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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Elevation, Demographic Composition, And Suicide Rates: A Municipality-Level Analysis In Colorado And Wyoming, Steven Loader May 2026

Elevation, Demographic Composition, And Suicide Rates: A Municipality-Level Analysis In Colorado And Wyoming, Steven Loader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Cross-Cultural Study Of Recruitment And Selection Practices In Nigeria And The United Kingdom, Ugochukwu Chukwu May 2026

Cross-Cultural Study Of Recruitment And Selection Practices In Nigeria And The United Kingdom, Ugochukwu Chukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Strategies To Increase Service Utilization And Profitability In The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Business, Ugochukwu Obidiugwu Onyemaobi Apr 2026

Strategies To Increase Service Utilization And Profitability In The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Business, Ugochukwu Obidiugwu Onyemaobi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underutilization of services is a concern for business managers because it reduces organizational profitability and efficiency. Business leaders in non-emergency medical transportation organizations are particularly affected by this issue due to its impact on operational sustainability. Grounded in change management and innovation theories, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry explores strategies managers use to mitigate service underutilization and increase profitability. The participants were six managers of non-emergency medical transportation businesses who implemented successful strategies to mitigate service underutilization and increase profitability. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and publicly available documents. Through thematic analysis, six themes were identified: (a) optimizing scheduling efficiency, …


The Role Of Dollar Store Proliferation In Influencing Diabetes And Obesity Rates In West Virginia, Kelli L. Keith Apr 2026

The Role Of Dollar Store Proliferation In Influencing Diabetes And Obesity Rates In West Virginia, Kelli L. Keith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dollar stores are the fastest growing food retail format and are highly concentrated in rural, low-income communities including West Virginia, where diabetes and obesity prevalence rank among the highest in the United States. Although these retailers increase physical access to food, concerns remain about their limited healthier food options and potential contribution to chronic disease disparities. Guided by the socioecological model, this three-manuscript dissertation examined how dollar store density and healthier food availability related to county-level diabetes and obesity prevalence in West Virginia. Manuscript 1 used a cross-sectional ecological design with all 55 West Virginia counties, using data from USDA, …


Role Of Dynamic Capabilities In Firms' Competitiveness And Performance In The Telecommunication Sector In The United States, John L. Kahi Apr 2026

Role Of Dynamic Capabilities In Firms' Competitiveness And Performance In The Telecommunication Sector In The United States, John L. Kahi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telecommunications firm leaders often struggle to integrate dynamic capabilities into their core business processes, thereby reducing competitiveness. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore how dynamic capabilities influence competitiveness and performance in U.S. telecommunications firms. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities view (DCV), the study addressed the overarching research question of how dynamic capabilities influence competitiveness and performance in telecommunications firms in the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with six telecom and technology-sector leaders and analyzed using iterative coding and thematic analysis software. Four themes emerged: (a) continuous environment interpretation, (b) disciplined strategic commitment, (c) …


Strategies Used By Software Leaders To Manage Technical Debt, Noel G. Alexander Apr 2026

Strategies Used By Software Leaders To Manage Technical Debt, Noel G. Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies for managing software technical debt (TD) can negatively affect organizational performance. Software leaders are concerned that unmanaged TD threatens business growth and competitiveness. Grounded in bounded rationality theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies used by software leaders to reduce software TD. The participants were six senior software leaders from private software companies in the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of publicly available industry reports. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) balancing product delivery and technical health; (b) leadership, stewardship, and …


Lived Experiences Of Black Counselor Educator Mothers: Intersecting Identities In Academic And Professional Spaces, Althea Genae Collins Apr 2026

Lived Experiences Of Black Counselor Educator Mothers: Intersecting Identities In Academic And Professional Spaces, Althea Genae Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black counselor educator mothers navigate intersecting identities. Despite growing attention to women of color, scholarship remains limited on how Black counselor educator mothers manage caregiving and professional duties. This gap contributes to practices that overlook labor, taxation, and strains that affect retention and the ability to thrive. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to answer the question of what the lived experiences of Black counselor educator mothers are as they navigate the intersecting identities of race, gender, and motherhood in their personal and professional lives. This study also answered the question of what meaning Black counselor educator mothers …


Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Malaysia, Stephanie Yang Apr 2026

Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Malaysia, Stephanie Yang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrine condition among women of reproductive age. PCOS is known to be a chronic disease that presents significant physical and body image issues, which in turn are associated with lowered emotional and health-related quality of life. Previous studies point to widespread dissatisfaction and delays with the diagnosis of PCOS and a lack of information provided by doctors. This phenomenological study was guided by Wilson and Cleary’s model of health-related quality of life to explore the health-related quality of life in Malaysian women with PCOS. Seven Malaysian women aged 29 to 50 years …


Prenatal Care Access And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Black Women Ages 15–44 In Cook County, Illinois, Deandrea Heggins Apr 2026

Prenatal Care Access And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Black Women Ages 15–44 In Cook County, Illinois, Deandrea Heggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal health disparities affecting Black women in the United States remain a persistent public health concern due to inequities in prenatal care access and adverse birth outcomes. Prior research has shown that socioeconomic conditions, insurance coverage, and systemic barriers influence prenatal care utilization and maternal outcomes; however, limited research has examined how Medicaid coverage, household income, preterm birth, and birth weight are collectively associated with prenatal care access among Black women in Cook County, Illinois. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationships among these factors and access to prenatal care among Black women ages 15–44 …


Strategies To Reduce Diagnostic Wait Times In Vha Facilities, Frankie Loadz Odlens Beaubrun Apr 2026

Strategies To Reduce Diagnostic Wait Times In Vha Facilities, Frankie Loadz Odlens Beaubrun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care to millions of veterans annually. Diagnostic service wait times affect veteran access to timely diagnoses and subsequent eligibility for disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, and social services. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify evidence-based strategies to reduce diagnostic wait time within the VHA. The guiding review question addressed what strategies VA medical centers can use to reduce diagnostic wait times. Guided by Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome framework, a comprehensive literature search initially identified 487 sources across multiple databases. Subsequently, systematic screening and application …


Elected Sheriffs’ Election Process And How It Affects Their Behavior, Brian James Ardoin Apr 2026

Elected Sheriffs’ Election Process And How It Affects Their Behavior, Brian James Ardoin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scholars have widely examined how electoral pressures influence the behavior of judges and prosecutors; however, less attention has been given to how elections affect law enforcement leaders. This quantitative study examined whether sheriff election cycles in Louisiana were associated with changes in law enforcement behavior. Louisiana parish sheriffs occupy a unique role as both elected officials and chief law enforcement executives, which may create incentives that influence enforcement priorities. Using secondary arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting program, this study analyzed parish-level arrest patterns from 2009 through 2019 to determine whether deputies’ arrest behavior differed …


Investigating The Relationship Amongst Nursing Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy And Mindfulness, Joshua Josey Apr 2026

Investigating The Relationship Amongst Nursing Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy And Mindfulness, Joshua Josey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate nursing education presents ongoing challenges related to student stress and persistence, and the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these existing challenges for many students and programs. In this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study, the relationships among state mindfulness, trait mindfulness, and academic self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing students were examined and whether state and trait mindfulness predicted academic self-efficacy was tested. Participants were recruited through nursing student Facebook groups and completed an anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire that included the State Mindfulness Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Academic Behavioral Confidence Scale, and demographic items. Data were collected over 6 weeks ending August …


Performance-Based Budgeting Implementation Strategies For Improving Financial Performance, Waleed Ibrahim Alsyaegh Apr 2026

Performance-Based Budgeting Implementation Strategies For Improving Financial Performance, Waleed Ibrahim Alsyaegh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of effective strategies for allocating organizational financial resources can lead to adverse business outcomes. Business managers are concerned about the ineffective allocation of financial resources, as it can impede financial performance and sustainability.Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore the performance-based budgeting strategies that business managers use to sustain financial profitability. The participants were 10 business managers who oversee subsidiaries that successfully implemented performance-based budgeting.Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of organization documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) traditional versus contemporary budgeting; (b) importance of …


Women Veterans’ Experiences Applying For Veterans Affairs Compensation For Military Sexual Trauma-Related Ptsd, Bridget Strong Apr 2026

