Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For Retaining Life Insurance Sales Agents, Jose Pablo Pescador

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The total number of life insurance sales agents has decreased from 535,000 in 1990 to 323,700 in 2014, averaging a total of 8,829 life insurance sales agents leaving the life insurance industry annually. Effective retention strategies of life insurance sales agents may provide a sustainable workforce in the life insurance industry. Guided by Ambler and Barrow’s employer branding theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies branch managers used to retain life insurance sales agents. The 6 participants in the study implemented effective retention strategies to retain life insurance sales agents within 2 life insurance …

Leadership Strategies For Improving Employee Retention In The Fast Food Industry, Hope J. Stallworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The turnover of skilled employees in the fast food industry results in significant yearly financial losses to organizations across the United States. Applying the findings in this study may help business leaders improve best practices in fast food industries in order to minimize employee turnover. Grounded in the expectancy motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 5 transformational business leaders in southern Mississippi used to improve employee retention in a fast food restaurant. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews and an assessment of the company’s documents (e.g., employee handbook, training manual, and vision …

Strategies For Information Technology Employee Retention, Stephen Horton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) employee retention is essential to IT departments tasked with supporting the goals and objectives of the organization. IT employees manage, support, and direct IT to drive business, pursue innovation, and create a competitive edge. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to identify strategies that IT managers use to retain IT employees in order to support the goals and objectives of the IT organization. The population for this study consisted of 5 IT managers in the transportation industry. The IT managers selected for this study had subordinates and delegation duties and worked for employers …

Developing Teacher Leaders Through Professional Development Offered In A District Teacher Forum, Suzanne T. Koty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is an ongoing problem in education, and the lack of leadership opportunities contribute to that problem. Teachers who serve in leadership roles are more likely to remain in the profession and positively impact students and the profession as a whole. However, there is little qualitative research to address how teachers develop the needed leadership skills to take on additional leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of participants in a District Teacher Forum. The District Teacher Forum is a cohort of teachers identified as Campus Teachers of the Year led by the …

Nonprofit Church Leaders’ Perceptions And Lived Experiences Involving Innovation Competency And Change Management: A Phenomenological Study, Charity R. Addai-Duah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Innovation competency among religious leaders has been an area of study as nonprofit researchers continue to discover that conventional ways of managing change are no longer effective when tackling present issues. Discussions regarding using innovation competency to manage change among religious leaders are vague, despite benefits to the nonprofit sector. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nonprofit church leaders to better understand how innovation competency has shaped organizational change results. Boyatzis’ effective job performance model was the conceptual framework that guided this study. Interview data were gathered from 14 participants who met …

Public Service Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors That Engage Or Disengage, Beverlyn A. Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high percentage of U.S. employees do not engage in their work, resulting in lower productivity. U.S. corporations are losing more than $400–$500 billion per year because of low productivity at work. This phenomenological study involved an examination of leadership behaviors that engage or disengage employees in public service organizations. Kahn’s conceptual frame of engagement and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs motivation theory guided this study. The purpose was to determine why disengagement behavior continues despite extensive literature on the benefits of engagement and what organizations can do to encourage leadership behaviors that engage employees and discourage leadership behaviors that disengage …

Leading A Multigenerational Workforce: Leveraging The Skill Sets Of Each Cohort, Kevin Danley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the first time in American history, there are 5 generations in the workforce concurrently. This historical event has caused workplace challenges where leaders have inadequate knowledge regarding the unique skill sets of each generational cohort. Without an understanding of these unique skill sets, leaders cannot adapt their leadership style to create greater production in a multigenerational workplace. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple-case study was to gain an understanding of the skill sets of each generational cohort and to discover how their leaders can adapt their leadership style to develop effective strategies to create a more productive multigenerational …

Antibiotic Stewardship And The Quality Of Life For Residents Over 65 Years, Reshma Beharry-Guest

