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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Strategies For Improving Small Restaurant Success Rates Beyond Three Years, Joseph Wilder Jan 2021

Strategies For Improving Small Restaurant Success Rates Beyond Three Years, Joseph Wilder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 65% of new restaurants remain in business after the first three years of operations. Leaders of small restaurants who lack strategies to ensure sustainability witness significant financial losses in their organizations. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small restaurant owners use to sustain their business beyond three years. A purposeful sampling of three small restaurant owners in Washington County, TN, who successfully used strategies to ensure sustainability beyond three years participated in this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, financial documents, and public websites and …


Success Strategies Of Persistence For Black Male Community College Students, Alvenetta Chyrisse Wilson Jan 2021

Success Strategies Of Persistence For Black Male Community College Students, Alvenetta Chyrisse Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis project study addressed the problem of low persistence of Black men in community college. A southeast Texas community college study site implemented a mentoring program specific to Black men in 2013 following a data report from The Achieving the Dream program. Although the mentoring program had been implemented with progress, there were no student data captured to substantiate the program’s existence. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify success strategies used by Black male community college students who persist to graduation attainment. The conceptual framework driving this research is Deci and Ryan’s self-determinant theory of intrinsic …


Understanding Artificial Intelligence Adoption, Implementation, And Use In Small And Medium Enterprises In India, Dipak Sadashiv Jadhav Jan 2021

Understanding Artificial Intelligence Adoption, Implementation, And Use In Small And Medium Enterprises In India, Dipak Sadashiv Jadhav

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative cross-sectional correlational study involves understanding the impact of various factors on Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, implementation, and use in the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in India. Increased AI use across industry sectors including SMEs makes it essential to analyze decisions involving AI adoption. The main research question and secondary research questions were used to help understand correlations between diffusion of innovation (DOI), the technology, organization, and environment (TOE) framework, and technology adoption model (TAM) and decisions involving AI adoption. I used prevalidated survey instruments and online surveys via the Survey Monkey platform as part of data …


Strategies To Control Costs At U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants, Gregory J. Lindamood Jan 2021

Strategies To Control Costs At U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants, Gregory J. Lindamood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercial nuclear power plants in the United States are not cost competitive because of high operating and maintenance costs and historically low natural gas prices, resulting in the potential for premature plant closure of up to 25% of the operating power plants by 2025. Premature plant closure could impact the consumer through higher electricity rates, increased air pollution, and electric grid instability from increased renewable usage. Grounded in the behavioral decision theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies nuclear leaders used to control costs and ensure competitiveness. Data were collected through semistructured interviews …


Ministry Of Education Management Committee Members’ Perceptions Of Shared Organizational Vision, Theresa Obiageli Mbonu Jan 2021

Ministry Of Education Management Committee Members’ Perceptions Of Shared Organizational Vision, Theresa Obiageli Mbonu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPersistent challenges in the Nigerian educational system have made education delivery ineffective as students’ performance levels on national examinations have remained low. Students’ average performance has been below 40% on the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) for 7 consecutive years in the region of this research. Stakeholders blamed heads of schools and teachers, yet the Ministry of Education made significant decisions about schools’ inputs. Leaders at the Ministry of Education may need to adopt a shared vision approach to addressing persistent educational challenges. There was no study available to indicate the understanding of educational leaders at this level concerning …


Small And Medium Enterprises’ Green Energy Strategies For Profitability, Ekok Ajom Okpokam Jan 2021

Small And Medium Enterprises’ Green Energy Strategies For Profitability, Ekok Ajom Okpokam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of business strategies can negatively impact the generation of green energy, which may hinder business profitability and growth. Managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who struggle to generate green energy to increase profitability are at high risk of their business failure. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business strategies managers of SMEs use to generate green energy to increase profitability. The participants were three SME managers in three energy companies in Lagos, Nigeria, who effectively used business strategies to generate green energy to increase profitability. …


Teachers’ Perceptions Of Blended Learning In High School Classrooms, Kaye-Ann Tomique Yarborough Jan 2021

