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Assessing Electoral Process Challenges Through Poll Workers' Performance In Sub-Saharan Africa-Togo, Kokouvi Momo Amegnran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Contenders disputing electoral results in Sub-Saharan African countries often attribute defects in presidential electoral processes to the implementation of rules and procedures. Yet despite the considerable decision-making authority poll workers are entrusted with and the significance of the tasks performed by therm, scholars have not closely investigated poll workers'contributions to elections' management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using principal-agent theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to examine the challenges encountered in the organization of the presidential election in Togo, held on April 25, 2015, with a particular emphasis on poll workers' job performance. Research questions focused on …

Crime Reduction Strategies Of Florida Sheriff's Offices Related To Residential Burglaries, Jack Armstrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Florida, the law enforcement response to burglaries is estimated to cost $1.3 billion, yet little is understood about whether specific types of enforcement and investigation strategies have an impact on reducing the incidence of burglary. Using Cohen and Felson's concept of guardianship as part of routine activities theory as the foundation, the purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine whether any or all crime reduction strategies (community policing, intelligence led policing, Compare Statistics policing, traditional policing, hot spot policing, and evidence based policing) when combined with urbanity, household income, the sworn officers per 1000 population are statistically …

Influence Of Intercultural Experiences Abroad On African American High School Students, Kadima Bukasa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American high school students are underrepresented in study abroad programs, and their lack of intercultural skills and international understanding can impede their personal and professional development, and limit their career opportunities. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to explore the influence of intercultural experiences through study abroad and immersion programs on African American high school students' intercultural competence. The conceptual framework drew on 2 theories: Bennett's development model of intercultural sensitivity and Kolb's experiential learning. Data from interviews and focus groups with 13 African American high school students, 2 parents, and 2 teachers as well as …

Exploring Strategies For Implementing Data Governance Practices, Ashley Cave

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Data governance reaches across the field of information technology and is increasingly important for big data efforts, regulatory compliance, and ensuring data integrity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies for implementing data governance practices. This study was guided by institutional theory as the conceptual framework. The study's population consisted of informatics specialists from a small hospital, which is also a research institution in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. This study's data collection included semi structured, in-depth individual interviews (n = 10), focus groups (n = 3), and the analysis of organizational documents (n = 19). …

Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high recidivism rate of Black male juvenile offenders is a problem in the United States that continues to be of great concern. Probation has gained popularity as being a means of addressing and reducing the high recidivism rates of juvenile offenders. However, there is a lack of research regarding Black male juvenile probationers' perceptions of their probation officers' role in reducing their recidivism. This study examined the following: a) the predictive relationships between Black male probationers' perceptions of their probation officers, their perceptions of the probation officers' job, and their recidivism within 3 years of being place on probation; …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Smoking Cessation Program., Gideon Eke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forty-six million individuals in the United States used tobacco products. People who use

tobacco products attempt numerous strategies before giving up smoking habit altogether. The goal of this project was to evaluate the impact of a tobacco cessation program by evaluating pre-and post-cessation program data, and hospital records of participants attending the hospital smoking cessation program over a 6-month period to ascertain the degree of reduction in tobacco use and hospitalization from smoking-related diseases. The population sample comprised of both men and women between the ages of 18 years and above. The project question addressed whether the smoking cessation program …

Senescence Disorder Literacy Among Prelingual/Culturally Deaf Individuals Age 50 And Older, J. Delores Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The preferred method of communication for most prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals is American Sign Language (ASL), and members of this linguistic/cultural minority community are often not recognized as being bilingual. Many prelingually/culturally Deaf individuals have limitations and deficits in English proficiency; which can lead to deficits in general knowledge of health-related terminology. Current projections are that older adults are expected to live longer, and will also experience the development of, increases in and more extended periods of living with senescence/age-related health disorders, also includes prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals. This quantitative research project, utilizing the theoretical framework of health literacy and a modified …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Impact Of Protective Orders On Teen Dating Violence, Sonia Ann Layne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence is a national epidemic with prevalence similar to levels of adult dating and domestic violence. Some states order of protection laws currently fails to protect most teen victims experiencing dating violence. The purpose of this experimental, quantitative study was to determine to what extent domestic violence statutes impact the reporting of teen dating violence in states that provide statutory protection of teen dating violence victims. The advocacy coalition framework was used for the study's theoretical foundation. The research questions focused on differences between the strength of state's advocacy coalition programs, and the prevalence of female teens reporting …

