Digital Commons Network^™

Managing Expectations When Measuring Philanthropic Impact: A Framework Based On Experience, Frank Ridzi

The Foundation Review

· In order to achieve more targeted community change than possible in conventional grantmaking, foundations have developed a portfolio of activities ranging from capacity building to venture and catalytic philanthropy.

· Key to each of these approaches is a desire for meaningful impact. Yet, funders across the nation express dissatisfaction with their ability to prove or demonstrate impact.

· Conversations with colleagues and personal experience suggest that part of this dissatisfaction is due to a disconnect between the expectations of board members, donors, staff, and participants on one hand and what is actually feasible to measure on the other.

· …

Disaster Preparations And Relief: The Partnership Between The American National Red Cross And Amateur Radio, Bayley B. Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this master's thesis is to evaluate the current state of the partnership between the American National Red Cross chapters and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups. The alliance between these organizations has historically been outlined by national representatives, the most recent being the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the American National Red Cross and ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. This partnership was assessed through a nationwide survey of American National Red Cross chapter representatives. Findings suggest that most Red Cross chapters have current partnerships with their local ARES group, and collaboration occurs primarily for disaster …

Professionalization Of Personal Trainers In The Fitness Industry, Lara M. Foster

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The fitness industry is a multi-million dollar business engaged with enhancing or changing the personal appearance of an individual; that is, what Goffman (1963) called with regard to the embodied self, occupations engaged in identity tinkering trades. The muscle and fitness industry's occupations are engaged in tinkering with ones physical identities (Tan & Brignole, 2012). Personal trainers have been acknowledged in social science literature as "customer service" representatives and "emotional laborers" in the fitness industry (Maguire, 2001). This research is a two-part qualitative study: first, I examine the actions, purpose, and roles of the personal fitness trainer and secondly, I …

In Search Of A Dream America: Place-Connectedness In East European Immigrant Life Writing, Irina V. Rodimtseva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Theorists of place acknowledge human need for attachment to place, but this bond is often stated as a given, without an explication of its origin or attributes. Implementing the concept of place-connectedness formulated by Lawrence Buell, I analyze the process of bonding with new places described in immigrant life writing, focusing on twentieth-century texts by authors from Russia, the Soviet Union, and Communist bloc countries. Examining the sources through which American imagery was available to East Europeans during the 1900s, I confirm a link between the concepts of the American Dream and of place-connectedness and contend that for immigrants, establishing …

Black Male Retention Initiatives: Exploring Students' Experiences And Program Effectiveness At Predominantly White Institutions, Gabrielle St. Leger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent initiatives in higher education have been designed to increase Black undergraduate male collegiate retention and persistence through graduation for this historically underrepresented population. Although institutional leaders in higher education have focused on creating more inclusive campuses, designing and implementing programs to retain Black undergraduate men have remained largely under studied. Specifically at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), a step in the process is evaluating and assessing the efforts for effectiveness and impact on students' overall development and success. Programs that have achieved ways to increase the retention rates have information that is useful in reversing low retention and graduation should …

Strategies For Impacting Change In Communities Of Color, Kenneth W. Jackson, Alandra L. Washington, Russell H. Jackson

The Foundation Review

· Historically, organized philanthropy has given scant attention to giving among communities of color; however, as the population changes it is becoming more important to learn about and promote giving in these communities.

· The W. K. Kellogg Foundation supported the Cultures of Giving (COG) initiative over a five-year period to understand, develop, and support philanthropic giving within and among communities of color.

· COG began with two major principles of action – advancing strategies, approaches, and tactics of community philanthropy and connecting leaders of color in a community of practice such that they might learn, share, and collaborate with …

Security Policy Compliance: User Acceptance Perspective, Ahmad Al-Omari, Omar F. El-Gayar, Amit Deokar

Research & Publications

Information security policy compliance is one of the key concerns that face organizations today. Although, technical and procedural security measures help improve information security, there is an increased need to accommodate human, social and organizational factors. While employees are considered the weakest link in information security domain, they also are assets that organizations need to leverage effectively. Employees' compliance with Information Security Policies (ISPs) is critical to the success of an information security program. The purpose of this research is to develop a measurement tool that provides better measures for predicting and explaining employees' compliance with ISPs by examining the …

Security Policy Compliance: User Acceptance Perspective, Ahmad Al-Omari, Omar F. El-Gayar, Amit Deokar

Research & Publications

Information security policy compliance is one of the key concerns that face organizations today. Although, technical and procedural security measures help improve information security, there is an increased need to accommodate human, social and organizational factors. While employees are considered the weakest link in information security domain, they also are assets that organizations need to leverage effectively. Employees’ compliance with Information Security Policies (ISPs) is critical to the success of an information security program. The purpose of this research is to develop a measurement tool that provides better measures for predicting and explaining employees’ compliance with ISPs by examining the …

