic …

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Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey Jan 2016

Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls can lead to unintentional injuries and possibly death, making falls an important public health problem in terms of related health care cost, incurred disabilities, and years of life lost. Approximately 1 in every 3 Americans ages 65 years and older is at risk of falling at least once every year. Children, young adults, and middle-aged adults are also vulnerable to falls. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries using surveillance data from nationally representative samples of hospital emergency departments in United States. The study was guided by a social-ecological model on …

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Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo Jan 2016

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has been conducted to identify the determinants of information technology (IT) adoption. No previous quantitative researchers have explored IT adoption in the context of enterprise social computing (ESC). The purpose of this study was to test and extend the social influence model of IT adoption. In addition, this study addressed a gap in the research literature and presented a model that relates the independent variables of social action, social consensus, social authority, social cooperation, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and organizational commitment to the dependent variables of social embracement and embedment. A …

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Exploring Knowledge Management Models On Information Technology Projects, Alan Richard Foote Jan 2016

Exploring Knowledge Management Models On Information Technology Projects, Alan Richard Foote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One way an organization manages the knowledge of its people is in information technology (IT) projects. Organizations develop IT projects for many socially responsible reasons, including improved health care services and better community services. IT projects do not always achieve the goals of the organization when the knowledge of the stakeholders is not managed for these objectives. For this study the purpose was to address the use of knowledge management (KM) in project management (PM) to improve the success of IT projects in achieving the organizational goals. The research questions were based on KM including its tools and techniques to …

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Empirical Examination Of User Acceptance Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In The United States, Rohan Oldacre Jan 2016

Empirical Examination Of User Acceptance Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In The United States, Rohan Oldacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are complex software packages that support an integrated real-time setting among the various business functions in an entire organization. ERP systems improve productivity, but only to the extent that employees accept and use the systems extensively to perform their duties. The leaders of many organizations have not been able to realize the expected benefits because of a lack of user acceptance. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey study was to examine the factors that influence user acceptance of ERP systems in the United States. Davis's technology acceptance model was the theoretical foundation used to …

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Understanding The Relationships Among Students' Goal Orientations, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Accelerated Academic Success In The Redesign Of Developmental Mathematics, Kelly Ann Hogan Jan 2016

Understanding The Relationships Among Students' Goal Orientations, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Accelerated Academic Success In The Redesign Of Developmental Mathematics, Kelly Ann Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low success rates of increasing numbers of underprepared students taking developmental mathematics classes 'often minority and economically disadvantaged' are challenging community colleges across the United States. These students, who must start in the lowest levels of precollege mathematics courses, are unlikely to pass the first course and earn a credential. Using a mastery goal orientation theoretical framework, a quantitative, survey research design was used to ascertain any correlations between students' goal orientations, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and success in a new model of learning. Survey data were used to answer 3 research questions: (a) the relationship between success and students' …

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A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Online High School Mathematics Remediation Program, Terry Meehan Jan 2016

A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Online High School Mathematics Remediation Program, Terry Meehan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem that drove this study is that a high school in an upper middle class suburban city in Pennsylvania wants to improve its student scores on its end-of-course Algebra 1 Keystone Exam. The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative, quasi-experimental assessment of an online high school mathematics remediation program to determine if the remediation program was successful in its endeavor to remediate students. This research study, informed by the self-efficacy and the behaviorist learning theories, attempted to determine whether students who (a) scored below proficient on the May algebra exam and were placed in the …

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Decision-Making On Technology Deployment For Online Programs At Historically Black Institutions, Shirley M. Mcclellan Jan 2016

Decision-Making On Technology Deployment For Online Programs At Historically Black Institutions, Shirley M. Mcclellan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) lag behind predominantly White institutions in their production of online courses and degree programs because of nonexistent or inadequate technology training for faculty members and limited financial resources. The purpose of this qualitative comparative case study was to obtain insight into how decisions are made on technology deployment and integration of online programs at HBCUs. Guided by Donaldson's contingency theory, this case study addressed how decisions are determined at HBCUs to integrate online learning programs into the curriculum and how the individuals who make these decisions perceive online learning programs. Survey responses were collected …

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Examining Data Privacy Breaches In Healthcare, Tanshanika Turner Smith Jan 2016

Examining Data Privacy Breaches In Healthcare, Tanshanika Turner Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare data can contain sensitive, personal, and confidential information that should remain secure. Despite the efforts to protect patient data, security breaches occur and may result in fraud, identity theft, and other damages. Grounded in the theoretical backdrop of integrated system theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the association between data privacy breaches, data storage locations, business associates, covered entities, and number of individuals affected. Study data consisted of secondary breach information retrieved from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Loglinear analytical procedures were used to examine U.S. healthcare breach incidents and …

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Environmental Leadership: Exploring Environmental Dissonance Involving Natural Resource Consumption And Ecosystem Degradation, Thomas L. Tochterman Jan 2016

Environmental Leadership: Exploring Environmental Dissonance Involving Natural Resource Consumption And Ecosystem Degradation, Thomas L. Tochterman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the corporate world, communities, and individuals become more globalized and demands on natural resources increase, a new emphasis on environmental leadership including a new pragmatic environmental ethos is needed to meet certain basic human needs of future generations. The research problem addressed in this study was the lack of knowledge concerning how environmental cognitive dissonance influences consumption practices related to inefficient resource utilization and ecosystem degradation. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the breadth and depth of environmental cognitive dissonance among visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The research questions addressed …

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Small Business Strategies For Sustainability Beyond 10 Years, Gabriel E. Warren Jan 2016

