Digital Commons Network^™

Transformational Leadership Strategies In U.S. Public Universities, Jason C. Hardman

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the transformational leadership strategies used by university leaders to transform their respective institutions of higher education in the post-pandemic era. The study builds on Bass's (1985a) transformational leadership model, and the guiding research question is, "What transformational leadership strategies do university leaders use to transform university environments?" The study utilizes a narrative inquiry approach to collect and analyze data from publicly available and accessible sources. The data analysis highlights four themes of transformational leadership practices, including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The findings reveal that transformational leaders exhibit high moral standards, personal …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community Based-Organizations: A Case Study Of Jewish Organizations, Orit Zigmanlador

Theses and Dissertations

When COVID-19 started to spread in March 2020, no one could anticipate the impact it would have on the world. Social behavior is one key aspect that has changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic. Through restrictions that imposed social distancing, masks, and quarantines, feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation increased. At the same time, there was also evidence of prosocial behavior, with the emergence of people helping those in need. As the pandemic turns endemic with restrictions lifting, the longstanding impact of the pandemic on people’s behavior is still unclear. One way to explore this phenomenon is through …

Examining Alignment Of Leadership Education And Observed Practices: A Study Of Leadership Studies Department Chairs, Sara Zare

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how leadership studies academic department chairs’ leadership is influenced by their discipline and their professional identities as leadership educators. This study is an exploration of the alignment between leadership theories and practice. Two conceptual frameworks informed this study: (a) the leadership educator professional identity development (LEPID) model (Seemiller & Priest, 2015) and (b) the four frames model (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Using the LEPID model, this study investigated the intersection of leadership education professional identity dimensions and the leadership role of the leadership studies academic department chairs. Bolman and Deal’s (2017) four frames model was used …

The Trickle-Out Effect Of Prioritizing Well-Being, Kelsey M. Stout

Theses and Dissertations

This research builds upon previous studies of the effects of inequity theory on well-being at work. The purpose of this study was to understand the intersection of equity theory and well-being for US employees in modern corporate organizations. Specifically, the study aims to answer the research question-When one employee prioritizes their well-being, how does it affect their work teammates’ well-being? Twenty full-time corporate employees from various companies and industries each participated in a survey and an interview. Overall, this research found that prioritizing well-being at work generally positively impacts those around them. However, it has a negative impact when the …

The Heads-Ed: A Psychosocial Screening For Pediatric Patients In Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review, Jessica Burns

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of mental health (MH) conditions among the pediatric population are rising steadily (Abramson, 2022; Clark et al., 2019). Given that MH symptoms and concerns frequently present in the emergency department (ED)-particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic-the ED setting may be a practical and effective setting to implement screening measures to identify youth at risk for mental illness and suicide (Leeb et al., 2020; Leff et al., 2021). This integrative systematic review examined the extent to which the HEADS-ED, one specific psychosocial screening measure, has been administered in the ED setting with youth and which healthcare professionals …

Overcoming The Space Between Us: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Bridge Building, Kate Hanisian

Theses and Dissertations

Facilitators in organization and community contexts (and other practitioners whose job it is to move groups of people forward together) are faced with the undercurrent of human conflict every day in meetings and gatherings around the world; often with limited access to an overarching tool to help prevent and manage conflict in most settings. The purpose of this paper was to uncover patterns in bridge building practices so that anyone who finds themselves in the role of facilitating conversations between people who are very different or do not like each other might lean into a set of practices that can …

Black Midwives For Black Mothers: Ameliorating Racial Disparities In The Quality Of Maternal Healthcare, Kimberly Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, maternal mortality represents a dire health crisis with a stark racial imbalance. Black women are two and a half to three times more likely to die from pregnancy and birth-related complications than their White counterparts. Racial disparities in maternal health can be explained by variations in the quality of maternal healthcare services that women tend to receive. Racial and ethnic minority women are more likely to receive inferior quality prenatal care (PNC), which brings to question the care model of traditional PNC and its adequacy in serving the healthcare needs of Black women. Since Black women …

An Examination Of Student’S Motivation To Learn In Higher Education: A Study Of Contributing Factors To Undergraduate Students’ Motivation, Aida Jafari

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation is a complicated concept and difficult to measure and study; nevertheless, it is a substantial factor in students’ performance that demands extra attention. Instructors across all grade levels and disciplines struggle to cultivate classroom environments that focus on student interactions and promote interest where high-quality work is produced (Middleton & Perks, 2014). Educators have been searching for new strategies to improve instruction and student learning, and they keep looking for new ways to increase student motivation (Middleton & Perks, 2014). Moreover, practical knowledge in the classroom depends on the instructor’s ability to stimulate the interest and motivation that brought …

