Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Health Insurers Towards Pay-For-Performance As A Cost Control Model For Hospital Services, Mandlenkosi Moyo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hospital costs are the most significant portion of health-related costs incurred by non-profit health insurers registered as medical schemes in South Africa. Medical schemes continue to use retrospective reimbursement models for hospitals despite general acknowledgment that these models do not limit hospital costs and utilization. Although medical schemes are interested in implementing alternative reimbursement models, such as pay-for-performance (P4P), they are uncertain about which P4P models they can use to reduce hospital costs, resulting in their inability to make critical changes to their costs from traditional fee-for-service models. This qualitative exploratory multiple case study used 17 open-ended case interviews to …

The Role Of Leadership On Corporate Governance, John Brackett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Corporate governance and internal controls over the accounting and financial reporting processes are critical to timely and accurate financial data reporting. Sheikh (2019) concluded that internal controls establish accepted practices, manage risk choices in decision-making, and improve ongoing monitoring activities to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and company policy. Wang and Zhou (2016) identified leadership as a critical component of corporate governance and concluded that a company’s accounting process and related controls were interdependent with enterprise management and directly correlated to the sustainability of operations and business success. The Board of Directors and the Chief Audit Executives are responsible for …

The Failure Of Imagination: A Theoretical And Pragmatic Analysis Of Utopianism As An Orientation For Human Life, Maverick Edwards

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Utopian theorists have long attempted to imagine “perfect” frameworks for human life. From Plato’s description of the ideal, state-centric society in the “Laws”, to Murray Rothbard’s anarcho-capitalist society, theorists have created a myriad of solutions they believe will fix most, if not all, human dilemmas. In analyzing these utopian projects from pragmatic and theoretical perspectives, this paper will argue that utopias are a failed project. Pragmatically, the development of utopia has a long and consistent track record of failure. Even the “successes” of utopian thought are under scrutiny, as they ultimately collapsed. Theoretically, the conceptualization of “perfection” entails unimaginable risk. …

Modern-Day Korahites In Crisis: Causes And Consequences Of Moral Failure In Worship Leaders, Adely Thelus Charles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the Bible and throughout the history of Christianity, examples of moral failure in ministry leadership demonstrate a negative impact on the leader's family, congregations, faith traditions, and ministry efficacy. This qualitative study examines the causes and consequences of moral failure in worship leadership by considering the biblical account of Old Testament leaders who morally failed and apply psychological principles to assess moral fragility that may be faced by some worship leaders. Finally, this study offers biblical principles and practical strategies that target the potential pitfalls of leadership in an effort to hinder moral failure among worship leaders.

Gamification Strategies For Music Educators: An Online Continuing Education Course, Luis Enrique Espinosa

Masters Theses

This curriculum project is designed to provide music educators in the public and private sector with introductory knowledge about the topic of gamification and game-based learning, framed within the scope of an online continuing education course. It is meant for adult learners who teach young musicians in the K-12 range. The course offers a set of strategies and step-based processes that help transform a traditional music lesson plan into an interactive and meaningful learning experience that leverages games. The games created by the students in the course can serve to motivate music students by incorporating a sense of competition and …

Organizational Strategies To Promote Nurse Resilience In The Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Setting: An Integrative Review, Marcia A. Depolo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nurses practicing in acute care hospital environments are exposed to constant stressors from a variety of sources. Workplace stress can lead to unhealthy coping behaviors, illness, and burnout, with intent to leave the organization or the nursing profession altogether. Resilience-building strategies can be employed to foster coping, improve nurse wellbeing, increase job satisfaction, promote retention, and enhance quality patient outcomes. This integrative review provides a synthesis of scholarly publications on nursing resilience from January 2014 through October 2020. Themes to promote nursing resilience occurred at three levels: personal or individual, unit or group, and organizational. This paper will provide a …

From Ideology To Implementation: Moving One Church Staff From An Aspirational Mindset Of Developing Leaders To An Actionable Movement Of Leadership Development, Trevor Blake Hislop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to a recent article on “The Paradox of Leadership” from Harvard University, there are more than 15,000 books in print on the topic of leadership, and the number of works written about leadership in the past decade is greater than the total number of works ever written. So, if leadership is so highly valued in our culture today, then why is there a decline in leadership development in the church? Additionally, there are a growing number of churches that have detailed programs for leadership development; however, few churches are producing new leaders. Church at Viera in Viera, Florida, embraces …

Co-Creating The Future: Working With Groups To Assess, Plan, And Innovate, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evolving conditions require organizations to change. Organizational leaders must engage with stakeholders to co-create their shared future; in many cases, this involves working with groups of people. This presentation shares five techniques for facilitating effective group sessions:

1. Establish and uphold rules of engagement.
2. Ask specific, deliberate questions.
3. Use constraints to unleash creativity.
4. Use concrete resources to stimulate thinking.
5. Sequence activities to achieve desired outcomes.