Exploring Which Leadership Styles Are Effective With Millennial Employees, Samuel Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers struggle with how to motivate the Millennial generation employee. Research that explores which leadership styles are effective with Millennial generation employees is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore what leadership styles are effective with Millennial employees, which led to a key research question: Which leadership styles facilitate employee motivation for the Millennial generation? The theoretical framework was based on the social learning, transformational leadership, and servant leadership theories, which were used to identify effective leadership styles. In the theoretical framework, different motivation theories were presented to establish the context in which motivation was discussed. This quantitative …

Customer Relationship Management Strategies At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Johnny Balman Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black colleges and university managers lack sufficient understanding of customer-relationship management strategies to create high enrollment rates leading to increased financial stability. The focus of this qualitative single case study was to explore customer-relationship management strategies managers use to improve financial performance from historically Black colleges and universities located within the state of Georgia with a student enrollment that exceeds 2,000 students. The conceptual framework for this study was the general system theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and employee handbooks. The data analysis consisted of compiling the data, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data …

Perceptions Of Ethnic Federalism And The Ethiopian Diaspora Community In The Us, Kassaw Tafere Merie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diaspora communities are becoming an essential part of socioeconomic and political developments of their homeland countries. The problem addressed by this study is that after ethnic federalism was implemented in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian diaspora in the US is divided along ethnic lines, causing human resource management and law enforcement challenges within the communities in the host country. The purpose of this study was to describe the impacts of Ethiopia's ethnic-based federalism on its diaspora residing in a US metropolitan area. The theoretical framework was based on Teshome and ZáhoÅ?ík's theory of ethnic federalism and Safran's theory of diaspora. The key …

Use Of Social Cognitive Theory To Understand Veterans' Postservice Physical Activity Behavior, Geoffrey Bruce Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health of the veteran population within the United States has become a matter of ever-increasing concern, and many individuals who have attained veteran status are experiencing health issues following their discharge from the military. Despite such concerns, there are often not enough resources available to assist these individuals to the degree necessary in an expedient manner. The purpose of this case study was to use social cognitive theory to understand the physical activity of veterans following their time in service. Through the use of social cognitive theory, this study explored the thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of 11 veterans to …

Offshore Outsourcing Of The United States Semiconductor Manufacturing: Management Approaches And Strategies, Oscar Mostofi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States manufacturing employment decreased 33% from 1985 to 2014. During the same period, the United States semiconductor manufacturing, accounting for 1.7% of the total of the United States manufacturing workforce, lost 35% of its employees. The decline in semiconductor manufacturing jobs began in 1985 when semiconductor firms began offshoring product manufacturing overseas because of low cost of qualified labor force and facilities. This qualitative case study explored the analytical approaches and strategies business leaders of semiconductor firms that offshore manufacturing use in making informed strategic outsourcing and offshoring decisions conducive to sustainability and profitability of operations. The location …

Understanding The Role Of Federal Procurement Policy In Federal Social Policy, Howard Wilson Pierce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human sex trafficking is a significant issue in the modern world. The International Labor Organization has estimated that 4.5 million people are the victims of forced commercial sexual exploitation worldwide. The United States' laws on human sex trafficking can be found in 22 U.S.C. -§7104 Prevention of Trafficking, and promulgate the strategy of prevention of trafficking, protection of trafficking victims, and punishment of traffickers. Under the terms of 22 U.S.C. -§7104, federal contractors can be penalized if any of their employees or subcontractor employees engage in a commercial sex act. The reliance on the private sector to curb sex trafficking …

Strategies Clinic Managers Use To Reduce Missed Medical Appointments, Sophea Ey Skym

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients who miss their medical appointments increase health care costs for themselves and for clinics. The purpose of this qualitative, single exploratory case study was to explore strategies health care clinic managers use to reduce medical no-shows for patient-scheduled appointments. Change management theory guided the scope and analysis. The data collection included a single clinical operations manager who have strategies to mitigate no-shows for patient-scheduled appointments participated in a semistructured interview in southeastern Virginia, the direct observation of 2 office workers in their natural setting of scheduling appointments, and for methodological triangulation, a review of organizational archival documents about missed …

