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Emotional Eating In The Work Place: The Eating Patterns Of Mental Health Workers, Carly Rene Zies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than a third of all adults in the United States are considered obese. Due to the high costs of health care for obese adults and children, obesity has become a national health crisis. Many government programs have been developed to curtail obesity in adults and children. Unfortunately, there has only been limited success. Past research has shown that obesity has been linked to stress and eating while stressed. Emotional eating occurs when individuals respond to certain emotions, such as stress, by eating to cope with the emotion. Research has shown a correlation between nursing and disordered eating. Given the …

Strategies For Reducing Registered Nurse Voluntary Turnover, Quintin Earl Cain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high rate of voluntary employee turnover in nursing has forced business leaders to search for strategies that reduce voluntary employee turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies nurse managers used to reduce registered nurse voluntary turnover. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 nurse managers in the San Antonio, Texas area. The conceptual framework included Herzberg's 2-factor theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. Data analysis included Yin's 5-step process: (a) compiling the data, (b) disassembling the data into common codes, (c) reassembling the data into themes, (d) interpreting their meaning, and (e) reporting …

Transformational Leadership Strategies For Addressing Voluntary Employee Turnover, Chris A. Osisiogu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For every standard deviation of increase in employee turnover, organizations could suffer a roughly 27% decline in financial performance. Current voluntary employee turnover rates hover between 15% - 40% and the associated unquantifiable indirect costs affecting customer loyalty and creating reputational risks for business leaders. Furthermore, when employees leave an organization for another, a minimum of 95% leave with trade secrets, strategic skills, and acquired knowledge. As a result, turnover has evolved into a significant concern for organizational leaders. Using the transformational leadership concept, the purpose of this single case study was to explore the leadership strategies that bank leaders …

The Lived Experiences Of Low Income Parents Of Children With Autism, Renee L. Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies indicated that parents raising children with autism (CWA) experience higher rates of stress; however, no qualitative studies have addressed low-income parents' lived experiences of raising CWA. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the challenges that low-income parents of CWA face daily within the framework of family systems theory and biopsychosocial theory. Research questions focused on the impact of income and the core symptoms of autism (social deficits, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors) on marital and interpersonal relationships. Semistructured interviews with 13 parents were conducted, and transcripts were analyzed for themes using a 4-step process. …

First-Time Fathers' Perspectives On Pregnancy, Birth, And Fatherhood, Lynette Marie Talley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffectively addressing a first-time fathers' perception of pregnancy, childbirth, and fatherhood by medical providers and other medical personnel, may lead to problems of inadequate support, increased tension, anger, concern, and fear at a personal level and between partners. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the perspective of first-time fathers during pregnancy, childbirth, and fatherhood. The biopsychosocial model was used as the framework to provide the foundation for this study. Research questions addressed first-time fathers' biggest fears, deepest concerns, and most embarrassing questions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and fatherhood as well as the emotion and physical changes …

Managerial Strategies For Improving Employee Engagement: A Single Case Study, Ann-Marie Alcala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2013, 1% of Medicare reimbursements were withheld from U.S. hospitals, with a

proposed cap of 2% in 2017 for redistribution to those hospitals that improve overall care and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the engagement strategies that some hospital middle managers used to improve employee performance to increase patient satisfaction. The sample included 4 health care middle managers in 1 hospital in northeast Connecticut. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Kahn's personal engagement theory. Data were collected via semistructured interviews, participant observations, and review of hospital and public government documents. …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Urban Dwellers Experiences Regarding Loss Of Natural Environments Due To Rapid Urbanization, Erica Montanye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about how residents of rapidly growing cities are impacted by the loss of natural environments. Large cities are expanding at an exponential rate, reducing the presence of, and access to, natural environments for urban dwellers. Many benefits to human health regarding the presence of natural environments near where people live and work are known, but impacts of the loss of natural environments for urban dwellers are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to understand residents' experiences regarding the loss of natural environments and related impacts. Attention restoration theory and place attachment were the theoretical lenses …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Online Versus In-Person Therapy: Effect Of Client Demographics And Personality Characteristics, Joel Joseph Kofmehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, mental health professionals have provided psychotherapeutic services through face-to-face sessions. As the Internet has become an increasingly important part of individuals' personal and professional lives, psychologists and clients have used this medium to expand access to psychotherapy. The purpose of this quantitative correlational design was to investigate whether demographic variables and the personality traits of extroversion/introversion (E/I), as assessed by the Big Five Inventory, predicted clients' preferences for a specific method of administered psychotherapy. The theoretical framework for this study was social information processing through computer-mediated communication. An online survey site was used to assist in survey design and …

Happiness Index Methodology, Laura Musikanski, Scott Cloutier, Erica Bejarano, Davi Briggs, Julia Colbert, Gracie Strasser, Steven Russell