Small Business Strategies For Sustainability Beyond 10 Years, Gabriel E. Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are vital to the health of the United States economy, as they account for approximately 50% of all jobs and 99% of all firms. Historically, there has been a problem with small businesses being able to sustain their operation beyond 10 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the business strategies some small business owners used to sustain their company beyond 10 years of operation. The sample consisted of 3 small business owners who have been in operation for 10 or more years in Birmingham, Alabama. The conceptual framework for this study was the …

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Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou Jan 2016

Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Top executives are interested in more transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and clear justification of alignment. Limited or improper information technology governance (ITG) affects the business strategy that will ultimately influence the overall business alignment in local city government agencies (LCGAs). The problem addressed in this study was the lack of information regarding LCGAs IT/business strategic alignment maturity model (SAMM) level and the LCGAs' employment size. The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate 48 LCGA participants in the Southwestern part of the United States and compare their alignment perceptions with their cities' employment size. The theoretical framework …

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Strategies Affecting The Sustainability Of Small Businesses, Malissa A. Bush Jan 2016

Strategies Affecting The Sustainability Of Small Businesses, Malissa A. Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners bolster the emergence and growth of local communities. However, many small businesses do not survive beyond 5 years. Based on systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business owners to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. Using a multiple case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 retail business owners in DeKalb County, Georgia who were able to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. These small business owners provided detailed information on strategies used to sustain their businesses. Semistructured interviews allowed for in-depth conversations …

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An Analysis Of The Technological, Organizational, And Environmental Factors Influencing Cloud Adoption, Joe Malak Jan 2016

An Analysis Of The Technological, Organizational, And Environmental Factors Influencing Cloud Adoption, Joe Malak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing provides an answer to the increasing costs of managing information technology (IT), and has become a model that aligns IT services with an organization's business strategies. However, concerns and uncertainties associated with cloud computing are deterring IT decision makers from making sound decisions regarding the adoption of the technology. The purpose of this online survey study was to examine the relationship between relative advantage, compatibility, organizational size, top management support, organizational readiness, mimetic pressure, normative pressures, coercive pressure, and the IT decision makers' intent to adopt cloud computing. The theoretical framework incorporated the diffusion of innovations theory, a …

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The Role And Impact Of Cyber Security Mentoring, James O. Ellithorpe Jan 2016

The Role And Impact Of Cyber Security Mentoring, James O. Ellithorpe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business organizations are faced with an enormous challenge to improve cyber security, as breeches and lapses through firewalls are increasingly commonplace. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Information Technology (IT) staff are constantly challenged to identify and purge online and network structural weaknesses. The goal is to reduce overall business risk because unresolved risks are a constant concern to consumers who are uneasy about cyber security failures. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the role and impact of Cyber Security Mentoring (CSM) from the perspectives of the workplace CISO, mentors, and protégés, who were randomly …

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An Evaluation Of Robotics In Nursing Homes To Reduce Adverse Drug Events, Ozell Ueal Jr. Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of Robotics In Nursing Homes To Reduce Adverse Drug Events, Ozell Ueal Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse drug events (ADE) cause many deaths annually in addition to affecting the quality of life of many others. The descriptive mixed methods approach, specifically exploratory case study and experimental design that guided this research utilized the survey and focus group methods to evaluate perceptions about robotic technology (RT) to reduce the rate of ADEs in U.S. nursing homes (NH). There is a lack of scholarly research into whether a conceptual approach rooted in RT can be implemented to assist with drug administrations in NHs. The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to evaluate the causes …

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Meeting Meaningful-Use Requirements With Electronic Medical Records In A Community Health Clinic, Tony Andrew Richardson Jan 2016

Meeting Meaningful-Use Requirements With Electronic Medical Records In A Community Health Clinic, Tony Andrew Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small nonprofit medical practices lack the technical expertise to implement electronic medical records (EMRs) that are consistent with federal meaningful-use requirements. Failure to comply with meaningful-use EMR requirements affects nonprofit community health care leaders' ability to receive reimbursement for care. Complexity theory was the conceptual framework used in this exploratory single case study. The purpose of the study was to explore the strategies nonprofit community health care leaders in Washington, DC used to implement EMRs in order to comply with the meaningful-use requirements. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 7 purposively-selected health care leaders in a nonprofit clinic and …

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Perceptions Of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics Living In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Doyle Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics Living In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tornadoes are occurring with increased frequency in Oklahoma. Emergency preparedness planning is essential to decreasing individuals' risks of injury or death from a tornado. Research on immigrant Hispanics' knowledge and perceptions of emergency preparedness is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of immigrant Hispanics who had experienced a tornado or other crisis weather conditions in Oklahoma during spring of 2013. The research questions explored their perceived risk for injury and knowledge of tornado preparedness planning. The health belief model provided the theoretical underpinnings for this qualitative phenomenological study. Semi structured interviews were …

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Decision Making Of Environmental Engineers On Project Selection, Millicent Amanda Davis Jan 2016

Decision Making Of Environmental Engineers On Project Selection, Millicent Amanda Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some environmental engineers do not understand how to perceive profitable opportunities in redeveloping the large number of contaminated brownfield sites in New Jersey. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to find effective decision-making strategies that help environmental engineers acquire profitable environmental redevelopment projects. The target population consisted of 4 environmental engineers in an environmental organization in Camden County, New Jersey who possessed proven decision-making strategies that helped them acquire profitable environmental redevelopment projects in the past 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the multiple criteria decision method (MCDM). Semistructured interviews were conducted with the …

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