Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Participation In An Academic Support Group In Combination With Individual Mentoring Upon At Risk Students Grade Point Average, Robyn Greene

Theses

Studies involving the use of small groups as an academic tool have indicated success in the student's academic and social advancement. It is a widely held belief that self-concept or self-esteem is involved centrally in the learning process either as a contributing cause or an important outcome (O'Dell, Rak, Chermont, & Hamlin; 1994). According to systems theorists the implementation of group intervention will allow an increase of self-concept which constitutes a first order change (Bateson, 1972; Watzlwick, Weakland & Fisch, 197 4; Beckvar & Beckvar, 1991). Students who participate in an academic support group which results in an increased grade …

The Relationship Between Announced Layoffs And Financial Performance, Carol E, Goldman

Theses

This thesis focuses on the impact of downsizing on financial performance. Downsizing has become a catchall term for plant closures, eliminating entire layers of management, and even subcontracting large amounts of a firm's operations. Although many American firms are downsizing they often do hot consider what they are trying to achieve by cutting jobs or closing plants. Generally, U.S. companies are eliminating - jobs in their organizations in an attempt to cut costs believing that to do so will increase profitability and result in more efficient organizations. It is naturally assumed that any strategic change in a corporation, such as …

Seasons Through My Window, Sandra L. Burke

Theses

Not available.

The Effects Television Has On Young Children And Solutions For Parents, Alissa Dawn Shively

Theses

Children's television bas been the focus and cause of many arguments over the past fifty years. Parents and researchers continue to debate the quality and quantity of programming that children view. Those who support the argument that television is harmful and causes harmful effects are vastly in the majority. Generally, they subscribe to the notion that television has little to offer children in the way of education and entertainment. Those who oppose this view argue that there are many merits to children's television. Although this stance is not as popular, they attest that television does have benefits to children. They …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Identity, Style, And Locus Of Control In Later Adolescent Development, Polly A. Sharp

Theses

This study investigates the psychosocial crisis of later adolescence Berzonsky's ISl2 and Levenson's I. P, and C Scales were correlated. The I, P, and C Scales measure locus of control. The I Scale measures internal locus of control. The P and C Scales describe external locus of control. The P Scale measures a belief that powerful others control event outcomes. The C Scale measures the belief that things happen due to chance or fate. The Identity Style Inventory - Revised (1512) measures an individual's identity style. Identity style 1s the characteristic pattern of behaviors most often used by an individual …

Cost Efficiency Of Managed Care, Tammie M. Scott-Thorpe

Theses

This paper studies the role of health maintenance organizations in the health care market. Managed Care represents the growing wave of health care in the future by eliminating unnecessary and costly procedures. Vanishing are the repetitive tests that once victimized the consumer. By regulating fixed costs, the industry is forcing a change in testing and research.

Since Managed Care regulates costs, they appear particularly prominent in the elderly population. Financial efficiency helps provide the proper organized system of long term care brought by the aged. Also, complex paper work and bills should be eliminated or at least decreased to a …

The Building Of A Diversified Work Force, Kirstie K. Hickman

Theses

This thesis will discuss the trend toward a diversified labor force, as we move toward Workforce 2000. Many statistics show that the upcoming workforce will have fewer white males. Significant increases in the numbers of minorities , women, and immigrants will have a serious effect on how Human Resource Departments operate within companies. These demographical changes in the face of the labor market will require new methods of managing and training in all sectors of the corporate structure.

Moving forward t o manage and train individuals for the challenges of the year 2000 and beyond will require corporations to address …

Coming Of Age: A Selection Of Short Stories, Mary Elizabeth Horner

Theses

Coming of age in fiction is a classic genre. Examples of life's hardest lessons learned can be found again and again in novels, movies and short stories. Most of the people in this series are a little older than adolescents, because a lot of the world's most difficult lessons come for many people in their 20s or beyond.

Normally, this type of experience is gained from falling in love, travel, or the death of someone close. Most of these realizations come for my protagonists by finding out his or her worth after the fact. Discovering worth comes from knowing what …

The Development Of The Information Superhighway And Its Impact Internally And Externally To The Business Community, Kay A. Hammond

Theses

This thesis will focus on the development of the information superhighway and its impact on the nation.

