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English Language Learners And High School Transition Experiences, Kimberly Watkins Jan 2015

English Language Learners And High School Transition Experiences, Kimberly Watkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spanish speaking English language learning (ELL) students in U.S. public schools are among those most likely to drop out of high school. However, there is a research gap concerning Spanish speaking ELL student success and their experiences in transitioning from supported English as a second language (ESL) classes into mainstream, general education classes in high school. Guided by the framework of transitional bilingual education, the purpose of this study was to present the phenomenological experiences of former ESL students as they transitioned from ESL to English-only classes. Participants included 7 adults who transitioned from Spanish speaking ESL during their high …

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Learned Helplessness And Depression: Comparison Of Skilled Nursing And Assisted Living Facilities, Paul Lynn Susic Jan 2015

Learned Helplessness And Depression: Comparison Of Skilled Nursing And Assisted Living Facilities, Paul Lynn Susic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research with geriatric populations suggests high levels of clinical depression and greater financial and psychological costs of treatment in long-term care facilities with more restrictive care. Research on learned helplessness, a construct separate from depression, suggests learned helplessness and perceived control are useful theories for the study of elder depression, but the relationship between depression and learned helplessness in this population is not clear. This cross-sectional quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and learned helplessness by comparing residents over age 65 in less restrictive assisted living (n =42) versus those in more restrictive skilled nursing facilities (n =63). Data …

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The Effect Of A Drama On Young Adults' Attitudes About Domestic Violence, Regina Watson Jan 2015

The Effect Of A Drama On Young Adults' Attitudes About Domestic Violence, Regina Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner abuse has been and remains a pervasive problem that has been documented in every race, religion, class, and level of education. This study presented the rationale for achieving positive social change by examining the problem through prevention rather than reaction and intervention. Although many theories of causation have been presented at various times, none has been proven or offers a complete explanation. Social ecological theory examines the interaction of individual, community, relational, and societal influences on the development of attitudes and behavior acceptance. This pre and post-survey group, quasi-experimental study examined the effects of an intervention on attitudes …

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The Space Debris Environment And Satellite Manufacturing, Walter Tam Jan 2015

The Space Debris Environment And Satellite Manufacturing, Walter Tam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Space debris is a growing threat to operational satellites and satellite manufacturing organizations. Leaders in satellite manufacturing organizations lacking adequate knowledge on the space debris risks could be at a competitive disadvantage. The purpose of this explorative case study was to explore strategies leaders in satellite manufacturing organizations use to mitigate risks through the conceptual lens of stakeholder theory, contingency theory, and general system theory. The research questions addressed strategies to mitigate the debris threat from the perspectives of both ongoing concerns and long-term risk resolution. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 12 leaders, purposively selected, in satellite manufacturing …

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Health Care Seeking Behavior And Provider Responses For Hcv-Positive African Americans, Kathleen Susanna Bailey Jan 2015

Health Care Seeking Behavior And Provider Responses For Hcv-Positive African Americans, Kathleen Susanna Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Of the 3.5 million persons infected with chronic HCV in the United States, the African American population is the largest racial group with chronic HCV. Disparities in access to care and treatment involve a complex set of individual, interpersonal, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that influence the course of HCV infection in the African American population, resulting in poorer outcomes and survival. Drawing upon both the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior, this study was conducted to determine whether the seeking of health care by HCV-positive African Americans and the responses of health care providers to HCV-positive …

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Social Skills Comparison Of Online And Traditional High School Students, Jo Shaw Jan 2015

Social Skills Comparison Of Online And Traditional High School Students, Jo Shaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online education has evolved over the last 18 years as technology continues to advance. Starting at age 5, children are able to forego traditional classrooms and begin attending school from a computer in their homes. Research has not identified significant academic differences between traditional and online schools; however, there is limited research on differences in social competency in these settings. Bandura's social learning theory was used as a framework to compare social competency skills in traditional (n = 113) and online (n = 28) high school students living in Pennsylvania using the Social Skills Inventory (SSI). Participants were recruited using …

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Uterine Fibroid Symptom Severity And Impact On Health-Related Quality Of Life Among African American Women, Ilisher Ford Jan 2015

