Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Teacher Decision Making And Instructional Practice In Data Teams, Kelly Jo Moffett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administration in a mid-Atlantic elementary school in the United States mandated implementation of the Data Wise improvement process (DWIP) to address accountability and student achievement concerns. Leaders were unsure if elementary educators used the approved DWIP within their data teams and how the data were used to support instructional practices. The purpose of this bounded qualitative descriptive single case study was to explore teachers’ collaboration and planning using DWIP in data teams, teachers’ perceptions of the influence of data team participation on their instructional practices, and how teachers demonstrated the use of data in planning for classroom instruction. The data-driven …

The Role Of Internet Of Things In Hotels’ Profitability, Gershwin Narraidoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As consumers increase the use of smart technologies, the lack of or improper implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) systems may affect the profitability of hotel businesses. For this qualitative single case study, Porter’s value chain model was the conceptual framework. The data collection process also included direct observations, participant observations, company performance documents, and reflective journaling. Data analysis from multiple sources of data was triangulated to hoteliers revealing that the implementation of IoT systems strategies may increase profit through the use of IoT system technology. Using Yin’s 5-step process, data were coded and analyzed and produced 3 themes: offer …

Impact Of Kenya’S Public Debt On Economic Stability, Liston Willy N. Njoroge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kenya’s public debt has grown rapidly, precipitating debate on its impact on economic performance and causing public anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to investigate the long run and causal relationship between Kenya’s public debt and economic growth. Keynesian theory, Ricardian equivalence theory, and neoclassical theory provided the framework for the study. Research Questions 1 and 2 addressed the causal relationship between public debt and select covariates as independent variables and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable. Research Question 3 addressed the relationship between primary budget balance and public debt. …

Financial Illiteracy Of Nigerian Immigrant Entrepreneurs In Houston, Adewole M. Omogunsoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy is an essential determinant of entrepreneurial success as it helps entrepreneurs to access credit and make rational financial decisions. However, financial literacy remains low especially among immigrant communities, who form the bulk of the low-income earners in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the financial literacy of Nigerian immigrant entrepreneurs living in Houston, Texas, in order to sustain growth in their business by successfully using the U.S credit system. The research question for the study examined the actions Nigerian immigrant entrepreneurs in Houston need to take to be financially literate …

Reducing Payment-Card Fraud, Chares R. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical public data in the United States are vulnerable to theft, creating severe financial and legal implications for payment-card acceptors. When security analysts and managers who work for payment card processing organizations implement strategies to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud, they protect their organizations, consumers, and the local and national economy. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies business owners and card processors use to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud. The participants were 3 data security analysts and 1 manager working for an international payment card processing organization with 10 …

Exploring Trust In Cloud Computing For A Governmental Organization In Ethiopia: A Case Study, Estifanos Abebe Seyoum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations face a rapidly changing environment that forces them to seek high computing power. The problem was how to overcome factors that cause managers at governmental organizations in Ethiopia to be reluctant to trust cloud computing, while some managers overcame this lack of trust. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to provide a deeper understanding of how a governmental organization in Ethiopia overcame the factors that adversely influenced managers of other organizations to the extent that they distrusted and decided against adopting cloud computing. The population for this study was comprised of 12 managers from a governmental …

Differences In Financial Literacy Across Generations, Audra R. Sherwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States federal government allocates $670 million annually towards financial literacy despite the fact 73 million adults are struggling financially, and over 65% of Americans are financially illiterate and unable to manage their finances. The specific management problem addressed in this study was the awareness of the differences in financial literacy between Millennials and Generation Xers who have and have not taken personal finance courses in high school in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, causal-comparative study was to test the self-efficacy theory and goal-setting theory in determining the differences between the two generational groups of …

Effective Strategies Processing Companies Use To Sustain Business Operations Beyond 5 Years, Travis C. Souders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small food processing businesses in the United States lack strategies to remain financially viable beyond 5 years of operation. Owners and managers of small food processing businesses could benefit from an improved understanding of the importance of effective strategies to improve small business sustainability. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies small food processing companies use to sustain operations beyond 5 years. The participants were 1 small-business owner and 8 managers in Lexington, Kentucky, who used effective strategies to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. Data collected came from semi-structured …

