Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Succession Planning On Knowledge Transfer, Robinson Ejakpomewhe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem was the lack of effective succession planning strategies to facilitate the transfer of technical expertise from retiring employees to younger employees. A rebound of oil exploration activities in Nigeria would adversely affect the drilling sector due to lack of preparation and succession planning to meet the demand for technical expertise. The purpose of this case study was to explore how a succession planning program contributes to knowledge transfer and development of expertise for business continuity and prevents loss of knowledge in the oil-drilling sector in Nigeria. Twenty-four participants from one oil-drilling contractor in Nigeria participated in the study. …

Small To Medium Sized Enterprise Sustainability Through Green Supply Chain Management, Leslie Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) make up between 95%-99% of private businesses worldwide, employ 60%-70% of the workforce in most countries and generate 33% of the GDP. SMEs account for a high percentage of the world's pollution because of the significant numbers of SMEs, and their accumulative impact. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies SME supply chain leaders used to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) policies that increase productivity and decrease losses. The origin of GSCM originates from the research of Ayres and Kneese. A purposeful sample of 3 SME construction companies was …

Clergy Academic Management Training In Non-Denominational Faith-Based Organizations, Patricia Anne Jenks-Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research about how clerics manage and lead small to midsized non-denominational nonprofit organizations. The rate of clergy failures in non-denominational organizations has left many questions about what is needed to create organizational success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of clergy manager-leaders' management training in non-denominational organizations. Fourteen full-time clerics from Bloomingdale, Georgia, Rincon, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Edward and Welch's extension of Colaizzi's data analysis procedures, which resulted in the emergence of 4 themes. …

Concept Of Self: Approach To Behaviors In Mental Health, The Tapout Program, Tina Goodrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence in mental health care continues to be a problem. The incidence of violent episodes in healthcare settings with aggressive behavior of patients aimed at staff members or other patients is almost four times greater in healthcare than in other industries. Reducing violent episodes enhances the quality of care and improves safety for staff members and for patients. The project focused on development of a staff education program exploring the practice-focused question: Will this program effectively guide staff member approaches to mental health patients with challenging behaviors? The purpose of this project was to address the identified gap in practice …

Relationships Between Interprofessional Teamwork And Clinical Management Of, Jacqueline G. Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent chronic disease that affects 29 million people in the United States including over 2 million veterans who receive care through the Veterans Administration. Patient-aligned care teams (PACTs) are an interprofessional teamwork system designed to improve outcomes of chronic illness, but empirical explorations of the efficacy of the PACTs have been insufficient. Utilizing the chronic care model, the purpose of this retrospective study was to determine if PACTs have been efficient in the diabetic management of veterans receiving care through a Southeastern VA. Medical records for 114 veterans with type 2 DM were randomly …

Exploring Strategies For Successful Implementation Of Electronic Health Records, Richard Alton Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adoption of electronic health records (EHR) systems in nonfederal acute care hospitals has increased, with adoption rates across the United States reaching as high as 94%. Of the 330 plus acute care hospital EHR implementations in Texas, only 31% have completed attestation to Stage 2 of the meaningful use (MU) criteria. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that hospital chief information officers (CIOs) used for the successful implementation of EHR. The target population consists of 3 hospitals CIOs from a multi-county region in North Central Texas who successfully implemented EHRs meeting Stage 2 MU criteria. …

The Influence Of Attachment Styles On Employee Engagement, Ian Briggs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of adult attachment styles on the engagement of employees in an attempt to address increasing losses in U.S. work productivity. Researchers have documented that organizations able to maintain better manager-employee relationships demonstrated positive employee engagement and improved productivity. However, a distinct gap in the literature remains as to how organizational leaders can stimulate healthier manager-employee relationships. Adult attachment theory was used as the foundation to explore how employees' relationships with their immediate manager affect their work engagement. To address this question, a purposeful sample of 16 full time mid …

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 …

Strategies Small Business Owners Use For Long-Term Existence, Sherman Eldridge Humphrey Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 90 of every 100 new businesses fail within 5 years. The need to explore ongoing strategies that provide low-cost alternatives can prove invaluable to cash-strapped new business owners. Exploration of relationships among a group of stakeholders essential to business success provided data in this case study. Those stakeholders include the owner, the customer service personnel and the consumer. Without the consumer, all other business activities would cease to be necessary. Five business owners and five employees from Redding, California participated in 2 separate focus group interviews. The conceptual framework for this case study was to explore the specific …

Engagement Strategies To Reduce Registered Nurse Turnover In Hospitals, Robert Neeley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Skilled and experienced registered nurse employees are critical to the organizational success and stability of hospitals, but an annual average registered nurse turnover rate of 14% can result in financial losses of millions of dollars annually for the typical hospital in the United States. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the engagement strategies hospital nurse managers use to retain registered nurses. The study population included 8 nurse managers employed by hospitals in West Central Florida who have successfully implemented engagement strategies to retain registered nurses. The conceptual framework for the study was based on systems theory …

