Impact Of Eu Medical Device Directive On Medical Device Software,
2015
Walden University
Impact Of Eu Medical Device Directive On Medical Device Software, Guy Foe Owono
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Directive 2007/47/EC of the European Parliament amending Medical Device Directive (MDD) provides medical device manufacturers with a compliance framework. However, the effects of the amendments to the MDD on competition in the U.S. medical device software industry are unknown. This study examined the impact of this directive on the competitiveness of U.S. medical device software companies, the safety and efficacy of medical device software, employee training, and recruitment. The conceptual framework for this study included 3 dimensions of medical device regulations: safety, performance, and reliability. The overall research design was a concurrent mixed method study using both quantitative and qualitative …
Small Seasonal Business Strategies To Increase Profits Through Community Collaboration,
2015
Walden University
Small Seasonal Business Strategies To Increase Profits Through Community Collaboration, Kevin B. Gibbons
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Seasonal small business owners (e.g., boating and golf industries), primarily within the upper and Midwestern United States, face challenges for profit and growth because of a brief business potential year and limited time to establish a reliable and committed customer base. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that seasonal small business owners in Oakland County, Michigan may use to collaborate with local associations and charitable organizations to increase profits. Stakeholder theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. A purposive sample of 4 successful small seasonal business owners in Oakland County, Michigan participated in face-to-face …
Human Factors Analysis And Classification System Interrater Reliability For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Investigations,
2015
Walden University
Human Factors Analysis And Classification System Interrater Reliability For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Investigations, Roberto Cintron
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Human errors are an expected result of operations performed by individuals and frequently lead to accidents and other catastrophic events. The problem is that the current process used to investigate and mitigate human errors in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industries is not effective, as it does not include the effects of human factors found to be effective in aviation and nuclear power organizations. The human factors and classification system (HFACS) was created for the investigations of accidents using the Swiss cheese model of accident causation as a theoretical framework. The purpose of this quantitative, inter-rater reliability study was to demonstrate the …
Profitability And The Financial Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses,
2015
Walden University
Profitability And The Financial Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses, Kellie J. Emrich
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The fastest growing segment of business development in the United States comes from small business start-ups, with 42% of these businesses being women owned. Women-owned businesses are annually 25% less profitable when compared to the average small business in the United States. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this single exploratory case study was to investigate how women small business owners and their employees use financial strategies to increase the profitability of their businesses. Data came from semistructured interviews with 1 woman business owner and 5 business consultants who work for the women-owned small business. The …
Social Disorder And Level Of Engagement Of Small Business Owners In The Virgin Islands,
2015
Walden University
Social Disorder And Level Of Engagement Of Small Business Owners In The Virgin Islands, Saul Santiago
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The U.S. Virgin Islands is experiencing an economic recession, manifested through social disorders such as abandoned and vandalized houses. Research points to social disorders and lack of community engagement as key factors inhibiting community development efforts. In order to strengthen these struggling communities, research has highlighted the need for public-private partnerships. Guided by Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, which posits that attitudes can predict behaviors, this study examined the relationship between social disorder and engagement of small business owners in community development. Small business owners in the U.S. Virgin Islands received an Internet or paper survey; a total of 79 …
Impact Of Conservation Corps Experience On Corps Members,
2015
Brigham Young University - Provo
Impact Of Conservation Corps Experience On Corps Members, Mat D. Duerden, Michael B. Edwards, Robin Lizzo
Faculty Publications
This study examined the impact of conservation corps experiences on participants. Based upon existing gaps in the conservation corps literature and drawing from research on other comparable programs, this study addressed the following research questions: did involvement in a conservation corps program increase participants' (a) intention to pursue natural resource management related careers or education, (b) positive attitudes towards public lands, and (c) environmental activism? A quasi-experimental design was used to answer these questions. The participant group for the study came from IO different Public Lands Service Coalition corps in the Western United States during the 2011 season. The comparison …
Leadership Influences Of The Veteran Alpha Female Leader,
2015
Walden University
Leadership Influences Of The Veteran Alpha Female Leader, Danielle J. Moncrief
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In recent years, more women have entered positions of leadership, and their alpha personalities have compelled them to strive for higher positions of authority. With this influx, it has become necessary to better understand the influences of this type of female leader and to expand narrow conceptualizations. Previous studies examined alpha female leaders of high school and college-age, but studies have yet to explore this type of leader beyond college. This phenomenological study sought to examine the influence of the minority identity, life experience, and leadership duration on veteran alpha female leaders. It was grounded in social-role and ethnic-identity theory. …
