Digital Commons Network^™

Middle Class Affordability In The Mountain West, 2023, Kian Parikh, Krish Sharma, Mohit Pande, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents 2023 data on the share of middle-class households that can afford basic necessities in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Brookings Institution report, “In every corner of the country, the middle class struggles with affordability,” provides metropolitan-level estimates across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This fact sheet focuses on middle class affordability data for the largest metro area in each Mountain West state and, where available, explores middle class affordability by race and ethnicity.

Universalism And Exclusion: Immigrants Through The Lens Of French Law And Media, George Mikhael Taliak, Abellia Anggi Wardani

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This research examines France’s Immigration Law LOI n°2024-42 du 26 janvier 2024 and its representation in three mainstream media outlets across the ideological spectrum: Le Figaro (right), CCFD-Terre Solidaire (left), and France Info (center). Using Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1995) and Maurice Halbwachs’s theory of collective memory, the study explores how legal and media discourses construct symbolic and administrative boundaries of national citizenship. Findings reveal that integration is framed not as civic inclusion, but as the internalization of a singular national identity and memory. Media reinforce this framework through divergent but convergent discursive strategies. At the macro level, the law …

Gendered Precarity, Informality And Survival Among Cambodian Women Migrants In Thailand, Sokha Eng

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Migration scholars have long assumed that women migrant laborers move as individuals, leave family behind, are governed by labor migration policies, and are employed full-time. However, in the context of South-South migration, many workers migrate as families, with husbands, wives, and sometimes even children. Some engage in the informal economy, serving as casual and on-call workers. These types of employment fall outside the scope of standard labor migration policies and therefore receive less attention. As a result, migrants’ experiences in such work arrangements remain underexplored. This study examines the experiences of Cambodian migrant women in Thailand by examining the case …

From Structure To Experiences: How Facility Capacity And Staffing Shape The Adoption And Impact Of Lgbt-Affirming Policies In Long-Term Care, Andrew Alberth

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Long-term care (LTC) settings – including nursing homes (NHs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) – provide necessary care for individuals with extreme health and functioning limitations. Sexual and gender minority (LGBT) older adults report challenges receiving effective, person-centered care LTC. Some LGBT older adults may hide their sexual orientation and gender identity when entering LTC settings or delay seeking needed LTC fearing discrimination from staff and other residents. Furthermore, staff in LTC settings indicate little awareness of LGBT-residents and possess inadequate LGBT-cultural competency necessary for providing person-centered care. Therefore, LGBT-residents LTC experiences remain underexplored in the broader research. Adopting LGBT-affirming …

Our Claims Matter: Latin American Migrants’ Nonviolent And Everyday Resistance Across Transnational Spaces, Pryanka Penafiel-Cevallos

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Latin American migrants engage in nonviolent resistance across transnational spaces in Ecuador, challenging dominant narratives that portray migrants primarily as passive actors or humanitarian subjects. Focusing mainly on Venezuelan, Colombian, and returned Ecuadorian migrants, the study places migrants’ political agency at the center of analysis. It asks how migrants resist, for what purposes, and under which conditions they mobilize nonviolent and everyday resistance practices to claim rights, dignity, and human security in a host country marked by both legal innovation and growing exclusion.

Drawing on civil resistance theory, everyday resistance approaches, and migration scholarship, the research …

Governing Climate Change For Sustainable Food Security In The Busoga Region Of Uganda, James Kintu

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Busoga, Uganda's most sugarcane-intensive sub-region, hosts seven mills and an expanding outgrower economy, yet remains among Uganda's most food-insecure areas, with over half of its households food-insecure. This study examined how governance of climate change and sugarcane expansion shapes capabilities for food access, land tenure, and decision-making among women, youth, and land-poor households in Jinja and Buyende.

