Digital Commons Network^™

Employee Benefits, Kimberly Elinor Miller

Theses

This paper discusses how group benefits have changed over the past ten years, what corporations are offering their employees such as medical insurance, employee assistance programs, wellness training programs, child care programs, flexible compensation plans, continuing education benefits and retirement benefits and how each one of these benefits is set up . Employers want not only to implement benefit programs which will help them meet their organizational goals, but also to attract, retain and motivate employees. In order to succeed in these efforts they must install a program of benefits that is both cost effective and will meet organizational profit …

Estate Planning For The Senior Adult, Susan E. Weis

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of developing a marketing strategy for an attorney firm with the main focus being estate planning and wills. Statistics show that approximately 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 are now entering middle age. This represents one-third of the population in the United States who will be the senior citizens of the next century. Due to increasing life spans, the eider's role and societal views, this age group demands a change of their needs. These needs not only include elements suclh as Social Security and housing but a broader perspective of planning …

A Procedure Guide For Resident Directors Of Lindenwood College, Janice L. Pierce

Theses

This culminating project will focus on the role of the Resident Director at Lindenwood College. It is experientially bused and intended Lo address an identified need to document key philosophies and procedures that support the potential success of a new Resident Director.

The Resident Director is a member of the Administrative staff but is generally a temporary employee as opposed to a member of the permanent staff. The key responsibilities of the role are to provide an environment that is safe and secure and conducive to the pursuit of an academic education.

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For Ozark Builders, A Housing Development Company, Benjamin Luke Beaman

Theses

This thesis will investigate the design and implementation of a business plan for Ozark Builders, a housing development company.

One of the oldest professions in the United States, is the construction industry . This diverse industry that employs a large percent of the populace, plays an important role in our nation ' s economy . While, profits are to be made in the construction industry, the risks are overwhelming. The turnover rate for contractors exceeds twenty percent a year. Speculative building is considered a big gamble, and the builder ' s need to stay attuned to changes in consumer preferences, …

Utilizing Aromatherapy To Reduce Situational Anger In An Academic Setting, Karen R. Duncan

Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of aromatherapy in promoting a positive affect, or emotion, by reducing situational or state anger in an academic setting. Seventeen graduate level counseling students in a Research Methods and Statistics class participated in the study one time per week over a period of four weeks. Subjects completed the state anger portion of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXJ) during each of the four weeks. During two of the weeks, participants were exposed to the scent of rose oil; during the other two weeks no aroma was introduced into the classroom. While a decrease in the …

Coping Resources: A Comparative Study Of Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome And Parents Of Children Without Down Syndrome, Randee Jo Feco

Theses

A comparative study was conducted on differences in coping resources in parents of a child with Down syndrome and parents of children without Down syndrome. Participants included twenty- three parents of a child with Down syndrome and twenty-nine parents of children without Down syndrome . All parents were from the St. Louis metropolitan area. The participants completed a personal data questionnaire and the Coping Resources Inventory (CRI). The personal data questionnaire contained demographic questions, and the CRI measured coping resources in five domains: cognitive , social, emotional, spiritual/philosophical, and physical . Data was statistically analyzed to determine differences in each …

An Investigation Into The Design & Implementation Of A Customer Service Manual For Laboratories In A Hospital Setting, Fay M. Craft

Theses

The following applied learning expository thesis will focus on the design and implementation of a customer service manual for reference laboratories in a hospital setting.

The purpose of the manual is to provide direction for the reference laboratory customer service employees. Specifically, the manual consists of a series of steps which will enable employees to better service the hospital reference laboratory customers. The manual was broken down into sections which addressed characteristics, order taking, dispatching phlebotomists, proper collection of specimens, phlebotomy notification, registration of patient specimens, processing and reviewing of specimens, hiring, training, customer satisfaction, complaints and expectations.

Three reference …

Getting Ready For Total Joint Replacement Surgery: A Pre-Operative Education Program, Jason R. Delaney

Theses

Today's health care system is in a state of constant flux attempting to merge, decrease jobs and increase profits. A method to accomplish the goal for increased profits is to have a decline in the number of days any patient remains in the hospital. One such facility attempting to achieve this goal is a 340 bed acute care hospital in the Midwest.

ln the view of the author it seems possible for the physical and occupational therapy departments to have the ability to improve outcomes and decrease the total amount of time any patient remains hospitalized. With this in mind, …

Airline Deregulation: Success Of Failure, Bonnie E. Barczykowski

Theses

This thesis focused on the study of airline deregulation and the impact it made on the airlines and the consumers.

