Digital Commons Network^™

Communication Strategies To Generate Employee Job Satisfaction, Kenyatta Natasha Hills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers spend 75% of their time actively communicating with employees. Effective leadership communication is fundamental to employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how communication strategies that government agency leaders use may motivate greater employee job satisfaction. Twenty employees of a government office in Florida were the general population sample. The motivational language theory helped explore the nature of job satisfaction by focusing on leadership and employee communication strategies. Leadership communication influences employee motivation through incorporating 3 categories of utterances: empathetic (illocutionary) language, direction-giving (perlocutionary) language, and meaning-making (locutionary) language. The Van Manen selective approach …

Evaluating The Effects Of The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program On Middle School Bullying, Michelle Marie Kendrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of bullying, victimization, and the awareness of these activities at a public suburban middle school in Northwest Georgia. The study school implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in 2009, yet had not evaluated the program to identify whether or not it met its goals after 1 year of implementation. Using a quasiexperimental, goal-free program evaluation, the research questions explored whether or not the OBPP succeeded in reducing the student reported rates of bullying and victimization while also increasing awareness of such activities. A Mann Whitney U test was utilized for analysis due to …

Preparation And Support Of Female Head Athletic Trainers In Collegiate Sport, Bekki Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 has significantly improved women's access to previously male-dominated areas of education in the United States, but few of these studies have focused on the experiences of women currently in the higher education field. This study explored female head athletic trainers' perceptions of the role of U.S. higher education institutions in preparing and supporting their achievement of leadership positions in U.S. collegiate sports: it also explored their views on potential changes in current higher education curricula and certification processes. This phenomenological study used Ridgeway's status construction theory as its theoretical lens for …

Correlations Between Corporate Governance, Financial Performance, And Market Value, Mohamed Saleh Darweesh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate governance can play a significant role in financial market stability and economic development. Corporate governance scholars have provided controversial results with respect to the relationships between corporate governance and both corporate financial performance and market value. Based on agency theory and institutional theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms, financial performance, and market value in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 116 firms from 2010 to 2014. Financial performance was measured by return on assets and return on equity, while market value was measured by Tobin's q. Corporate governance mechanisms involved in …

Risk Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety In Older Adults Of Mexican Origin, Raquel Estrada Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. Their number has increased in the past 4 years. There is a gap in the research literature on Hispanic elders, specifically those of Mexican origin, residing in nursing homes along the Texas-Mexico border. Because Texas has one of the fastest growing populations of Mexican elders, it is important to better understand this population. This nonexperimental study evaluated the relationship among risk factors' such as gender, marital status, family support, activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in nursing home activities. These relationships were evaluated with a …

Influences Of Csi Effect, Daubert Ruling, And Nas Report On Forensic Science Practices, Timothy Patrick Scanlan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The media exaggerates the capabilities of crime laboratories while it publicizes the wrongdoings of individual forensic scientists. Such portrayals skew the perspectives of jurors and hinder expert witness testimony. Complicating the problem are separate, but related, phenomena that influence how forensic laboratories conduct casework. These phenomena are Cole and Dioso-Villa's conceptualization of the unrealistic expectations of forensic science created by fictional television, known as the CSI Effect; the Daubert ruling on the admissibility of expert testimony; and some federal policy changes as a result of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that impacted requirements for the daily operation of …

Association Between Psychological Trauma From Assault In Childhood And Metabolic Syndrome, W Sumner Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Metabolic syndrome and its component conditions of hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance are on the increase in United States. Metabolic syndrome substantially increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D). To date, no published study has examined the relationship between psychological traumas from physical and/or sexual assault in childhood and metabolic syndrome or its components. This study, using the psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) model, investigated associations between psychological trauma (physical/sexual abuse) in childhood and metabolic syndrome in adulthood using data from the Midlife in the United States II (MIDUS-II) study. This research was undertaken to investigate whether a history …

