Digital Commons Network^™

Evolutionary Enforcement At The Securities And Exchange Commission, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

Hundreds of critics in the past eighteen months have heaped abuse on the SEC Enforcement Division. How could the Division have missed so much misbehavior on Wall Street? How could the Division's young lawyers have been charmed by Bernie Madoff and thwarted from discovering his terrible crimes? Most critics seem to agree that the Division's most urgent needs include developing substantially more financial sophistication among Division lawyers and investigators; better communications within the Commission and with other federal agencies; and a meaningful system for handling tips and processing information. The SEC's response to its critics has been remarkable. The Commission …

Parental Entitlement And Corporal Punishment, James G. Dwyer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Climate Change, Environmental Justice, And Vulnerability: An Exploratory Spatial Analysis, Sacoby M. Wilson, Roland Richard, Lesley Joseph, Edith M. Williams

Faculty Publications

Research has demonstrated that vulnerable populations including disadvantaged populations of color live in areas that may place them at higher risk of exposure to social and environmental hazards. Due to climate change, these populations may experience worse health outcomes and environmental health disparities. The purpose of this project was to explore the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess areas that may be vulnerable to climate change across the United States. We employed ArcGIS 9.3 to create vulnerability scores for areas across the country that may be that may be impacted by climate change at the county level in …

Minimizing The Source Of Nociception And Its Concurrent Effect On Sensory Hypersensitivity: An Exploratory Study In Chronic Whiplash Patients, Geoff M. Schneider, Ashley D. Smith, Allen Hooper, Paul Stratford, Kathryn J. Schneider, Michael D. Westaway, Bevan Frizzell, Lee Olson

Faculty Publications

Abstract. Background. The cervical zygapophyseal joints may be a primary source of pain in up to 60% of individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD) and may be a contributing factor for peripheral and centrally mediated pain (sensory hypersensitivity). Sensory hypersensitivity has been associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a change in measures indicative of sensory hypersensitivity in patients with chronic WAD grade II following a medial branch block (MBB) procedure in the cervical spine. Methods. Measures of sensory hypersensitivity were taken via quantitative sensory testing (QST) consisting of pressure …

Speech And Gesture In Language Acquisition Studies, Gale Stam

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Measuring College Students’ Technology Selfefficacy, Debbie D. Dufrene, Timothy W. Clipson, S. Ann Wilson

Faculty Publications

The pervasiveness of computer technology and continuing developments in software, multimedia, and Internet resources have led to the implementation of new teaching and learning methods. Educators committed to the integration of technology into the learning process believe it will expand learning and better prepare students to participate effectively in today’s workplace. Employers demand workers who can not only use technology to complete a variety of work tasks and processes but who can leverage technology to advance the firm’s strategic operations.

While many students perceive themselves to be computer competent, research indicates that their preparation is not always complete or adequate. …

Gis And Injury Prevention And Control: History, Challenges, And Opportunities, Nathaniel Bell, Nadine Schuurman

Faculty Publications

Intentional and unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and potential years of life lost in the first four decades of life in industrialized countries around the world. Despite surgical innovations and improved access to emergency care, research has shown that certain populations remain particularly vulnerable to the risks and consequences of injury. Recent evidence has shown that the analytical, data linkage, and mapping tools of geographic information systems (GIS) technology provide can further address these determinants and identify populations in need. This paper traces the history of injury prevention and discusses current and future challenges in furthering our …

Spontaneous Group Decision Making In Distributed Collaborative Learning: Toward A New Research Direction., Geoffrey Liu

Faculty Publications

This paper attempts to identify and establish spontaneous group decision making in collaborative learning as a new research direction, with particular attention to collaborative learning in distributed online environments. After a brief introduction, related concepts and theories are examined for differentiation of interpretation. The concept of “spontaneous group decision making” is established in the context of collaborative learning. Literature review is conducted to glean anecdotal observations from past research to identify potentially influential factors, and a diagram framework is proposed to charter the territory. The paper also reports findings from a preliminary survey of 159 graduate students on their group …

Free: Why Authors Are Giving Books Away On The Internet, John L. Hilton Iii, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

With increasing frequency, authors in academic and non-academic fields are releasing their books for free digital distribution. Anecdotal evidence suggests that exposure to both authors and books increases when books are available as free downloads, and that print sales are not negatively affected. For this study we interviewed ten authors to determine their perceptions of the effect free digital distribution has on the impact and sales of their work. In addition, we examined the sales data of two books over a two year period of time, in which one book was freely available for the second year. All of the …

Statewide Capital Punishment: The Case For Eliminating Counties’ Role In The Death Penalty, Adam M. Gershowitz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Changing Reputation Of Clough's The Bothie, Patrick G. Scott

Faculty Publications

Discusses changing critical responses to what was once Clough's most highly-regarded longer poem, and argues that the values it represents are still central to understanding Clough's life and career. First presented at a symposium on Clough's work hosted by University College, London, at Dr. Williams's Library, London, on February 3, 2010, marking the unveiling by English Heritage on Clough's London residence of an official blue memorial plaque.