The history of the airline industry was reviewed, as well as the specific events which lead to the formation of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.

Following deregulation there were debates as to whether deregulation bad achieved its original goals . These debates have continued up until today.

The hypothesis stated herein was that research would indicate that airline deregulation had benefited the industry as a whole and that if further deregulation and more adherence to policies under deregulation were …

Survival Of Women In The Business World Into The Twenty-First Century, Barbara Bradford

Theses

This thesis is a review of the current literature that pertains to the everyday experiences of women in the male dominated working world. This study focuses on the barriers preventing women from advancing where men succeed.

When women enter the workforce, they are naïve about the organizational culture surrounding them. The natural feminine instincts and behaviors of women are not considered as valuable in the corporate world as male instincts and behaviors.

Women are unaware of the subtle and underlying rules of the corporate game in this "man's world." They see men adapting easily and advancing up the corporate ladder. …

A Proactive Approach To Juvenile Delinquency Utilizing The K.A.R.E. Program, Shae Cody Abram

Theses

This project will focus on the study of juvenile delinquency in America and the growing trend of juveniles between the age of 12 and 16 years old who are both the victims and perpetrators of criminal activity. It introduces a program called K.A.R.E., an acronym for Kids At Risk Education which is a proactive approach to addressing the root causes of juvenile delinquency.

Breakdowns in family life, neighborhood environments, socioeconomic, inequities, and peer group's pressures have contributed to this growing trend of youth crimes. Youth violence has become one of the leading causes of death for juveniles in this country. …

Incorporating Critical Thinking Skills Into The Language Arts Curriculum, Particularly In The Field Of Detective Fiction, Charles E. Bright

Theses

In this age of accelerated change and continuing complexity, there is a widely-recognized need to incorporate critical thinking skills into all aspects of everyday life and not simply as an optional philosophy class at the post-secondary level of American education.

Chapter One of this culminating project investigates the historical roots of critical thinking, with a brief investigation into the history of bow education in America (with slight digressions such as Alcott/Emerson's Temple School and John Dewey's Chicago experiments) has historically failed to foster the development of critical thinking skills in America's students by its centuries old tradition of emphasizing rote …

Working With Your Employees To Move Through Change Using Communication And Motivation: A Case Study, David G. Buck

Theses

This thesis focuses on effecting change in a government agency by the use of communication, motivation through incentives, and other management tools.

The United States Army Reserve Personnel Center (ARPERCEN) manages, trains, and mobilizes Army personnel. Its largest directorate is the Personnel Records Management Directorate, which houses the Accessions Division. At least 200,000 hard-copy personnel records pass through the Division for verification and processing in a typical year.

Eighty percent of hard-copy records transferred to ARPERCEN were also transferred electronically; however all were band-processed as if new. This entire accessioning process was redundant and inefficient.

Change was coming. The Reserve …

Marketing Niche Software Products: An Analysis Of How Software Products Are Marketed Through The Channels Of The Computer Industry, James D. Rigman

Theses

This thesis, Marketing Niche Software Products: An Analysis of How Software Products Are Marketed Through the Channels of the Computer Industry, explores the strategies for marketing software products within niche segments of the computer industry, specifically focusing on the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and power management sector. It examines how companies successfully target specific market segments to establish strong positions and maintain competitive advantages.

The study highlights the importance of strategic marketing plans, effective distribution channels, and promotional efforts in the software industry. It discusses challenges faced by marketing managers in launching new software products, including competition, pricing structures, …

The Workplace Of The Future: The 9 To 5 Office Is Dead, Terry Ann Rooney

Theses

The Workplace of the Future: The 9 to 5 Office is Dead by Terry Ann Rooney, explores the shift away from traditional work schedules in favor of more flexible arrangements. Rooney argues that businesses must adapt to evolving workforce expectations by embracing alternative work schedules such as telecommuting, flex-time, job sharing, and compressed workweeks.

