Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing Risks From Workplace Discrimination, Shannon B. Creighton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported multiple claims of workplace discrimination in the United States; the claims resulted in costly settlements. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study—which used the theory of enterprise risk management as the conceptual framework—was to explore how 4 human resource managers in small-to-medium sized enterprises in the southeastern region of the United States successfully implemented proactive strategies to reduce the financial and legal risk resulting from workplace discrimination. Using Yin’s 5 steps of data analysis along with triangulation of findings from the semistructured interviews, company documents, and websites, the following 4 themes were …

Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover, Xiomara Dejesus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high costs associated with turnover and the loss of skilled employees have a significant adverse effect on organizational performance. The loss of one skilled worker can cost 25-500% of an employee's salary with respect to replacement, training, and productivity. The purpose of this descriptive multiple case study was to explore strategies for frontline managers and human resource managers to reduce voluntary employee turnover. The sample consisted of 5 frontline supervisors and 6 human resource leaders with successful experience designing and implementing strategies to reduce voluntary employee turnover in 8 organizations in Orange County, Florida. The conceptual framework for this …

How Attitude Toward The Behavior, Subjective Norm, And Perceived Behavioral Control Affects Information Security Behavior Intention, David Philip Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The education sector is at high risk for information security (InfoSec) breaches and in need of improved security practices. Achieving data protections cannot be through technical means alone. Addressing the human behavior factor is required. Security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs are an effective method of addressing human InfoSec behavior. Applying sociobehavioral theories to InfoSec research provides information to aid IT security program managers in developing improved SETA programs. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine through the theoretical lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) how attitude toward the behavior (ATT), subjective norm (SN), and …

Strategies To Support Survivors Of Corporate Downsizing, Joseph Linton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2003 and 2011, 1.2 million U.S. workers were laid off every year. Some organizational leaders of information technology/telecommunications organizations lack strategies to improve affective commitment to the organization after downsizing events. The strains of overwork, organizational changes, anxiety over job insecurity, and lack of choice often result in physical illness, emotional trauma, and extreme disengagement termed survivor syndrome. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies organizational leaders in the Midwest United States in information technology/telecommunications organizations used to improve affective commitment to the organization after downsizing. The conceptual framework was Herzberg's 2-factor theory. Data were …

Hopelessness Depression As A Predictive Risk Factor For Recidivism And Survival Time Among Juvenile Offenders, Todd Milton Mcginnis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, there is a high incidence of recidivism among juvenile offenders with mental health disorders. This is a critical social issue facing the public and the Department of Juvenile Justice Administration today. However, research is not clear on the role of psychological factors in recidivism frequency and survival time. The purpose of this study was to examine whether hopelessness depression, as measured by suicidal-ideation, depression-anxiety, anger-irritation, and alcohol-drug use, and offense type, were predictors of recidivism frequency and survival time when controlling for age, gender, and race. The total sample consisted of archival data from 404 juvenile …

Perceptions Of Women Receiving Services From Domestic Violence Advocacy And Counseling Programs, Lisa Yvette Proby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine domestic violence victims' perceptions of advocacy and counseling programs that provide women with safe refuge, prevention education, mental health treatment, and other services. Many women in the United States are victims of intimate partner violence. Review of existing literature found that little is known about the extent to which the needs of these victims are met from available advocacy and counseling services. The health belief model was used to theorize victims' perceptions of services and risk factors for re-abuse. A phenomenological design was used to answer research questions, and in-depth …

Development Of A Guideline For Hospice Staff, Patients, And Families On Appropriate Opioid Use, Trenika Alexander-Goreá

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an identified problem with patients receiving suboptimal pain management at a hospice agency in the northwestern United States. At this agency, undertreatment of pain is prevalent. Evidence indicates that this may be a result of a lack of guidelines, education, and knowledge of appropriate prescribing. Known barriers to the correct prescription and administration of potent opioids in the hospice setting include prevailing beliefs, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, all of which can impact care negatively. Contextually, hospice principles mandate patient comfort and caregiver involvement in continuous quality improvement, which includes adequate and informed pain management. Moreover, hospice metrics demand …

