Digital Commons Network^™

Social Stereotyping And Self-Esteem Of Miss America Pageant Contestants, Ebony Bowers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Miss America Pageant contestants (MAPCs) have been negatively stereotyped socially for their perceived lack of intelligence and nonconformance to feminist gender stereotypes of women. Stereotypes could affect an individual's social psyche and establish stigma, which could prevent a group from achieving their full potential. Stereotypes could also result in women having mental health disorders, low self-esteem, a decrease in self-efficacy, body image dissatisfaction, and eating disorders. The problem this study addressed was that women who participate in the Miss America Organization (MAO) preliminary pageants risk social stigma for taking part in a seemingly nonfeminist activity. Intercultural communication research (ICR) was …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Employee Perceptions Of The Impact Of Layoffs, Linda Carrington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of Americans were terminated from their employment in massive layoffs in 2013, which not only created outrage among employees. but also opened the door for retaliatory lawsuits. However, profitable companies are still engaged in restructuring and layoffs, which have a negative effect on employees, managers, and survivors. Such actions create mistrust in management and continue to plague the workforce and the economy. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impacts that layoffs and downsizing have on employees' trust, work performance, behavior, and health. Informed by Sarker's theory on management and employee trust, the research questions explored …

Effects Of Acculturation Gap And Attachment Style On South Asian Adolescent Well-Being, Malliga Delaney Delaney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

South Asian (SA) adolescents experience the added challenges of identity development and coping as a minority population of color in a predominantly White host culture. Adolescent attachment style (AS) with their parents, along with an acculturation gap (AG) with their parents, can either add to or alleviate their struggles. A matched acculturation style and secure AS with their parents were hypothesized to result in higher ethnic identity and adaptive coping. The Brief COPE, Multiethnic Identity Measure, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, and the Bicultural Inquiry Questionnaire were used to measure the independent (AG and AS) and dependent variables (identity …

Marketing Strategies For Increasing Latino Enrollment In Higher Education, Melissa Rocio Gomez De La Fuente

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many leaders of higher education institutions in the United States face changes in student demographics, tightened regulatory environments, and reduced state funding. University leaders have an opportunity to leverage targeted marketing strategies in order to increase their institutions' market share in the Latino student segment. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies that some university leaders use to increase Latino student enrollment in higher education programs. The marketing mix and the Ps of marketing theory comprised the study's conceptual framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 3 marketing experts from the higher education sector, who were selected by …

Lived Experiences Of Exonerated Individuals 1 Year Or Longer After Release, Claudette M. Grooms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of information related to the postprison experiences of exonerated individuals is frequently found in reports by journalists, or based on the findings of scholars on systematic factors that contribute to wrongful incarcerations. There is a lack of social science research on the unexplored meanings and essence of the postprison lived experiences of exonerees exclusively from their perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the postprison lived experiences of exonerated individuals, 1 year or longer after their prison release. The conceptual framework was guided by Tajfel's social identity theory and Becker's social reaction theory. …

The Aesthetic Experience, Flow, And Smart Technology: Viewing Art In A Virtual Environment, Carol Ikard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Smart technology can support art educators and museum professionals in mediating the aesthetic experience. It can also increase museum attendance, enrich the viewer's delight and engagement with artworks and art collections, and provide an avenue for extending art on a global level. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a mobile art app with text-based narrative influences scores on an aesthetic experience questionnaire. This quantitative research measured the difference in pretest and posttest human-computer interaction scores on the Aesthetic Experience Questionnaire Form after participants used two versions of a mobile art app. Csikszentmihalyi's flow was …

Canadian Community College Faculty And Teaching And Learning Professional Development, Carol Ann Samhaber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many colleges have faced the challenge of engaging faculty in teaching and learning professional development. The purpose of this project study was to investigate why full-time school of business faculty at a small community college in Canada do not complete college course design and student assessment training. Faculty members are urged to complete these trainings in order to implement their courses to successfully prepare students to graduate from college and launch professional careers. The research questions in this study focused on faculty perceptions regarding factors that have prevented their completion of this college's course design and student assessment professional development. …

We Left Lassie Behind: Defense Personnel Relocation, Animal Abandonment, And Shelter Impacts, Gabriele Griffiths