The research highlights demographic shifts, particularly the increasing presence of women and minority workers, which necessitate greater workplace flexibility. The document outlines the advantages of these work models, including increased employee productivity, job satisfaction, and retention, as well as reduced absenteeism and operational costs for employers. …

Opening A Child Care Facility: Tomorrow's Stars, Star E. Seeger

Theses

This thesis focuses on the child care industry and the feasibility of opening a child care center in the O'Fallon, Missouri area. It takes a look at the industry from both a national level as well as a local level, analyzing the history, business philosophy, marketing strategies, financial components, competition, management needs, and the service itself.

Research shows there is a definite lack of quality child care centers to care for the number of children in the United States who are between the ages of six months and twelve years. This is also the case in the O'Fallon area where …

T.H.A.N.K.S.: Teens Helping Anyone Needing Knowledge Service, Carole Dawn Arrendale

Theses

This thesis is a business plan for a new non-profit organization for volunteerism. This non-profit organization will connect college students, high school students, grade school students, and other nonprofit agencies for the purpose of providing volunteers to non-profit agencies.

The enactment of the Welfare Reform Act (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, TANF) has created a greater need for quality, well-trained volunteers in order to meet the growing demands for and needs of non-profit agencies. The □ew deadline for Welfare to Work is now 2-5 years and public assistance such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and …

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For Ozark Builders, A Housing Development Company, Benjamin Luke Beaman

Theses

This thesis will investigate the design and implementation of a business plan for Ozark Builders , a housing development company.

One of the oldest professions in the United States, is the construction industry. This diverse industry that employs a large percent of the populace, plays an important role in our nation's economy. While, profits are to be made in the construction industry, the risks are overwhelming. The turnover rate for contractors exceeds twenty percent a year. Speculative building is considered a big gamble, and the builder 's need to stay attuned to changes in consumer preferences, in competition, and in …

Quality Assisted Living For Older Adults, A Study Of Three Single Family Homes, A Viable Housing Alternative To Institutionalization, Rhonda Lynn Dahlberg

Theses

Long-term care is one of the greatest threats to the financial security of older Americans and their families. People are living longer and because of this many are becoming frail, developing functional impairments and suffering from chronic illnesses. In the past, elderly people did not have many options when health problems made running a household too difficult to manage. It then became necessary to explore other housing alternatives. Previously, nursing homes were the traditional solution for individuals without the family resources to help them stay at home.

Today, new housing options are emerging. These housing options are gaining considerable attention. …

An Investigation Into The Design & Implementation Of A Customer Service Manual For Laboratories In A Hospital Setting, Fay M. Kraft

Theses

The following applied learning expository thesis will focus on the design and implementation of a customer service manual for reference laboratories in a hospital setting.

The purpose of the manual is to provide direction for the reference laboratory customer service employees. Specifically, the manual consists of a series of steps which will enable employees to better service the hospital reference laboratory customers. The manual was broken down into sections which addressed characteristics, order taking, dispatching phlebotomists, proper collection of specimens, phlebotomy notification, registration of patient specimens, processing and reviewing of specimens, hiring, training, customer satisfaction, complaints and expectations.

Three reference …

"Quick Tips": A Manual For Not-For-Profit Organizations, Mary Brooks

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of volunteerism within a not-for-profit organization. Meeting the growing demand for volunteers and controlling then high turnover could determine how smoothly a nonprofit organization runs.

In the past the need for volunteers and nonprofit organizations was not as great as it is today. There are at least two reasons for this upward trend. The first reason is more women are working outside the home leaving less leisure time for volunteering. The second reason is the government is playing a smaller role thus causing the public to seek help elsewhere.

Research has attributed the …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Optimism, Pessimism, And Depression, Brian E. Elledge

Theses

The relationship between optimism, pessimism , and depression was investigated . Graduate counseling students (N=44) currently enrolled in school were recruited by a sample of convenience to participate in the study . The subjects were administered three questionnaires measuring optimism, pessimism, and depression, as well as a data sheet to help describe the sample. Correlational analyses only showed significant relationships between gender and optimism, and between race and depression. No significant relationships were found between optimism and depression, or pessimism and depression . The implications for these findings are discussed.