Strategies Used By Manufacturing Hiring Managers To Recruit Skilled Workers, Cheryl Founchious Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in manufacturing industries are increasingly concerned with the lack of skills among applicants, emphasizing the gap that exists between employer expectations and skills of employees entering the workforce. Developing successful recruitment strategies is critical for hiring managers seeking to hire skilled workers. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies hiring managers used to recruit skilled production workers at a manufacturing company in Southeastern South Carolina. The human capital theory, which represents the knowledge individuals provide to enhance productivity, was the conceptual framework. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 3 hiring managers and …

Budget Planning, Budget Control, Business Age, And Financial Performance In Small Businesses, Tracy A. Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 390,000 businesses failed in the United States in 2014. The primary cause for most business failures is poor planning, and budgets are a primary means of planning. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine to what extent, if any, budget planning, budget control, and the age of the business significantly predict financial performance in small businesses. The target population consisted of small business leaders in the Midwest. Churchill and Lewis's theory on the relative importance of selected management factors of small businesses through 5 stages of development formed the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected …

Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses owned by military veterans represent a source of new jobs, yet more than half of these businesses fail to survive beyond 5 years. These failures could lead to efforts to identify strategies that owners can use to avoid failure. The conceptual framework applied in this case study was the triple-loop learning theory. The purposive sampling included 7 military veterans who were small business owners who had sustained their small businesses more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organization documents. Yin's 5-step process for data analysis compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding resulted in 4 …

The Soldier 360°Orgram: Strengthening Combat-Exposed, Noncommisioned U.S. Army Officers' Interpersonal Sensitivity, Anne Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interpersonal sensitivity is a foundational component of interpersonal relationships. It encompasses an individual's self-concept and self-identity, which are formed as the individual develops. An individual's self-concept develops from the norms and mores of his or her society. Soldiers in the U.S. Army have been trained to form a repurposed self to engage in combat and work in combat-focused jobs. The consequence of this training in many cases has been diminished interpersonal sensitivity that has been detrimental to their interpersonal relationships. The Soldier 360° course is a comprehensive treatment program that takes a holistic approach to providing soldiers with self-empowering tools …

Strategies Using The Affordable Care Act With Small Businesses In Northeastern Ohio, Donald White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners with 50 to 100 employees in the physical and mental health care industry face a primary challenge of implementing health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) while sustaining their business. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to provide health insurance coverage under the ACA and sustained business operations. Semistructured interviews took place in Northeastern Ohio with 3 business owners in the physical and mental health care industry to acquire health care without increasing service cost. The conceptual framework for this study was strategic …

Perceptions Of Community-Based Participatory Research From Community And Academic Members, Ivonne G. Kanko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an increasingly popular form of public health research. However, little is known about the application of CBPR and the levels of involvement for partners in specific phases of the partnership. This phenomenological study addressed the application of CBPR from the perspectives of 7 academic researchers and 6 community members experienced in CBPR. Arnstein's ladder of citizenship participation and the community coalition action theory provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews addressed participants' levels of involvement in the CBPR process, as well as challenges, concerns, successes, and recommendations for improvement. Interview transcripts were analyzed by …

Strategies For Business Capacity Expansion In Jordanian Pharmaceutical Companies, Tariq Ahmad Al-Jallad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shareholder investments declined in Jordanian pharmaceutical business expansion between 2007 and 2014, which included a reduction in the supply of essential medicines in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective applications of expansion strategies to satisfy demand in the MENA markets among Jordanian generic pharmaceutical companies' managers. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the transformational leadership theory and stakeholders' theory. The purposive sample consisted of 4 chief executive officers and 8 managers from Jordanian pharmaceutical companies who practiced the expansion strategy in the MENA for …

A Quantitative Study Examining How Training Enhances Policy Compliance, Therese C. Bensch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, the Department of Defense has been plagued by persistent cost, schedule, and performance problems in defense acquisition programs. Recent changes in Department of Defense acquisition policy were intended to improve efficiency and are demonstrating some improvement in terms of overall cost improvements, yet little is understood about whether training efforts related to the new policies are producing policy-compliant behavior on the job. Using Edgar Schein's 'Onion Model' of organizational change as the theoretical construct, the purpose of this study was to examine through an ex post facto, cross-sectional longitudinal study whether there is a significant relationship between learning …

Leadership Practices That Improve The Workplace Safety Environment, Nathan Nomore Chikono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. …

Servant Leadership And Affective Commitment To Change In Manufacturing Organizations, Jeffrey Schulkers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational change initiatives in the United States frequently fail with estimated failure rates as high as 90%. Change failure rates resulting from underused and poorly trained front-line managers (FLMs) remained high, with no signs of improvement in the past 2 decades. The purpose of the correlational study, grounded in servant leadership theory, was to examine the relationship between employee perceptions of their FLM's servant leadership dimensions and employee affective commitment to change. A purposive, nonprobability sample of 107 employees of a U.S. manufacturing organization that had recently undergone organizational change completed a questionnaire for the study. Results of the multiple …