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotics were often over-prescribed in long term care facilities (LTCFs) and antibiotic stewardship guidelines, established by the CDC were not followed. The nursing home administrator was responsible for the quality of care for the residents and ensured that the facility met and/or exceeded the CMS antibiotic stewardship standard of care. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze operational secondary data collected from a Texas LTCF regarding antibiotic utilization for male and female residents over 65 years. The theoretical framework of the social cognitive theory was applicable for quality improvement in the LTCF setting. The data analysis showed that …

Communication Of Fiduciary Risk For Workplace Retirement Plans, George Blount

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 100 new 401(k) plan complaints were filed between 2016-2017, the highest two-year total since 2008-2009. Plan sponsors of retirement plans face personal financial liability for the risks associated with litigation focusing on their fiduciary responsibility. Grounded in the behavioral governance framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the communication of risk for workplace retirement plans. The participants comprised 10 business leaders who are fiduciaries responsible for their company’s retirement plan with a national geographic footprint. Data were collected from semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Themes of benchmarking, the efficacy …

Employee Resistance To Change During The Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Care, Tara A. Chalakani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee resistance to change can impede organizational success. Resistance can occur when the proposed change is beneficial. Trauma-informed care requires a complete paradigm shift within a behavioral health organization to be executed successfully. This single-case study explored the leadership experience of employee resistance to change during the implementation of trauma-informed care in a large nonprofit behavioral health organization. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 4 organizational leaders, and a thematic analysis was conducted on internal documents, including staff satisfaction surveys, exit interviews, meeting minutes, strategic plans, manuals, the organizational website, and information from the employee portal. Findings were validated …

Healthcare Organizational Design Strategies To Improve Performance, Katherine Madonna Chubbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders are exploring ways to improve organizational performance through organizational design, including reviewing the structures of their organization. Grounded in McKinsey’s 7S framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore organizational design strategies healthcare leaders used to improve organization performance. Participants were 6 leaders within a healthcare organization in Alberta, Canada, who successfully developed and implemented organizational design strategies to improve organizational performance. The data collection techniques included a review of internal and external documents, a reflective journal, and semistructured interviews. I used methodological triangulation and thematic analysis to complete the data analysis. The data …

Corporate Trainers’ Intent To Adjust Training Programs For Fostering Employee Self-Efficacy, Peter Cronrath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To stay current on technology trends, trainers are tasked with providing cost-effective training to meet the needs of the organization. It is not known if to develop employee self-efficacy, organizational trainers should consider making changes to their programs in accordance with (a) generational needs of employees, (b) methodology of training, and (c) position levels of employees in an organization. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to determine whether there is a correlation between organizational training professionals’ intent to make changes to training programs and if self-efficacy development is considered in generationally different individuals at different position levels …

Comparison Of Health Factors And Outcomes Between Accredited And Nonaccredited Health Departments, Deborah Koester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The launch of the Public Health Accreditation Board in 2012 established national public standards. This study examined possible correlations between the accreditation status of local health departments and specific indicators for health, including communicable disease, disease prevention and health promotion, and maternal child health factors, and outcomes of premature death and infant mortality. The population for the intervention group included all 212 local health departments accredited from September 2012 through December 2017. Accredited health departments were matched with nonaccredited health departments based on population, rurality, agency type, governance authority, and state public health structure. Linear regression analysis was performed on …

Case Managers’ Lived Experiences Working With Trauma Victims, Margaret Donohue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore and understand how case managers’ (CMs’) experiences listening to trauma stories of trauma victims affects them personally and professionally and what strategies they use to cope with hearing these stories. Constructivist self-development theory provided a framework for understanding the development of vicarious trauma in mental health workers. The central question and subquestions were developed to address the identified problem and purpose of the study, asking how CMs describe their experiences, how hearing trauma stories impacts CMs, and how CMs cope with their experiences of hearing trauma stories of trauma victims. …

Strategies For Increasing Employee Productivity In Small Technology Consulting Businesses, Dalinda Yvonne Milne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unproductive employees in technology consulting small businesses negatively affect organizational output and profits. Investing in employee productivity is beneficial to ensuring an organization’s ability to improve their profits and sustainability as business leaders have an influential role in identifying and addressing the root causes of employee productivity issues in their organizations. The conceptual framework that grounded this doctoral study was Thomas Gilbert’s behavioral engineering model. The participants in this study consisted of 8 leaders in a Texas technology consulting small business with experience in increasing employee productivity. Data were collected through in-person semistructured interviews and business documents. Methodological triangulation was …

