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Online Facilitation Of Early Childhood Education Preservice Teacher Field Experiences, Catherine Meier Meier Jan 2017

Online Facilitation Of Early Childhood Education Preservice Teacher Field Experiences, Catherine Meier Meier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have determined that field experience is crucial in education preparation programs, yet little information is available about field experience within online early childhood education (ECE) programs. Educators who work in online ECE programs need to understand how to facilitate field experience effectively. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to understand the processes, procedures, and experiences of instructors who facilitate preservice teachers' field experience in online ECE programs. A constructivist framework was used to examine facilitation practices. Nine instructors from online ECE programs in the United States participated in 2 semistructured interviews that lasted approximately 1 hour each. …

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The Impact Of Parental Divorce On Orthodox Jewish Marital Relationships, Eliyahu Melen Jan 2017

The Impact Of Parental Divorce On Orthodox Jewish Marital Relationships, Eliyahu Melen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While there is ample research showing that adult children of divorced parents have more positive attitudes toward divorce and lower marital commitment, there has been no such research focused specifically on the Orthodox Jewish (OJ) population, which tends to view divorce more negatively. Prior to this study, it was thus unclear if the findings of existing research on marital competence applied to OJ children of divorce. Driven by social exchange theory, this study was designed to discover (a) whether OJ adult children of divorce differ significantly from OJ adult children of intact marriages in their marital commitment and marital satisfaction; …

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Educator's Technology Integration Barriers And Student Technology Preparedness As 21st Century Professionals, Joy Anne Pine-Thomas Jan 2017

Educator's Technology Integration Barriers And Student Technology Preparedness As 21st Century Professionals, Joy Anne Pine-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of dollars have been spent to acquire educational computing tools, and many education, government, and business leaders believe that investing in these computing tools will improve teaching and learning. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether charter school educators face technological barriers hindering them from incorporating technology into their classrooms. If they experienced self-efficacy issues integrating technology in their classrooms and if they believed their students were technologically prepared as 21st century professionals. A 5-point Likert scale survey, validated by a pilot study, was completed by 61 charter high school teachers. Their responses were analyzed, scores …

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The Impact Of Racial Stereotyping On Juror Perception Of Criminal Offenders, Tameka T. Price Jan 2017

The Impact Of Racial Stereotyping On Juror Perception Of Criminal Offenders, Tameka T. Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, research has consistently demonstrated that minorities are overrepresented in the prison population, yet relatively little is known about whether juror perceptions about race and criminal culpability may impact this problem in the United States. Using Hill's folk theory of race and racism as the theoretical foundation, this cross sectional study examined the relationship between perceptions of the race of the defendant and the verdicts to be handed down. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 25 people who self-reported having served on a jury or were eligible for jury service within the past 5 years in a …

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Age As A Predictor Of Factors Involved In Targeted School Violence, Wendy Leigh Rippon Jan 2017

Age As A Predictor Of Factors Involved In Targeted School Violence, Wendy Leigh Rippon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Targeted school violence (TSV) in the United States is increasing, causing a loss of innocent lives and challenges for teachers and students in building rapport. In addition, TSV increases levels of anxiety and makes it difficult for parents and community members to believe students are safe while at school. Several studies have highlighted the fact that age may be a factor in school shootings, calling for future research to determine if age is indeed influential. The problem is to date age has not been established as a predictive factor, even though the extant research is beginning to identify possible variances. …

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Strategies To Retain Millennial Employees At Full-Service Restaurants, Candace A. Ruiz Jan 2017

Strategies To Retain Millennial Employees At Full-Service Restaurants, Candace A. Ruiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some supervisors lack effective strategies to retain millennial generation employees. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore effective strategies supervisors use to retain culinary-educated millennial employees in full-service restaurants. Nine millennials and 3 supervisors from 3 full-service restaurants in Denver, Colorado consented to face-to-face semistructured interviews with open-ended interview questions concerning retention strategies. The conceptual framework of Herzberg's two-factor theory served to guide the scope and the data analysis for the multicase study. The interview transcripts were coded and grouped into themes. Explanation building for the data analysis assisted in finding causal links between cases and the unit …

