Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Providers’ Readiness To Integrate Mat Services In A Primary Care Setting, Carmen Ingram-Thorpe

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid use disorder is a growing concern in the United States. Despite medication-assisted treatment (MAT) being a more effective treatment option than behavioral treatment alone, primary care providers’ rate of adoption and utilization of MAT has not matched the demand of the opioid crisis. The largest barrier facing our local community is the availability of organizations and providers that can and will actually provide MAT services. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact primary care providers’ readiness to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) using MAT. This study used the ADKAR model as framework, which …

Certified Impact: Organization Design For Zero Waste Certification And Its Impact On Organizational Identity, Sumner Byrne

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined how organizations, primarily in the manufacturing and distribution industries, approached the change process to achieve a third-party verified zero waste certification. It investigated how the change process impacted employees’ sense of organizational identity, and what challenges they faced in pursuing certification. Sixteen participants from seven recently certified organizations agreed to be interviewed about their experience. Challenges stemmed most consistently from fiscal misalignment with leadership’s priorities, capacity struggles, and employee disconnection to the certification’s purpose. Participants reported that the most impactful organizational change strategies included clear, positive messaging, investment in employee empowerment and leadership, and consistency throughout …

Linking Ethical Leadership To Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior, Jinhee Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of ethical leadership has recently garnered considerable attention from both academia and practitioners. However, despite its reputation for facilitating ethical conduct and preventing unethical conduct, there are inconsistencies in the findings about its relationship with (un)ethical pro-organizational behaviors such as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to delve deeply into the influence of ethical leadership on OCB and UPB. Through three interrelated papers, I seek insights into how ethical leadership can drive ethical pro-organizational behaviors that are compatible with broader societal norms. In Paper 1, while noting a …

Engaging With Culturally Relevant Curriculum Development Practice In First-Year Writing Courses Through A Community Of Practice, Mitchell Dallas Herring

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study provides a case study of a community of practice (CoP) comprised of six faculty who teach first-year writing at Southern Technical College (pseudonym) as they engaged with culturally relevant teaching to review their curriculum development practices. The guiding question of this study was: How does engagement with culturally relevant pedagogy within a community of practice impact faculty who teach first-year writing's curriculum development practice, especially given their perceptions of students' needs and literacies? The study used a case study research design to document the faculty's experiences discussing and reflecting on their practice and perceptions of …

Exploring Human Resources Practices And Challenges To Retain And Develop Millennial Workers For Future Leadership Roles In The Transportation And Logistics Industry: A Phenomenological Perspective, Graciela Pineda-Blasco

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined Human Resources practices in place in the Transportation and Logistics industry aimed at the retention, and development of millennial talent into future corporate leaders in the industry. Despite extensive literature on millennials, there remains ambiguity regarding their specific traits, behaviors, and commitment within corporate settings.

Given the generationally diverse workforce, it is crucial to understand the unique needs and expectations of different cohorts. This study focuses on millennials' communication styles, technological adaptability, and expectations for training and advancement. The findings highlight significant issues in current corporate culture, particularly in HR retention and training strategies, which are …

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Groups: A Content Analysis, Tyson William Lovell

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, racial and ethnic minority (REM) communities have faced reduced access to resources for mental and emotional health issues. While research has placed a greater emphasis on REM experiences, there is still a need to further understand the unique contextual factors surrounding mental health challenges among these marginalized groups. Research on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) among REM communities is one area in need of further evaluation. Therefore, this study is a content analysis of literature analyzing the current research focused on the intersection of REM communities and OCD experiences. The purpose of the study is to analyze OCD research among …

Understanding The Experiences And Perceptions Of Subject Librarians And Faculty At Brigham Young University, Duane E. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a qualitative case study method to explore the position of a subject librarian in a large academic library in the United States using the subject librarians at Brigham Young University as the case. In the first phase of the study, all Brigham Young University subject librarians were given the opportunity to participate in a semi-structured interview. Subject librarians considered their main purpose to be connecting the people at the university with library resources. Their duties of collection development, reference, instruction, liaison, citizenship, professional development, and scholarship are interrelated and work together in important ways. Subject librarians are …

Safety Culture Surveys: Towards A Unified Method, Brandon Judy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between two aviation safety culture scales: the Airline Safety Culture Index (ASCI; Flight Safety Foundation, 2001) and the Organizational Safety Culture Questionnaire (OSCQ; Patankar, 2003). This study compared two safety culture instruments using a correlational methodology. The two scales were combined into a questionnaire distributed to hundreds of aviation students and professionals. The students were sampled using a stratified cluster sample method, and the professionals were sampled using a snowball method. There were 259 initial usable responses; after outliers were removed, the sample size was 244. A Pearson’s product-moment correlation found that the ASCI and …

