Digital Commons Network^™

Sources Of Financial Education And Use Of Alternative Financial Services, Stefan Ignatovski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the lending practices of the alternative financial services (AFS) industry harm many consumers and consumers' access and use of traditional credit are restricted, the use of AFS is a growing concern. The financial education of consumers determines their financial behavior, which may be inadequate to make effective financial decisions regarding high-cost borrowings. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine if and to what extent the sources of financial education is related to the use and frequency of use of AFSs among U.S. consumers. The theory of planned behavior and the transtheoretical model of change shaped the theoretical …

Strategies To Diversify Funding Sources In Nonprofit Organizations, Alan Lee Gunnerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although nonprofit organization (NPO) leaders play crucial roles in society, financial distress and vulnerability are common for many NPO leaders, with some NPOs closing as a result of these conditions. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the diversification strategies used by 10 leaders and senior staff of an NPO in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States through the conceptual lens of Markowitz's modern portfolio theory. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews and analysis of organizational documents, internal archival data, social media, literature, and online databases. Through thematic analysis, 7 revenue diversification themes emerged: adding revenue …

Strategies For Using Information And Communication Technologies To Improve Profitability, Rodney Mciver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners in a range of industries continually adapt to take advantage of technological developments in accounting, marketing, and communication. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that small business owners operating in the central region of North Carolina used to implement information and communication technology (ICT). Roger's diffusion of innovation theory grounded the study. Data collection included face-to-face semistructured interviews with 6 owners of small businesses who successfully implemented ICT, field notes from site observations, and reviews of participant websites. Interviews were transcribed and participants were engaged in member checking. Data were analyzed using …

A Case Study On Social Media As An Effective Management Tool, Appolloh Omolloh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In small businesses in the United States, specifically those with fewer than 10 employees,

leaders may be skeptical of and resistant to the use of social media in their management

operations. Management literature does not indicate clear and effective guidelines and

policies detailing small marketing firms use of social media. The purpose of this

qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of small marketing firm leaders

about the resources and knowledge needed for effective use of social media as a

management tool. Emerson's social exchange theory grounded the study. The study

targeted owners and managers of small marketing firms …

Teachers' Perception Of Common Core State Standards On Students With Learning Disabilities, Sarah Shabazz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Common Core State Standards were written and implemented to prepare all students for college or career readiness including students with disabilities. Students with learning disabilities often have significant difficulties and face challenges when the instruction is framed within The Common Core State Standards. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of special educators on teaching students with learning disabilities using The Common Core State Standards. The two conceptual frameworks used in this study were the Universal Design for Learning and The Zone of Proximal Development. The research questions focused on teachers' perception regarding students with …

Youth Coaches' Perception Of Their Role In A Young Athletes' Continued Participation, Ronald Roy Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Youth sports have been shown to be beneficial to the overall development of children and adolescents. Research showed youth sports participation helps children develop academically, physically, and mentally. However, there is a high attrition rate of youth sports participants.

What coaches think about youth's attrition in sports and their role in fostering or hindering young athletes' participation is not well known. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore youth coaches' perception of their role in a young person's decision to continue participating in their sport of preference. The conceptualizations of autonomy-supportive coaching strategy and Erickson's developmental theory …

Sustainable Development Economy: Macroeconomic Policy And Microeconomic Impact Of Public Private Partnerships, Richard Berkshire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of public private partnership (PPP) on Dallas, Texas economic development activities is debated through many forms of academic studies. The purpose of this study was to bridge the research gap in PPP impact on sustainable economic development from the perspectives of PPP practitioners. The central research question focused on the PPP executives' perspective on the evaluation of PPP programs within a 5-year period (2005 - 2010) in Dallas, Texas. The theoretical framework of this study was based on the policy feedback theory. A qualitative case study design was the case study approach and purposeful sampling interviews were the …