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The Impact Of The Men Accepting Neophytes-Uplifting Pupils Community-Based Mentoring Program, Aisha Stephen Jan 2017

The Impact Of The Men Accepting Neophytes-Uplifting Pupils Community-Based Mentoring Program, Aisha Stephen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective mentoring programs are essential for African American youth to feel satisfaction and contribute to society, particularly in large urban communities. A need exists to study the impact of community-based mentoring programs in central Georgia, particularly those focused on male African Americans. Despite various mentoring programs, stakeholders know little about the elements of program impact for at-risk youths. Community mentoring programs frequently serve as a tool to minimize high dropout rates that often result from youth incarceration, expulsion, and suspension. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the perceptions of mentors and administrative staff on the impact …

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Strategies Of Small Business Owners To Acquire Federal Government Contracts, Delores Ann Tyms Jan 2017

Strategies Of Small Business Owners To Acquire Federal Government Contracts, Delores Ann Tyms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners are not acquiring U.S. federal government contracts at the government established target rate. The government's small business procurement goals remain unmet, which represents an underutilized source of revenues for many small business owners. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies of 3 small business owners operating in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to acquire federal government contracts to increase profitability. The thematic findings were in the context of the resource-based view as the conceptual framework. The participants answered questions in semistructured interviews and provided organizational documents for review. Triangulation of multiple data sources …

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Systems Of Support For Elementary School Principals: A Case Study, Jennifer Francone Jan 2017

Systems Of Support For Elementary School Principals: A Case Study, Jennifer Francone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals need support throughout their careers in order to lead effectively and promote continuous improvement. However, some elementary school principals of small, rural schools lack access to structured systems of support that could increase their knowledge and skills as instructional leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine a central California school district's existing system of support for elementary school principals to learn the essential features that could be used to provide support for principals of small, rural schools. Informed by the Principal Support Framework provided by the University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership, the guiding questions for …

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Common Psycholinguistic Themes In Mass Murderer Manifestos, Laura E. Hamlett Jan 2017

Common Psycholinguistic Themes In Mass Murderer Manifestos, Laura E. Hamlett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mass murder in the United States is increasing, yet understanding of mass murderers is still relatively limited. Many perpetrators compose manifestos, which include journals, blogs, letters, videos, and other writings. Previous research has indicated that personal messages are of great social and psychological importance; however, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding studies specific to these manifestos. As such, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to provide greater understanding of mass murderers' motives and mindsets through psycholinguistic analysis of their recorded words. The constructivist conceptual framework enabled gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting thematic language …

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University Educators' Instructional Choices And Their Learning Styles Within A Lesson Framework, Lucille Mazo Jan 2017

University Educators' Instructional Choices And Their Learning Styles Within A Lesson Framework, Lucille Mazo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on learning styles often focuses on the learning style of the student; however, the learning style of the educator may affect instructional choices and student learning. Few studies have addressed the lack of knowledge that exists in universities with respect to educators' learning styles and a lesson framework (development, delivery, and debriefing). This sequential mixed methods study explored university educators' conscious, reflective instructional choices as they related to learning styles application within a lesson. Two theoretical frameworks and one conceptual framework drew on Kolb's experiential learning theory; Bloom's, Reigeluth's, and Gagné's instructional design theories and models; and Fiddler and …

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Leadership Practices Supporting Retention In Head Start Nonprofit Organizations, Nannette Brown Phillips Jan 2017

Leadership Practices Supporting Retention In Head Start Nonprofit Organizations, Nannette Brown Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Head Start, the largest early childhood organization in the United States, was federally mandated to employ bachelor degreed operational employees, with no additional funds. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective strategies that successful leaders of Head Start Nonprofit Organizations use to retain operational employees. The population of this study included 5 Head Start CEOs/Program Directors in 5 Head Start nonprofit organizations in Alabama who successfully retained operational employees in their organization. Kouzes and Posner's transformational leadership theory provided a conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected via telephone interviews and employee records from the …

