Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study Investigating Behavior Economics And Parent Engagement To Impact The Transition To Kindergarten, Sarah Hough, Laura Carafiello

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The United States is in the bottom quartile of formally enrolled preschoolers in the developed countries. Not every student receives an equitable preschool experience and as a result, kindergarten classrooms contain a wide range of learners. One way to offset the transition time would be to transform enrollment procedures. How schools utilize the data contained on kindergarten enrollment registrations in the spring could help level the playing field for at risk students. Handing a parent a list of ways to get ready for kindergarten is not enough. One method is through the use of behavior economics and technology. This research …

Translation Of Viral News Topics Into Digital Marketing, Eba Diab

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In today’s digital marketing driven environment, it is essential that organizations understand the strategies behind technology in advertising. Unfortunately, many marketers do not have a strategy when they begin utilizing digital marketing strategies. The purpose of this study is to understand how viral topics translate into digital marketing. The research includes a case study on United Airlines, followed by in-depth interviews with digital marketers, and accompanied by an analysis of the business’ digital marketing campaigns. Analysis of the campaigns reveal the different digital marketing strategies organizations use to build and maintain relationships with consumers. The study concludes with a discussion …

Transformational Leadership And Its Attributes: Factors That Could Increase Security At The Miami International Airport, Norbert Oliver Pinto

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study was to examine the factors that are critical transformational leadership values and attributes, which could improve organizational performance. More specifically, the purpose was to find possible recommendations to provide more effective leadership qualities to efficiently enhance security strategies, within the airline industry. This paper examined three major attributes of transformational leadership; communication, cooperation, and education. An examination of theoretical and empirical literature concerning transformational leadership attributes and the relationship with organizational effectiveness was conducted. Findings indicate that these attributes of transformational leaders are essential for motivating followers to surpass self-interest and work towards a collective purpose, vision, and …

Professional Baseball Players Transition From The Sport, Amy Moviel

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This phenomenological research study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of professional baseball players related to their level of preparedness for retirement from the sport. The study was guided by three research questions. The data were collected from eight professional baseball players at different stages of their career. Data collection occurred through interviews with four actively playing professional baseball players and four former professional baseball players. The findings of the study reveal that during their careers, professional baseball players typically devote exclusive focus to training and skill development in an effort to remain in the game as long as possible. …

Parental Involvement In Higher Education: Understanding The Concerns And Expectations Of The Parents Of College Students, Wilson Onu

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Parental involvement in higher education has become more prevalent on college campuses as evidenced by increased reports in news media, journalistic articles, and academic publications. Parents who play an active role in their children's day to day college experiences present a new challenge for college administrators who often find themselves attempting to address parents' concerns while being mindful of student development goals as well as complying with federal laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protect college students' privacy. Using Nietzsche's 'perspectivism' as a conceptual rationale and employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study …

A Case Study Of Gender Neutral Policies In University Housing, Josh Chave

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Gender neutral housing is an innovative new policy being developed in colleges around the country. One reason to create these policies is an attempt to meet the unique needs and challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. As the number of gender neutral housing policies in the United States continues to rise, research has been slow to meet the growing demand for empirical data on gender neutral housing.

The dissertation presented a case study of one institution. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with administrators, gender neutral housing committee members, residence life staff, and students. This dissertation examined the …

Managerial Competencies And Exemplary Leadership In The Lodging Industry: An Empirical Study, Fadila Maraouch

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In facing the rising demand for improved quality, reduced costs, and constant innovation, the need to continuously upgrade knowledge, skills, and abilities is essential for all leadership roles including those held by executives, managers, and supervisors (Kay & Russette, 2000; Mirabile, 1997; Okeiyi, Finley, & Postel, 1994; Sandwith, 1993; Tas, 1988; Tas, LaBreque, & Clayton, 1996). With management scholars racing to meet this demand, competency modeling has become one of the most frequently used techniques to help organizations profile jobs, select, as well as prepare the right person for the right leadership position (Katz, 1955; Sandwith, 1993).

Under the …

Motivation And Leadership Of Financial Advisor Associates In The Financial Services Industry, James A. Mckenzie

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The purpose of this study was to apply the platform of existing knowledge and ideas in the area of sales management with regard to the motivation of financial advisor associates (FAAs) in the financial services industry in the United States. The major theories examined in this study were: social exchange theory, leader member exchange, expectancy theory, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership. The primary focus of this non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory (correlational) research was the relationships among the independent variables (psychological climate of the workplace, the branch manager's leadership style, the demographic factors and work experience of the FAAs), and the dependent …

The Relationship Between Foreign Direct Investment And Exports From The Technology Sector In Costa Rica, Rodolfo Santamaria

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The research examined the relationship between FDI, imports and exports of the technology sector in Costa Rica. A three-stage procedure was used to examine this relationship: Testing Time Series Properties, Cointegration and Granger to estimate FDI significance and effects of FDI on technology sector exports. The results suggest an export-platform for FDI supporting that the finding may be important for Costa Rica. Also, examined were links between FDI and imports, which may show the significance effects of FDI and imports.

