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The Transactional Theory Of Stress And Coping: Predicting Posttraumatic Distress In Telecommunicators, Dana Marie Dillard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telecommunicators (e.g., dispatchers and 911 operators) experience firsthand the death and suffering of friends, family, peers, and strangers in a chaotic work environment characterized by chronic stress and lack of support. Previous research has demonstrated telecommunicators are at increased risk for negative health outcomes; however, existing research does not identify predictive pathways to posttrauma symptoms in telecommunicators. In an application of the transactional theory of stress and coping, I used structural equation modeling to examine occupational antecedents, work-family conflict, negative appraising, and coping as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in telecommunicators. A convenience sample of 103 telecommunicators, recruited through agencies …

Employee Engagement Strategies That Healthcare Managers Use To Increase Organizational Performance, Eric Makoni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The annual cost of low employee engagement in Australian workplaces was $18.7 billion in 2015. Healthcare managers who adopt employee engagement strategies have the potential to achieve robust clinical, operational, and financial results that benefit both the organization and the community as a whole. The purpose of this single case study was to explore effective employee engagement strategies that some healthcare managers used to increase organizational performance. Social exchange theory was the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with 8 healthcare managers in Queensland, Australia. Participants who implemented successful employee engagement strategies were selected …

Mobile Application Use To Support Family, School, And Community Partnerships, Erin Ortega

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, a phenomenon has transpired involving the fast-paced growth of mobile technology and the rapid adoption of smart technology. As technology continues to become more mobile, it could be beneficial for educational systems to begin to evaluate how mobile applications impact family, school, and community relationships; however, little research exists on this specific topic. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the experiences of district-level administrators during the implementation of mobile applications for a number of school districts. The diffusion of innovation theory, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, and various school, family, and community …

Certainty Versus Suspicion: Incapacitated Sexual Assault On Campus, Amanda Ellen Quade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One in four women experience sexual assault during college. With rates of sexual assault on college campuses continuing to increase, the need for advanced analysis utilizing contemporary variables is justified. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare two groups of female college-attending students. One group was certain and the other suspected that they were sexually assaulted while incapacitated (independent variables). Dependent variables compared between groups were offender type (interest on offenders with fraternal affiliations), law enforcement reporting decisions, and barriers to reporting sexual assault. Four research questions measured whether there was a statistically significant difference amongst the dependent …

Perceptions Of Coping Strategies Of Young Adults Who Were Bullied As Youth, Latonya Rainwater

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Victims of childhood bullying often use passive coping strategies and experience depression, substance abuse use, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine adults' lived experiences of coping methods they used as victims of bullies during adolescence. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 young adults who were bullied as adolescents. Coding analysis indicated 7 emerging themes for coping: confrontation, self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, escape-avoidance, problem-solving, and positive reappraisal. Participants reported that some coping methods were perceived as …

Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within A Hybrid Organization, Kevin Morgan Sorbello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global change-failure rates remain over 70%, despite over a half-century of research, theory development, and mitigation strategies. Although researchers studying the problem of change failure recognize that subcultural perceptions influence change success, especially in hybrid organizations where subcultural differences are more profound, the perceptions that predispose a subculture to support or resist organizational change remain relatively unknown. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to address the problem of the high cost of change failure by identifying perceptions that influence change success within a maritime organization. The study'€™s conceptual framework was founded on the interpretive paradigm and social constructivist …

Leadership Strategies For Reducing Operational Costs In Waste Management Businesses In Liberia, Rita Evelyn Townsend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Waste is a global composite of organic and inorganic derivatives from human activities. Municipal solid waste consists primarily of plastics from households and e-wastes, creating opportunities for waste management businesses. The purpose of this study was to explore leadership strategies for reducing operational costs in waste management businesses in Liberia. In this multiple case study, 6 business leaders from 6 waste management businesses in Liberia were recruited as participants. The conceptual framework guiding the study was the transformational leadership theory. Each business leader responded to open-ended questions in a semistructured interview. Data were analyzed by iteratively searching recurrent codes to …

