Digital Commons Network^™

The Development And Validation Of The Multicultural Competency Assessment© (Mca©), Michelle Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A sound and tested multicultural therapeutic approach is an essential component in providing ethical services to all client populations (e.g., Medley, Lipari, Bose, Cribb, Kroutil, & McHenry, 2015). Therefore, concepts of multiculturalism have been integrated in ethical codes, guidelines on competence, and standards for training in preparation programs within counseling, psychology, and social work fields (e.g., American Counseling Association Code of Ethics, 2014; American Psychological Association Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists, 2002; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs Standards, 2016; National Association of Social Workers Standards and Indicators for Cultural …

Is Proactive Behavior Always Positive? An Examination Of Leader Reactions Based On Employee Gender And Organizational Crisis, Nicole Carusone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are increasingly looking to hire employees who are willing to take initiative and go above and beyond expectations (Campbell, 2000). To that aim, proactive behaviors have been increasingly considered as a potentially important characteristic of today's workers (Campbell, 2000). With workplaces becoming more decentralized and work becoming increasingly innovative and self-directed, organizations require employees who are able and willing to be proactive (Campbell, 2000; Frese & Fay, 2001). Researchers have found many benefits to proactive behavior, including increases in individual performance and innovation (Seibert, Kraimer, & Crant, 2001; Tornau & Frese, 2013). While proactive behavior may have many benefits, …

Best Practices Used By Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction: Improving Teacher Instruction In A High Accountability Environment, Julie Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study investigated not only the role of assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction, but the strategies and best practices used by four assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction and a deputy superintendent of teaching and learning from East Texas in order to improve classroom instruction and support teachers in the high-stakes testing environment. The study sheds light on the role of central office leaders, their views related to the high-stakes testing environment and the impact they have on instruction for teachers and students. The responses given in this qualitative case study were carefully analyzed in order to …

Evaluating Work Place Wellness In Greater Louisville's Technology Organizations : A Case Study., Andrew L. Mccart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employers in the Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville region are looking for strategies to help them become a healthier workplace. Many employers see the expense of paying for an unhealthy workforce and they are looking to limit these expenses. The purpose of the study is to determine the state of workplace wellness activities in organizations in Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville. Due to the poor health statuses of Indiana and Kentucky, 39th and 45th, respectively, this study is significant for a number of stakeholders in our area. The purpose of this case study was to understand the state of health …

Nurse Perspectives On The Work Impacts Of Decentralized Nursing Unit Design, Susan Mcdevitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated nurse perspectives on the work impacts of a decentralized inpatient unit model. The study involved two rural acute-care hospitals in rural Nebraska that moved from a centralized to a decentralized inpatient unit design. The researcher conducted focus group discussions with staff and nursing management at both facilities with a total of 28 participants. In addition, the participants completed a 12-item questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale for responding. Focus group discussion and questionnaire were designed to investigate the areas of quality of care, communication, documentation, stress and wellbeing, and transition. Data gathered revealed that on all survey …

Organizational Collaboration And Its Impact On Immigrants And Refugees In Louisville., Elizabeth Burdette Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To understand the impact of collaboration on internationals’ integration experiences, this study captures the stories of supporting organizations and Somali refugees in Louisville, KY. The study utilized in-depth interviews and participant observations to analyze the programs and services offered by three supporting organizations, the partnerships they have formed in the community, and the impact the partnerships have on the challenges immigrants and refugees face during the integration process. Non-profit organizations, tasked by the government and communities to support internationals in their integration, face limited resources and capacity, which local partnerships help alleviate. The collaboration relies on relational embeddedness and a …

Use Of Performance Information By Local Government Administrators: Evidence From Florida, Tamara Dimitrijevska-Markoski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the factors that facilitate and hinder the use of performance information by public administrators in local governments in Florida. Acknowledging the incompleteness of many theoretical and conceptual models in previous performance management studies and the absence of theory on the use of performance information; this study utilizes a grounded theory approach to develop and test a model analyzing the use of performance information. The research focuses on cities and counties, members of the Florida Benchmarking Consortium (FBC), and surveys public administrators whose tasks are related with the collection and/or reporting of performance information. The study examines three …

Exploring Occupational Stress Through The Persepectives Of The Child Welfare Workforce, Ann Christine Obermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The child welfare system is charged with providing safety, permanency, and wellbeing for millions of children impacted by abuse and neglect requiring a highly effective and efficient workforce. Unfortunately, the health of the child welfare workforce, organizations, and system have been described as substandard as evidenced by chronic rates of high turnover and burnout and their inability to consistently meet national child safety and wellbeing standards. One factor contributing to the substandard functioning is the workforces' experience of occupational stress. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the child welfare workforces' experience of occupational stress through a qualitative secondary …