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When Department of Defense (DoD) personnel receive orders to relocate to a new duty installation, nearly one third abandon their companion animals, which negatively affects the local shelters' costs, personnel, and capabilities to provide quality care for shelter animals. There is a lack of research on relevant policies among local government policy makers, installation commanders, directors of animal shelters, and animal rights advocates about the abandonment of companion animals by DoD personnel. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to investigate the relationship between the influx of abandoned DoD companion animals and the management and logistical (including financial) …

Social Media Marketing Strategies To Engage Generation Y Consumers, Christopher Tingley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumers of the Generation Y cohort, also referred to as Millennials, include approximately 75 million Americans who have significant purchasing power. These consumers access social media on a daily basis, but they often ignore advertisements that are targeted to them. Previous studies on social media marketing to Generation Y consumers have focused on consumer input but lacked data from marketing professionals. The purpose of this phenomenological study of social media marketers in the United States was to determine successful strategies to engage Generation Y on social media. The study's conceptual framework was attitude toward the ad. The data were gathered …

Countering Student Apathy To Increase Student Engagement, Rebecca Ann Schou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a suburban elementary school in Maryland, 3 years of data revealed that the school is grappling with the problem of student apathy. While there is a growing body of research on apathy and its effects on student achievement, few researchers have examined the problem from the perspective of the apathetic student. The purpose of this qualitative case study, grounded in the social learning and cognitive development theories of Vygotsky and Piaget, was to explore student apathy and the learning environment at the target school through the perspectives of 8 former students and their parents. The research questions focused on …

Varying Levels Of Morality Awareness In Corrections Officers, William L. Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Morality has been a focus in criminal justice with recent events involving officers. This quantitative study offered research in the criminal justice field regarding the moral awareness of corrections officers. The main research question investigated the relationship between the security level of the prison unit in which a corrections officer works and his or her level of morality awareness. The study surveyed corrections officers of prison units in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitations and Corrections and focused on morality awareness of corrections officers. The independent variable was the security level of the prison unit worked in. The dependent variables were …

An Examination Of Teachers' Reading Instructional Challenges In An Alternative School Setting, Leslie Bowen Retchko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a suburban alternative school, educators of at-risk students reading below grade level often struggled to provide effective reading instruction. As a result, these students were likely to continue to experience academic difficulties, which could limit their career options and their opportunities to contribute to the betterment of society. This study addressed the gap between reading strategies teachers actually used in the classroom and the reading strategies they learned during professional development. The research questions focused on the instructional challenges teachers experienced while working with struggling readers in an alternative school setting. Mastery learning theory and the adult adragogical theory …

High School Graduates' Perspectives On The Creation Of Online Identities, Lisa Koh-Herlong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technological advancements continue to increase online accessibility and the virtual population. As students engage with these advancements, their lives and identities will be on a worldwide platform. The realities of online identities present a challenge for educators to teach students how to manage those online identities. Researchers have studied the after-effects of online identities, but there is a gap in understanding the individual's thought process during the creation of online identities. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand the perspectives of working high school graduates regarding the creation of online identities. The research questions were designed to …

The Relationship Between Science Curriculum Aligned To Common Core State Standards And Scientific Literacy, Amber Lee Struthers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supporting the development of scientifically literate students is a priority in public school education, and understanding how that development is influenced by the Common Core State Standards is vital to quality science education. However, little quantitative research has been conducted about how the Common Core State Standards impact science education. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine how the alignment of science curriculum and instruction to the Common Core English Language Arts State Standards impacts the development of students' scientific literacy skills. Bybee's framework for scientific literacy provided the theoretical framework. Participants included 7 middle school students in …

