Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Integrated Marketing Communications: From The Lens Of Public Relations Educators And Scholars, Vijaya Singh

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher viewed Integrated Marketing Communications through the lens of the Public Relations educators and scholars to determine whether IMC is beneficial or detrimental to the field of public relations.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore (a) impact of IMC on public relations education (b) perceived advantages and disadvantages of an IMC approach to a public relations curriculum (c) determine if a need exists to revise public relations education at the university level.

To examine the impact of IMC on public relations education the researcher conducted a formal quantitative content analysis of the curricula of 13 graduate programs …

No Child Left Behind And Its Communication Effectiveness In Diverse Communities, Benjamin L. Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

The study sought to define the communication techniques and channels 15 school superintendents from randomly selected socioeconomically diverse school districts use to communicate the major provisions of federally mandated No Child Left Behind legislation to parents and the most effective techniques to communicate NCLB to parents in those districts most likely affected by the legislation. The author employed a Delphi technique and personal interviews to gather primary data.

Findings indicate that superintendents considered print media and group settings the most effective means through which to communicate NCLB provisions to target audiences. Additionally, the researcher determined that parents remain uncertain about …

The Most Effective Pr/Advertising Techniques In Disseminating An Alcohol Social Norms Campaign, Christine Anna Diblasi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective PR/Advertising techniques to disseminate an Alcohol Social Norms Campaign at college campuses. The techniques used were analyzed for their effectiveness in reaching students and decreasing binge drinking rates. Three New Jersey colleges were studied: Rowan University, Ramapo College of New Jersey and The College of New Jersey.

The researcher collected primary data from the brag books of the three colleges for the fiscal year 2004 Alcohol Social Norms Campaigns, personal interviews with the Project Directors of these campaigns, and focus groups comprised of college students. The research supported the …

Case Study Of A Client Diagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder, Barbara Ann Marie Allison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the best practice for a client diagnosed with major depressive disorder who was referred for treatment at a community mental health facility. The client was assessed, diagnosed, and a treatment plan was developed. Implemented treatment consisted of combined cognitive behavioral oriented psychotherapy and psychotropic medication. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used to assess changes in depressive symptoms. Results indicated a significant decline in depressive symptoms over the course of treatment. At the onset of treatment, the client's BDI scores were in the clinically depressed range, while at the conclusion of treatment …

Leaning Left: A Case Study Of Media Bias In The 2004 Presidential Election, Adam Lasecki

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract available.

A Study Of Seven Selected Chemical Engineering Facilities' Crisis Public Relations Plans, Heather D. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to obtain what techniques are being used in the Philadelphia, PA area to handle crises in chemical engineering facilities. Related literature was reviewed to determine how others in the crisis public relations industry handle crisis.

The public relations contacts at 17 chemical engineering facilities were contacted to participate in the researcher's study, with seven completed responses. The seven participants completed questionnaires about the current public relations practices being used at their facilities. The information that they provided was useful in establishing commonalities among the different facilities.

This study will provide both public relations professionals …

Catastrophic Crisis Communication: A Study Of Hospital Crisis Planning Following The September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, Daniel Matthew Lockwood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether hospitals in southern New Jersey and throughout the United States were prepared to respond to catastrophic crisis situations and find out if hospitals have changed or improved crisis plans since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

To examine preparedness and improvement of crisis plans since September 11, 2001, the researcher employed qualitative and quantitative studies. The researcher conducted in-depth personal interviews with public relations specialists from four southern New Jersey hospitals and sent email surveys to 40 hospitals throughout the United States to find out if these facilities felt prepared to …

Ethical Principles For A Sensitive Society, Catherine M. Toscano

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to discover ethical dilemmas faced in the media and how they affect society; and (b) to determine what new ethical principles need to be established for media to gain back trust from today's society. The author found that lower news reporting standards such as fabrication of information and sources, using false documents and failure to check facts caused members of society to become sensitive and question the integrity of news stations and reporters as well as the validity of news being reported. Because the press has lost the trust of the American people, …

A Study Of How Students And Graduates Of The Public Relations Graduate Program Of Rowan University View The Graduate Program, Jessica Brittain

Theses and Dissertations

The Rowan University graduate school provides a Master's Degree program for public relations. The program offers students immersion in the areas of research, writing, problem solving, and planning. Also included in the program is a series of specialized modules, designed to allow students to experience many different aspects of public relations. Along with the courses, students are required to hold an internship to enrich the public relations experience. At the end of the program, students must pass a comprehensive exam to demonstrate the knowledge learned.

