Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Program Evaluation For A Preceptor Preparation Program, Olivia Hagos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant nursing shortage exists in the United States, which is compounded by high turnover rates. Skilled nurse preceptors are needed to train and assimilate nurses, which would improve retention of nurse preceptors, facilitate transition of nurses to the practice environment, and increase the number of preceptors within the organization. A preceptor preparation program in a 300-bed hospital was developed to promote nurse preceptor success while enhancing learning outcomes and creating a supportive work environment. The organization's leaders are interested in the successes of the program and its long-term role in retaining nurse preceptors who completed the preceptor preparation program. …

Breaking The Silence: Postpartum Depression Among Reproductive-Aged Women In Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Atim Henshaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postpartum depression (PPD) is internationally recognized as one of the most prevalent and severe but neglected maternal mental health complications of childbirth. Previous studies have indicated that there is a high burden of disease associated with PPD in both developed and developing countries. However, there remain gaps in the current literature regarding the recognition and management of PPD in remote parts of the developing world. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of health professionals towards PPD and examine the factors that either facilitated or hindered its recognition and management in a remote …

Postsecondary Instructor Attitudes Toward Tablet Use For Collaboration And Critical Thinking Development, Jerry Hubbard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although research has identified critical thinking (CT) as an objective of higher education, limited quantitative research has focused on how postsecondary instructors view using handheld devices for classroom collaboration to support CT. There are studies examining how the use of tablet technologies influence collaborative learning (CL), showing a link between CL and CT, and connecting CT to academic achievement. However, understanding how instructors perceive the intersection of these factors has not been well studied. Applying Vygotsky's social cognitive theory as a foundation of CL, using adapted questions from two questionnaires (Technology Acceptance Model and Cooperative Learning Implementation) and two frameworks, …

The Training Deficiency In Corporate America: Training Security Professionals To Protect Sensitive Information, Kenneth Tyrone Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased internal and external training approaches are elements senior leaders need to know before creating a training plan for security professionals to protect sensitive information. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore training strategies telecommunication industry leaders use to ensure security professionals can protect sensitive information. The population consisted of 3 senior leaders in a large telecommunication company located in Dallas, Texas that has a large footprint of securing sensitive information. The conceptual framework on which this study was based was the security risk planning model. Semistructured interviews and document reviews helped to support the findings of …

Mitigating Underage Marriage Of Girls In Bo Town, Sierra Leone, Anne-Marie Kumba Kamanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underage marriage of girls (UMG) practice by some parents continues to occur in Bo Town, Sierra Leone, and it is a problem. Regardless of the negative consequences, parents continue to marry off their young girls who become wives of rebels and participate in the civil war. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of adult women between 18 and 24 who experienced child marriage, parents who married off their young girls, and community leaders to understand why the UMG persisted in Bo Town. The theoretical frameworks used in this study were the social cognitive …

Strategies Used To Retain Talent In The Insurance Industry, Jamie Edward King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement levels are critical to organizations that desire to retain a workforce

that innovates, produces positive results, and stays committed to the organization. The

purpose of this single case study was to explore employee engagement strategies used by

business leaders to retain talent. The conceptual framework that guided this study was

Deci's self-determination theory. Data collection occurred through semistructured

interviews with four participants within the insurance industry having three or more years

of management experience and having a positive reputation for engaging employees. The

participating company is located in central Indiana. Participants answered 10 open-ended

questions related to employee …

Implementation Variables Of Corporate Social Responsibility In The Financial Services Industry, Gregoire Kokomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Seventy percent of small and medium-sized U.S. companies experience negative performance because of leaders' lack of knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR) program implementation. CSR implementation is complex and requires organizational resources such as expertise, personnel, time, and money. Implementing CSR programs is challenging for many leaders. Research on CSR implementation in the U.S. financial services industry is scarce, and leaders of financial services firms do not have a clear understanding of how to make CSR implementation successful. The purpose of this study was to explore optimal strategies for making corporate social responsibility program implementation effective. The central research …

