Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of Developmental Feedback As A Performance Strategy In Small Businesses, Angela Lynette Bradford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business leaders (SBL) lack developmental feedback strategies to improve employee performance, impacting job satisfaction, engagement, and motivation, and impairing business sustainability. Grounded in the Herzberg two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies SBLs used to enhance employee performance. Participants comprised five SBLs in Arkansas who implemented strategies to improve employee performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of publicly available organizational documents. Braun and Clark’s approach and Yin’s five-step process were used to conduct thematic analysis. Eight themes emerged: growth opportunities and staff potential; challenges, limitations, and mitigation; workplace culture, …

The Experience Of Well-Being In Educators Who Transitioned From In-Person To Online Teaching, La Toya S. Glenn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic created substantive stress and uncertainty for secondary educators, including responding to the shifts in delivering education from the traditional to the online classroom and back to the classroom. Improper training, increased work demands, increased responsibilities, and decreased autonomy took a toll on teachers’ work and home life. To better understand how teachers deal with transitions in online, hybrid, and in-person education, this study explored secondary educators' experiences of psychological well-being during the transitions from in-person to online teaching. An interpretative phenomenological approach guided the research design. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping was used …

Strategies For Integrating Open Innovation Practices For Small Businesses, Shannon Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business owners lack implementation strategies for open innovation. Small business owners who can successfully implement open strategies can increase the opportunity for success. Grounded in the ten types of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners use to successfully implement open innovation. The participants comprised three small business owners from West Tennessee who successfully used strategies for open innovation. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The three emerging themes were strategic and continuous development, risk management, and sustaining a culture of innovation. A …

The Lived Experience Of Career Sponsorship Of Canadian Female Executives, Dianna Dinevski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women represent almost half of the Canadian labor population, but less than 6% of women advance to executive leadership. This is problematic because previous studies showed gender balance has been proven to be good for business, but with not enough women advancing in the leadership pipeline, business performance will continue to suffer. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Canadian female executives regarding how career sponsorship may have influenced their career advancement to executive management. Role congruity theory provided the framework for the study. Eleven Canadian female executives participated in semistructured interviews to …

Effective Project Management Strategies For Identifying And Addressing Projects' Complexities And Improving Projects' Success Rates, Daryl L. Gilbert Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Effective Strategies To Sustain Small African American Beauty Salon Business Beyond 5 Years, Sherwanna Jefferson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Maintaining The Financial Viability Of Behavioral Health Programs, Antonia Alford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Spatial-Temporal Variation Of Diarrhea And Associated Sociobehavioral Factors Between 2010-2020 In Rwanda, Amans Ntakarutimana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Changes In Human Resources Function In Higher Education Institutions During A Pandemic, Naterena Anevia Parham-Cofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

College Readiness And Persistence Among First-Year Community College Students On A Caribbean Island, Karen Sylvia Josiah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In Nursing Homes, Laticia Nicole Beatty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Leadership On Nurse Retention In The U.S. South Atlantic Division, Dewight Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Changes In Human Resources Function In Higher Education Institutions During A Pandemic, Naterena Anevia Parham-Cofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pandemics have reshaped societies and paved ways for advances in sciences, political systems, technology, medicine, and the economy. However, researchers have not explored how human resources (HR) function changes due to a pandemic in higher education institutions (HEIs) and how managing it contributes to employee performance and employee well-being. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore how HR function changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in different types of HEIs and how managing it contributed to employee performance and employee well-being. The study was grounded in Kotter’s eight-step change management model. Data were collected through …

The Adoption Of Information Technology Use In Small Businesses, Lawrence Nyayowagbian Paye, Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem was small business operators’ lack of technology adoption and their subsequent lack of success. Specifically, the problem was that it was unknown what role, if any, the lack of IT has on the adoption by small business operators within the Houston, Texas, business community. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study with embedded units was to understand the internal and sociopsychological aspects of small-business owners’ decision-making models regarding technology adoption in the greater Houston, Texas area. The technology acceptance model provided a framework to explain and identify factors on internal beliefs, attitudes, and intentions of technology …