Teacher Use Of Assistive Technology For Students With High Incidence Disabilities In Small Rural Schools, Heather Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant achievement gap between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities has led to increased inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Assistive technology (AT) has the potential to improve access to the curriculum for students with high-incidence disabilities. Teachers are challenged with learning about, recommending, and implementing AT; yet little is known about how teachers in New Hampshire use AT or the needs for professional development (PD) in AT utilization. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to understand how teachers in small rural New Hampshire schools utilized AT with students with high-incidence …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Learning Management Systems By Medical Faculty, Kristy Burrough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite recommendations by the Association of American Medical Colleges regarding

the adoption of technology in medical universities, faculty are still reluctant to adopt new

learning technologies. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to determine

the factors existing in the adoption of learning management technology among late

adopters within the faculty of colleges labeled as comprehensive academic medical

centers. Using the Everett Rogers diffusion of innovations theory as its framework, this

study sought to ascertain the factors late adopters identify as preventing them from

adopting technology and to determine what measures they suggest to increase technology

adoption among their …

The Influence Of Demographics And Cultural Attitudes On Sexual Orientation Attitudes In African American Adults., Bernadette Dawn Harrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) are discriminated against in the African American community. Sociodemographics such as income, education, age, and religion/spirituality have been shown to be associated with sexual prejudice. There is limited research on how African American cultural attitudes influence attitudes towards sexual orientation. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which demographic variables and African American cultural attitudes (measured by the African American Acculturation Scale-Revised; AAAS-R) predict attitudes toward sexual orientation in African American adults (measured by the Attitudes towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale; ATLG). Social identity …

Financing School-Based Health Centers: Sustaining Business Operational Services, Ingrid Monique Hayes-Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School-based health centers (SBHCs) have faced challenges in securing adequate funding for operations and developing sound business systems for billing and reimbursement. Specifically, administrators often lack strategies to develop and sustain funding levels to support appropriate resources for business operations. The focus of this descriptive study was to explore best practice strategies to develop and sustain funding through the experiences of SBHC administrators. The conceptual framework included Elkington's sustainability theory, which posits that corporate social responsibility, stakeholder involvement, and citizenship improve manager's effect on the business system. Twenty full-time SBHC administrators working in separate locations throughout the state of Maryland …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Cross-Curricular Connections At The Incident Level, Melita M. Penchalk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many curricular innovations, including cross-curricular teaching, are started in schools without adequate teacher preparation and support, reducing the effectiveness of the interventions in supporting student learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the implementation of the cross-curricular connections teaching technique in middle schools. Research questions focused on how middle school teachers experienced implementation of cross-curricular teaching at the incident level and how teachers perceived cross-curricular teaching and its long-term value. Myers-Briggs personality type theory informed the study, supporting the postulation that teachers are more comfortable teaching from their personality types. Data from 10 middle school teachers …

Promoting Information Literacy Through Teacher - School Library Media Specialist Collaboration, Pamela Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools that support collaboration between teachers and school library media specialists (SLMS) outperform those that do not. Teachers at a rural Georgia middle school were not using the library media program or being trained on how to collaborate with the SLMS to promote student achievement. Guided by Bruner's socioconstructivist theory of learning, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to investigate teachers' experiences with integrating technology and information literacy into the curriculum and to examine the collaborative services the SLMS could provide to enhance integration. Eight teachers in Grades 6th through 8th comprised the sample. Data sources included teacher …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Facebook And Its Perceived Impact On Social Connectivity, Janet Staker Woerner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the number of students using web-based social networks has increased, the effects of such networks on education have been unclear. Therefore, this research used a case study approach to study the relationship between social connectivity and the use of Facebook in a higher education classroom as well as the relationship between age and the use of Facebook. The intent was to understand the perceived impact of the use of a social media tool on bonding, bridging, and linking. The conceptual framework was built around the theories of social capital of Lin, Portes, Putnam, and Woolcock. The research questions addressed …

A Comparison Of Preservice Teachers' Responses To Bullying Scenarios, Cynthia Louise Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This nonexperimental study was conducted to determine differences that exist between PreK to 4th grade preservice teachers' beliefs about the severity of bullying, their empathy with victims of bullying, beliefs about their ability to cope with bullying in the classroom, and their ability to intervene in bullying issues. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior provided the study's theoretical base and demonstrated a connection between participants perceived ability to cope with bullying behavior and willingness to intervene. The participants (N = 112) were students in a 2-year community college PreK to 4th grade education transfer degree program. Data …