A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Elementary Principals’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership, Cathy De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of one principal and 10 teachers from a school district in the Rio Grande Valley regarding how leadership is distributed in their schools through the lens of distributed leadership. This study contributes to the small body of literature regarding teacher leadership to foster dialogue and potentially provide opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles. Recently, the expectations for schools have increased to the extent that leaders are now expected to ensure all students are learning at prominent levels. Today’s public-school principals may benefit from the support of teacher leaders. Results of …

An Evaluation Of Process- And Performer-Based Improvement To Increase Online Giving In Churches, Lauren Elizabeth Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of electronic transactions for many churches. Churches which were more inclined to establish online giving platforms weathered the disruption of the pandemic more successfully. Electronic transactions proved to be an efficacious modality for churches to maximize tithing and offering. Behavioral Systems Analysis (BSA) is an evidence-based framework which can inform decision-making, starting with macro-level assessments of the effects of external variables on adaptive systems and systematically funneling down to focus on processes and individuals. This study examined the effects of a process and performer-based intervention, through automation, to increase the percentage of online giving …

Assessing Organizational Policy: Preferred Practices For Regulating Vaping In The Work Environment, Ayesha T. Kirk

Theses and Dissertations

Employee vaping negatively affects organizations in terms of costs, productivity, employee health, and workplace safety. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to assess organizational policies to determine preferred practices to regulate vaping in the work environment. Open-ended questionnaires with 18 human resources administrators, combined with a literature review, yielded data on best practices for organizational policies regulating vaping in the work environment.

The data collected in this qualitative dissertation study were extracted from a structured survey questionnaire comprising 16 questions about vaping and tobacco usage in the workplace. The findings demonstrated that vaping and the use of tobacco …

The Integration Of Simulation-Enhanced Interprofessional Education Into Undergraduate Clinical Laboratory Science Curriculum, Dana Powell Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study aimed to integrate simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (Sim-IPE) into the undergraduate clinical laboratory science (CLS) program curriculum. The undergraduate CLS curriculum was comprised of didactic coursework and hands-on learning experiences in the student laboratory. This traditional CLS curriculum model was uniprofessional in its design and educated students in silos rather than on interprofessional teams with other health professions students. Lack of collaboration on healthcare teams has led to increased medical errors and decreased patient safety in clinical settings. Recent studies have indicated that effective communication and teamwork among healthcare professionals has led to improved patient outcomes and …

Using Critical Reflection To Mitigate Racial Implicit Bias And Enhance Cultural Humility: A Nursing Faculty Action Research Study, Teresa Stafford Cronell

Theses and Dissertations

Formal American nursing education has existed since the late 19th century, but its historically deep-seated white framing continues to influence how current nurses are educated, enculturated, and professionalized. Insufficient inclusivity and diversity deficit have endured despite decades-long demands to do otherwise. To most nursing educators, the white frame is invisible. This unseen framing allows ongoing harmful implicit biases and microaggressions towards underrepresented nursing students and colleagues to persist. Nursing students are taught to provide culturally humble, unbiased patient care. Should not nursing faculty likewise demonstrate the same unbiased attitudes and humility towards their students? Faculty risk perpetuating the white frame …

Equity Among Equity Workers: Public Service Motivation In An Educational Nonprofit Organization, Russell C. West Jr

Theses and Dissertations

What opportunities and challenges arise when an equity-focused educational organization aims to support employee’s individual equity practices while simultaneously developing the organization’s equity practice? In this study, employees of a non-profit educational organization were asked what rationales and expectations played a role in their decision to volunteer in an equity working group. Their responses were used to understand whether Perry’s (2000) process theory of Public Service Motivation helped describe their decision. In a second round of interviews, employees were asked what outcomes they perceived came from their participation. These responses were used to understand whether the outcomes aligned with those …

You Ca N’T Police Your Way Out Of These Problems: Disregarding The Structural Components Of Community Problems, Kian Spencer Gaines