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Blended Learning In High School Classrooms, Kaye-Ann Tomique Yarborough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning is the instructional practice that involves both face-to-face and online learning in classroom instruction. The problem at a small rural school district in the South Carolina is, despite strong evidence of the benefits and use of blended learning, many classroom teachers at the high school level still fail to consistently implement the online component of blended learning to maximize these benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of ease of use and usefulness of blended learning, how they implement it, and challenges they have with implementation. The conceptual framework for this …


General And Special Educators’ Perceptions Of Transition For Students With Disabilities, Doris Louise Rouson Butler Jan 2021

General And Special Educators’ Perceptions Of Transition For Students With Disabilities, Doris Louise Rouson Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities (SWDs) require a transition process to support high school graduation and continuation to higher education or the workforce. In a rural district in a southern state, the problem investigated was only 37% of SWDs were graduating from high schools in the target district, compared to 79.9% of students without disabilities, which suggested that the transition design and implementation did not support SWDs’ needs. Using a transition-focused conceptual framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the perceptions of educators regarding the design and implementation of the transition process for SWDs at the high schools …


Educator And Parent Perceptions About Parent Involvement In An Elementary School, Jennifer Anne Cenatiempo Jan 2021

Educator And Parent Perceptions About Parent Involvement In An Elementary School, Jennifer Anne Cenatiempo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited parent involvement in K-8 schools in the United States may be influencing student performance. A five-year strategic plan conducted at a K-8 elementary school with 550 students in the Northeast region of the United States highlighted the need to increase parent involvement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and parents on current parent involvement and to gather input from them on how to improve parent involvement in the local school district. The study was guided by Epstein’s framework of parental involvement. Research questions focused on the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and parents …


Influencing Factors On A Nurse's Decision To Remain A Bedside Nurse, Diane Marie Hulsey Jan 2021

Influencing Factors On A Nurse's Decision To Remain A Bedside Nurse, Diane Marie Hulsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The loss of the experienced bedside nurse is a current health care problem. New nurses are moving into other areas of nursing or leaving the profession within 6 months of graduation. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are vital at the bedside. Patients’ and families rely on the nurse to be their support and educational source. In this study, the possible implications of why a registered nurse remains at the bedside throughout their professional career although offered different positions and work environments was examined. The theoretical framework of Patton and McMahon identifies the holistic nature of career development through …


The Effect Of Social Media Use On Physical Isolation In Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder, Davena Limitless Longshore Jan 2021

The Effect Of Social Media Use On Physical Isolation In Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder, Davena Limitless Longshore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience extreme interpersonal conflict, crippling their ability to sustain successful relationships. Consequently, clinicians within the psychological field face difficulty in devising treatments plans which can assist these individuals with suffering minimal relationship loss. The purpose of this study was to understand how current technological methods of social interaction affect individuals who suffer from BPD to improve treatment outcomes. This research was guided by the principles of attachment theory and social baseline theory. A quantitative correlational design using social network analysis and multiple regression analysis was used to examine data from surveys. Participants were solicited …


Barbadian Pk-3 Grade Teachers’ Perspectives Of Positive Behavior Support, Nicole Natasha Lynch Jan 2021

Barbadian Pk-3 Grade Teachers’ Perspectives Of Positive Behavior Support, Nicole Natasha Lynch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Barbados, positive behavior support (PBS) has been introduced as an alternative to the use of harsh disciplinary practices, but Barbadian PK-3 grade teachers’ perspectives of PBS are not well understood. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Barbadian PK-3 grade teachers’ perspectives of PBS as an approach to managing classroom behavior. The conceptual framework for this study was derived from Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the PBS framework. The research question focused on Barbadian PK-3 grade teachers’ perspectives of PBS as an approach to managing classroom behavior. Semi-structured telephone and Zoom interviews were used to collect …


Strategies For Applying Electronic Health Records To Improve Patient Care And Increase Profitability, Fritzgerald Paul Jan 2021