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Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke Jan 2017

Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry contend with a variety of corporate sustainability and social responsibility (CSSR) issues, ranging from the environmental impact of food waste to human health concerns about specific ingredients and production methods. In this qualitative multicase study, based on the conceptual frameworks of strategic development, stakeholder management, and institutional theory, I explored barriers and enablers for Washington, DC-based food SMEs as they proactively addressed CSSR issues. I interviewed five SME owner-managers. The transcripts were then coded and analyzed. Three themes emerged. Strategic development tended to be ad hoc and experimental, but with equal …

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Factors Affecting Hampton Roads, Virginia, Elected Official Emergency Management Recovery Policy Decisions, William Francis Reiske Jan 2017

Factors Affecting Hampton Roads, Virginia, Elected Official Emergency Management Recovery Policy Decisions, William Francis Reiske

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many regions and local governments, budgetary restraints limit funds appropriated for emergency management activities to inadequate levels, and little guidance exists related to decision factors used by elected officials in identifying budget and ordinance priorities. Using Kwon, Choi, and Bae's conceptualization of punctuated equilibrium theory, the purpose of this case study was to examine how decision factors influenced Hampton Roads, Virginia, elected official disaster recovery policy between 2003 and 2012. Data were collected through review of 1,310 city documents and 10 semistructured interviews with elected officials. Data were inductively coded and analyzed using a thematic analysis procedure. Data analysis …

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The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons Jan 2017

The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice nurses (NNs) are entering critical care environments with limited knowledge, skills, and decision-making expertise. They are expected to care for complex patients in a dynamic healthcare setting. The research question for this project examined whether NNs improve their knowledge and skills by participating in a nursing decision-making skills curriculum. The purpose of the project was to develop and validate a nursing decision-making skills education curriculum working in an intermediate critical care unit. Taba's instructional theoretical model was used to guide the new curriculum development along with current evidence based practice found in the current literature. Scaffolding approach theory encouraged …

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Women In Stem: The Effect Of Undergraduate Research On Persistence, Jodi Christine Wilker Jan 2017

Women In Stem: The Effect Of Undergraduate Research On Persistence, Jodi Christine Wilker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers constitutes a major issue in postsecondary science education. Perseverance of women in STEM is linked to a strong science identity. Experiential learning activities, such as undergraduate research, increase science identity and thus should help keep women in STEM. Most studies on research program development are from 4-year institutions, yet many women start at community colleges. The goal of this study was to fill this gap. Science identity and experiential learning theories provided the framework for this case study at a local institution (LECC). Semistructured interviews determined college science …

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A Phenomenological Examination Of Virtual Game Developers' Experiences Using Jacob's Ladder Pre-Production Design Tactic, Jasmine Brown-Turner Jan 2017

A Phenomenological Examination Of Virtual Game Developers' Experiences Using Jacob's Ladder Pre-Production Design Tactic, Jasmine Brown-Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob's Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members experience and perceive their collaborative work while designing a virtual game using such tactics. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of agile software team members using Jacob's Ladder pre-production design as an interdisciplinary collaboration tool while designing a virtual learning game. Seven design team members (3 educators and 4 engineers) participated …

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Leadership Strategies To Create Success In Virtual Teams, Catherine Muir Freeman Jan 2017

Leadership Strategies To Create Success In Virtual Teams, Catherine Muir Freeman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a rise in remote and virtual employees over the last 10 years with roughly 20-30 million Americans working remotely at least 1 day each week. This growth in virtual employees increases business and organizations' dependency on technology and on effective strategies to lead virtual teams. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this explanatory case study was to explore strategies e-leaders use in leading virtual teams effectively. The study population comprised a virtual company headquartered in the United States. The data included semistructured interviews with e-leaders with at least 1 year of experience in leading successful …

