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Cooperatives As A Possible Answer For Women Living With Violence And Poverty On The Us/Mexico Border, Nubia Restrepo Collaros

Latin American Studies ETDs

This thesis examines the challenges presented to planning practitioners working with Latin American communities in economically disadvantaged regions where external influences creates a fragile environment for sustainability and empowerment. Specifically, the thesis examines the complex inter-relation of a non-profit and the members of a cooperative and how can economic, human and social capital development can be planned for alongside significant changes.

A Dynamic Network Analysis Of Vision In Complex Organizations, Jon Christiansen

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to model the role of vision in a complex organization and the roles that agents, tasks, knowledge, roles, resources and beliefs play. For this purpose, an investigation into the current structure of this model is conducted. Additionally, this study sought to develop a better understanding of how agent's individual vision and beliefs about the organizational vision can be influenced over time. This purpose sought to identify the evolution of vision, therefore, required a method that simulates how these entities change over time. Dynamic Network Analysis was utilized to capture an understanding of the existing …

The Integral Role Of Organizational Characteristics And Their Impact On Lean Implementation Success, John J. Cooper

Dissertations

ABSTRACT The increasingly competitive nature of the manufacturing industry has forced manufacturers to examine alternatives to traditional management philosophies. Although lean's success had been proven it was not uncommon for companies that opt to implement lean concepts to meet with mixed results and sometimes even outright failure. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between organizational characteristics and issues associated with lean implementation. The study identified the following organizational characteristics (a) organizational leadership, (b) organizational culture, and (c) organizational change and examined the role each played in lean implementation efforts. The study also looked at sixteen individual …

Self-Directed Learning And The Impact Of Leadership: Analyzing Keys For Success From A Covenental Perspective, David Duby, Kahlib J. Fischer

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current state of education seems to beg for visionary changes to truly impact students and prepare them for the future. Self-directed learning models purport to do just that, by preparing students to be self-motivated, lifelong learners. While many educators seek to apply self-directed practices, research reveals that there are several obstacles that can hinder self-directed learning. Duby’s 2006 study of schools employing self-directed learning investigated how leaders successfully overcome these hindrances via specific leadership attitudes and behaviors that not only effectively overcame these obstacles, but are also reflected in the covenantal perspective of leadership. Using content analysis, this paper …

Evaluation Of A Protocol Change To Improve Screening Of Mineral Bone Disorders In Patients With Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease, Jarena Kelly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing worldwide problem. Patients with CKD are at great risk for multiple health problems and ultimately face end stage renal disease (ESRD). One of the problems of concern is the loss of bone mass, termed mineral bone disorders (MBD). The literature reveals that bone mass loss can begin as early as stage 3 CKD. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Clinical Practice Guideline (2003), and The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO, 2009) recommend that persons identified in stage 3 CKD be screened for hypovitamintosis D, elevated intact parathyroid (iPTH) levels, and abnormal calcium and …

The Influence Of Simulation-Based Information Systems Education On Enterprise Systems Knowledge And User Satisfaction, Pamela Jeanne' Schmidt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enterprise systems implementations are often high cost and high risk with many companies failing to achieve their targeted business objectives. At the individual level, negative user reactions to enterprise systems lead to resistance to IT use, counter-productive adaptations, and reduced job satisfaction. Factors that contribute to these individual level effects include a lack of understanding of reengineered business processes and a lack of understanding of economic interdependencies. In this research, a computer-based business simulation educational intervention is investigated to determine its effectiveness in facilitating enterprise systems knowledge acquisition and promoting job satisfaction. Simulation-based education utilizes an experiential learning model, immersing …

Media Convergence At The High School Level: Why Should High School Journalism Classes Use Technology Currently Used By Professional Publications?, Kristine L. Dekat

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The digitization of media organizations has brought about changes in both the organization and the practices of journalism, which have resulted in a change in how the news is made. Media convergence has required news organizations to combine online media, broadcast news, and print media to create news stories. This thesis will examine why convergence has become necessary for professional publications and how they are converging. The research includes original research gathered from surveying journalism schools to understand how colleges are preparing students for careers in the professional media. High school journalism programs were also surveyed to identify how high …