Relationships Among Body Image Dissatisfaction, Body-Enhancing Behaviors, And Self-Esteem In Adult Males, Shimeka Damon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body image dissatisfaction (BID) is increasing among U.S. men and is associated with body-enhancing behaviors that threaten physical health, such as excessive dieting and exercising. A research gap was identified about the relationships between men's body image dissatisfaction, body-enhancing behaviors, and the possible mediating effect of self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among body image dissatisfaction, body-enhancing behaviors, and self-esteem in adult males. Sociocultural and social comparison theory served as the theoretical frameworks for this study, which included 103 participants recruited through a university participant pool and gyms. Participants completed questionnaires including the Body-Esteem Scale, …

Planning Strategies For Generational Succession In Flemish Third-Generation Family-Owned Businesses, Anne-Marie Esther De Scheemaecker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survival over generations is critical for family-owned businesses (FOBs). Only 3% of family firms survive the 3rd generation, and a succession strategy is the most challenging decision for family business leaders to make. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore nonfinancial succession planning strategies that 3rd-generation FOB leaders in Flanders, Belgium, apply for the transition of ownership and leadership to the 4th generation. The conceptual framework for this study was the socioemotional wealth paradigm. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, archival document reviews, company internal and public documents, and press releases. Yin's 5-step data analysis was applied …

Differences In Survival Times, By Gender, Among Those Diagnosed With Necrotizing Fasciitis, Ashley Elizabeth Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Necrotizing fasciitis infections have high mortality rates especially when treatment is delayed. Despite the abundance of research in many areas of necrotizing fasciitis infection, there are limited and conflicting studies focusing on gender-related outcomes for those diagnosed and died with necrotizing fasciitis infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the association that gender plays on survival time of patients who have been diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis using a cross-sectional study design. Succeeding the conceptual design of the life course model, the research question tested whether there was a significant difference in survival time between the genders while in …

Engagement Strategies For Catalyzing It Sales Team Performance In Asia, Jeb Stephen Hurley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sales leaders who can foster sales team engagement drive an organization's sales performance. Some information technology sales leaders lack team engagement strategies that support revenue results above market growth rates. The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study was to explore the team engagement strategies of 6 sales leaders, in various offices in the Asia-Pacific region of a single, public information technology company, who demonstrated the ability to support year-on-year revenue results above market growth rates. Participants demonstrated the ability to foster team engagement and consistently deliver year-on-year revenue results above market growth rates. The conceptual framework for this study was …

The Effectiveness Of Course-Based Health Education Interventions Towards Increased Physical Activity Among College Students, Jay Morris Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the many health benefits, physical activity participation among those between 18 to 24 years is in significant decline during the college-age years. Postsecondary education has been identified as an ideal environment where young adults should be targeted for physical activity participation. However, a limited number of studies have assessed the effectiveness of college-level health education and physical education program interventions to increase physical activity levels among college students. The purpose of this study was to examine current physical activity levels of college age students who have completed a college-level health education course and laboratory to gain a better understanding …

Action Research Toward Improved Treatment Services For Substance-Abusing Veterans In Central Texas, Sharla Nicole Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military-based social workers working with veterans with substance use disorders face many challenges to providing effective treatment services. Understanding environmental, organizational, and client-based factors that affect the provision of substance abuse treatment to veterans is critical for clinical social work practitioners working with this unique client population. As a clinical social work practice problem, this project explored the challenges of providing effective substance abuse treatment services for veterans, specifically those living in central Texas. The purpose of this project was to improve the clinical acumen and practice of social workers working with veterans with substance use disorders. The research question …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Successful Implementation Of Co-Teaching Services, Vanna Raybould

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed a lack of consistent instructional delivery of co-teaching practices in a rural high school in middle Georgia. Though co-teaching services are provided, teachers are not implementing co-teaching models with fidelity. Because co-teaching teams are not trained together, teachers' efficacy in the delivery of co-taught instruction has often been negatively affected. This project study provided insight into the perceptions of co-teachers regarding the implementation of co-teaching practices. Bandura's self-efficacy theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Using a qualitative, bounded, single case study design, the study explored the perceptions of co-teachers and the planning practices …

Retired, Unmarried, Male Baby Boomer Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Disease Prevention, Irene Nyawira Ruminjo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preventive health care is effective in reducing both infectious diseases and chronic conditions among the elderly. Despite efforts to prevent or decrease the risk of illness, unmarried men are less likely to receive selected preventive services compared to married men. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to describe disease prevention attitudes and behaviors of retired, unmarried, male baby boomers residing in Harlingen, Texas. Further, the study examined the effects of socioeconomic status on disease prevention attitudes and behaviors. The health belief theory framed the study. A validated questionnaire collected disease prevention attitudes, behaviors, and sociodemographic characteristics data. Data inquiry …