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Reducing Technology Costs For Small Real Estate Businesses Using Cloud And Mobility, Linda Anne-Marie Mcintosh Jan 2017

Reducing Technology Costs For Small Real Estate Businesses Using Cloud And Mobility, Linda Anne-Marie Mcintosh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased client accessibility strategies, awareness of technology cost, and factors of third-party data security capabilities are elements small real estate business (SREB) owners need to know before adopting cloud and mobility technology. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SREB owners use to implement cloud and mobility products to reduce their technology costs. The target population consisted of 3 SREB owners who had experience implementing cloud and mobility products in their businesses in the state of Texas. The conceptual framework of this research study was the technology acceptance model theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted and …

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The Relationship Of Moral Reasoning And Ethical Decision Making Among It Employees, Karen J. Stockton-Tillman Jan 2017

The Relationship Of Moral Reasoning And Ethical Decision Making Among It Employees, Karen J. Stockton-Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a rise in the last decade of documented unethical business behavior by information technology (IT) employees. Over the last several years, business managers have tried to address this area of concern to find a solution to this growing problem, but they have struggled with the metrics to identify unethical behavior in IT employees. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of 3 employee constructs-ethics training (ET), education level (EL), and employee's perception of their organizations' ethical leadership (EP)-on whether an IT employee would behave in an unethical manner. The theoretical framework for the study …

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Minimizing Nepotistic Practices In Family Owned And Operated Businesses: The Private Sector, Darlene Thomas Thomas Jan 2017

Minimizing Nepotistic Practices In Family Owned And Operated Businesses: The Private Sector, Darlene Thomas Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of family businesses in the private sector must be cognizant of nepotism to reduce skilled employee turnover. Guided by Herzberg two-factor theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by family owned and operated business leaders to minimize nepotistic practices that reduce skilled nonfamily employees' voluntary turnover. The population for this study included 3 family owned and operated funeral establishments in the Midwest region of St. Louis, Missouri. These participants had sustained their family businesses longer than 5 years while minimizing skilled nonfamily employees' voluntary turnover. Data were collected from …

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Student Incivility And Its Impact On Nursing Faculty And The Nursing Profession, Tamara Lynette Williams Jan 2017

Student Incivility And Its Impact On Nursing Faculty And The Nursing Profession, Tamara Lynette Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incivility disrupts the learning environment for nursing students and faculty, and contributes to the national nursing shortage since many nursing faculty reportedly leave academia because of disruptive student behaviors. Academic leaders at a midwestern college of nursing are concerned by the increasing number of students engaging in uncivil behaviors and are seeking solutions. Using Clark's conceptual model, which holds that incivility can be mitigated with effective communication and engagement, this qualitative case study was designed to understand what faculty perceive as the cause of student incivility, and what actions they believe would decrease these uncivil behaviors. Data were collected from …

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Parental Perspectives On Vaccinating Children Against Preventable Childhood Diseases, Karen Charles Jan 2017

Parental Perspectives On Vaccinating Children Against Preventable Childhood Diseases, Karen Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood immunization has been one of the most important public health measures in the 20th century. In the United States, 95% of avoidable childhood diseases have been prevented through vaccinations. However, there have been growing concerns around the safety of vaccines, and this increased uncertainty has led to decreases in vaccination participation and increases in cases of preventable diseases. As such, is it important to understand why parents are not vaccinating their children. A qualitative approach was utilized to conduct this study. Flyers to recruit participants were distributed by healthcare providers and were posted in church facilities. Ten parents of …

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Theory Of Planned Behavior Analysis And Organic Food Consumption Of American Consumers, Marie Elizabeth Donahue Jan 2017

