Digital Commons Network^™

Judicial Recusation In The Federal Republic Of Germany, Sigmund A. Cohn

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Expanding Our Horizons: Alternative Approaches To Practitioner Research, Stephen P. Gordon

Journal of Practitioner Research

The author presents five types of educator practitioner inquiry: pragmatic research, lesson study, appreciative inquiry, collaborative autobiography, and equity research. Examples of each type of research carried out by K-12 practitioners are provided. The particular type of research that educators select should depend on the purpose of the research, preference of participants, researcher and facilitator capacity, and available resources. Predictors of success include commitment of researchers and leadership, professional learning on how to use the type of research selected, time to carry out the research, continued support, and recognition of the research and the researchers.

Backend Challenges And Issues For Electronic Government, Salim Y. Alkindi

Information Technology Master Theses

The term electronic government (also called e-government, or eGov) refers to multidisciplinary projects that are complex in nature. Since the beginning of the Internet revolution many countries have adopted e-government as a step toward enhancing the delivery of public or governmental services to citizens by what are called e-services. A typical request for a service is initiated and passes through an electronic service (“e-service”) portal, or a front office. The term front office application usually system can be defined as designates software seen and used directly by an end user. This software provides the capabilities needed to collect the user …

Leadership Department Newsletter: April-May 2016, Andrews University

Leadership Department Newsletter 2016

No abstract provided.

Organizational Leadership And Work-Life Integration: Insights From Three Generations Of Men, Deborah N. Smith, Deborah B. Roebuck, Terri Elhaddaoui

Faculty Articles

The literature has traditionally portrayed work-life balance as a women’s issue. However, working men, specifically those classified as Generation X and Generation Y, are starting to speak up and share that they too are struggling with integrating all aspects of their lives. Workers, as well as organizations can benefit when employees have a healthy work-life balance; however, the specific role of organizational leadership must be examined to determine the influence leaders play in assisting employees achieve work-life balance. In addition, further insight is needed to understand how employees in the three generations (Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers), which …

A Partnership's Capacity For Community Impact Understood Through Neoliberal Technologies Of Risk And Responsibilization: A Look At Worcester Massachusetts Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initative Partnership Worcester Massachusetts’ Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative Partnership, Katie Byrne

Sustainability and Social Justice

Since 2006, the Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative has sought to reduce youth and gang violence in multiple Massachusetts cities through partnerships of community organizations, research institutions and police departments. Worcester, Massachusetts was an original recipient of Shannon funding due to its historic and increasing problem of youth and gang violence. Using a framework of governmentality, one of the ways crime is problematized and controlled is through the use of neoliberal technologies of risk and responsibilization, underscoring neoliberalism’s emphasis on personal responsibility. When risk is used to govern and assigned to individuals and groups of people living in …

No. 01: Hungry Cities Of The Global South, Jonathan Crush

Hungry Cities Partnership

The recent inclusion of an urban Sustainable Development Goal in the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda represents an important acknowledgement of the reality of global urbanization and the many social, economic, infrastructural and political challenges posed by the human transition to a predominantly urban world. However, while the SDG provides goals for housing, transportation, land use, cultural heritage and disaster risk prevention, food is not mentioned at all. This discussion paper aims to correct this unfortunate omission by reviewing the current evidence on the challenges of feeding rapidly-growing cities in the Global South. The paper first documents the magnitude of the …

Bridgers In The Third Space: An In-Country Investigation Of The Leadership Practices Of Us-Educated Chinese Nationals, Maria L. Martinez

Educational Studies Dissertations

This in-country grounded theory study examined the lived experiences of 24 Chinese returnees who completed advanced degrees in the United States. The study found that the four types of organizations in mainland China determine the social context of the application of Western education of the Chinese returnees. Returnees working in multinational corporations apply their Western education more than the returnees working in the other types of organizations. Themes that revolved around the international educational experiences of the Chinese students, including the development of cultural intelligence and new understanding of the ‘other’, and their realization of the differences between their home …

An Exploratory Study On The Manifestations Of New Public Management (Npm) In Teacher Education, Ricardo Garcia

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Scholars have written extensively on the impact of neoliberal ideology on global economies and society, in general. Included in these studies has been the impact of neoliberalism on public education in the US and the spawning of a neoliberal-based form of organizational management known as new public management (NPM). Beginning in the 1980s, literature on NPM began to emerge as scholars reported findings associated with the management system’s pervasive principles in public organizations, including institutions of higher education. Absent from this scholarship, however, are the effects of NPM on traditional four-year university teacher preparation programs. Perhaps even more unexplored are …

