Digital Commons Network^™

Personality And Promotion: An Analysis Of The Structured Rank Of Female Officers, Kelly S. Treece

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female law enforcement officers remain an underrepresented population in ranking positions within police organizations in the United States. Current research focuses on systemic factors that inhibit female law enforcement officers within the United States from achieving positions of rank. Grounded in Costa and McCrae's five factor model of personality, this study examined female law enforcement officers' personality traits and their relation to achieved rank. This quantitative study used multiple regression analysis of survey data to determine whether the personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and/or neuroticism alone or in combination predict rank. American female law enforcement officers in both …

A Nurse's Perception Of Hand-Off Communication Before And After Utilization Of The I-5 Verification Of Information Tool, Maryann Bowersox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Miscommunication or omission of critical patient information contributes to preventable

medical errors that result in 98,000 patient deaths each year. The hand-off

communication process creates a critical time for the patient as necessary information for

the continuity of care must be communicated. The purpose of this practice project was to

evaluate the nurses' perception of the current hand-off communication process before and

after an educational intervention and implementation of the I-5 Verification of

Information Tool. Registered nurses were asked to complete a pre survey of their

perception of the current hand-off communication process, followed by an educational

power point …

Predictors Of Likeliness To Engage In Radical Animal Rights And Environmental Activism, Patsy Mckenzie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Radical animal rights and environmental activism is considered domestic terrorism under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Traditional models of terrorism purport that there is a path to radicalization that is influenced by an individual's sense of identity and ideological beliefs. Using collective identity theory and cognitive experiential self-theory as the framework, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether social identity, cognitive processing mode, and ideological beliefs were predictors for engagement in radical animal rights and environmental activism. The Three Factor Model of Social Identity Scale, the Rational Experiential Inventory, and the Activism Orientation Scale were used to …

Risk Factors For Tuberculosis And Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Complications Among Foreign-Born Persons In Houston, Texas, James N. Isaboke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading public health problem across the world. For various reasons, TB and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have increased. Clarification on TB/HIV co-infection and homelessness as risk factors for TB and MDR-TB is required to inform policy interventions to reduce TB-related morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. In this quantitative study, data from the Houston Health Department (N = 341) were analyzed to explore the relationship between TB and MDR-TB outcomes and TB/HIV co-infection and type of housing/homelessness. Foreign-born persons are disproportionately affected in the United States. The socio-ecological model provided a theoretical framework for the investigation. Multiple and …

Faculty Perceptions On The Student Learning Accountability Movement, Tara Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literature examining the impact of the student learning accountability movement on faculty perspectives is insufficient, as little is known about how faculty perceive the requirements related to federal, state, and institutional accountability initiatives. This case study investigated the threat posed by the accountability movement on the stability of faculty engagement, while exploring how faculty perceptions of the movement will impact institutional and state policy. Using Levin's system of accountability as the framework for this study, the central research question explored how understanding faculty perspectives on the student learning accountability movement could promote policy within an institution. Data were gathered via …

Succession Planning Strategies Of Faith-Based, Nonprofit Leaders Of The Boomer Generation, Leigh Byers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formal succession planning strategies for retiring Baby Boomer generation of leaders in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are nonexistent in many NPOs, including faith-based NPOs. Top NPO leaders possess vital organizational knowledge and experience. The lack of strategic succession planning adversely affects organizational sustainability and mission fulfillment. Guided by the conceptual framework of knowledge transfer, the current study supplies a description of succession planning strategies used in faith-based organizations that have Boomer leaders. This multiple case study included 3 faith-based NPOs in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida and their top-level leaders. They supplied descriptions of formal succession planning strategies through semistructured …

Promote Comprehension In The Reading Classroom, Antoine Kevin Flanigan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at 3 elementary schools in the southern region of the United States struggled with or failed to meet grade-level expectations in reading comprehension. School district leaders had little understanding regarding the perceptions of educators, care givers, and community supporters on the strategies to increase reading comprehension. To address that gap, the purpose of this study was to explore participants' perceptions regarding reading strategies and comprehension instruction practices in the local setting. The conceptual framework was based on the elements of Fisher's and Frey's work: (a) effective teaching in reading strategies, (b) reading instructional comprehension practices, (c) effective caregiver involvement, …

