Digital Commons Network^™

Lived Experiences Of Mothers Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Nigeria, Joyce Itseme Ulofoshio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism has no cure, but early and appropriate diagnosis and intervention may increase outcomes for individuals affected. The level of awareness, acceptance, and support for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nigeria is very low. There is a gap in the literature regarding a detailed account of the experiences of parents raising children with ASD within the Nigerian environment and culture. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of mothers raising children with ASD in Nigeria including the impact of Nigerian culture on their experiences. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was the guiding conceptual framework …

Sustained Education Access For Homeless Youth: Case Study Of U.S. Transitional Living Programs, Heather Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Without interventions to address homelessness among youth, the risk of homelessness for future generations is great. As a result, the federal government has invested in funding Transitional Living Programs (TLPs), though it is not clear whether these programs have achieved the intended outcomes of helping youth transition from homelessness to being able to sustain employment and avoid poverty through access to educational and workforce programs. Using the broad conceptualization of democratic governance as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to assess whether access to educational programs through TLPs benefitted homeless youth in terms of program success. Data …

Assessing Electoral Process Challenges Through Poll Workers' Performance In Sub-Saharan Africa-Togo, Kokouvi Momo Amegnran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Contenders disputing electoral results in Sub-Saharan African countries often attribute defects in presidential electoral processes to the implementation of rules and procedures. Yet despite the considerable decision-making authority poll workers are entrusted with and the significance of the tasks performed by therm, scholars have not closely investigated poll workers'contributions to elections' management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using principal-agent theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to examine the challenges encountered in the organization of the presidential election in Togo, held on April 25, 2015, with a particular emphasis on poll workers' job performance. Research questions focused on …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Smoking Cessation Program., Gideon Eke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forty-six million individuals in the United States used tobacco products. People who use

tobacco products attempt numerous strategies before giving up smoking habit altogether. The goal of this project was to evaluate the impact of a tobacco cessation program by evaluating pre-and post-cessation program data, and hospital records of participants attending the hospital smoking cessation program over a 6-month period to ascertain the degree of reduction in tobacco use and hospitalization from smoking-related diseases. The population sample comprised of both men and women between the ages of 18 years and above. The project question addressed whether the smoking cessation program …

Exploring Strategies For Implementing Data Governance Practices, Ashley Cave

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Data governance reaches across the field of information technology and is increasingly important for big data efforts, regulatory compliance, and ensuring data integrity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies for implementing data governance practices. This study was guided by institutional theory as the conceptual framework. The study's population consisted of informatics specialists from a small hospital, which is also a research institution in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. This study's data collection included semi structured, in-depth individual interviews (n = 10), focus groups (n = 3), and the analysis of organizational documents (n = 19). …

Urban Dwellers Experiences Regarding Loss Of Natural Environments Due To Rapid Urbanization, Erica Montanye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about how residents of rapidly growing cities are impacted by the loss of natural environments. Large cities are expanding at an exponential rate, reducing the presence of, and access to, natural environments for urban dwellers. Many benefits to human health regarding the presence of natural environments near where people live and work are known, but impacts of the loss of natural environments for urban dwellers are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to understand residents' experiences regarding the loss of natural environments and related impacts. Attention restoration theory and place attachment were the theoretical lenses …

Intermediate Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Instruction Strategies And Professional Development Needs, Barbara Jean Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1 urban Tennessee school, students in Grades 3 through 5 had not met adequate yearly progress in reading for the past 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of current district-recommended teaching practice in reading. The research questions related to current instructional strategies, teaching practices, challenges, and perceptions of current instructional strategies and changes needed to improve students' reading achievement. This study was grounded in the constructivist theoretical framework of Vygotsky. Twelve educators from Grades 3 through 5 and a reading specialist participated in this study. The data were collected from interviews, minutes …

The Experience Of Children Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, Melissa Scotch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that alters the way an individual perceives sensory information. Although the condition has been studied for more than 40 years, SPD remains a difficult condition to diagnose, treat, and live with because it affects individuals uniquely, and the symptoms can change from childhood to adulthood. For children diagnosed with SPD, the misinterpretation of sensory cues can cause difficulties in family, social, and academic settings. While there is some research on the assessment and treatment of SPD, what is missing is a deeper understanding of the family, social and academic challenges these children …

