Digital Commons Network^™

Disaster Survivors’ Experiences With Disaster Volunteers, Christa Frances Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention of this qualitative case study was to understand the disaster survivors’ experiences with disaster volunteers. Understanding the experiences of the survivors with the volunteers may determine how disaster volunteer training could be improved to inform how overall assistance is provided to disaster survivors. The community affected by the disaster can be overwhelmed by the impact of the disaster on their homes and possessions. This stress can be alleviated by the offerings of volunteers. However, volunteers may also pose a challenge as they may lack the appropriate training, may not understand the culture or community norms, and thus may …

Youth Overcoming Barriers Through Multiple Adult Mentoring Relationships, Faraji Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American youth may face several problems that may hinder their positive growth into adulthood. These individuals may not have adults in their lives who aid in overcoming difficulties that halt positive youth development. Mentoring may provide a young person with an adult or several people that can assist youth with problems and help them find the appropriate solutions to overcome them. Numerous studies have provided research on negative influences on youth development, but authors noted that further research on positive youth development among disadvantaged African American youth is necessary. The current study provides information about informal mentoring and the …

The District Of Columbia And Gun Control Laws: Homicides And Social Impacts, Richard Ghislain Mbakop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The District of Columbia has one of the toughest gun laws in the United States, yet the city has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation and much of this gun violence is concentrated in the southeastern part of the city. The framework for the study was comprised of (a) the psychological theory based on many arguments, such as labeling weapons as symbols of male superiority and power, and (b) the social contract theory. Finding the perceptions about the relationship between gun control laws and homicide rates in Washington D.C. was the essential aim of the study. …

Achieving Profitability In Global Small Business Supply Chain Management, Cheryl A. Mccloud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers of small and medium-sized enterprises face cost inefficiencies in meeting human, physical, and technology capital requirements. Small and medium-sized enterprise supply chain managers who fail to implement cost-efficiency strategies risk jeopardizing profitability. Grounded in the chaos theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the successful strategies SME supply chain managers used to create cost efficiencies to remain profitable. Participants were 3 corporate supply chain managers of a small and medium-sized international enterprise located in central Florida who were successful at creating cost efficiencies to remain profitable. The data collection process included face-to-face …

Strategies Used By Retail Business Managers To Address Disruptive Changes In Technology, Fredrick Simon Muema

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disruptive changes in technology have shifted the competitive landscape in the retail travel industry and have led to high failure rates of traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies. Retail business leaders have estimated the loss of market share to new market entrants at approximately 40% in 5 years. Responding to disruptive changes in technology may increase market share and survival rates of incumbent firms. Grounded in Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by retail business managers to address disruptive changes in technology. Participants were 6 owners of travel agencies …

Qualitative Inquiry Of Resilience In Veterans Transitioning To Civilian Life, Brenda D. Nicholson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological research focused on the resilience of 10 veterans transitioning back to civilian life. An increase in suicide rates among veterans over the last 10 years has become a major concern for the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense (DoD). The theoretical frameworks guiding the study are Durkheim’s suicide theory, Lindenberg and Frey’s social production function theory, and Diener’s deindividuation theory. Many veterans have no self-awareness of their need for psychological and transitional assistance, leaving them vulnerable during a time of potentially increased and unfamiliar stress. Understanding the need for effective psychological adjustment and resilience in military members …

Female Small Business Owners: Strategies For Success, Betsy J. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, 30.2 million small businesses existed in the United States; the Small Business Administration predicted that only half would survive beyond 5 years. Female business owners who do not establish practices to gain a competitive advantage in the small business marketplace may experience poor business performance. Grounded in trait theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business strategies female small business owners use to succeed in a small business beyond 5 years. Participants included 3 female owners of successful small businesses in Northern California who have been in continual operation for more than …

Experiences Of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials In New York City Shelters, Xellex Z. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of homeless millennials seeking shelter in New York City (NYC) increases

nightly. Aside from seeking shelter services, millennial adults are also staying in shelters longer than the time allotted by the city. Their extended stay places a burden on city resources and taxpayers. Although there is research on the millennial generation and homelessness in NYC, more research is needed on the experiences of single, millennial adults who stay in shelters for extended periods of time. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the experiences of 4 long-term-stay millennials, 25 to 34 years of age, …