Strategies For Applying Electronic Health Records To Improve Patient Care And Increase Profitability, Fritzgerald Paul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIneffective strategies to implement electronic health record keeping systems can negatively impact patient care and increase expenses. Hospital administrators and primary care physicians care about this problem because they would be penalized for not meeting meaningful use guidelines. Grounded in the information systems success model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore electronic health record (EHR) implementation strategies primary care physicians use to improve patient care and increase profitability. The participants comprised five primary care physicians involved in the effective implementation of an EHR application in the central coast region of California. Data were collected from …


Exploring How Organizations Ensure The Hiring Process Is Conducted Appropriately To Avoid Legal Issues, Natashia Stafford - Cotton Jan 2021

Exploring How Organizations Ensure The Hiring Process Is Conducted Appropriately To Avoid Legal Issues, Natashia Stafford - Cotton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overall research problem of interest in this study was the need for human resource (HR) leaders and hiring managers (HMs) to conform to a wide array of complex state and federal legal requirements concerning hiring practices. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold: (a) to understand how HR leaders can ensure that ethically and legally acceptable hiring practices are used in their organizations and (b) to identify the perceptions of the employee selection procedures and legal defensibility of HR personnel and HMs in Northern California in order to develop timely and informed answers to the study’s research …


Early Grade Teacher Perspectives Of Struggling Learners And Later Mathematics Achievement, Crystal Ann Cuyler Jan 2021

Early Grade Teacher Perspectives Of Struggling Learners And Later Mathematics Achievement, Crystal Ann Cuyler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who were not identified with a learning disability or significant developmental delay (SDD) in prekindergarten, but may have undiscovered learning issues are often among the lowest performing students in mathematics when they reach upper grades. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand kindergarten, first, and second grade teacher perspectives of early indicators of later difficulties in mathematics among children not identified as having learning disabilities or SDD in prekindergarten. A retrospective study was conducted in which the remembrances of early grade teachers were used to explore the difficulties children who were struggling with mathematics as fourth and …


An Acceptable Cloud Computing Model For Public Sectors, Eswar Kumar Devarakonda Jan 2021

An Acceptable Cloud Computing Model For Public Sectors, Eswar Kumar Devarakonda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing enables information technology (IT) leaders to shift from passive business support to active value creators. However, social economic-communication barriers inhibit individual users from strategic use of the cloud. Grounded in the theory of technology acceptance, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies IT leaders in public sector organizations implement to utilize cloud computing. The participants included nine IT leaders from public sector organizations in Texas, USA. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field notes, and publicly available artifacts documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis: five themes emerged (a) user-centric and data-driven cloud model; …


Strategies To Monitor And Deter Cyberloafing In Small Businesses: A Case Study, Veronica Pugh Dooly Jan 2021

Strategies To Monitor And Deter Cyberloafing In Small Businesses: A Case Study, Veronica Pugh Dooly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some information technology (IT) managers working for small businesses are struggling to monitor and deter cyberloafing. Strategies are needed to help IT practitioners to discourage cyberloafing and improve productivity while maintaining employee satisfaction. Grounded in adaptive structuration theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some small business IT managers use to monitor and deter cyberloafing. The participants were nine IT managers who successfully implemented cyberloafing monitoring and deterrence strategies in the United States. Data were collected via semistructured interviews and organization employee policy handbooks (n = 4) provided by the participants. Data were analyzed using …


Elementary School Teachers’ Implementation Of The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, And Redefinition Model In Their Instruction, Carlos Jenkins Jan 2021

Elementary School Teachers’ Implementation Of The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, And Redefinition Model In Their Instruction, Carlos Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in a rural southeastern state school district are not integrating technology in ways that provide students with engaging technology-based learning experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ current technology-based instructional practices based on the substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR) model. This project study was guided by three research questions focusing on how elementary teachers integrate technology in their instructional practices, the levels of SAMR being implemented by elementary teachers, and the SAMR levels of students’ technology related assignments. The study was conducted using an instrumental case study design, and data were collected through interviews, observations, …


The Impact Of Financial Education On The Lives Of Cherokee Nation Citizens, Ron Pense Jan 2021