Uterine Fibroid Symptom Severity And Impact On Health-Related Quality Of Life Among African American Women, Ilisher Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disproportionate number of African American women are at increased risk for uterine fibroid tumors (UF) compared to their Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic counterparts. Researchers have indicated that women diagnosed with UF can have a poorer health-related quality of life (HRQOL) when compared to women who do not have a diagnosis of UF. The overall aim of this study was to explore the impact of UF symptoms on the HRQOL of African American women. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed utilizing the revised version of Wilson and Cleary's model of HRQOL. A sample was gathered of 80 participants who were …

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An Examination Of The Differential Impact Of University/College Research Emphasis On Levels Of Counselors' Resilience, Erica Ann Handon Jan 2015

An Examination Of The Differential Impact Of University/College Research Emphasis On Levels Of Counselors' Resilience, Erica Ann Handon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor resilience is the ability to transform adversity into growth opportunities that become part of the professional's identity and the core values of a counselor. However, researchers have yet to identify why some counselors exhibit higher levels of resilience while others exhibit less. Counselor resilience can be learned and nurtured at any point of an individual's development. The purpose of this study was to examine how differences within the foundational edification of a research-embedded curriculum impact a counselor's level of resilience. Participants included practicing counselors who received their counseling degrees from a 2014 U.S News and World Report (USNWR) Nationally …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Ged Graduates Meeting College Readiness Standards At A Community College, Kelley Mischel Jones Jan 2015

A Phenomenological Study Of Ged Graduates Meeting College Readiness Standards At A Community College, Kelley Mischel Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of General Educational Development (GED) graduates enrolling into a community college. Research had not been conducted to explore the experiences of GED graduates completing the 2014 version of the exam and transitioning to college. Guided by Schlossberg's college transition theory and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, this phenomenological study included 11 participants who described their experiences through written narratives and interviews. Participants described their experiences of being an adult education student while preparing for the exam, the steps within the GED test preparation they considered important to matriculation toward college enrollment, and …

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Impact Of Pretreatment Self-Perceived Quality Of Life On Chronic Pain Patients, Michelle Laird Jan 2015

Impact Of Pretreatment Self-Perceived Quality Of Life On Chronic Pain Patients, Michelle Laird

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and practitioners have developed new treatment options for chronic pain management based on biopsychosocial models of pain known as interdisciplinary pain management programs (IPMP), which involve interdisciplinary care that integrates physical treatment with emotional, environmental, behavioral, and cognitive interventions. Despite literature documenting the effectiveness of IPMPs, patients find it difficult to obtain authorization for these programs from third party insurance payers. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study was to explore whether a patient's perceived quality of life after injury but prior to treatment will affect his or her success in an IPMP. This study was based in …

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Perceptions Of Empty Nest Mothers From Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds With Boomerang Kids, Banning Kent Lary Jan 2015

Perceptions Of Empty Nest Mothers From Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds With Boomerang Kids, Banning Kent Lary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a growing number of young people are failing to launch into self-sufficiency, a characteristic of adulthood recognized by most cultural groups. These "boomerang children" return home and interrupt the life course development of their "empty nest" mothers who must suspend plans for self-development. How mothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds cope with this countertransitional phenomenon while preparing their children for successful relaunch is not well known. Elder's life course paradigm provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. Perceptions were collected from an ethnically diverse group of 23 empty nest mothers with 30 boomerang children and seven …

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Physicians' Perceptions And Practice Regarding The Prevention Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections In The Icu, Marilyn Keng-Nasang Mbi Feh Jan 2015

Physicians' Perceptions And Practice Regarding The Prevention Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections In The Icu, Marilyn Keng-Nasang Mbi Feh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) incidence continue to rise despite all prevention efforts. The state of Georgia incidence of CAUTI between 2012 and 2013 showed an increase by 350 cases. The challenge is translating CAUTI prevention knowledge into practice by all physicians. The purpose of this correlational study was to improve the epidemiological understanding of CAUTI. Looking at physicians’ perception and practice of CAUTI preventions was necessary. A total of 336 physicians from the state of Georgia completed a 26-item survey. Additionally, a pilot study was conducted on a small sample of participants. The result of the Cronbach alpha …

