Digital Commons Network^™

Exploiting Synergies To Leverage Operational Performance And Efficiency With Collaborative Business Strategies, Victor Oluwi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Resource and knowledge recombination activities of manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers have evolved with the advent of globalization and increased market complexities. Such changes in resource and knowledge recombination activities have enabled and advanced the relevance of well-forged and properly implemented collaborative partnerships. Collaborative partnerships are credible alternatives in the provision of goods and services. The participants in this multiple case study design were 12 senior business managers from three oil, gas, and energy companies in a metropolitan area in a western province of Canada. Participants revealed the strategies they used to forge profitable collaborative business partnerships. The resource-based view …

Inclusion Teachers' Perspectives On Coteaching, Allison Nunes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The coteaching classroom has grown with the influx of special needs students in general education classrooms. New state and federal laws mandated the need for collaboration when instructing special education students, and middle school teachers in a Northern New Jersey school district are experiencing challenges with the implementation of coteaching in inclusion classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of collaboration challenges that resulted from coteaching in the classroom. The key research question of this study involved general and special education teachers' lived experiences in relation to the inclusion classroom and their attitudes and …

Dispositional Optimism Effects On Stress And Police Task Performance, Roland Art Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study of stress on police task performance is important as this relationship can positively or negatively impact encounters with the public. This study focused on protective factors of positive psychology within the measured construct of dispositional optimism as a possible mediator of stress effects on physical task performance. The cognitive processing models used were the performance efficiency theory and attentional control theory as they apply in perceptual motor skill. Using a mediation model, the research question asked whether dispositional optimism mediated the relationship between stress and a pistol performance accuracy task. This study used a limited data set collected …

How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of …

Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health counselors who counsel adolescents suffering from substance abuse and obesity issues have successfully used motivational interviewing with their clients; however there is little data that has explored motivational interviewing when it has been used to address academic concerns in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who have used motivational interviewing to improve student academic performance. This heuristic phenomenological qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of professional school counselors who had used motivational interviewing in their schools. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 9 middle and high schools counselors from …

The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Women Who Reside In Nursing Homes, Lakeisha De Lon Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of African American women who reside in a nursing home and to understand African American women's decisions for admitting to the facility. Social Learning Theory was applied to answer the question of how African American women's experiences and perceptions toward long-term care influence healthcare decisions and admission to a nursing home. Eleven participants interviewed in the study were at least 60 years old, admitted into the facility within the past two years and who had not previously resided in a nursing home. Yin's five step approach …

Association Between Type Of Diabetes Education And Health Status, Limitations, And Healthcare, Starr Michelle Seip

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is an epidemic that has started to capture political attention in the United States because of the devastating health care costs associated with the disease. Researchers in other studies have concluded that additional education face-to-face (FTF) and FTF with alternative forms of diabetes communication (FTF plus) have been beneficial. However, there is very little information on the comparison of the two groups as mentioned above when comparing chronic limitations, self-perception, health status, and healthcare satisfaction as circumscribed by specific demographic population. This study was an investigation of the above variables and explored how specific demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational …

Victims' Perspectives Of Management's Interventional Efforts Regarding Relational Aggression In The Workplace, Don Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relational aggression (RA) is a social phenomenon that can severely impact organizational profitability and employee productivity. A gap in the literature exists concerning appropriate interventions to manage RA. The purpose of this study was to explore successful interventions that have been used to manage RA. The theoretical framework was informed by psychological contract theory. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews with 12 victims, and then analyzed using data management, reading and memorization, description, classification, interpretation, and representation. NVivo software was used to organize the data in this study. The research consisted of 3 subquestions addressing the role of written …

Educating Primary Care Nurses On Phosphorus Management In Chronic Kidney Disease Patients, Lilian Somuah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fifteen percent of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is the slow, progressive, and irreversible loss of kidney function. The most effective means of controlling CKD is by managing dietary phosphorus intake. It is important that staff nurses be educated about effective patient education tools to improve dietary phosphorus management. The purpose of this project was to educate primary care nurses about phosphorus management in CKD patients through the introduction of the phosphorus pyramid as a visual tool. The project sought to understand if an educational intervention regarding phosphorus management in CKD …

