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2015

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Diffusion Of Technology In Small To Medium Medical Providers In Saudi Arabia, Ziad Hisham Arnaout Jan 2015

Diffusion Of Technology In Small To Medium Medical Providers In Saudi Arabia, Ziad Hisham Arnaout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Saudi ministry of health reported that government health care spending doubled from 2008 to 2011. To address increased demand, the government encouraged small to medium enterprise (SME) growth. However, SME leaders could not leverage technology as a growth enabler because they lacked strategies to address operating inefficiencies associated with technology. Only 50% of hospitals fully implemented information technology. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of SME leaders on strategies needed to accelerate technology implementation. This exploration drew on a conceptual framework developed from Wainwright and Waring's framework addressing issues of technology adoption. Data were …

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Social Media Strategies Used In Marketing Custom Bicycle Framebuilding Companies, Angela Au Jan 2015

Social Media Strategies Used In Marketing Custom Bicycle Framebuilding Companies, Angela Au

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media is a cost-effective marketing tool, and in a 2014 survey, 75% of small business owners reported that they used social media to market. However, many of these businesses merely set up social media profiles and do not use social media to its full potential. Microenterprise owners face barriers such as lack of time, financial resources, and marketing knowledge, preventing them from adopting social media as a marketing tool. This multiple case study explored what strategies microenterprise owners in the artisan economy need to market using social media. Data were collected from 5 custom bicycle framebuilders in a Southwestern …

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Concordance Of Genotyping And Phenotyping In The Classification Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ali M. Bazzi Jan 2015

Concordance Of Genotyping And Phenotyping In The Classification Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ali M. Bazzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains have spread in Saudi Arabia, increasing morbidity, mortality, and financial burdens. Recent studies have suggested the phenotyping methods typically used to classify MRSA as either health care MRSA (HA-MRSA) or community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) cases are unreliable, because they lack concordance with the results of genotyping. Yet the expense associated with genotyping precludes its use in the Saudi Aramco population in Saudi Arabia. The absence of a standardized and affordable method to classify MRSA into CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA has been a challenge for infection control programs in Saudi Arabia. The objective of this quantitative, secondary data …

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A Case Study Investigating Secondary Science Teachers' Perceptions Of Science Literacy Instruction, Phyllis Ann Blackmon Jan 2015

A Case Study Investigating Secondary Science Teachers' Perceptions Of Science Literacy Instruction, Phyllis Ann Blackmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the lack of inclusion of discipline literacy pedagogy in secondary classrooms in a rural school district in eastern North Carolina. Discipline literacy practices are recommended in the Common Core Standards for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. The district had implemented content area reading strategies across content areas, yet no significant progress in secondary students' reading abilities had been demonstrated in statewide or national assessments. The conceptual framework that drove this study was disciplinary literacy, founded by the literacy research of Shanahan, Shanahan, and Zygouris-Coe. Within a qualitative case study method, this investigation of 8 secondary …

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Behaviors Contributing To Native American Business Success, Stacey Bolin Jan 2015

Behaviors Contributing To Native American Business Success, Stacey Bolin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans start fewer businesses than do other U.S. populations, and the receipts and employment of those businesses are 70% lower than the U.S. average. However, little knowledge exists concerning Native American (NA) business success. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the likelihood that attitudes toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict business success amongst NA business owners. Understanding the factors that contribute to NA business success is imperative to developing best practices for business owners and business support agencies. The theory of planned behavior served as the theoretical framework for this study. Of the …

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Promotion Of The Hospital's Patient Portal, Courtnie Jones Burrell Jan 2015

Promotion Of The Hospital's Patient Portal, Courtnie Jones Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wanted to ensure that electronic health records were used in a meaningful manner to improve coordination and quality of patient care. In 2011, the federal government began offering monetary incentives to help healthcare facilities and providers adopt technology that supported patient access and increased their ability to manage their own health. The hospital where this project took place encouraged patients’ involvement in their health by providing a patient portal, yet the public has underutilized it. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based strategy for future implementation at the hospital that …