Evaluating The Prevalence And Dimensions Of Poetry Interventions To Enable Change And Transformation In Organizations, Elizabeth Kathleen Mcgraw

Theses and Dissertations

Today, organizations and their employees operate in times of increased complexity, ambiguity, and constant change. Traditional methods for enabling change and transformation are no longer sufficient to generate alignment and shared understanding to create adaptive ways of working. Organizations must identify new tools when engaged in change and transformation. Poetry, a time-honored practice, is an unconventional choice for organizational interventions. Still, it may be a solution for organizations seeking to unstick, reframe, and pivot quickly toward a new and shared reality. This study evaluated the practice and dimensions of poetry interventions used by change practitioners when enabling change and transformation …

Non-Binary Experiences In The Context Of Gender Dichotomization: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Chyna (C.J.) Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Gender diverse persons have historically and presently faced unique challenges, marginalization, and discrimination. The lived experiences of the transgender nonconforming population are still widely unresearched, and most research treats transgender and transgender nonconforming (TGNC) people as a homogeneous group. This neglects the nuanced and diverse experience of the TGNC population. This integrative systematic review of the literature was conducted in order to identify and highlight the experiences of transgender nonconforming persons in the context of a binarily set world. The following questions guided this study: (a) What are the identity-related experiences of non-binary individuals in the context of gender dichotomization?, …

The Intersection Of Ethnic-Racial Identities And The Development Of Leadership Identity For Asian American Women Leaders And The Impact On Their Success, Nann Chan Chan Aye

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the intersectionality of ethnic-racial identity and leadership identity in Asian American Women Leaders (AAWLs) in the United States and its potential impact on leadership success. Findings reveal that community, inclusivity, and growth are the elements that intersect the three pillars: ethnic-racial identity, leadership identity, and organizational climate/environment for AAWLs to embrace the ownership of collective leadership identity. AAWLs strongly desire to foster positive organizational cultures that value service, collaboration, trust, autonomy, diversity, and growth. Another prominent finding is the enthusiasm of AAWLs to share and pass down learnings and experiences through open dialogues and mentorship to fellow …

Strategies To Influence Meaning Creation To Address Resistance In A Change Initiative, Rebecca L. Escobar

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change has been a constant and essential aspect of human societies for centuries, driving innovation and adaptability. However, despite the abundance of models and content on managing change, organizations still struggle to implement and sustain effective transformations. This research aims to address this challenge by exploring strategies to create meaning and address resistance during transformational change. The research will employ a qualitative approach, conducting 15 interviews to capture participants' experiences and strategies in influencing meaning creation during change initiatives. The data collected will be transcribed, coded, categorized, and analyzed for themes, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the strategies …

The Quest For Institutionalization Of Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms In The Ethiopian Criminal Justice System To Spur Social Change In The Country, Daniel Wolde Sugamo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study with the exploratory design was to explore the barriers, as perceived by Ethiopia’s national elders and women ambassadors of peace, that may impede the incorporation of Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms (ICRMs) within the federal criminal justice system of the country to spur social change and to provide a clear policy orientation for this incorporation to take place. The servant leadership model and an ubuntu-based leadership approach provided the theoretical framework. A sample group of 20 elders who represent a number of ethnic groups at the national level participated in one-on-one interviews, and 15 …

Growing The Future Of Agriculture: An Examination Of Knowledge-Sharing And Community Building In The Fresh Produce And Floral Council, Oscar Guzman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines knowledge-sharing practices within a community of practice (CoP) through a case study of the Fresh Produce and Floral Council (FPFC). The study sought to investigate how the FPFC promoted agricultural knowledge and expertise, impacted its members' social relationships and knowledge-sharing practices, communicated clear roles and expectations, and provided valuable and accessible resources. A mixed-methods approach was employed to investigate the research questions, which involved conducting a survey and utilizing descriptive statistics, frequencies, and Spearman correlations to analyze both the Likert scale and open-ended responses. The findings suggested that the FPFC has a knowledge-sharing culture promoting active participation …

Effectiveness Of Writing Interventions For The Treatment Of Trauma: A Systematic Review, Melissa Maccarini

Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness for writing interventions in the treatment of trauma has been a long-researched topic with research continuing to be conducted. This systematic review with narrative synthesis aimed to examine the effectiveness of writing interventions over the past two decades in reducing trauma or related symptoms in adults diagnosed with PTSD or having experienced a criterion-A event. Researchers searched the following databases: PsycINFO, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest (PTSDPubs), and PubMed. The last search yielded 100 manually full-text screened studies, with 18 articles included in the systematic review. The results point to some evidence for statistically significant decreases in trauma or related …

