Digital Commons Network^™

The Exposure Of Workplace Conflict On Residential Mental Health Clients, Shawna Deann Stoneking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who receive residential mental health services rely on caregivers for support, supervision, and a safe living environment. Residential clients exposed to workplace conflict among staff may feel insecure and mistrust their caregivers, which in turn could negatively impact quality of life and treatment outcomes. The theory of therapeutic alliance proposed by Zetzel, emphasizing the client's perception of the therapist as a nurturing beneveolent figure, was used as the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 adults, recruited with homogenious sampling, who had experienced conflict among staff members and who had been discharged from residential …

Perceptions Of Stroke Risks Among West African Male Immigrants In San Diego, Lawrence Agi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence and knowledge of the risk factors of stroke across ethnic groups in the United States have been examined in multiple studies. However, it is not well known if the foreign-born African immigrants who constitute about 4% of the U.S. immigrant population are at a higher risk of the incidence of stroke than are other nonimmigrant population in the U. S. This ethnographic study explored the perceptions of Anglophone African male immigrants residing in San Diego on the risk factors of stroke. The theoretical framework for this study included the health belief model and the health promotion model. Data …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Culture, And British Nurses' Intention To Leave Employment, Brendan Edward Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In spite of decades of research, concerning nurse's intention to leave their employer (ITL), in 2011, 31.2% of the British nurses surveyed indicated they had formed an ITL. Grounded in reasoned action theory as developed by Ajzen and Fishbein, the purpose of the correlational study was to provide hospital managers with information regarding the relationship among nurse's job satisfaction (JS), organizational culture (OC), and ITL. The archival data from the 2011 NHS Staff Survey included responses from nurses (n = 21,257) across the British National Health Service. The Spearman's rho correlates rs (21,257) indicated relationships among nurse's job satisfaction, organizational …

Blended Value Accounting And Social Enterprise Success, John Anner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social enterprises (SEs) are businesses managed by entrepreneurs who seek to improve society, and they represent an important trend in social change work. However, there is little empirical knowledge about which blended value accounting (BVA) methods are used by SE managers, and whether the use of BVA is perceived by SE managers as a critical success factor. Blended value accounting is a conceptual framework for measuring combined social and financial outcomes in SEs, and some believe that the use of BVA may be a critical success factor for SEs. This research was based on Covin and Slevin's conceptualization of entrepreneurial …

Wilson Reading System's Impact On Third-Grade Dibels Scores, Shakerra Bowe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many schools throughout the United States are struggling to address student deficiencies in reading. Empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of reading intervention programs is often lacking. This study examined the effectiveness of an 8-week reading intervention program, the Wilson Reading System (WRS), that was implemented in a local elementary school in Washington D.C. to address the reading deficiencies of 75 third-grade students. Guided by Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), a quasi-experimental pre/post research design was used to examine differences in reading proficiencies following the completion of the WRS program, as measured by the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Literacy Skills …

Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Top executives are interested in more transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and clear justification of alignment. Limited or improper information technology governance (ITG) affects the business strategy that will ultimately influence the overall business alignment in local city government agencies (LCGAs). The problem addressed in this study was the lack of information regarding LCGAs IT/business strategic alignment maturity model (SAMM) level and the LCGAs' employment size. The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate 48 LCGA participants in the Southwestern part of the United States and compare their alignment perceptions with their cities' employment size. The theoretical framework …

Evidence-Based Alternative Therapy To Reduce Anxiety In Ambulatory Mental Health Patients, Renee Ann Denobrega

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence-Based Alternative Therapy to Reduce Anxiety in Ambulatory Mental Health Patients

by

Renee Denobrega

MS, Widener University, 2013

BS, Alvernia University, 2007

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

January 2016

The Association Of Smoking With Low Back Pain In Adult Americans: Analysis Of The 2012 National Health Interview Survey, Bart Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Back pain is a chronic disease epidemic and the most common chronic painful condition in Americans. It is associated with human suffering and enormous financial and social burdens. Smoking is a prevalent and harmful health behavior and is the greatest modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases. Cigarette smoking is associated with back pain, but there is little research on this relationship among adults in the United States. Using biopsychosocial theory, this study examined (a) the prevalence of back pain (dependent variable) among smokers, former smokers, and never smokers (independent variable), and (b) the influence of age, sex, race, body …