Education And The Development Of On-Farm Identity: Dairy Farm Women's Experiences, Amy Leigh Spangenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women throughout the world have found emancipation through education. Yet, there has been no research on the role that education plays in dairy farm women's primary, on-farm identity development and how farm women's identities develop. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine dairy farm women's perceptions of previous learning (education) and its influence on their primary, on-farm identity development. The feminist standpoint theory provided the framework for this study. A homogeneous, purposeful sample of 10 active dairy farm women were interviewed using individual, face to face, semistructured questions to answer the question: What are dairy farm women's perceptions …

Careers In Stem Begin With Elementary Student Interest In Mathematics, Linda Ertrachter Brimmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I investigated why math capable students are not entering science, technology,

engineering, and math (STEM) careers. To research the problem, I explored how highly

effective elementary math teachers (HEMT) create student interest in mathematics using the self-

efficacy (SE) theory and information and communication technology (ICT). The purpose

of the study was to discover if teacher training and instructional strategies can influence

student interest in mathematics to improve STEM career entry. The theoretical

framework adopted for this study was the SE theory, and the 4-phase model of interest

development was the conceptual framework. Participants in this multi-case qualitative

study included …

Strategies To Improve Millennial Employee Engagement In The Luxury Resort Industry, Kei-Lin Cerf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millennials are estimated to compose half of the workforce by 2020. Many hospitality researchers have studied Millennial employee engagement, but less is known about how to apply strategies that are authentically engaging for Millennials. The purpose of this study was to explore Millennial employee engagement strategies. The research questions for this study were used to examine the engagement strategies of luxury resort leaders and how Millennial employees perceived engagement. A single case study design was used to gather interview, questionnaire, and company document data from employees of a luxury resort in Hawai`i. Kahn's employee engagement theory served as the basis …

Evaluating The Impact Of An Evidence- Based Weight Reduction Program Among The Obese At A Medical Facility In North Central United States, Petronilla Eke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In September 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that more than one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults have an obesity problem. According to the CDC, this issue results in other medical conditions such as type 11 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. This project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based weight reduction program for obese individuals at a medical facility in the North Central United States. The methodology used consisted of a retrospective chart review of pre- and post-data for 45 people who participated in the medical facility's weight-reduction program over a 6 …

Social Media Strategies For Increasing Sales, Loretta N. Ezeife

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media have transformed business commerce and consumer communication, yet organizational leaders lack clear strategies for using social media platforms to their advantage. The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore social media marketing strategies for increasing sales. The relationship marketing conceptual framework grounded this study. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 5 organizational leaders from 5 different organizations in the San Francisco, California, Bay Area and a review of participants’ documents including marketing materials, social media posts, and published sales reports. Data analysis included coding, categorization, and identification of major themes. The thematic assessment approach revealed 5 …

Society's Views Of Law Enforcement Use Of Force, Roxann Marie Fisk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals observe their surroundings and naturally judge others by what they observe or

hear. In recent media portrayals, law enforcement officers were scrutinized for use of

force and individuals were quick to verbalize their interpretation of events. Bandura's

social learning theory served as a focal lens to guide the study. This qualitative

phenomenological study examined lived experiences and what factors influence public

perception of law enforcement use of force. Interviews were conducted with 10

participants who have encountered or witnessed law enforcement officers utilize use of

force during a citizen encounter. NVivo software was used to code and analyze themes …

Clinical Social Work With Underserved Persons In Colorado In An Integrated Healthcare Facility, Trisha Sue Goetz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is significant documentation showing that health disparities experienced by underserved persons can be mitigated through the provision of quality integrated healthcare. This research project was grounded in social support theory and how support influences improvements in physical, psychological, and overall health. Social workers in integrated healthcare are in a unique position to be the source of social support for individuals experiencing health disparities, yet there is little research concerning how these social workers are providing services and how they affect health outcomes. This research addressed gaps in the literature concerning social worker roles in order to improve integrated healthcare …