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Instructional Writing Practices In Grade Five, Susan Elaine Newberry Jan 2015

Instructional Writing Practices In Grade Five, Susan Elaine Newberry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nationally and locally, a paucity of students are effective writers. The purpose of this exploratory, sequential mixed methods study was to explore effective research-based writing strategies and influences on writing skills of 5th grade students. Guided by Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory, the research questions investigated teachers' perceptions of the best instructional writing practices, the effect of writing practices on students' state writing scores, the relationship between student attendance and performance on the state writing test, and the amount of instructional planning dedicated to best writing practices. Data were collected from interviews with 5th grade teachers (N = 5), …

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Volunteers' Engagement And Retention In The Community Of Bosniaks Georgia, Inc., Senija Orlovic Jan 2015

Volunteers' Engagement And Retention In The Community Of Bosniaks Georgia, Inc., Senija Orlovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Members of ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations in the United States support their communities with their membership fees and donations, but they often show little interest in participating in volunteer activities. The purpose of this case study was to examine what motivates people to engage in ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations and provide information to leaders of the ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations to develop best practices with ways to attract and retain volunteers. This study was based on Clary, Snyder, and Stukas's conceptualization of functional motivations of volunteerism. Interview data were collected from 32 individuals who volunteer in a …

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Program Evaluation Of A Tutoring Program To Prepare Disenfranchised Students For College, Rhonda Lee Petrini Jan 2015

Program Evaluation Of A Tutoring Program To Prepare Disenfranchised Students For College, Rhonda Lee Petrini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, the San Colombano Project has provided the College-Bound Tutoring program for disenfranchised prospective first-generation college students in a southwestern community of the United States. However, an evaluation of the program had never been conducted. The purpose of the study was to conduct a qualitative, responsive program evaluation in a naturalistic setting using a case-study approach with a constructivist lens to create a narrative portrait of the program. Guided by critical race theory, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Wlodkowski's motivational theory, the study explored the effectiveness of the program. Interviews were conducted and archival data were examined to …

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Perceptions Of High School Teachers On Integrating Technology Following Professional Development, Charnice Starks Ray Jan 2015

Perceptions Of High School Teachers On Integrating Technology Following Professional Development, Charnice Starks Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers integrate technology to make the learning environment interactive and appealing to students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of teachers at one high school working to integrate technology into instruction following participation in professional development. Guided by Dewey's constructivist theory and Mishra and Koehler's technological pedagogical content knowledge model, this study explored teachers' perceptions of pedagogy and technology integration following participation in professional development and the strategies they used to overcome barriers to integrating technology. Twelve purposefully selected high school teachers from English, social studies, mathematics, science, electives, health education, and special education provided …

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Promoting Information Literacy Through Teacher - School Library Media Specialist Collaboration, Pamela Denise Taylor Jan 2015

Promoting Information Literacy Through Teacher - School Library Media Specialist Collaboration, Pamela Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools that support collaboration between teachers and school library media specialists (SLMS) outperform those that do not. Teachers at a rural Georgia middle school were not using the library media program or being trained on how to collaborate with the SLMS to promote student achievement. Guided by Bruner's socioconstructivist theory of learning, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to investigate teachers' experiences with integrating technology and information literacy into the curriculum and to examine the collaborative services the SLMS could provide to enhance integration. Eight teachers in Grades 6th through 8th comprised the sample. Data sources included teacher …

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Cultural Competence In Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Martina Renee Steed Jan 2015

Cultural Competence In Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Martina Renee Steed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For several decades, the field of nursing has focused on the integration of cultural competence content into its prelicensure educational programs. Despite this focus, little is known about the cultural competence of nurses extending their education past initial licensure into an advanced practice nursing specialty, such as nurse anesthesia. Researchers in other fields have found that provider race and previous cultural competence training are associated with higher levels of cultural competence. This research, guided by the culture care diversity and universality theory, sought to determine the relationship between the two subscales, Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity (CAS) and the Cultural Competence …

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Southeastern United States' Parental Perspectives To Promote Adolescent Sleep Health, Steven Mark Tompa Jan 2015

