Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 10051 - 10080 of 12131

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Employee Engagement Processes And Productivity Among Las Vegas Five-Star Hospitality Organizations, Robert White Jan 2017

Employee Engagement Processes And Productivity Among Las Vegas Five-Star Hospitality Organizations, Robert White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee disengagement creates an unhealthy working environment. Disengagement rates among Las Vegas hospitality industry organizations led to dissatisfaction among employees and resulted in low productivity and profitability. This qualitative descriptive study involved exploring employee engagement strategies that hospitality industry supervisors and managers used to implement programs, thereby solving the employee engagement problems of their organizations. The conceptual framework for the study was leader-member exchange theory. Twenty participants with 5 or more years of Las Vegas hospitality experience who had already successfully implemented engagement programs answered open-ended questions in semistructured interviews. Company documents constituted an additional data source. Analyzing the data …


Evaluating Student Use Patterns Of Streaming Video Lecture Capture In A Large Undergraduate Classroom, Nathan E. Whitley-Grassi Jan 2017

Evaluating Student Use Patterns Of Streaming Video Lecture Capture In A Large Undergraduate Classroom, Nathan E. Whitley-Grassi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large classes that allow smaller amounts of instructor-student interaction have become more common in today's colleges. The best way to provide needed opportunities for students to overcome this lack of interaction with instructors remains unidentified. This research evaluated the use of video lecture capture (VLC) as a supplemental method for teacher-student interaction and what, if any, impact it and attendance have on student performance in large lecture courses. This ex post facto study conducted at a Northeastern research university utilized cognitive and andragogical frameworks to examine the relationships between the independent variables frequency of video viewing, quantity of videos viewed, …


Perceptions Of Educational Accountability Among Single African American Mothers, Tierra Winston Jan 2017

Perceptions Of Educational Accountability Among Single African American Mothers, Tierra Winston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The construct of educational accountability formally originated in 2001 as a means to improve education standards by holding teachers accountable for student academic progress; however, the definition of educational accountability for parents continues to be illusive. The purpose of this generic, qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educational accountability among single, African American mothers of high school-aged children. The research question asked about how the beliefs of educational accountability among single African American mothers related to any involvement in their children's education. Azjen's theory of planned behavior, which outlines the relation of intention to action, was the framework …


Servant Leadership And Humility In Police Promotional Practices, Kevin C. Barker Jan 2017

Servant Leadership And Humility In Police Promotional Practices, Kevin C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The improper promotion of police officers who lack effective police management skills results in poor supervisor/employee relationships and could have a further negative effect on the relationships between officers and citizens. Yet, few police departments utilize leadership testing in making promotional decisions. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to explore whether servant leadership, from the perspective of police officers, is viewed as an effective leadership strategy. In particular, the focus of this study was on the element of humility as part of servant leadership theory. Data were collected by distributing the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) to 2,794 police …


Performance Improvement Data And Staff Responsibility, Tabitha Anne Bentley Jan 2017

Performance Improvement Data And Staff Responsibility, Tabitha Anne Bentley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improving the role the nurse plays in health care delivery should be embodied in the performance improvement initiatives to successfully improve the quality of care that is delivered. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to collect performance improvement data and present it to staff who, in turn, used the information to improve practice and influence patient safety outcomes. The practice-focused question addressed what would occur if a tool that allowed frequent data trending was used to measure effectiveness of care and thereby influence key outcome measures. Duffy's quality caring model provided a framework for the study to support …


Stress And Marital Satisfaction Of Parents With Children With Fragile X Syndrome, Jacqueline Del Fierro Avila Jan 2017

Stress And Marital Satisfaction Of Parents With Children With Fragile X Syndrome, Jacqueline Del Fierro Avila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Raising a child with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), particularly that of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), is challenging, as it comes with parental stressors for both mothers and fathers. Research on these stressors has been limited to only the stressors that mothers of children with a PDD experience and has failed to thoroughly examine the experiences and stressors of fathers of children with a PDD, particularly that of FXS. Using Hill's ABC-X family stress theory, this quantitative research study investigated the effects of marital satisfaction due to the amount of shared childcare responsibilities and parental stress among the mothers and …