Employee Job Satisfaction And Employees' Voluntary Turnover Intentions (Vtis), Bridgette Larkin-Perkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the U.S. sales industry, organizational productivity has decreased due to employee job dissatisfaction and increased voluntary turnover intentions (VTIs). Some leaders in the industry lack knowledge about the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, and the negative effect on employees' VTIs. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine whether intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction significantly predicted retail sales employees' VTIs. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Turnover Intentions Scale (TIS-6) were used to collect data from full- or part-time employees in the U.S. retail sales industry. The theoretical framework was based on Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. …

Implications Of Small Group Instruction For Overage Secondary Students' Academic Performance, Orlando Ledyard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a secondary school in a southeastern state a large number of overage students who are at least 2 grade levels behind where they should be in academic terms, have struggled with academic performance and have often dropped out of school. Educational researchers have found that the implementation of instructional interventions is important in meeting the learning needs of these students. The purpose of this bounded case study was to determine educators' perspectives of possible intervention strategies to improve the academic performance of overage students in grades 9 and 10 at the school. Constructivism was used as the conceptual framework. …

Influence Of Leadership Style On Leaders' Transition From Private To Public Sector, Lorinda Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership can improve the quality of work through motivation or degrade work through pressure. Leadership effectiveness depends on style and work environment. Differences in work environment may create challenges for leaders transitioning from private to public organizations. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership styles and ease of transition from private to public organizations. The study included the full-range leadership model as the theoretical foundation. Seventy-seven public sector employees in Ontario, Canada, participated in a survey to measure leadership style and effectiveness of transition from private to public sector. Results of multiple linear …

Relationship Between Active Learning Methodologies And Community College Students' Stem Course Grades, Cherish Christina Lesko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active learning methodologies (ALM) are associated with student success, but little research on this topic has been pursued at the community college level. At a local community college, students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses exhibited lower than average grades. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of ALM predicted STEM course grades while controlling for academic discipline, course level, and class size. The theoretical framework was Vygotsky's social constructivism. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were performed on data collected through an anonymous survey of 74 instructors of 272 courses during the 2016 …

A Phenomenological Study On The Leadership Experience Of Teleworking Leaders, Patrice Ann Louie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technological advances and the desire for employees to improve work-life balance have contributed to the growth of telework. Finding and retaining effective leadership talent are critical needs of organizations. Recruitment and retention of leadership talent can be supported by access to perquisites such as the ability to telework. Although research on teleworking employees in general, and virtual team leaders, can inform the industry, few leadership models exist that specifically help understand what it takes to be a teleworking leader. The purpose of this phenomenological study of teleworking leaders filled this gap by examining the experiences of 12 teleworking leaders with …

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 …

Nonprofit Sustainability: How Does Departure Of A Founding Leader Impact Outcomes?, Lauren Mcindoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate among local community-based nonprofit human service organizations in New York State, which may lead to service gaps in communities. Increasing sustainability may reduce these gaps and allow nonprofits to continue following the first leadership transition. Using McGregor's human resource theory as the guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the relationship between leadership succession planning and how departure of founding leaders impacts the sustainability of nonprofits. Data were collected through interviews with 16 leaders that included departing founding leaders, successors, and 2 board members in 4 local community-based nonprofit human service …

Parental Stress And Parent-Child Relationships In Recently Divorced, Custodial Mothers, Kelly Lyn Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Divorce creates significant stress that can have an impact on parent-child relationship satisfaction. Past researchers have indicated that in times of high stress, parents may not be available for their children due to their personal issues. Attachment theory demonstrates the importance of the parent-child bond for the child as he or she matures, so this bond needs to be protected. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the predictive relationship between parental stress as measured by the Parenting Stress Index, 4th Edition, Short Form (PSI-4-SF) and the parent-child relationship satisfaction as measured by the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory …

Effect Of Intimate Partner Violence On Children Of Puerto Rican Women, Maria Natal-Gopin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence [IPV] is a preventable and costly societal issue that has reached epidemic proportions. Women are often the victims of IPV, and millions of children are exposed to it annually. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of Puerto Rican mothers and their perceptions of how IPV exposure may have impacted their children using resilience theory. Data were collected via audiotaped individual interviews with 9 Puerto Rican mothers who endured an array of escalating IPV, often exacerbated by the perpetrators use of alcohol or drugs, and had IPV-exposed children aged 6 -11 years. Data analysis integrated …