The Mediating Role Of Adaptive Personalization In Online Shopping, Son Bui, Insu Park, William Kettinger

Research & Publications

In the context of e-commerce, personalization system provides customers with recommendations on what products to buy. Grounded on social exchange theory, this study empirically examines and theoretically articulates the effects of willingness to share information and adaptive personalization on willingness to repurchase products. A survey was conducted and PLS was used demonstrating that adaptive personalization fully mediates the relationship between willingness to share information and willingness to repurchase products. The results suggest that online customers might take risks to provide their information to online retailers in exchange of offerings, and that continuous capturing of customer’s preferences throughout their interaction time …

Church And Clergy Revitalization Seen Through The Lens Of Luther's Theology Of The Cross, John David Roth

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Healthier Officers, Healthier Corps: A Study Of Salvation Army Corps Officers' Spiritual Renewal As A Means Of Congregational Renewal, Grant Sandercock-Brown

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

He Loves The Immigrant: Deuteronomy's Theological And Social Vision For The Ger, Mark Abraham Awabdy

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Riding Into The Sunset In A "Post-Racial" World: Lessons In Equal Educational Opportunity And College Admissions Schemes In France And The United States, Kristen Barnes

Con Law Center Articles and Publications

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare two strategies designed to promote ethno-racial inclusion that were initiated in France and the United States in the context of higher education. In particular, I examine the Priority Education Agreements Program or CEP, an innovative affirmative action program which was implemented in 2001 by the Sciences Po, one of France’s elite universities, in relation to the Texas Ten Percent Plan that was established in 1997 in the United States by the State of Texas.

Sections I and II of this paper will provide the historical and social contexts in which …

A Comparative Examination Of Women’S Remittance Practices In Two Somali Communities: Johannesburg, South Africa, And Columbus, Ohio, Marnie Shaffer

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Women throughout the Somali diaspora are renowned for their commitment to provide financial support to their families abroad (see, for example, Horst 2007). Although it has only been in recent years that women have been migrating to South Africa, their sense of responsibility to remit is equally as strong as those women’s who left Somalia in the early 2000s and before. The author conducted research in Mayfair, a suburb near downtown Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, where the Somali community is most densely populated, and in Columbus, Ohio, where several pockets of Somalis are dispersed around the city. Study results indicate …

Trademark And Copyright Enforcement In The Shadow Of Ip Law, William T. Gallagher

Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal

In recent years, as Congress has created new intellectual property (IP) rights and courts have often interpreted those rights broadly, legal scholars have frequently decried the expanded scope of protection afforded IP owners in most substantive areas of IP law. According to this critique, the over-expansion of IP rights throughout the past two decades harms competition, chills free speech, and diminishes the public domain as increasingly broad areas of social life are brought within the scope of strong IP protection. While this over-expansion theory reflects an important—indeed, foundational—policy debate concerning the proper balance between IP owners’ rights and the public’s …

Spring 2012

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

Fall 2012

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Global Entrepreneurship And Development Index, 2012, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

Social & Behavioral Sciences 50-0031 HD82 MARC Ács, Zoltán J. The global entrepreneurship and development index, 2012, by Zoltán J. Ács and László Szerb. E. Elgar, 2012. 391p ISBN 9781849808439, $450.00; ISBN 9781781001158 e-book, contact publisher for price

The Beliefs And Perceived Experiences Of Preservice And Early Service Teachers Who Use Facebook, Nathan Foss

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify commonly held beliefs and perceived experiences of preservice and early service teachers with regard to their use of the social networking site Facebook. This study included recorded and transcribed interviews of 14 participants as well as observations of their Facebook accounts. The participants in this study consisted of six males and eight females who were in various stages of their educational careers. All participants were either members, or recent graduates, of the same Midwestern university. Each was either pursuing a degree in education or had recently received their education degree. …

Workplace Characteristics, Work-To-Life Conflict, And Psychological Distress Among Medical Workers, Marissa S. Gravelle

Theses and Dissertations

The medical industry is the fastest growing job sector and is projected to be the largest job sector by 2018. This group of workers tends to experience heightened stressors in the workplace. The key purpose of this study was to address whether work-to-life conflict mediates the relationship between workplace characteristics and psychological distress for workers in the medical industry. Drawing on data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce (N = 329), relationships were explored using stepwise OLS regression analysis. Findings from the first model (which excludes the mediating variable of work-to-life conflict) suggest that as both coworker …

Professional Mothers' Loyalty To Their Employers, Ashley Lynn Leschyshyn

Theses and Dissertations

One major social change that has transpired in the United States over recent decades is the increasing movement of women into the paid labor force. The changes surrounding work and family life have made finding balance between these two domains difficult for women. These difficulties become more problematic because of a stalled revolution, as many workplaces do not accommodate family needs and women remain primarily responsible for household labor. Qualitative research on the supposed "opt out revolution" has shown that one main reason why some women are leaving the workplace is because they do not have a work environment that …

