Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between Self-Determination And Employee Retention, Tiffany Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention of registered nurses (RNs) is essential to the sustainability of quality health care services. More than 55% of hospitals in the United States have not translated retention initiatives into a formal retention strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between training programs, new hire onboarding processes, frozen positions, and nurse retention. The self-determination theory was the theoretical framework for this study. Secondary data were collected from the 2016 Texas Hospital Nurse Staffing Survey. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results of the multiple linear regression were statistically significant, with F(3, 251) = .602, …

Scripted Programs: A Curriculum Evaluation, Amanda Rose Crose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools participating in the Carson Curriculum Project use a scripted literacy curriculum. After years of implementation, these curricula are still being used, despite no increase in standardized tests, which is the goal of the project. An evaluation of scripted literacy curriculum has never been completed. The purpose of this study was to use a qualitative case study to gather the perspectives of 12 teachers, administrators, and curriculum coaches, three from each of the four schools who have taught in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade for at least 1 school year. The conceptual framework for this study was Bradley's effectiveness model. …

Safe Chemical Handling By Agrochemical Users In Plateau State, Nigeria, Adaobi Ifeoma Ekwempu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Agrochemical use has been increasing in both developing and the developed nations. The unsafe handling and use of agrochemicals can lead to accumulation of hazardous chemicals in the body, causing adverse effects on health. This quantitative cross sectional study sought to understand the level of awareness, practices, and perceptions of safe chemical handling by agrochemical using the Theory of Planned Behavior. This study was conducted among 260 farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. Data on background knowledge and practices of safe agrochemical handling by farmers were collected using a structured paper based, interviewer-€administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics revealed that the most practiced …

Job Retention Of Childcare Workers In A Military Child Development Center, Janet Marie Hooten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the low retention rates of childcare workers at a military child development center in the northeast United States. The purpose of this case study was to explore the work experiences of childcare employees during their first year of employment at a child development center to discover the factors that influenced their decision to resign. The conceptual framework that guided this study was a 2-factor approach of motivator and hygiene factors associated with experiences and perceptions. Transcripts from interviews with 15 current and prior childcare workers and management team members were coded, triangulated, and thematically analyzed. The themes …

What Drives Underprepared Students From The First Year On, Shanetta S. Lillard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College students often enter college academically unprepared, as evidenced by low high school cumulative GPAs or poor SAT scores. In response to this problem, administrators at a 4-year university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Unites States implemented an intensive, semester-long program to introduce and acclimate conditionally admitted students to the rigors of collegiate life. The purpose of this study was to understand how to assist students in moving from Year 1 to full admission and beyond. In accordance with Bandura's reciprocal causation of social cognitive theory model, the research questions centered on conditionally admitted students' descriptions of their experiences …

Strategies For Cloud Services Adoption In Saudi Arabia, Wessam Hussein Abdulghani Mahmoud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The adoption rate of cloud computing is low among business organizations in Saudi Arabia, despite the cost-€saving benefits of using cloud services. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that information technology (IT) leaders in the manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia used to adopt cloud computing to reduce IT costs. The target population of this study consisted of 5 IT leaders from 5 different manufacturing companies in Saudi Arabia who successfully adopted cloud computing in their companies to reduce IT costs. Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory was the conceptual framework for this research. Data collected …

Medication Reconciliation, Competency, Timely And Effective Care, And Hospital Readmissions, Perry Theodore Nichols

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge result in significant multimillion-€dollar penalties to thousands of Medicare-€eligible hospitals throughout the United States and are indicators of suboptimal patient healthcare leading to less than ideal health outcomes for previously hospitalized patients. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between medication reconciliation, nursing workforce competency, timely and effective care, and Medicare-€eligible hospital 30-€day readmission rates. The sample of 269 hospitals came from the population of Medicare-€eligible hospitals throughout the United States. Complexity theory and the general model of readmission were theoretical frameworks grounding this study. Secondary data were from …