The Glass Ceiling Is Not Broken: Gender Equity Issues Among Faculty In Higher Education, Jillian Wood

Educational Studies Dissertations

Gender discrimination is an ongoing topic, including discrimination that occurs in higher education. Previous studies have shown female faculty experience a variety of workplace discrimination including sexual harassment/bullying, salary disparities, and lack of worklife balance. This dissertation aimed to analyze equity issues for female faculty at a private university. The researcher utilized a narrative inquiry methodology, conducting interviews with five full-time female faculty. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the participants’ everyday stories and lived experiences. The researcher utilized critical feminist theory and leadership theory to examine the notion of equity at this campus. The findings, shown through …

A Socio-Technical Process Model For Improving The Requirements Analysis Phase Of Socio-Technical System, Abdullah Hamdi Saleh Wahbeh

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Software development is the process of building systems that solve users’ need and satisfy stakeholders objectives. Such needs are determined through a requirements elicitation process, which is considered an intensive, complex, and difficult by its nature, and the multidisciplinary nature of it adds to this complexity. As a result, improving the elicitation process is a critical goal for the development of information systems since incomplete requirements is a primary cause of system development failure. Traditional methods of elicitations failed because these methods.

Conceptions Of Change: A Phenomenographical Study Of The Reinvention Initiative At The City Colleges Of Chicago, Jennifer M. Horace

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to add to the literature on community colleges and organizational change. This study explored how interested parties, internal and external, understood the organizational change called the Reinvention Initiative occurring at the City Colleges of Chicago and how this organizational change influenced constituencies' definition of efficiency and effectiveness for the organization. In order to accurately answer the research questions, a qualitative research method called phenomenography was employed. The study used overt and covert data collection to obtain data from stakeholders of the City Colleges of Chicago. The researcher did semi-structured interviews and as well as …

Program Evaluation Of The Living Well With Diabetes Program Of Prince William County, Virginia, David C. Fitzgerald

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Approximately 25.8 million US residents are living with diabetes. Research has demonstrated that healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce the onset of diabetes. Various community-based programs have been implemented nationally to address diabetes through lifestyle changes. One such program is the Living Well with Diabetes (LWwD) program of Prince William County, Virginia. The goal of this project practicum was to conduct a process evaluation of the Living Well with Diabetes (LWwD) Program of Prince William County, Virginia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with LWwD program educators. Qualitative data analysis on secondary, post-course evaluations was performed using a thematic method to coding on …

Recommendations To Practitioners For Adolescent Clients With A History Of Trauma, Keiko L. Heitman

Counselor Education Capstones

Children and adolescents who are exposed to traumatic events are at higher risk for developing mental health disorders over their lifetime. Therefore, this paper explores the effects of abuse and trauma in children and youth and aims to promote implementation of trauma-informed care principles with practitioners who work with at-risk youth. Specifically, this paper identifies the barriers that affect clients with a history of trauma and provides recommendations such as Positive Youth Development, Mentoring, and Day Treatment to practitioners who work with this population. In addition, the impact that day treatment programs have on degree of impairment and functioning for …

Formative Research For Case Management Protocol Addressing Neighborhood Trauma Due To Violence, Azada Wan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

My capstone project is focused on conducting formative research for developing a case management protocol to reduce recidivism in youths aged 13 to 16. This formative research will serve as a basis for Street Addiction Institute Inc.’s request for proposal (RFP) to Onondaga County Department of Justice. As Street Addiction Institute Inc. is currently in the process of applying for funding at the federal and county levels, the formative research I conducted by integrating knowledge obtained from literature, expertise of community leaders and professionals, and understanding of youth’s specific characteristics, needs, and risks, will inform the development of a case …

Is It 10-4 To Be A Complaining Cop? Antecedents And Consequences Of Complaining At Work Among Police Officers, Megan E. Morgan

All Theses

Previous research has explored complaining in the context of consumer behavior and complaints made against organizations, yet there are gaps in the literature concerning complaining in the workplace among police officers. The present study explored the audiences of complaints expressed by police officers, the topics of dissatisfaction experienced by officers, whether expressed or not, and the organizational antecedents and consequences that may accompany complaining at work. Police officers in a suburban southeastern police department were surveyed to investigate these areas. Results indicated that officers primarily complain around their peers at work, and the correlates of complaining differ by the type …