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Exploring Critical Success Factors Of The Redesigned Military Transitioning Program, Gloria Jean Edwards Jan 2015

Exploring Critical Success Factors Of The Redesigned Military Transitioning Program, Gloria Jean Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A task force commissioned by President Obama overhauled the U.S. Military Transitioning Program (MTP) in 2012-2013. U.S. veterans have continued to struggle with military transitions following the MTP restructuring. The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore the critical success factors of the MTP after the redesign based on perceptions of 20 military officers intending to transition to the civilian sector in the National Capital Region. The problem studied was that there was no indication that the redesigned MTP was effective in helping officers transition to the civilian workforce. The study included 3 research questions and semistructured interviews were …

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The Effects Of Buddhist Psychological Practices On The Mental Health And Social Attitudes Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Jessica Lynn Fritzges Jan 2015

The Effects Of Buddhist Psychological Practices On The Mental Health And Social Attitudes Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Jessica Lynn Fritzges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This non-experimental, quantitative study explored the effects of the Buddhist-derived practices of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations on the wellness of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. LGB people are at higher risk of mental illness and increased social isolation due to minority stress; Buddhist-derived mindfulness practices mediate these effects in other groups. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping was the theoretical model explaining how positive cognitive appraisal induced by meditation can mediate effects of stress. This study examined whether mental health scores on the Emotional Symptoms Checklist (ESC), social attitudes measured on the Unjust World Views Scale, …

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Teaching In The Entitlement Age: Faculty Perceptions Regarding Student Academic Entitlement Behavior, Nichole P. Gotschall Jan 2015

Teaching In The Entitlement Age: Faculty Perceptions Regarding Student Academic Entitlement Behavior, Nichole P. Gotschall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student academic entitlement behavior is a problem within the United States' higher education system. This behavior could affect student learning, harm institutional reputation, and inflict undue pressure on faculty. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand what faculty members identify as the causes and the implications of student academic entitlement behavior and the actions needed to inhibit the behavior. The work was supported by applying Morrow's conceptual framework that suggests student academic entitlement behavior challenges academic achievement. Completed at a for-profit university in the southern United States, the research questions of this study examined the faculty members' …

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Employing Plns For The Self-Development Of Army Leaders: A Connectivist Approach, James K. Greer Jan 2015

Employing Plns For The Self-Development Of Army Leaders: A Connectivist Approach, James K. Greer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The post-9/11 security environment is one that confronts the United States, and specifically the U.S. Army, with complex problems that require development of leaders with improved knowledge, skills, and attributes to meet the challenges of defending the nation. The problem confronting the U.S. Army is that Army leaders lack a learning environment or methodology that enables effective self-development throughout their career. Research suggests that PLNs (PLNs) and a connectivist approach may address that problem, but these have been limited to civilian educational environments. This qualitative case study explored the use of PLNs with a connectivist approach for leader self-development in …

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The Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program, Ellen Riina Hirsch Jan 2015

The Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program, Ellen Riina Hirsch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective professional development is a longstanding problem in education. Locally, the school district in the study lacked a comprehensive system for evaluating their secondary level professional development programs. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the district's professional development program, specifically examining its perceived strengths and weaknesses. The conceptual framework of the study was systems theory and the adaptive schools reform model. The research questions examined the perceptions of various school personnel on their experiences with the current professional development program at the study district's high school. Individual interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 3 teachers, …

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Visual Arts And Chronic Pain: Thematic Analysis To The Artistic Statements Of Visual Artists, Susan Beth Janicke Jan 2015

Visual Arts And Chronic Pain: Thematic Analysis To The Artistic Statements Of Visual Artists, Susan Beth Janicke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The relief of pain is an essential element of nursing practice. Nursing has begun to successfully use art to assess and reduce pain among hospitalized children, surgical patients, and oncology patients. Structured art projects have been used to provide distraction from pain and patient drawings have allowed nurses to assess pain. This project employed grounded theory and thematic analysis to uncover significant concepts in the artists' statements. The Roy adaptation model and Saunders' total pain theory provided the project theoretical framework. The artistic statements and the art of chronic pain patients were examined using thematic analysis to identify recurrent themes. …