History Of Hope College: Forty Years Of Presidents And Growth Change, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

History of Hope College: Forty Years of Presidents and Growth Change is the fifth of five short articles about the history of Hope College, located in Holland, Michigan.

Helping Child Welfare Workers Improve Cultural Competence By Utilizing Spiritual Genograms With Native American Families And Children, Gordon E. Limb, David R. Hodge

Faculty Publications

This study represents an initial step at giving child welfare workers an important assessment tool as they seek to provide culturally and spiritually competent services to Native American families and children. In order to determine the relevancy and consistency of utilizing a modified spiritual genogram assessment tool with Native Americans, 50 Native American experts reviewed, rated, and gave feedback on its use. Results showed that while there were limitations in utilizing spiritual genograms, this assessment tool could help child welfare workers become more culturally competent as they develop interventions with Native American families and children.

The Four R’S Of Openness And Alms Analysis: Frameworks For Open Educational Resources, John L. Hilton Iii, Aaron Johnson, Jared Stein, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

A significant movement in education concerns the use of open educational resources. By "open" it is generally meant that the resource is available at no cost to others for adaptation and reuse in different contexts. However "open" is not a simple dichotomy; rather, there is a continuum of openness. We discuss four separate aspects of reuse and demonstrate how these describe different levels of openness. We discuss how the licensing and technical aspects of open educational resources affect the relative openness of an OER. Implications for those creating open educational resources are discussed.

Can An L2 Speaker's Patterns Of Thinking For Speaking Change?, Gale Stam

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

On Forgiveness And Healing: Narrative Therapy And The Gospel Story, Lois E. Malcolm, Janet L. Ramsey

Faculty Publications

Psychologists and theologians often talk past each other, particularly when discussing forgiveness. Comparing narrative therapy and the gospel story provides a way to engage the conversation meaningfully, both realities providing ways to transform human lives

Forgiveness As New Creation: Christ And The Moral Life Revisited, Lois E. Malcolm

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Science And Religion In Western History: Models And Relationships, Alan Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Administrative Decentralization: Should Districts And Regions Elect Their Own Leaders In Ghana?, Kwame Badu Antwi-Boasiako

Faculty Publications

Decentralization, leadership accountability, and empowerment of local leaders in Ghana are the main focus of this analysis. The paper discusses the complexities of decentralization and leadership responsibilities to effect changes toward a better path to socioeconomic development. It examines the problem with the Ghana Constitution as it pertains to local government elections and advocates for a constitutional amendment to empower districts and regions to elect their own leaders so that local governments in each district can be efficient and accountable to the electorate.

Using Video Feedback To Measure Self-Efficacy, Linda Bobo, Amanda Andrews

Faculty Publications

When a student has a high sense of self-efficacy, foreseeing success and providing positive guides and supports for performing the skill will usually occur. A low self-efficacy tends to predict failure and anticipation of what could go wrong. Videotape feedback provided to students has reported favorable outcomes. Self-efficacy could alter performance in learning a psychomotor competency skill (PCS). The purpose of this study was a) to assess the self-efficacy of athletic training students in learning to perform a PCS; and b) to measure the impact on self-efficacy by implementing an educational intervention of video feedback in learning to perform a …

The Effect Of Service- Learning On Interdisciplinary Learning And Curriculum Reinforcement, And Its Application To Public School Environments, Madeline Kovarik

Faculty Publications

This qualitative research project focused on the impact of service-learning experiences on an interdisciplinary college freshman course. The research included the impact on academic learning, the application of concepts into a public school educational environment, and the perceptions regarding the contribution to the school being served. Participants were college freshmen students who received pre and post surveys and participated in both verbal and written reflections. Analysis of the survey responses and reflection data indicated the service-learning experiences enhanced student learning. Analysis of data also indicated a disconnect between recognized community needs and college student involvement toward fulfilling the needs.

The Determinants And Measurement Of A Country Brand: The Country Brand Strength Index, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Purpose: A strong country brand can stimulate exports, attract tourism, investments, and immigration. The purpose of this paper is to construct and present a country brand strength index (CBSI) which assesses the strength of a country brand based on objective secondary data.

Design/methodology/approach: By applying a company-based brand equity approach, we present a standardized country brand strength index.