The Relationship Between Athletic Development Personality Factors And Decision Making, Herbert Degraffe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective leadership that results from personality defects, ineffective core executive functions, and emotional decision making can lead to destructive actions and executive failures that affect organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if athletic development personality factors correlate with decision making at the executive leadership level. The research questions focused on determining if there was a relationship between athletic development personality factors and decision making. Social exchange theory, social representations theory, and leadership theories comprised the theoretical framework. Participants included 124 executive decision-makers from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, and Singapore who …

Exploring Business Planning Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses In The Construction Trades, Diana Fay-Spina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small businesses fail to survive past 5 years, listing the primary reason given for failure as inadequate business planning strategies. The construction industry provides the building and upkeep of physical infrastructure (buildings and roadways) in developed societies and is a major contributor to the gross domestic product for many nations. In the United States, the construction trades primarily consist of small businesses, with a smaller portion of the sector classified as women-owned. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business planning strategies that successful women-owned small business (WOSB) construction leaders in New Jersey use …

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 …

Employee Lived Experiences And Initiative Success In Arkansas Quality Award Recipient Organizations, Carol Barton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Businesses with failed quality initiatives lose revenue, experience high expenses, and have fewer market opportunities. Researchers attribute failed quality initiatives to human and social factors. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of employees in companies that received an Arkansas Governor's Quality Award between 2010 and 2015. No one knows how employees' experiences contribute to successful quality initiatives, or how their stories about their experiences influence quality management and continuous improvement. The conceptual framework consisted of Weick's theory of sense-making and Deming's system of profound knowledge. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 11 participants …

Integrating Consumer Feedback Into Business Marketing Strategies, Elijah G. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer feedback and reviews are critical to the success of businesses because 49% of consumers trust online reviews more than other sources. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore marketing managers' strategies for using consumer reviews to improve marketing success, brand awareness, and their clients' profitability. The conceptual framework for this study was built upon organizational theory and disruptive innovation theory. The participants were recruited through local events, social media, and e-mail. Data were collected from public online records and semistructured telephone interviews using 1 marketing manager from each of 5 marketing agencies in North Texas. Thematic analysis …

The Impact Of Three-Dimensional Organizational Change On Laos Electrification, Xaypaseuth Phomsoupha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The government of Laos has carried out regressive organizational changes in its electric power sector including deregulation, decentralization, and devolution. As governmental agencies attempt to improve their organization, little is understood about the impact these changes have on the electric sector. Using Burke's organization change theory as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explain the impact of organizational change on rural electrification in the Champassak Province, Laos. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 20 participants representing governmental agencies, private entities, and nongovernmental organizations. Data were also collected through observation of a public consultative meeting and …

Applying Clinical Guidelines To Curtail Opioid Overprescribing In Primary Care, Glenda Leflore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this scholarly project was to evaluate an evidence-based quality improvement program implemented in 2016 in a clinical practice setting to curtail overprescribing of opioids for noncancer pain management. In 2001, the National Pharmaceutical Council and The Joint Commission on Accreditation and Hospital Accreditation initiated a standard of practice for opioid use in noncancer pain management that resulted in opioid overprescribing and a 200% increase in opioid-related deaths and incalculable societal costs. Primary care providers including nurse practitioners issue the greatest number of opioid prescriptions; therefore, to address the problem of opioid overprescribing, the 2016 Centers for Disease …

Hourly Rounding: A Fall Prevention Strategy In Long-Term Care, Robyn Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls and injuries related to falls are some of the most common and costly incidents that occur in the long-term care environment. Purposeful hourly rounding is a proactive way for nursing staff to identify patient needs and demonstrate positive fall prevention outcomes. This project examined a process improvement endeavor of a long-term care unit that experienced an increase in the number of falls over 3 months. The purpose was to evaluate whether staff education and implementation of an evidence-based hourly rounding program would affect the number of patient falls. The Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based conceptual model, Kurt Lewin's change model, …

Retaining Employees After Downsizing, Chizoba C. Nwoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oil and gas industry business leaders who fail to implement adequate talent retention strategies experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. During the first 2 years following downsizing, 67% of organizations using excuse-based downsizing reflected reduced sales and profitability, and 11% of such organizations experienced financial losses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that successful Calgary medium size oil and gas businesses implemented to retain talented employees after downsizing. The population for the study included business leaders of 3 medium oil and gas businesses in Calgary, Canada, who had successfully implemented talented employee retention strategies. …

Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders: A Phenomenological Study Of Nigerian Organizational Leaders, Adesina Olufemi Adegunle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the first decade of the 21st century, the number of functioning business organizations in Nigeria decreased by 45%. The high rate of business failures in Nigeria has left many questions about what is needed for creating business success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of internal and external dynamics on leaders in Nigerian microfinance organizations. Twenty leaders from microfinance institutions participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Moustakas's modified van Kaam method, which resulted in the emergence of 12 themes. The themes that emerged included: (a) staff …