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Raising Texas State Biology Exam Achievement Scores For Students With Disabilities, Nancy Kay Larkin Jan 2015

Raising Texas State Biology Exam Achievement Scores For Students With Disabilities, Nancy Kay Larkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The No Child Left Behind Act changed the way educators taught students with disabilities (SWD), as this population has now become part of all districts' annual yearly progress. The problem this qualitative study addressed was that many biology teachers in a Texas suburban district were not effectively implementing evidence-based strategies for SWD. The study's conceptual foundation was based on Vygotsky's cognitive development theory that students achieve at higher levels when working in their zone of proximal development with support from peers or adults. The guiding question was intended to determine what strategies biology teachers were using to provide this support …

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Correlation Analysis Of Climatic Variables, Migration And Dengue Cases In Southeast Florida, Brunilda Lugo Jan 2015

Correlation Analysis Of Climatic Variables, Migration And Dengue Cases In Southeast Florida, Brunilda Lugo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dengue fever is a debilitating, viral, mosquito-borne disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas in the world. The majority of dengue cases in the United States were acquired in endemic areas by travelers or immigrants. However, in recent years, autochthonous (locally acquired) dengue cases have been diagnosed in Florida. The purpose of this study was to find an association between potential risk factors and the expansion of dengue fever in the United States. Guided by the eco-bio-social framework, which offers a broad assessment of risk factors for the illness, a retrospective design was used with archival data to correlate changes …

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"Investigating Instructor Perceptions Of On-Line Teaching Versus Traditional Classroom Instruction"., Gena Mcnair-Crews Jan 2015

"Investigating Instructor Perceptions Of On-Line Teaching Versus Traditional Classroom Instruction"., Gena Mcnair-Crews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Web-based education is an important method of instruction across multiple higher education contexts due to its convenience, accessibility, and flexibility. A local college faces demand for online teaching that exceeds the availability of willing faculty. This study investigated instructors' perceptions of online teaching versus traditional classroom instruction to ascertain whether there were systematic differences between online teaching and face-to-face classroom instruction. Transformational learning theory was the conceptual foundation of this study. The study's guiding questions were designed to determine how faculty regarded their experiences teaching online classes and the reasons for their opinions, as well as what limitations faculty thought …

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Exploring Incivility Toward Employee Absenteeism, Productivity, And Effective Communication: Veterans Health Administration, Sharron Miller Jan 2015

Exploring Incivility Toward Employee Absenteeism, Productivity, And Effective Communication: Veterans Health Administration, Sharron Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Uncivil behavior in the workplace can cause absenteeism or low job performance among employees, yet little academic literature addresses this relationship, particularly in the public sector. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to use the transactional analysis of communication (TAC) model to explore the ramifications of incivility in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The central research questions focused on employee perceptions of incivility and effective communication within the VHA. Twelve VHA employees were recruited for participation through a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants along with some VHA archived video training. Data were …

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Survival Analysis Of Total Therapy 3 In Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma, Scott Edward Bowman Miller Jan 2015

Survival Analysis Of Total Therapy 3 In Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma, Scott Edward Bowman Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy that accounts for approximately 1% of all adult cancers. This study investigated the impact of patient distance traveled to MM care sites, which was not considered in previous research on any disease-specific staging or prognostic schema despite evidence suggesting that distance impacts patient outcome. This study investigated the impact of patient distance from the site of care on survival outcomes using a group of 480 clinical trial participants. Andersen's behavioral model of health services use functioned as the theoretical model for this study. The independent variable was patient travel distance, controlling for established …

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Effect Of Placard Grading On Food Safety In Retail Food Facilities, Christopher Ogbonna Ogbu Jan 2015

Effect Of Placard Grading On Food Safety In Retail Food Facilities, Christopher Ogbonna Ogbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most people have had an episode of foodborne illness at one time or another; however, the majority of those stricken with foodborne illness fails to associate ill health with something consumed within the past 72 hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that foodborne diseases affect 30% of the population in developed countries, and that in developing countries, about 2 million people die yearly due to foodborne illness. Previous researchers have indicated that food handlers with poor personal hygiene are potential sources of infection. Although public health agencies in many countries already regularly inspect food facilities to control potential foodborne …