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 …

Strategies For Business Management Innovations To Improve Competitiveness, Roger George Denousse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some African business leaders were, in 2019, less competitive because they continue to use traditional business management practices and have failed to incorporate advanced technology. Taking advantage of new management strategies and innovative technology to increase their global competitiveness will benefit African businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study, grounded in Burns’ transformational leadership theory, was to explore strategies that business leaders in Seychelles have used to implement management innovations to improve competitiveness. The participants consisted of 5 business leaders from 5 large innovative business organizations operating successfully and based in Mahe, Seychelles. The data were collected through semistructured …

Nutritional Assessment Of Patients In The Intensive Care Unit, Jennifer Maureen Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Impaired nutrition is associated with prolonged hospitalization, poor patient outcomes, high mortality, and increased health costs. Nutritional assessment in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is important in recognition of changes in the patient’s nutritional status from admission to discharge and may promote early nutritional interventions by the health providers to prevent complications of poor nutrition. The purpose of this staff education doctoral project was to assess ICU nurses’ knowledge of nutritional assessment for critically-ill patients and to provide education on an assessment tool for patient nutritional assessment- the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST). The guidelines from the American Society for …

Organizational Climate And Employee Engagement, Romie Mejalli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although research shows that disengaged employees contribute to increased health and hiring costs in for-profit organizations, there is a gap in the literature concerning the relationship between organizational climate (OC) and employee engagement (EE) in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). In this study, it was hypothesized that employee answers to the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-17 (UWES-17) and OC surveys (for example, of management styles and innovation) would predict EE in a NPO. The study further addressed the question of whether age or the division in which the employees worked influenced the relationship between OC and EE. Kahn’s engagement theory served as the …

Small Business Leaders’ Strategies For Recruiting Veterans, Jamillah Deangela Stackhouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business hiring managers who fail to implement recruitment strategies for

transitioning military veterans face hiring challenges with this population of workers.

Failed recruitment strategies are essential to small business leaders, as failure to attract

highly qualified military veterans places the organizations at a competitive disadvantage.

Grounded in recruitment theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to

explore strategies used by leaders of small businesses to recruit, hire, and retain qualified

veterans. The participants included 3 purposefully selected hiring managers from 3 small

businesses in southeastern Virginia, who used successful strategies to recruit, hire, and

retain veterans. …

Strategies To Digitize Business Processes, Mohamed Abdelmoneim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology leaders with limited digitization strategies are less profitable than competitors in the same industry. Without digital strategies, information technology leaders suffer from manual business processes, which results in losing business opportunities. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that 10 IT leaders used to transform business processes digitally at four different organizations in Ireland. Data were collected using semistructured face-to-face interviews. The second data source was organizational digitization documents. The 3 themes that emerged from thematic analysis were (a) strong digital leadership competencies, (b) digitally aligned with the …

Successful Strategies To Address Disruptive Innovation Technologies In The Digital-Media Industry, Latronya M. Acevedo-Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Digital media executives lack strategic solutions for the preparation and response to changing media innovation technology. The lack of innovative technological strategies threatens digital-media corporations’ ability to maintain marketplace sustainability for addressing disruptive innovation technologies. Grounded in Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory and Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore innovative technological strategies some executives of digital-media corporations used to maintain marketplace sustainability for addressing disruptive innovation technologies. The participants were 7 digital-media executives in New York and California, who used effective strategies to innovate technology and maintain marketplace sustainability. Data were …

Critical Success Factors For E-Government Web Services, Mark Alpern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some municipal government leaders are unable to effectively implement e-government web services, which results in poor client satisfaction. Grounded in the critical success factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore critical success factors managers use to build quality e-government web services. The participants included 3 managers in different municipalities within Ontario, Canada, who successfully implemented e-government web services. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of organizational documents. Thematic analysis was conducted using Yin's 5-step data analysis method, and 5 themes emerged: client-centric government, change management, management support, client engagement, and external …