Intermediate Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Instruction Strategies And Professional Development Needs, Barbara Jean Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1 urban Tennessee school, students in Grades 3 through 5 had not met adequate yearly progress in reading for the past 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of current district-recommended teaching practice in reading. The research questions related to current instructional strategies, teaching practices, challenges, and perceptions of current instructional strategies and changes needed to improve students' reading achievement. This study was grounded in the constructivist theoretical framework of Vygotsky. Twelve educators from Grades 3 through 5 and a reading specialist participated in this study. The data were collected from interviews, minutes …

Faculty Roles In Student Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dorothy Langley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implications for student dropouts include fewer career options and lower earning potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of their roles in the student retention process at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast United States. Guiding the phenomenological study was Lewin's theory of change model. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and faculty-student intervention logs. The questionnaire was completed by 32 full-time faculty at the study site. Interviews with 5 participants were conducted after the completion of the questionnaire, and 5 participants provided information via a faculty-student intervention log about strategies …

Reducing Stigma And Encouraging Help Seeking Intentions Through A Mental Health Literacy Program, Nicole Loreto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many individuals do not seek help for a mental health problem due to stigma and fear of rejection by peers and family. Researchers have highlighted that the age group least likely to seek help is youth. Stigma acts as an important barrier to help-seeking. Evidence indicating how mental health literacy can reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking remains inconclusive. In this study, the health belief model was used to understand how college students perceived an individual's susceptibility to mental illness and the barriers associated with seeking help. A posttest-only randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of the Is It Just Me? …

The Effect Of Rules On Racially-Influenced Policing And Police Uses Of Force, Joe D. Mazza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public opinion polls have shown the public lacks confidence in U.S. police to use appropriate amounts of force and treat racial minorities fairly, which undermines police legitimacy and the quality of life of all citizens. Although rules have been shown to positively constrain police uses of force, researchers have not demonstrated the effect of rules on racially influenced policing (RIP). In 2005, the RIP directive which prohibits officers from using race as a factor in taking discretionary actions was promulgated in New Jersey. The purpose of this study was to determine through the theoretical lens of Lipsky's street-level bureaucrat theory …

Strategies To Reduce Effects Of Organizational Stress In Health Care Workplaces, Kate Chinyere Mbidoaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace stress has become a frequent occurrence in the race for competitive business advantage. This stress leads to negative physiological consequences in the workplace, causing productivity and profitability to suffer. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the stress management strategies that some health care business leaders used to reduce the effects of work-related stress on their employees to improve productivity. The interview process included 3 managers employed at a health care institution in Houston, Texas, with records of implementing successful strategies for mitigating the effects of workplace stress. The conceptual framework was job demands-resources model, pertinent …

African American Small Business Strategies For Financial Stability And Profitability, Jermell T. Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the high failure rate of African American small businesses in the United States, only 2% of the U.S. Small Business Administration loans in 2016 were awarded to African American business owners. Most small business owners cite lack of access to financial resources as an influential factor that leads to business failure. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies African American small business owners in Los Angeles County, California use to obtain financial resources to achieve sustainability for at least 5 years. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 4 purposively …

Understanding Elementary Teachers' Experiences And Views Using Interactive Whiteboards For Pedagogical Practices, Olga Samsonova

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student learning for the 21st century requires innovative teaching techniques. Often, many teachers are unaware of how they can integrate innovative teaching, especially using interactive whiteboards (IWBs), to develop curricula and facilitate student learning in order to develop their advanced knowledge and skills needed in the future. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how U.S. elementary public school teachers use and perceive IWBs. Rogers' theory of diffusion and innovation, Davis's technology acceptance model, and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior provided a conceptual framework for the study. The research questions focused on elementary teachers'experiences and perceptions of …

Autonomy Supportive Teaching Strategies And Student Motivation In Middle School Physical Education, Amanda Lynn Savage-Speegle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many U.S. adolescents struggle with obesity and a lack of motivation to be healthy and physically active, which affects individual as well as public health. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate students' motivation to participate in physical education class and better understand the teaching strategies currently used by physical education teachers who participated in an interview and 2 observations. Self-determination theory framed the research questions, which focused on students' intrinsic motivation to participate in physical education class and physical education teachers' use of autonomy supportive teaching strategies. Learning Climate and Basic Need surveys were administered to 6th-8th …