The study developed an integrated CA-CEP-RFS framework, combining the Capability Approach, Comparative Environmental Politics, and the Resilient Food Systems framework, with Sen's Entitlement Framework bridging capabilities to production, trade, own-labor, and transfer entitlements. A qualitative case study drew on a documentary review, 27 …

The Effect Of State Policy On Individuals With Mental Illness In Nursing Homes: A Multilevel Analysis, Adrita Barooah

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECT OF STATE POLICY ON INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN NURSING HOMES: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

August 2026

Adrita Barooah, B.Sc., University of Delhi, India

M.S., University of Massachusetts Boston

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Pamela Nadash

The proportion of individuals living with a mental illness in U.S. nursing homes has grown substantially over the past few decades (Fashaw et al., 2020), raising serious concerns about care quality, resource adequacy, and costs to both nursing homes and government payers. The lack of adequate resources and knowledge has resulted in sub-par mental health care (O'Connor et al., …

Level Of Discrimination Experienced By Gender In Athletic Trainers And Professional Athletic Training Students, Emily Ghaussy, Seungyeon Kim, Jennifer Xu, Emily Madrak

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Context: Although women make up the majority of the athletic training field, gender-based discrimination continues to exist in the profession. Previous research exists; however, more current research on gender discrimination in the workplace is limited. This cross-sectional study examined level of perceived gender-based discrimination experienced by credentialed women athletic trainers and athletic training students in comparison to men athletic trainers and athletic training students. Four hundred forty-six cisgender men and women athletic trainers and athletic training students participated in our study. The median age was 28 years among cisgender women and 35 years among cisgender men.

Methods: Participants completed a …

Parameters Autumn 2026, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Flood Risk Assessment For Transportation Infrastructure In Fresno, Ca, Yushin Ahn, Fayzul Pasha

Mineta Transportation Institute

Urban roadway flooding in flat metropolitan environments often shows up as small areas of standing water rather than large, flowing floods. In low-gradient urban environments, subtle micro-topographic features—such as pavement crowns, curbs, and localized depressions—often control where surface water accumulates following rainfall. Accurately identifying these localized ponding areas is important for roadway flood screening and infrastructure management. This study develops a LiDAR-based depression mapping framework to identify roadway segments susceptible to surface ponding in flat urban environments. High-resolution airborne LiDAR datasets were used to generate detailed elevation maps (down to less than a foot in resolution) from ground-classified point clouds …

Economic Policies And Their Role In Enhancing Innovation: An Econometric Study Of South Korea (1996–2024), Ahmad M. Habeeb, Mahdi Saleh Sulaiman Al-Rikani

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This research aims to study and analyze the impact of macroeconomic policies (fiscal, monetary, and trade) on promoting innovation in South Korea during the period 1996-2024 using the ARDL model. The results of estimating the model’s parameters in the short and long run showed a stable equilibrium relationship, with an error correction coefficient of –0.173. This indicates that the Korean economic system possesses a self-correcting mechanism that restores equilibrium shocks within approximately 5 years and 9 months. The results also demonstrated the importance of education spending and the money supply in stimulating and promoting innovation, while trade liberalization had a …

Financial Behavior As A Mediating Variable Between Artificial Intelligence Applications And The Enhancement Of Financial Inclusion: An Analytical Study Of The Opinions Of A Sample Of Customers Of The Trade Bank Of Iraq (Tbi) In Al-Muthanna Governorate, Alaa Hussein Lrhayim, Kamal Kadhim Al-Hassani

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This analytical study aims to explain the nature of the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the enhancement of Financial Inclusion through examining the mediating role of Financial Behavior. The study was conducted on a sample of customers of the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) in Al-Muthanna Governorate. A structured questionnaire was designed to measure the main research variables, namely Artificial Intelligence, Financial Behavior, and the level of Financial Inclusion. The research gap stems from the limited ability of previous studies to explain how Artificial Intelligence can contribute to enhancing Financial Inclusion, as most studies have examined this relationship directly …

The Impact Of Certain Electronic Payment Methods On Iraqi Bank Credit For The Period 2018–2024, Kareem Muttair Hassan Al-Zayadi, Ali Jaber Abdul-Hussein Al-Maali