Theory Of Planned Behavior Analysis And Organic Food Consumption Of American Consumers, Marie Elizabeth Donahue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of organic foods consumed by Americans are sourced internationally, which has global-reaching implications on health, economics, and sustainability. Current research findings show that environmental devastation and negative health outcomes have resulted from unsustainable, nonorganic agricultural practices; including herbicides, pesticides, and overcultivation. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on factors that motivate Americans to consume organic food. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this quantitative study employed an online survey to examine the role of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention and behavior of American consumers to consume organic foods. …

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Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal Jan 2017

Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Provisioning Internet services remains an area of concern for Internet service providers. Despite investments to improve resources and technology, the understanding of sociotechnical factors that influence the service-provisioning life cycle remains limited. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the influence of sociotechnical factors associated with telecom service provisioning and to explore the critical success and failure factors, specifically in the telecommunication industry of Kuwait. Guided by sociotechnical systems theory, this qualitative exploratory case study approach examined a purposeful sample of 19 participants comprising of managers, engineers, and technicians who had the knowledge and experience of the service-provisioning …

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The Sustainability Management Control System: Factors To Consider In Metric Conceptualization, Corne Mouton Jan 2017

The Sustainability Management Control System: Factors To Consider In Metric Conceptualization, Corne Mouton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The performance metrics embedded in sustainability management control systems (SMCS) provide organizational leaders the ability to affect the implementation and continual improvement of sustainability strategies. Leaders in oil sands companies lacking adequate information on the efficacy of the sustainability performance metrics and their use to enhance their SMCS could be at a competitive disadvantage. Guided by stakeholder theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies Alberta-based oil sands company leaders use for critical planning, developing, and implementing SMCS performance metrics. The target population comprised of 20 oil sands company leaders from an Alberta, Canada, organization who …

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Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke Jan 2017

Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Democracy building operations in foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been met with resistance and at great cost in terms of dollars and lives. Reducing these costs requires understanding why individuals choose to resist the transition to democracy, yet current research in the field does not address the issues of a previously nonviolent population turning to terrorism to resist transition to democracy. The purpose of this single case study was to use rational choice theory and Crenshaw's 3 levels of causation to understand what factors influenced members of the Sunni sect to resist democratic transition following the 2003 invasion …

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The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie Jan 2017

The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying behavior is a contributing factor to hostile work environments, and can cause human consequences that affect morale, performance, and productivity. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify the strategies that ombudsmen and human resource managers (HR) use in mitigating workplace conflict. Corporate social performance was the conceptual framework that guided this research. Nine HR managers, an ombudsman representative, and 8 ombudsmen located in New York City and in other states were interviewed based on their experience in conflict mitigation. Data extracted from the participants' shared stories along with position description documents were synthesized thematically and …

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Understanding The Mental Health Needs Of Immigrant Women With A History Of Trauma, Shalunda D. Allen Sherrod Jan 2017

Understanding The Mental Health Needs Of Immigrant Women With A History Of Trauma, Shalunda D. Allen Sherrod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant percentage of undocumented immigrants who come to the United States include women suffering from trauma and abuse. In Southwest Texas, many immigrant women begin their stay in the United States, as residents of an immigration Residential Detainment Center (RDC). Social workers in RDCs are challenged to understand their roles and responsibilities in treating the mental health need of these women. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of social workers, in RDCs, regarding their roles and responsibilities in meeting the mental health needs of immigrant women with a history of personal trauma. Using action research …

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Strategies To Improve Productivity Of A Multigenerational Workforce, Grace Elizabeth Beasley Jan 2017

Strategies To Improve Productivity Of A Multigenerational Workforce, Grace Elizabeth Beasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that millennials will soon represent 46% of the workforce. The anticipated changes in the workforce are of great concern to business leaders who may manage individuals from different generations. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that administrative leaders in an advisory group of community-based organizations and educational institutions used to improve the productivity of a multigenerational workforce. The conceptual frameworks that grounded this study were the social constructivist perspective and generational theory. Data were collected from semistructured interviews to elicit narratives from 6 administrative leaders from 6 …

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