Exploring Recruiting Challenges Of The Insurance Industry, Hema Chaurasia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Insurance companies provide financial protection to the general population, but their workforce challenges may destabilize the companies to the point of financial distress. Senior insurance company leaders lack effective strategies to recruit skilled professionals. With contingency theory and resource-based view theory as the framework, the focus in this multicase study was the exploration of the recruiting strategies of human resources (HR) managers in New York City area insurance companies. Four insurance company HR managers were recruited via a purposeful and snowball sampling method for semistructured interviews. These interviews were analyzed through a reflective interpretation process, which was guided by the …

African American Parent Perceptions Of Barriers To Parental Involvement, Avis Foley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental involvement in schools has been linked to student academic success and dropout prevention. However, some parents are disenfranchised by the educational system because they do not know how to become involved in the schools. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers to parental involvement in a rural school district with increased dropouts and low academic success. Epstein's framework provided structure to analyze the ways parents participate in schools, classify the barriers, and organize suggestions for improvement. The research questions focused on African American parents' perceptions of barriers to parental involvement by using a focus group, interviews, …

Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …

An Evaluation Of Military Education Assistance Programs From Participants Perspectives, Ella Bolling-Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Evaluation of Military Education Assistance Programs From ParticipantsF Perspectives

by

Ella Bolling-Harris

MS, Capella University, 2008

MS, Capella University, 2004

BS, Park University, 2000

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

August 2015

Military education programs exist to assist military members in completing their college education prior to exiting the military. At a southwestern United States Army Installation, members have expressed dissatisfaction with the education programs. The purpose of this case study was to examine the education programs from the participants' perspectives. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was used …

The Expectation Of Emotional Strength And Its Impact On African American Women's Weight, Necole L. Rivers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American (AA) women have the highest rates of obesity and weight-related diseases of any other cultural group in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between acceptance of the Strong Black Woman (SBW) cultural construct and the following weight-related health factors: body mass index (BMI), high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes mellitus (DM). The hypothesis was that a positive relationship exists between accepting the SBW persona and weight-related health factors. The theory of womanism was used to guide this study. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 127 AA women to participant in an …

Restaurant Revenue Management: Examining Reservation Policy Implications At Fine Dining Restaurants, Nanishka Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the restaurant industry, some patrons do not honor their reservations, especially on holidays. Grounded in postpositivism and system theories, the purpose of this comparative study was to examine the impact of implementing a credit card payment policy for fine dining restaurants reservations and no shows after implementation of a credit card guarantee policy at a high-end hotel located in the southeast United States. Data were collected from archival records provided by the hotel executives. According to the results of a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of no shows, p < .001, after the implementation of the credit card guarantee policy. In a paired sample t-test, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of reservations, p < .001, after implementation of the credit card guarantee policy. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase understanding of payment policies as they relate to the restaurant industry. Service industry managers can benefit from implementing payment policies that can vary from specific dates, seasons, and type of services. Customers will also benefit by being able to make reservations not originally possible due to demand. The current study adds to service industry knowledge, increasing the understanding of payment policies as they relate to restaurant industry. Conducting a similar study in other service industries in the future may lead to a better understanding of the nature of policies and customers' traits and behaviors.

Depression And Hiv Risk Among African American Men Who Have Sex With Men, Sonya Anyaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) are at a greater risk of contracting HIV than any other ethnic group, subpopulation, or race. Personal, environmental, and social variables can affect risk behavior. Driven by Beck's cognitive theory of depression, this quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and HIV risk behaviors in a sample of AAMSM (n = 108). Data was gathered via the Beck Depression Inventory and the HIV Risk Behavior Questionnaire. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to analyze the data to determine the correlation between HIV risk behavior and depression. According to study …

Disaster Management And Efforts To Mitigate The Destruction Of The Human-Environment, Dorothy Henderson Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Natural disasters expose the fact that poverty, race, gender, and other indicators of social disadvantage are linked to the population of citizens who struggle the most to recover after a disaster, yet these factors are not accounted for in public policy that guides decision making related to federal assistance to residents affected by a disaster. This study used neural networks as a research strategy to determine whether the current policies under the Stafford Act related to assistance comply with Congressional intent and law that uses a formula for assistance distribution, and whether human factors such as culture, measured as residing …