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Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Cross-Curricular Connections At The Incident Level, Melita M. Penchalk Jan 2015

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Cross-Curricular Connections At The Incident Level, Melita M. Penchalk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many curricular innovations, including cross-curricular teaching, are started in schools without adequate teacher preparation and support, reducing the effectiveness of the interventions in supporting student learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the implementation of the cross-curricular connections teaching technique in middle schools. Research questions focused on how middle school teachers experienced implementation of cross-curricular teaching at the incident level and how teachers perceived cross-curricular teaching and its long-term value. Myers-Briggs personality type theory informed the study, supporting the postulation that teachers are more comfortable teaching from their personality types. Data from 10 middle school teachers …

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A Comparison Study Of Gender Role Differences Between Funeral Professionals And Nurses, David Rocco Penepent Jan 2015

A Comparison Study Of Gender Role Differences Between Funeral Professionals And Nurses, David Rocco Penepent

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women comprise over 57% of all U.S. mortuary school students, yet less than 20% of all funeral directors employed in this country are women. As such, women are underrepresented as funeral directors in the funeral industry. Research to date has not established clear differences between perceived gender roles and occupations in the funeral service industry. The research questions examined the perceived differences of gender role characteristics of masculine, feminine, and androgyny between the occupations of funeral service providers and nursing. Bem's gender role theory was the theoretical framework of this study. The research compared the mean scores of male and …

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Small Business Use Of Internet Marketing: Findings From Case Studies, Maya Demishkevich Jan 2015

Small Business Use Of Internet Marketing: Findings From Case Studies, Maya Demishkevich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internet marketing is critical for meeting changing consumer needs and staying competitive in the business environment. Small business owners need strategies on how to use Internet marketing to promote their products or services. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how 5 small business owners in Maryland developed and implemented an online marketing strategy. Participants were recruited for their roles as the chief decision maker of their business; additional prerequisites for their participation were that they used Internet marketing, represented different industries, and had fewer than 20 employees. Data came from semi-structured interviews with the small business …

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Effects Of Single-Gender And Coeducational Learning Environments On Middle School Mathematics Achievement, Tasha Graves Henderson Jan 2015

Effects Of Single-Gender And Coeducational Learning Environments On Middle School Mathematics Achievement, Tasha Graves Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of the increased number of schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), school districts are searching for innovative ways to raise student achievement and meet the rigorous performance standards set by state governments. Using the theoretical framework provided by brain research and the theory of multiple intelligences, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare 2 middle school classroom structures for differences in mathematics achievement among students. The study examined whether a significant difference existed in mathematics achievement scores on the state-mandated mathematics test for 2 groups (single gender classes versus coeducational classes) in 6 …

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Emotional Labor And Employee Engagement Within A Pediatric Hospital, Michele Louise Mitchell Jan 2015

Emotional Labor And Employee Engagement Within A Pediatric Hospital, Michele Louise Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of emotional work, staffing shortages, high turnover rates, low workforce engagement levels, and complex healthcare reforms are common problems in healthcare settings. Healthcare leaders are increasingly aware of the vital impact an engaged workforce can have on patient outcomes and an organization's ability to survive despite current challenges in the healthcare setting. It is important for leaders to understand what factors may influence the ability to engage with their organization, such as emotional labor. The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to test whether emotional labor is related to employee engagement within a large Midwestern pediatric hospital. …

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Perceptions Of Value-Stream Costing And The Effect On Lean-Accounting Implementation, Patricia Hart Timm Jan 2015

Perceptions Of Value-Stream Costing And The Effect On Lean-Accounting Implementation, Patricia Hart Timm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to the competitive global economy, lean manufacturing has become more prevalent in the United States. Manufacturing has changed, but cost accounting has not. Lean manufacturing has the potential to change the U.S. manufacturing economy, resulting in positive economic social change, yet it requires lean accounting to increase successful implementations. This study addressed the problem of lack of adoption of lean-accounting techniques like value-stream costing in lean-manufacturing enterprises. The purpose of this nonexperimental explanatory study was to investigate factors that influence the adoption of lean accounting. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM), based on the theory of reasoned action …