An Evaluation Of Cultural Integration And The Malleability Of Socio-Cultural Constructs In Global Organizations, Sheri Mackey

Theses and Dissertations

This study responds to calls for pragmatic context-driven scholarship to evaluate the perceived need for cultural integration in global organizations. This paper aims to fill the gap between theoretical frameworks and contemporary phenomena with a grounded theory, quantitative ethnography study designed to explore the perceived need for cultural integration to improve business outcomes in global organizations, while also evaluating the perceived need for a dedicated framework to develop cultural integration to shift socio-cultural epistemic frames in global teams. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 18 global executives, while 173 surveys were completed by global team members. Analysis of …

Women Of Color In Higher Education Institutions: Strategies To Attain Administrative Leadership Positions, Oghenemano O. Evero

Theses and Dissertations

Race and gender continue to be contributing factors to the disparity and lack of representation that exists among higher-education leaders. This study examines the lived experience of women of color to identify the strategies they utilized to attain administrative leadership roles at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Participants included women of color leaders with at least 5 years of experience in higher education and in a leadership role. Participants also had advanced degrees. Using a narrative inquiry design, the study involved semi structured interviews to gather data from the sample population. The seven (7) women of color HEIs administrative leaders …

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Fair Evaluation And The Role Of Decision Makers, Mona Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine fair evaluations and the role of the decision-makers in the reasonable accommodation process. In many instances, fair evaluations in the reasonable accommodation process which disabled employees experienced, were challenging and looked upon as perceived discrimination in decision-making process. A review of the literature identified further clarification and insight into educating decision-makers about the disability laws, and then altering their behavior in granting reasonable accommodations. The literature progressed with discussions surrounding why every qualified disabled employee should be accommodated as long as the reasonable accommodation is not an undue hardship to the …

Successfully Transitioning Executives During Times Of Multidimensional Change: A Delphi Study Examining Organizational Practices In Large Hospital Systems, Lilicia Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare is the fastest growing industry in the United States and globally. Economists forecast that as the population grows and life expectancy increases, the healthcare sector will continue expanding to meet consumer needs domestically and globally. Population aging and the emergence of global pandemics has substantially increased the demand for healthcare services and has created volatile, complex, uncertain, and ambiguous conditions that ignite social, economic, and workforce shifts within and outside the organization. While these factors require growth and agility within healthcare organizations, high turnover in the healthcare workforce threatens these organizations’ ability to effectively fulfill their mission. The high …

Exploring The Intersection Of Self-Talk And Decision-Making, Chris M. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the intersection of self-talk and decision-making. Leaders in today’s world face increasing volume and complexity of decisions. Using a phenomenological approach to understanding the experiences of people managers in the United States, this research conducted interviews to understand the role self-talk plays in a people manager’s decision-making processes and to what extent self-talk influences people managers to avoid making a decision. Findings suggest that self-talk is a foundational component of decision-making. A manager’s awareness of how to best leverage and manage self-talk may increase an organization’s capacity for strong decision-making.

A Qualitative Analysis Of Beliefs Related To Gender Equality In The Church Of Christ, Timothy J. Priestley

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, American Christian churches, including the Church of Christ, have grappled with the role of women in their congregations. As women have gained legal rights, expanded social roles, and access to leadership, certain churches, including the Church of Christ, have lagged in adapting to these changes. This study aims to understand the organizational change process within these churches, exploring why belief systems can be slow to change and how some congregations have successfully transitioned from a complementarian to an egalitarian stance related to women's leadership roles. The research employs a contextual lens, considering how human psychology influences beliefs …

Best Practices Utilized By School Counselors In Increasing Latino Male College Readiness, Robert Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to identify best practices incorporated by secondary school counselors in California high schools that promote, support, and increase college-going identity and foster a supportive college-going environment for Latino male students. The researcher used a phenomenological qualitative study to capture the best practices and strategies academic counselors utilize to overcome the challenges of increasing Latino male academic achievement and college readiness. The findings of this study suggest that practices such as building supportive and caring environments, developing a college-going culture, increasing college readiness opportunities for Latino males, and targeted support increase college readiness among Latino males. Recommendations from …

Reducing Hiv Transmission For African American And Latino Gay And Bisexual Men: An Integrative Systematic Review, Brian Andrew Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

