Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Hazardous Waste Site Proximity And Type 2 Diabetes: From Youths To Adults, Theresa Ann Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in adults and youths. Persistent organic pollutants and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as pesticides, dioxins, and organochlorines, are omnipresent and persist in the environment with potential for human exposure via contaminated air, waterways, soil, and human food supply. EDCs have been correlated with diabetes incidence and risks. Residential proximity to hazardous waste sites (HWS) has been correlated with increased hospital admission rates for diabetes. The study used a sample population (N = 1,724), ages ≥ 12 years from the 2005-2012 Continuous NHANES and HWS data from the National Priorities List of Superfund Sites. …

Noise Pollution/Reduction Education For Frontline Staff In The Acute Care Setting, Lopa Patel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Noise levels in hospital settings have risen beyond the recommended range of 35-40 decibels, resulting in poor patient healing outcomes and other health conditions ranging from sleep deprivation, anxiety, agitation, delirium, depression, and high heart rate and blood pressure. These negative patient health experiences are evidenced by poor scores for the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, which are indicators of patients' perceptions of care. This project explored whether an educational activity for 48 direct care staff, who include registered nurses and nursing assistants, in a cardiac unit on the impact of noise pollution on patient healing would …

Strategies To Mitigate Supply Chain Disruptions In Grocery Businesses, Gift Wilford Bondwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chains have become more complex in the global economy, which has made supply chain disruptions inevitable. Disruptions can cause loss of profitability and hinder business growth. The goal of this multiple case study was to explore strategies to mitigate the effects of disruption in grocery store supply chains. The conceptual framework for this study was the resource dependency theory, which stipulates that firms rely on other businesses in the external environment for critical resources to create a competitive edge. Four purposively selected participants from 4 grocery store businesses in Northwest Arkansas participated in semistructured interviews and provided organizational documentation …

Supply Chain Managers' Reverse Logistics Strategies To Control Cost Through Risk Mitigation, Lawrence A. Reeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers in the food and beverage industry face significant challenges regarding the use of effective reverse logistics strategies to reduce supply chain disruptions, control risk, and reduce costs. Through the lens of resource dependence theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore reverse logistics strategies used by supply chain managers in the United States to control cost through risk mitigation. Participants in this study included 5 supply chain managers in the food and beverage distribution industry in the state of Georgia who implemented successful reverse logistics strategies to control cost through risk mitigation. Data were …

Strategizing Effective Succession Planning For Information Technology Executives, Michael Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations across the United States lose hundreds of millions of dollars each year due to the lack of effective succession planning for information technology executives. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies for the development and implementation of effective succession plans for future information technology executives. Bass and Avolio's transformational leadership theory was the conceptual framework for this study. The 3 participants were selected based upon their roles as executives in technology-related positions and their experiences with succession planning. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with these executives from a company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. …

Managing Security Objectives For Effective Organizational Performance Information Security Management, Ramamohan Gutta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information is a significant asset to organizations, and a data breach from a cyberattack harms reputations and may result in a massive financial loss. Many senior managers lack the competencies to implement an enterprise risk management system and align organizational resources such as people, processes, and technology to prevent cyberattacks on enterprise assets. The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore how the managerial competencies for information security and risk management senior managers help in managing security objectives and practices to mitigate security risks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology framework served as the foundation for this study. …

Strategies For Cloud Services Adoption In Saudi Arabia, Wessam Hussein Abdulghani Mahmoud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The adoption rate of cloud computing is low among business organizations in Saudi Arabia, despite the cost-€saving benefits of using cloud services. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that information technology (IT) leaders in the manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia used to adopt cloud computing to reduce IT costs. The target population of this study consisted of 5 IT leaders from 5 different manufacturing companies in Saudi Arabia who successfully adopted cloud computing in their companies to reduce IT costs. Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory was the conceptual framework for this research. Data collected …