Screening Initiative For Non-Stroke Geriatric Inpatients, Kimberly Harper

Doctoral Projects

Current literature reveals a need for improved depression screening efforts among inpatient geriatrics. This population is at higher risk for severe depression, suicidal ideations, poorer health outcomes related to decreased compliance to healthcare regimens, and increased healthcare costs. Current best practice involves the utilization of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF), a 15-question yes or no answer screening tool. While not diagnostic, the tool has established validity and reliability testing. The GDS-SF should not be used on subsets of the population diagnosed with stroke, dementia or delirium.

The purpose of this project was to develop a protocol for implementation of …

Sheriff's Deputies' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Video Visitation Programming In A Jail Setting: An Exploratory Study, Caitlyn O'Very

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to understand how sheriff’s deputies at the Ada County Sheriff’s Office perceived the implementation of a remote video visitation program at the Ada County Jail, as well as what the deputies believed to be the strengths and weaknesses of the system in terms of how it affects their daily job, and inmates and their families. Anecdotal evidence suggests that video visitation can positively impact the work of sheriff’s deputies by decreasing the amount of time they spend processing visitors into the facility and moving inmates around the facility. An exploratory secondary data analysis was conducted by reviewing …

Enhancing Productivity By Using Building Information Modeling Applications In Pipeline Construction Projects, Harsha Vardhan Reddy Guduru Penusila

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a technology and associated set of processes to produce, communicate, and analyze building models. BIM is a new concept within the construction industry. The objective of this thesis is to utilize BIM in pipeline construction projects as one of the pioneering steps to reduce rework and delays due to unforeseen conditions. This thesis presents evaluation and recommendations to help pipeline construction industry’s transition from traditional two-dimensional drawings to a BIM management process aiding owners and contractors to develop and implement a basic form of BIM technique to manage their projects. This thesis uses two pipeline …

An Exploration Of Social Capital Among Nurses In The Ambulatory Setting, Anna Lutz, Tamara Mckinnon

Doctoral Projects

Bullying and lateral violence are a sadly, common phenomena among nurses. While this issue has been examined within the inpatient, acute setting, it has not been widely researched in the ambulatory setting. This concept is usually looked at from a negative standpoint, looking at the levels of lateral violence. The purpose of this research study was done to explore the levels of social capital, also known as positive peer support, among nurses in the ambulatory setting. The participants of the study were 39 registered nurses from a public health department and an embedded care management department. The tool used was …

The Threat Of Innovation: Tactics To Improve Small Team Creative Outcomes In Risk-Averse Organizations, Paul Gaylo

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the paradox that creativity is generally viewed as a positive force and is a desired trait or characteristic, yet when faced with the true cost of creativity, individuals and organizations may purposefully or inadvertently suppress creativity. Real world examples are used to frame the applicability of this project to the typical large and complex technical product organization. The project includes a review of creativity scholarship in the context of organizations and a discussion to establish the foundational science behind this paradox. The project introduces the new creativity readiness level index, and a survey strategy to gauge organizational …

Administrators' And Faculty's Perceived Online Education Barriers And The Role Of Transformational Leadership At A U.S. University In Lebanon, Sahar El Turk, Isabelle D. Cherney

Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the perceived barriers obstructing the implementation of online education by administrators and faculty at the School of Arts and Sciences of a U.S. university located in Lebanon. The aim of this study was to offer a solution to the most important perceived barriers to online education that informs administrative decisions concerning the appropriate modalities of online instruction that may be implemented at the university. The exploratory factor analysis identified 8 factors out of 35 possible perceived barriers to online education. Faculty and administrators perceived the structural barriers and the pedagogical barriers …

Culturally Responsive Policy In An Urban Headstart Program, Tanya M. Johnson

Dissertations

The purpose of this Culturally Responsive policy is to provide a framework for implementing and enhancing cultural responsiveness in an urban Head Start program. By increasing awareness of culturally responsiveness and providing on-going professional development and resources, the policy will have a significant impact on ensuring that staff are prepared and supported in the implementation of culturally responsive best practices. The policy maintains that culturally responsive pedagogy facilitates and supports the achievement of all students. Teachers must create a culture where all students regardless of their cultural background are welcomed and provided with the best opportunity to learn.