An Exploration Of Teacher, School And District Leaders' Perspectives Regarding The Integration Of Instructional Technology In An Alternative Middle School: A Descriptive Case Study, Lauren Marie Kohl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The promise of using instructional technology to enhance student learning has been a dream and a goal for more than 30 years. During these past few decades, the reasoning has shifted from providing word processing, to supporting information access, to preparing students to become global citizens in our continually evolving technological world. While many educators are successful in these endeavors, there is still a disparity across the spectrum of consistent, intentional technology integration for learning. This varies not only from school district to school district, but between schools within districts, as well as from classroom to classroom. There has been …

Getting The Work Out Of Workouts: Evaluating The Effectiveness And Outcomes Of A Physical Exercise Motivational Intervention For Older Workers, Brandon Sholar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To mitigate their estimated $300 billion in annual health-related losses, many companies have instituted workplace wellness initiatives designed to promote physical activity among their employees, improving the overall health of their workforce. Though middle-aged and older workers may potentially enjoy the greatest physical, stress and cognitive benefits from regular exercise, workplace wellness programs have been less successful in attracting such employees. This study developed and tested a 6-week exercise motivation intervention designed to meet the needs of sedentary, older working adults and to determine what non-physical benefits might result from increased levels of physical exercise. The intervention, based primarily on …

Local Health Department Adoption Of Health Information Technology And Its Impact On Population Health, Tina Yeung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the enactment of the HITECH Act in 2009, the US has invested billions in building a robust health information technology (HIT) infrastructure that is secure, capable of the electronic transfer of data and allows for real-time access of patient medical data, among others. This empirical study explored the driving forces (coercive, mimetic, and normative) in the adoption of HIT (i.e. EHRs and HIEs) by local health departments (LHDs) and how it has impacted the population health of counties in the US. The researcher conducted a cross-sectional, quantitative study using secondary data sources. The study included data on 505 local …

Examination Of The Challenges Faced By Foreign-Born Students In A State College That May Prolong/Prevent Graduation., Modupe Soremi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study stems from several reports indicating the increasing competitiveness of the world economy, the requirement of at least an associate degree in the fastest growing jobs in the U.S. labor market, and the unprecedented increase in the foreign-born population in the United States since the 1970s (U.S. Census Bureau Web, 2016; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projection, 2009; President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), 2009). Understanding the challenges faced by foreign-born students at state colleges will create an avenue for recommending solutions to many these challenges, thereby increasing their educational attainment and economic productivity, hence preparing more Americans …

Jail Mental Health Innovations: Factors Influencing Mental Health Services Innovations For Jails, Orville Clayton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. is recognized for uniquely high incarceration rates. Over recent decades, there has been a concurrent dramatic increase of jail detainees with mental disorders. Provision of adequate mental health services for jail inmates is constitutionally mandated, and has legal, ethical, quality of care, and fiscal implications for jails, families, communities, and detainees. Significant variation exists in the provision of mental health services across jails, and increased understanding of the factors that influence the adoption of such services may help guide jails to implement beneficial services, and ensure that such services reflect, reflect quality standards. This study used a mixed …

Perceptions Of Ice Hockey Season Ticket Holders On The Implementation Of A Donor-Based Seating Model At Miami University, A Public Midwestern Mid-Major Institution, David Coleman Barnes Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intercollegiate athletics is a $10 billion marketplace (Suggs, 2012), with some Division I athletics operating budgets approaching $200 million. College athletics programs are charged with maximizing revenues in an effort to support and enhance the student-athlete experience. This study provides an examination of the perceptions of ice hockey season ticket holders on the implementation of a donor-based seating model at Miami University. Miami ice hockey consistently fills its venue and generates crucial revenues for the athletics department. As the cost to compete for championships continues to increase, schools like Miami must be creative in identifying ways to maximize revenues. The …

An Analysis Of The Readiness And Confidence Of High School Administrators To Provide Instructional Leadership In Digital School Environments, Andrew Shepherd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceived knowledge and confidence of high school administrators to lead in a digital school environment. This study utilized an exploratory mixed-methods case study analysis along with the 62-item Digital Instructional Leadership Readiness Instrument (DILRI)© to measure school administrators’ knowledge and confidence to lead in a digital school environment. High school administrators within the target school district were requested to complete the DILRI© at two separate points in time: September 2016 and June 2017. Based on these two administrations, this study’s six Research Questions were answered. Research Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, …