Knowledge Sharing And Customer Relations In Mobility, Katie Dyretha Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the events of September 11, 2001, inadequacies in how government organizations and agencies shared knowledge and communication with defense mission partners became readily apparent. A reasonable U.S. government information technology expectation is the integrated use of mobile phones across organizations and agencies. Yet, it is difficult to meet this expectation, as the provisioning process for mobile devices can be different for each government organization or agency. The Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology does not set provisioning standards, and organizations and agencies determine policies tailored to their particular needs. Using Schein's theory on organizational culture, the …

Strategies To Sustain Small Accounting Businesses For Longer Than 5 Years, John Chidi Nwabueze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses represent over 99% of all United States businesses and are engines of economic growth and job creation. In 2018, the Small Business Administration estimated that a total of 30.2 million small businesses employed over 58.9 million workers. Small businesses are known to face significant challenges, and most fail within 5 years of startup. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that owners of small accounting businesses used to sustain their organizations for longer than 5 years. The population in this study consisted of 5 owners of small accounting businesses in Michigan. The conceptual framework …

Employee Retention Strategies For Executive Operation Leaders In An Academic Nursing Environment, Polly Castro Ramos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee attrition affects organizations in the form of lower productivity, decreased profitability, and reduced sustainability. In 2014, business owners lost over $11 billion in tangible and intangible assets due to the inability to retain employees. Using the social exchange theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective employee retention strategies used by business leaders in an academic nursing environment. The study encompassed participants from 3 of the United States: Texas, Kentucky, and Florida. Participants were purposefully selected because of their experience in implementing effective employee retention strategies. Data were collected via semistructured …

Strategies For Small Energy Consulting Business Survivability, Scholastica Nwabueze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are critical to economic development. Small businesses create job opportunities and training and innovative products and services, but they encounter significant challenges and many fail in the first 7 years due to lack of sustainable strategies. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies owners used to sustain small energy consulting businesses for longer than 7 years. The population in this study consisted of 5 senior executives of a small energy consulting firm in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The conceptual framework for the study was the transformational leadership theory that deals with vision and …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The English Learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development Course, Natasha Nichole Ridley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For 4 years, a northern local district in Virginia conducted an intensive staff training on

English language learner (ELL) instruction to settle a United States Department of Justice complaint. The local problem was that ongoing professional development to build teachers' instructional skills has not significantly resulted in ELL students' academic improvement. The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate teachers' perceptions of the mandated English learner Professional Learning Plan Professional Development to help address the instructional needs of ELLs. Guskey's characteristics of effective professional development and Bandura's self-efficacy theory provide the conceptual framework for the study. The research …

Strategies To Mitigate Negative Results Of Supply Chain Disruption, Manal Alramadin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chains are considered the foundation of the global economy, and businesses with global supply chains usually encounter at least 1 disruption annually. Mitigating the negative impact of disruptions is critical to supply chain managers, as disruptions can negatively impact organizational profitability and performance. Grounded in the resource dependence theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies organizational and supply chain managers use to mitigate negative results from supply chain disruption. Participants were 4 supply chain managers working in 2 different international organizations located in Jordan, who used effective strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions. …

Health Awareness On High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, And Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Innocent Bibi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for 25% of the annual deaths in the United States and represents a major public health burden, as patients often require screening and lifestyle changes related to multiple risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if there was a statistically significant association between high blood pressure and high cholesterol awareness (prevention and management) and cardiovascular health outcomes (angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, and heart attack). The theoretical framework that guided this study was the health belief model. Data from adults over the …

Teachers' Beliefs About Using A Growth Mindset When Teaching Special Education Students, Kimberly Nicole Hellthaler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine general education teachers' knowledge and experiences regarding a growth versus a fixed mindset while teaching students with disabilities in Grades K-2. The conceptual framework that was used to guide this study was Dweck's implicit theories of mindsets. Research questions were developed to explore teachers' knowledge and experiences about teaching with a growth mindset versus fixed mindset and how they assessed themselves in terms of teaching with a fixed or growth mindset. The research design was a basic qualitative study that included semi structured interviews and a teacher assessment using a Mindset Quiz. …