Neutralizing Boko Haram Resurgency: Power Of Targeted Holistic Education Policies, Godwin Chinedu Ukwuani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Boko Haram (BH) insurgency is driven by Islamist ideology and hegemony, nurtured mainly on failed education and sociopolitical policies and less by economic realities in Nigeria. Military counterinsurgency (hard COIN) successes are necessary but not sufficient to neutralize resurgence. The framework for this study was behavior modification by targeted holistic education policy (THEP) over ruminated frustration-aggression of drive theory. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to conduct a survey of educated participants (N = 95), randomly selected from education campuses in Nigeria, to estimate the power (relationship) of THEP over time to neutralize BH resurgence (NBHR). The data from …

The Effect Of Self-Esteem, Bullying, And Harassment On Nurse Turnover Intention, Joyce Richelle Arand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently there is a high rate of registered nurse (RN) turnover due in part to bullying and harassment among peers; which fosters lower quality nursing care, jeopardizes patient safety, and increases healthcare costs. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between inpatient nurses' individual self-esteem and reported bullying and harassment with their intent to leave their job. Two theories were used to provide structure to this work: cognitive experimental self theory and oppressed group theory. Data were collected using the Negative Acts Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Turnover Intentions Measure. All RNs in …

Leptin Level Variance In Adults With And Without Cancer, Vilisa Chatman-Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In 2018, health statistics revealed that, despite the many preventive measures established,

cancer was the second leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause

of death in 22 states, exceeded only by heart disease. With obesity/leptin levels reaching

pandemic levels worldwide, and cancer having a well-known association with obesity,

both chronic diseases represent a large proportion of public health challenges. Guided by

the social ecological model, the purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative study was to

examine if a significant difference exists in leptin levels among adults with different

types of obesity-associated and common cancers and …

Strategies For Providing Loans To Small Businesses, Linda Faye Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2013, the number of loans banks provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) declined. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that senior bank lending officers used to improve lending to SMEs. The sample size consisted of 4 senior small business lending officers who have in lending for 5 or more year in Houston, Texas. The conceptual framework used was agency theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 senior bank lending officers from a bank in the Houston, Texas area, a review of documents from lending officers, and other artifacts …

Implementing Aromatherapy For Falls Reduction In The Inpatient Hospice Population, Kimberly Kay Pistek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls among the elderly is a health concern affecting multiple patients annually. Hospice patients and those with multiple comorbidities are at the greatest risk of falling and sustaining injuries from falls. Aromatherapy has been used for reducing multiple symptoms as well as for decreasing falls. The practice-focused question explored whether an education program on using aromatherapy for fall prevention would increase knowledge of this intervention for an interdisciplinary group of hospice staff. The design was developed using Knowles's theory of andragogy and Bloom's taxonomy. Thirteen staff members from the same facility participated in the education program. The program was targeted …

Socioeconomic Impacts: Exploring Relationships Between Parenting Styles And Emotional Intelligence In Odd, Radhia Afif

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are at a higher risk to develop other serious problems based on reoccurring symptoms such as; aggression, hostility, and lack of empathy for others. Based on the emotional intelligence theory, it may be possible that understanding emotional intelligence in children with ODD could help reduce future psychological and social problems. This quantitative study addresses the problem of poor or low Emotional Intelligence (EI) in children diagnosed with ODD. A correlation between parenting style, as defined by Baumrind's parenting style theory, and the development of emotional intelligence has been found in current research. However, …

Suicide Attempts And Their Contributing Factors Among African American Veterans, Gervline Blaise

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The rate of suicide attempts among veterans in the United States has increased tremendously since 2001, which has left the Department of Veterans Affairs deeply concerned. The purpose of this study was to examine if there is an association between suicide attempts among African American/Black veterans and mental health support, income level, marital status, education level, and unemployment status. This quantitative study used the socio-ecological model to explain the association of the contributing factors to suicide attempts. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression were used to analyze …

Challenge Of Leadership Succession In Family-Owned Business In Lagos, Nigeria, Michael Oluwatola Awosanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of family-owned businesses pay more attention to the attainment of personal and organizational objectives than to leadership succession plans for continuity when they leave the business. Despite the significant contributions of family-owned businesses to the social and economic development of nations, founders and leaders still contend with the challenge of leadership transfer to the next generation. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology study was to examine the lived experiences of past and current leaders of family-owned businesses in Lagos regarding the challenge of preparing the next generation for leadership succession. The theory of knowledge transfer formed the conceptual framework …