The study followed a causal correlational approach to analyze the relationship between FDI, imports and exports, and respective regression equations. …

Comparative Analysis Between Routine Preventative Uniformed Police Patrols And Crime Reduction And Calls For Service, Oscar F. Vigoa

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The majority of the theoretical and empirical literature on police patrols and crime has concentrated on the logical assumption that more uniformed preventative police patrols reduce crime. However, few studies have examined the comparative relationship between more police officers doing preventative patrols in a specific area and crime rates and response to calls for service. The objective of this research was to examine whether more uniformed police officers, doing routine preventative patrols, assigned to an area the size of a small city reduces class one crimes (robbery, residential, and commercial burglary and auto theft). The principal intention of the study …

The Impact Of Politics On Education In Haiti: 1988-2008, Gertrude Joseph

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Education in Haiti has changed dramatically since 1988 as a result of political and social instability. Haiti has also experienced the exodus of families and children to other countries due to the country's instability. Many administrators, teachers, and policy makers who do not understand the changing elements in Haiti and its educational structure are not able to meet the needs of students in Haiti or Haitian students who relocate in other countries.

The research explored the impact of turbulent political changes in Haiti on education from 1988 to 2008; this period encompasses the first democratic election in 1990 and the …

A Critical Analysis Of The Theoretical And Empirical Literature Comparing The Effects Of Traditional Versus Community Policing On Quality Of Life And Associated Quality Of Life Issues, Rodney Polite

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

There are two major issues that will be addressed in this study to determine if they influence the selection of an appropriate policing strategy. The first is citizen perception of whether crime has decreased or increased in their community. The second is whether the length of time a citizen has lived in the community has an effect on their perception of crime and their attitude towards a specific policing strategy.

Historically, each policing strategy, although at times labeled differently (professional policing, team policing, neighborhood policing, zero-tolerance policing), has evolved and adapted based on various dynamics within police organizations and the …

Exploring The Influence Of Multigenerational Transmission Process Among Nonresidential African American Fathers, A'Ndrea J. Wilson

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

With a disproportionate percentage of black children growing up in fatherless homes in the U.S. and an increasing concern over the state of fatherhood nationally, investigation of fathering in the African American community is essential. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nonresidential African American fathers and how their parenting beliefs and behaviors have been transmitted to them from their fathers and grandfathers. The theoretical framework of the study included the Responsible Fathering Conceptual Model and Family Systems Theory. Through qualitative, exploratory research methodology, the perceptions of African American fathers who do not reside in the …

A Critical Analysis Of Racial Profiling, John E. Mclaughlin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This paper focuses on a critical examination of racial profiling. It includes the history of racial profiling and the laws and requirements that have been implemented to control and eliminate this practice, which utilizes race and ethnic background as indicators in the discretionary process of law enforcement. The purpose of this analysis is to learn if there are steps that police departments can take to eliminate, or at least minimize and control, this practice that plagues communities and departments across the country. This paper will include an exploration of the theoretical and empirical literature regarding the improvement of laws and …

A Multi-State Evaluation Of The Factors Predicting Educational Achievement Of Adult Foster Care Alumni, Markell Harrison-Jackson

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Child maltreatment, a major public-health concern in the United States, has the most detrimental impact on adult emotional and physical development. According to the urban Institute, in the past decade foster-care expenditures for child maltreatment totaled $14.4 billion. Each year, 30,000 alumni "age out" of foster care. These are alumni who exit the foster-care system only because they reach the age of 18, not because they are reunited with their families, are adopted, or leave to attend college. Prior longitudinal research has shown that the nearly 80% of the alumni who are emancipated at the age of 18 failed to …

Volunteer Functions, Satisfaction, Commitment, And Intention To Leave Government Volunteering, Gisela R. Salas

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Traditionally, volunteerism has been deeply embedded in United States history with citizens showing a high level of social participation. In the United States there are 60.8 million volunteers, however, the supply of volunteer labor has been insufficient to meet the demands of organizations with recent reports showing a decrease. Trends as far back as the 1980s indicated that budgetary constraints coupled with increasing demands makes volunteering the logical alternative to sustain service delivery.

Many community, civic, and governmental organizations need and use volunteers to accomplish their missions. One of the greatest challenges, however, is ensuring that the volunteers remain satisfied …

Technology Acceptance Factors Affecting Adoption Of Wireless Data Technology, Igal Hebron

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The study of acceptance and use of technology is traditionally based on models designed to identify and test the relationships forged between the user and the technology in question. Models designed to study the relationship of user and technology acceptance tend to integrate experiential criteria, such as the attitude of the user towards technology, as well as criteria found within the environment. As wireless communications become more prevalent, and the forms of wireless technology evolve, understanding the process of acceptance and usage will be of importance as companies compete to offer the most user friendly and sophisticated wireless devices.