Professional Development And Self-Efficacy Of Nurses Who Care For Patients Requiring Biocontainment, Denise Occhiuzzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing global occurrences of highly infectious, easily transmissible diseases unfamiliar to nurses affect the learning environment and the required skill set for professional nurses. The global threat of Ebola Virus Disease and other high-risk diseases requiring biocontainment necessitates competency in the management of complex patient needs, while ensuring safety measures that prevent spread of the potentially fatal disease. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory, this quantitative correlational study addressed the relationships between nurses' professional characteristics and their perceived self-efficacy when providing care to highly infectious patients requiring biocontainment. A full census of 92 nurses was used to recruit participants from …

Access To Care: Assessment Of Barriers In Two Rural Iowa Communities, Jean M. Osgood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ability to access primary care services within the local community has a direct impact on the health and wellness of the community. Individuals living in rural settings face multiple challenges when attempting to access care. The purpose of this retrospective project was to identify barriers in 2 rural, underserved communities and make recommendations for process changes that could reduce these barriers. Data were gathered from 2 critical access hospitals and 2 rural health clinics located in rural, underserved areas in Iowa. Both hospitals identified access to health services as an issue within their communities. Administrative data were gathered on …

Strategies To Improve Job Satisfaction And Reduce Voluntary Employee Turnover Of Nurses, Stewart Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction and employee turnover affect the health care industry in the form of overworked staff, inadequate health care, and loss of profits. In 2015, the United States health care industry had a shortage of over 923,000 registered nurses. Health care organizations lose an estimated $1.4 to $2.1 billion each year because of registered nurse (RN) turnover. These factors indicate that some managers lack the strategies to increase job satisfaction and reduce RN turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to use the Herzberg 2-factor theory to explore strategies 5 health care leaders use to improve nurses' job …

Multigenerational Financial Values: Differences Between Leaders In The Workplace, Terrence S. Ransom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Company leaders in the workplace represent all generations with diverse values, and those values influence their financial decisions in the workplace. The problem is that multigenerational company leaders and their employees possess different values from one another, which in turn creates different financial priorities for the company. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of how the financial values of company leaders from different generations are developed, and how those values influence their financial decisions in the workplace. The key research question for this qualitative study examined how the financial values and decisions of company …

Primary Care Nurse Practitioners And Organizational Culture, Leanne Christine Rowand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse practitioners (NPs) were introduced to the British Columbia healthcare system 12 years ago. Integration challenges related to infrastructure and relationships between administrators and physicians continue. The purpose of this project was to understand how nurse practitioners, working in primary care roles, experience the organizational climate within their healthcare agency. Kanter's empowerment theory guided this project. Data were collected using the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire. A total of 64 NPs relayed their degree of perceived organizational support. NPs scored highest on Autonomy and Independent Practice (Mean [M] = 3.54, Standard Deviation [SD] = 0.59). Organizational Support and …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Trauma Treatment For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Katherine Elaine Schoech

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in similar ways as individuals in the general population. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe clinicians perceptions of trauma treatment for people with ID. Theories of trauma, PTSD, and stigma were part of the conceptual framework from which interview questions were developed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 8 participants in the Denver, Colorado area. Four participants had experience working with people with ID, and 4 participants did not have this experience. Participants sat for semi structured open-ended recorded interviews, which …

The Lack Of African American Women Ceos In Corporate America: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Rosalind D. Sawyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the number of African American women filling executive level positions in Fortune 500 companies in America has improved, there is still a need for significant improvements in increasing their access to corporate chief executive officer (CEO) positions. African American women occupy only 11.7% of the board seats, and their representation as CEOs has steadily declined. Throughout the history of Fortune 500 companies, there have been only 14 African American men with CEO titles. As of January 2017, there are no African American women CEOs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of …