Women Veterans’ Experiences Applying For Veterans Affairs Compensation For Military Sexual Trauma-Related Ptsd, Bridget Strong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual trauma (MST)—sexual harassment or assault during military service—is more common among women and is a leading cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans Affairs (VA) disability for MST-related PTSD offers financial support, free healthcare, and validation, but women face barriers and uneven access to supports (veteran service organizations, trained advocates, trauma-informed clinicians), reducing their chances of favorable decisions. In this generic qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively sampled women veterans representing diverse service eras, branches, and adjudication outcomes. Analysis was guided by feminist theory to shift focus from individual blame to structural factors, including how …


It Strategies Used To Implement Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, Michele Doverspike Apr 2026

It Strategies Used To Implement Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, Michele Doverspike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation represents a significant challenge for small businesses, with failure rates that can lead to substantial financial losses and operational disruption. Information Technology (IT) managers in small businesses face a gap in evidence-based strategies tailored to their organizational context, increasing the risk of implementation failure and its associated financial and operational consequences. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore the strategies IT managers use to implement ERP systems in small businesses in central Pennsylvania. The participants were six IT managers from small businesses in Pennsylvania who had …


Effects Of The Historical, Current, Social, And Political Influence Of White Supremacy On The Young, Black Male In Mobile, Alabama, Nicole Moore Apr 2026

Effects Of The Historical, Current, Social, And Political Influence Of White Supremacy On The Young, Black Male In Mobile, Alabama, Nicole Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown the negative effects of White supremacy and its historical influence on societal and political factors in the United States. These negative effects include excessive aggression, hate, and violence toward and degradation of Blacks, Indigenous, and people of color that lead to physical and mental health issues, identity crises, and trauma. However, studies have not examined the specific effects of the influence of White supremacy on the daily life of young adult Black males who have attended community college in Mobile, Alabama. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify the perceptions of such Black males …


Effective Small Business Leadership Strategies Used In Rural Areas To Optimize Employee Retention, Michelle Lynn Cathey Apr 2026

Effective Small Business Leadership Strategies Used In Rural Areas To Optimize Employee Retention, Michelle Lynn Cathey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention remains a persistent challenge for rural small business leaders. The specific business problem addressed in this study was that some rural small business leaders lack effective leadership strategies to retain employees, which threatens organizational sustainability and workforce stability in rural communities. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective leadership strategies used by rural small business leaders in Northeast California to optimize employee retention. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with six rural small business leaders in Northeast California and were triangulated with publicly available documents, websites, and …


Exploring School Administrators' Perceptions Of Zero Tolerance Policies For African American Female Students, Keysha D. Knight Apr 2026

Exploring School Administrators' Perceptions Of Zero Tolerance Policies For African American Female Students, Keysha D. Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zero tolerance policies disproportionately affect African American female students and contribute to their accelerated entry into the school-to-prison pipeline. Existing literature indicated that these policies subject African American female students to harsher disciplinary practices and that their behaviors were often misunderstood by school administrators. However, there is limited research on how school administrators’ discretionary implementation of zero-tolerance policies contributes to these disparities. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore how school administrators interpret and exercise discretion when implementing zero tolerance policies affecting African American female students through the lens of Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory. Four themes were …


Leadership Strategies To Reduce Burnout Among Physicians In Academic Medical Centers In The State Of California, Navdip Kaur Hothi Apr 2026

Leadership Strategies To Reduce Burnout Among Physicians In Academic Medical Centers In The State Of California, Navdip Kaur Hothi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physician burnout in academic medical centers remains a persistent healthcare administration challenge, with nearly half of U.S. physicians reporting symptoms of burnout in recent years. The issue threatens workforce sustainability, patient safety, and organizational financial stability, particularly in California’s academic medical centers, were physicians face complex clinical, academic, and operational demands. The integrative review examines leadership strategies that reduce physician burnout in California’s academic medical centers, aiming to lower rates from about 45% to under 30%. Transformational Leadership Theory guided the examination of leadership-driven organizational and system level approaches to burnout reduction. Twenty-seven sources were appraised using the Johns Hopkins …