Diabetes Education Tailored Towards English Speaking Caribbean Immigrants, Joanna A. Dunk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing among persons of Caribbean ancestry in the United States, yet there is little research on the differences in the health and nutrition patterns of diabetics from this population. This study created a culturally-sensitive diabetes education program for the staff of an internal medicine practice that treated patients from the English-speaking Caribbean. The project was guided by the health belief model, as well as Leininger's theory of transcultural nursing. Methodology of project had a quality improvement focus. The comprehensive curriculum included diabetes medications, physical activity, culturally-tailored medical nutrition therapy, complications, self-care behavior, problem solving, and …

The Mediating Role Of Payout In The Relationship Between Private Foundations And Grantee Organizations' Financial Health, Angie Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although private foundations are assumed to be beneficial, their impact on grantee organizations is not well understood. This quantitative research explored how private, nonoperating foundations influence grantees' financial capacity to pursue their missions. Principal-agent theory was applied to rationalize foundations' social good purpose, along with subsidy theory of public charities' need for capital accumulation, thus comprising a unique framework for identifying pathways of relationships amongst influencer variables of foundations' operating characteristics; the outcome of grantees' months of unrestricted, liquid net assets (MULNA); and the mediator of foundations' payout rate. Multiple regression and indirect effects analyses of data on 612 cases …

Business Strategies To Improve On-Time Deliveries And Profits In Southcentral Alaska, Donald Richard Leaver Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traffic congestion can cause late deliveries, decreased profits from vehicle fuel idling in traffic, and delayed distribution in tight delivery windows. The focus of this study was on developing strategies that business leaders could use to increase on-time deliveries. The conceptual frameworks for this case study were systems theory, traffic equilibrium theory, bathtub theory, and kinematic wave theory. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 6 delivery service leaders from 3 delivery businesses in Southcentral Alaska. In addition, secondary data were collected from government information. Interview responses were coded to identify trends including delivery time, business activity, and amount of …

Critical Factors In Police Use-Of-Force Decisions, Orville Nickel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated law enforcement officers' perceptions of the legal, normative, and practical considerations that are implicit in their decisions when faced with using physical force. Law enforcement officers observe and protect fundamental human rights. A significant problem, however, is that physical force is sometimes misused, impacting public confidence in police services. The study was framed by Durkheim's conflict theory and Beirie's concepts of police corporate culture and social control. It used a grounded theory method and predeveloped case scenarios presented to 2 male focus groups of 7 and 6 participants respectively, and 2 female focus groups of 5 and …

The United Nations Training Of The Liberia National Police: Effectiveness, Results, And Future Implications, Yarsuo Laezee Weh-Dorliae

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the United Nations' mission in Liberia (UNMIL) ends on September 30, 2015, effective policing will be a security concern for Liberians. Liberians have expressed fear that conflict could return if ongoing police training programs do not sustain public safety. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand how UNMIL's training affected public confidence in the Liberia National Police (LNP). The theoretical bases for this study included public choice theory and liberal democratic theory. Quantitative data were used to address impact of UNMIL's police training on the maintenance of law and order. These data were collected through a …

Efficacy Of African American Grandmothers Regarding The Education Of Custodial Grandchildren, Valarie Louise Petty Boyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The roles of grandparents, from occasional helpers to custodial adults in their grandchildren's lives, often raise levels of social discomfort among those involved,; especially when the children are still in elementary school. A disproportionate number of custodial grandparents are African American women. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 8 custodial African American grandmothers in Delaware regarding the education of their school-aged grandchildren. The theoretical foundation was Carter and McGoldrick's theory of families as interconnected systems, and Sands, Goldberg-Glen, Shin, and Robin's theory that life event changes often lead to stress and coping strategies. Data were collected through in-depth …

Partial Inclusion Effects On Students With Special Needs In English, Jayna Michelle Jensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A special education population failed to meet the state target in English. This occurrence drove educational leaders to review their program options to address the problem. Their decision to offer a partial inclusion English program setting is important because it supports using data to provide students a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The purpose of this study was to examine if the new setting was supported by an increase in student academic achievement scores. The theoretical framework included the social relationship model by Reindal and Gürgür and Uzuner's successful inclusion practices theory. The guiding …

Effective Teaching In Higher Education For The 21st Century Adult Learner, Denise Murchison Payton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional …

A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Psychoeducational Program In Postpartum Support Groups, Marina Pesserl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postpartum Depression (PPD) affects 15% of women after childbirth. Its etiology includes psychoneuroimmunologic factors with long-lasting postpartum stressors that lead to allostatic overload. Using mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for PPD has not yet been studied. Addressing this literature gap, the potential benefits of including an 8-week MBSR component based on Beck's theory of PPD at support groups were examined in this phenomenological study based on a sample of 10 women and 2 group facilitators. Purposes of the study included describing the experience of PPD and the MBSR program, identifying the stage of behavioral change of the participants, and describing the …

Predictors Of Full Childhood Immunization Status In Owerri, Nigeria, Osuala Uzor Kelvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Full (complete) childhood immunization against tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, yellow fever, measles, and the maternal retention of immunization documentation are the most cost-effective interventions against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. The full childhood immunization rate in Nigeria has not reached the expected target level of compliance at 90%. Using the social ecological model, this study investigated the influence of maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and paternal support on full childhood immunization status; it also examined the association between maternal factors and the maternal retention of immunization documentation in Owerri, Nigeria. The hypotheses were that maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and …

Military Working Dogs: Classification And Treatment In The U.S. Armed Forces, Sarah D. Cruse

Animal Law Review

This Article explores and evaluates the use of canines by the United States (U.S.) Armed Forces as military working dogs, and examines the reasons why the current administrative classification of these dogs is inappropriate. The author examines the historical use of, and increasing reliance on, mili­tary working dogs by the U.S. Armed Forces from World War II to present day. This historical exploration traces the development of the federal stat­utes and military regulations that govern the Military Working Dog Pro­gram. Federal law currently categorizes military working dogs as 'equipment,' which grossly underestimates their role within the U.S. mili­tary and deprives …

Giving Slaughterhouses Glass Walls: A New Direction In Food Labeling And Animal Welfare, Zak Franklin

Animal Law Review

Modern industrial animal agriculture and consumer purchasing patterns do not match consumers' moral preferences regarding animal welfare. Cur­rent production methods infiict a great deal of harm on animals despite widespread consumer preference for meat, dairy, and eggs that come from humanely treated animals. Judging by the premium pricing and market shares of food products with moral or special labels (e.g., 'cage-free,' 'free range,' and 'organic'), many consumers are willing to pay more for less harmful products, but they are unable to determine which products match this preference. The labels placed on animal products, and the insufficient government oversight of these …

2014 State Legislative Review, Aaron C. Johnson

Animal Law Review

Several state legislatures addressed animal welfare issues in 2014. A young fifth-grader, motivated by a documentary, inspired her community and state legislature to attempt to pass legislation protect­ing orcas. Two states decided to blaze a new trail when they deter­mined that the federal government was not going far enough to stop the ivory and rhino horn trade. The battle between freedom of speech and property rights reared its ugly head as several states took on the polemical issue of 'ag-gag.' Lastly, we witnessed breed-specific legisla­tion become illegal in three more states, with science trumping the availability heuristic.

A 'Hare' Raising Lapse In Meat Industry Regulation: How Regulatory Reform Will Pull The Meat Rabbit Out From Welfare Neglect, Taylor Budnick

Animal Law Review

Rabbits are most commonly perceived as soft, fuzzy, tender, loving, active household pets. However, rabbit meat is growing in popularity among ur­ban farmers, foodies, and chefs alike. The pet rabbit industry is subject to a variety of laws and regulations intended to ensure the humane and proper treatment of these beloved pets. Yet, 'meat rabbits,' which are often the same breed or species as pet rabbits, are often not covered by either the protections that govern the treatment of animals used for meat or the protections that govern the treatment of rabbits as pets or companion animals. The lack of …

A Stepping Stone Toward Companion Animal Protection Through Compensation, Zachary Paterick, Timothy Paterick, Sandy Sanbar

Animal Law Review

Despite the fact that many Americans view their companion animals as part of the family, the law treats companion animals as personal property. The courts have viewed companion animals as property for over 200 years, however, this precedent no longer adequately accounts for the important role companion animals play in modern day lives, and no longer appropriately compensates for the true value the animal has to the owner. A modified investment approach, stemming from wrongful death precedent, provides both a qualitative and quantitative approach to adequately measure the compan-ionship value these animals have to humans. While courts have entertained various …