The Impact Of Financial Education On The Lives Of Cherokee Nation Citizens, Ron Pense

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy is something that is important for financial well-being for individuals, but it is lacking, leading to problems such as inadequate saving and poor financial decision making. This research was conducted to examine the impact of financial education for citizens of Cherokee Nation on saving and financial decision making and was grounded in prospect theory and quasi-rational economics. Accordingly, the research questions focused on the extent of differences between individuals with and without financial education for decision making and saving as well as the extent demographic factors play a role. The research design was non-experimental causal comparative with financial …


Counselor Experiences With Clients Who Bring Emotional Support Animals To Sessions, Jennifer Reynolds Jan 2021

Counselor Experiences With Clients Who Bring Emotional Support Animals To Sessions, Jennifer Reynolds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLimited research on emotional support animals (ESAs) has led to distorted viewpoints of ESAs and how they are used; many individuals are not utilizing ESAs appropriately, and heightened awareness of the negative uses of ESAs in media and other public sources. ESAs can be an effective intervention when working with clients during counseling sessions, but due to the limited research and the negative stigma media this intervention may not be adequately represented. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of counselors who allow their clients to bring ESAs to counseling session, the goal of reducing …


Risk Factors For Foodborne Illness Outbreaks In Retail Food Establishments, Brendalee Viveiros Jan 2021

Risk Factors For Foodborne Illness Outbreaks In Retail Food Establishments, Brendalee Viveiros

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite policies and interventions over the last two decades, foodborne illness remains a significant public health concern. According to the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, 60% of reported foodborne illness outbreaks involved food that was prepared at a restaurant. Reducing foodborne illness outbreaks that occur at restaurants would have a significant impact on the overall number of foodborne illnesses that occur each year. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the differences in risk factors in food establishments that have had a foodborne illness outbreak compared to food establishments that have not. This study used Reckwitz’s theory …


Play Lu Interactive Technology And Standardized Mathematics Scores, Oguz Yildiz Jan 2021

Play Lu Interactive Technology And Standardized Mathematics Scores, Oguz Yildiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology-based learning tools provide new opportunities to engage students in learning academic content. This study focuses on one such tool, Play Lu Interactive Technology (PLIT), and analyzes how students’ math achievement on standardized test scores differs between students who have used PLIT and students who have not. PLIT is designed to improve students’ communication and teamwork skills in addition to math skills. The data were collected from seventh-grade students at a public school in the state of New York that used PLIT to support students’ academic achievement in math. Due to scheduling limitations, only half of the seventh-grade students used …


Faculty Perceptions Of Student Engagement At United Arab Emirates Universities, Georgina Ahmad Farouqa Jan 2021

Faculty Perceptions Of Student Engagement At United Arab Emirates Universities, Georgina Ahmad Farouqa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany university students across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face the problem of low achievement when compared to students graduating from other countries. This may be due to lower student engagement, which in turn may be a result of faculty's choice of teaching strategies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how university faculty support student engagement and achievement. The conceptual framework for the study consisted of Chi and Wylie's interactive, constructive, active, and passive learning framework, which emphasizes the relationship between students' academic achievement and their engagement in the learning activity. The research questions addressed faculty members' …


Student Perceptions Of Community Of Inquiry In Blended Developmental Courses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cynthia D. Harrison Jan 2021

Student Perceptions Of Community Of Inquiry In Blended Developmental Courses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cynthia D. Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was the focus of this qualitative case study was the lack of identification of college students' perceptions how participation in community of inquiry (CoI) influenced self-efficacy, motivation, and student relationships in developmental blended courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify college students' perceptions how social, cognitive, and teaching presences build a sense of community and influence self-efficacy, motivation, and relationships as they participated in developmental blended courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conceptual framework of this study was built upon the theoretical foundations of Dewey's cognitive learning and Bandura's …


Educators’ Perspectives Regarding Challenges Implementing The Highscope Curriculum And Support Needed, Charmaine Christopher Jan 2021