Strategies For Small Energy Consulting Business Survivability, Scholastica Nwabueze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are critical to economic development. Small businesses create job opportunities and training and innovative products and services, but they encounter significant challenges and many fail in the first 7 years due to lack of sustainable strategies. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies owners used to sustain small energy consulting businesses for longer than 7 years. The population in this study consisted of 5 senior executives of a small energy consulting firm in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The conceptual framework for the study was the transformational leadership theory that deals with vision and …

Strategies Nonprofit Leaders Use To Achieve Financial Stability Through Sustainable Funding, Jerel Lynnette Colemon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations fail to achieve financial stability to meet their mission and vision without sustainable funding. The achievement of fiscal sustainability is the most pressing challenge facing the nonprofit sector. Through the lens of the balanced scorecard model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit organization executive leaders used to secure sustainable funding for financial stability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 5 executive directors of nonprofit organizations in Ohio and a review of their organizational documents relevant to sustainable funding. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step process for analysis. The …

Project Managers’ Communication Strategies For Team Collaboration In Software Development, John Rubena Wani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication among team members in software development projects is increasingly significant for the success of the project. Successful software projects are the catalyst for achieving profitability objectives and creating shareholder value in organizations. The purpose of this single case study was to investigate communication strategies information technology (IT) project managers used for successful team collaboration in software development. The population for this study comprised senior IT project managers. The project managers had supervision responsibilities from a midsized IT company in Alberta, Canada. The sociotechnical theory guided this study as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with …

Exploring Firm-Level Cloud Adoption And Diffusion, William J. Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing innovation adoption literature has primarily focused on individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The functional linkage between cloud adoption and diffusion is instrumental toward understanding enterprise firm-level adoption. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore strategies used by information technology (IT) executives to make advantageous enterprise cloud adoption and diffusion decisions. This study was guided by an integrated diffusion of innovation and technology, organization, and environment conceptual framework to capture and model this complex, multifaceted problem. The study’s population consisted of IT executives with cloud-centric roles in 3 large (revenues greater than $5 billion) …

Exploring Strategies For Implementing Information Security Training And Employee Compliance Practices, Alan Robert Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humans are the weakest link in any information security (IS) environment. Research has shown that humans account for more than half of all security incidents in organizations. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies IS managers use to provide training and awareness programs that improve compliance with organizational security policies and reduce the number of security incidents. The population for this study was IS security managers from 2 organizations in Western New York. Information theory and institutional isomorphism were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data collection was performed using face-to-face interviews with IS managers …

The Impacts Of Race, Residence, And Prenatal Care On Infant Mortality, Mary Christine Dorley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tennessee ranks high for infant mortality (IM) in the United States. Despite public health efforts, the IM rate for Blacks is twice that of Whites mimicking what is observed nationally. Several risk factors for IM have been identified; however, it was still unclear how places of residence and prenatal care (PNC) affect IM for Tennesseans. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between places of residence (conceptualized by rurality and racial concentration), PNC, and IM among racial groups across Tennessee and to determine if race modified these associations. This was a cross-sectional study using data from the …

Wellness Paradigms In Predicting Stress And Burnout Among Beginning Expatriate Teachers, Kimala Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that the current teacher shortage is in part due to stress and burnout. A topic that has not been examined is beginning expatriate English medium teachers (EMTs) with 5 years or less of teaching experience in the United Arab Emirates and the relationship between using individualized, self-initiated wellness paradigms and stress, job burnout, and intent to leave the teaching profession. The transactional model of stress and coping, Maslach's multidimensional theory of burnout, and the health promotion model were used to evaluate the moderating effects of the EMTs' burnout and stress levels on their wellness and intent to leave. …

The Role Of Glucose Level On The Performance Of The Framingham Risk Score, Uohna June Thiessen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for more deaths than any other disease, continue to threaten the quality of life for many, and is a major burden to the health care system. The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) identified the major CVD risk factors that became essential to effective CVD screening strategies and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), is used to assess CVD risk. Based on the concepts of the health behavior model and CVD as a cardiometabolic disorder, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and a CHD event, and to determine …