This study is to determine how the public relations graduate program is viewed by those …

A Survey Of Certified Athletic Trainers' Knowledge Base, Personal Experiences And Attitudes Toward Public Relations Methods, Christina Pozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to determine athletic trainers' knowledge base, personal experiences and attitudes concerning public relations methods and their effectiveness in promoting the profession of athletic training.

One hundred fifteen athletic trainers completed a 14-question intercept survey. Results indicate that athletic trainers face difficulty promoting their profession without learning proper public relations techniques and which public relations methods are most effective reaching their target audiences.

Sixty-three percent of the respondents created a brochure/pamphlet; 17% distributed a newsletter and 68% have never written a news release. Most respondents (89%) are familiar with the term news release, while 69% have never …

A Study Of Small Business Public Relations Behavior To Ascertain A Need For A Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Web Site, William Pavlou Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) study the behavior of New Jersey small business owners and (b) use this information as primary research to ascertain a need for a do-it-yourself public relations Web site. A survey questionnaire was mailed to 75 New Jersey small business owners who were randomly selected from the New Jersey Directory of Small Businesses 2005 Directory. More than half of the New Jersey small business owners who were surveyed responded to this study.

The data collected in this study strongly supports the author's first hypothesis that small business owners believe public relations can contribute …

Sexual Assault At Rowan University, Kathleen Oriti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey about sexual assault at Rowan University and to compare the survey results with reports from the Rowan University Crime Incidents Log. Data were collected anonymously from 531 male and female students from the Glassboro campus of Rowan University. Twenty-two students indicated they were sexually assaulted on or off campus from 2001 to March 2005. Three off-campus victims reported to police. None of the on-campus victims reported the crime to Rowan officials. Based on the results of this study, 5.2% of female students and 1.8% of male students surveyed indicated they …

Understanding The Impact Of Special Events: A Look At One Company's Annual Event, Eileen M. Harduk

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines large-scale corporate entertainment to gain an understanding of the measurable impact companies who host these events receive in return. More specifically, the researcher studied one company's Appreciation Day event and collected data on how its 320 customers and suppliers felt about the company after the event and what facets of the event impacted attendees most.

Attendees were asked to participate in data collection for the research through a pen and paper survey. Responses were tabulated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. For further understanding of the survey results, an eleven-person focus group was held …

Effective Messages And Channels Of Communication Used By Assisted Living Facilities To Attract Residents, Allyson L. Wisniewski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to pinpoint the most effective messages and channels of communication used by assisted living facilities to attract residents.

The study includes three in-depth interviews with marketing/public relations representatives from three successful assisted living facilities in Gloucester County, NJ. The author asked the representatives questions about their marketing/public relations efforts. The study also includes a content analysis of the promotional folders distributed by each of the three facilities.

The study shows that assisted living facilities should focus on building relationships with referral sources. Also, facilities should work to maintain their visibility by participating in community …

Investor Relations: Defender Of The Faith At Commerce Bancorp, Paul H. Welitzkin

Theses and Dissertations

The study's results will show that the investor relations department at Commerce Bancorp Inc. helped to minimize damage to the company following the indictments of two of its officials in a Philadelphia corruption probe.

Primary and secondary research will show that Commerce's IR department helped the company during its crisis after June 30, 2004. Interviews with Commerce's IR director and two Wall Street analysts reveal that Commerce minimized the damage to its reputation and brand by communicating effectively with the financial community, a major constituency.

