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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

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 …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of High School Students Enrolled In School-Wide College Readiness Programs, Sherlina Thomas Jan 2016

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of High School Students Enrolled In School-Wide College Readiness Programs, Sherlina Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the early 1980s, the United States experienced a high school dropout epidemic, leading school systems to adopt reform efforts. College readiness programs (CRPs) became a tool to address educational disparities in secondary and postsecondary education for over three decades. While decreases occurred in the overall high school dropout rate across racial and ethnic groups, they have been minimal. This study addressed a research gap on the lack of student input and perceptions about their experiences in CRP programs. This phenomenological study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with criterion-selected former high school students from 3 schools within the ABC County School …


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 …


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. …


Exploring Leader-Initiated Change Management For Adopting Cloud Services, Nancy Marie Landreville Jan 2016

Exploring Leader-Initiated Change Management For Adopting Cloud Services, Nancy Marie Landreville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud technology requires a virtualized ubiquitous and scalable environment with shared resources. The general problem in cloud adoption is the absence of standardization across organizations. A standardized approach remained elusive since the inception of the Cloud First mandate. The purpose of this study was to explore leader-initiated change management (LICM) practices in cloud adoption within organizations. The theoretical framework included the classical theories of Kurt Lewin's organization change management, leader-member exchange, intentional change, and appreciative inquiry. A multiple case study design approach facilitated the exploration of LICM-value added practices to identify standardization in cloud adoption practices. Data collection included semistructured …


Innovation Difussion Of Smartphone In Nigeria, Olukunle Ariyo Iyanda Jan 2016

Innovation Difussion Of Smartphone In Nigeria, Olukunle Ariyo Iyanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid diffusion and use of smartphones in Africa are challenging, given the state of its infrastructural facilities. The problem addressed was a lack of information on the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban users in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to examine the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban residents. Research questions examined the relationship of performance expectancy, social influence, price value, and habit on adopters' intentions to use smartphones, continued use of smartphones, and the sociodevelopmental effect on smartphone users lives and standard …


Strategies For E-Commerce Platform Adoption In The Manufacturing Sector In Western India, Neeraj Parikh Jan 2016

Strategies For E-Commerce Platform Adoption In The Manufacturing Sector In Western India, Neeraj Parikh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While 95% of Indian SME leaders have not adopted an e-commerce platform, the few SME leaders having adopted such platforms reported 64% higher sales and 65% higher profits. The purpose of this multi-case study, guided by the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, was to explore the strategies that Indian SME leaders used to adopt e-commerce platforms to expand their businesses. Data for this study emerged from conducting face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 3 SME leaders who operated in the manufacturing industry in western India. The data analysis process included validating, coding, interpreting, and summarizing data and generating themes. Methodological triangulation of …


Challenges And Implications Of Implementing Strategic Intelligence Systems In Mexico, Hector De Jesus Rivera Ochoa Jan 2016

Challenges And Implications Of Implementing Strategic Intelligence Systems In Mexico, Hector De Jesus Rivera Ochoa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business intelligence (BI) allows companies to make faster and better-informed decisions. Unfortunately, implementing BI systems in companies in developing countries is minimal. Limited and costly access to the technology, coupled with the cultural background affecting how people perceive BI, has restricted such implementations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of chief executive officers (CEOs) in northern Mexico to obtain insight into the challenges of implementing BI systems. Research questions focused on the reasons behind the lack of BI systems implementation and the challenges faced by these officers when implementing a new system. …


Electronic Warrant Systems: The Effect Of Advanced Technologies On Arrest Performance, Gerald Lee Ward Jan 2016

Electronic Warrant Systems: The Effect Of Advanced Technologies On Arrest Performance, Gerald Lee Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public safety is negatively affected when arrest warrant information is not available to law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and other criminal justice practitioners. The U.S. Government and the criminal justice community have advocated for electronic warrant systems (e-warrants). Peace officers know that when e-warrant systems deliver warrant information to them immediately from multiple jurisdictions, their safety is increased. However, the factors that cause these e-warrants systems to improve safety are not known. The purpose of this historical data analysis study was to determine if the use of e-warrant systems resulted in shorter clearance times than the use of legacy paper-based …


The Impact Of Technology Acceptance And Openess To Innovaion On Software Implementation, Michael Marin Bertini Jan 2016

The Impact Of Technology Acceptance And Openess To Innovaion On Software Implementation, Michael Marin Bertini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior management decisions to foster innovation and adopt new technology solutions have serious implications for the success of their organization change initiatives. This project examined the issue of senior management decision or reasons of their decision to adopt new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as a solution to solve their business problems. This project investigated the degree that perceived ease of use and usefulness of the ERP system influenced decisions made by senior managers to innovate. Roger's diffusion of innovations theory and Davis technology acceptance model theory were used to predict when senior managers were open to innovation, and whether …


Relocation Based On Slow-Onset Climate-Induced Environmental Change In Keta, Ghana, Abdul-Moomin Ansong Salifu Jan 2016

Relocation Based On Slow-Onset Climate-Induced Environmental Change In Keta, Ghana, Abdul-Moomin Ansong Salifu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coastal indigenous communities in Keta, Ghana, are experiencing resettlement as a result of slow-onset, climate-induced flooding and erosion. Previous researchers have documented the risk of relocation from rapid-onset events, but little is known about the effectiveness of policies developed in response to slow-onset changes. This phenomenological study investigated the ongoing lived experiences of adult household members in Keta who were relocated by the government. Jun's critical theory provided a constructionist interpretive framework to determine whether Ghana's national policy on climate change resettlement adequately meets Rawls's criteria for distributive social justice. Policy documents and transcriptions of interviews with a purposeful sample …


A Qualitative Examination Of The Perception Of Risk In Warnings For Severe Weather, Teresa Simmons Jan 2016

A Qualitative Examination Of The Perception Of Risk In Warnings For Severe Weather, Teresa Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past decade, weather disasters have claimed thousands of lives and resulted in billions of dollars in damages. Awareness of a storm threats can occur hours or days in advance, but disaster assessments indicate many people do not heed storm warnings. This problem is old. Despite 50 years of research, and new technologies and training to improve responsiveness, the basic issue– understanding how people interpret and respond to weather warnings–persists. An exploratory study that incorporated human behavior theories and communication models not traditionally associated with severe weather analysis was conducted to learn how weather risks are perceived by nonscientists. …