Educators’ Perspectives Regarding Challenges Implementing The Highscope Curriculum And Support Needed, Charmaine Christopher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSince 2008, the Ministry of Education in Grenada, where this study took place, started curriculum reform with the implementation of the HighScope curriculum in preschools. The problem is that many teachers faced challenges implementing the HighScope curriculum. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of early childhood educators about challenges when implementing the HighScope curriculum, which involves balancing child-initiated and teacher-directed activities, and the support they need for executing the curriculum effectively. The conceptual frameworks that guided the study were Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Both theories reinforce the need for …


Middle School Teacher Perceptions About Response To Intervention Instruction To Improve Literacy In English-Language Arts Classrooms, Brittney Leanne Phinazee Jan 2021

Middle School Teacher Perceptions About Response To Intervention Instruction To Improve Literacy In English-Language Arts Classrooms, Brittney Leanne Phinazee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem under study was that a non-Title I school implemented a 25-minute response-to-intervention (RTI) remediation block to address the fact that students were scoring below proficiency on literacy assessments; however, teachers were unsure of how to best use this time to improve literacy instruction and were unsure which RTI strategies would work best in the time provided. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions when implementing RTI strategies within the remediation period to improve student literacy. The conceptual framework for this qualitative study was based on Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey’s constructivism theory. The research questions …


Lived Experiences Of Instructional Designers Who Designed Online Information Technology Courses With Hands-On Activities, Cheryl Bagshaw Frederick Jan 2021

Lived Experiences Of Instructional Designers Who Designed Online Information Technology Courses With Hands-On Activities, Cheryl Bagshaw Frederick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As part of the process for designing an online information technology (IT) course, hands-on activities may be included; however, the literature has not readily revealed the best practices and challenges instructional designers (IDs) face with including hands-on activities in an online IT course. Research has shown that hands-on learning increases student performance and engagement and prepares IT students for the workforce. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of IDs in the development of an online IT course when the course included hands-on activities. Constructivism and active learning were used as the conceptual …


Elementary School Principals’ Perspectives On Teacher Retention And Effective Leadership, Tiffany Antrez Jones Jan 2021

Elementary School Principals’ Perspectives On Teacher Retention And Effective Leadership, Tiffany Antrez Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low teacher retention negatively influences overall school culture, community, and student achievement. More specifics about what principals are doing to enhance teacher retention are needed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how elementary school principals address challenges when trying to retain teachers and the leadership practices principals believe encourage teachers to remain in the profession. The conceptual framework included Burns’ transformational leadership theory and Fullan and Quinn’s coherence model. Ten experienced elementary principals with higher retention rates within a suburban school district in the southern United States participated in semistructured interviews in which they were asked …


Teacher Perceptions On Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies In Middle School, Akecia Owens-Cunningham Jan 2021

Teacher Perceptions On Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies In Middle School, Akecia Owens-Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mathematics teachers at the local middle school located in a southeastern suburban community were struggling to implement differentiated instruction (DI) strategies in mathematics lessons as presented in professional development (PD) sessions and as directed by school administrators. The purpose of this study was to explore middle school mathematics teacher perceptions about using DI strategies in the classroom, about the problems they may encounter trying to use new strategies presented in PD sessions, and about teacher ideas for improving PD sessions about DI. This research study was guided by Tomlinson’s framework for differentiation in instruction. The research questions examined teachers’ perceptions …


Effects Of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Compassion Fatigue On Attrition Intention Of African American Mental Health Professionals, Kimberly A. Andrews Jan 2021

Effects Of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Compassion Fatigue On Attrition Intention Of African American Mental Health Professionals, Kimberly A. Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe African American community tends to stigmatize mental health services and is underrepresented in both client and therapist populations. Retention of African American mental health professionals (MHPs) may mitigate distrust in these services, allowing more individuals to seek out counseling. The purpose of this nonexperimental survey study was to investigate if compassion fatigue, burnout, or compassion satisfaction can predict intended attrition rates in African American MHPs. Constructivist self-development theory was employed to predict both resiliency and the potential adverse effects of listening to client narratives of 99 African American MHPs with a variety of mental health credentials. Stepwise multiple regression …