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

The Happiness Index is a comprehensive survey instrument that assesses happiness, well-being, and aspects of sustainability and resilience. The Happiness Alliance developed the Happiness Index to provide a survey instrument to community organizers, researchers, and others seeking to use a subjective well-being index and data. It is the only instrument of its kind freely available worldwide and translated into over ten languages. This instrument can be used to measure satisfaction with life and the conditions of life. It can also be used to define income inequality, trust in government, sense of community and other aspects of well-being within specific demographics …

The Ethical Implications Of Plagiarism And Ghostwriting In An Open Society, Patricia I. Fusch, Lawrence R. Ness, Janet M. Booker, Gene E. Fusch

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Plagiarism is the theft of intellectual property. Plagiarism has been a problem in academic settings and appears to be on the increase, now moving into areas including the medical and scientific fields as well as industry, manufacturing, military, and legal briefs. The ethical implications can have serious consequences for organizations, individuals, and society, resulting in harm being done to others in favor of expediency. In this scholarly essay, the authors explore and discuss the ethical implications of plagiarism and the increase of ghostwriting in a free society through the writings of Kant, Popper, Kostenbaum, Plato, Whedbee, and others. The conclusion …

Book Review: Social Policy And Social Change: Toward The Creation Of Social And Economic Justice, Jan Vinita White

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Although the book title, Social Policy and Social Change: Toward the Creation of Social and Economic Justice, suggests social change, the focus of the book is social justice, particularly in social work policy and practice. In this second edition of Jimenez, Mayers Pasztor, Chambers, and Pearlman Fujii's seminal exploration, issues of inequality and the widening gap between the wealthy and poor, health care disparities, discrimination, and developing issues are investigated and analyzed in a reader-friendly format.

Informal Partnerships Between Nonprofits And Local Governments And The Role Of Trust, Scott Pozil, Anne Hacker

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Informal partnerships between nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and local governments represent a winning combination for affective positive social change in communities. These partnerships thrive on the development and sustainment of trust as a guiding force between NPO executives and their local government counterparts. Qualitative case study research reveals such an assertion to be true, based on interviews and document reviews of informal partnerships in a metropolitan area in the Northwest United States. The implications for social change include establishing successful models of informal partnerships between NPOs and local governments that impact the social and economic well-being of communities.

Sociocultural Beliefs And Women Leadership In Sanyati District, Christine Mwale, Obediah Dodo

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This study explored the level of women participation in leadership identifying some of the challenges thereto in the selected rural district of Sanyati, Zimbabwe. The study sought to address the following aspects: roles of women in Sanyati, sociocultural beliefs with regards to leadership, and the depth of the effects of women’s nonparticipation in leadership. The research guided by the role congruity theory was qualitative in nature trying to understand human behavior and experience influenced by sociocultural norms. Research population composed of chiefs, headmen, village heads, elderly women and men, and councilors who had a sound appreciation of the subject. Twenty-seven …

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. …

Enterprise Risk Management In Responsible Financial Reporting, Robin B. Ewers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite regulatory guidelines, unreliable financial reporting exists in organizations, creating undue financial risk-harm for their stakeholders. Normal accident theory (NAT) identifies factors in highly complex integrated systems that can have unexpected, undetected, and uncorrected system failures. High-reliability organization (HRO) theory constructs promote reliability in complex, integrated systems prone to NAT factors. Enterprise risk management (ERM) integrates NAT factors and HRO constructs under a holistic framework to achieve organizational goals and mitigate the potential for stakeholder risk-harm. Literature on how HRO constructs promote ERM in responsible integrated financial systems has been limited. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was …

Sugar Intake And The Five Personality Traits Of Millennials, Flora Gashi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sugar intake continues to be connected to an increased risk of heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and certain forms of cancers, depression, and schizophrenia. The purpose of the study was to examine if sugar intake is related to personality traits in the Millennial population. The health belief model was used as the theoretical framework for conducting the study. The research questions addressed in the current study were in regards to the relationships between Millennials daily sugar intake and openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This study was a cross-sectional design in which a panel of randomly selected United States Millennials (N …

The Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Burnout For Caregivers Of Adjudicated Youth, Debra Marie Dix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the human services field little is known about the impact of coping strategies on the problem of burnout for primary caregivers of delinquent youth in placement. The purpose of this correlational research was to examine the relationship between coping strategies, youth psychopathology, and burnout. This study was based on Maslach's theory of burnout and Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping. To assess the prevalence of burnout and coping strategies, 82 primary caregivers of adjudicated youth in placement in the state of Michigan, completed self-report questionnaires: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Brief COPE Inventory, and the Child …