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The information revolution and the significant acceleration in the proliferation of electronic payment instruments over the last decade represent the primary frontier in reshaping traditional economic transactions, with the banking sector garnering the utmost attention in this domain, and beginning from 2018, Iraq initiated its digital financial transformation operations through the Central Bank launching initiatives to regulate the work of electronic payment companies, and the significance of this study lies in formulating an integrated analytical and econometric vision to explore the dynamic relationship between the expansion of these systems and the efficiency and trends of bank credit for the period …

The Impact Of Using Block Chain Technology On The Quality Of Financial Statements Of Economic Units, Hussein Abdul Mohsen Kazem

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The current research aims to identify the concept of Block Chain technology, its characteristics and mechanism of action, and to clarify the nature of the quality of financial statements in economic units, as well as to show the extent of the impact of the use of Block Chain technology on the quality of financial statements in economic units, as the research problem crystallized in the extent of the reflection of the use of Block Chain technology on the quality of financial statements of economic units, and the study adopted the (descriptive analytical) approach in presenting the theoretical frameworks and then …

The Role Of Green Accounting In Achieving Sustainable Development Through The Quality Of Accounting Information: An Empirical Study Of Iraqi Industrial Companies, Ahmed Neamah Abed, Anmar Adnan Khudhair, Farqad Mohammed Bakr Al Saadi

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The goal of this study is to highlight the role of green accounting, both direct and indirect, via the quality of accounting information, in achieving sustainable development goals in industrial companies in Iraq. The methodology was done based on data obtained in 2026 through a questionnaire sent to a random sample of 110 employees (accountants, heads of finance departments, finance managers and internal auditors) in industrial companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses and pathways by applying AMOS software. Furthermore, the results indicated that the green accounting is positively and …

Consumer Behavior In The Social Media Ecosystem: A Scoping Review Of Influential Factors, Huda Fadhil Gatea

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The rapid expansion of social media has fundamentally transformed the ways consumers search for information, interact with brands, and make purchasing decisions. This study provides a structured synthesis of the literature on consumer behavior in the social media ecosystem using a Scoping Review approach aligned with the PRISMA-ScR framework. The review aimed to map the main research streams, identify dominant thematic categories, and clarify the conceptual directions shaping this field. A total of 31 studies published between 2011 and 2025 were included in the final review following a multi-stage screening process involving identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and final inclusion. The …

The Impact Of Integrated Reporting In Rationalizing Investment Decisions And Value Enhancing, Asst Prof Dr. Muna Jabbar Mohammed

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The current research aims to identify and understand integrated reporting reports and to demonstrate their impact in investment decisions of publicly traded companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange and their role in enhancing the market value of these companies. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was distributed to a group of investors in the Iraq Stock Exchange and processed using the SPSS statistical software. The questionnaire was analyzed using several statistical methods (factor analysis, correlation coefficient, and simple linear regression). The research reached several conclusions, the most important of which is that integrated reporting reports are a means of …

The Mediating Role Of Production Process Efficiency Through Lean Production In Enhancing Institutional Excellence: An Applied Study At The Maysan Oil Factory, Asst. Lect. Wasan Jawad Kadhim

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study aimed to analyze the mediating role of production process efficiency in the relationship between lean production and organizational excellence, through an applied study at the Maysan Oils Factory. This was done within the framework of efforts to improve operational performance and enhance the competitiveness of industrial enterprises. The study’s significance stems from its highlighting of lean production as a modern strategic approach and its showcasing of the role of production process efficiency as an intermediary mechanism that contributes to achieving organizational excellence in the industrial environment. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach. The study population consisted of employees …

Servant Leadership And Organizational Loyalty: Examining The Mediating Effect Of Meaningful Work, Mezher Abdulsada Hunain, Hasan Oudah Abdullah

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study aims to examine the effect of servant leadership on organizational loyalty among administrative and technical employees at the University of Basrah, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of meaningful work in explaining this relationship. The study seeks to provide deeper insight into how servant leadership practices influence employees’ organizational attachment by enhancing their perception of work as meaningful, which in turn strengthens organizational loyalty. A quantitative research design was adopted, and a simple random sample of 362 employees was selected to ensure adequate representation across various colleges and administrative units within the university. Data were collected using …