Assisting The Accompanying Partner: A Dramaturgical Explanatory Study Of Dual Career Couples Offices, Christine Promin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a mixed methods explanatory sequential design framed in resource dependency theory that uses Goffman's dramaturgical analysis to explore how the dual career couples offices address issues, serve constituencies, and relate to the broader institution. The researcher examined schools with dual career offices by using the Higher Education Dual Couple Network [HEDCN]. In Phase I of the study, the researcher surveyed HEDCN affiliates regarding their dual career offices. In Phase II of the study, three schools from the HEDCN sample were selected through purposeful sampling for site visits which included in-depth, one-on-one interviews, observations, and artifact analysis.

The …

Lean Manufacturing - An Integrated Socio-Technical Systems Approach To Work Design, Mohammed Raja

All Dissertations

Over the years, the manufacturing industry has witnessed a number of work design practices, based on different principles, which have significantly shaped the nature of work and have affected employees' behavior and performance. This study compares the socio-technical systems (STS) principles and lean production (LP) principles in to explore the potential for synergistic integration between the two. They are categorized according to the common overarching goals of these principles, and through a process of theoretical rationalization, these categories are operationalized into the work design practices of middle management support, social practices usage, and technical practices usage.
A model of work …

The Merit Of Intensive Leadership Development Programs On Building-Level Administrators' Sustainability, Sonja Jean Robertson

Dissertations

With recent research identifying the propensity and ability of principals to lead as a key culprit of school and district failure, it would seem that one of the most reasonable steps should be to better determine how effective specially designed leadership development programs in the area of educational leadership are at not only equipping principals and school-based leaders, but at creating a foundation and a prevailing culture for longevity or sustainability in those positions. If the development of principals and other school-based leaders is vital to the improvement of schools, the effectiveness of the measures implemented to bring about that …

Expanding The Role Of The Physical Therapist By Integrating Practice Management Skills Into Entry-Level Physical Therapist Preparation In The United States, Jennifer E. Green-Wilson

Education Doctoral

Problem Statement Core competencies are expanding in physical therapist practice to include practice management knowledge and skills (Guide; Lopopolo, Schafer, & Nosse, 2004). There appears, however, to be minimal integration of these skills into entry-level preparation (Lopopolo, et. al; Schafer, Lopopolo, Luedtke-Hoffmann, 2007). Purpose The purpose of this research study is to identify the perceptions of physical therapist faculty of the driving and restraining forces to integrating practice management skills into accredited entry-level physical therapist programs in the United States. For this study, the FINHOP framework (finance, information management, networking, human resource management, operations, planning and forecasting) will provide a …

Ninth Grade Transition: Practices Used By New York State High School Principals To Support Student Achievement During Ninth Grade, Dana Boshnack

Education Doctoral

New York State high school principals are implementing a variety of practices to support ninth grade transition. Principals from across the State of New York were surveyed to identify the practices that are being implemented and the practices they would use if afforded the necessary resources. This state-wide study sought to gather information regarding characteristics of schools, their districts and the likelihood that schools with similar characteristics would choose similar organizational practices. A k cluster analysis was used to identify three cluster groups based on the practices being implemented by each respondent. The three clusters were categorized using the following …

Improving The Quality Of Teacher Support In Anticipation Of The Instructional Use Of Technology: An Action Research Study, Darren E. Draper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The formation of the Canyons School District brought with it unique opportunities for assessing current practice, implementing change, and evaluating the effectiveness of that change. Accordingly, this action research project served as an effective initial step in accomplishing this series of tasks. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe the instructional technology needs of teachers, as well as the related support efforts provided in a public school district.