Experiences Of African American Lesbians Who Attended A Historically Black College Or University, Lee Kimball Outlaw Barmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lived experiences of African American lesbians who attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have not received sufficient empirical attention; therefore, this study was conducted to understand and describe their experiences. The study followed a qualitative phenomenological approach. The multidimensional identity model, developed by Reyolds and Pope, was used as the framework through which to understand the participants' experiences. Semistructured, 40 to 60-minute interviews were conducted with 6 women who identified as African American lesbians and attended HBCUs. Initial hand and subsequent NVivo coding of interview data led to the development of the following 7 themes: (a) either African …

Cash Management Strategies To Improve The Sustainability Of Small Tavern Businesses, Maren Michelle Haavig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The results of small business operations play a significant economic role in developed economies, yet in the United States, approximately 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. Some small business owners embark on small business initiatives without the cash management strategies necessary to sustain their businesses. Grounded on financial literacy theory, this multiple-case study identified the strategies that owners of small businesses used to manage cash in their daily operations. The population included 3 owners of small tavern business in southeast Alaska who have implemented cash management strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, supplementary …

Cited And Underprepared; The Call For Improved Emergency Preparedness In Ltc Facilities, Dawn M. Ide

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research investigated the connection between the Medicare star rating system and E-tags on emergency preparedness of nursing homes for disasters in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Emergency preparedness in nursing homes has been a topic of growing interest within the past decade. Hampton Roads, Virginia, has a history of natural disasters including hurricanes and flooding, which necessitates a proper and efficient emergency preparedness plan in nursing home facilities. The primary purpose of this research was to review the secondary Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data regarding the star rating system and E-tag surveys of each of the 37 nursing …

Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In High School Social Studies, Kerrie Lynn Hass

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low achievement in reading is a concern in a suburban school in the southeastern part of Florida. In an attempt to combat this issue, the school's administration has focused on teaching disciplinary literacy in content area classes, specifically social studies. In addition, the state standards also require that social studies teachers meet the Reading for History/Social Studies standards. Despite the effort put forth by the administration, there has yet to be an assessment of the social studies teachers' knowledge of the Reading for History/Social Studies standards or the instructional practices used to meet these standards. The purpose of this qualitative …

Teachers Support For English Language Learners To Build Inquiry Skills In Online Biology Simulations, Hermione Joseph-Orelus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science …

Strategies To Sustain A Real Estate Small Business In Postnatural-Disaster Area, Vianka Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small real estate business leaders lack effective strategies to resume and sustain operations in a postnatural-disaster environment. This multiple case study investigated strategies that 3 small real estate business leaders in southeastern Louisiana used to resume and sustain operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The chaos theory and stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, and reviews of business continuity plan documents and member checking. The themes that emerged from data analysis were leaders' strategies relating to business planning and innovation, stakeholder engagement, operations management, and disaster responsiveness. Implications …

Perspectives Of High School And Community College Instructors On College Readiness, Cynthia M. Scheuer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The preparation students need to complete college successfully is important to many stakeholders, including students, educators, and the community. Colleges struggle with enrollment and retention while high school teachers and community college instructors focus on the preparation of students to succeed in college. High school teachers and community college instructors are uniquely qualified to inform the determinants of college readiness across the continuum of education. This research study explored the perceptions of high school teachers and college instructors on the skills and behaviors required of students to be successful in college. This qualitative descriptive study was based on the conceptual …

Strategies To Obtain Certification For Cocoa Bean Production, Emmanuel Adem Opoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leading cocoa-consuming countries have declared that in the year 2020, they will permit imports of sustainably sourced cocoa beans only, threatening the sustainability of the cocoa farming business. Certification offers enhanced market access for sustainability of the business of cocoa bean producers in Ghana. The purpose of this case study was to explore the strategies that farm managers used to obtain certification for cocoa bean production. Seven farm managers of a cocoa producer's cooperative located in the eastern region of Ghana who consistently produced certified cocoa beans for at least 5 years participated in the study. Deming's quality management theory …