Southeastern United States' Parental Perspectives To Promote Adolescent Sleep Health, Steven Mark Tompa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many U.S. adolescents suffer from sleep disorders. Although poor sleep habits may contribute to health issues, less is known about how parental perspectives influence sleep health in adolescents. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to address a knowledge gap in understanding parental views to promote better sleep habits in adolescents. The blended theoretical framework included the theories of caring science, social learning, advocacy paradigm, and repair and restoration of sleep. Twenty parents in the Southeastern United States participated in open-ended interviews. Research questions were designed to elicit parental perspectives about recognizing unhealthy sleep habits, improving daily sleep health …

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Implementing Change: How, Why, And When Teachers Change Their Classroom Practices, Diane Beth Van Bodegraven Jan 2015

Implementing Change: How, Why, And When Teachers Change Their Classroom Practices, Diane Beth Van Bodegraven

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher implementation of school reforms varies widely and often results in inconsistent student outcomes. Teachers adopt or resist change for complex reasons that are not fully understood. This qualitative study explored how veteran teachers described their experiences with school reform and changes in classroom practices that occurred over the course of their careers; it also examined factors that teachers identified as having positive and negative influences on their adoptions of change. The conceptual framework was based on Senge's systems theory as applied to learning organizations and Goleman's emotional intelligence theory. The research questions focused on: (a) How veteran teachers described …

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Marketing Strategies Of Mobile Game Application Entrepreneurs, Talaya Waller Jan 2015

Marketing Strategies Of Mobile Game Application Entrepreneurs, Talaya Waller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mobile game application entrepreneurs can offer many benefits to the U.S. economy; however, 80% of the entrepreneurs in this study stated that marketing their mobile applications was a major business challenge. Successful strategies that entrepreneurs have used to overcome their mobile game application marketing challenges may be beneficial to other entrepreneurs. Based on Schumpeter's theory of economic development and new value creation of technological innovation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies that entrepreneurs have used to market their mobile game application development businesses successfully. Twenty mobile game application entrepreneurs from northern California, who successfully sustained …

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Enhancing Teachers' Skills And Students' Success In Writing Using Elementary Teachers' Experiences In Writing Instruction, Lundie Spivey Gray Jan 2015

Enhancing Teachers' Skills And Students' Success In Writing Using Elementary Teachers' Experiences In Writing Instruction, Lundie Spivey Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the issue of struggling student writers in a K-5 rural elementary school. This phenomenological study, based on social constructivist theory, investigated elementary teachers' experiences to determine effective writing strategies. Six teachers who had taught writing in the elementary grades for 5 consecutive years volunteered to participate in the study. All teachers participated in a focus group, and 2 teachers provided additional data via individual interviews. Member-checking was used to ensure trustworthiness of data. The data were analyzed; emerging themes developed categories and, through horizonalization and triangulation, gaps in writing instruction were revealed. Analysis from the teachers' perspectives …

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Public-Police Relations: Officers' Interpretations Of Citizen Contacts, Donal Alfred Hardin Jan 2015

Public-Police Relations: Officers' Interpretations Of Citizen Contacts, Donal Alfred Hardin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptual differences in how citizens and police view police-initiated contacts can result in individual and communal tension, mistrust, and social strife, which complicate the relationships needed in order to thrive and promote safe environments. To examine how police officers interpret these contacts, this case study sought to explore the nature of citizen-police relations from the perspective of police officers in a city in the northwest part of the United States. Social contract and procedural justice theories were used to examine the circumstances that officers cited for taking enforcement actions, including operational definitions of police fairness and legitimacy from the Queensland …

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A Mixed Method Study Of Diagnostic And Adaptive Functioning Challenges In African American Preschool-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Douglene Jackson Jan 2015

A Mixed Method Study Of Diagnostic And Adaptive Functioning Challenges In African American Preschool-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Douglene Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to experience performance and participation challenges, with early diagnosis being critical for improved outcomes. Children from ethnic minority backgrounds tend to receive their diagnoses later, even when symptomatology is similar. This mixed methods study explored symptom severity, functional difficulties, and age at diagnosis for ASD and to describe the functional challenges encountered by preschool-aged children with ASD of African American descent. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health along with the Model of Human Occupation were the theories used for this study to conceptualize functional challenges and other potential factors. Research …