Social Distance In The College Classroom, Chassity Paige Sanner

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of student learning outcomes is apparent. Past research has examined the relationship that students have with their instructors and the impact this has on student learning, yet the concept of social distance in student-instructor relationships has yet to be incorporated. This thesis was conducted to explore student perceptions of social distance. A scale based on the work of Emory Bogardus (1926) was developed and then administered to a sample of introductory level sociology students and upper level sociology students at the University of North Dakota during the Fall Semester of 2007. Based on the findings of this study, …

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2012-2013, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2012-2013 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

Multicultural Efficacy Among White Resident Hall Directors: Predicting White Privilege Attitudes, Sarah Jo Szerlong

Theses and Dissertations

This study contributed to the expanding field of research examining the various aspects of White privilege attitudes. This study extended White privilege research by incorporating the predictive relationships of multicultural efficacy, multicultural empathy, multicultural experience, and multicultural training in assessing White privilege attitudes among a sample of White resident hall directors (N =206). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the current study to examine the mediating effect of multicultural efficacy on White privilege attitudes measured by the White Privilege Attitude Scale, Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites, and Color Blind Racial Attitudes Scale. Goodness of fit was not found …

'Reel' Gangs Or 'Real' Gangs: A Qualitative Media Analysis Of Street Gangs Portrayed In Hollywood Films, 1960-2009, Christopher J. Przemieniecki

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the portrayals of street gangs as presented by a select sample of Hollywood films from 1960 to 2009. Using the theoretical framework of social constructionism and cinematic realism, a content analysis of 25 `street gang' films was conducted to (a) determine the comparability of depictions of street gangs in Hollywood films with those characteristics of defining a street gang in the law enforcement and academic literature, (b) identify emergent themes and patterns, including changes over time, and (c) address the representations of realism in the portrayal of street gangs as depicted …

Intimate Relationships Of Adults Raised In Same-Sex Families, Thomas Roskos

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the close relationship experiences of adults raised by sexual minority parents. The study used a Grounded Theory (GT) method. Seven individuals that were either born to sexual minority parents or found out their parents were sexual minorities later in life participated in this present study. Each participant completed an over the phone, semi-structured interview. Specifically, questions were asked regarding their family history, relationships with their parents, peers, romantic partners, and others, their experiences with heterosexism, their experiences coming out, and their perspectives on sexuality and gender.

In accordance with GT, the data …

Knowledge Translation Practices Of Health Services Research Organizations In The United States, Wendy Opsahl

Theses and Dissertations

Health services research organizations have generated a growing body of literature that focuses on better understanding challenges facing health care delivery. However, their findings do not always reach end users (e.g., policymakers, providers, managers, general public) in ways that are helpful, relevant, or cost-effective despite the availability of numerous resources designed to aid researchers in communicating more effectively. The purpose of this study was to understand better how health services research organizations in the United States communicate their research findings to end users; determine the degree to which they are translating research findings in ways consistent with the empirical evidence; …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Childfree Choice In A Sample Of Australian Women, Joanne Doyle, Julie Ann Pooley, Lauren Breen

Research outputs 2012

Choosing not to have children is considered a deviation from cultural norms, particularly the dominant pronatalist discourse; this is especially so for women. However, little research has documented the experience of Australian women who have consciously chosen to remain childless. Ten voluntarily childfree women participated in unstructured interviews about their choice and its ramifications. The data analysis revealed three broad themes – the experiences and processes of making the choice; the ongoing effects of their choice, ranging from support and acceptance to pressure and discrimination; and no regret as the women described engaging in meaningful, generative activities that contributed to …

Age And Premorbid Intelligence Suppress Complaint-Performance Congruency In Raw Score Measures Of Memory, Matthew Merema, Craig Speelman, Elizabeth Kaczmarek, Jonathan Foster

Research outputs 2012

Background: We aimed to examine the role of age and premorbid intelligence (IQ) in suppressing the relationship between subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and raw score memory performance. Methods: We used a community sample of older adults aged 66"90 years (N = 121) to test whether the inclusion of age and a premorbid IQ measure in multiple regression analyses increased semipartial correlations of raw score memory performance in predicting SMCs. Rank contrast correlations were also carried out to observe how age and premorbid IQ are related to complaint"performance congruency. Measures utilized in the study included the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (for SMCs), …

Evaluation Of The Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parenting Support Program: Progress Report 1, Andrew Guilfoyle

Research outputs 2012

This is the first progress report of the local evaluation of the Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parent Support Program (IPS). The evaluative report extends the Participatory Action Research (PAR) based evaluation plan (Guilfoyle, Baker, & Bray, 2011). It includes a theoretical discussion on resilience building, community development, and the role of parenting support for early child development, through links to literature and direct evidence captured through community based observations, notes, and recorded interviews with IPS workers, community members, and key stakeholders on the communities and in Broome, and case studies. The evaluation assessed IPS activities in light of its policy framework …