Common Psycholinguistic Themes In Mass Murderer Manifestos, Laura E. Hamlett Jan 2017

Common Psycholinguistic Themes In Mass Murderer Manifestos, Laura E. Hamlett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mass murder in the United States is increasing, yet understanding of mass murderers is still relatively limited. Many perpetrators compose manifestos, which include journals, blogs, letters, videos, and other writings. Previous research has indicated that personal messages are of great social and psychological importance; however, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding studies specific to these manifestos. As such, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to provide greater understanding of mass murderers' motives and mindsets through psycholinguistic analysis of their recorded words. The constructivist conceptual framework enabled gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting thematic language …


How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel Jan 2017

How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an upward trend in obesity among African American (AA) adolescents over the last 2 decades. While parenting characteristics (e.g., styles and practices) are linked to adolescent eating habits and weight status, related research has focused on European American children from 2-parent middle-class households or economically disadvantaged AA children from single mother households. The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to investigate the relationship between parenting characteristics on the weight status of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (n = 325) among a broader population of AA mothers and fathers residing both inside and outside of …


Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Ethical Leadership: Implications For Organizational Success, Adejobi Sunday Odeneye Jan 2017

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Ethical Leadership: Implications For Organizational Success, Adejobi Sunday Odeneye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders focus on the attainment of personal and organizational goals without consideration for the needs of stakeholders, especially those of followers. Ethical leadership (EL) studies' focus on leaders' perspectives represented a research gap that necessitated this study. Followers are the least researched among stakeholders; thus, this study explored EL from their viewpoints. Stakeholder theory, social learning theory, eudaimonia, and utilitarianism were the conceptual frameworks that guided this study. Twenty participants drawn from followers in a public organization in New Jersey were questioned about their experiences and expectations of EL using open-ended interview questions. Participants with shared experiences were selected based …


The Impact Of Nursing Staff Ratios On Falls Rates In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Akudo Okeorji Jan 2017

The Impact Of Nursing Staff Ratios On Falls Rates In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Akudo Okeorji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls and complications from falls are a common problem among adults aged 65 years and older. About 60% of older adults fall every year, causing injuries, hospitalization, nursing home placement, and even death. Most studies on falls among skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents focus on fall preventive measures that fail to include staffing variables such as nursing hours. Although researchers have examined the relationship between nursing staff and patient outcomes in hospital settings, similar studies have not occurred in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to determine whether a correlation exists between nursing staff hours …


Quality Of Sibling Relationship And Age Spacing In Single-Parent Households Versus Two-Parent Households, Mari Varga Overlock Jan 2017

Quality Of Sibling Relationship And Age Spacing In Single-Parent Households Versus Two-Parent Households, Mari Varga Overlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sibling relationship quality is affected by several variables, such as gender, age spacing, marital conflicts, parenting, and parent-child relationship, which simultaneously influence personality and developmental outcomes. Furthermore, sibling relationships can significantly influence the social climate of the family and vice versa. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of household composition (1-parent home vs. 2-parent home) and the number of years between siblings ages on sibling relationship quality, and to determine whether parental conflict response management strategies differ between single-parent and 2-parent homes. The participants were 124 adult mothers with at least 2 children. Participants provided demographic …


A Quantitative Comparison Of Adult Children Of Alcoholics (Acoas) And Non-Acoas On Attachment, Carly Rodgers Jan 2017

A Quantitative Comparison Of Adult Children Of Alcoholics (Acoas) And Non-Acoas On Attachment, Carly Rodgers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children who grow up in an environment where at least 1 parent is an alcoholic can experience behavioral and emotional problems that continue into adulthood. A critical literature gap concerning the relationship between attachment and adult child of an alcoholic (ACOA) status, as well as personal alcohol abuse and levels of hope, was identified. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the influence of having alcoholic parents on personal alcohol abuse, attachment, and hope among ACOAs. Informed by attachment theory, this cross-sectional study compared attachment among ACOAs and non-ACOAs and the impact of attachment on …