Experiences Of Jamaican Adult College Students In Counseling, Pamela Victoria Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the introduction of counseling services in Jamaica in the 1960s, young adults continue to encounter obstacles in utilizing the services made available to them. Some significant factors impacting how individuals use the professional counseling services are (a) the clients’ historical and political background, (b) the ill-treatment of people with mental illness, (c) cultural practices and values, (d) the stigma toward mental illness, and (e) knowledge deficiency concerning psychological issues and psychosis. This qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological research describes the experiences of Jamaican adult college students in counseling with counseling professionals. Seven participants volunteered through the networking sample method from universities …

Social Workers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Trauma On Police Officers, Amber Leigh Copeland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPolice officers experience trauma in their roles as first responders. Although there are resources to address the psychological and physical impact on police officers, these resources are underutilized. Police officers in active duty endure traumatic events regularly but fail to seek assistance for their physical and mental health symptoms. Officers interact with individuals from multiple disciplines throughout their daily encounters, including social workers. Despite the professional relationship between officers and social workers, some officers remain guarded and minimize their mental health needs. For this project, a focus group was conducted with 9 social workers who have worked with police officers …

Evidence-Based Practice Guideline: Breastfeeding Support Of The Active Duty Servicewoman, Heidi A. Koslo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is no policy on breastfeeding support of the active duty military servicewoman at the targeted military treatment facility, and no global policy serving active duty personnel applicable at the Department of Defense and Defense Health Agency (DoD/DHA) level to span across branches of the U.S. military. Nurses, as members of the most trusted profession, are often expected to know how to assist a mother in meeting her feeding goals. Creation of an evidence-based practice guideline (EBPG) for support of the active duty servicewoman in the military health system was the purpose of this project. The project was conceptualized within …

Factors Associated With Patients Who Leave Emergency Departments Without Being Seen, Eva E. Koci

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPatients leaving an emergency department (ED) without being seen by a provider are a significant problem in United States for patient health. Research on leaving without being seen (LWBS) has been conducted; but very few researchers have examined patients with Tricare or military members. This quantitative study explored the association between patients’ social demographic characteristics (age, gender, race, ethnicity), triage levels, visit characteristics (hour of arrival, day of the arrival), and LWBS rates. The theoretical framework for this study was the Donabedian theory. Secondary data from Agency for Healthcare Administration located in Florida were examined. The research questions explored whether …

Parent–Teacher Online Communication And Third- Through Fifth-Grade Student Academic Achievement, Sandra Joyce Mcknight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTechnology-based tools for parent–teacher communication, such as online parent portals, are becoming the preferred method of exchanging information between home and school. However, little research has been conducted on parent–teacher communication using online parent portals. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between parents’ use of a parent–teacher online communication parent portal and students’ academic achievement. Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy provided the theoretical framework for this study. Archival data from a Southeast U.S. public school district were used to examine the relationship between parents’ average quarterly use of a parent portal and …

Collectivism And Uncertainty Avoidance In Narrative Oral Histories Of Resettled Syrian Refugees, Suzy S. Ismail

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional resilience among resettled refugees is an indicator of cultural integration and adaptation into a host country which in turn impacts schools, resettlement agencies, and refugee service organizations in how they can best meet the needs of refugees. The documented decline in emotional resilience among resettled Syrian refugees during the past decade is linked to the problem of cultural value disparities causing a resultant decline in mental health and socioemotional wellbeing. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore expressions of cultural value dimensions such as collectivism and uncertainty avoidance in oral histories of resettled Syrian refugees. Applying …

Reducing The Frequency And Effects Of Fraudulent Activities In Community Action Agencies, Marvin L J Blye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, nonprofit organization leaders estimate that $40 billion of revenue is lost every year because of financial scandals and fraudulent activities. Fraud negatively affects organizational functioning, service delivery, and board governance. Nonprofit leaders who fail to prevent fraud increase the chance of their organization’s failure. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies nonprofit community action agency (CAA) executive leaders use to reduce fraudulent financial activities. The participants comprised 5 executive CAA nonprofit leaders located in Maryland who effectively used strategies to reduce fraudulent financial behaviors in …