Police Officer Perceptions Of Parenting Experience Changes Following An On-Duty Child Death, Jennifer Sellers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) work in careers that can be demanding, stressful, and traumatizing. Although researchers have explored vicarious, or secondary, trauma as it relates to a LEO bringing their experiences at work into the home environment, influencing their spouse or partner’s mental and physical well-being, they have not yet investigated how a LEO’s experience of a child death while on-duty might affect their parenting styles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the parenting styles that LEOs use or change when they have experienced a traumatic incident at work, specifically a child death. The study was …

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support And Psychological Well-Being: Perspectives Of Turkish Faculty Members, Ünal Deniz, Cihan Kocabaş

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of our quantitative correlational study is to investigate the relationship between the perceived organizational support of faculty members and their psychological well-being.

Methods: Our study included 450 faculty members from state universities in Istanbul who were selected using a simple random sampling method. We used descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and linear multiple regression analyses.

Results: We found that faculty perceptions of organizational support and psychological well-being vary according to academic title and tenure and are not different by gender. Perceived organizational support significantly predicted psychological well-being while controlling for gender, academic title, and tenure.

Conclusions: Ensuring …

Strategies To Reduce Turnover And Increase Retention Among Therapists And Case Managers In Community Mental Health, Genice Mae Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of employee turnover has been widely recognized. High turnover and poor retention of clinicians, specifically therapists and case managers, in the community mental health arena of behavioral health impact not only an organization, but also the consumers it serves. The subject of this qualitative case study was a state contracted provider of the community mental health authority. Semistructured interviews were held with five behavioral health leaders of this organization in addition to a review of organizational records. The Baldridge Performance Program was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. A thematic qualitative analysis of the interviews in addition …

Perceptions Of Instructional Faculty Regarding Their Professional Development Program, Brenda Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study is the lack of understanding of the instructional faculty members’ perspectives at southeastern university (SEU, pseudonym) on the strengths and professional activities for improvement of professional development program. The purpose of this study was to investigate how instructional faculty members at SEU perceive the strengths and opportunities for improvement of the professional development program. The conceptual framework for this program evaluation design study was based on Andragogy Theory. Fifteen instructional faculty members who participated in professional development activities and teach at least one course per year at SEU were interviewed. NVivo was used for …

Strategies For Effective Labor-Management Relationships In The Foodservice Industry, Nichola A. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The relationship between unions and management is particularly critical for food service firms, which rely heavily on unionized employees to meet operational needs. Food service managers are concerned with ineffective strategies for engaging with unions because managing these ineffective relationships jeopardizes employee retention and the firm's performance. Grounded in authentic leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies food service managers use to develop and maintain an effective union-management relationship for retaining unionized employees. The participants were six food service managers from three large food service firms who implemented success strategies to develop and maintain …

Nurse Relationships, Techniques, And Turnover With Female Nurses In Nigeria, Judith Obirieze Oparaocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse understaffing relates to reduced quality and safety of care in the healthcare sector, which substantially risks the nation's future health. With issues such as faculty shortage, burnout, increased workload, retirement, and increased turnover, the nursing sector has been unable to sustainably have adequate staffing to satisfy patients' needs. Nurse leaders, directly and indirectly, influence the rate of nurse retention and turnover mainly by affecting the work environment, workload, and staff motivation. Based on the leader-member exchange model, this research stipulates that an amicable and supportive relationship between leaders and followers promotes staff retention and increased productivity. The study aims …

Leadership Strategies To Increase Department Store Employees' Morale, Stephanie L. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Department store leaders who lack effective strategies to increase employee morale face an organizational decrease in productivity, thus increasing absenteeism and turnover rates, which could cost an organization billions of dollars. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore leadership strategies department store managers use to increase employee morale and improve productivity in their organizations. The participants were seven department store leaders who minimized low employee morale. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of public company documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) effective communication, (b) …

Strategies To Engage Multigenerational Workforces, With A Focus On Millennials, Talisha T. Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A problem that continues in the blue-collar industry is the lack of strategies to keep a multigenerational workforce engaged, especially millennials. The purpose of this basic qualitative descriptive design was to learn how to engage the millennial workforce in the blue-collar industry. The study examined the generational shift in the workplace leading to high turnover in the construction blue-collar industry. The goal was to enhance understanding of the effects of the generational shift in the blue-collar industry and show the impact that millennials have and will have on the blue-collar industry. The two research questions addressed (a) how experienced supervisors …