Theses and Dissertations

Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) emerged in response to longstanding criticisms revolving around police accountability and effectiveness. It emphasizes civilian participation in crime-prevention and problem-solving efforts to build trust between the police and minoritized communities with whom they have had an antagonistic relationship. Traditional policing is reactive in nature, with officers acting only after crime has been committed or a call for service has been made; it enforces the law; “legitimizes” use of violence; and emulates military structure and tactics. In this study I describe it as “enforcement” or “crime-fighting policing.” COPS programs are embedded within this structure. Unlike traditional policing, …

The Use Of Functional Assessment To Promote Maintenance And Institutionalization Of A Performance Management Intervention For Behavior Technicians, Daniel John Cymbal

Theses and Dissertations

In Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), any intervention is judged by its immediate effects, the long-term impact on the targeted performance, and the likelihood that the organization and/or its constituents will adopt the intervention (Sigurdsson & Austin, 2006). However, maintenance and adoption of procedures is rarely measured (Redmon, 1991). A core tenant of behavior analysis is the role of environmental stimuli in maintaining behavior, but most tactics to promote durability are not examined in this fashion (e.g., Conard et al., 2016; Johnston, 1979). A logical, but under investigated, avenue is to examine the role of functional assessment in producing durable change. …

Stem Educators’ Perceptions Of Gender Bias And The Contributing Factors That Persist For Women In Stem Education, Haleigh Nicole Kirkland

Theses and Dissertations

Social influence from society holds the key to social norms that influence students and their future aspirations. Gender bias is considered one of the influencing factors that affects the decisions of female high school students on participating in STEM education. This descriptive study describes the key factors that STEM educators perceived as influential for female high school students' participation in STEM education. The research questions of the study included: (1) What are high school STEM educators’ perceptions regarding gender bias in the STEM School of Study cluster at Skyler High School and (2) What factors do high school STEM educators …

Human Resource Management (Hrm) Practices And Female Mechanical Engineer Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role Of Social Capital, Tyrone Walston Gorrick

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of human resource management (HRM) practices on female mechanical engineer turnover intentions while examining the mediating role of social capital. This study drew on insights from the HRM, social capital, and turnover theories and related models in the literature to formulate a set of hypothesized relationships and predictions that HRM practices positively influence social capital and social capital negatively affects female mechanical engineers' turnover intention. Turnover remains a challenging issue for all organizations, driving the need for measures that reduce employee quit intentions and, ultimately, turnover. After all, the …

Do Women See Leadership As Risky? The Potential Role Of Stereotypes And The Perception Of Risk In Claiming A Leader Identity, Julia Macgregor-Peralta

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if women perceive leadership as riskier than men do, and whether that could be holding women back. Specifically, this study investigated the influence of gender and leadership views on the development of leader identity and the role that perception of risk of leadership plays. Role Congruity Theory of Leadership, Lack of Fit, and Adaptive Leadership Theory were used as theoretical frameworks in this cross-sectional study using 2022 archival data. Participants were undergraduate and graduate students from five different universities in the United States. Leader role alignment (LRA), which is the congruence between …

Leveraging Church Environments To Promote Rural Physical Activity And Healthy Eating, Kelsey Rothera Day

Theses and Dissertations

Rural residents experience a greater burden of chronic disease related to physical inactivity and poor diet than their urban counterparts. A promising strategy to improve these health behaviors in rural areas is to leverage existing structures that may support physical activity and healthy eating, such as churches, in public health interventions. Three studies were conducted as part of this dissertation. They were designed to: 1) examine whether the walkability and healthy food density of neighborhoods surrounding rural and urban churches are associated with race, socioeconomic status, and rural/urban status; 2) examine rural church leaders’ views on the role of faith-based …

The Relationship Between Teacher Efficacy, Leadership Support, And Professional Learning Communities: Implications Of A Pilot Study, Shana Spriggs-Loring

Theses and Dissertations

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Organizational Culture During The Era Of A Black Swan: A Phenomenological Examination Of New Hire Sales Training Within A Medical Diagnostic Company, Maelyn Zweben Lessard

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional sales training in a medical diagnostic organization takes place in multiple locations over the period of many months. New hires attend classes with a set group of other new hire employees establishing a cohort. It is the responsibility of the sales training department and the new hire’s direct supervisor to incorporate training into the organizations culture. This is done by bringing the new hire into the corporate office and, through the months of training, exposing the new hire to leadership, support functions, manufacturing, and multiple departments that will support their job moving forward. COVID-19 created a rapid market increase …

Exploring Factors That Influence Disagreements In Self-Other Ratings In 360-Degree Feedback Systems, Robert Allen Miller