Gang Injunctions Effects: The Experiences Of Residents And Enjoined Gang Members, Natasha R. Burnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Civil gang injunctions (CGIs) are bans on nuisance behavior that have been enacted against gang members. Numerous studies conducted on the efficacy of CGIs have proven that they have little to no long-term effects on the communities in which they are implemented, nor on the gang members enjoined under them and their gang activities. The purpose of this empirical, phenomenological interpretative analysis study was to (a) determine the sociofamilial effects of CGIs on community residents; (b) determine the effects of CGIs on the behaviors and activities of enjoined gang members; and (c) determine the overall efficacy of CGIs based on …

Managing Customer Complaints In Online Auction Markets, Mohammad Mousavi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies managers in the online auction industry used to manage customer complaints to improve customer satisfaction. The targeted population consisted of 4 managers of online auction companies in the southwestern region of the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was Argyris and Sch�n's double-loop learning theory. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with business managers, observation of company operations and behaviors, review of documentation, and member-checking activities. Data analysis consisted of text interpretation of data and notes using coding techniques. Data analysis resulted in 5 themes: business orientation, …

Patients' Perceptions Of Quality Of Life And Resource Availability After Critical Illness, Michelle Mcmoon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical, psychological, and social debilities are common among survivors of critical illness. Survivors of critical illness require rehabilitative services during recovery in order to return to functional independence, but the structure and access of such services remains unclear. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the vital issues affecting quality of life from the perspective of critical illness survivors and to understand these patients' experiences with rehabilitative services in the United States. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Weber's rational choice theory, and a phenomenological study design was employed. The research questions focused on the survivors' experiences …

Perceptions Of Persistence In A Community College English Composition Class, Starr Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study was to explore students' perceptions

of factors that influenced their success or failure in an online English composition course

at a community college located in the southeastern United States and to understand how

these factors affected their persistence in coursework. Retention rates in online for online

English composition courses are lower compared to face-to-face English composition

courses. Rapid expansion of online learning has led to increased concern regarding

student persistence in courses and degree or certification completion. Tinto's

interactionalist theory and Kember's model of student success framed the course of

inquiry …

Role Of Stand-Alone Business Entities In Sustaining Newly Established Nonprofit Organizations, Sharif S. Shamroukh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of newly established nonprofit organizations (NPOs) with long-lasting and needed missions disappear annually, which negatively impacts the nonprofit sector in general and the potential recipients of the discontinued NPOs' services. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the possible influence that the presence of a strategic resource development plan and the establishment of a stand-alone business entity have on the persistence of newly established NPOs that have long-lasting and needed missions in the United States within the context of the theoretical framework resource dependence theory. Research questions focused on the role of commercial activities, particularly the stand-alone …

Student Retention At Online Learning Institutions, Johnetta P. Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a local community college in Texas, student retention remained a concern as enrollment was increasing while online student retention was decreasing. The purpose of this study was to examine student retention in online courses at the college. The conceptual framework that guided the project study was Tinto’s integration model, which provided insight as to why students choose to leave or continue their educational journey. The overarching question that guided the study queried the factors influencing students’ decisions to take online courses at the higher education level. A qualitative case study was used to capture information on 10 students regarding …

Caregiver Review Of Nonpharmacological Interventions For Behavioral Symptoms Associated With Dementia, Karla Chaney Ballew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects an individual’s overall cognitive function, including orientation, memory, and executive function. Most AD patients in the United States reside in residential care facilities or private homes under the care of individuals with little education on the challenges of the AD patient. Among the challenges faced by caregivers are behavioral and psychological symptoms related to dementia (BPSD). Education has been shown to improve caregivers’ treatment of BPSD in AD patients and to improve caregiver retention. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based education module guided by …

Closing The Gaps In Rural Healthcare In Texas: A Formative Bounded Case Study, Marianne Bogel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maldistribution of healthcare professionals persists in remote and rural communities throughout the world. Adoption of a Community Paramedic (CP) program could improve access to quality healthcare for rural communities. The conceptual framework defined rural communities by their distinct characteristics — community efficacy, weaknesses, attitudes, assets, deficits, local culture, and the driving and restraining forces — and not defined by their small populations or distances to cities. The theoretical foundation was a synthesis of theories of Bandura, Rogers, and Lewin. This study assessed community characteristics that may influence the likelihood of success, sustainability, or program failure of the Australian CP model …