Ten or twelve years ago, a minor revolution occurred when personal computers became common. Visionaries talked about computers as information appliances. Users could use the home or the office computer to connect to the national news services, get stock reports, do library searches, even read professional journals or literary classics, but, at the time, these were far-reaching ideas.

With the Internet, networking has come to age. The information resources that visionaries talked about in the early 80's are not just research topics that …

A Study To Evaluate Individual Attributes And Correlate These Qualities With Investment Means To Compose An Appropriate Portfolio Mix, Paul J. House Iii

Theses

This applied learning plan will focus on the area of developing individual's financial profile and correlating these attributes with investment means to compose an appropriate portfolio mix.

Research has indicated a growing trend for individuals to "do-it-themselves" and use discount brokers to save money. The use of discount brokerage's supports the notion that there is no financial advice, and the investor must do the research to make the proper decisions.

The problem for individuals "doing-it-themselves" is that they sacrifice the interpretation of the objectives and goals. The individual utilizing a discount broker may alleviate the ethical concern and may even …

Value Comparison Among Native American Indians And Non-Native American Counseling Students, Marion Hardin

Theses

This study examines the value differences and similarities between Native American Indians and non-native American graduate students who have had multi cultural training. The Rokeach Value Survey, which ranks 18 Terminal values and 18 Instrumental values, was administered to 22 non- Native American students enrolled in a counseling program at Lindenwood College in St. Louis, Mo. and 21 Native American Indians who are studying at Haskell College for Indians in Lawrence, Kansas. For this study, Kendall's coefficient of concordance was used to rank values and determine agreement between values and Chi Square analysis was performed to more accurately determine results. …

Family Rituals And Adolescence: A Study Of The Relationship Between And Adolescent's Race, Gender, Parental Marital Status, And The Amount Of Ritual In His/Her Family, Kim Hunziker

Theses

This study explores the relationship between an adolescent's gender, race, parental marital status, and the self-reported level of ritual in his or her family. Participants included 37 White, and African American youth from age 13 to 18, who were active in either a suburban church youth group or an urban community center. Each participant completed a demographic profile and the Family Routine Questionnaire. AT-Test and a chi-square were performed to compare a number of the independent variables (gender, race, and parental marital status) to the dependent questionnaire scores. The results of the T-Test indicate a statistically significant difference in the …

A Study Of Relationship Between The Symptomatology Of Trauma And Chemical Dependency In Two Outpatient Samples Of Women, V. Michela Bailey

Theses

This research tests for independence between the symptomatology of chemical dependency and trauma in two self referred outpatient samples of women. Subjects are 18 years or older, and samples of convenience from the St. Louis metropolitan area. Five symptom clusters common to both groups are identified from the literature: avoidance and intrusion, depression, dissociation , anxiety , and chemical dependency. A series of correlational studies were performed on the results of five corresponding self report inventories to test for independence . Of the five symptom clusters tested, one statistically significant relationship was found for symptomatology consistent with chemical dependency . …

A Comparison Of Hiv/Aids Prevention Knowledge Between Students Receiving Mandated And Non-Mandated Aids Prevention Education, Constance Mogg Davis

Theses

The HIV Prevention Behaviors Knowledge Test for Teenagers was given to two samples of high school students to determine their knowledge about HIV prevention. The samples were taken from a high school in a state where AIDS prevention is recommended and the other sample was from a high school 1n a neighboring state where AIDS prevention education is mandated by state law This testing was done to see if a difference in knowledge would exist between these two groups. As measured by a t-test of the two sample means there was no significant difference in HIV/AIDS knowledge between the two …

Family Preservation: An Outcome Study, Jeff Chandler

Theses

Although Family Preservation (FPS) programs have been intensely scrutinized and better evaluated than many other social service programs, more exploration will be required under the demands of managed care. This study examines program outcomes from a FPS program at Edgewood Children's Center in St. Louis, MO. These outcomes included the degree of positive change in family functioning and its' relationship to out-of-home placement, client satisfaction with services and the manner in which they were delivered, and the cost effectiveness of Family Preservation compared to foster care and residential treatment in Missouri. The author makes conclusions and recommendations about future research …

The Evolution Of An Appraiser's Knowledge And Appreciation Of Gustav Stickley And He Arts And Crafts Movement In America, Carlene A. Collins

Theses

This thesis explores the Arts and Crafts Movement in America concentrating on one of the foremost leaders in the movement . This study will examine a chair produced by this leader . It will grade t he chair for its physical characteristics , age, and condition .