Wellness Education And Job-Related Injuries And Illnesses For Federal Employees, Eunice Scott Jan 2017

Wellness Education And Job-Related Injuries And Illnesses For Federal Employees, Eunice Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-related injuries and illnesses may lead to absenteeism, which affects the level of productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the success of an employee workplace training program on work-related injury and illness rates at selected federal districts within a federal organization. Newman's model, which describes internal and external factors that may have an effect on an individual's health, was the framework that guided this project. A pre-post design was used to compare data from 2 publically available data sets, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Illness and Injury and the Voice of the Employee Survey, for the …


Reducing Fast Food Employee Turnover With Appealing Working Environments, James Lloyd Forrest Jan 2017

Reducing Fast Food Employee Turnover With Appealing Working Environments, James Lloyd Forrest

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While all business leaders face problems with voluntary employee turnover, fast food business leaders often face turnover rates at twice the national average. Using Weiss and Cropanzano's affective events theory, this exploratory multiple case study detailed the investigation into strategies that fast food business leaders use to establish an appealing working environment that reduces employee turnover. A purposeful sampling process identified 9 fast food business leaders from 3 different fast food organizations within the Omaha, Nebraska metro area who had successfully established a positive working environment that reduced employee turnover. Data collection included semistructured interviews and review of company documents. …


Senescence Disorder Literacy Among Prelingual/Culturally Deaf Individuals Age 50 And Older, J. Delores Hart Jan 2017

Senescence Disorder Literacy Among Prelingual/Culturally Deaf Individuals Age 50 And Older, J. Delores Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The preferred method of communication for most prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals is American Sign Language (ASL), and members of this linguistic/cultural minority community are often not recognized as being bilingual. Many prelingually/culturally Deaf individuals have limitations and deficits in English proficiency; which can lead to deficits in general knowledge of health-related terminology. Current projections are that older adults are expected to live longer, and will also experience the development of, increases in and more extended periods of living with senescence/age-related health disorders, also includes prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals. This quantitative research project, utilizing the theoretical framework of health literacy and a modified …


How Heroin-Addicted Offenders Experience Sobriety Upon Release From Jail, Rebecca Lynn Foster Jan 2017

How Heroin-Addicted Offenders Experience Sobriety Upon Release From Jail, Rebecca Lynn Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heroin addiction is a growing epidemic in the United States. The need for proper treatment programs accessible by heroin users who wish to or are mandated to participate in recovery programs is a growing need, and pathways to sobriety for ex-offenders have presented in literature as understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine heroin-addicted offenders' experiences prior to and after release on their paths to sobriety. This study followed a qualitative phenomenological approach based on the theory of personal causation, which posits that individuals see events in life as either driven by themselves or caused by others, both …


Market Capitalization And Firm Value: The Size Factor, Rajiv.Issar Issar Jan 2017

Market Capitalization And Firm Value: The Size Factor, Rajiv.Issar Issar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current multifactor valuation pricing models use size (measured by market capitalization) of a firm as one factor to determine the value of a security. The problem with current standard models was that none of them could explain the value of a security consistently and accurately based on current factors and in particular the size factor. The purpose of this quantitative study using existing time-series data over a 10-year period from 2006 to 2015 was to examine the impact of size factor on the realized rate of return of financial securities, while controlling for the impact of market rate of return. …


Trust In Union Leaders And Decline In Union Membership, Seth Ellery Francois Jan 2017

Trust In Union Leaders And Decline In Union Membership, Seth Ellery Francois

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2015, public opinion of the ethical and honesty standards of labor union leaders was low, with 36% of the public reporting a low or very low rating, and only 18% reporting high or very high ratings. Grounded in leadership behavioral theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between union members' perceptions of union leadership consideration, union members' perceptions of leadership initiation of structure, and union members' perceptions of leadership trust. Forty-four union members completed a brief demographic survey, the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire XII, and the Trust and Employee Satisfaction Survey. The results …


Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Fire Lieutenant Development, Angelo Lamar Jan 2017

Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Fire Lieutenant Development, Angelo Lamar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research does not sufficiently address how fire lieutenants in the central United States experience leadership development. Leadership development training, coaching, and mentoring are important processes that prepare followers to become effective leaders in public safety organizations. The intent of this qualitative research study was to explore the lived experiences and stories of fire lieutenants to obtain a clear understanding of how transformational leadership training was perceived to affect their careers. Face-to-face interviews from a purposeful sample of 7 fire suppression lieutenants queried 3 relevant areas derived from the literature, comprising of transformational leadership, critical success factors, and mentoring and coaching. …


Exploring Which Leadership Styles Are Effective With Millennial Employees, Samuel Long Jan 2017

Exploring Which Leadership Styles Are Effective With Millennial Employees, Samuel Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers struggle with how to motivate the Millennial generation employee. Research that explores which leadership styles are effective with Millennial generation employees is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore what leadership styles are effective with Millennial employees, which led to a key research question: Which leadership styles facilitate employee motivation for the Millennial generation? The theoretical framework was based on the social learning, transformational leadership, and servant leadership theories, which were used to identify effective leadership styles. In the theoretical framework, different motivation theories were presented to establish the context in which motivation was discussed. This quantitative …


Improving Breastfeeding Knowledge Of Staff Nurses, Patience Sirri Mbonifor Jan 2017

Improving Breastfeeding Knowledge Of Staff Nurses, Patience Sirri Mbonifor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The World Health Organization advocates that newborn babies require exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age to attain a desired level of growth. Despite this recommendation, exclusive breastfeeding rates continue to be at low levels globally. The purpose of this DNP project was to examine best practices for increasing the breastfeeding knowledge of health care workers, and to understand how breastfeeding is promoted in different healthcare systems. The Critical Appraisal Checklist and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews framed this systematic literature review. Additionally, Melnyk's levels of evidence was used to evaluate each article. Articles for inclusion were limited to …


Use Of Tai Chi To Treat Mental Health Disorders In Veterans, Mekeesha Mcclure Jan 2017

Use Of Tai Chi To Treat Mental Health Disorders In Veterans, Mekeesha Mcclure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinicians have a challenge of discovering and implementing new ways to address their patients' health concerns. Some healthcare needs are not completely managed with pharmacotherapy and invasive procedures alone. Military veterans compose a special group due to multiple needs related to physical and emotional symptoms resulting from exposure to trauma. This project explored the benefits of a Tai Chi recreational therapy program. The goal of this trial was to examine gentle movement routines of Tai Chi for emotional benefits for veterans. The literature review provided insight from current evidence into the probable outcome of including alternative medicine options into regular …


Customer Relationship Management Strategies At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Johnny Balman Mcdonald Jan 2017

Customer Relationship Management Strategies At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Johnny Balman Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black colleges and university managers lack sufficient understanding of customer-relationship management strategies to create high enrollment rates leading to increased financial stability. The focus of this qualitative single case study was to explore customer-relationship management strategies managers use to improve financial performance from historically Black colleges and universities located within the state of Georgia with a student enrollment that exceeds 2,000 students. The conceptual framework for this study was the general system theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and employee handbooks. The data analysis consisted of compiling the data, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data …


Employee Perceptions Of Merit Pay And Its Influence On Work Performance, Michael John Mcknight, Sr. Jan 2017

Employee Perceptions Of Merit Pay And Its Influence On Work Performance, Michael John Mcknight, Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The work performance of employees remains a vital factor both in an organization's viability as well as in the prosperity of its employees. Merit pay can influence employee performance and is one of the most frequently used monetary reward incentives for motivating employees to achieve a higher level of performance. The problem is the limited knowledge on how state employees in a southern state perceive merit pay and how those perceptions may influence employee work performance. Using a conceptual framework built from elements of various motivational theories including Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's 2 factor theory, the purpose of …