Community Nonprofit And Small Business Partnerships - The Impact On Community Well-Being, Tracye D. Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the challenges impeding the establishment of sustainable partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in South Fulton, Georgia, and their potential impact on community development were explored. Drawing upon existing literature and employing a qualitative research approach involving ten community leaders from NPOs and ten small business (SB) owners, the perceived barriers hindering successful partnerships were examined through thematic coding in NVivo. The findings revealed a range of obstacles, including inadequate funding, limited financial capacity, divergent interests, uneven benefits, and challenges arising from the COVID-19 economic landscape. The study included insights into the potential for stronger …

Leadership Development Strategies For Sustaining Organization Performance Through The Upper Echelon Theory, Marjorie Mccants

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders within the Department of the Army in the Military District of Washington frequently experience turnover that necessitates a new leader's transition into a position. These new leaders sometimes experience challenges in successfully transitioning into the organization to maintain the continuity of operations. Grounded in the upper echelon theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies senior leaders use to transition new subordinate leaders into their organization successfully. The participants included eight military and civilian leaders with more than eight years of knowledge and experience in employing effective strategies for developing midlevel managers. Data were …

Entrepreneurship Strategies For Reintegrating African American Male U.S. Military Veterans After Military Service, Schavass L. Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male U.S. military veterans struggle with transitioning from military to civilian life; however, engaging in entrepreneurship can ease this integration. Grounded in the Schlossberg 4-S model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the experiences of four veterans and one active-duty member in their transition from military to entrepreneurial practices. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis was used to identify eight themes: (a) challenges encountered in entrepreneurship, (b) minimal external financial assistance used, (c) multiple paths to entrepreneurial education, (d) strategies for entrepreneurial success, (e) adapting to COVID-19 challenges, (f) diverse marketing …

Elementary Teacher Perspectives Regarding Leadership Practices That Supported Creation Of A Dual Language Public School, Angelica Ozuna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in the enrollment of elementary school students who do not speak English as their first language has led to initiatives to provide effective instruction for these students which require effective leadership. The problem is that leadership practices have been unsuccessful in supporting dual language elementary school teachers, and minimal research has explored teachers’ perspectives of leadership in this area. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of rural public school teachers regarding leadership practices they found effective and ineffective in creation of a new dual language elementary school. Eleven participants answered 10 semistructured interview …

Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Safety And Leadership Program Outcomes Through The Lens Of Intersectionality, Ominia M. Hamad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women face unique barriers due to their intersectional identities of being both Black and female that hinder them from building their leadership capacities. Leadership development is one way to support Black women into leadership; however, such initiatives were not built with intersectional identities and associated needs in mind. This study was grounded in intersectionality theory, which posits that the effects of intersectional identities cannot be separated because intersectional individuals live at the intersection of larger oppressive systems and may experience unique forms of oppression that are not captured through single-axis approaches. This nonexperimental quantitative study includes an examination of …

Retention Strategies To Retain Retail Employees, Sean Michael Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail organizations with high employee attrition rates may lack continuity and institutional knowledge for long-term sustainability. Business leaders, human resource managers, and retail managers must implement successful retention strategies to ensure sustained growth. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies that managers of retail organizations use to increase the retention of retail employees. The participants consisted of managers of three retail organizations in Michigan who implemented strategies to increase the retention of retail employees. Data were collected from literature reviews, interviews of participants, and documentation. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-phase …

Strategies For Change Implementation In The Energy Industry, Elier Alvarado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many energy leaders struggle to effectively lead change initiatives amidst the evolving landscape of the energy industry marked by decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization. Unsuccessful change initiatives jeopardize organizations’ sustainability and negatively influence business performance and profitability. Grounded in Lewin’s concepts and the 3-step change model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies leaders in the energy industry employed to achieve success in their change initiatives. Data were collected from nine U.S. energy leaders who successfully implemented organizational change initiatives, utilizing a combination of semistructured interviews and document reviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the …

The Role Of Mindfulness In Leadership Coaching, Dominick Juliano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.