Clinical Factors That Influence Nurse Responsiveness In Activating Rapid Response Services, James Bernard Tormey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study advances the understanding of essential clinical knowledge skillsets that nurses need to identify and respond to early signs of patient deterioration. The identification of critical thinking and assessment skills that nurses require may support professional practice through improved nursing education curriculum or additions of necessary critical care skillsets. The purpose of this study, which was framed by Benner’s novice-to-expert model, was to identify and measure critical thinking skills that influence a nurse’s ability to detect deterioration in patients and call the rapid response system (RRS). The research questions addressed the relationship between a nurse’s clinical or reasoning skill …

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients' Sociological Resilience, Self-Determination, And Decision-Making For Life-Sustaining Treatments, Jeremy Jon Van Tress

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suffer from a rare, progressive, untreatable, and fatal neuromuscular disease. Their decision-making for life-sustaining treatments may not be fully self-deterministic. While researchers have examined resilience and self-determination in people with mental health problems and chronic illness, none have researched these variables in ALS patients from a socioecological framework. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between people with ALS socioecological resilience, self-determination, and decision-making for life-sustaining treatments. A cross-sectional concurrent mixed-methods design was used, with online surveys completed by 197 people with ALS who were solicited through the National ALS Registry. …

Low-Income Household Adults Sustaining Affordable Housing In Affluent Neighborhoods, Edward Brian Flournoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public housing policy continues to exacerbate the concentration of poverty for low

income household adults (LIHA), preventing their mobility to achieve or sustain

affordable housing in low-poverty affluent neighborhoods. Successful design and

implementation of public housing policy for LIHA has been elusive for policymakers

seeking to address socioeconomic self-sufficiency problems in the United States.

Wilson’s spatial mismatch theory on social transformation of the inner city was the

theoretical framework for this study. This qualitative study utilized policy analysis and

key interviews to explore the importance of public policy design and implementation in

how the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program influenced …

Strategies For Small Restaurant Owner Success Beyond 5 Years, Veda P. Allen-Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Strategies for Small Restaurant Owner Success Beyond 5 Years

by

Veda P. Allen-Barnes

MBA, University of Phoenix, 2015

BS, Queens College of the City University of New York, 1995

AAS, Borough of Manhattan Community College the City University of New York, 1992

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University

August 2020

Limited strategies in the restaurant industry may lead to the loss of competitive advantage. Restaurant owners who lack success strategies may experience business failure. Grounded in the resource-based view, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study …

Hispanic Nursing Students’ Perspectives On Student-Clinical Instructor Relationships And Learning, Inela Brito

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Non-Hispanic students are more likely to be successful in their nursing school studies than Hispanic students. Facilitators and barriers to classroom success for Hispanic students has been studied; however, few studies have addressed the academic clinical experience and the clinical instructor’s role in Hispanic students’ success. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives of undergraduate senior Hispanic nursing students regarding how student-instructor interactions in the clinical setting influenced students’ ability to learn and succeed in completing their studies. The research questions were guided by an adapted institutional support model and were used to explore how …

Portrait Narratives Of Caring Teachers For African American High School Students, Larissa T. Mccormick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For African American high school students, caring relationships extend beyond peer

interaction to include supporting adults, most particularly teachers, who are pivotal to

their educational experience and success or lack of success. The research problem

centered on the lack of diversity and authentic voice when discussing caring teacher-student relationships. Markedly, the voices of African American high school students

were lacking from the current body of research literature. The purpose of this narrative

qualitative study was threefold: (a) to capture the voices of African American high school

students’ as they shared their experience(s) about a caring teacher; (b) to capture the …

Use Of Managerial Epidemiology By Healthcare Leaders In Ambulatory Settings, Chantelle Schenning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite many health reforms, the United States continues to struggle with limited healthcare access, exponential healthcare costs, and poor quality of care. Overcoming these challenges requires healthcare leaders’ effective navigation of industry transformation towards population health and a shift in patient volume to ambulatory healthcare settings. Research has demonstrated that the use of managerial epidemiology, an application of epidemiology tools and principles to management decision-making within healthcare organizations, can better serve the health of the population and could improve the triple aim of inadequate access, high costs, and poor quality. However, the adoption of this practice is weak and its …