Policy Decisions And Options-Based Responses To Active Shooters In Public Schools, Vicki M. Abbinante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active shooter events in K-12 schools have increased since 1990, and developing response policies to such events is a responsibility of school personnel. A paucity of data regarding options-based response practices existed with no focus on policy processes. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to describe the decision-making processes used in school districts when approving the inclusion of options-based responses to active shooter events in Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs). The research questions addressed processes that shaped the development of options-based responses to active shooter policies in 3 K-12 school districts within the Midwest. The conceptual framework was informed …

Overcoming The Challenges Of Retaining Novice Teachers In A County Public School By Ernst Albert, Ernst Albert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining novice teachers in a Northeast Florida county public school is an ongoing challenge. Research indicates that 14% of new teachers will leave the field within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the major factors that contributed to this unique group of novice teachers' decisions to continue to teach at the school during their first 5 years in the field. The societal model served as the conceptual framework for this study of factors affecting teacher turnover, with emphasis on teacher and school characteristics in relation to teacher attrition. Data collected from 9 interviews and an …

British Virgin Islands Tourists' Motives To Travel, Destination Image, And Satisfaction, Sherrine Natahsa Augustine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The turbulent events of the world have resulted in a decline in the number of travelers since 2011. Nevertheless, approximately one billion international tourists still travel annually.Tourist activity plays an important role in the global economic activity. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine if a relationship exists between destination images, push and pull motives to travel, and tourists' satisfaction. The target population consisted of noncitizen and nonresident tourists of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) between March 2017 and April 2017. Oliver's expectancy-disconfirmation theory that the individual will act in a particular way because the expectation that a …

Impact Of A Standardized Tool On Handoff Quality In Nurse Change-Of-Shift Reports, Wilma Lonzame Ayala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the context of healthcare delivery, human lives are at risk when health care professionals fail to communicate effectively. Audits by The Joint Commission from 1995 to 2005 revealed that 65% of sentinel events occurred as a result of staff miscommunication, prompting the requirement that standardized handoff tools be deployed. Therefore, this project was completed to improve safety in the hospital through implementation of a standardized tool that could enhance the quality of nurse handoff communication. Mohorek & Webb's (2015) linear model of communication, which emphasizes the importance of encoding, transmission, and decoding in the communication process, provided the framework …

Children's Oncology Group Hospital Membership And Survival Of Pediatric Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Paul David Betts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) predominates in children ages 0-14 years and has an excellent prognosis for cure with 5-year survival exceeding 90% in the United States. However, not all children experience such positive outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective cohort study was to evaluate differences in survival of ALL among children who reside in the 32-county Texas-Mexico border region. While factors such as poverty and health insurance have been strongly associated with poorer cancer outcomes, additional factors such as geographic isolation and treatment disparities are not as well-documented in children. This study examined the association between use of Texas …

Chronically Homeless Transgender Women Obtaining Social Services From Outreach Workers, Larry Jack Cameron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, homelessness is often connected to traumatic events such as domestic violence, job loss, or post incarceration experiences, frequently resulting in substance use disorders, medical issues, and related mental illnesses. Although researchers have considered how homelessness and social service interventions affect sexual and gender minority youth, they have not adequately studied the causes and effects of homelessness among transgender women. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences of chronically homeless transgender women. The research question focused on the lived experiences of chronically homeless transgender women who …

Impact Of Hospital Closures On Families In Rural Communities, Onetha Dickerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Closure of community hospitals directly impacts the health of rural populations and indirectly affects economic growth and access to medical services. The purpose of this doctoral project was to assess the causes and impacts of hospital closures on rural communities. The practice-focused question addressed the implications of hospital closures on individuals and families in rural communities. A systematic review of the literature, based on conflict theory, addressed populations that lack health care facility resources. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided the selection of 8 journal articles for review. The inclusion criteria for articles encompassed the impact …