Sustainable Supply Chain Management In The Nigerian Consumer Goods Manufacturing Sector, Ekpen Theophilus Owie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain practitioners in developing economies, like Nigeria, experience challenges in implementing sustainable supply chain management practices. Poor sustainability implementation engenders the negative effects of supply chain operations on people, the environment, and business continuity. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of supply chain practitioners in the consumer goods manufacturing industry in Nigeria about sustainable supply chain management based on the theoretical foundations of stakeholder and general systems theories. The focus of the research question was to examine the experiences of supply chain practitioners to understand the challenges in implementing sustainable …

Strategies To Recruit Skilled Workers In Manufacturing, Ina Renee Rawlinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Manufacturing hiring managers in the United States who fail to implement adequate recruitment strategies for skilled production workers experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that successful manufacturing hiring managers in North Carolina used to recruit skilled production workers to sustain business profitability. Inductive analysis was guided by the human capital theory, and trustworthiness of interpretations was strengthened by member checking. The population for the study consisted of 4 business leaders who demonstrated the use of effective recruitment strategies to sustain profitability in manufacturing businesses in southeastern North Carolina. …

Strategies For Human Resources Professionals Using Social Networking Websites For Hiring Decisions, Robert Tyree Solomon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of social networking websites by employers without adequate strategies can lead to misuse of job applicant's information or discriminatory hiring practices. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies that some human resource professionals in the southeastern United States implemented to maximize the use of social networking websites in the hiring process. Signaling theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 8 purposefully selected human resource professionals who used social networking websites for at least 3 years to screen and select job applicants. Documentation of participating organizations …

Kindergarten Reading Readiness And Developmental Indicators For The Assessment Of Learning, Terry Lynn Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The acquisition of early childhood literacy skills is a predictor of academic success in elementary education. In a local school district, 22% of children entering kindergarten were assessed as having a gap in their reading readiness skills (RRS) based on their pre-K scores on the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL-4). The average kindergarten beginning-year difference on the Reading Baseline Inventory (RBI) between the students with a gap and students without a gap was 15 out of 100 points. The purpose of this quantitative research was to examine the change between fall and spring RBI scores of kindergarten …

An Examination Of Abstraction In K-12 Computer Science Education, Christine Lynn Liebe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Computer scientists have been working towards a common definition of abstraction; however, the instruction and assessment of abstraction remain categorically underresearched. Because abstraction is often cited as a component of computational thinking, abstraction has been summarily likened to a higher order thinking skill. A broad conceptual framework including philosophy, psychology, constructionism, and computational thinking was aligned with the descriptive qualitative design and guided the literature review and data analysis. This qualitative examination of how teachers determine curriculum, deliver instruction, and design assessments in K-12 computer science education provides insight into best practices and variables for future quantitative study. The instructional …

The Effects Of Small Learning Communities On College And Career Ready Performance Index, Julie Mizell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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In an attempt to address persistent dropout rates and low-test scores, a high school with nearly 1,700 students in the southeastern region of the United States restructured itself into small learning communities (SLCs) in 2006 resulting in higher student achievement as based on College and Career Ready Performance Index scores. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the perspectives of teachers as they experienced the SLC transformation. Guided by Piaget and Dewey's theories of constructivism, the perspectives of teachers as they experienced a successful transformation within the context of the school were investigated. The participants' prior …

Public Health Providers' Perceptions Of Electronic Health Records In A Disaster, Sherhonda Yvette Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The introduction of federal initiatives and incentives regarding health information technology fostered a movement towards the adoption of electronic health records (EHR). Implementation of EHRs sparked discussions among healthcare providers, patients, and others about the benefits or challenges of the move from the traditional paper method to the electronic version in healthcare settings. A knowledge gap in research involving the usefulness of EHRs and their impact to the delivery of care in other settings exists. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore public health providers' perceptions of the meaningful use of EHRs in a disaster setting. Study participants …