A Project To Implement A Missional Development Program Within The Sandy Creek Baptist Association Of Illinois, Robert Thomas Kean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following dissertation will present the issue of declining membership and baptisms over the past fifty years in Sandy Creek Baptist Association of Illinois, (SCBAI). This study will show the need for collaboration by the Association members to address this issue and encourage the members to consider spiritual formation towards vitality. The study will include surveys seeking pastoral input, Director of Missions input, and membership of the SCBAI input regarding missional endeavors in local ministries. A plan toward new missional goals in the churches of SCBAI and in the local communities will be discussed. The goal of the project is …

Factors Affecting Microsoft Dynamics Erp Implementation Project Success, Jt Patterson Gorrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the effect the project schedule has on extensions to project duration and budget overruns of Microsoft Dynamics ERP implementation projects. This larger problem was explored through an in depth study of the completeness of the detailed project schedules, the alignment of the detailed project schedules with the activities and deliverables of the ERP implementation methodology, the incorporation of the detailed project schedules into the project manager’s daily project governance activities, and its effect on project adherence to budget and timeline and the organizational behavior of project resources. This study followed the constructivism paradigm and utilized the case …

Faculty-Student Mentoring-Relationship Experiences Of African-American/Black Ces Doctoral Students, Steven Odipo Siaji

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological qualitative inquiry explored the lived experiences of African American/Black (AA/Black) doctoral counselor education and supervision students in relation to faculty-student mentoring relationships. The literature review provides a theoretical framework based on Miller’s (1976) theory of relational-cultural theory. Data were collected through a demographic survey and in-depth telephone interviews. Data analysis included identifying participants’ significant themes, utilizing themes to create structural and textural descriptions, and ultimately describing the essence of participants’ experiences. The five themes that emerged, related to participants’ lived experiences, were these: belonging within the African American/Black community, coping, racism, and multiculturalism. The study results suggest that …

Enhancement Of Cohesion And Engagement Through Motivational Factors In The Multi-Generational Workforce, Ralph Jason Hemphill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leaders in all corporations will have to answer the multi-generational challenges in the workplace to motivate their employees by maintaining cohesion and engagement (Ahmad & Ibrahim, 2015; Lazaroiu, 2015). A gap in the literature exists to understand how leaders can create group cohesion and engagement by possessing the instruction and tools necessary to adequately lead the multi-generational diverse workforce to long-term success of the medical device division (Cote, 2019; Dwyer & Azevedo, 2016; Lewis & Wescott, 2017; Stegaroiu & Talal, 2014; Wesolowski, 2014). The central research questions in this qualitative case study addressed the understanding of how leaders use motivational …

A Guarding Of The Change: Saudi Arabia, Iran, And The Quest For Stability In The Middle East, Scott Harr

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

This article analyzes the composition and disposition of Western-style reform efforts within Saudi Arabia and Iran (the Middle East's premiere rivalry) and argues that several current and prominent US policy efforts and actions, that appear to enjoy widespread support, actually frustrate reform efforts in each country and perpetuate the unstable status quo. Focusing the analysis from a historical and religious lens, the article uses historical sources, coupled with an analysis of current events and modern theories on change dynamics to make the argument. As tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia (and the US) continue to escalate and compel US military …

Low Health Literacy Impact On Heart Failure Patients' Readmissions: An Integrative Review, Melissa S. Goodwin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Heart failure is a common chronic disease that affects numerous people throughout the world. Low health literacy plays a critical role in heart failure mismanagement. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize what is known about the impact of health literacy of heart failure patients’ readmissions. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, and PUBMED databases were searched for the years 2010-2020 and for English language articles. The findings indicated that low health literacy has a significant impact on heart failure patients’ unplanned readmissions. Interventions for low health literacy also affect outcomes for heart failure patients; for example, reduce unplanned hospital readmissions. …

Integration Of A Pediatric Cardiovascular Health Model Within The Primary Care Setting, Mary Carol Logalbo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cardiovascular diseases are a chronic pandemic and leading cause of mortality globally. This pandemic has been studied thoroughly and it is well known that approximately 80% of cardiovascular diseases are preventable through maintenance of healthy lifestyles and early detection of risk beginning in childhood. Because the majority of children are born with healthy cardiovascular systems, the role of the pediatric primary care provider is to identify and manage such risk factors including obesity. There is extensive literature regarding barriers to obesity prevention and management including lack of clinician diagnosis of overweight or obesity, limited time for cardiovascular screening and education, …