The Relationship Between Leadership Communication Strategies And Employee Productivity, Motivation, And Engagement, Christopher Tucker Apr 2026

The Relationship Between Leadership Communication Strategies And Employee Productivity, Motivation, And Engagement, Christopher Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders are concerned that change leaders’ communication strategy impacts organizational productivity and performance. These challenges can be attributed to business leaders and human resources managers not understanding the relationship between employee motivation, engagement, productivity, and leaders’ communication strategy. Grounded in the composite conceptual framework of Kotter’s eight-step model for change and the Burke-Litwin causal model of organizational performance, the purpose of this quantitative correlational project was to examine the relationship between employee’s motivation, engagement, productivity, and leaders’ communication strategy. The participants were 77 human resources professionals in the United States with at least 5 years of experience in their …


Highly Skilled First-Generation Immigrant Kenyan Women’S Lived Experiences With Workplace Integration Strategies In California, Lily Quiette Otieno Apr 2026

Highly Skilled First-Generation Immigrant Kenyan Women’S Lived Experiences With Workplace Integration Strategies In California, Lily Quiette Otieno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unlocking the potential of highly skilled first-generation immigrant women in the workplace is critical in an era of globalization and multiculturalism. The social problem is that organizations face challenges integrating highly skilled first-generation immigrant women into the U.S. workforce due to a limited understanding of effective workplace integration strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of highly skilled first-generation Kenyan women with workplace integration strategies in California. The study was grounded in Graen and Uhl-Bien’s leader-member exchange theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory to understand how leadership relationships and intersecting identities shaped workplace experiences. …


Southeastern United States African American Business Leaders’ Effective Business Profitability Strategies, Maurice Chamblin Apr 2026

Southeastern United States African American Business Leaders’ Effective Business Profitability Strategies, Maurice Chamblin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American business leaders in the United States experience persistent operational constraints that affect business sustainability and long-term profitability. These leaders face recurring challenges in accessing capital, securing managerial support, and effectively utilizing resources, which may hinder their ability to remain viable and competitive. Grounded in resource-based view theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project aimed to identify and explore the practical strategies used by African American business leaders in the Southeastern United States to increase their business profitability over more than 5 years. The participants were six African American business leaders from the Southeastern United States who had grown their …


Experiences Of Maternal Care In The Gypsy, Roma, And Traveller Population In The United Kingdom: A Cultural Care Model, Sarah Englebert Crowson Apr 2026

Experiences Of Maternal Care In The Gypsy, Roma, And Traveller Population In The United Kingdom: A Cultural Care Model, Sarah Englebert Crowson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller women (GRT) in the United Kingdom face persistent maternal health disparities and show poor engagement with healthcare services. Exclusion, discrimination, and a lack of cultural competence from healthcare professionals contribute to poor health outcomes including preterm births; and GRT women have more babies born with congenital anomalies than non-GRT women in the United Kingdom. The purpose of this focused ethnographic qualitative study was to explore how self-identified GRT women living in the United Kingdom experienced maternal care and how cultural identity and social structures influenced their interactions with healthcare providers based on Madeleine Leininger’s cultural care …


Beyond Social Media: Effective Innovative Strategies For Small Cleaning Services To Engage Decision-Makers And Secure Contracts, Danielle Edwesa Gaskins Apr 2026

Beyond Social Media: Effective Innovative Strategies For Small Cleaning Services To Engage Decision-Makers And Secure Contracts, Danielle Edwesa Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small cleaning service businesses often encounter challenges when attempting to reach decision-makers and obtain commercial contracts. Small cleaning service business leaders are concerned with securing contracts because the continual acquisition of agreements underpins both business stability and growth. Grounded in the service-dominant logic, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies small cleaning business leaders use to engage decision-makers and win contracts without relying on the use of social media marketing. The participants were five leaders from small cleaning businesses in the United States who had successfully secured contracts through alternative engagement strategies. Data were gathered using …


Exploring How Long-Term Residents Influence Environmental Policy Decisions In The Takushara Settlement In Abuja, Nigeria, Agbanusi Uchechukwu Jonathan Apr 2026