Diabetes Management Protocol In The Rehabilitation Setting, Hannah Mottel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus is a growing healthcare problem in the United States. Diabetes affects 1.4 million Americans yearly, impacting the lives of individuals of all ages. One of the most challenging aspects about diabetes is that many individuals are not aware of the impact of the disease on multiple organs until the progression of the disease has reached latter stages. Prevention and early detection of diabetes is a key component of lifesaving interventions including proper nutrition counseling, exercise regimens, management, and patient compliance with a treatment plan. The purpose of this doctoral project was to create a standardized diabetes management protocol …

Initiating Factors Affecting Information Systems Project Success, Jonathan Olubunmi Afolabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information systems (IS) projects are complex and costly, but only a 3rd of IS projects are successful; the Standish Group reported that 32% of IS projects were successful in 2012. Although investments in research have led to improvements in practice, there is a general perception that management failures are responsible for the low rate of IS project success. The effects of initiating factors on project outcome had not been sufficiently explored; few IS researchers have explored the initiation phase. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore project initiation factors, including relational, as well as decision-making aspects, and …

Neurodevelopmental Basis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Based On Age And Gender, Sursatie Chetram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, socialization, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In 2012, one out of every 55 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) have been diagnosed with ASD in the United States. Only 30-40% of ASD has a known etiology (e.g., genetic predisposition) and the other 60-70% is unknown. Prior to this study, there was no known literature on age and gender differences related to neuro-developmental functioning of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine how the differences in age and gender of people with ASD were related to …

What Matters Most To Mayors Making Interlocal Agreement Decisions, Douglas C. Haney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local governmental units in the United States are struggling to cope with dwindling public resources and surging public demands. They often turn to interlocal agreements (ILAs) as a collaborative means by which to more effectively serve their constituents. Unfortunately, many ILAs never materialize or fail prematurely. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of 13 purposefully selected mayors in the State of Indiana to discover what factors they considered important when making their ILA entry and continuation decisions. It utilized a conceptual framework based on the transaction costs theory, as informed by the utility maximization, …

Health Literacy As A Measure To Reduce Cost, Improve Health And Access, Vivian Dee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States dedicates greater than 17% of its gross national product to healthcare. This percentage is expected to go up to 20% by 2018. Despite the high cost of care, the health care system remains inefficient and ineffective. Barriers include reduced access to care related to low health literacy. Complicating low health literacy is the high readability score of patient education materials. The high readability score is in part due to tools that are not standardized and measure different aspects of education materials creating varying readability scores. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to adopt a tool, …

Using Appreciative Inquiry To Discover School Administrators' Learning Management Best Practices Development, Michelle Estes Tittle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Education has mandated that each U.S. state develop successful initiatives to help students navigate their educational experience. Yet in Alabama students neither advance academically nor in improved life skills development. It is unclear if school administrators in Alabama Schools have contextual best practices for strategic planning and implementation to support and improve the experiences of vulnerable K-12 students. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore how administrators of Alabama schools develop contextual best practices for strategic planning and implementation to support students. The conceptual framework was designed using collaboration theory, organizational learning theory, …

An Exploratory Case Study: Persistence And Retention Of Students In An Alternative High School, Lametrica Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) are at greater risk for dropping out of high school than other students, and are likely to experience fewer employment options and more societal marginalization. Alternative schools have been viewed as a last chance and best option for educating many students with EBD who have not actually been diagnosed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore persistence and retention in the alternative school setting for students who may or may not have been diagnosed with EBD. Students in this study will be referred to as EBD. Although they have not been …

Academic Entitlement And The Decision-Making Of Tenured Professors, A. Roland Chambers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic entitlement is a concern in higher education because of the potential societal and market driven influences on credible scholarship. Most of the research has focused on negative attitudes and behaviors attributed to students. The considerations of tenured professors who interact with academically entitled students and strategies for effective classroom management has not been fully explored. Constructivism provided the theoretical framework for the qualitative case study. Data were collected from open-ended, semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of 10 tenured professors from a state college in the Southeastern United States to explore (a) the meanings participants attributed to academic entitlement, …