A Qualitative Study On The Detrimental Impacts Of Attrition In Mid-Level Managers In The Marine Corps, Richard Lee Diddams Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative, case study research was to explore leadership and retention factors associated with Marine Corps officers the Marine Corps desired to retain until retirement eligible. The objective was to explore the views of Command and Staff students who were at the mid-point of their career and faced with retention decisions. The study incorporated a comprehensive document review focused on leadership and retention, Marine Corps precepts involving promotion and retention policies, Marine Corps leadership and retention archival documents, and participant interviews using semi-structured questions to obtain insight into the research questions. The study involved the dynamic relationship …

The Correlation Between Pastors’ Leadership Style, Their Organizational Change Commitment, And Their Organization’S Readiness For Change, Jerusha Smith Drummond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental correlational study was to determine whether a relationship exists between pastors’ perceptions of transformational leadership, pastors’ organizational change commitment, and their organization’s readiness for change, controlling for gender, age, education, tenure, and geographical location of lead pastors in the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) churches. Leadership and change are intertwined; thus, pastors’ commitment to organizational change and their organization’s readiness for change highlights dynamic leadership in the management of church life. The pastor must possess a leadership style that moves the church toward organizational change while keeping parishioners in attendance. The study answers the following …

The Experiences Of Xavier Grace’S District Leaders’ Engagement In Large-Scale School Redesign: An Intrinsic Case Study, Almecia Monique Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to understand the experiences of district leaders and what they perceived as best practices for engaging in large-scale school redesign. The theory guiding this study was the 21st century learning theory developed by the extensive research of multiple educational theorists (Brown, 2005, 2006; United States Department of Education, 2018; P21, 2018). This study was designed to answer the following central question and three research questions: CQ) What are the unique experiences of Xavier Grace district leaders as the district implemented a 21st century school redesign? RQ1) How do professional development activities impact …

Exemplary Nonvocational Ministry Leadership Practices In Predominantly Black Southeastern Connecticut Churches: A Quantitative Study, Stephenie R. Guess

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine how nonvocational (unpaid) ministry leaders demonstrated exemplary leadership practices while ministering in predominantly Black Southeastern Connecticut churches. The study also showed how much theological training nonvocational ministry leaders received. Volunteer leadership is a critical resource for the church. Purposive nonprobability sampling produced a sample from an unknown population of nonvocational ministry leaders serving predominantly Black Southeastern Connecticut churches. Surveys distribution was via U.S. mail to pastors at 20 churches identified from e-mail distribution lists and social media posts. Sixty-eight participants completed the survey, which incorporated a demographic questionnaire and the Leadership …

Relationship Of Transformational Leadership And Organizational Change During Enterprise Agile And Devops Initiatives In Financial Service Firms, Christopher J. Kuiper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rate of organizations adopting Agile and DevOps methodologies has grown in recent years, with researchers observing the impact of leadership styles and methodology adoption, presenting challenges with sustaining and scaling change initiatives. Where organizations within the marketplace today reveal the significance of leadership in influencing change, while findings signal deficiencies with having leaders who are ready. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research examines the increased probability of failure organizations face when engaging in enterprise Agile and DevOps transformational change initiatives. Through investigating the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors, readiness for change, and organizational citizenship behavior exhibited by management …

Leadership Transitions: A Study Of The Failure Rate Of Career Progression Due To Individual Contributor Versus People Leadership Mindsets In Post-Recessionary Southeast Tennessee And Northwest Georgia, Michael Lance Starks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the efforts of many leadership development programs, more than 80 percent of new leaders transitioning into the first role as a leader fail to make a successful transition (Korn Ferry Leadership Principles, 2018). This paper studied a leader’s failure to shift his or her thinking and behaviors from an individual contributor mindset to a people leader mindset. This research is suggesting that organizations adopt two tools to improve leadership transition effectiveness: Leadership Transition Readiness Assessment, and Start, Stop, Change, and Transition questionnaire.