Probabilistic Algorithms, Lean Methodology Techniques, And Cell Optimization Results, Michael Mccurrey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a significant technology deficiency within the U.S. manufacturing industry compared to other countries. To adequately compete in the global market, lean manufacturing organizations in the United States need to look beyond their traditional methods of evaluating their processes to optimize their assembly cells for efficiency. Utilizing the task-technology fit theory this quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among software using probabilistic algorithms, lean methodology techniques, and manufacturer cell optimization results. Participants consisted of individuals performing the role of the systems analyst within a manufacturing organization using lean methodologies in the Southwestern United States. Data were collected from 118 …

Using Transformational Leadership To Reduce Employee Turnover In Hospital Organizations, Sylvia Mcmanus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnovers have been challenging and costly for most organizations. Organization leaders are concerned with employee turnover due to the high cost of training replacements. Grounded in Burns's model of transformational leadership, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify strategies hospital managers used to reduce Environmental Services (EVS) employee turnover. The participants consisted of 5 EVS managers with recruiting and hiring responsibilities from the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle Park of North Carolina who experienced EVS turnover, yet implemented effective leadership strategies to retain workers. Yin's 5 stages of data analysis were used to analyze data …

Women Leaders In Information Technology: A Phenomenological Study Of Their Career Paths, Michelle Newsome

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, women remain underrepresented in senior level positions in the information technology (IT) field. Despite this challenge, a few women have successfully ascended into senior leadership in IT. Using the social cognitive theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of senior women leaders in the IT field. The research question explored the lived personal and professional experiences of senior women leaders in IT to gain an understanding of their career advancement into senior leadership positions. Through the use of the modified Van Kaam method of …

Cybersecurity Strategies For Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs, Hai Vu Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon has proliferated, making its way into different business and educational sectors and enabling multiple vectors of attack and vulnerability to protected data. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) security professionals working in a university setting use to secure an environment to support BYOD in a university system. The study population was comprised of IT security professionals from the University of California campuses currently managing a network environment for at least 2 years where BYOD has been implemented. Protection motivation theory was the study's conceptual framework. …

A Conflictive Triuvirate Consruct Of Epidemiologic Systems Failure, Ngozi Lois Ulinwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epidemiologic systems failure (ESF) is a major hurdle in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases during outbreaks. The reasons for ESF include the technical limitation of personnel handling epidemic crises, strictly defined health policies that limit the actions of epidemiologists, and personal perspective's reservations towards the intentions of health agencies. The purpose of this triumvirate mixed-methods case study was to examine factors of infectious disease control mechanisms useful for determining ESF. Three juxtaposed pre-emptive factors (technical [T], organizational [O], and personal [P] perspectives were used to determine how the multiple perspectives inquiring systems and fuzzy logic revealed factors causing ESF …

Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to the stability and growth of economies by creating employment in rural and urban areas. More than 60% of SMEs do not survive for longer than 5 years; a lack of leadership skills is among the key problems. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership skills owners-managers used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Research participants were 4 owners-managers of SMEs from the manufacturing industry in Trinidad and Tobago that sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The contingency leadership model and the skill-based leadership …

Work-Life Balance Of Tenured And Tenure-Track Women Engineering Professors, Lily Giang-Tien Gossage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Balancing the needs of family with career ambitions is often challenging for women who pursue science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers, particularly in academia. In these male-dominated workplaces, few incentives exist for women who decide to manage both work and family. In this basic qualitative research study, a modified approach combining in-depth interviewing with life-history interviewing was used to examine the work-life balance experiences of 12 tenured and tenure-track women engineering faculty who have children. The research question addressed participants' perceptions of engineering academia and experiences regarding family formation, child-raising, and the tenure process. Data were analyzed using the …

Effects Of Cell Phone Cameras On Police Working Behavior, Michael J. Derek Mallett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recording police officers can result in distraction, fear, and false perceptions of law enforcement personnel when citizens upload the videos to social media, though little is understood about police perceptions of this phenomenon. Using evaluation apprehension theory, emotional labor theory, and emotional intelligence as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the feelings and experiences of police officers recorded by citizens with cell phone cameras while working. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 police officers in the State of Indiana who were recorded with cell phone cameras. The data were transcribed, inductively coded, and …