Optimizing Green Supply Chain Management Strategies, Mark Derek De La Grandiere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some business leaders in the manufacturing industry lack strategies to optimize green supply chain management strategies that increase profitability while reducing the carbon footprint. The lack of green supply chain strategies sub optimizes the use of resources business leaders use to meet their financial goals. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful green supply chain strategies leaders used to increase profitability while reducing the carbon footprint. The participants were 7 business leaders in one manufacturing organization headquartered in Massachusetts who have sophisticated green supply chain strategies in place. The natural resource-based view theory was the …

A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The average age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer is 55% and 56% higher in Kentucky than the national averages in the United States, respectively. Populations with low income and educational attainment, and those who live close to the mining regions across Kentucky are more affected by the high prevalence and resulting mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer. This study was conducted because of the high incidence of lung and bronchus cancer and resulting mortality rates in the state of Kentucky that may not be caused solely by social and demographic factors. The theoretical foundation for …

Innovation Strategies For A Global Manufacturing Business, Sachin Kakaji Ramteke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some global manufacturing businesses fail to reach an adequate level of financial

performance within 5 years. The purpose of this single case study was to explore

innovation strategies that business leaders of a global machinery manufacturing company

in northwestern Illinois used to increase profit margins. The conceptual frameworks for

this study included the holistic innovation model and the disruptive innovation theory. A

purposeful sample of 9 business leaders who had more than 5 years of experience in the

manufacturing industry and more than 2 years of experience using innovation strategies

participated in the study. Data were collected from semistructured in-depth …

Cybersecurity Policy Development At The State Level: A Case Study Of Middle Tennessee, Daniel Leslie Scherr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybersecurity is a growing threat not only to nations, critical infrastructure, and major entities, but also to smaller organizations and individuals. The growing number of successful attacks on all manner of U.S. targets highlights the need for effective and comprehensive policy from the local to federal level, though most research focuses on federal policy issues, not state issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the decision-making process within the current cybersecurity policy environment in a southern state of the United States. Sabatier's advocacy coalition framework served as the theoretical framework for the study. Data were …

Examination Of Adoption Theory On The Devops Practice Of Continuous Delivery, Andrew John Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many organizations have difficulty adopting advanced software development practices. Some software development project managers in large organizations are not aligned with the relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, as moderated by experience, with intent to adopt the DevOps practice of continuous delivery. The purpose of this study was to examine the statistical relationships between the independent variables—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, as moderated by experience—and the dependent variable of behavioral intent to adopt a continuous delivery system. Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis's unified theory of acceptance and use of technology provided …

Leadership Characteristics In Flexible Information Technology Environments, Chrisilia Bristow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that a positive correlation exists between information technology (IT) flexibility, IT effectiveness, and strategic alignment in organizations. It has been determined that within inflexible IT environments maintainability is reduced and key business factors become at risk. An IT flexibility measurement matrix was developed to assess IT flexibility however leadership characteristics were not identified for measurement with that model. Determining the leadership characteristics needed for IT flexibility was the purpose of this multiple case study. Leveraging the empowerment, situational leadership, IT-business equilibrium, and complexity change theories, the research questions were focused on the leadership characteristics exhibited by organizational …

Urban Development Of A City In Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria, Chinyere Emmanuel Igwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of indiscriminate urban expansion is not uncommon in Africa. It has created haphazard, unplanned, and unapproved development that negatively affected urban planning for cities in the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria. Using Stone's urban regime theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore from the perspective of developers, associations, and government agencies (referred to as stakeholders), the roots causes of indiscriminate urban development and their activities in the process in the Niger Delta Region. Data were collected through semi structured telephone interviews with 10 participants who had at least 5 years experience working in public and …

Natural Environment Associations With Mental Health And Obesity Status, Adam Edwin London

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health and obesity were ranked among the health priorities of the 2014 and 2017 Community Health Needs Assessments in Kent County, Michigan. Exposure to nature is correlated to improved health outcomes across a variety of morbidities including poor mental health and obesity. This cross-sectional study set within the frameworks of attention restoration theory, environmental health, and pathways to health benefits from nature assessed county survey data including self-reported nature exposures/interactions separated into 3 domain areas: access to nature, attitudes about nature, and physical activity in nature or in nature-based activities. Binary logistic regression analyses of the 653 respondents found …