The Effect Of Volunteer Demographics On Nonprofit Volunteer Retention, Keri Vanoverschelde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations rely upon volunteers to assist in achieving their mission and reaching strategic operational goals. As the volunteer population in the United States has decreased, nonprofit organizations are challenged to recruit and retain volunteers. To improve operational efficiencies in nonprofit volunteer management, organizations need to implement more effective strategies to assign roles to volunteers and develop a better understanding of how those roles fit into volunteers' lives and the value systems of individual volunteers. The functional theory of volunteer behavior characterizes the values, understanding, social, career, protective, and enhancement functions as they relate to an individual's motivation for volunteering. …

Organizational Strategies For Developing New Stem Talent, Keri Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. business leaders are experiencing a deficiency within STEM skill sets in newly hired employees, resulting in challenges to business sustainability. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies used to develop new STEM employees for business sustainability. Participants included 5 IT business leaders who had experience developing new STEM employees in a technology organization in New York. The 3-part theory of knowledge management, knowledge creation, and knowledge transfer was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included face-to-face interviews and analyses of company training plans, videos, and internal websites. Methodological triangulation of the analysis technique included …

Supporting Secondary Teachers Of Low Socioeconomic Status Students In Language Arts, Stephanie Lynn Tootle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An achievement gap exists between students of low socioeconomic status (SES) and their peers, particularly in language arts despite intervention and legislation aimed at closing the gap. As a result, annual yearly progress is affected for schools that have a large population of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to determine what secondary language arts teachers in a school district know about supporting students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in instruction. Research questions were designed to explore teachers' knowledge about supporting the socio-emotional and academic needs of students from low SES backgrounds and to identify the …

Management Strategies And Intervention Program Readiness For Paroled Offenders And Ex-Offenders, Sylvia Jean Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Paroled offenders and ex-offenders' retention and completion for 3 small-sized prisoner-

release intervention programs in Columbus, Ohio, continue to decline. Prisoner-release

intervention programs aid paroled offenders and ex-offenders with societal reentry.

Influenced by the conceptual framework of the social control theory, this exploratory

multiple case study was designed to contribute to the common understanding of the

paroled offenders and ex-offenders' retention and completion in the small-sized prisoner

release intervention programs. The 18 participants included stakeholders from the

criminal justice system, prisoner-release intervention programs, community advocacy

organizations, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Analysis of data collected

from interviews and telephone …

Effects Of Lifestyle Changes On The Health Of African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Charles Duro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are adversely affected by Type 2 diabetes at a greater rate than their European American counterparts; however, research on the effects of Type 2 diabetes on African Americans is limited. Lifestyle modifications that include the incorporation of physical activity and dietary changes can help patients with Type 2 diabetes better manage their disease and improve their overall quality of health. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of African Americans with Type 2 diabetes who incorporated these self-management behaviors, discerning if they had improved health and quality of life. The self-efficacy framework was applied …

Social Responsibility Strategies To Improve Firm Performance, Dennis Vincent Reade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historical research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its influence on corporate financial and social results arrived at contradictory findings. Although 95% of the world's 250 largest corporations reported investing in CSR activities in 2011, some managers lack strategies to evaluate CSR effectiveness. This multiple case study explored strategies that 6 CSR managers with CSR oversight in privately owned companies in Brazil used to effectively enact CSR. The stakeholder theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through individual interviews and supplemented with company annual reports to explore the strategies managers employed to evaluate CSR effectiveness. Member …

The Influence Of Leadership On Nursing Professionalism, Lorelle Anne Wuerz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership style has been studied from various perspectives including transformational leadership and the components of leadership competencies needed to exhibit transformational styles. However, there was a gap in the literature on the influence of leadership style on nursing professional behaviors and overall professionalism. The purpose of this descriptive, phenomenological study was to understand and explore the beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of staff nurses on leadership style and its influence on professional nursing behaviors working in an inpatient care unit at a tertiary care center. The theory of transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for the study. A phenomenological approach was …