Strategies To Maintain Profitability When Crude Oil Prices Fluctuate, Yussif Sulemana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid and sustained fluctuations in the crude oil market have remained a threat to the financial performance of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. Such fluctuations can reduce the profitability of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive single case study was to explore strategies oil production leaders used to maintain profitability when crude oil prices fluctuate. The participants included 6 senior oil production leaders in a national oil corporation in Ghana who employed successful strategies to maintain profitability. Kraus and Litzenberger’s trade-off theory of capital structure served as the conceptual framework for …

Associations Between Developmental English Models And College Students’ Completion And Persistence, Deanna Lynn Surfus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Midwest Community College (a pseudonym) students who do not score high enough in reading and writing on an assessment must take an integrated reading and writing (IRW) developmental English (DEng) course. The college transitioned most of its IRW courses from stand-alone courses, grounded in Vygotsky’s scaffolding concept where students first take IRW and then the first-semester English course (ENGL 100), to a corequisite model, grounded in a modification of Tinto’s theory of persistence, in which students take the IRW course concurrently with ENGL 100. Even with the corequisite model, too many students are not passing ENGL 100. The purpose of …

Improving The Ethical Use Of E-Health And Emr, Josephine Tafie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improving the Ethical Use of E-health and EMR

by

Josephine Tafie

MS, Walden University

BS, Washington Adventist University

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

August 2020

Abstract

The healthcare industry is experiencing ethical problems with the integration of new technological applications, such as e-health and electronic medical records (EMRs) in service delivery. Thus, the purpose of this capstone project was to conduct a systematic literature review to determine the best practices that are well suited to a large urban hospital, to ensure patients’ privacy with the continued use …

Strategies Human Resource Managers Use To Reduce Employee Turnover, Fatema Turkistani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the highest costs of employee turnover in the United States is in the pharmaceutical industry, where employee turnover is on the rise and affects profitability. Pharmaceutical leaders and resource managers are concerned with employee turnover because the estimated costs of employee turnover range between 70% and 300% of an employee’s annual salary. Using Bass’s transformational leadership theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies human resource managers in the pharmaceutical industry use to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from a review of company documents and face-to-face semistructured interviews …

Africentrism, Leadership, And Human Rights At Indiana University’S African American Dance Company, Vickie M. Casanova-Willis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for educational leadership to prepare multicultural students for 21st-century careers in a global economy is high; however, there is scant research on the right to culturally relevant education and its potential to foster the dispositions required of individuals and society in this context. Critical race theory, human rights ideals, and distributed leadership theory provided the conceptual framework for this interpretive qualitative study to explore the experiences of those who participate in African-centered arts education and to investigate its possible benefits as a reparative human rights tool. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 9 former and current members …

Obstacles With Data Security: Strategies From Carolina Universities, Yamiah R. Compton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some university data custodians lack information security strategies to prevent data security breaches. Reducing duplicitous use of personally identifiable information (PII) obtained maliciously from colleges and universities should be important to university data custodians, IT leadership of all levels, state legislators, and individuals that have an interest in moving into the cybersecurity space in higher education. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to examine information security strategies that university data custodians use to protect PII collected from staff, students, and other stakeholders. The participants consisted of 15 college and university data custodians …

Administrators’ Roles And Practices In The Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions, Frances Correa-Phelps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive behavior intervention support is a behavioral approach that was implemented in the early 2000s across the United States to assist educators in addressing the behavioral concerns of students with special needs. Since its implementation, it has been used to assist students at all levels with emotional and behavioral needs to achieve academic success in over 20,000 schools. However, there was a reported lack of administrative support and insufficient understanding regarding administrators’ roles in the process. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to examine administrators’ roles and decision-making practices in implementation of the behavioral intervention approach across …