The Effects Of Downsizing On Organizational Culture In The Newspaper Industry, Marcella Sweeney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this case study was to explore the effects of downsizing on organizational culture based on the perceptions of contractors who work for an independent distributor in a large metropolitan city in the southern United States. Organizational culture is important to a company's overall success. Organizational culture theory was the basis for the conceptual framework of this study. Using a purposeful sampling approach and methodological triangulation of sources, 3 newspaper delivery contractors who experienced downsizing described their lived experiences. Participants completed the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and a qualitative questionnaire. The OCAI survey results were scored and …

Revenue Losses: Exploring Strategies Required By Managers To Inhibit Movie Piracy, Nana Aishat Shaibu Akaeze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The piracy of movie products resulted in 72,000 lost jobs and $4.5 billion in lost wages to the United States economy in 2012. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what strategies movie corporation managers use to inhibit piracy of movie products to achieve profitability. The sample consisted of 6 movie industry managers who managed movie corporations for not less than 5 years in New York City. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the general systems theory. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews. Transcript review and member checking were used to ensure credibility …

Transformational Leadership In The Public Sector, Glenda Bumgarner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior leaders in state government public sector agencies must manage employee performance to ensure quality services to the citizens they serve. Limited academic research exists to study the barriers that these leaders acknowledge as deterrents to managing employee performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the reasons that public sector leaders at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) were challenged to manage employee performance and explore the role of transformational leadership. The ODOT was selected for this research because two prior worker surveys conducted by the agency revealed that employee performance accountability was an issue of concern. …

The Use Of Minors In Material Support Of Terrorist Organizations, Teresa Maria Feliciano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult criminals' use of minors to commit crimes associated with the support of terrorist organizations is a significant problem in the United States. Despite strict laws prohibiting adult offenders from exploiting youth, these individuals aggressively pursue minors to commit crimes associated with the support of terrorist organizations. This quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study used resource dependency theory to explore the likelihood that adult criminal offenders in the U.S. will use minors for crimes that are associated with the support of terrorist organizations, based on crime typology, country of origin, and location of crime. Data were collected from a crime database maintained by …

Relationship Of Institutional Characteristics To Cacrep Accreditation Of Doctoral Counselor Education Programs, Ronnie Louis Pace Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of accredited doctoral-level counselor education and supervision (CES) programs available to meet the documented and growing need for more qualified and competent professional counselors. The problem addressed via this study is the shortage of trained doctoral-level counselors and counselor faculty to train other counselors due to the lack of accredited doctoral-level CES programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the factors that may influence or predict an institution's decision to pursue Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation in order to increase the number of programs that pursue specialized …

Stigma And Hiv Testing Among African American Women In New Jersey, Mirriam Limage-Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are 18 times more likely to contract HIV than are European American women, yet they are less likely to be tested for HIV. Lack of HIV testing leads to late diagnosis and increased mortality from HIV-related illnesses. Based on the health belief model, this correlational study analyzed the extent to which HIV stigma mediated the relationship between perceived benefits or perceived severity of HIV and the uptake of HIV testing among African American women in New Jersey. A total of 93 African American women aged 18 and older who resided in New Jersey completed online questionnaires. Data …

Communicating Periodontal Disease Risk To American Indian Patients With Diabetes, Jennifer Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is epidemic in the American Indian population. One problem health care providers face when working with the American Indian population is communicating about secondary complications, such as periodontal disease. From a public health standpoint, periodontal disease prevention is important not only to prevent unnecessary oral pain and tooth loss, but also to prevent other more serious systemic problems from occurring such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, and bacterial pneumonia. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the communication efforts of health care providers and understand if and how they discuss periodontal disease with their American Indian …

Facilitating The Acquisition Of Social Skills Through Service Learning, Becky J. Hendrickson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deficits in communication affect individuals with autism regarding the ability to access a free and appropriate education as well as quality of life. This research study explored the effects of a service-learning project on acquisition of social skills and reduction of problem behaviors for students who have autism. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Maslow's theory of motivation and Erickson's 8 stages of personality development. A mixed-methods design with sequential transformative strategy was used to collect quantitative data from 5 elementary students who have autism during involvement in service learning; the Social Skills Improvement System was used …