How High School Teachers Perceive The Quality Of Professional Development, Leslie Puente-Ervin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New Jersey is 1 of 46 states to enroll in President Obama's Race-to-the-Top Initiative. Participating states must adopt national standards, revise teacher evaluation procedures, and administer new state assessments. States are prioritizing quality professional development (PD) to prepare teachers for these rapid shifts. The overall problem studied was how high school teachers perceive the quality of PD in a high school in New Jersey. While substandard PD alone is not enough to lose tenure, it has recently become one of the evaluative measures for teacher performance according to a new tenure law signed in 2012 by Governor Chris Christie. Such …

Health Portal Functionality And The Use Of Patient-Centered Technology, Anita Joyce Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health portals are dedicated web pages for medical practices to provide patients access to their electronic health records. The problem identified in this quality improvement project was that the health portal in the urgent care setting had not been available to staff nor patients. To provide leadership with information related to opening the portal, the first purpose of the project was to assess staff and patients' perceived use, ease of use, attitude toward using, and intention to use the portal. The second purpose was to evaluate the portal education materials for the top 5 urgent care diagnoses: diabetes, hypertension, asthma, …

An Examination Of Blended Learning And The Traditional Classroom Using Achievement Scores, Brandy Hiett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although varying models of blended learning are being adopted in schools, research on the effect of blended learning on students in different subjects and grade levels has not been examined. This naturalistic, quasi-experimental study examined the effect of the rotation model of blended learning at the middle school level on students' language arts performance to determine how the rotation model of blended learning compares to the traditional model of learning. The study's theoretical framework consisted of Mayer's cognitive theory of multimedia learning and Bloom's theory of mastery learning. The population consisted of 979 non-Title 1, Georgia public middle school students …

Examining K-12 Teachers' Affective Job Satisfaction And Perceptions Of Blended Instruction, Michael Hiett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing use of blended models of instruction within the U.S. public school system is transforming the K-12 education. However, few studies have been conducted of the innovation-adoption process involving blended instruction within the K-12 public school sector. In this nonexperimental, quantitative study, Rogers's five perceived attributes of innovations was used as a theoretical lens to explore how teachers' affective job satisfaction might affect the innovation-adoption process at the individual level. Research questions pertained to the relationship, if any, between affective job satisfaction among teachers and their perceptions of the complexity, compatibility, and relative advantage of blended instruction. Surveys were …

Sociocultural Context And Determinants Of Treatments For Hemorrhoids Among The Nigerian Police, Oyo State Command, Abolaji Azeez, Uche C. Isiugo-Abanihe

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Hemorrhoids or piles, culturally known as Jedijedi among the people of southwestern Nigeria, are an anorectal disease surrounded by misconceptions. The consequences of these misconceptions are enormous. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to understand the sociocultural explanation of piles among selected personnel of the Nigeria Police Force. We recruited 302 police officers for the exploratory survey through a multistage sampling technique. Five key informants were interviewed at the study area based upon their professions and proximity. Data interpretation was done through chi-square and content analysis. Results indicated a high prevalence (73%) of and misconceptions about hemorrhoids …

A Qualitative Study Of Gender Issues Associated With Academic Mentoring In A Nigerian University., Oghoadena Clementina Osezua Dr

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

There is an upsurge in the establishment of private and public universities in Nigeria. The development has opened up the need for quality and seasoned academics, but minimal opportunities exist for mentoring of young academics. This article explores the mentoring opportunities and challenges of young female academics faced in a male dominant university system. From an exploratory qualitative design, this article generates empirical evidence through structured a face-to-face interview with purposively selected 36 female academics. The participants were recruited from the Obafemi Awolowo University, a first-generation, public-owned university in Nigeria. A thematic analysis of the data revealed common challenges in …

Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students’ Reading Scores, Ingrid Mitchell, Nicolae Nistor, Beate Baltes, Michelle Brown

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Black middle school students in the United States continue to perform poorly on standardized reading achievement tests in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary-focused test preparation program for Black middle school students. The theoretical framework consisted of Thorndike’s concept of test-wiseness, a test-taking capacity. Teachers at the research site were trained on Larry Bell’s 12 Powerful Words strategy that aims to make students test-wise, that is, to familiarize them with key vocabulary terms related to tests. An intact-group comparison was conducted, involving a total of …