Information Technology Management Strategies To Implement Knowledge Management Systems, Mary Jane Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 38% of the U.S. public workforce will likely retire by 2030, which may result in a labor shortage. Business leaders may adopt strategies to mitigate knowledge loss within their organizations by capturing knowledge in a knowledge management system (KMS). The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that information technology (IT) managers use to develop and implement a KMS. The target population consisted of IT managers in a small-sized organization located in northwestern Florida who had implemented a KMS successfully. The conceptual framework for this study was organizational knowledge creation theory. The collection of public …

Strategies For Effective Financial Management In Vincentian Small Businesses, Kishore Nalin Shallow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of strategies for effective financial management has been an impediment to the survival and growth of many small businesses in Saint Vincent (St. Vincent), an island in the Caribbean. Inadequate adoption of strategies by small business owners is a prime contributing factor to small business failure. The purpose of this research was to identify strategies that small business owners use for effective financial management. Institutional theory served as the conceptual framework for this multiple case study. Participants consisted of 4 St. Vincent small business owners who had demonstrated effective financial management strategies in the operation of their businesses. …

Impact Of Social Support Networks On Level Of Stress And Self-Esteem Among Canadian Immigrants, Jackie Williamson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigration may be an effective survival strategy for individuals from countries involved in war or political unrest.However, the immigration process may exacerbate a number of physical and psychological health symptoms. There are limited data on the health status of new Canadian immigrants, and some social support networks are not formally connected to settlement programs.The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to assess the level of stress and self-esteem of 400 recent and older immigrants in Canada, and to investigate the impact of social support networks on the mental well-being of recent immigrants.Cultural care and general adaptation theory provided the …

Instructional Strategies Of Effective Mathematics Teachers Of African American Upper Elementary Students, Susan Warthen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National assessments have revealed that African American students do not demonstrate proficiency in mathematics to the same degree as their White counterparts; however, some teachers are able to guide their African American students to mathematics success. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the instructional strategies of teachers who have been successful in promoting mathematics achievement in African American students. This study was guided by a single research question that focused on the instructional strategies used by teachers whose African American upper elementary students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics on a state standardized test. Feuerstein's mediated learning experience …

Exploration Of Leadership Skills For Organizational Strategy Execution, Regina L. Banks-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multinational corporate leaders acknowledge that a lack of business direction by senior leadership results in a 68% failure in the execution of organizational strategies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what best practice solutions automotive manufacturing senior leaders created to help front-line managers execute organizational strategies. The population consisted of 20 automotive manufacturing senior leaders located in Michigan with significant years of automotive experience and at least a year of experience employed as an automotive manufacturing senior leader. Vroom's expectancy theory served as the conceptual framework for the study describing the enhancement of employee performance related to …

Online High School Achievement Versus Traditional High School Achievement, Katherine Elizabeth Blohm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The following study examined the question of student achievement in online charter schools and how the achievement scores of students at online charter schools compare to achievement scores of students at traditional schools. Arizona has seen explosive growth in charter schools and online charter schools. A study comparing how these two types of schools are educating students will benefit parents who are considering the viability of online charter schools for their children's education. This study investigated the difference between educational achievements at online charter schools versus traditional schools. The study compared 16 online high schools to 16 similar traditional high …

Pathways For Improving Nigeria's Procurement System, Donald Osebhawe Areguamen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The manual procurement processes used by some private companies result in increased costs and contract fulfillment delays. The focus of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies procurement managers use to reduce costs and contract fulfillment delays. The population for this study was three procurement managers of private plastics companies located at Maitama, in Abuja, Nigeria. Weiss's theory of change was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews and an exploration of company archival financial documents. Data were transcribed, coded, and then validated through member checking, resulting in the emergence of 5 themes: …