An Examination Of Post Implementation Adoption Of Business Intelligence Technologies And The Role Of Training Programs During This Process, Juliana Gully

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study sought to determine if there was any difference in the perception of training modality delivery between participants who attended a face-to-face (F2F) training session or participated in blended training that supported business intelligence (BI) technology adoption. There is minimal information available identifying how training can influence an individual's intention to fully adopt BI technology into daily work processes. Identification of key factors influencing training modalities' effect on technology adoption promotes strategies that allow trainers to better facilitate and develop content that can help organizations to integrating BI technologies into their workflow. This study analyzed survey responses that …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Second-Order Change Leadership Behaviors Of High School Administrators And Student Achievement From 2016-2017, Eugene Pringle Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of a relationship between second-order change leadership behaviors of high school administrators and changes in student achievement from the school year 2016 to 2017 on the Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts/Reading component and the Algebra 1 End of Course examination in two large urban school districts. This study further sought to determine the leadership behaviors that high school administrators felt had the most impact on student achievement. As a mixed-method research study (N = 69), quantitative and qualitative data were collected for analyses. Quantitative data were collected via the …

Planting Seeds: Life Stories Of Awakening Self-Awareness, Aixa Mendez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using real-life stories written by female offenders, Planting seeds - Life Stories of Awakening Self-Awareness seeks to identify the systematic challenges these females may have faced, that in most cases, are the root-causes of their derailment from the societal norms of conduct. Applying the concepts of community and social justice and equality as a lens, this work will attempt to corroborate, as a universal postulate, that the process of sharing life stories can have transformative effects on the individuals and that theatre techniques, such as theatre games and scripting can help identify those impediments to restoring lives. Key to the …

The Utility Of A Theoretical Framework Of A Culture Of Leadership, James E. Wortman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the utility of a Culture of Leadership Framework for both evaluating and contributing to the formation of a dynamic school culture that infuses leadership up, down, and throughout the membership of the school learning community with students as a central figure. The Culture of Leadership Framework emerged from an extensive review of the literature and includes four distinct dimensions (indicators) that become critical to analyzing the data: Leadership Orientation, Leveraging Leadership, Leadership for Learning, and Leadership Growth. The researcher used a general interpretive process of close reading to develop themes from extant …

Workplace Bullying In Certified Rehabilitation Counselors And Levels Of Depression As Measured With The Bdi®-Ii And Wpvb, Mary R. Shuma Rudberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certified rehabilitation counselors (CRCs) are required to work with one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations—people with disabilities. In order for CRCs to deliver optimum services and stay mentally nourished, a healthy working environment is essential. Workplace bullying is defined by WBI (2014) as “repeated, health harming mistreatment of one or more persons.” Workplace bullying can take many forms, such as threats, humiliation, intimidation, sabotaging a target’s work, and verbal and physical abuse.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a prevalence in CRCs’ experiencing workplace bullying and their levels of depression. The dependent variables included …

A Systems Approach To Moral Distress In Long Term Care, Margaret Lemley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: The question that this dissertation seeks to answer is whether or not a Systems Approach to Moral Distress can serve to positively address issues of moral distress within the Long-Term Care setting. Because moral distress has largely been understood as a phenomenon of the individual, efforts to address and reduce incidents of moral distress have focused almost entirely on the individual and his or her reaction to specific triggers. Building upon the existing literature this dissertation argues that previous efforts to understand moral distress within the healthcare setting have been limiting in two very important aspects. The first …

Leadership Practices Of Supervisory Employees: An Exploration Of Current Practices At A Southeastern Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Melissa M. Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the nation’s healthcare system moves through the 21^st century, unprecedented changes are occurring on both a local and global stage. Healthcare organizations are faced with creating and implementing leadership strategies to enhance the overall patient experience. When coupled with the need to ensure increased nurse job satisfaction, improved cost-effectiveness and healthy organizational cultures with fiscally sound budgets, improvement work has led efforts to ensure effective leadership techniques are used across an agency.