Managed Care And The Impact On Senior Adults, Melissa Breville

Theses

Managed care companies are advocating changes in the health care market and demanding changes in the delivery of health care services to the elderly. The managed care companies are focusing on wellness and prevention of illness for senior adults. Seniors are focusing on wellness and prevention by changing lifestyles as they gain knowledge about health care.

The managed care industry and elderly population are viewing health care as a basic right not a luxury. The collaboration of the elderly and managed care companies can yield results in improved health care access and delivery.

Because seniors have criticized health care organizations …

Strategic Planning For Downsizing And The Human Resource Factor, Kathleen M. Kaiser

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of downsizing , the importance of a strategic plan for downsizing and the effect the on human resource factor .

Businesses experienced unprecedented growth throughout the 1960 1 s and early 1970 ' s ; in the 1980 1 s the recession slowed this growth and downsizing became a necessary economic device for businesses to remain competitive . Some of the reasons stated for downsizing are : to safeguard profit mar gins , stagnant growth , poor earnings , market driven cuts , foreign competition , advancing technology , and a last ditch …

Health Of The Older African-American Population, Dana M. Hardy

Theses

Health promotion and disease prevention has made a major impact in the United States in the past 20 years. However in terms of disease and risk behavior minority groups in this country are not uniformly disadvantaged. African - Americans had age - adjusted mortality rates well above the rates of white Americans, whereas Hispanic Americans have rates that are comparable to white Americans. Asians and Pacific Islanders and American Indians and Alaska Natives have mortality rates lower than white Americans.

The challenge for chronic disease prevention among minority groups is to get the attention of church and other community leaders …

Do Minority Elderly Have Equal Access To Physical And Mental Quality Health Care, Shantayce Juanice Tobias

Theses

This paper discusses inequality among the elderly in health care services and programs. The minority elderly should have equal access to quality health care and services. The literature identifies several factors relative to health care and service utilization for the elderly. Tables and graphs are provided to show the disparities that exist between minority groups and non-minority groups. Findings of a survey are provided to illustrate the need for better access to health care services and program information for all the elderly.

An Interventional Approach To Managing Psychological Stress In The American Workplace, Shirley A. White

Theses

This thesis will focus primarily on occupational stress management. The information contained therein advocates that the responsibility to relieve stress both in the workplace and in the home fall in either of two categories; one is the corporate or managerial responsibility to ameliorate occupational stress, while the other is the individual responsibility to self-manage stress. One's reaction to stress has a defining influence on whether a stressful event is either good ( eustress) or bad (distress).

The purpose of this study is to explore a task-oriented • multidisciplinary approach (a combination of perspectives) to occupational stress management which will serve …

The Development Of A Learning Resource Center In Response To The Changes In Health Care, Valerie J. White

Theses

This thesis will focus on the evolution of the health care system in the United States and how changes from multiple sources have impacted upon it. The manner in which some health care institutions have responded to those changes will also be explored.

The current health care system under which we operate has undergone some tremendous changes that have affected its development. In general, those changes include: scientific breakthroughs, implementation of governmentally-imposed policies, changes in the economy and transformations in personal lifestyles. The manner in which health care providers are reimbursed for their services has also undergone some dramatic changes …

An Examination Of A Juvenile Rehabilitation Model: Effects Of Length Of Stay On Depression, Anxiety, And Self-Esteem Scores, Joseph B. Worth

Theses

This paper is an investigation of the relationship between length of stay in a Missouri based juvenile rehabilitation program on self-esteem, anxiety, and depression levels. A critical analysis of studies that support the fostering or purging of these variables as beneficial toward the rehabilitation process will be conducted.