An Exploration Of Exposure To Music In High School Males In Appalachian Ohio, Cassandra Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with increasing availability of alternative educational systems, individual learning plans, and vocational schools, the high school dropout rate among males is still rising. High school dropouts have a negative effect on a community because their chances of being employed and contributing to the community are reduced. The theoretical frameworks of multiple intelligences, self-efficacy, and developmental constructivism were used to conduct a hermeneutical phenomenological study of the lived experiences of a specific population of male youth in rural Ohio who decided to return to school and complete the requirements for a high school diploma or GED after being exposed to …

Single Mothers Of Young Children And Continuing Education, Jackiethsha Lynette Fluellen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of households headed by single mothers living in poverty exceeds that of all other categories of poverty-stricken households, and poverty impacts the children negatively in various ways. When single mothers choose not to continue their education, they lessen their chances of finding higher paying jobs and raising their families out of poverty. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand why some single mothers decided to continue into higher education. The study considered the decisions of 6 single mothers of young children in Montgomery County, Texas, and the obstacles they overcame while completing their education. The …

A Resource-Based Perspective On Financial Resource Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Margaret N. Godwin-Opara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Each year entrepreneurs start many new businesses, and some of these businesses will fail within the first 2 years. In addition, many owners will cite lack of adequate financial resources as a contributory factor to the failure. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify the strategies that some small business owners used to obtain financial resources needed to operate a financially sustainable business. The population consisted of machine shops in South Central Kansas. A resource-based view theory served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. The data collection process consisted of 9 interview questions. The data …

Strategies That Make Entrepreneurs Sucessful On A Second Business Launch, Willie Joseph Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fifty percent of small businesses launched survive 5 years or more and about 33.3 percent continue operating for 10 years or longer. This transcendental phenomenological study included Cantillion's theory of entrepreneurship to explore strategies used by successful second-time business owners after a failed first launch. Face-to-face interviews took place with 12 successful second-time business owners in Fairfax County, Virginia, whose first business had failed. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a modified Van Kaam method to identify strategies small business owners used to succeed beyond 5 years after a failed first business venture. Data analysis revealed 4 themes: (a) owners …

Baby Boomers Retiring: Strategies For Small Businesses Retaining Explicit And Tacit Knowledge, Anethra Adeline Facione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 35% of the U.S. workforce is composed of Baby Boomers who are eligible to retire within the next 5 years. Despite the potential loss of critical expertise, a gap in knowledge retention exists in small consulting businesses. The purpose of this case study was to explore effective strategies for retaining the tacit and explicit knowledge of retiring employees, to avoid operational knowledge drain. Exploration ensued through semistructured interviews at 2 small consulting businesses in the Washington, DC metropolitan area that are adept at innovatively retaining requisite knowledge. The conceptual frameworks of Bass' transformational leadership and Nonaka's knowledge creation …

Perceptions Of Employed People With Narcolepsy, Chantelle L. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many companies have used perceptions of their employees to understand how sleep disorders affect their working environment. Sleep disorders have had an undesirable effect on employee performance and often result in employee modifications to accommodate their condition in the workplace. Though information is available concerning employees' experiences pertinent to working with sleep disorders, research focusing on how employees with narcolepsy perceive their work environment appears to be missing from the literature. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of perceptions of employees with narcolepsy about their work environment and strategies that may influence others to promote positive health …

A Comparison Of Resilience And Performance Among Returning Veterans Of The Wars In Afghanistan And Iraq, Roy T'Comas Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Helping individuals develop, foster, and maintain resilience skills is particularly important with Service members as they face multiple deployments and the stress caused by long periods of separations from home and support systems. These separations and prolonged time spent in dangerous environments with the possibility of death and injury can make soldiers more susceptible to stressors that might affect their morale and ability to perform necessary duties required in combat. This study used a quantitative research method approach to better understand how resilience influences performance outcomes among combat veterans. The study was comprised of 76 participants that have served at …

Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The criminal justice program in a community college located in the southwestern United States had experienced an increase in student plagiarism. However, the current teaching practices of criminal justice instructors to prevent and manage the increased student plagiarism have not been effective. The purpose of this study was to explore criminal justice college instructors' experiences, perceptions, and teaching strategies related to undergraduate student plagiarism using Goleman's emotional intelligence theory and Daloz's mentoring theory. Employing a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 criminal justice college instructors. Member checking and reflective journaling ensured accuracy and …