Clinical Nurse Experts' Experience Of Transitioning To The Novice Nurse Educator Role, Crystal Toll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical nurse experts are often recruited into educator roles based solely on clinical expertise. Without support and mentorship, clinical nurse experts struggled with transitioning into the educator role. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of new nurse educators’ transition from a clinical nurse expert to novice nurse educator and to examine the perceptions of supports and barriers. Transitional theory provided the conceptual framework and informed the development of the interview protocol. The research questions focused on the experience of transitioning from expert to novice and on identifying supports and barriers that influenced transition. Using a case …

Probate Attorneys’ Understanding Of The Inclusion Of The Lucid Interval In Testamentary Capacity Proceedings, Jeremy Cassius

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study focused on the experience of probate attorneys with the lucid interval in contested will cases. There is a gap in the research for understanding the lucid interval for people who live with dementia. Dementia can affect the testamentary capacity (TC) of a testator who is signing a will because the testator may not understand all the property that is in their possession. This causes difficulties and conflict for families when a loved one dies. It can also cause the testator to be susceptible to undue influence. The present study analyzed data from interviews with 6 probate attorneys about …

Strategies For Increasing Employee Productivity In Small Technology Consulting Businesses, Dalinda Yvonne Milne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unproductive employees in technology consulting small businesses negatively affect organizational output and profits. Investing in employee productivity is beneficial to ensuring an organization’s ability to improve their profits and sustainability as business leaders have an influential role in identifying and addressing the root causes of employee productivity issues in their organizations. The conceptual framework that grounded this doctoral study was Thomas Gilbert’s behavioral engineering model. The participants in this study consisted of 8 leaders in a Texas technology consulting small business with experience in increasing employee productivity. Data were collected through in-person semistructured interviews and business documents. Methodological triangulation was …

Competency Characteristics Of The Innovative Talent Leader, Nathalie Antoinette Mosca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In today’s volatile global market, outdated HR practices continue to cause the loss of value-driven talent. Scholars have noted a gap in the literature regarding how to create an innovative talent leadership role that is linked to meeting macrolevel outcomes and competitive advantage, rather than just passively reciprocating to micro and mesolevel business needs. The research problem was that corporate executives have sparse information on the needed competency characteristics for an innovative talent leader whose primary responsibility is retaining value-driven talent to support organizational competitive advantage. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to describe talent management experts’ …

Assessing Contributing Factors Of Relationship Satisfaction In Polyamorous And Monogamous Relationships, Irene Kushnir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare factors contributing to relationship satisfaction in polyamorous and monogamous relationships, as measured by the Characteristics of Marriage Inventory (CHARISMA). A total of 372 participants over the age of 18 who identified as being involved in either a long-term monogamous or polyamorous relationship completed the CHARISMA questionnaire. Two multivariate analyses of variance revealed 10 out of 18 importance ratings, and 4 out of the 18 satisfactions ratings were statistically significant between relationship types. However, an analysis of variance suggested no overall difference in satisfaction between the two groups. Past research had …

Social Connectedness And Financial Independence Strategies Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability, Christopher Edmund Maylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) often lack strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations beyond initial funding, resulting in significant risk to program continuity. Grounded in social entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies used by 3 leaders of a small NPO in the southwest region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Through thematic analysis, 6 social themes emerged: optimization of business strategies, income and donor growth, program cost management, funding diversification, program licensing, and public awareness of NPO programs. The contributions to …

The Experience Of Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In The Workplace, Josephine Laverne Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with children for many decades, but it can continue into adulthood. However, little research has focused on adults with ADHD or the specific processes through which such adults mitigate the challenges they face, especially in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to provide a better understanding of the strategies and support systems adults with ADHD use to overcome workplace challenges. Self-efficacy theory grounded the study, allowing for an understanding of the lived experiences of adults with ADHD in the workplace. The researcher conducted 12 semistructured interviews with adults with …

Older Adults' Access To Medicaid's Home-And Community-Based Services, Joe Henry Horton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the U.S. population ages, the need for public policies regarding long-term care increases, as the need is unequal to demand. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the role of senior service providers (SSPs) who have dealt with health policies from being responsible for the decision-making processes of implementing federal and state guidelines in Michigan on access and wait-listing of older adults for home and community-based services (HCBS). The theoretical foundation for this study was the social construction and policy design theory. The central research question sought perceptions of SSPs as to their ability to …