Strategies To Grow And Expand A Nonprofit Business, Olusegun Abimbola Awode

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations make significant contributions to individuals, organizations, communities, the environment, and societies, but many do not survive in the long run. This study is important to business leaders in for-profit and nonprofit organizations who want to implement strategies for the long-term survival of their business, improve business performance, and effect positive social change. Grounded in Penrose’s theory of growth, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies leaders used to grow and expand a nonprofit business in the midwestern region of the United States. The participants comprised 5 nonprofit leaders with recorded success at growing and …

Educational Program On Human Immunodeficiency Virus For Clinic Staff, Margaret Ayoade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical assistants (MAs) and nurses provide primary care to patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, differences in their standard workflow were observed to affect the provision of preventive care. This warranted intervention due to prevalence of ongoing HIV-related stigma that affects HIV prevention and care. The practice-focused question asked whether an educational program could fill an identified gap in knowledge to assuage the fears of MAs and nurses providing care to HIV-positive patients. The project was guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Lewin’s change theory. The purpose was to develop an educational program to educate the …

Guiding The Future Of The Supply Chain With Succession Planning, Dana Martin Beal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some supply chain leaders in the transportation sector lack the succession planning strategies needed to fill leadership positions. The failure to create succession planning strategies will negatively impact an organization’s supply chain through tacit knowledge loss. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory single-case study was to explore the succession planning strategies transportation industry supply chain business leaders use to fill organizational leadership positions to reduce tacit knowledge loss. The participants consisted of 6 supply chain leaders working in the Northeastern region of the United States who successfully utilize succession planning strategies to fill leadership …

A Staff Educational Model For Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes In The Primary Care Setting, Mieshia Staples Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting millions of Americans. Though preventable, it is the most common form of diabetes in the United States, costing the U.S. health care system billions of dollars annually. Lifestyle modifications taught, encouraged, and supported in established, evidence-based diabetes prevention programs (DPP) are proven to be more effective than medications alone in preventing Type 2 diabetes. While DPPs are cost-effective and can reduce or delay the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, they are greatly underutilized due to primary care providers’lack of knowledge about the benefits and availability of these programs and also due …

Strategies Utility Business Organizations Use To Deliver Construction Projects On-Budget And On-Schedule, Jayeola Fakilede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In many organizations, capital construction projects fail at an alarming rate despite the adoption and application of sophisticated project management techniques and tools. Utility organizations that lack effective strategies to deliver construction projects on-budget and on-schedule are at a high risk of experiencing project failure. Grounded in the contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies successful project executives in utility organizations use to deliver construction projects on-budget and on-schedule. The participants comprised 3 project executives from 3 utility organizations located in the northeastern United States who implemented strategies to complete construction projects on-budget …

Retail Business Leaders’ Strategies To Increase Employee Engagement And Workforce Productivity, Sada Hye Jaman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail leaders face increased performance challenges due to disengaged employees. Disengaged employees cost United States’ organizations $77 billion to $96 billion in lost revenue annually. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies retail leaders use to improve employee engagement and increase workforce productivity. Data were gathered from semistructured, face-to-face interviews using open-ended questions with 4 retail business leaders in the eastern region of the United States who effectively used strategies to engage sales associates and increase workforce productivity. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis through inductive coding of phrases …

Factors Affecting The Customer Relationship Management System Implementation Process, Enshrah Shashoug

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers in the telecommunications industry face a high failure rate of customer relationship management (CRM) system implementations. The dynamic culture of employees’ resistance to and readiness for CRM system implementation may contribute to successful implementation in U.S. commercial organizations. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship among employee’s resistance to and readiness for CRM system implementation, the culture of the organization, prerequisites for successful CRM system implementation, age, and gender. Using Rogers’s innovation-decision process theory, an online survey was created and sent to a random sample of all customer service employees using CRM systems in …