Coming Home To Roost: How The Chicken Industry Hurts Chickens, Humans, And The Environment, Bruce Friedrich, Stefanie Wilson

Animal Law Review

The chicken industry is harming animals, befouling our environment, exploiting farmers and workers, and harming human health. In this Article, we discuss the harms and some of the solutions. In Part I, we discuss animal welfare, both on the farm and at slaughter. In Part II, we discuss the environment, both local and global. In Part III, we discuss human rights, with a focus on chicken growers, slaughterhouse workers, and the global poor. In Part IV, we discuss the effect of chicken consumption on human health. In each of our first four Sections, we offer a few examples of actions …

Documentary Review: Of Dogs And Men, Rebecca Jenkins

Animal Law Review

No abstract provided.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree: Regulating Fear, Not Risk, Ann L. Schiavone

Animal Law Review

Beginning in the 1980s, the curious phenomenon of breed-specific legislation (BSL) began to spread across the U.S. and abroad. The phenomenon can be traced to sensationalistic media portrayals of the pit bull at that time. This kind of sensationalism was nothing new; throughout American history, various breeds have served as scapegoats, each taking a turn as the most ‘dangerous.’ While it was not new to seek to contain fears by isolating a particular ‘problem’ breed, the legislation itself was unprecedented. Today, in light of mounting evidence that factors other than breed are more determinative of aggression in domestic dogs and …

Table Of Contents

Georgia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mitigating Foul Blows, Mary N. Bowman

Georgia Law Review

For nearly eighty years, courts have offered stirring rhetoric about how prosecutors must not strike foul blows in pursuit of convictions. Yet while appellate courts are often quick to condemn prosecutorial trial misconduct, they rarely provide any meaningful remedy. Instead, courts routinely affirm convictions, relying on defense counsel's failure to object or concluding that the misconduct was merely harmless error. Jerome Frank summed up the consequences of this dichotomy best when he noted that the courts' attitude of helpless piety in prosecutorial misconduct cases breeds a deplorably cynical attitude toward the judiciary. Cognitive bias research illuminates the reasons for, and …

The Supreme Court And The Rehabilitative Ideal, Chad Flanders

Georgia Law Review

Graham v. Florida was a watershed decision, not least because of the centrality of the "rehabilitative ideal" to its holding that life in prison for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide crimes was cruel and unusual. The Court's emphasis on rehabilitation was surprising both because rehabilitation was barely included as a 'purpose of punishment" in prior decisions of the Court, but also in terms of the history of academic and legislative skepticism toward rehabilitation. Courts and commentators have struggled to make sense of both the meaning and the scope of Graham's rehabilitative holding. This Article places Graham in the context of the …

Modifying Unjust Sentences, E. Lea Johnston

Georgia Law Review

Judicial sentence modification offers a means to address the phenomenon of over-incarcerationas well as the harsh prison conditions that threaten unjust punishment. Indeed, some legislatures have framed states' early release provisions as fulfilling goals of proportionality and just punishment. This Article explores whether the tools available to judges at sentence modification hearings are adequate to respond to the unjust punishment experienced by prisoners. In examining this question, the Article focuses on one population particularly likely to experience disproportionate or inhumane punishment: inmates with serious mental disorders. A deep literature suggests that individuals with serious mental illnesses are especially likely to …

Playing Favorites: Congress's Denial Of Equal Sovereignty To The States In The Professional And Amateur Sports Protection Act, Justin W. Mckithen

Georgia Law Review

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) illegalizes state-sponsored sports wagering activity nationwide. PASPA was intended to be a protective measure, as sports wagering was feared to threaten the integrity of sports. Grandfathering provisions in PASPA, however, exempt sports wagering schemes in Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon-effectively granting these states a monopoly over the (legalized) sports wagering industry. Faced with budgetary crises and other economic hardships, New Jersey is currently at the forefront of an effort to overturn PASPA and permit the other forty-six states to legalize sports wagering in their jurisdictions, a measure that could generate …