Perceptions Of Adolescents Suspended For School Drug Abuse, Katherine Bomba-Edgerton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School drug use has been attributed to the annual suspension of thousands of secondary adolescents, subsequently contributing to poor academics, low graduation rates, and continued school drug use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of former adolescents who engaged in school drug use. Social learning theory suggests that behaviors observed from within the environment may later be modeled. Using Bandura's social learning theory, 10 participants, 18 years old and older responded to open-ended questions about how they processed school drug use. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the responses to the open-ended questions were coded and analyzed. …

Effects Of Temperature And Precipitation On Giardiasis In Missouri, Lori Michelle Calderas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global Climate Change has empirical evidence to support the idea that CO2 levels may be affecting weather and health, including rates of infectious diseases. The Midwest region of the United States of America has had the highest increase in giardiasis rates in recent years, and Missouri was chosen for this study as a representative state in the Midwest. There is no definitive answer as to why the rates of giardiasis have changed from 2003 - 2013. The Theory of Climate Change was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this research was to determine whether temperature, …

Critical Soft Skills To Achieve Success In The Workplace, Gloria A. Meeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was a problem identified by human resources directors and managers in a medium sized community in the southeast of the United States. The problem was that some college graduates are not equipped with the necessary soft skills to be successful in the workforce. Executive directors and human resources managers brought this problem to the attention of the career center directors in the community. Goleman's theory of emotional intelligence was the theoretical framework to ground this study. This study involved purposeful sampling to select 9 human resources directors from local companies. To investigate soft skills in …

The President Management Agenda: An Examination Of Federal Employees' Perceptions, Famane Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gauging the quality of the relationship between federal managers and employees and its impact on organizational performance excellence is a continuing problem for the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM). President Barack Obama's President's Management Agenda mandated several actions- to respond to the problem. Part of the mandate was to use data from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to gauge the relationship between management and employees and overall performance. The FEVS is a tool that measures employees' perceptions of whether, and to what extent, conditions that characterize successful organizations are present in their agencies. The research question for the …

U.S. Young Adults Stds, Risk Perception, Risk Behaviors, And Health Information Seeking, Amanda Robison-Chadwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are preventable conditions for which treatment failure (specifically in gonorrhea) is becoming problematic. U.S. young adults (20-29 years) have high rates of STD incidence and prevention of these diseases, but reaching them to provide primary prevention educations is challenging due to low perceived susceptibility to infection and lack of knowledge about how young adults seek health information. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to assess the association between perceived susceptibility to STDs, sexual risk behavior, and the acquisition of health information as it pertains to sexual health topics in young adults. The Health Belief …

Quality Improvement Initiative About Patient Engagement With Clinicians In A Community Hospital, Cheryl Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem and efforts are needed to improve the care of individuals affected by the disease. A recent strategy for improving care within the healthcare system is patient engagement. Nurses and other health care clinicians can apply patient engagement into their clinical practice to improve the care they provide to their patients. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge and awareness of patient engagement among clinicians who work with CKD patients. This quality improvement project used Lewin's force field analysis to analyze driving and restraining forces to help develop …

Nurses' Reflection, Compassion Fatigue, And Work Burnout - A Correlational Analysis, Sarah Urban

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue and work-related burnout are harmful reactions to patient situations and work environments that negatively affect nurses' well-being and ability to provide safe, effective patient care. However, research is needed to understand how reflection as a self-care response to patient situations is related to nurses' development of work burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress, a type of compassion fatigue. The purpose of this correlational, cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine the relationship between hospital-based acute care nurses' levels of reflection and their levels of compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and work burnout. The study was based on Hentz …

Emotional Eating In The Work Place: The Eating Patterns Of Mental Health Workers, Carly Rene Zies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than a third of all adults in the United States are considered obese. Due to the high costs of health care for obese adults and children, obesity has become a national health crisis. Many government programs have been developed to curtail obesity in adults and children. Unfortunately, there has only been limited success. Past research has shown that obesity has been linked to stress and eating while stressed. Emotional eating occurs when individuals respond to certain emotions, such as stress, by eating to cope with the emotion. Research has shown a correlation between nursing and disordered eating. Given the …