Maternal Characteristics And The Risk Of Cleft Lip And Palate In The United States, Letha Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) is an ongoing public health issue across the globe, and in the United States. The estimated number of babies born each year in the United States with cleft palate (CP) is about 2,650, while CLP affects approximately 4,440 babies. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine if there is a relationship between CLP and maternal characteristics such as reproductive history (advanced maternal age, maternal obesity, prenatal visits, month prenatal care began, number of pregnancies, gestational age at birth, assisted reproductive technology used, gestational diabetes, and hypertension), socioeconomic status of …

Antibiotic Prescribing Habits Of Urgent Care Providers, Mellisa Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed and requested for viral illnesses despite evidence-based research studies and societal guidelines that advise against this practice. Literature has indicated that antibiotic decision-making comes from a provider's experience or exposure to illness, uncertainty of illness, or from being pressured by the patient. Nurses and advanced practice nurses are important participants in the antibiotic stewardship initiative. The purpose of this project was to examine potential knowledge deficits responsible for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing at a rural urgent care clinic in the southeastern United States, which when addressed could promote an educational in-service to decrease the number of antibiotics …

Understanding The Potential Of University Teachers To Become Unit Coordinators, Karim.Salhani Rafic Salhani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current reports estimate that 1 in 5 unit coordinators at universities resign each year. When it comes to management of talent, universities lag behind other industries. The problem is university leaders lack empirical ways of identifying future leaders to ensure the survival and growth of the institution. The purpose of this study was to understand how university teachers demonstrate formal leadership potential by uncovering the main behavioral patterns, personal characteristics, tasks, and relationship-building activities of teachers that enable them to become excellent candidates for leading a department. With the Leadership Potential BluePrint as a conceptual framework, a multiple-case study design …

Effects Of Income Level On The Relationship Between Leadership And Employee Behavior, Andrew James Sherman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that leadership affects employee behavior, but additional research could explain how this relationship is mediated. The purpose of this correlational, quantitative design study was to test the mediating effects of employee income level on the relationship between leadership and employee behavior within the United States. The general problem for leaders is the lack of a comprehensive understanding regarding the relationship between their leadership and employee behavioral outcomes. The specific management problem is that unintended employee behavioral outcomes may be due to leadership decisions made without consideration given to the mediating effects of employee income level. Based …

Reducing Sport-Related Injuries: Perspectives From Nfl High School Coach Of The Year Recipients, Lalisa Anthony

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American football sport-related injuries have negatively affected millions of high school students' quality of life. Although there are studies about types, conditions, and psychological effects of injuries, a gap remained in the literature that involved injury prevention from the head coach's perspective. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to fill this gap by exploring how head coaches perceive their role and responsibility in reducing sport-related injury occurrences. Sabatier and Weible's advocacy coalition, Diener and Dweck's achievement goal theory, and Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action framed this study. The research questions focused on the lived experiences from …

The Effects Of Academic Parent Teacher Teams On Latino Student Achievement, Barbara Dee Bench

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decades of research have noted the importance of parent involvement in students' academic success. Less is known about parent engagement models that aim to increase Latino students' reading achievement. This project study examined the effectiveness of a 2-year parent engagement program implemented to address poor reading achievement of Latino elementary school students in a small urban district. The purpose of this study was to determine disparities in student scores between those parents who participated in the program and those parents who did not participate. The research questions examined parent engagement levels in comparison to increased summative reading scores. Based on …

Childhood Lead Exposure And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis, Megan Glenn Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lead exposure during childhood is a significant global public health concern as the potential effects of exposure can result in the need for long-term treatment, diminished productivity in society, and financial strain on the health care system. There is strong evidence of a relationship between lead exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, there is a gap in the current literature regarding the relationship between lead exposure and specific symptoms of ADHD and the strength of that relationship. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine and help quantify this relationship. Cohen's d was used as the standardized mean effect size …