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Moving From Theory To Practice: Integrating Mobile Devices In Elementary Reading Instruction, Lisa Marie Bald Jan 2015

Moving From Theory To Practice: Integrating Mobile Devices In Elementary Reading Instruction, Lisa Marie Bald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology integration continues to be a professional development concern, especially in elementary schools. It remains unclear why there is a difference between how teachers talk about using technology and how they apply it in teaching reading. The purpose of this study was to explore professional development options that would help teachers connect theory to practice by studying their decision-making process. The conceptual framework was based on elements of the knowing-doing gap and reflective practices. The research questions explored (a) the decision-making process, (b) reflective practices used during decision-making, (c) professional development that facilitates closing the knowing-doing gap, and (d) recommendations …

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The Role Of Teacher Perceptions In Parental Involvement, Crecenra Boyd Jan 2015

The Role Of Teacher Perceptions In Parental Involvement, Crecenra Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the changing field of education, there is awareness of the benefits of parental involvement on student achievement and the impact teachers have on the success of parental involvement programs. However, teachers may rely significantly on their personal experiences as a source of reference for parental involvement and subsequently impact student achievement. There is a gap in the research about the lived experiences of teachers regarding their perspectives and support of parental involvement in the classroom. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore teachers' lived experiences and attitudes concerning parental involvement and student achievement. The conceptual framework for …

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Planning A Smoking Cessation Program In A Mental Health Hospital, Victoria Omuson Jan 2015

Planning A Smoking Cessation Program In A Mental Health Hospital, Victoria Omuson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of smoking among mentally ill people is very high. Smokers have a 50%, rate of mental illness diagnosis compared with 23% rate for general population. To address this problem, the purpose of this project was to plan a smoking cessation program for patients in a mental health facility. The theoretical foundation for this project was based on the theory of planned behavior, which identifies the predictive nature of smoking and the benefits that can be derived from implementing a systematic approach for change. The project question examined the effectiveness of smoking cessation program using educational support, pharmacological strategies, …

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Media Literacy Education Exposure Related To Self-Esteem, Body Esteem, And Sociocultural Ideals In College Students And Graduates, Tammy Stargardt Jan 2015

Media Literacy Education Exposure Related To Self-Esteem, Body Esteem, And Sociocultural Ideals In College Students And Graduates, Tammy Stargardt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in the United States has increased while the media consistently presents thinner representations of the body. Scholars have found media to negatively influence factors associated with the development of EDs. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional survey design study was to explore relationships between exposure levels to MLE and self-esteem, body esteem, and the internalization societal appearance ideals. Participants included undergraduate students or recent graduates majoring in either communications or an alternative major with comparatively less MLE curriculum. The Body Esteem Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Surveys were …

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The Perceptions Of Adults 35 And Older On Online Learning, Hector Alvarez Trujillo Jan 2015

The Perceptions Of Adults 35 And Older On Online Learning, Hector Alvarez Trujillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study examined the level of satisfaction among a group of adults ages 35 years and older enrolled in an online education program (OLEP) in a university in Puerto Rico. Although the current literature revealed that adult students 35 years and older are the fastest growing population enrolling in online college education programs in Puerto Rico, prior satisfaction studies conducted by this institution did not focus on this population. The theoretical framework of this study was guided by Holsapple and Lee's Post e-learning success model. The goal of this study was to understand students' satisfaction with the online …

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Transformational Leadership Principles Within Small Businesses, Tiffany Suzanne Mckinnon-Russell Jan 2015

Transformational Leadership Principles Within Small Businesses, Tiffany Suzanne Mckinnon-Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses in the United States experience a high rate of failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore consistent strategies small business owners in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania used to lead successful companies. Transformational leadership theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. A mixed purposive sample of 20 small business owners participated in semistructured face- to-face and telephone interviews. Each of the participants possessed a minimum of 3 years of successful business operation and employed fewer than 500 individuals. Using Moustakas' modified van Kaam analyses, 6 main themes emerged: characteristics and experiences, leadership behaviors, managing operations, …

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