The Impact Of Cyber Resilience On Achieving Digital Development: A Survey Study At North Oil Company, Huda Abdul Rahim Hussein, Ali Abdul Fattah Alshaher, Ahmed Zuhair Tawfiq

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The research aims to identify the impact of cyber resilience on achieving digital development in the North Oil Company within the framework of a conceptual model that relies on cyber resilience as an independent variable with its four dimensions (prevention, protection, response, recovery) and a dependent variable represented by digital development with its dimensions (digital infrastructure, digital skills, digital inclusion, technological innovation) The research adopted a survey methodology, and data was collected using a questionnaire developed based on previous studies that employed tested measures in the field of information systems and information security. The research sample consisted of 312 individuals …

Smart Financial Management Governance Based On Auditing As A Constitutional Mechanism For Accountability Of Algorithmic Authority, Ahmed Abdul Mahmood Al-Janabi, Yasser Saad Znad, Mohammed Salman Nima

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This research examines the structural transformations brought about by the increasing use of algorithms and intelligent systems in financial management. These transformations extend beyond simply improving operational efficiency; they reshape the logic of decision-making and the distribution of power within organizations. The research is based on the premise that intelligent financial management generates a new form of algorithmic power, exercised through relatively closed computational models. This limits the interpretability and accountability of financial decisions within traditional governance frameworks. Furthermore, the research seeks to reframe the audit function from a regressive, compliance-based oversight role to a constitutional mechanism capable of holding …

The Impact Of Generative Ai Applications On Employees’ Perceived Job Security: A Field Study In Knowledge-Intensive Organizations In Iraq, Hayder Ibrahim Hassoon

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study examines the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications on employees’ perceived job security within knowledge-intensive organizations in Iraq. A quantitative, descriptive–analytical field design was employed. Data were collected through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire administered to a stratified random sample of 420 employees from four organizations: Zain Iraq, Asiacell, Korek, and Rafidain Bank. The independent variable was operationalized through three dimensions: intensity of daily GenAI use, the impact of automation and job redesign, and organizational governance of GenAI use. The dependent variable was employees’ perceived job security. Reliability and construct validity supported the instrument’s adequacy for analysis, with …

Measuring And Analysing The Impact Of The Construction Sector On Per Capita Real Gdp In Iraq For The Period 2000–2024, Haider Abd Radhi

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study examines the extent to which the construction sector contributes to the national economy, specifically through its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) at constant prices and per capita GDP. as this sector, which constitutes a significant part of the national economy in Iraq, aims to achieve an increase in GDP and per capita GDP and to achieve economic growth through the development of infrastructure in Iraq. Standard methods were used to measure the impact of the construction sector (the independent variable) on per capita real GDP (the dependent variable) during the period from 2000 to 2024, using the …

The Role Of Agile Human Resources In Enhancing Job Performance: An Exploratory Study Of The Opinions Of A Sample Of Human Resources In The Traffic Directorate Of Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Wafaa Salman Ibrahim, James Yohana Odeesh

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

Many organizations face challenges related to poor job performance resulting from difficulty adapting to rapid changes in the work environment. This necessitates the adoption of modern management approaches capable of enhancing human resource efficiency and improving performance levels. Agile human resources is one of the most important of these approaches that contributes to enhancing job performance. Based on this, this research seeks to identify the role of lean human resources as an independent variable in enhancing job performance as a dependent variable in the Sulaimaniyah Governorate Traffic Directorate. The research relied on a questionnaire as a data collection tool, consisting …

Effectiveness Of Banking Marketing Strategies And Their Impact On Attracting Customers: A Comparative Study Between The Trade Bank Of Iraq (Tbi) And The Bank Of Baghdad, Azzam Saleh Abd