The results of the research indicate no significant correlations between length of stay and self-esteem scores on the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory. Furthermore, scores on the Depression and Anxiety in Youth Sub-Scale (DAYS) yielded no correlations with length of stay within the program. A Chi-square procedure found length of stay and scores …

An Evaluation Of Needleless Intravenous Therapy Devices, Tina Jones

Theses

As the number of persons infected with bloodborne diseases continues to increase, it is paramount that all health care workers exhibit behaviors reflecting unerring compliance with universal precaution.

The majority of occupational exposures to potentially infectious blood and body fluids occur via needlestick injury. The morbidity and mortality from these exposures is significant. A review of research examining work practices mandated by the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard challenges their effectiveness. Principles identified provide insight into why work practice may not prevent needlesticks.

Several industries are developing new products to address this situation, but there are few data on how well these …

Correlations Of Income Level And Employee Tradeoff Preference Between Wages And Fringe Benefits, Perry G. Hirtz

Theses

This thesis seeks to determine if a relationship exits between income level and employee preferences for various benefits as measured against a form of wage trade- off value utilizing Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs as a basis.

The ever increasing cost of providing benefits makes it important for organizations to formulate benefit packages that maximize their value to employees as part of the overall compensation package . Research which adds to the understanding of how benefits are valued by employees can aid in the formulation of successful and efficient compensation structures.

A limited amount of research has been conducted …

Telecomuting, Donna Marie Cunningham Baringer

Theses

Telecommuting is a form of working from a remote location that relies on telecommunications. Technological progress has resulted in an increasing number of personnel who are now able to telecommute from home. The rising numbers of telecommuters has resulted in an increase of published studies on this topic. This project relies on these and on interviews with several people actively involved in the field.

A telecenter is a type of telecommuting which offers companies the opportunity to lease workspace for their employees. The Midwest region is not familiar with telecenters which are more prominent in the state of California. The …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Teen Pregnancy, Donra J. Yochum

Theses

The relationship between teenage pregnancy and locus of control was explored. Participants included 60 girls between the ages of 14 and 18. Thirty of these girls had given birth to a child in high school; the other 30 had not. The participants completed Levenson's IPC Locus of Control test. It was predicted that the re would be no relationship between the two groups and their locus of control . Belief in Internal Control, belief in Powerful Others, and belief in control by Chance were explored . It was found that there was no significant relationship between these factors and teenage …

Perceptions Of A Moment, Irene G. Brozyna

Theses

The works of art in my graduate exhibition reflect historical and personal influences on my life. The show includes 40 oil paintings (predominately oil pastels) and five watercolors. The works presented are divided into several categories: Genre paintings, Impressionistic paintings, the Boston Series, Figure paintings , Series in White, Still Lifes, the Luminist group, and Watercolors.

The inspirations for the paintings are my personal life experiences and, in some cases, the pieces represent my heritage. Renditions are derived from many styles and artists . However, Luminists, Romanticists and Impressionists are the greatest influences. The show will hang in the Hendren …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Coping Effectiveness In Stepmothers And The Length Of Their Marriage, Bonnie M. Rudden

Theses

The relationship between coping effectiveness of step-parenting and length of marriage was examined for 30 stepmothers. Participants included stepmothers in St. Louis and St. Louis County who volunteered to complete the Coping Response Inventory and a cover/survey letter that contained demographic questions. Where it was predicted that there would be no relationship between coping effectiveness and length of marriage, it was found that length of time remarried does affect coping effectiveness in stepmothers in that the type of coping style used changes with length of time remarried.

Geriatric Care Management And The Development Of A Long-Term Care Facilities Database, Patricia J. Iverson

Theses

The purpose of this project was to investigate the professional field of geriatric care management. Information was obtained by reviewing the needs of the caregiver and the aging adult and the dynamics of the relationship which exists between them, by exploring the reasons why this relationship sometimes inhibits the caregiver from pursuing the services that are needed, and by examining the role of the geriatric care manager in helping the caregiver and aging adult sort through the fragmented web of services in order to match the caregiver and the aging adult with the appropriate services.

Locating and selecting appropriate services …