Teachers' Participation In Learning By Design Activities, Their Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge, And Technology Integration In An Inner City School, Joan Bruner-Timmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at an inner city school have low test results despite making progress. The study examines the problem that technology plans implemented by the Board of Education could not improve student achievement. Educational policy recommends to increasingly sustain teaching by educational technology. Therefore, this research examines the teacher knowledge necessary for technology integration in classes, and the ways this knowledge can be fostered. The theoretical framework of this study integrates 2 prominent theories of instructional science: learning by design (LBD) and technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). The relationship between LBD, TPACK, and technology integration in the classroom was examined. …

Media Marketing Strategies University Leaders Use To Increase Alumni Financial Support, Wesley Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities in the United States could end operations in record numbers largely from financial shortfalls. The Urban Institute reported that nonprofit organizations lost $3.4 billion in reneged pledges from 2013 to 2014 from donor dissatisfaction, creating a problem because financial losses can occur from a lack of understanding on how media marketing efforts affect fundraising. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify traditional and social media marketing strategies that some nonprofit college and university leaders use to increase alumni financial support. Interviews took place with 7 college or university leaders at 3 private, nonprofit …

Waste Management Minimization Strategies In Hospitals, Andrea L. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the delivery of healthcare services, hospital employees use enormous amounts of water, energy, and nonbiodegradable carcinogenic plastics. In the U.S., hospital staff generate an average of over 7,000 tons of waste per day at an average cost of $0.28 per pound for the disposal of regulated medical trash, which if efficiently managed or reduced, could result in substantial cost savings. Using the organizational learning and the transaction cost economics theories as the conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies healthcare leaders used to minimize their waste management operational costs. Data were collected using …

Immigration Attorneys' Perceptions And Attitudes About Delays In Removal Proceeding Hearings, Awa C. Diawara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Immigration courts in the United Sates are struggling to resolve 610,524 removal

proceedings cases with approximately 330 judges located in 58 immigration courts

nationwide. Due to the limited number of judges, case backlogs have increased steadily,

with the wait time being 854 days in 2017 for the first hearing and much longer for case

resolution. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of

immigration attorneys about delays in removal proceeding hearings in an immigration

court in the southwest. Kettl's transformation of governance theory served as the

theoretical foundation for this study, which explored …

Effect Of Lung Cancer Treatment On Health-Related Quality Of Life, Festus Frempong Dokyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advances in lung cancer treatment among older adults require a risk-benefit analysis for health professionals, patients, and family members to assess increased survival and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of lung cancer treatment with surgery or tumor ablation on HRQL domains. A lung cancer quality of life model guided the study. The research design was a quantitative ancillary study in which 70 participants were recruited from those who had already consented to undergo a randomized clinical trial of lung cancer treatment. Data consisted of repeated administrations (baseline, 1- and 3-months) …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Teachers And Literacy Coaches' Literacy Instruction, April Jessup Giddens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literacy rate in Louisiana remains lower than the national average. This is especially true at Rosewood Elementary School (pseudonym), a D-rated school on a scale of A-F. The problem is that teachers are unsuccessful in trying to improve students' literacy test scores, despite several targeted efforts to give them tools to make these improvements. The purpose of this study is to explore the literacy practices, beliefs, and professional development of teachers at Rosewood Elementary. The conceptual framework of this study included Clark and Peterson's cognitive process teacher model, which focuses on teachers' thought processes and their behaviors in the …

Entrepreneurial Opportunities To Develop Strategies For Small Business Success, Tawanda Gilliard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Entrepreneurs of small businesses fail because of the lack of strategies to improve business performance. Using the model of strategic entrepreneurship, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies entrepreneurs used to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities to improve their business performance. Three entrepreneurs from different fitness businesses in South Carolina shared strategies used to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities to business performance. Data were collected from semistructured, face-to-face interviews and a review of company documents such as business performance plans, consolidated financial statements, and a digital equipment user log. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the validity of the data. …