A content analysis shows that Commerce conducted successful crisis communication despite an unusual amount of …

Directional, Identification, And Orientation Signage In Eight Southern New Jersey Public Libraries, Rachel Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to unobtrusively observe eight Southern New Jersey public libraries in eight different counties to discover if they were practicing the principles of good signage for the benefit of their patrons. A checklist of good signage criteria and ADA requirements was created and used to assess the libraries' signs. Principles of good signage and ADA signage came from prior studies. Using SPSS, frequency tables were generated for each question to show the signage percentages for the libraries in the study. The eight public libraries in the study rated well in the areas of signage design …

Effects Of Teachers' Active Role In Accelerated Reader With Elementary Students, Sarah L. Lenko

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study, which took place in an elementary school and included seven first grade classes, eight second grade classes, and one autistic class as the sample (n = 16), was to determine the success of the Accelerated Reader (AR) program by examining the way in which teachers implemented the program and studying the relationship between that implementation and student success, as measured by the percent of student quizzes passed and the average book level read by the students in the class. Three variables were researched and compared: the kind and amount of each participant's training with …

Planning Procedures For School Media Centers, Heather A. Deitch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if media specialists were using effective planning processes in renovating school libraries or building new school library facilities. A second purpose was to propose recommendations for improving planning processes to make them more effective and efficient in creating the best possible school library facility. A researcher devised checklist was created through a literature search and was presented on two electronic listservs. Thirty responses were used from two email electronic listservs. Those who responded did use some or all of the outlined planning procedures that were provided in the electronic survey. The results …

Scheduling Methods For Effective School Library Media Centers In K-8 School Districts, Rose F. Hagar

Theses and Dissertations

School library media centers should have a program that serves all students in the community, as well as meet the needs of a diverse population. In order to develop information literacy skills and create a life-long enjoyment of reading, students must have open access to the LMC. It is the role of the library media specialist to make sure that these needs are being met. The purpose of this study was to examine the library media programming methods used in K-8 school districts throughout the state of New Jersey. The results of this study were used to develop a library …

A Study Of Culturally Diverse Materials In Elementary School Media Centers, Marie E. Mawson

Theses and Dissertations

Our country is more culturally diverse today than at any other time in its history, therefore there is a need for greater understanding among people and awareness of other cultures. A prime time to develop this understanding and awareness is during the elementary school years. School library media specialists can be foremost in providing materials that facilitate learning about all cultures. This study examined the multicultural collections of four elementary school media centers within the Pleasantville School District. The study was conducted by examining the Online Public Access Catalog for the identified variables and then by conducting a visual search …

Effectiveness Of A Treatment Approach For Major Depressive Disorder: A Case Study, Lisa Gail Mazzagatti

Theses and Dissertations

This case study assessed the efficacy of a treatment approach for a thirty-seven year old Caucasian female who was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. The intervention utilized techniques from several therapeutic approaches including cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducational and gestalt. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) was used as an outcome measure. It was administered at the third, seventh, eleventh, fifteenth, and nineteenth session. Results indicated a decrease in depressive symptomotology over the course of treatment. Client self-report, clinical observations and a client satisfaction survey also supported the overall effectiveness of the treatment approach. The case study presents a psychosocial assessment, literature review, …

Computer Based Technology Used By Faculty Members At Vineland High School South, Diane C. Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate teacher use of computer based technology for personal use and for professional use at Vineland High School South. This study also sought to identify factors that contributed to faculty use or non-use of computer based technology in the classroom. Professional use of computer based technology by teachers was examined within specific categories, including: class preparation, delivery of information, in-class student use, special education accommodation, e-mail communications, and recording of grades. The teachers of Vineland High School South indicated the ways in which they acquired their computer knowledge and what sources were most …

A School Library Collection Analysis Focused On Resources Available For Fifth Grade Research Topics, Carol A. Moroz