Developing Generation-Based Volunteer Management Practices, Tonya Renee' Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many nonprofits seek a volunteer base that includes the experience and maturity of the Silent and Baby Boomer Generations as well as the creativity and advanced technological knowledge of Generations X, Y, and Z. Published literature recommends implementing multigenerational volunteer programs to increase the representation of multiple generations. However, there is no literature providing guidance to create volunteer management practices that simultaneously recruit and retain those generations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of 5 generations of volunteers. The research questions for this phenomenological study addressed perspectives that may contribute to developing generation-based volunteer …

Adult Literacy Program Evaluation For First Year Traditional College Students, Yvette Joyce Mccauley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First year traditional college students required to register in a sequence of remedial courses prior to enrollment in credit-bearing courses often get discouraged by the financial burden and time commitments of this additional work and, subsequently, decide to drop out. The purpose of this qualitative program evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of the remedial adult literacy program being used at a 4-year urban college in the northeast and assess the curriculum alignment with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) standards. Knowles theory of andragogy, which suggests that adults are self-directed and expect to take responsibility for their own …

Knowledge Sharing In Multicultural Organizations, Stephen Joseph Mcgrane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge management is critical to achieving competitive advantage in the marketplace. The prominence of multicultural organizations also requires an understanding of knowledge-sharing behavior in multicultural teams. In spite of the need to accommodate these new conditions, a gap exists in the research on knowledge sharing in multicultural organizations. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect knowledge sharing in a multicultural context. In the research questions I examined the role that culture, monetary rewards, social units, and diversity play in knowledge sharing in a multicultural environment. This study used Hofstede's cultural dimension theory, Sveiby's knowledge-based theory, and …

The Experiences Of High School Teachers Who Have Encountered Burnout, Jimmie Lee Mckinley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study addressed the impact of administration and school leadership on teachers who encounter burnout. The purpose of this project study was to examine this phenomenon through the experiences of Grades 9-12 classroom teachers, which ultimately could reduce the amount of early retirees, reduce the amount of illnesses among teachers, and increase the enthusiasm and vitality of educators. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory. Interview data were collected from four high school educators using purposive sampling, through semi structured face-to-face inter-views, and were coded using a line-by-line content analysis for emergent themes. Findings included …

Expatriate Retention: A Challenging Goal For Global Corporations, Lydia Eileen Nicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Towers Watson Media stated that multinational organizations will grow by 45% in 2014 increasing expatriate assignments; however, global organizations lose billions of dollars yearly financing expatriate assignments due to unsuccessful retention efforts during the repatriation process. Fifty percent of expatriates consider leaving the organization within the first year of returning to their home country. The aim of this single descriptive case study was to explore the retention strategies organizational leaders need to retain expatriates employees during repatriation. Two managers from the compensation benefits department of a multinational organization in Tennessee participated in the study. Career self-management theory framed the study. …

Barriers To Breast Cancer Prevention And Screening Among African American Women, Abosede Francisca Obikunle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is a serious illness that often has fatal consequences. Adherence to the recommendations for breast cancer surveillance is poorly practiced among African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to seek individual professed barriers to breast cancer screening among African American women to better understand why breast cancer continues to be one of the principal basis of mortality among African American women. The theoretical framework for this study was the behavioral model of health services use. Purposeful selection was used to invite 14 African American women to participate in the in-depth interview process. Interview data were …

Human Trafficking: The Health Of Men Forced Into Labor Trafficking In The United States, Christina Omole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a criminal act that occurs globally. It affects both women and men, but most studies have focused on female victims; few have explored trafficked men or their related health issues. Though there are many forms of trafficking, it is believed that most male victims are trafficked as forced labor. Using gender schema theory as a framework, this quantitative study examined archival data to identify the types of trafficking men are subjected to, their health ailments, and how these differ from the health ailments of trafficked women. Archival data from 124 individuals subjected to human trafficking in Florida …