Leaders' Risk Propensity And Delegation Of Critical Decision-Making Authority,
2015
Walden University
Leaders' Risk Propensity And Delegation Of Critical Decision-Making Authority, Reginald Carlton Doctor
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A leader's unwillingness to delegate critical decision-making authority to subordinate managers and employees negatively impacts the performance of a firm. There is a lack of research that measures a leader's willingness to delegate critical decision-making authority to subordinate managers and employees based on their individual risk propensities. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence of the influence risk propensity has on a leader's willingness to delegate critical decision-making authority. Specifically, this study examined the extent that risk propensity of leaders affect delegating critical decision making authority to subordinate managers and employees. The research design was a quantitative …
Organizational Change: Evaluating The Effect Of Motivational Interviewing On Readiness To Change,
2015
Walden University
Organizational Change: Evaluating The Effect Of Motivational Interviewing On Readiness To Change, Conrado Joaquin Grimolizzi-Jensen
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Failure accompanies most organizational change efforts. Change agents' efforts focus on employee resistance or readiness to change without considering employee ambivalence. Motivational interviewing (MI) may reduce ambivalence and improve the success rate of organizational change initiatives. The purpose of this experimental research was to evaluate the effectiveness of MI to increase readiness to organizational change, to assess the influence of MI on change-related beliefs, and to investigate the relationship between beliefs and readiness to change. The theoretical framework was the transtheoretical model of change, the theory of planned behavior, and social cognitive theory. Through random assignment, 56 employees of a …
Independent Retail Business Owners' Perceptions Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act.,
2015
Walden University
Independent Retail Business Owners' Perceptions Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act., Bradley A. Hall
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 prompted the question of how independent businesses may react to the employer mandate in the PPACA. The law is based on the theory of managed competition and it is more likely to affect businesses with fewer employees than to affect larger businesses that already offer health insurance. The purpose of this quantitative, pre-experimental study was to examine the strategic responses of independent retail business owners in Hillsborough County, Florida, regarding their perceptions of the employer mandate in the PPACA. Before 2014, there was a great deal of non-peer-reviewed …
Financial Performance Outcomes Following System Replacement In The Insurance Industry,
2015
Walden University
Financial Performance Outcomes Following System Replacement In The Insurance Industry, Trevor James Owen
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Enterprise system replacement projects within the property and casualty insurance industry are costly, high-risk undertakings that carry a significant risk of project failure. The decision to replace policy administration systems for companies with over $250 million in direct written premium is a multimillion dollar investment for corporate strategic decision makers. This study examined the financial impact of enterprise policy administration system replacement in the property and casualty insurance industry by comparing financial performance results for companies that performed policy administration system replacements with those that did not. Insurance industry financial results for the years 2009 through 2014 were used for …
The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Leaders Practicing Mindfulness Meditation: A Phenomenological Investigation,
2015
Walden University
The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Leaders Practicing Mindfulness Meditation: A Phenomenological Investigation, Denise A. Frizzell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite the gap between the demands of the global work environment and the maturity of its leaders, minimal research exists on the trend of the practice of mindfulness meditation and the developmental experiences of leaders, thereby resulting in a growing divide between theory and practice. Consequently, leadership scholars have little understanding of how an increasing number of leaders experience mindfulness meditation. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceived impact mindfulness meditation had on leader development for 20 manager-leaders who had a regular (at least 3 days a week) mindfulness-meditation practice. The primary recruitment strategy included outreach …
Physician Participation In Crowdsourcing: Effect Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation,
2015
Walden University
Physician Participation In Crowdsourcing: Effect Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation, Rod Gene Brace
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Physicians must participate in developing medical protocols to ensure that medical best practices are adopted for patients' social benefit. Healthcare leaders have struggled to gain sufficient physician participation in developing medical protocols. Using technology-based crowdsourcing to assimilate knowledge from physicians may help healthcare managers improve medical protocol development. Using self-determination theory, this quantitative causal-comparative design aimed to determine whether differences in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation existed among the 132 participating physicians who did or did not participate in developing medical protocols in a crowdsourcing environment. Participants were recruited by e-mail through an independent physician association. Motivation levels were measured by …
Exploring Critical Success Factors Of The Redesigned Military Transitioning Program,
2015
Walden University
Exploring Critical Success Factors Of The Redesigned Military Transitioning Program, Gloria Jean Edwards
