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Human Resource Management Practices For Sustainability Of Ghanaian Small And Medium Enterprises, Charles Bandari Jan 2020

Human Resource Management Practices For Sustainability Of Ghanaian Small And Medium Enterprises, Charles Bandari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2018, the failure rate of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana was approximately 75%. SME owners and managers who refuse to recognize HRM strategies as a way for business sustainability risk closure. Grounded in Blau's social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore human resource strategies leaders of SMEs use to sustain their businesses. Participants were 4 SME leaders in the Tamale metropolitan area of Ghana who successfully used human resource management strategies to promote the sustainability of their businesses. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, and company …


Evaluating An Incentive Program To Improve Teamwork And Productivity In The Operating Room, Christopher Bejil Jan 2020

Evaluating An Incentive Program To Improve Teamwork And Productivity In The Operating Room, Christopher Bejil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The operating room (OR) is a complex system that must run efficiently to remain profitable and of value to its multiple stakeholders who include the patient, surgeon, OR staff member, and hospital administration. The OR at the practice site struggled with teamwork and efficiency in the areas of first-case on-time starts, turnover time, and last-case out times, resulting in a less than favorable impact on the organizational bottom line. The practice-focused question asked if a performance-based incentive bonus program can improve OR efficiency in the department’s three major problem areas. Using Gittell’s relational coordination theory as a framework, the practice …


Faculty Evaluation Of Underperforming Nursing Students In Clinical Settings, Melody Lynn Bethards Jan 2020

Faculty Evaluation Of Underperforming Nursing Students In Clinical Settings, Melody Lynn Bethards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Difficulty in evaluating underperforming nursing students in clinical settings is a problem for many nursing programs. The subjective nature of evaluations and faculty reluctance to provide negative evaluations have implications for subsequent patient care. A descriptive single case study research design was used to explore the experiences of clinical faculty evaluating underperforming nursing students in clinical settings at a U.S. Midwest community college. Gagné's learning outcomes and the National League for Nursing (NLN) Clinical Nurse Educator Core Competency: Implements Effective Clinical Assessment and Evaluation Strategies provided the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions focused on how nursing faculty …


Marketing Training Strategies That Pharmaceutical Sales Managers Use To Reduce Unethical Behavior, Aseel Bin Sawad Jan 2020

Marketing Training Strategies That Pharmaceutical Sales Managers Use To Reduce Unethical Behavior, Aseel Bin Sawad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some pharmaceutical company sales representatives are using bribes to encourage increasing prescribing medication. GlaxoSmithKline paid $31 billion on a felony charge related to bribing doctors to prescribe the company’s medications. Using Hunt and Vitell’s general theory of marketing ethics, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some sales managers in the pharmaceutical industry used to improve marketing training to reduce unethical sales representative behavior. Data were collected from the company’s reports and documents provided by sales managers and semistructured interviews with 5 sales managers of different pharmaceutical companies in the northeast region of the United …


Family Members’ Lived Experiences Of Chronic Migraine, Elizabeth Biddle Jan 2020

Family Members’ Lived Experiences Of Chronic Migraine, Elizabeth Biddle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic migraine (CM) is a growing phenomenon in the United States and has been recognized as a disabling headache disorder. CM negatively affects the quality of life not only of CM sufferers but also their family members. The lived experiences of the family member of CM sufferers has not been sufficiently investigated. The purpose of this study was to gain in-depth insight into the lived experiences of family members who lived with CM sufferers. The phenomenological approach, guided by the social support theory, was used to investigate the lived experiences of family members who live with CM sufferers through open-ended …


Pain Assessment Strategies For People With Cognitive Impairment In Nursing Home Settings, Meskelo Tsegaye Bobo Jan 2020

Pain Assessment Strategies For People With Cognitive Impairment In Nursing Home Settings, Meskelo Tsegaye Bobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assessment of pain in patients with a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment continues to be underdiagnosed as there are no objective ways of assessing their pain. Available evidence also indicates that these patients are not receiving satisfactory pain management. Due to a lack of self-reporting of pain, accurate assessments of pain are challenging. This systemic review aimed to find a pain assessment strategy effective in identifying pain in patients with a diagnosis of dementia. Kolcaba's theory of comfort was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The databases of Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, and Cumulative …