Data gathering methods included a district-wide needs assessment survey of school-based licensed personnel (N =1,313). Additionally, the utilization of focus group protocol on an existing district technology committee …

Counseling And Psychotherapy With Clients Of Middle Eastern Descent: A Qualitative Inquiry, Sara Boghosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is becoming increasingly important for clinical and counseling psychologists to have multicultural competence skills for treating an increasingly diverse client population. The psychology literature related to culturally competent treatment with persons of Middle Eastern descent is currently limited. In this study, qualitative methodology was utilized to explore the mental health attitudes and psychotherapy experiences of clients of Middle Eastern descent. Participants described culturally influenced mental health attitudes. Major themes included the severity of stigma associated with mental illness, the importance of family in responding to mental illness, and the process of grieving in Middle Eastern cultures. Study findings suggest …

Resistance To Educational Change From The Perspective Of Teachers In Al Ain Educational Zone In Uae., Wafaa Mohammed Ali El Zaatar.

Theses

The study aimed to investigate the factors for teacher resistance toward the educational change in government schools in the U.A.E. The factors this study investigated are the: psychological, personal, school culture, and organizational factors. The study was guided by one research question and used the descriptive research method. Data for this study were collected through a survey using Likert Scale. It was sent to 414 teachers in public schools in different grade levels. Teachers selected were males and females, from different age group, years of experience and qualifications; and they were UAE national and foreign teachers. Only 255 teachers responded. …

Positive Law Codification Of Space Programs: The Enactment Of Title 51, United States Code, Rob Sukol

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Design Guidelines For A Mobile Oncology Unit, Renee Melendez Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis will identify design considerations for future development of a mobile unit for delivery of Oncology services to those engaged directly or indirectly in cancer treatment. Mobile Oncology Units are relatively new to medical and design worlds but offer benefits as extensions of the healthcare system that provide care to those who would not normally receive it. This project targets rural communities, the elderly and those without transportation in West Virginia.

A Self-Organizing Group Within A Hierarchical Organization, Sheila Yuter

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to discover and describe the characteristics of a community of practice (CoP) and the health care system within which it formed. The study explored the relationship between a CoP of primary care physicians and a health care system that was both a hierarchical organization and a complex adaptive entity. It further examined the impact that relationship may have had on the organization’s sustainability within its environment.

A qualitative approach was used for the collection and analysis of data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four members of the CoP and three members of their administrative hierarchy. There …

The Relationship Between Situational Leadership And Student Achievement, Hope Owens Beaver

Dissertations

The study of leadership has been one of great interest for many years and many leadership theories have since surfaced. Bolman and Deal’s (1991) situational leadership theory places leadership styles into four unique frames and suggests that the most effective leaders are able to utilize the most appropriate leadership frame that a situation might require. This study investigates these situational leadership frames which are structural, political, human resource, and symbolic and the relationship they may have with student achievement based on school performance labels given by the Mississippi State Department of Education.

The study was conducted in two months and …

Resistance To Educational Change From The Perspective Of Teachers In Ai-Ain Educational Zone In Uae, Wafa Mohammed Ali El Zaatar

Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the factors for teacher resistance toward the Educational change in government schools in the U.A.E. The factors that this study investigated are the psychological, personal, school culture, and organizational factors. The study was guided by one research question and used the descriptive research method. Data for this study were collected through a survey using a Likert Scale. It was sent to 414 teachers in public schools who taught in different grade levels. Teachers selected were males and females, from different age group, years of experience and qualifications; and they were UAE national and foreign teachers. …

Learning On Other People’S Kids: Becoming A Teach For America Teacher, Randall Lahann

Democracy & Education

A review of the book Learning to Teach on Other People’s Kids: Becoming a Teach for America Teacher, by Barbara Torre Veltri (Information Age Publishing, 2010).

Perceptions Of Senior And Mid-Level Leaders Involved In The Mergers Of Vocational Technical Institutes And Institutions Of Higher Education In Arkansas Since 2003, Michael Keith Mcclanahan

Student Theses and Dissertations

The expansion of educational opportunities in Arkansas has led to many educational changes since the inception of public postsecondary institutions in 1862. Most recently, Act 1244 of 1991(Acts of Arkansas, 1991) authorized the vocational-technical schools created through ACT 328 of 1957(Acts of Arkansas, 1957) to become stand-alone technical colleges or to merge with existing community colleges. This study investigated the perceptions concerning the impact of the education institution organizational changes brought about by ACT 1244 of 1991 as held by senior and mid-level leaders of those merging institutions. The study obtained the perceptions of these organizational leaders through the focus …

Hlc Accreditation Letter 2011, Sylvia Manning

Accreditation

A letter from Sylvia Manning of the Higher Learning Commission confirming the continued accreditation of UNO through the AQIP program.