Assessing The Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In Health Promotion, Troylyn Braud Francis

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Objective: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship between organizational readiness (OR) and weight loss and physical activity outcomes among faith-based organizations (FBOs).

Methods: Data for this study were collected in two phases. Phase I data were based on a feasibility study and targeted African-American individuals (N = 55) who participated in an obesity prevention program. The intervention was accomplished in two stages, which included a 10-week core period followed by a 6-month maintenance period. Phase II data were based on key informant interviews that were conducted with community health leaders (CHLs) (N=6) from participating …

Factors Associated With Managerial Innovation In Public Human Service Organizations, Monica Perez Jolles, Bowen Mcbeath, Sarah Carnochan, Michael J. Austin

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Contextual changes affecting human service organizations have challenged human service managers to adapt through innovation. Yet no research has examined innovation along the spectrum of lower- to upper-level managers in public human service organizations. This study analyzed survey data of 466 public human service managers to examine the relationship between individual characteristics and managerial innovation. Results showed that 38% of managers took an innovative approach to their work, and characteristics of perceived responsiveness to change and evidence-informed practice network involvement were significantly associated with managerial innovation. Managerial innovation could be promoted through the development of evidence-based networks and communities of …

Gi Jane Versus Sergeant Jane Doe: How Women’S Images In War Movies Contribute To Conflicting Expectations Of Women In Combat, Sawyer Marie L. Alberi

All Theses And Dissertations

Research on women’s portrayal in media generally suggests that women continue to be sexualized and objectified as war trophies in the classic Hollywood warrior culture film. The age old question of whether life imitates art or vice versa is important to consider when examining the question of how this popular culture medium contributes to the conflicting expectations of today’s women in combat roles. What is the reality of women’s roles in the US Military compared to the roles portrayed by warrior film media? History tells us that women have been on the battlefield in one way or another since there …

Teacher Leaders’ Perceptions Of Their Influence On The Distributed Leadership Process At A Middle School, Katherine Susan Garand

All Theses And Dissertations

This interpretive, qualitative study explores the perspectives of teacher leaders within the middle school setting as to how they perceive their role influences the distributed leadership process. Five significant themes, with subthemes emerged from the data as a result of the analysis process. These themes were identified as Leadership style, Empowerment, Social Influence, Commitment and Job Role Confusion. This data allowed the researcher to develop several conclusions, including the need to clarify the specific responsibilities associated with the team leader role and the importance of developing more appropriate professional development opportunities for team leaders, specifically in the areas of …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences Of African American Males In Same Race/Gender Mentoring Relationships While Attending A Predominately White Institution In The South, Jonathan C. Pettigrew

All Dissertations

This exploratory study was undertaken to assess the experiences of undergraduate (and recent graduate) African American male students who were currently involved in a mentoring relationship with another African American male, while attending a Predominantly White Institution in the South. The researcher used purposive sampling to select undergraduate participants who had formed mentoring relationships with other African American males. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and the interview transcripts were analyzed for structural elements or master themes, using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a guide. The findings suggest that these relationships played a role in helping undergraduate African American males navigate college …

Hope As Reclaiming Narrative Agency: The Communication Processes Facilitating Hope At A Community-Based Support Program, Laura L. Burton

Communication ETDs

This study, using interviews and in situ group observations, explored the communication processes that facilitate the emergence of hope at a community based support program (CBSP). No literature within the communication field focuses on hope and there are no studies that explore the co-construction of hope through communication. Within the extensive studies of hope in other disciplines, the communication lens is absent. Within the literature of wellness, positive and supportive communication, narrative, and mutual aid groups, there are no studies that focus on emergent hope or the communication processes facilitating hope. Hope is widely accepted as critical to life and …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Job Demands, Job Resources, And Personal Resources On Employee Engagement And Exhaustion Of Juvenile Probation/Parole Officers, Danilo Estuardo Chavarria

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Organizations should constantly strive to improve their levels of employee engagement, because improving employee engagement influences the well-being of both employees and organizations (Bakker, 2011, p. 268). In today’s workplaces, organizations need employees who are psychologically connected to their work, who are willing and able to invest themselves in their roles, and who are proactive and committed to high quality standards.” (Bakker, Albrecht, & Leiter, 2011, pp. 4-5). This is important; not only for private organizations but for public organizations as well, especially organizations in the criminal justice system who continuously strive to keep the peace, have constant contact with …