Hassles Of African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Sharon H. Murff Jan 2017

Hassles Of African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Sharon H. Murff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a steady increase in the incidence of diabetes in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in the daily hassles of African American adults with a self-reported diagnosis of type 2 diabetes compared to those of African American adults without a self-reported diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The theoretical underpinning for this quantitative, descriptive study was the cognitive appraisal theory (CAT), but the concept of stress and the effects stress has on the body was the broad framework that connected all the variables. The CAT was used to …


The Role Of Project Leadership In Global Multicultural Project Success, Jamal Nassif Jan 2017

The Role Of Project Leadership In Global Multicultural Project Success, Jamal Nassif

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global projects have a high failure rate, with many project failures attributed to lack of effective leadership. A knowledge gap about leadership requirements and complexities in a global project management environment has increased the risks in global projects. The problem is evident in the increasing project failure rate and the struggling national strategies in the oil and gas industry in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The purpose of this study was to explore the role of leadership in project success and adaptation complexities in GCC. The conceptual framework consisted of complex adaptive systems and contingency theories. A qualitative approach …


Building Consensus Among General Counsel To Address Managerial Legal Strategy Perspectives, Evan Andrew Peterson Jan 2017

Building Consensus Among General Counsel To Address Managerial Legal Strategy Perspectives, Evan Andrew Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this study focused on organizations' inability to derive strategic value from the law due to the lack of integration between legal strategy and business strategy. The purpose of this study was to build consensus among in-house general counsel working across business industries in the United States with regard to techniques that will alter unreceptive managerial viewpoints toward the strategic value of law within the corporate setting. The research question centered on assessing the level of consensus among general counsel relative to those techniques. This 3-round qualitative Delphi study began with open-ended questions in Round 1 and …


Pre-Employment Polygraphs And Ohio Law Enforcement Officers' Perceptions Of Police Misconduct, Peter Thomas Piraino Jan 2017

Pre-Employment Polygraphs And Ohio Law Enforcement Officers' Perceptions Of Police Misconduct, Peter Thomas Piraino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite convincing evidence of the polygraph instrument's lack of scientific validity and reliability in assessing deceptiveness in individuals, public-sector organizations in the United States continue to use the polygraph examination as a pre-employment screening tool. In addition to its lack of acceptance in the scientific community, little is known about the effectiveness of polygraph examinations, given as part of pre-employment screening, in predicting future misconduct in law enforcement officers. Two theoretical frameworks, Baumgartner and Jones' punctuated equilibrium model of policy change and Alvesson and Spicer's theory of functional stupidity, provided the theoretical foundation for this study. The purpose of this …


Leadership Strategies For Employee Retention In Small Lodging Establishments, Adi Raz Jan 2017

Leadership Strategies For Employee Retention In Small Lodging Establishments, Adi Raz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, turnover in the lodging accommodations and food services industry was 72.1%, accounting for 6.5 million incidents of voluntary quits. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between antecedent independent variables and employee turnover in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) and inns. The independent variables were ethical leadership, organizational support, coworker support, work-family conflict, employee empowerment, employee voice, and work schedule. Organizational support theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 105 B&B and inn managers in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, a correlation matrix, chi-square …


Experiences Of Parents Of Self-Harming Adolescent Children, Sheila Nicole Russell Jan 2017

Experiences Of Parents Of Self-Harming Adolescent Children, Sheila Nicole Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent self-harm is a growing epidemic in the United States with thousands of adolescent children being treated in hospitals every year. Despite awareness that self-harm impacts the family unit, little attention has been given to the full impact that self-harm has on parents. Due to this lack of knowledge, counselor educators and supervisors are not equipped to train counselors to work with parents of self-harming adolescent children leaving counselors feeling unprepared to work with parents. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of parents who have self-harming adolescent children. Family systems theory was used to …