Black and Latinx men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV and have been for several years. It continues to be pervasive in both communities. Therefore, this review aims to examine the existing literature and succinctly discuss what has occurred in the fight to reduce HIV transmission rates for Black and Latino men. This review posed the following questions: (a) What are the unique challenges for Black and Latino gay and bisexual men in adherence and usage of PrEP medication? (b) What behaviors increase HIV transmission risk specific to Black and Latino gay and bisexual men? (c) …

Novel Strategies In Head And Neck Tumor Therapy; Contribution Of Senescence In Therapy Response, And Resistance Development After Cisplatin Treatment, Fereshteh Ahmadinejad

Theses and Dissertations

Therapeutic outcomes achieved in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients by concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy initially reflect both tumor regression and tumor stasis. However, local, and distant metastasis and disease relapse as well as cisplatin-induced resistance are common in HNSCC patients. In the current work, we demonstrate that cisplatin treatment induces senescence in both p53 wild- type HN30 and p53 mutant HN12 head and neck cancer models. We also show that tumor cells can escape from senescence both in vitro and in vivo. We further established a cisplatin-resistant cell line from HN30 parental cell line that underwent brief senescence …

Religiously Responsive Pedagogy In Christian Schools: A Qualitative Exploration Of Faculty Perceptions Of Faith Integration, Andrea R. Woodard

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study introduced a theoretical framework of Religiously Responsive Pedagogy (RRP) and explored the ways in which RRP is enacted in Christian schools, along with the barriers and supports that may exist for effective RRP within those schools. The study investigated PK-12 faculty perceptions of faith integration, responsiveness to students, and school support in order to develop this new framework. Twelve teachers participated in a semi-structured interview via Zoom, which included four scenarios to probe teacher perspectives on RRP. The data was coded recursively using Boeije’s (2002) constant-comparative method.

The primary research questions addressed were:

• How do teachers at …

  ---

  Go to article

Effect Of Apical Preparation Size On Endodontic Treatment Outcomes, Joseph Vaughn

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Previous authors have attempted to identify the ideal apical preparation size needed to achieve endodontic treatment objectives. Despite vast literature on the topic, there exists a lack of consensus on ideal apical enlargement, with few studies discussing the effect of apical prep enlargement on clinical outcomes. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of final apical preparation size on endodontic outcomes in maxillary and mandibular molars treated in both a graduate endodontic clinic and a private practice.

Methods: A chart review was conducted for patients seen at the VCU graduate endodontic clinic as well as …

Contribution Of Metabolic Cell Swelling On Microcirculatory Perfusion In Septic Shock, Charles E. Payne

Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis, a systemic immunological response that leads to organ-dysfunction, the development of septic shock, and death has mortality rate of 15-25%. A subset of sepsis, septic shock, has an in-hospital mortality rate of 30-50%. Sepsis and its treatment are the most expensive healthcare problem in the United States with the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimating annual costs over $20 billion. Hypoxia experienced in septic shock induces metabolic cell and tissue swelling leading to further microcirculatory dysfunction and poor tissue perfusion. Reversing metabolic cell swelling corrects these perfusion defects. Two models were used in rats to induce septic …

The Wound Healing And Antibacterial Properties Of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Extracellular Matrix Nanoparticles, Emily N. Wandling

Theses and Dissertations

Treatments for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are still unavailable and the prevalence of the disease has only increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mechanical ventilation regiments are still utilized to support declining lung function, but they also contribute to lung damage and increase the risk of bacterial infection. The anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative abilities of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown to be a promising therapy for ARDS. We propose to utilize the regenerative effects of MSC secretome and the extracellular matrix (ECM) into a nanoparticle. Our mouse MSC (MMSC) ECM nanoparticles were characterized using size, zeta-potential, and mass spectrometry …

Combining Novel Direction Modulated Brachytherapy Tandem-And-Ovoids Applicators For Treatment Planning Of Multi-Institutional Cervical Cancer Cases: Removing Needles In Intracavitary-Interstitial Techniques, Sharmin Alam

Theses and Dissertations

Lack of standard guidelines for optimal needle insertion during high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary-interstitial (IC-IS) brachytherapy of the cervix means a sophisticated and technical skillset of inserting needles next to IC applicators must be developed to enhance plan quality. This study sought to evaluate the performance of two separate direction modulated brachytherapy (DMBT) tandem applicators used in conjunction with one set of novel DMBT ovoids, to effectively obviate the need for IS needles.

A cohort of 32 retrospective clinical HDR brachytherapy plans was re-planned with Varian’s BrachyVision^® treatment planning system, using VEGO^® inverse optimization algorithm, with dose heterogeneity accounted for …