Incorporating Data Governance Frameworks In The Financial Industry, Tarlochan Singh Randhawa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Data governance frameworks are critical to reducing operational costs and risks in the financial industry. Corporate data managers face challenges when implementing data governance frameworks. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that successful corporate data managers in some banks in the United States used to implement data governance frameworks to reduce operational costs and risks. The participants were 7 corporate data managers from 3 banks in North Carolina and New York. Servant leadership theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Methodological triangulation involved assessment of nonconfidential bank documentation on the data governance framework, …

Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Around Assessment, Mary Sue Durr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significance of professional development (PD) is acknowledged in research studies as essential to implementing rigorous state standards. Although the literature recognizes that PD is a crucial component in improving teachers' knowledge and skills, some teachers at a midsized urban public elementary school in the southern United States did not see the benefit of attending PD. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary special education teachers' perceptions of PD around assessment. Guided by a framework based on Chen and McCray's whole teacher approach to teacher PD, this basic qualitative study was designed to understand how these elementary special …

Teacher Perceptions Of Math Professional Development In A Small Vocational School, Nisha Woody

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The vocational math teachers at a vocational secondary school lack the adequate skills needed to be effective in math classrooms. The vocational teachers who teach math at the local vocational school have been identified as noncertified teachers based on their certification with the state department of education. The purpose of this project study was to determine the best professional development sessions needed to improve the instructional practice of untrained math teachers at the school. Their work is critical to the academic and career development of students. The social development theory of Vygotsky, which states that social interaction has an …

Factors Associated With Pesticide Resistance In Culex Mosquitoes, Jude Akpan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years mosquito-borne diseases have reemerged, largely because of pesticide resistance. The mosquitoes develop resistance to pesticides because of broad and repeated uses of pesticides. Preventing the development of pesticide resistance requires proper understanding of the environmental factors potentially associated with the development of the resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental factors associated with the resistance to pesticides by the Culex mosquitoes. This correlational study included the analysis of archived data samples (N = 29,794) from the Field Cage Tests results conducted between 2013 and 2017 by a large county public health department. The …

Survey Of U.S. Undergraduate Self-Reported Opioid Diversion And Heroin Use, Motives, Sources, And Collective Efficacy As Mediating Factors, Mark Francis Plaushin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epic morbidity and mortality, and intractability make prescription opioid diversion a wicked problem. Meanwhile, college undergraduates are vulnerable to opioid misuse and its consequences. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess U.S. undergraduate students' opioid misuse and the relationship between mediating factors. The study's theoretical framework rested on Wakeland's et al. opioid system model and Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory. This study bridged the gap, measuring collective efficacy and testing its relationship to undergraduate decisions to regulate misuse. Thus, research questions focused on gauging the problem's scope and assessing relationships between factors that drive or potentially regulate …

Strategies To Minimize Perishable Food Loss In The Retail Grocery Business, Thankgod Chukwumeka Aleruchi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers in the retail grocery industry face significant challenges in reducing the wastage of perishable food. Perishable food spoilage and deterioration in the retail grocery industry result in a significant loss of profitability and consumer satisfaction. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that supply chain managers in the retail grocery business used to minimize perishable food loss. The perishable inventory theory was used as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 6 Pennsylvania retail grocery supply chain managers who implemented strategies to minimize perishable food loss and from organizational …

Success Factors For Power Project Development Businesses In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kodjo Galevissi Afidegnon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the financing gap in the sub-Saharan Africa power sector, private investors struggle to capitalize on the opportunity because of the high failure rate of power project development companies. Using the conceptual framework of the behavioral finance theory, this multiple case study was conducted to explore the strategies used by executives of 4 companies in sub-Saharan Africa who successfully developed power projects within the last 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of government and institutions' websites. Yin's 5-phased cycle for analyzing case studies provided the guidelines for data analysis. Three themes emerged from data analysis: …