Improving Health Literacy With Clear Communication, Carol Barbara Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is demonstrated when individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Veteran health literacy is believed to be lower than the general population due to the aging and culturally diverse population. Veterans require adequate health literacy to manage their diverse high acuity physical injuries, psychological conditions, and chronic diseases. Clear communication between the clinician and veteran patient is essential to provide high quality health services. The objective of this quality-improvement project was to evaluate the ability of nurses in the ambulatory environment to identify low health literacy patients and …

Attitudes Of Males About Teaching Grades K-12 In A Public School District, Jonathan Matthew Bracewell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Education Association, the number of teachers in the United States has decreased over the last 100 years and only 25% are currently male. Finding effective ways to increase the number of male teachers has remained challenging at the local level. This study compared the perceptions of male teachers and non-teachers regarding their motivation for entering their current professions and their perceptions of gender equivalence in the workplace. Popper's post positivism and Schutz's social constructivism were used as the theoretical frameworks. The study instrument was first piloted at a liberal arts university where a sample of 187 …

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness And School Performance In Middle School Girls, Jamie Anne Donnelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has indicated a significant relationship between physical fitness and standardized test scores; however, the relationship between physical fitness and other aspects of school performance has yet to be empirically examined in a population specifically composed of middle school girls. This study examined several factors that contribute to school success, such as classroom behavior, attendance, and grades, in relation to physical fitness among a group of adolescent girls. It was specifically designed to examine the statistical relationship between physical fitness, as measured by the Fitnessgram, and quantitative data on school performance including grades, standardized test scores, school behavior, and …

Issues Affecting Sexual Decisions Among Black Women In The Era Of Hiv/Aids, Saecilia Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV/AIDS became a significant concern in the United States (U.S.) during the 1980s and in recent years has increased the most among people living in underserved urban areas, particularly impacting Black women ages 24-35. Guided by the social learning theory, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and behaviors of Black women in the south in order to understand their sexual health decisions and how those decisions impact the spread of HIV/AIDS among this group. The central research question focused on understanding the sexual decision making of Black women in Georgia, from the perspective of the client and provider. Convenience …

Meaningfulness Of Work As Perceived By Women From Diverse Social Classes: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Jennifer L. Hutmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research connecting the meaningfulness of work with positive organizational outcomes, such as increased employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, and retention, there remains a lack of adequate, inclusive research explaining differences in women's perceptions of the meaningfulness of work. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to address this gap in the literature by developing a theory about the formation of perceptions of the meaningfulness of work and about the impact of those perceptions. Research questions explored perceptions that women from diverse social classes have of the meaningfulness of work, what influenced those perceptions, the impact of those …

Experiences Of African American Young Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education, Yovonda Ingram Kolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the United States. As the need for STEM professionals in the United States increases, it is important to ensure that African American women are among those professionals making valuable contributions to society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American young women in relation to STEM education. The research question for this study examined how experiences with STEM in K-10 education influenced African American young women's academic choices in their final years in high school. The theory of multicontextuality was …

Healthy Weight Maintenance: Narrative Analysis Of Weight Cycling In The Formerly Obese, Cheri Renee Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical and economic costs for obesity are estimated at $147 billion per year, yet less than 1/3 of overweight individuals successfully maintain weight loss. The literature is replete with descriptions of the problem and research on treatments, yet demonstrations of effective loss and maintenance are lacking. Missing is an understanding of the experiences of individuals who successfully maintained healthy weight loss, which could provide insights regarding effective psycho-social interventions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore key events and experiences in the lives of former weight cyclers. The primary phenomena of interest included weight cycling and sustained …

Evaluating Key Predictors Of Employee Response To Change In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Otis S. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the factors that predict employee response to large-scale change in the United States pharmaceutical industry. When poorly executed, major organizational changes such as mergers and acquisitions are often disruptive and costly to organizations and demoralizing to employees. Although employee responses to change have been studied in several industries, employee responses during change execution in the pharmaceutical industry have not been subject to study. The purpose of this correlational study was to reduce the knowledge gap related to organizational change in the pharmaceutical industry by evaluating key predictors of employee response to large-scale change. The theoretical framework consisted …