Findings: Our results show that the countries with the strongest country brand are smaller, developed countries in Europe. Our proposed index leads to results similar to the widely used Anholt GfK Roper Nation Brand Index (NBI), which measures perceptions of a country …

Dimensionality Of Business Ethics In China, Marc Sardy, J. Mark Munoz, James Jianmin Sun, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical dimensions in China. It reviews the extant business ethics literature on China, collects data on ethical conduct from a large Chinese university, and analyzes the data to examine emerging trends. Design/methodology/approach – Factor analysis and multidimensional scaling (MDS) are applied to an established survey instrument after reliability is confirmed. Findings – Principal-components factor analysis uncovers six main factors. MDS further reduces the explanatory variables into four ethical dimensions, while increasing the number of useable observations. These four dimensions are then correlated with some demographic and psychographic variables. Results …

Moving Towards A Culturally Diverse Accounting Profession, Elizabeth K. Jenkins, M. Calegari

Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the increasing diversity in the accounting profession. Evidence is presented substantiating that over one third of recent accounting graduates are from ethnic minority backgrounds, the majority of whom are Asian/Pacific Islanders. In our university specific data, we find an even higher percentage (71%) of ethnic minorities receiving accounting degrees, with Asian/Pacific Islanders as the majority group. We also show that over one fourth of new accounting graduates hired by accounting firms are ethnic minorities of which fifty percent are Asian/Pacific Islanders.

Asian American Elders In The Twenty-First Century—Key Indicators Of Well-Being (Review), Sadhna Diwan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Structure And Content Of Online Child Exploitation Networks, Richard Frank, Bryce Westlake, Martin Bouchard

Faculty Publications

The emergence of the Internet has provided people with the ability to find and communicate with others of common interests. Unfortunately, those involved in the practices of child exploitation have also received the same benefits. Although law enforcement continues its efforts to shut down websites dedicated to child exploitation, the problem remains uncurbed. Despite this, law enforcement has yet to examine these websites as a network and determine their structure, stability and susceptibleness to attack. We extract the structure and features of four online child exploitation networks using a custom-written webpage crawler. Social network analysis is then applied with the …

The Effects Of The Country Of Brand And The Country Of Manufacturing Of Automobiles: An Experimental Study Of Consumers' Brand Personality Perceptions, Marc Fetscherin, Mark Toncar

Faculty Publications

Purpose: This paper offers a new perspective of country of origin effects on consumers’ brand personality perceptions of domestic and imported automobiles. It assesses the perceived similarities and differences between automobiles from two countries with respect to the country of origin of the brand (COB) and the country of manufacturing (COM) of that same brand.

Design/methodology/approach: An experimental design was used to investigate developed country consumers’ brand personality perceptions of three cars; a domestic car, a car manufactured in a developing country by a developing country manufacturer, and a car from developing country manufacturer that is manufactured in the developed …

Environmental Dynamism, Innovation And Dynamic Capabilities: The Case Of China, Ilan Alon, Hao Jiao, Yu Cui

Faculty Publications

Based on the resource-based view, creating and maintaining a long-term competitive advantage requires significant attention to developing and nurturing dynamic capabilities in emerging markets. This study considers environmental dynamism as a moderating variable, then builds a theoretical model for innovation strategy and dynamic capabilities, and finally summarizes the building mechanism for dynamic capabilities. The empirical results find that an innovation strategy can build and upgrade dynamic capabilities in both stable and rapidly changing environments. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

‘I Stand Like A Woman’: Empowerment And Human Rights In The Context Of Community-Based Reintegration Of Girl Mothers Formerly Associated With Fighting Forces And Armed Groups, Miranda E. Worthen, A Veale, S Mckay, M Wessells

Faculty Publications

This article describes a multi-year participatory action research (PAR) study with young women and girls who were formerly associated with armed groups in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and northern Uganda and had children of their own during the conflict and with young mothers considered by their community to be especially vulnerable. Following a review of the literature on empowerment and human rights, the authors use examples from the PAR study to explore how empowerment and human rights relate in the context of reintegration of the most vulnerable members of society. In this context, the realization of rights and empowerment are inextricably …

Racial Differences In The Association Between Partner Abuse And Barriers To Prenatal Health Care Among Asian And Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Women, Van M. Ta Park, D. Hayes

Faculty Publications

Objectives Prenatal health care (PNC) is associated with positive maternal and infant health outcomes. There is limited knowledge regarding Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and Asian women’s access to PNC especially among those with partner abuse (PA) experience. The objectives of this paper were to (1) describe and examine factors associated with PNC access barriers among mothers, by race; and, (2) determine the association between PA and PNC access, by race. Methods We analyzed 2004–2007 data from Hawai‘i’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (n = 7,158). The outcome is ≥1 experience with a PNC access barrier. PA is experience with …