Relationship Between Admission Criteria And Program Completion In A Radiation Therapy Program, Adrienne Mae Dougherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor completion rates in the radiation therapy associate's degree program offered through a community college did not meet the standards set by the college and damaged the program's reputation. The relationship between admission criteria and program completion was not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any relationships between the admission criteria (GPA in prerequisite courses, interview scores, writing sample scores, and preadmission testing scores) and students' completion of a radiation therapy associate's degree program. This correlational study used 2 stages of Tinto's retention theory: (a) recruitment and admission to college and (b) pre-entry assessment …

Best Practices For Improving The Writing Of 3rd And 4th Grade Students, Parastou Afshar Eftekhari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scores on a state comprehensive assessment test showed that writing skills of 4th grade students enrolled in a K-8 magnet school in the southeastern part of the United States were below target. The assistant principal of the K-8 magnet school explained that a review of 3-year longitudinal data revealed that the number of students who met proficiency for the 4th grade writing assessment decreased by 1% each year. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding from teachers about the best practices on how to improve students' writing skills. Denzin and Lincoln's constructivist theoretical concepts of accommodation …

A Phenomenological Study Of Correctional Officers' Perceived Emotions On The Job, Heather Susan Grammatico

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers work in a stressful environment and are regularly exposed to dangerous and emotionally charged situations. Researchers have detailed the potential negative outcomes of this occupation, yet little research has examined the extent to which correctional officers experience emotion while on their shifts, and how those emotions may translate into stress, divorce, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, and high mortality rates upon retirement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn how correctional officers experience their felt and expressed emotions while at work. Data collection was done using a 15-item open ended questionnaire designed by the researcher and …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Leadership Style, Kim Renee Haney-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported workforce disparities in the representation of minority ethnic groups in leadership positions for more than 5 decades. In 2011, Executive Order 13583 initiated the Government-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, directing federal agencies to recruit a diverse workforce, cultivate inclusion across occupations, and develop strategies to enable leading a diverse workforce. This plan is important considering other research studies show various approaches to understanding leadership behaviors; however, empirical studies have yet to explore if there is a relationship between ethnic identity and leadership style to inform diversity and inclusion efforts. The …

Communication Strategies As Drivers Of Nonprofit Donor Retention, Tamieka Jameson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to scholars and organizations that focus on the performance of organizations in the nonprofit sector, retaining loyal and engaged donors has been a critical component of sustainability. Through the conceptual lens of single- and double-loop learning and organizational communications theory, this single-case study explored donor communication strategies used by 3 executive-level leaders of a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Data collected from semistructured interviews, organizational documents, and Guidestar, an online information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit companies, were manually coded and thematically analyzed. Two key themes emerged: effective processes for donor communication strategy development and organizational learning …

Factors Affecting Student Loan Default In Proprietary Non-Degree Granting Colleges, Samuel Hanson Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significant problem addressed in this research was the increasing default rate among federal student loan borrowers who attended non-degree-granting proprietary colleges in Florida (i.e., career and technical colleges). The purpose of this study was to identify, better understand, and predict which borrower characteristics increased the likelihood of student loan default at proprietary non-degree-granting colleges. The research was based on the structural-functional and planned behavior theories and utilized a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design to explore the relationship between academic success, age, college graduation status, ethnicity, gender, high school class ranking, and federal student loan default. Self-reported data were obtained from …

Elementary Teacher Knowledge Of And Practices For Teaching Reading To African American Students, Camille Jacqueline Little

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State standardized tests results indicated that between 2012 and 2016, fewer African American students at a rural, Title I elementary school met state standards in reading compared with other racial/ethnic groups of students. A gap in practice existed because the school and district had not conducted studies to understand teacher knowledge and practice as they related to teaching reading to African American students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address the problem and gap in practice by exploring elementary teacher knowledge and understanding of the learning needs in reading among African American students. Tomlinson's theory of differentiated …

Effect Of Physical Activity Frequency On Body Image Among Young Adult Women, Kristin Minter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately half of all female adolescents and young adults suffer from body dissatisfaction and, in turn, body image-related health concerns. Poor body image can contribute to various negative health behaviors including low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide. Research indicates a positive relationship between physical activity and self-esteem, and between self-esteem and body image. However, a paucity of research examines the effect of physical activity frequency on the body image of young women with two-like body compositions, as measured by body mass index (BMI). Based on self-discrepancy theory, self-schema theory, and the health belief model, this quantitative study explored …