Theses and Dissertations

360-degree feedback systems are some of the most widely used ratings systems in organizations today. The current study examined the use of 360-degree feedback systems as a method for capturing job performance in organizations and the challenges associated with accuracy in ratings due to individual differences in perception. The study investigated the links between self-other rating tendencies and narrow facets of personality and examined how an individual’s personality affects self- and other-ratings of their performance behaviors. The findings suggest that various aspects of personality differentially affect both self- and other-ratings of performance, providing a deeper understanding of how individual differences …

A Focus On Followers: Examining Relationships Between Elements Of The Leader-Follower Relationship From The Follower’S Perspective, David James Ross

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines followership style, leadership behaviors, and LMX-quality from the follower’s perspective. This research used Kelley’s followership framework, the full range leadership model, and the LMX-6 instrument to analyze each dimension of the leader-follower relationship. Using a sample of 89 followers from various backgrounds, the study collected data regarding each of the followers’ unique relationships with their leader. These data provided insights into the followers’ current followership style (i.e., their current levels of independent critical thinking and active engagement), their leaders ‘behaviors, and the quality of their individual leader-follower relationship. The researcher used the statistical program JASP to measure …

The Impact Of Opendyslexic Font On The Reading Comprehension Of Tier Ii And Tier Iii Reading Intervention Students, William David Whitmire

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research project measured the effect of OpenDyslexic font on the reading comprehension of MTSS Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students. A review of the literature revealed little research about OpenDyslexic font or its effect on reading comprehension. The study consisted of a 7-week period with 4^th grade Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students using OpenDyslexic font while reviewing previously taught comprehension strategies before end of the year testing. Results show positive growth for Tier II reading intervention students and results were inconclusive for Tier III students.

Transition Analysis Of Innovative Technologies Into Military Applications, Cristian J. Henandez-Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) invests over 1 billion dollars annually in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts. These SBIR efforts are similar to venture capital investments, where a transition beyond seed funding is considered a success. A baseline study of 2015-2018 Air Force SBIR investments indicates that 8.8% of the efforts secured long-term funding. Current data allows for an assessment of whether or not a project scores long-term funding; however, there is no measurement of whether or not the technology transitions to DoD usage. Transition is the rate at which SBIR investments are fielded or integrated into a military …

An Analysis Of Cloud Computing Migration Costs And Effects For Dod Applications, Joseph S. Moore Iv

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force launched “Cloud One” in 2017. Cloud One provides cloud computing options for military applications. Cloud One provides common secure computing environments, standardized platforms, application migration and support services, and data management. Currently, Cloud One has over one hundred mission applications on board. Although there is information on the cost, performance, personnel requirements, risks, and migration of the commercial sector and cloud options, there is limited recorded information on the same topics for Cloud One. As such, there is a gap in the literature regarding data/feedback for mission applications that have migrated to Cloud One. This research takes …

Illuminating The Unknown: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Dod Software Factory Ecosystem, Zachary O. Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) software factories are a collection of modern software acquisition programs that commonly employ the agile, network-based business strategies often found within commercial industries. Having been formally recognized by senior leaders for their revolutionary software development approaches, the software factories highlight a cultural shift within the DoD away from traditional organizational practices. As a result of the factories demonstrated successes, the number of programs employing non-traditional strategies is expanding. While this is notable, it also presents a challenge because a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, structures, and behaviors of the DoD’s software factories does not currently …

Advancing Autonomous Swarm Behavior In A Simulated Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment, Chad P. Macwilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in modern IADS have bolstered A2AD environments and subsequently degraded the advantages that the Air Force once held, prompting a call to reform the nature of warfare in order to challenge these threats. A solution is weapon swarming technology, which has the ability to overwhelm IADS by engagement of a large numbers of low-cost, but lethal air assets that have autonomous functionalities. This research proposes the application of a four dimensional framework for autonomy to a swarm of cruise missiles. A virtual A2AD environment of two opposing forces is constructed using the AFSIM, wherein a manned bomber seeks to …

Effective Organizational Change Management In The Public Sector: The Case Of The Egyptian Drug Authority, Amany Shehata Mahran

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis investigates the change management process in the public sector, with specific focus on a recent change process that took place in an Egyptian public organization as a case study, the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA). The research aims to explore the change management process that took place after the issuance of the founding law of case under study, the EDA, to achieve the organizational goals and objectives, and provide recommendations for improvement. The study used a mixed methods approach to answer the overarching research question as well as the sub questions. The qualitative part of the research used interviews …