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The research problem centers on the growing gap between the marketing strategies adopted by Iraqi banks and the increasing expectations of customers in the digital age, which has led to a noticeable disparity in the ability to attract and retain customers between the public and private sectors. Despite its capital strength and sovereign status, the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) faces challenges in aligning its marketing flexibility with the needs of individuals versus large corporations, while the Bank of Baghdad struggles to promote trust and security to compete with government guarantees. To analyze this problem, three main hypotheses were formulated: …

Non-Parametric Bayesian Modeling For Predicting Financial Market Volatility, Maab Adil Sabbar, Ahmed Imad Jawad Alradhi

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study examines methodological developments in modeling financial market volatility, with a particular focus on Bayesian nonparametric approaches as flexible alternatives to traditional parametric models such as GARCH and stochastic volatility frameworks. While characteristics of financial time series—including fat tails, volatility clustering, asymmetry, and structural breaks—limit the effectiveness of rigid parametric specifications, nonparametric Bayesian tools such as Dirichlet Process Mixtures offer adaptive probabilistic structures that better capture the true behavior of returns.
Using daily data from the ISX Main 60 Index, the empirical analysis shows that although the GARCH(1,1) model achieves a good statistical fit, stable volatility estimates, and accurate …

Socioeconomic Determinants Of Malaria Infection Among Pregnant Women In Cameroon, Sub-Saharan Africa, Arnold Akosah Muluh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria during pregnancy is a significant public health issue in Cameroon, affecting maternal health and birth outcomes. Despite preventive measures, disparities exist among socioeconomic groups and between urban and rural areas. The study was guided by the social-ecological model and explored how socioeconomic factors and geographic location influence malaria infection in pregnant women. Specifically, the impact of wealth index, maternal education, and healthcare access on infection rates, considering maternal age, parity, and residence, was examined. Quantitative data from the Cameroon DHS Phase 8 were used (N=1204). The sample included pregnant women with valid malaria test results. Chi-Square tests and binary …

Advancing Clean Mobility: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Workforce Development For Transit Agencies, Manideep Tummalapudi, Shantanu Kumar, Jaskaran Singh

Mineta Transportation Institute

Hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) are rapidly transforming public transportation in the United States. However, while transit agencies are investing heavily in new zero-emission vehicles and fueling infrastructure, far less attention has been paid to the workforce needed to operate and maintain them. As agencies accelerate toward ambitious climate and fleet transition goals, they are also confronting a critical challenge: preparing workers for an entirely new set of technologies, safety requirements, and operational demands. This study addresses that gap by systematically identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for FCEB vehicle operators and maintenance technicians, assessing current training …

Do Nonprofit Ratings Help Donors Make Better Decisions?, Ashraf Haque

Center for Policy Research

Nonprofit organizations depend on donations to fulfill their missions, but donors choosing among 1.8 million U.S. public charities often lack the time or capacity to evaluate which organizations are actually performing well. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used a five-year panel dataset of over one million nonprofit-year records from GuideStar (2014–2018) to examine how transparency seal ratings affect donation behavior. The author finds that having any GuideStar seal increases donations by about 7% compared to having no seal, and that platinum-rated nonprofits receive 34% more in donations than unrated organizations, regardless of actual organizational quality. Donors do …

Connecting Families Through Cash Transfers And An Enabling Environment In Colombia, Mexico, And The Philippines: A Qualitative Study, Johanna K P Greeson, John Gyourko, Sarah Wasch, Kristin Mallory, Lory Fehlig, Cesar Jácome, Nestor David Lara Yanes, Fátima Areli Ruiz Gutiérrez, Dennis Guamos, Adele R. Lehman

Faculty Scholarship

Nearly 700 million people worldwide live in extreme poverty, and almost half of the world’s population lives below the poverty line. Cash transfer programs are increasingly used to address poverty’s effects on family well-being, yet less is known about how families experience programs that combine cash transfers with peer-driven mutual aid. Children International’s (CI) Community Independence Initiative (CII) provides conditional cash transfers and promotes family-led goal setting, mutual support, and shared learning. This qualitative study explored how families in Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines experienced CII and made meaning of its material and relational components. We conducted focus groups with …