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A task force commissioned by President Obama overhauled the U.S. Military Transitioning Program (MTP) in 2012-2013. U.S. veterans have continued to struggle with military transitions following the MTP restructuring. The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore the critical success factors of the MTP after the redesign based on perceptions of 20 military officers intending to transition to the civilian sector in the National Capital Region. The problem studied was that there was no indication that the redesigned MTP was effective in helping officers transition to the civilian workforce. The study included 3 research questions and semistructured interviews were …
Financing School-Based Health Centers: Sustaining Business Operational Services,
2015
Walden University
Financing School-Based Health Centers: Sustaining Business Operational Services, Ingrid Monique Hayes-Burrell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
School-based health centers (SBHCs) have faced challenges in securing adequate funding for operations and developing sound business systems for billing and reimbursement. Specifically, administrators often lack strategies to develop and sustain funding levels to support appropriate resources for business operations. The focus of this descriptive study was to explore best practice strategies to develop and sustain funding through the experiences of SBHC administrators. The conceptual framework included Elkington's sustainability theory, which posits that corporate social responsibility, stakeholder involvement, and citizenship improve manager's effect on the business system. Twenty full-time SBHC administrators working in separate locations throughout the state of Maryland …
A Cross-Regional Comparison Of Fabricated Metals' Manufacturing Sector Resiliency,
2015
Walden University
A Cross-Regional Comparison Of Fabricated Metals' Manufacturing Sector Resiliency, Linda Ann Holt
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Fabricated metals' manufacturing sector employment in the United States declined following the onset of the 2008 recession. Premium compensation and benefits afforded to employees within the manufacturing sector amplified the negative effects of recessionary job losses. Using the regional macroeconomic complex adaptive systems (CAS) framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the geographic distribution of job losses, recovery rates, and adaptive behavior after the recession for the fabricated metals manufacturing sector by measuring and comparing effects in 50 East North Central division MSAs and 50 South Atlantic division MSAs in the United States. Independent sample t tests compared …
Experiences And Perceptions Of Liberian Business Leaders' Transformational Leadership Skills,
2015
Walden University
Experiences And Perceptions Of Liberian Business Leaders' Transformational Leadership Skills, Kingsley Lington Ighobor
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African business leaders may not be effective because of a lack of transformational leadership skills. Business leaders applying transformational leadership skills can strengthen relationships with followers and enhance organizational performance. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of Liberian business leaders regarding transformational leadership skills needed to lead profitable organizations. Building on a conceptual framework of transformational leadership theory, data were obtained from open-ended interviews of 20 Liberian business leaders operating in the capital city of Monrovia. Interviews were transcribed, coded, validated through transcript review, and analyzed to generate themes. The most prominent themes …
Lived Experiences Of Women Over 50 Who Have Experienced Involuntary Job Loss,
2015
Walden University
Lived Experiences Of Women Over 50 Who Have Experienced Involuntary Job Loss, Roxine Denise Phillips
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Both the short-term and long-term unemployment rates for older workers in the United States have increased significantly since the 2007 recession. Researchers who examine the impact of involuntary job loss have predominantly focused on the experiences of men. Limited prior research exists on the job loss experiences of women over 50 years of age compared to men. The goal of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by examining the lived experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss, the barriers faced to reemployment, and the ways women overcame the barriers to reemployment. A phenomenological …
Small Ethnic Restaurant Business Owner Strategies To Remain Operable Beyond 7 Years,
2015
Walden University
Small Ethnic Restaurant Business Owner Strategies To Remain Operable Beyond 7 Years, Nam Phuong Le
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The failure rate among small businesses is high. More than half of all small businesses fail within the first 7 years of operation. The purpose of this multi-case study was to explore the strategies that successful small ethnic restaurant owners employed to remain operable beyond 7 years. Three successful ethnic restaurant owners who have been operating their restaurant for at least 7 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada were selected. Data were gathered from participant interviews and from an examination of available physical artifacts such as the locations, premises, websites, and social media pages. The resource-based view by Edith …
When Does Six Sigma Reduce Defects And Increase Efficiencies?,
2015
Walden University
When Does Six Sigma Reduce Defects And Increase Efficiencies?, Richard Jay Sands
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A field research-based statistical study was used to investigate successes and failures of Six Sigma methodologies based projects. Six Sigma methodologies require that projects be designed, planned, and implemented using techniques specifically designed to achieve desired benefits that are based on the method's key drivers for project success. This study addressed an identified gap in the literature that Six Sigma projects do not fail because of Six Sigma methodologies, but that the projects can fail because of deficient support processes. Six Sigma projects that do not achieve the desired benefits are often labeled as "fads". Research questions related to management …