Strategies To Reduce The Fiscal Impact Of Cyberattacks, Shirley Denise Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A single cyberattack event involving 1 major corporation can cause severe business and social devastation. In this single case study, a major U.S. airline company was selected for exploration of the strategies information technology administrators and airline managers implemented to reduce the financial devastation that may be caused by a cyberattack. Seven participants, of whom 4 were airline managers and 3 were IT administrators, whose primary responsibility included implementation of strategies to plan for and respond to cyberattacks participated in the data collection process. This study was grounded on the general systems theory. Data collection entailed semistructured face-to-face and telephone …

Perceptions Of Factors That Contribute To Employee Retention Of It Project Managers, Julie Ann Wiebell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low retention rate of information technology (IT) project managers from a region in the southeastern United States has increased an organization's operational costs and decreased the organization's global competitiveness. The conceptual foundation for this study was the resource-based theory of competitive advantage. This multiple case study explored IT project managers' perceptions of the factors that contributed to their retention. Participants in the study included 10 IT project managers with at least 5 years of experience who were also members of a chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Semistructured interviews were conducted via teleconference to collect data that were …

Knowledge Transfer Strategy Implementation In Contract Organizations, Delano Clyde Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite economic perils of government shutdowns, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and employee layoffs, some contract leaders consistently fail to implement knowledge transfer strategies that could improve production and profitability and maintain operational readiness when employees transition in and out of the organization. The conceptual framework for this descriptive research study was Nonaka and Takeuchi's socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization model for knowledge creation. A purposive sample of 20 leaders from 2 contract organizations within the south central United States with at least 10 years of experience in contracting were interviewed. Member checking was used for reliability of the synthesized interviews, and triangulation …

Effective Revenue Diversification Strategies In Nonprofit Organizations, Jennifer R. Niswonger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organization leaders increasingly encounter social burdens and financial difficulties, jeopardizing ongoing success and organizational sustainability. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore revenue diversification strategies used by 3 leaders of a small nonprofit organization in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States through the conceptual lens of modern portfolio theory. Data were collected via in-depth semistructured interviews, and member checking was used to facilitate accuracy, consistency, and integrity. Methodological triangulation included a document review and analysis of financial statements, tax returns, strategy objectives, the organizational website, social media, and nonprofit data reports. Data from documents and interviews …

Reducing Errors With Blood Administration Transfusion Systems, Kim D. Stevens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention of implementing technology into healthcare practices is to reduce opportunity for errors in the delivery of providing health care. However, errors still occur, and many times are preventable. Configurations of health information technology systems should match clinical workflows to promote usage as intended. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of revised system configurations and use of a blood product transfusion system for the administration of blood products after one year of implementation. The method of heuristic evaluation is a usability engineering method for finding problems in a user interface design with the …

The Phenomenon Of Living Close To Nuclear Power Plants, Jacquelynn Isabel Miles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communities near nuclear power plants are at potential risk from natural and man-made failures at the nuclear power plants located within those communities. This study explored the concerns and rationalizations of residents of a community who live within a 10-mile evacuation zone of the nuclear power plant located there. Using the general theory of deliberative democracy, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and explore why individuals continue to live close to nuclear power plants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals who live within a 10- mile radius of a nuclear power plant in the …

Improving Disaster Preparedness And Planning For Chronic Disease Populations, Gladys N. Gichomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significant rise of both chronic diseases and disasters in the last 20 years and the healthcare outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases during and in the aftermath of disasters have raised concerns among public health practitioners, healthcare providers, the U.S government, and the general public. Researchers have indicated that during disasters, the health outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases are significantly unfavorable compared to the general public. However, there is inadequate information on the management of chronic diseases, quality of care, and resource identification and allocation by disaster responders. This qualitative, grounded theory study, explored how the study participants …