Predictive Factors Of Risky Sexual Behaviors Of Emerging Adult Women, Corey Dabney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study offered a predictive model to better understand the social dynamics of risky sexual behavior through examining how reproductive coercion, self-esteem, and peer relationships that present with risky sexual behaviors correlate to unintended pregnancy. The participants were 104 emerging adult women between the ages 18-25 who resided in the United States and were proficient in the English language. Using the theoretical lens of reciprocal determinism, direct logistic regression was performed to assess the likelihood that the variables reproductive coercion, peer relationships, and self-esteem would impact unintended pregnancy. The full model containing all predictors was statistically significant, indicating that the …

Strategies For Automating Pharmacovigilance Adverse Event Case Processing, Mythily Easwar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders who fail to implement innovative technology solutions in their companies face economic distress in these organizations. Guided by the task technology fit model as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies used by pharmacovigilance (PV) systems leaders to implement innovative technology solutions. The participants were 4 PV systems managers working in a pharmaceutical company in the Boston area of Massachusetts, United States, who used successful strategies to implement innovative technology solutions to automate adverse events case processing. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and company documents. The collected data were …

Group Education Program To Increase Obesity Knowledge In Cardiac Care Nurses, Ethel Emenogu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity increases the severity of cardiac disease, leading to increased mortality and morbidity. The need to address obesity is critical in reducing obesity-associated complications such as heart failure, strokes, heart attacks, and even death. Obesity is also a risk factor for many chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Evidence has shown that obese individuals with cardiac disease are at increased risk of developing complications. The practice-focused question for this doctoral project asked whether a group educational program could increase obesity knowledge among cardiac care clinic nurses. The purpose of this DNP project was to provide …

Understanding The Effects Of Mathematics Professional Development On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics, Mike Flynn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Negative mathematics perceptions may affect how teachers teach the subject, how much time they spend on the subject, and how well they teach it. The problem that grounded this study was that although anecdotal evidence showed that teachers’ experience with professional development (PD) courses in mathematics teaching improved their perceptions of mathematics, there was a lack of data regarding how PD affects changes in teachers’ perceptions. The study purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of what elements of a PD course have the greatest effect on improving teachers’ perceptions of mathematics. Piaget’s constructivist and Vygotsky’s socio-constructivism theories made up …

Middle School Principal Perceptions Of Instructional Coaching Effectiveness On Mathematics Teacher Performance, Jaimie Carin Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In middle schools in central Pennsylvania, instructional coaching has increased as a job-embedded professional development to support teachers in increasing their capacity and performance. The local problem was middle school principals were unsure of the effectiveness of their instructional coach on mathematics teacher capacity and performance. The purpose of this study was to explore middle school principal perceptions of the effect of instructional coaching on mathematics teacher performance. This study was guided by the social constructivist framework, which considers learning a unique sense-making experience filled with opportunities for self-reflection and growth. The research question focused on how middle school principals …

Secondary Principals Perceptions Of Classroom Instructional Walkthroughs, Deborah Hamilton Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although many researchers have studied aspects of classroom instructional walkthroughs, there has been a gap in practice and research related to how middle school principals interpreted the functions and purposes of such walkthroughs and how they used them to enhance instruction. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the gap in knowledge and understanding of what middle school principals perceived as the function and purpose of classroom instructional walkthroughs. The conceptual framework was based on the 5 dimensions of teaching and learning. Research questions were derived from specific components of the framework and related to the function …

Innovation-Driven Growth In Heavy Equipment Firms, Raynald J. Gallant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of innovation-driven revenue growth can have adverse effects on organizational outcomes. Company leaders who do not pursue innovation put their firm's survival at risk. Grounded in Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation and Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between company culture, company maturity, company revenue, and innovation-driven revenue growth rate in global heavy equipment manufacturing firms. Secondary data (N = 50) were collected from the Yellow Table, an annual listing of the top 50 global heavy equipment companies by revenue from 2002 to 2018. The results of the …