Childhood Abuse And Neglect, Global Emotional Functioning, And Emotional Regulation In A Comunity Sample Of Adults, Deborah Isaacs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional impairment can lead to emotional disorders or dysfunction. Childhood abuse or neglect can be used to predict disorders and dysfunction. Missing from the literature was research exploring a direct relationship between a history of abuse or neglect and future emotional impairment. This quasi-experimental study served to examine whether histories of childhood abuse or neglect can be used to predict future emotional impairment using the Mayer and Salovey model of emotional functioning. A community sample of 138 adults from rural Wyoming completed retrospective reports of childhood trauma and current measures of emotional functioning, and 42% of the sample reported a …

The Usa Patriot Act And Punctuated Equilibrium, Michael Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently, Title II of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT Act) Act of 2001 appears to be stalled as a result of controversy over the intent and meaning of the law. Proponents of the title advocate the necessity of the act to combat modern terrorism, whereas opponents warn of circumventions of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Using punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the dialogue and legal exchanges between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Department of …

Influences Of Peer Pressure And Relationship Knowledge On Sexual Behaviors Of Hispanic/Latino Youth, Richard Velez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have shown a rising HIV/AIDS epidemic among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. Risky sexual behavior, alcohol, drug abuse, and sociodemographics contribute to Hispanics/Latinos' elevated risk for contracting HIV and other STDs. There is a need for additional research to understand the combination of factors associated with HIV and other STD infection among Hispanic/Latino youth. Based on social cognitive theory, this study examined the influences of peer pressure and relationship knowledge on risky sexual behavior among Hispanic/Latino young adults as measured by the Peer Pressure Inventory (PPI), the Teenage Research Unlimited Survey (TRU), and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). A group …

Self-Efficacy And Self-Management Assessments On Hispanic Patients With Diabetes, Yesenia Dejesus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanics are at increased risk for diabetes and are 40% more likely to die from the condition than are non-Hispanic Caucasians. The purpose of this project was to determine the effects of diabetes education conducted in Spanish by bilingual staff on the self-management and self-efficacy of a sample of 50 volunteer adult Hispanic clinic patients with diabetes. The education intervention incorporated the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Self-Management Education program materials. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was selected as the theoretical support for the project that relied on self-management education of the patients to improve their self-efficacy to undertake the interventions necessary to …

Compassion Fatigue In Emergency Department Nurses, Dionne Hutson Hendy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue (CF) is a problem seen within healthcare institutions worldwide, especially critical care units and emergency departments (EDs). The problem identified in this quality improvement (QI) project was CF, experienced by nurses in the ED. The effects of CF cross nurse-patient boundaries and negatively impact a patient's expectations of having a quality care experience. The Iowa model's evidence-based team approach was used to guide the development of the education initiative for nurses on recognizing, preventing, and identifying methods of coping with CF in the ED. The outcome products for the project included an extensive review of the literature, a …

Systematic Review: Barriers That Prevent Compliance With Hydroxyurea In Sickle Cell Disease, Uchechukwu Imegi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that is inherited from both parents and affects millions of people globally. The symptoms of SCD may be debilitating and pose a significant challenge to nursing care. Hydroxyurea (HU), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for SCD in adults is reportedly effective, but its usage is still minimal among adolescents with SCD. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate existing literature on the barriers to HU use in adolescents with SCD. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice (JHNEBP) Rating Scales guided this study. An extensive electronic search of …

Education Program For Nurses Working In An Immigration Detention Facility, Dr. Tiney Elizabeth Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing response to medical emergencies has been an ongoing issue in immigration detention centers. Lack of teamwork and poor communication with medical and security staff have resulted in detainees sustaining injuries during medical emergencies. This project was developed to persuade Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps (IHSC) leaders to consider piloting the TeamSTEPPS emergency response curriculum for nurses working in the immigration detention center. Tuckman and Jensen's model of group development will provide guidance to IHSC leaders in understanding the transformational stages of forming a successful team. TeamSTEPPS will address gaps in emergency health care competency by improving collaboration, …