The Impact Of Minority Status And Language Fluency On Vietnamese Asian Americans In The Predominately English-Speaking American Workplace, Lily L. Truong

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Report: The Illinois State University Faculty-Staff Newsletter, April 26, 2011, Illinois State University

Illinois State University Report (1966-2012)

Illinois State University bi-weekly employee newsletter.

Objectionable Team Nicknames: Determining The Likelihood Of Selling The Issue Of Banning Them In Virginia High Schools, Pamela Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the personal and situational factors that contribute to a high school principal's willingness to sell the issue of objectionable team nicknames to their school division administration for the purposes of banning them. Based on the literature review, nine hypotheses were developed regarding the factors that influence the issue-selling process in a centralized, hierarchical organization. The issue-selling model utilized in this study suggested that organizational support, top management openness, organizational norms, probability of success, and image risk would be determinants of willingness to sell the issue (Mullen, 2005). This study utilized a mixed-method research design. Personal interviews were …

Results From A Pilot Translational Health And Wellness Based Summer Program In Minority Adolescents, Elizabeth Skidmore Edwards

Open Access Dissertations

The Healthy Start Summer Program (HSSP) is a seven-week summer program that strives to provide health and wellness education in a manner that is applicable to everyday living. The primary goal of the HSSP is to improve physical fitness levels and the psychosocial variables associated with exercise in a minority adolescent population, while providing the tools necessary for students to maintain these changes for four months after the program. Participants and control subjects were evaluated at the beginning and end of their respective summer programs, then followed up four months post-program to evaluate the maintenance of these changes. The students …

Defining Excellence In Healthcare Design: The Role Of Personal Qualities, Roger J. Vitello

Interior Design Program: Student Creative Activity

Healthcare design has been recognized as a legitimate area of specialization, a field. Expertise in the healthcare design and building process is needed. Where and how future healthcare design practitioners will be educated remains a challenge. While the evolution of research-based design for health facilities has grown since the 1980s little is known about how healthcare designers should be educated. An understanding of personal qualities a graduating student is expected to possess is important to their education. Knowledge about the qualities that determine excellence in healthcare design practice is sparse. By understanding which qualities have been effective, application to other …

The Perspectives Of Practicing African American Female Superintendents In The Commonwealth Of Virginia Regarding The Impact Of Spirituality On Their Leadership Practices, Shannon Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach to discover how African American female superintendents in Virginia integrated spirituality into their leadership practices. The struggles and experiences of these women as a population have been uniquely marginalized by both race and gender. These distinct influences have resulted in the development of generations of women who freely proclaim to be grounded in the spiritual. To investigate this topic, data were collected in face-to-face interviews conducted on site in the school division where each superintendent was employed. The data were analyzed using a modified version of Moustakas as proposed by Creswell (2007). Once …

Sustaining Knowledge Building As A Principle-Based Innovation At An Elementary School, Jianwei Zhang, Huang-Yao Hong, Marlene Scardamalia, Elizabeth A. Morley, Chew Teo

Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship

This study explores Knowledge Building as a principle-based innovation at an elementary school and makes a case for a principle- versus procedure-based approach to educational innovation, supported by new knowledge media. Thirty-nine Knowledge Building initiatives, each focused on a curriculum theme and facilitated by nine teachers over eight years, were analyzed using measures of student discourse in a Knowledge Building environment--Knowledge Forum. Results were analyzed from the perspective of student, teacher, and principal engagement to identify conditions for Knowledge Building as a school-wide innovation. Analyses of student discourse showed interactive and complementary contributions to a community knowledge space, conceptual content …