Effects Of Management Control Systems And Strategy On Performance Of Minority-Owned Businesses, Raymond Onyema Obinozie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the perceived relationships among management control systems, business strategy, and organizational performance in U.S. minority-owned manufacturing businesses. Hofer's contingency theory provided a framework for the study, which included a quantitative, survey-based correlational design. Research questions focused on the relationship between financial- and nonfinancial-based management control systems as well as low-cost leadership and differentiation strategies, and how these practices impacted organizational performance. A random sample of 1,000 participants was selected from a population of 2,583 minority-owned manufacturing businesses in the United States. Results of the principal component analysis, Pearson's zero order correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis indicated …

Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes Toward Nonpharmacological Interventions For Individuals Diagnosed With Clinical Depression, Joseph Ocran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression negatively impacts the American economy, and there is a shortage of physicians to provide treatment. Nurse practitioners are viable alternatives to provide high-quality treatment of depression. The project's purpose was to describe nurse practitioners' attitudes toward nonpharmacological interventions to treat clinical depression. Attitude theory provided the theoretical framework. The American Psychiatric Association's guidelines for treating major depression provided the conceptual framework. The project used a quantitative nonexperimental descriptive survey research design. A purposeful sample of 63 nurse practitioners was obtained from members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Data were collected through an online survey that included questions …

Affecting Teen Attitudes Through Positive Media Portrayals Of Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sheila Orta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of knowledge about individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can create stereotypes, which serve as barriers to interaction. Television is a component in the development of social attitudes in teenagers. Using social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative 2-group, posttest only, experimental design was to determine whether observational learning could be effective in generating positive teen attitudes toward peers with ASD. Senior high school students (N = 130) completed the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Survey to determine whether observing a video clip can positively affect the attitudes of teens about their peers with …

Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls can lead to unintentional injuries and possibly death, making falls an important public health problem in terms of related health care cost, incurred disabilities, and years of life lost. Approximately 1 in every 3 Americans ages 65 years and older is at risk of falling at least once every year. Children, young adults, and middle-aged adults are also vulnerable to falls. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries using surveillance data from nationally representative samples of hospital emergency departments in United States. The study was guided by a social-ecological model on …

Insecticide Treated Nets As An Effective Malaria Control Strategy In Liberia, Taiyee Nelson Quenneh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a vector-borne disease that presents the most persistent and serious public health burden in Liberia. Numerous studies have examined the relationship between ITN use and malaria prevalence. However, little research has explored the effectiveness of ITNs in controlling malaria among children in postwar Liberia. The aim of this study was to examine the association between ITN ownership, parental economic status, ITN installation support, and malaria prevalence among children. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study guided by the health belief model. The study used secondary data from the 2011 Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey. Chi-square for association and Logistic regression …

Communication Between Educators And Parents In Title I Elementary Schools, Jacqueline Marie Boney Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of positive communication between parents and educators in the Texas district under study is a problem because it interferes with learners' academic success. The purpose of this mixed method study was to understand the communication gap between educators and parents in Title I elementary schools in that district. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems and Epstein's parental involvement model formed the theoretical framework to address the importance of communication between educators and parents as related to student academic achievement. The quantitative portion of the study was carried out through descriptive survey research. The case study method was used for the qualitative …

Total Quality System Breakdowns In Outsourced Clinical Trials, Hemali Barrios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous deaths, tragedies, and underreported drug side effects occur in outsourced clinical trials. Total quality system breakdowns occur even though quality agreement contracts and quality management systems are used by pharmaceutical organizations. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies clinical quality assurance managers use to avoid breakdowns in quality with outsourced clinical trials in Asia-Pacific countries. The study included a purposeful sample of 15 clinical quality assurance managers from 1 pharmaceutical organization located in the Northeast region of the United States. The conceptual framework was von Bertalanffy's general systems theory. Face-to-face semistructured interviews or e-mail questionnaires …