Leadership Strategies To Achieve Organizational Excellence, Cherron Lakisha Blakely Jan 2020

Leadership Strategies To Achieve Organizational Excellence, Cherron Lakisha Blakely

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate quality management tools and processes can lead to inefficient hospital operations and poor organizational performance. Community hospital leaders who fail to improve operations and organizational performance risk negatively impacting patient care and profitability. Grounded in the theory of high-performance work systems (HPWS), the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies community healthcare leaders use to effectively employ quality management approaches to improve operations and achieve organizational excellence. The participants comprised 5 community healthcare leaders in the northeast United States who effectively used quality management approaches to improve operations and achieve organizational excellence. Data were collected …


Geospatial Analysis Of Flooding In The Cypress Creek Watershed Due To Urban Sprawl, Michael Roland Boucher Jan 2020

Geospatial Analysis Of Flooding In The Cypress Creek Watershed Due To Urban Sprawl, Michael Roland Boucher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Harris County, Texas, experiences flooding almost every year, and the situation is getting worse. Uncontrolled development is leading to an increase in flooding events. This study investigated how rapid urbanization and sprawl led to a higher frequency and intensity of flooding in the Cypress Creek watershed in northern Harris County. According to urban ecology, the basis of the theoretical framework, the human actions on the environment are not just bystanders, but direct contributors as inputs. In this case, the outputs are the intensity of the flooding events caused by Hurricane Ike, the Memorial Day flood of 2016, and Hurricane Harvey. …


Periodic Skills Education To Improve Competency In New Nurses, Karen Broomes-James Jan 2020

Periodic Skills Education To Improve Competency In New Nurses, Karen Broomes-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On entry into the nursing profession, new graduate nurses (NGNs) possess some knowledge and skills competency but self-report learning gaps in various areas. Experienced nurses have reported that new nurses do not always have knowledge and competency in essential nursing skills. Undergraduate nursing programs and organization orientation programs provide valuable foundational knowledge but are sometimes limited in providing multiple exposures to content. Lagging skills acquisition contributes to self-doubt, lack of confidence and high attrition among NGNs. There is little data in the literature about the provision of supplemental education to new nurses immediately after orientation, and this doctor of nursing …


Strategies For Enhancing Organizational Performance By Advancing Women To Leadership Positions, Veronica Denise Brown Jan 2020

Strategies For Enhancing Organizational Performance By Advancing Women To Leadership Positions, Veronica Denise Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 45% of the U.S. labor force comprises women, but less than 5% work in executive positions due to ineffective succession strategies. Human resource (HR) managers who fail to implement succession strategies are at risk of losing competitive advantage and lower organizational performance due to a lack of equitable promotional and hiring processes for future female leaders. Grounded in the social role theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore succession strategies HR managers in the home improvement industry use to advance qualified women for leadership positions to improve organizations’ performance. The participants comprised 6 HR …


Effective Marketing Strategies Of Profitable Small Businesses, Xoriunstance T. Brown Jan 2020

Effective Marketing Strategies Of Profitable Small Businesses, Xoriunstance T. Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The inability to achieve profitability can negatively impact business operations. Small independent insurance agency owners who fail to maintain profitability are at a higher risk of failure. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective marketing strategies leaders of small independent insurance agencies use to achieve and maintain profitability. The participants comprised 3 independent insurance agents in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who effectively used marketing strategies to achieve and maintain profitability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company websites, and company documents. Yin’s 5-step thematic analysis, which included compiling, disassembling, interpreting …


African American Sibling Survivors Of Homicide Victims: A Phenomenological Study, Terra Natia Brown Jan 2020

African American Sibling Survivors Of Homicide Victims: A Phenomenological Study, Terra Natia Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American bereavement experiences are underrepresented in the literature in comparison to Caucasian experiences. Due to cultural differences, the available literature may be misleading and unhelpful to African Americans dealing with grief. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to fill the void in the literature regarding African American bereavement. Guided by attachment theory and social constructivism as the theoretical frameworks, this study explored the lived bereavement and grief experiences of 12 African American siblings bereaved by homicide. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to gain firsthand knowledge of the siblings’ bereavement experiences via semi-structured interviews, which allowed the participants …