The …

Student Characteristics, Academic Self-Concept And Language Arts Literacy Performance In Traditional And Block Scheduling In Two Urban Schools, Luana Gipson-Bruce

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The effectiveness of language arts literacy (LAL) block scheduling on student achievement atid self-efficacy is a strategy of education reform. Language arts skills in urban schools is noted in the 1983 report "A Nation at Risk", which documents the seriousness of urban school literacy difficulties. In addition, state standardized requirements have attested to poor language arts performance in many minority schools.

The purpose of this study is to describe the demographic, health, academic self concept and student achievement of a 6& grade sample of 62 students in two urban schools, one which implements a traditional scheduling language arts program and …

The Pentacle Quest: Wiccan Religion In The Media, Paula Johnson

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Renaissance Web Tv: New Media Promoting Sphere Participation & Information Society Increasing Innovative Business Practices, Joanna James

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

New media have emerged over the last decade and are increasingly changing business practices within the media industry. Specifically this creative project addresses some of the challenges the television market is encountering, and how it is currently in the process of migrating to the World Wide Web. During this transitional moment in technology, this creative project introduces the proposal for Renaissance Web TV, an interactive Web platform that creates and produces its own original broadcast quality programming for the Web. This is an opportune moment to enter into the television market through Web video. This creative project explores how a …

A Rhetorical Analysis And Interlinked Aspects Of Culture That Affected The Success Of The Musical Band, Oasis, In The Uk And Us, Ross Lumsden

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This paper focuses on the rhetoric contained within the lyrics and spoken words of the band Oasis. The paper argues that the style of rhetoric can be directly related to the level of success of the music within two different regions. The regions within the context of this paper are the UK and the US. However, the study also stresses that in order for rhetoric to have such an effect; there must also be other contributing factors. The study uses rhetorical analysis as the primary method of research. By analyzing the rhetoric of the lyrics and spoken words and also …

A World Without Borders, Ashlea Evans

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Inconsistency In The American Media, Gabriella Gonda

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Age Discrimination, Organizational Justice, And Employee Attitudes On Intentions To Leave In The Engineering Industry, Courtney L. Bibby

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2006) reported that the annual turnover rate for employees of U.S. firms rose to 41% in 2005. Employee intentions to leave among young adults are a concern in many industries where the demand for skilled employees begins to exceed the supply. This is especially true in the engineering industry, because talented and knowledgeable employees are difficult to replace.

Employee turnover represents a practical dilemma for many businesses due to the loss of qualified personnel and additional recruitment and training costs. Although little is known about employee turnover intention within the engineering …

Comparative Analysis Of Environmental Kuznets Curve In Central And Eastern Europe And South And East Asia, Yu-Chin Pang

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Environmental deterioration has frequently been viewed as a problem that inevitably accompanies economic development and industrialization. However, different economic backgrounds might experience different kinds and levels of environmental deterioration. This study investigated environmental deterioration in two groups of countries with comparable income levels but different economic backgrounds-transitional Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and non-transitional South and East Asian (SEA) countries.

This research utilized the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis to explain the relationships among macroeconomic indicators, country categories, and atmospheric concentrations in the CEE and SEA regions. Three research questions and six hypotheses and related sub-hypotheses were answered and tested …

The Impact Of Select Media On The Contemporary Venezuelan Political Process, Camila Herrera

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Food Facilities, Food Service Workers And The Flow Of Food: Food-Borne Illnesses In Taiwan's Preschools, Shu-Chen Lin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined food-borne illnesses in Taiwan's preschools which are a major cause of personal distress and preventable death. They are of particular concern in preschools as very young children are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Previous studies that comprehensively investigated the factors impacting food-borne illnesses in Taiwan were not found in the literature. The development of a universal food safety model is necessary as a means to measure relevant constructs. Application of the model should be able to prevent the occurrence of food-borne illnesses in organizations. This explanatory (correlational) study examined the relationships among food facilities, food service workers, …

Gendered Toy Catalog Advertisements: Made For And Geared Towards Children, Diana R. Paliuca

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Factors Influencing Baseball Fans' Brand Loyalty: A Comparison Of Florida Marlins And Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Yun-Tsan Lin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Factors influencing Major League Baseball fans' brand loyalty is important because these fans bring significant financial benefits to the industry every year, and stimulate economic growth in the United States. An intercept and quota sampling plan resulted in a sample of 285 Florida Marlins fans and 213 Tampa Bay Devil Rays fans for this comparative and correlational study. The purpose was to test for an explanatory relationship among fans' characteristics, influencing factors, and the loyalty of fans to a winning team and to a losing team. Comparative and multiple regression analyses tested hypothesized relationships among fan characteristics, brand association attributes, …

Relationship Among Supervisors' Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, And Teachers' Job Satisfaction In Taiwan Higher Education, Chi-Ling Sung

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined the influence of supervisors' transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction of college and university in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between supervisors' transformational and transactional leadership styles, and the satisfaction of Taiwan's higher education instructors. The number of teachers at the university level in Taiwan rose 36.8% from 1951 to 2004; therefore faculty job satisfaction is an important issue. Schools want to keep their faculty and reputation to maintain a competitive edge. This non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory correlation and explanatory comparative survey research explores the relationship between supervisors' transformational and …