Spirituality And Counseling In Holistic Health: Toward Integration In Actualizing Full Potential, Mary Ann Kniess

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spirituality and counseling in holistic health . Forty clients and forty therapists, both male and female, from varying economic and educational backgrounds completed a one- page self-report attitudinal survey regarding the place of religion and spirituality in their life and therapeutic sessions. Each ranked issues such as forgiveness, prayer, healing in relationships, grief, death, and afterlife as to the frequency with which they arose in therapy . Participants who returned surveys on site or by mail from Missouri and Illinois were volunteers who attended Joseph Zinker ' s Gestalt …

The New American Family, And A New Generation Of Young Americans Entering The Workforce, Flo A. Kistner

Theses

This thesis focuses on the dysfunction of a significant proportion of America's youth and shows how it can be attributed directly to lack of parental presence or parental control. Today's youth are in total chaos. Research shows there is a definite lack of quality time with today's children from their parents. This lack of parental involvement plays a crucial role in the development or lack of development of today's youth and tomorrow's workers.

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the structure of the American family, and the resulting need for management to assume a more …

Kenyatta International Conference Center: A Proposed Marketing Plan, Rose M. Kwena

Theses

This study will focus on analyzing the marketing capabilities of the America's Center and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) in the conventions and exhibitions industry, with the aim of preparing a marketing plan to be implemented by Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) in Kenya based on the success of St. Louis CVC. The information gathered from researching published data and personal interviews will be used to develop strategies and recommendations.

Kenyatta International Conference Center was not purposely built to host events of large magnitude as exhibitions and conventions. The center was built with public funds by the …

A Comparison Of Self-Esteem Scores For Adolescents Who Have Not Been Pregnant, Have Been Pregnant And Have A Child, Bridget Laffleur

Theses

The differences in the average self-esteem scores between adolescents who have not been pregnant, adolescents who are pregnant, and adolescents who have a child was the focus of this study. The subjects were adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 19 who were living in a residential treatment facility. The participants were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. The results found that self-esteem and pregnancy status were weakly correlated but was unable to find a significance due to the low number of subjects .

Examining The Parental Authority Style Of Fathers Within Various Family Configurations, Michael E. Laws

Theses

The discipline style of one's parents is often discussed as a factor toward various behavioral outcomes of their children. In some literature, certain types of families, "step"- families for example, have been labeled as exhibiting a particular parenting style perhaps more than some other type of family. In this project 3 parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) are reviewed and examined in relation to 3 types of families (blended families, single parent families, and families with 2 biological parents present in the home). In particular, the parenting style of the fathers or stepfathers was examined. Parenting style was determined in …

The Changing Telecommunications Industry, Marie P. Woodcock

Theses

Telecommunications in today's global society has undergone a dramatic transformation since the invention of the telephone. In the early years of telephony, a host of dedicated men and women endured tremendous hardships to pioneer the telephone. Bell, his wife Mabel, his two benefactors along with Thomas Watson and Theodore Vail fought to gain recognition of the instrument and establish its usefulness to society. Many great inventions came from by the Bell Laboratories, which forever sought a better way, encouraging the progress of civilization. Despite major setbacks caused by the government and regulation, the Bell system evolved into a very capable …

Gender Differences In Career And Educational Decisions, Anita Melton

Theses

Differences in male and female self-reported interest and ability in occupations were examined. The researcher studied participants' interest and ability scores on 7 occupational categories of the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey : influencing, analyzing, producing, adventuring, organizing, helping, and creating. Thirty-nine subjects, age 17 to 23, completed the 320 item survey. The sample included 26 female and 13 male subjects. The survey utilized a 6 point response format requiring the subject to determine to what degree they share the interest or ability mentioned. To determine gender differences in response scores, descriptive statistics and one way analysis of variance ( …

Employee Benefits, Kimberly Elinor Miller

Theses

This paper discusses how group benefits have changed over the past ten years, what corporations are offering their employees such as medical insurance, employee assistance programs, wellness training programs, child care programs, flexible compensation plans, continuing education benefits and retirement benefits and how each one of these benefits is set up. Employers want not only to implement benefit programs which will help them meet their organizational goals, but also to attract, retain and motivate employees. In order to succeed in these efforts they must install a program of benefits that is both cost effective and will meet organizational profit goals. …