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The Triple Bottom Line And Social Responsibility Framework In Public Sector Management, Matthew Ajiake Jan 2015

The Triple Bottom Line And Social Responsibility Framework In Public Sector Management, Matthew Ajiake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of public sector agencies must incorporate the voices of diversified stakeholders into planning and decision-making processes. With aging infrastructures around the world, public agencies are challenged to move public benefit projects forward when citizens are not engaged or empowered to participate in the process. The purpose of this triple bottom line (social, ecological, and financial) and social responsibility study was to explore whether public sector organizations are socially responsible by law. A case study was developed using data from publicly available documents and interviews that explored how the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) implemented a social responsibility framework …

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The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills Jan 2015

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States high school student obesity rates have doubled in the past 30 years to 13%, threatening the health of millions of adolescents. To mitigate the epidemic, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010, which mandated significant changes to school nutrition and physical education. From a public policy perspective, the HHFKA changed school nutrition and exercise policy to affect obesity rates by changing intake and energy expenditure at school, though no study using national-level data examined this relationship. As such, the purpose of the study was to examine whether HHFKA policy compliance had a statistically significant effect …

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College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken Jan 2015

College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many challenges associated with student retention. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has focused on determining the factors affecting student retention across its campus and distance course delivery formats in order to improve student retention. The purpose in this study was to explore the extent to which age, course delivery, technical ability, and financial background determine retention at SMWC. Retention and attrition models of Tinto and Walleri laid the foundation of this study. Qualitative data on technical ability were collected from 69 students who responded to the survey instrument on Survey Monkey. Quantitative data on retention, age, course delivery, and …

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How Millennial Generation Entrepreneurs Use Mentors To Improve Business Performance, Nathanael David Robert Moulson Jan 2015

How Millennial Generation Entrepreneurs Use Mentors To Improve Business Performance, Nathanael David Robert Moulson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful small businesses are critical to the success of the global economy, but they continue to fail at high rates. Mentoring is a technique proven to improve the performance of new entrepreneurs and their businesses. Building on the conceptual framework of adult learning theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how millennial generation small business owners participating in the Futurpreneur mentoring program used mentors to improve the performance of their small businesses. Data included semistructured interviews with 6 successful participants of the mentoring program, experience profiles of these participants, and public information about Futurpreneur. The intent …

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Exploring Selected Online And Face-To-Face Course Inclusion Of Faith Integration In A Business Administration Program, Ellen A. Sorberg Jan 2015

Exploring Selected Online And Face-To-Face Course Inclusion Of Faith Integration In A Business Administration Program, Ellen A. Sorberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students enrolled in face-to-face and online business administration courses at a Midwestern Christian college were provided faith-integrated opportunities; however, the challenge was to maintain consistency in providing the online courses with similar faith integration as the face-to-face courses. It was unknown whether the same faith-integrated opportunities were provided in face-to-face and online courses. Kohlberg's cognitive moral development and Fowler's spiritual development theories grounded this qualitative bounded case study. Research questions focused on whether instructors taught the same faith-integrated content in online and face-to-face classes, and whether online and face-to-face students received the same faith-integrated experiences. A purposeful sample was gathered …

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Political Leadership And Management Of Civic Services In A Downturn Economy, Patrick Charles Williams Jan 2015

Political Leadership And Management Of Civic Services In A Downturn Economy, Patrick Charles Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Municipal leaders in the United States face difficult decisions when prioritizing nonmandated civic projects for funding, especially when operating budgets are restricted. This phenomenological study investigated municipal leaders' decision-making processes in a state in the southern United States, using a conceptual framework based on rational choice theory, bounded rationality, and group decision-making theory. It specifically explored personal and organizational decision-making processes related to the prioritization and funding of nonmandated civic projects via in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of 15 municipal leaders. Thematic analysis identified expert opinions, the time and cost to complete a project, the perceived value relative to …

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