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were'to determine (a) the areas of study fifth grade students at Lakehurst Elementary School were asked to research, (b) whether the current library print collection was sufficient to meet the students' needs in terms of both quantity and quality, (c) the additional print resources which would be necessary to create a useful set of print resources, and (d) the cost of these additional print resources. Current print resources and resources considered for purchase were assigned a rating from zero to four on a Usefulness Rating Scale designed by the researcher, with a zero indicating a …

Glbtq Characterization In Young Adult Novels, 1998-2004, Debra I. Lecates

Theses and Dissertations

Since the first young adult (YA) novel with gay content appeared in 1969, the number of gay-themed novels available for teens has increased significantly. However, research has shown that the long-awaited movement away from stereotyped characters and conservative storylines and into more realistic portrayals has been slow in materializing. This study utilized a content analysis of 22 YA novels with homosexual content to investigate whether changes have occurred in the portrayal of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) characters and themes between earlier studies and 1998-2004. A total of 26 characterization and plot elements in each novel were analyzed …

Evaluating The Web Sites Of County Public Libraries In New Jersey For Hispanic Accessibility, Geraldine Paolini

Theses and Dissertations

A library's web site can be an important outreach service for Hispanic patrons. Many county libraries in New Jersey, however, may not have web sites that are easily accessible to Hispanics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate New Jersey county public library web sites to determine if selected access criteria were present. Using a researcher designed criteria checklist, content, language, organization & navigation and services were examined. The existence of these criteria were used to determine if public library web sites provided adequate access for Hispanic patrons. The sample and population consisted of 20 county library, or their …

Barriers To Young Adult Patronage Of Public Libraries: A Survey Of New Jersey Librarians, Deborah A. Swierk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how public librarians in New Jersey responded to the external and internal barriers to young adult patronage as identified by the 1995 National Center for Educational Statistics study and the 1999 Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development initiative. The researcher conducted a purposive online survey of New Jersey public librarians who were members of the New Jersey Young Adult and Children's (NJYAC) Iistserv and served young adults. Responses to the online survey totaled 77 or 16%. Percentages were used to analyze the data and Microsoft Excel was used to generate charts …

School Library Media Specialists Who Provide In-Service Training For Teachers, Stephanie S. Gaughan

Theses and Dissertations

By taking a leadership role in the development and implementation of in-service training for teachers, school library media specialists increase their influence, strengthen their school library media programs, and in turn help increase student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine how school library media specialists perceived the role of designing and implementing in-service training for teachers in an effort to determine why some school library media specialists did in fact practice this important role. Research was conducted to determine the characteristics of school library media specialists who provided in-service training opportunities for teachers. A link to an …

An Experimental Study In Promoting Collaborative Instructional Activities, Kathleen Galarza

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine which public relations methods would best inform the first through fifth grade classroom teaching staff at Holly Heights School about the work of the library media center, the roles of the library media specialist, and the research that states how important collaborative educational activities are for students, so that teaching staff members would choose to participate in some type of collaborative instructional activities with the library media specialist to benefit the students. This study was conducted with 18 first through fifth grade teaching staff members at Holly Heights Elementary School in …

The Effects Of The Accelerated Reader Program On The Reading Habits And Reading Frequencies Of Fourth Grade Students, Kathleen Wendt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the Accelerated Reader program affected the reading habits and reading frequency of fourth grade students. This study focused on two fourth grade classes at Folsom School. The two fourth grade classes had used the Accelerated Reader (AR), as part of their reading program in the library, since the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year.

A total of 38 students participated in this survey. The students were encouraged by the researcher to read and take quizzes on books supported by the Accelerated Reader program. All 38 students took both the …

A Study Of The Services, Materials And Policies Provided For Homeschooling Families By New Jersey Public Libraries, Patricia A. Collins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if homeschoolers were being adequately served by the county public library systems of New Jersey. This was done by identifying and tabulating the materials, services, and policies available to homeschooling families served by twenty county library systems of New Jersey. The Website and online catalog of each system was searched using checklists developed by the researcher. A questionnaire developed by the researcher was completed by a representative of eighteen of the selected libraries. Most of the libraries surveyed had services and policies that were available to the general public rather than specifically …