Resilience Experiences Of Navy Wives During Midyear School Transitions Of A Child, Alicia Brengman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem of school dropout is a well-researched issue that impacts students, schools, and the nation. The research problem of this study was how U.S. Navy wives experience resiliency during school transitions of their child(ren) midyear to a new school. The theoretical framework utilized for this study was resilience theory, as described by Rutter. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to gain insight into how U.S. Navy wives experience resilience when transitioning their students to a new school once the school year has begun. Semi structured interviews were conducted over the phone with 9 current wives of …

Disadvantaged Preschool Children: Public Policy, Education Models, And Kindergarten Readiness, Virginia H. Byerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of academic failure among disadvantaged preschool and post preschool students in some school districts in Virginia, yet little is understood about the relationship between education models and academic performance among economically disadvantaged students (EDS). The problem explored is the absence of classroom exercises in pre and post preschools that capitalize on cognitive development to improve executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) skills. The purpose of this study is to understand if a change in current classroom practices impacts academic performance among low-income students. Narrative policy serves as a theoretical guide in this qualitative case study …

Relationship Between Adolescent Perception Of Harm, Electronic Cigarette Use, And Texas Antitobacco Campaigns, Candace Rasheedah Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in use of e-cigarettes in adolescents is a major public health concern that must be addressed. Research studies showed some e-cigarettes contained varying amounts of nicotine and sever cancer-causing chemicals. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to assess the perception of harm (dependent variable) from using e-cigarettes and being exposed to state and school-based antitobacco programs (independent variable) and to determine if the association was modified by socioeconomic status or area of residence. Attitude-social influence-self-efficacy theory was the chosen theory for research and suggests that attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy variables can be persuaded via specific …

Analysis Of Nurses’ Perceptions Of Their Role In A Multidisciplinary Team, Jessica Ann Dempsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A better understanding of task allocation for the registered nurse (RN) within the scope of the multidisciplinary care team model is required. Patients, healthcare staff, and medical facilities that utilize RNs in multidisciplinary care teams will benefit from improved role identification. A multidisciplinary care team consists of a variety of health care professionals and without role identification, confusion, miscommunication, and negative patient outcomes can occur. A literature review demonstrated that a gap in knowledge existed related to task allocation and role identification of RNs within a multidisciplinary care team. The purpose of this study was to evaluate RNs’ scope of …

Community Risk Factors And Health Inspection Violations In Mississippi Delta Census Tracts, Chrystal S. Early

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A concerning public health issue in America is about food deserts urban and rural communities that lack grocery retailers that offer affordable, nutritious, and diverse foods. Empirical evidence has shown significant associations between neighborhood disadvantage/disorder risk factors of high poverty and high percentages of ethnic minority residents with presence/ absence of healthy food retailers in food deserts. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study, framed by the disparities in food safety conceptual model, was to examine if county-level poverty, number of African American residents, number of elderly (i.e., age 65 or older) residents, vehicle ownership, and crime rates were significantly …

The Experiences Of Black Parents In Choosing Intervention Programs For Juvenile Offenders, Deborah Hawkes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile offense is a social problem that affects communities and families. Black juvenile offenses occur at a higher rate than White juvenile offenses. The parents of these offenders may engage in the intervention process of their juvenile offender with the intent to improve the intervention outcome. The literature on this topic, however, is primarily focused on the treatment outcomes of various types of intervention. The identified gap in the literature is research on Black parental input on the process used to select various types of intervention for their offending children. The high rate of incidence compounded by the racial disparity …

Positive Deviance Behaviors And Definition In Nursing, Stacy L. January

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The concept of positive deviance (PD) has not been studied in the context of nursing. Grounded in narrative inquiry and combined with vocabularies of motive and symbolic interactionism, the purpose of this study was to explore whether PD behaviors existed in nursing, and if so, to develop an operational definition of PD for nursing. The research question addressed what PD behaviors, if any, were present in nurses’ workplace stories. Using posted flyers, eight participants either self-selected or were selected by snowball method to participate. Interviews were conducted in locations decided on by each participant. Interview data were obtained, transcribed, then …