Narratives Of Black Male Law Enforcement Officers Racial Profiling Experiences, Dujuan Brown Jan 2020

Narratives Of Black Male Law Enforcement Officers Racial Profiling Experiences, Dujuan Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem and purpose of this study was to examine the personal narratives of Black male law enforcement officers with racial profiling and police violence. It was believed that narratives would reveal the existence and negative effects of duality victims and possible offenders for the participants in this study. The theory of social behaviorism by Mead was used as a lens for theoretical foundation and conceptual framework. Mead asserted that racial profiling and police violence acts are forms of social behaviorism and assimilation into law enforcement for Black male officers. The research question for the study inquired about the …


How Do Parenting Styles Influence The Academic Performance Of African-American College Students At An Hbcu On The East Coast, Chaka P. Smith Jan 2020

How Do Parenting Styles Influence The Academic Performance Of African-American College Students At An Hbcu On The East Coast, Chaka P. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Various studies have shown that the style of parenting has a significant influence on the academic performance and success of students. Furthermore, these studies have shown this evidence on academic performance in different contexts, that is at different grade levels and in different countries. The dearth of literature on the relationship between African-American parenting styles and academic performances is important as there is no universally acknowledged best way of parenting. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance of African-American college students at historically black colleges and universities on the East …


Methods To Increase The Rate Of Childhood Vaccinating, Mary Beth Tillman Jan 2020

Methods To Increase The Rate Of Childhood Vaccinating, Mary Beth Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vaccinations such as polio, diphtheria, varicella, and meningitis help to protect a child from life-threatening illnesses which have previously been contained by routine vaccinations. However, misinformation, negative press, and other contributing factors, have influenced caregivers to refuse to vaccinate their children placing the children at risk for contracting the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular vaccinations for children beginning as newborns, yet the vaccination rate remains below acceptable levels. This project was developed to provide an educational program guided by Orem’s self-care theory and intended to increase nurses’ knowledge of vaccination and ultimately vaccination rates. A …


Care Management And Readmission Among Elderly African American Patients With Chronic Illnesses, Vivien Lyn Salmon Jan 2020

Care Management And Readmission Among Elderly African American Patients With Chronic Illnesses, Vivien Lyn Salmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 70 million Americans aged 50 years and older suffer from at least 1 or more chronic condition and use the emergency department frequently. By 2025, chronic illness will affect an estimated 164 million Americans or nearly 49% of the population. The rapid rise in chronic illness is due to a combination of an aging population, longer life expectancies, and poor lifestyle choices. This quantitative study provided a statistical analysis on the impact of care management on readmissions among African Americans between the ages of 65 and 80, with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, or multiple chronic conditions. Logistic regression was …


The Lived Experiences Of Online Therapists Maintaining Ethical Boundaries, Talia Singer Jan 2020

The Lived Experiences Of Online Therapists Maintaining Ethical Boundaries, Talia Singer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The provision of counselling and psychotherapy using technology, also referred to as telecounselling or e-therapy, is a burgeoning area of mental health care that has garnered much enthusiasm. Many professional health organizations have developed ethical guidelines to specifically address this unique style of treatment. Skepticism remains in the area of applying standards into practice. Ethical guidelines are meant to be broad principles that can be applied to a range of unique practice experiences. The problems is that these principles have been developed over a century of practice-based experiences and designed to address situations that the clinician faces when their client …


Mindfulness In Healthcare: Exploring The Gap Between Leadership Practice And Employee Burnout, Bryn Saunders Jan 2020

Mindfulness In Healthcare: Exploring The Gap Between Leadership Practice And Employee Burnout, Bryn Saunders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A healthcare employee’s ability to provide proficient, or quality, care to patients is impeded by burnout. Previous studies showed high levels of burnout is a common problem in healthcare, indicating there is a lack of support for employee health. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether mindfulness training reduced burnout in healthcare professionals. The study focused on increasing knowledge between the leadership practices and programs used to improve healthcare proficiency by analyzing the relationship between mindfulness and three measures of burnout: sense of efficacy, depersonalization, and emotional exhaustion. The Western concept of mindfulness that emphasizes self-awareness and …