Development Of A Scholarly Educational Intervention To Improve Inpatient Diabetes Care, Sharon.Hasfal Hasfal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advanced practice providers (APPs), consisting of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, face many challenges in the provision of evidence-based practice in their management of hospitalized adult patients with diabetes. Some of the barriers faced by APPs at a Northeast acute care facility are poor communication between disciplines, lack of confidence in initiating insulin, limited understanding of the management of insulin and the insulin pump, and insufficient treatment of the hospitalized patient with diabetes that aligns with current clinical guidelines for the management of inpatient hyperglycemia. This quality improvement project focused on the development of an evidence-based theory supported educational intervention …

Rem Initiative To Develop Educational Strategies For Inductions Of Labor, Chandra Evette Jones-Worthing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inductions of labor that occur prior to 39 weeks' gestation can pose increased risks for the mother-baby dyad. In the target setting, there is a gap in knowledge among the pregnant women about options for delivery, hospital policies and procedures, and what to expect in the labor and delivery experience. Because of this gap in knowledge, the pregnant patient is unable to make informed decisions regarding her needs, expectations, and care. This lack of knowledge has resulted in a 40-50% rate of inductions of labor at the target site, which is well above the 2014 national average of 25%. In …

The Need For Cognition And Critical Thinking Skills And Depressive Symptoms In College Students, Jill Maschio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This dissertation concerns the relationship between the symptomatology of depression and cognition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the assumptions of Beck's negative cognition theory regarding the relationship between patients' lack of ability to reason and depression. Beck noticed that people with depression failed to consciously examine the basis upon which their negative self-defeating reality is founded. This study examined a relationship between critical thinking skills and the need for cognition (the desire to think about ambiguous information) and levels of depression and education. The participants were 75 postsecondary undergraduate and graduate students from both online and traditional …

Financial Literacy In Appalachian Kentucky With A National Comparison, Tanya Noah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy is a national problem; many studies confirmed that Americans have low levels of financial literacy. There is little to no research about financial literacy in Appalachia, and the level of financial literacy was unknown for Appalachian Kentucky. There is a problem deserving attention which can be seen by examination of the 3 key financial indicators. Many researchers found the Appalachian Kentucky region deficient regarding poverty rates, unemployment rates, and personal income rates. The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline level of financial literacy of Appalachian Kentuckians and to compare it to national levels. Becker's theory …

Strategies For Sustaining Small Businesses In The U.S. Health Care Sector, James Utobunwa Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of sustainability strategies. Researchers and business practitioners have indicated that small business owners face challenges on how to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years due to lack of sustainability strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that health care small business owners and managers in New York State use to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years. Sustainability development theory was used for the study's conceptual framework. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 6 purposively-selected participants who …

A Global Perception On Contemporary Slavery In The Middle East North Africa Region, Kimberly Anne Pavlik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although human trafficking continues to be a growing problem around the world, there are scarce quantitative methodologies for evidence-based research because it is hard to gather reliable and comparable data on human trafficking. It is also difficult to track patterns in human trafficking on a regional or global scale because the victims are a vulnerable population. Using Datta and Bales conceptualization of modern slavery as the theoretical foundation, the primary purpose of this study was to establish a baseline measurement of trafficking predictors in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) as well as understand the statistical relationship between measurements of …

Shared Service Center Strategies In Public Sector, Andrieta G. Pritchett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the increased demand for doing more with less, public sector managers embrace outsourcing back-office functions through a shared service model; however, maintaining service quality for public sector shared service centers (SSC) in financial management during peak cycles is a challenge. Framed with the transaction cost economy theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by SSC managers in a public sector company to maintain service quality. Seven participants with more than 4 years of SSC experience in public-sector companies participated in phone interviews including SSC department heads, managers, and a supervisor of a public-sector …