An Empirical Assessment Of Multicultural Education Programs In Reducing Islamophobia On A College Campus, Amin Asfari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anti-Muslim prejudice has increased precipitously since the attacks of September 11, 2001, including prejudicial effects related to socio-cultural differences on college campuses. The purpose of this quasi-experimental exploratory research was to understand the effectiveness of multicultural education programs (MEPs) in reducing anti-Muslim prejudice in higher education. Grounded in intergroup threat theory and frame analysis, it was hypothesized that students who are not engaged in multicultural affairs will perceive Muslims as more threatening and will therefore hold more prejudiced views than would students who active in multicultural affairs. The sample consisted of 125 respondents (N = 51 from a group participating …

Clinical Simulation And Nursing Student Perceptions Of Satisfaction, Self-Confidence, And Critical Thinking, Jaime Magnetico

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of nursing programs has increased in Florida, the number of hospital sites available for clinical experiences have not, resulting in limited clinical time for each nursing program. To address this shortage of clinical time, local colleges are increasing the use of simulations in the curriculum. Guided by andragogy, this sequential mixed methods study was conducted to explore differences in students' perceptions of satisfaction, self-confidence, and critical thinking between two groups of students with different amounts of clinical simulation. In an associate degree nursing program, 34 nursing students completed a single survey on student perceptions of satisfaction and …

An Exploration Of Emotional Intelligence In Victim-Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Terri L. Ratliff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite decades of preventive education and services for intimate partner violence, such violence continues. Studies have shown mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of current treatment options and prevention remains paramount. If victims seek therapy, the focus is typically on a single diagnosis, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, rather than cause-and-effect. Emotional intelligence in abusers of intimate partner violence has been tested and studied. There is literature on victims, but they are rare, regional, and examined only female participants resulting in conflicting findings. There is a gap in research in the review of the nuances of emotional intelligence in …

Enhancing Nurses' Assessment Of Pain Management In Dementia Patients, Norma Jean Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain contributes to morbidity, mortality, and disability in millions of people. Prevalence rates for pain are as high as 83% among the 5.2 million older adults living with a diagnosis of dementia. The purpose of the quality improvement project was to assess nurses' knowledge of pain assessment and management in a 45-bed Veterans Health Administration long-term care facility serving older adults with dementia. Knowles' adult learning theory served as the theoretical framework and the knowledge to action model supported the translation of evidence into practice. A convenience sample of 27 licensed and unlicensed nursing staff answered the 16-question, 5-point …

Rural Community Health Needs Assessment Findings: Access To Care And Mental Health, Sabrina Cherry, Ayanna Robinson, Jared Jashinsky, Grace Bagwell-Adams, Michelle Elliott, Marsha Davis

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article highlights the qualitative results from focus groups conducted as part of a Community Health Needs Assessments in two rural Georgia communities. Four 1-hr focus groups were facilitated with 32 community stakeholders. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified two primary themes: mental health and barriers to accessing health care. Focus group participants discussed mental health challenges as they related to substance abuse and suicide. Participants acknowledged barriers to access, including no health insurance, cost, eligibility gaps for government-sponsored programs, the low availability of specialty care, and poverty. Addressing mental health and access to care in …

Happiness In Communities: How Neighborhoods, Cities And States Use Subjective Well-Being Metrics, Laura Musikanski, Carl Polley, Scott Cloutier, Erica Berejnoi, Julia Colbert

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This essay, the fourth and last of a series published by the Journal of Social Change, is intended as a tool for community organizers, local policy makers, researchers, students and others to incorporate subjective well-being indicators into their measurements and management of happiness and well-being in their communities, for policy purposes, for research and for other purposes. It provides case studies of community-based efforts in five different regions (São Paulo, Brazil; Bristol, United Kingdom; Melbourne, Australia; Creston, British Columbia, Canada; and Vermont, United States) that either developed their own subjective well-being index or used the Happiness Alliance’s survey instrument …

Entrepreneurial Motivations And Characteristics Of Niger Delta Youths: An Exploratory Study, Anthony O. Aligba, Gene E. Fusch

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This article explored the lived experiences and perceptions of youths in the Niger Delta regarding the factors that influence the decision to become an entrepreneur. Drawing from the theories of motivation and planned behavior, the conceptual framework of this phenomenological study underscored the synergetic relationship between entrepreneurial motivations and characteristics. Using semistructured interviews to collect primary data, 20 youth small and medium enterprise owners shared their perceptions and lived experiences regarding their perceived entrepreneurial motivations and characteristics. The analysis and coding of data helped to identify emergent themes based on the modified van Kaam seven-step approach. The research findings revealed …

The Imperative Of The Corporation And Socially Conscious Leadership, Ekpen Owie

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

The word corporation and the activities of corporations around the world are no longer a mystery to many. Laws create corporations as persons, independent of the owners. There have been widespread debates about the propensity of corporations to harm others while trying to maximize profits, as well as the arguments that corporations should not delve into corporate social responsibility unless it directly enhances the bottom line. Nevertheless, individuals run corporations. I posit from a synthesis of literature that such individuals, if socially conscious, could institute the right governance mechanisms for driving corporate social responsibility and balancing multistakeholder interests.