Caseworkers' Perspectives On Female Juvenile Delinquent Rehabilitation Based On Age Groups, Cynthia Stephens Jan 2020

Caseworkers' Perspectives On Female Juvenile Delinquent Rehabilitation Based On Age Groups, Cynthia Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of female juvenile delinquency is increasing and, along with it, the need for effective age-appropriate rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to address the lack of research regarding age-appropriate rehabilitation programs for female juvenile delinquents. This basic qualitative approach was used to uncover the perspectives of experienced caseworkers on the best practices and success of age-differentiated rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents. Data were collected to answer the following guiding research question: What are the perspectives of caseworkers on rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents, taking into account the age differences among the incarcerated youth population? Bronfenbrenner’s …


The Relationship Between Professional Quality Life, Coping Mechanisms, And Mental Fortitude, Nancy Lynn Sarcia Jan 2020

The Relationship Between Professional Quality Life, Coping Mechanisms, And Mental Fortitude, Nancy Lynn Sarcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health and mental fortitude of individuals enforcing policy and law is important to communities, agencies, and families. This helping profession is plagued by high suicide rates, maladaptive coping, and other negative health-related ailments. The present study used the DRS 15-R, ProQOL, RS-14, and BriefCOPE scales across 315 participants in order to investigate coping mechanisms and professional quality of life facets among individuals enforcing policy and law. It revealed multiple statistically significant relationships using multiple linear regression, hierarchical linear regression, and binary logistic regression. Emotion-focused coping techniques and compassion satisfaction both possessed statistically significant direct relationships with resilience and hardiness. …


Employee Engagement In Antigua And Barbuda Broadcasting Services, Jrucilla Bernice Samuel Jan 2020

Employee Engagement In Antigua And Barbuda Broadcasting Services, Jrucilla Bernice Samuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee disengagement is a direct threat to business survival. The strategic development of sustainable engagement initiatives results in employee well-being and also mitigates against organizational collapse. Grounded in the conceptual frameworks of employee engagement theory, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and Kahn’s theory of personal engagement, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the motivational strategies some media leaders use to keep employees engaged. The participants comprised 5 media leaders in Antigua and Barbuda with at least 2 years’ experience in successful employee engagement. Data were collected in person via semistructured interviews and documents from the …


Staff Education On Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Joan P. Williams Jan 2020

Staff Education On Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Joan P. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus is a major health concern that affects the physical and financial facets of communities. During the past 4 years, a multidisciplinary health care clinic in a northern state reported an increase in the number of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Forty-three percent (43%) of adults with T2D had an elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c of 7.5% or higher. Yet, the staff at the clinic lacked current knowledge of T2D, quality of care, and prevention strategies for patients with T2D. This resulted in increased serious health care issues, associated costs, and increased complications of the patients with T2D. The purpose …


Association Between Childhood Secondhand Smoke Exposure And Inflammatory Bowel Disease Development, Stephanie Eve Walsh Jan 2020

Association Between Childhood Secondhand Smoke Exposure And Inflammatory Bowel Disease Development, Stephanie Eve Walsh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Environmental factors, such as smoking, have been shown to play a role in the development of IBD; however, minimal research regarding secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and the development of IBD has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a relationship between childhood SHS exposure and the development of IBD. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used in this study as a basis that the environment can aid in the development of disease. The research questions addressed the potential association between childhood …


Interprofessional Teams As A Strategy To Address Physician Shortages In North Dakota, Judy Ann Solberg Jan 2020

Interprofessional Teams As A Strategy To Address Physician Shortages In North Dakota, Judy Ann Solberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

North Dakota health care and political leaders are facing pressure to revise health care delivery in the state. A chronic shortage of health care providers, retention issues, an aging population, and a recent population burst, as well as an abnormally high rate of physician retirement, have made health care access problematic for residents of the rural state. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the main inhibitors and facilitators of employing interprofessional teams as a strategy to address rural physician shortages in North Dakota. Bandura’s social cognitive theory provided the framework for this phenomenological study of issues …