Exploring How Long-Term Residents Influence Environmental Policy Decisions In The Takushara Settlement In Abuja, Nigeria, Agbanusi Uchechukwu Jonathan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid urbanization of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has increasingly marginalized indigenous communities, creating a significant disconnect between top-down environmental governance and how it affects residents. Previous research has found that this land swap displaces indigenous stewards and erodes their traditional ecological knowledge, endangering local livelihoods, food security, and sustainable management of natural resources. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how long-term residents perceive and experience their influence in environmental policy decisions through the lens of the social-ecological systems framework and the theory of resilience. This study examined the systematic exclusion of long-term residents of the …


Exploring The Perceptions Of Black Nurse Educators Regarding Antiracist Pedagogy In Nursing Education, Deborah Ann Stallworth Apr 2026

Exploring The Perceptions Of Black Nurse Educators Regarding Antiracist Pedagogy In Nursing Education, Deborah Ann Stallworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racism remains a persistent issue in nursing, prompting calls to create more inclusive educational environments and confront racial disparities. Guided by an intersectionality and critical realism framework, this generic qualitative study examined how Black nursing educators perceive antiracist pedagogy, how they implement it, and what they believe is needed to strengthen its adoption in nursing education. Twelve Black undergraduate nursing educators participated in in‑depth, one‑on‑one interviews. Thematic analysis generated four themes: (a) implementing antiracist pedagogy in the classroom; (b) challenges and resistance within school environments; (c) racial marginalization norms in nursing education, and (d) advocacy and vision for institutional reform …


Effective Strategies For Sustaining Massage Small Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Steven Brian Glover Apr 2026

Effective Strategies For Sustaining Massage Small Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Steven Brian Glover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective business strategies can lead to premature closure. Small business owners who struggle to develop long-term strategies may experience failure as a result. Grounded in the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore practical strategies used by massage therapy small business owners to sustain their businesses for more than 5 years. The participants were 10 massage therapy small business owners who had sustained their businesses for more than 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, business documents, and public records. Through thematic analysis, six themes were …


Relationship Between Hepatitis B Virus Screening, Vaccination, And Spread In Sierra Leone, Muhammed Sarmodu Mansaray Apr 2026

Relationship Between Hepatitis B Virus Screening, Vaccination, And Spread In Sierra Leone, Muhammed Sarmodu Mansaray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) presents a significant public health burden in Sierra Leone. Although the estimated prevalence was 8.7% in 2021, comprehensive statistical data has been limited in general. Programmatic interventions for HBV control such as systematic screening and vaccination have remained limited as well. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between screening and vaccination practices and HBV prevalence in Sierra Leone while controlling for age, sex, education and health care access. The theoretical framework incorporated the Integrated Screening Action model, which highlights screening as a critical disease prevention strategy, and the Social Ecological …


Succession Strategies For Family Business Owners, Sara Ann Neel Apr 2026

Succession Strategies For Family Business Owners, Sara Ann Neel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family business succession remains a persistent challenge, as many family-owned enterprises fail to survive transitions in leadership and ownership. Family business owners and stakeholders are concerned with ineffective succession because failed transitions can threaten business longevity, family relationships, and the preservation of multigenerational wealth and legacy. Grounded in the family business three-circle model and stewardship theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective succession strategies used by some family business owners to improve succession outcomes. The participants were eight senior family business owners in Texas whose business revenues were between $3 million and $250 million. Data …


Administrative Burden: The Hidden Costs Associated With Participating In The Department Of Veterans Affairs’ Disability Compensation Process, Christopher Anthony Campagno Apr 2026

Administrative Burden: The Hidden Costs Associated With Participating In The Department Of Veterans Affairs’ Disability Compensation Process, Christopher Anthony Campagno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has characterized the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) as a procedural success, citing reductions in remand rates and increases in grant rates. However, VA’s reporting on AMA performance has generally focused on adjudicatory outcomes and has not addressed the administrative burden costs veterans incur while navigating the disability compensation process. Although current scholarship documents administrative burden in other public programs, little empirical work has examined how it manifests in VA’s disability compensation process. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine how veterans describe the learning, psychological, and compliance costs they experienced …