Outcomes Of A School-Wide Mathematics Intervention, Lisa M. Garrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to students’ poor algebra achievement, Midtown High School, a pseudonym, implemented a school-wide math intervention and enrichment program during the 2014-2015 school year. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to assess the influence of the intervention on Algebra I and Algebra II end-of-course (EOC) exam achievement scores as well as explore math teachers’ perspectives of the intervention program. The theoretical foundation was constructivism. A consensus sample using archival data from all 419 high school students taking Algebra before the intervention 2013-2014 and after the intervention 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 were used with teacher interviews for triangulation. ANOVA results …

Implementing Cloud-Based Enterprise Resource Planning Solutions In Small And Medium Enterprises, Ali Hamdar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lacking strategies to implement a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can lead to a failed implementation. SME owners can improve company performance by integrating company processes by successfully implementing a cloud-based ERP solution. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory augmented with business process management design for Six Sigma, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies SME owners use to implement cloud-based ERP solutions. The participants consisted of 4 SME owners in Lebanon who successfully implemented a cloud-based ERP solution and improved company performance and growth. Data were …

Retaining Teachers Rated As Effective In Title I Schools, Jessica Nicole Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher retention and continuity are important for students, particularly for those in middle- to high-poverty, low-achieving schools. There is a gap in practice related to providing support for and overcoming barriers to the retention of teachers rated as effective, particularly keeping them with students with socioeconomic and academic need. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of leaders in Title I schools to understand better the elements and support they identify for retaining teachers rated as effective. Bruner's work explaining how needs, motivations, and expectations influence perceptions informed the study. Research questions were designed to …

Exploring Mid-Market Strategies For Big Data Governance, Kenneth Stanley Knapton Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many data scientists are struggling to adopt effective data governance practices as they transition from traditional data analysis to big data analytics. Data governance of big data requires new strategies to deal with the volume, variety, and velocity attributes of big data. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore big data governance strategies employed by data scientists to provide a holistic perspective of those data for making decisions. The participants were 10 data scientists employed in multiple mid-market companies in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area who have strategies to govern big data. This study’s …

Strategies To Implement A Material Management Information System For Medical Device Recalls, Paul Leo Lafrance

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care business executives lack strategies to implement material management information systems (MMIS) related to medical device recalls. Lacking sufficient MMIS, health care business executives face insufficient product tracking related to medical devices affecting operational efficiency. Grounded in the conceptual frameworks of the technology acceptance model and diffusion of innovation, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore health care business executives’ strategies for implementing an MMIS related to medical device recalls. The participants were 6 health care executives who implemented an MMIS in an urban hospital in the northeast region of the United States. Data were …

Understanding School Climate, Chronic Absenteeism, And Effective Practices For Improving Absenteeism At A Private High School, Tiffany Nerveza-Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student absenteeism in high school continues to be a nationwide educational challenge. In manifestation of this problem, a private high school in Utah was identified as having a significant number of students with excessive absenteeism. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological theory and Baumrind’s authoritative model, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore teacher and administrator perceptions about school climate and how to improve chronic absenteeism (CA). The research questions focused on how faculty perceived school climate, its effect on student absenteeism, and best practices being used to encourage attendance. The data collection included a) descriptive information from 13 …

Financial Management Strategies For Sustaining Small Entertainment Businesses, Michael Nana Nitto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective financial management control strategies results in many small business entertainment owners (SBEOs) failing within their first 5 years of operations. Without strategies to develop and maintain adequate financial management controls, SBEOs may lose market share and potentially go bankrupt, which would result in the loss of jobs and income for employees. Grounded in the mental budgeting theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore financial management strategies successful SBEOs use to improve productivity and profitability to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 4 successful SBEOs in Northern Virginia who effectively …

Pedagogical, Attitudinal, And Environmental Influences On Student-Centered Technology Practices Of Elementary Teachers, Shanna Renae Opfer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While much is known about individual influences on teacher technology use, there is a lack of research explaining the overlapping factors of pedagogy, attitude, and environment that intersect to influence teachers’ decisions to use student-centered technology. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive descriptive study was to examine how the intersection of these factors influenced the student-centered technology practices of 14 third through fifth grade teachers in faith-based schools across the United States. The study’s conceptual framework was built on both social cognitive theory and first- and second-order barriers to technology use. Data were collected through virtual interviews with participants who …