Social Influences, Decision-Making, And Career Retention Of Novice Teachers, Kerstin Anna Stewart Jan 2020

Social Influences, Decision-Making, And Career Retention Of Novice Teachers, Kerstin Anna Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers bring hope, optimism, and excitement for teaching and learning from their individual preparatory programs to their classrooms at the start of every new school year. However, research indicates a large number of those teachers leave the field of teaching within a 5-year timeframe. The consequence of this loss of professionals has a deep-rooted impact on student achievement and learning. This loss also has considerable career and financial implications for the field of education. The reasons for this exodus are varied and somewhat broad in nature and scope. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived …


Perceptions And Test Results Of Spatial-Temporal Math In Middle School, Lilian Uneojo Zekeri Jan 2020

Perceptions And Test Results Of Spatial-Temporal Math In Middle School, Lilian Uneojo Zekeri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The spatial-temporal math (ST Math) technology program was developed to address mathematics deficiencies experienced by students. However, the advantages and challenges of implementing ST Math for middle school students and teachers had not been examined. This single case study of 7th and 8th grade students’ performance after using the program had 2 purposes. The 1st was to ascertain teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the advantages and challenges of implementing the ST Math program. The 2nd was to see what a descriptive analysis of students’ test results indicated about performance of students using the program. Vygotsky’s activity theory, Mayer’s cognitive theory …


Exploring Head Start Teachers’ Challenges Working With Dual Language Learners, Jolene Andriaschko Jan 2020

Exploring Head Start Teachers’ Challenges Working With Dual Language Learners, Jolene Andriaschko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of dual language learners is increasing in the United States, little is known about the challenges Head Start teachers and education coordinators face in working with this population. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Head Start teachers’ and education coordinators’ perspectives regarding the support teachers need to meet the challenges of working with dual language learners. This study was grounded in Jim Cummins’s language acquisition framework, which suggests that dual language learners benefit from instruction in their native language and the language of the classroom. A basic qualitative study design was used with …


Motivators And Barriers Affecting Physical Activity Participation In Online Graduate Students, Gloria Christine Bales Jan 2020

Motivators And Barriers Affecting Physical Activity Participation In Online Graduate Students, Gloria Christine Bales

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical inactivity is a major contributor to chronic diseases, especially coronary heart disease. The American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II showed that only 47.4% of college students are meeting suggested physical activity requirements. As the nontraditional student population increases, research is needed to identify motivators and barriers specifically for online graduate students. The purpose of this case study was to examine the relationships of barriers and motivators for physical activity in online graduate students at Walden University. The study addressed research questions on what physical activity barriers existed in this study sample, (b) what intrinsic motivators and …


Corporate Social Responsibility And Financial Performance Of U.S. Manufacturing And Service Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Revlon Orlando Williams Jan 2020

Corporate Social Responsibility And Financial Performance Of U.S. Manufacturing And Service Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Revlon Orlando Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment strategies impact the business outcomes of firms of all sizes regardless of investment motives. But for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), the consequences of CSR investment are more immediate when compared to larger firms due to the condensed lag time between decisions and their respective outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the management decisions of social or environmental CSR investments for U.S.-based service and manufacturing SMEs are effective as represented by financial performance in their respective business sectors. The theoretical framework of this study was stakeholder and social capital theories. Five …


Medical Skepticism And Diabetes Management In African Americans, Pamela Bouyer Jan 2020

Medical Skepticism And Diabetes Management In African Americans, Pamela Bouyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in African Americans is a manageable disease, and self-management interventions reduce complications and hospital stays. However, in the African American population, traditional T2DM self-management interventions do not produce long-term effects on lifestyle and behavior changes. Researchers have analyzed the barriers and interventions associated with the disease, but the problem still exists. Medical skepticism may influence T2DM management and health outcomes in African Americans. However, there is scarce literature addressing the relationship between medical skepticism and health outcomes (eye and kidney problems). The purpose of the study is to assess the relationship between medical skepticism and outcomes …