The Impact Of Leadership Style On The Adoption Of Agile Software Development: A Correlational Study, Mike Kipreos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public and private organizations continue to rely prohibitively on classic software development methodologies such as the waterfall. Private industry more so than the public sector has shown evidence for a higher rate of success when using agile software development methods. Consequently, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine variables that best predict the adoption of agile methodologies in software development. The study made use of the UTAUT and MLQ–5X surveys. The primary variable under study was leadership style. Secondary variables included: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating factors. A pilot study (N = 30) was …

Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections In The Intensive Care Unit By Improving Compliance With Dressing Changes And Curos Caps Use, Jennifer Khaziga Kilel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Background: Reducing central line-associated bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) is a topic of global importance due to associated risk of sepsis, increased length of hospital stay, high healthcare cost, and increased morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The mortality rate of patients who acquire CLABSI 15-25% The cost of CLABSI treatment per event is greater than US $16,500. Central cine-associated Bloodstream Infections affect the organization’s national ranking in patient quality and safety as well as reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). The aim of the quality improvement project was to improve the …

How School Leaders Shape School Culture: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer L. Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify how school leaders shape school culture and specifically what behaviors contribute to a positive school culture. The central question framing this study was: How do school leaders influence a positive school culture? I conducted a multiple case study at two central Pennsylvania public middle schools, referred to by the pseudonyms of Montem Middle School and Silvan Middle School. These schools were identified by the 2018 Niche report as having a positive school culture, which was affirmed through the district’s own survey data. Through purposeful sampling, I identified school leaders to …

Leader Behavior In Successfully Completing An Erp Implementation At An Army Installation, Roy T. Ray Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has emerged as one of the breakthrough information technologies that can reshape business practices. The Army ERP systems are the central component of the Army’s business mission process. However, these ERP systems have yet to provide Army-wide, enterprise-level integration and resource visibility, which is needed to increase efficiency and effectiveness of Army operations and justify the cost of future ERP investment. Few companies complete their ERP implementation on time and within budget, and the incidences of underperformance and failure are incredibly high. Current research notes that the primary determinant of a successful ERP implementation is leadership. …

Reducing High School Dropout: An Instrumental Case Study Of Successful High School Dropout Prevention, Sasha Davila Crocker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the dramatic reduction in dropouts in a rural high school in central North Carolina. Dramatic reduction in dropouts is generally defined by having reduced the school’s dropout rate by at least 50% in less than three years. The theories guiding this study were social learning theory and the stage theory of organizational change. The research questions were as follows: (1) How did the high school drastically reduce the dropout rate? (2) What was the role of each key informant in reducing the dropout rate? The data collection processes included individual …

Increase In Pneumococcal Immunization In Adults Over 65 Years Of Age In A Federally Qualified Health Center, Mara J. Dominguez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pneumococcal disease is a healthcare concern with increasing financial and societal burden for adults over the age of 65 years and their caretakers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of pneumococcal vaccines in this population as a preventive measure helping minimize the mortality and morbidity. This project aimed at increasing the rate of pneumococcal vaccines in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The interventions implemented included the use of audit, feedback and provider educational intervention aimed at increasing the knowledge and the intent to change and improve their practice. The key results indicated an increase …

Ethical Leadership And Ethical Behavior In The Large Publicly Traded United States-Based Banks, Gerald R. Rowe Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Unethical behavior in business and banking has cost Americans significantly throughout the past several decades. Ethical lapses in banking contributed to the financial disaster of 2008-09, resulted in thousands of families losing their homes, cost consumers millions in bogus overdraft fees, resulted in millions of phony accounts customers did not agree to open, and cost end users billions in credit card fees, just to name a few of the transgressions. This study utilized Brown, Harrison, and Travino’s (2005) Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) to measure ethical leadership and Kaptein’s (2008) Measure of Unethical Behavior in the Workplace to measure ethical behavior …

Leadership Factors That Influence Church Growth For Western North Carolina Churches Of God, Harold Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to identify and describe the essential leadership factors required to stimulate and sustain church growth for Church of God churches operating in Western North Carolina. This will be accomplished using a grounded theory research approach. Sample (N = 30) analysis of statistics provided by the Western North Carolina State Offices of the Church of God showed 3% of the churches in this region to have recorded significant overall growth in attendance and membership (=>10% per year) from April 1, 2014 to April 30, 2016. Few of the sampled churches recorded benchmark conversion growth …

Addressing Health Literacy And Collaboration In Mobile Clinics Utilizing Teach-Back Methodology And Healthcare Provider Training, Mark Robert Drye

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Focused healthcare provider teaching was used to increase health literacy sensitive care and to improve interdisciplinary collaboration between providers in a mobile clinic setting that serves significantly underserved and socioeconomically challenged populations. The teach-back method was selected as one of the tools to help providers help their patients overcome health literacy challenges by increasing compliance and helping providers engage their patients in collaborative care. Multidisciplinary providers working in a large university clinic system in the southern United States (N = 20) were surveyed, provided focused training, and resurveyed to determine if provider practices addressing health literacy and interdisciplinary collaboration could …