This task may be viewed as commonplace for some organizations, while others may perceive this process as a complete paradigm shift from historical practices related to …

Modern Megachurch Organization In The United States (2005-2013) : An Exploratory Organizational Study Of The American Megachurch Phenomenon., Robert Lee Shelby Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study explores the applicability of two for-profit organizational theories on a non-profit sector. Theoretical concepts from organizational ecology (OE) and new institutional sociology (NIS) provide the framework for exploring modern megachurches as an organizational phenomenon in the United States between 2005 and 2013. Modern megachurches are modern in the sense they really began to be an organizational population starting in the 1970s and 1980s. These churches are distinctively from the Protestant Christian tradition having 2,000 or more attendees (Thumma & Travis, 2007; Hartford Institute for Religion Research, n.d.). Three empirical chapters test several hypotheses germane to these aforementioned …

Principal Self-Efficacy In The Implementation Of A Standards Based Teacher Evaluation Reform., Jason Kennedy Neuss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

States across the country are adopting new methods of determining teacher effectiveness. A method that has increased in popularity is the use of standards based teacher evaluation (SBTE). These systems are typically created by state legislation and approved for the scope of work associated with a state’s Race to the Top (RTTT) application and federally approved Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver application. The evaluation of teachers now relies on two key components—an administrator’s rating of teacher performance and a rating of student academic growth. The enactment and implementation of teacher evaluation laws have changed the way administrators evaluate …

Cultural Influences Of Resource Dependence: Community College Administrator Perceptions Of Implementing Initiatives Related To Tennessee’S Performance Funding Model, John Owen Driskill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the cultural influences of resource dependence for community college administrators responsible for the implementation of initiatives related to Tennessee’s new performance funding program. Tennessee’s funding formula, considered one of the most aggressive and robust in the country, is among a second generation of performance funding programs commonly referred to as performance funding 2.0. Cultural influences of resource dependence were defined as values, beliefs, and customs that influence administrator efforts to improve institutional outcomes and acquire additional resources through performance funding.

A top performing community college in terms of the performance …

Assessing Adult Tobacco Smoking Cessation In Low-And-Middle Income Countries: Analysis Of The Global Adult Tobacco Survey Data, 2009 – 2012, Daniel Owusu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smoking cessation can reduce health risk and prevent millions of tobacco-related deaths. However, cessation rates are low in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), with only a small proportion of smokers intending to quit. Given the paucity of literature to support tobacco cessation programs in LMICs, this study aimed to: 1) identify factors associated with intention to quit smoking, 2) assess the relationship between health care provider quit advice/tobacco screening and utilization of cessation assistance, and 3) examine the relationship between home smoking rule and smoking intensity across three stages of smoking cessation (precontemplation, contemplation and preparation) in LMICs. Data were obtained …

The Missing Middle: Understanding The Effects Of Social Enterprise On Nonprofit Performance, Angela White-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2008 financial recession has seen increased poverty, job loss, and homelessness as well as decreased spending in health care, education, sanitation, and housing. These factors can lead to tensions across a number of sectors and underscore the need for innovation in for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations. One area of innovation in the nonprofit sector to supplement revenues is by adding social enterprise activity. Social enterprise is the pursuit of earned income activities for an organization that is driven by a community mission or value. Because financial and social problems are becoming increasingly intertwined, this study seeks to understand the …

Examining The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And School Climate, Eric Stephen Lane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between transformative school principal leadership and school climate. The population of this study consisted of two middle schools with grades ranging from six through eight and one high school with grades ranging from nine through twelve. These schools are within the state of Texas. Quantitative data were obtained by using two instruments, the Principal Leadership Questionnaire (Jantzi & Leithwood, 1996) and the School Climate Assessment Instrument (Alliance for the Study of School Climate, 2014), and evaluated to determine if (a) correlations exist between the factors of transformational leadership and …

Determining The Relationship Among Change Fatigue, Resilience, And Job Satisfaction Of Hospital Staff Nurses, Robin Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship among change fatigue, resilience, and job satisfaction of hospital staff nurses and if differences exist between novice and experienced staff nurses.

Background: Healthcare is typified by change. Organizational changes have a negative impact on nurses and the effects of organizational change are being overlooked and under researched. Change fatigue is a result of constant organizational change and has not been researched with nurses.

Methods: The study utilized a descriptive correlational design. Participants completed an online survey, using three tools: Change Fatigue Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), …

The Necessity For Communicative Engagement Capability In Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions, Elizabeth Ann Duwaldt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Frequent organizational change has become inescapable in postmodern organizations. While thousands of articles and texts have been written on the topic of organizational change offering models and strategies for accomplishing planned change, the majority of change initiatives fail to meet expectations (Burnes and Jackson; Keller and Aiken). What, then, is a business leader to do when change is an imperative in the postmodern business world, but the majority of change initiatives fail to succeed in the manner predicted?

Mergers and acquisitions are a common type of planned change organizations pursue to survive in the postmodern, hypercompetitive marketplace. Mergers and acquisitions …