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2016

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Maternal And Child Health Access Disparities Among Recent African Immigrants In The United States, Bakali Mukasa Jan 2016

Maternal And Child Health Access Disparities Among Recent African Immigrants In The United States, Bakali Mukasa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care disparities are U.S. national public health concerns that disproportionately affect minority populations. The focus of published studies on the health of larger immigrant populations from Europe, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean has revealed a knowledge gap on the health of African and other minority immigrants. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore disparities in access to maternal and child health (MCH) care as well as the causes and effects of such disparities to care-seeking experiences of recent African immigrants. Andersen's behavioral model of health services use provided the theoretical lenses to interpret study findings. Eleven …

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Effect Of Class Size On Student Achievement In Secondary School, Christopher Eric Uhrain Jan 2016

Effect Of Class Size On Student Achievement In Secondary School, Christopher Eric Uhrain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The school board of a school district in South Carolina has proposed to increase class size in all schools due to mandatory budgetary reductions. However, at the secondary school level, the literature on the effect of larger class size on student achievement is conflicting. The theoretical framework by Lazear suggested that the minimization of negative externalities (i.e., problematic behavioral and academic characteristics of students) achieved through the mechanism of smaller class size impacts student learning. Reducing the number of students in a classroom alters the entire classroom environment, creating a more positive learning environment in which students are able to …

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Exploring Leadership Strategies To Maximize Profitability In The Nigerian Housing Sector, Babatunde Adesiyan Jan 2016

Exploring Leadership Strategies To Maximize Profitability In The Nigerian Housing Sector, Babatunde Adesiyan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The collapse of construction companies in the Nigerian housing sector continues unabated, even in the face of 17 million housing deficits. Many construction company leaders believe that lack of business opportunities and the recent world economic decline have been responsible for the collapse. This situation has resulted in limited business activities for 80% of the Nigerian construction companies. This multiple case study explored the strategies used by leaders to maximize profitability in the Nigerian housing sector. The RBV and Porter's model of competition provided the conceptual framework for the study. Findings were based on detailed reviews of the policies and …

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Nigerian Women's Empowerment Status And Its Influence On Access To Reproductive Health Services, Temi Aregbesola Jan 2016

Nigerian Women's Empowerment Status And Its Influence On Access To Reproductive Health Services, Temi Aregbesola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria is a patriarchal society, which puts women in subordinate positions that may prompt gender-based discrimination. While evidence of this phenomenon has been investigated in Nigeria and other African countries, no such investigation has been conducted with immigrant and first-generation Nigerian women in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a Nigerian woman's perceived empowerment and status on her willingness to access reproductive health services. The research questions examined views of Nigerian traditional beliefs' influence on status and how attitudes around traditional beliefs relate to access to reproductive health services and/or knowledge. Data …

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Establishing Mobile Financial Services In Ethiopia, James R. Kanagwa Jan 2016

Establishing Mobile Financial Services In Ethiopia, James R. Kanagwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mobile phone service is increasing among low income populations; however, with over 1 billion mobile service users worldwide, many people still lack banking services. Banks do not reach out to the poor because of the high operational costs involved. Scholars and industry practitioners have indicated that mobile phones could be an alternative channel for delivering financial services to the less advantaged and unbanked, without requiring a traditional bank with a branch network. The purpose of this bounded case study was to explore the strategies bank managers used to implement the new mobile banking service to the Ethiopian community. The new …

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Public Health Leaders' Perceptions Of And Attitudes Concerning Eating Disorders, Karin L. Lightfoot Jan 2016

Public Health Leaders' Perceptions Of And Attitudes Concerning Eating Disorders, Karin L. Lightfoot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eating disorders are associated with high mortality rates. Most eating disorder prevention research is conducted within the fields of psychology and psychiatry, not in public health. This gap in public health research can lead to insufficient attention to the root causes of eating disorders and minimal upstream prevention efforts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify public health leaders' perceptions of and attitudes concerning eating disorders as a public health issue. Objectification theory was used to describe how societal expectations have created an environment in which people's self-worth is based on their outward physical appearance. Ecological theory was …

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A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Employee Perceptions Of The Impact Of Layoffs, Linda Carrington Jan 2016

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Employee Perceptions Of The Impact Of Layoffs, Linda Carrington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of Americans were terminated from their employment in massive layoffs in 2013, which not only created outrage among employees. but also opened the door for retaliatory lawsuits. However, profitable companies are still engaged in restructuring and layoffs, which have a negative effect on employees, managers, and survivors. Such actions create mistrust in management and continue to plague the workforce and the economy. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impacts that layoffs and downsizing have on employees' trust, work performance, behavior, and health. Informed by Sarker's theory on management and employee trust, the research questions explored …

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Exploring Obesity Risk Factors In Five Regions Of Virginia, Karen Toth Carpenter Jan 2016

Exploring Obesity Risk Factors In Five Regions Of Virginia, Karen Toth Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity continues to weaken our nation physiologically, psychologically and financially with an overall prevalence rate of 34.9% or 78.6 million Americans affected. Variance in obesity prevalence rates, in the state of Virginia, account for over a 15% difference from one health district to the next. The purpose of this research was to better explore the regional obesogenic factors that may exist among five health districts in the state of Virginia. The socio ecological theory provides the conceptual framework of the study to understand the variance in regional obesity rates, as a function of the contributing risk factors that a region …

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Faculty Career-Enhancing Training Opportunity Effects On Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Commitment, Laura Pateri Bryant Jan 2016

Faculty Career-Enhancing Training Opportunity Effects On Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Commitment, Laura Pateri Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that organizations outside of academia that provide career-enhancing training opportunities have employees with greater levels of perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment than do organizations without such training. Increasingly, colleges and universities are looking to attract and retain the most talented individuals; providing opportunities for growth through career-enhancing training opportunities may be one way to do so. This study examined whether or not faculty at institutions providing career-enhancing training opportunities showed a similar positive relationship between perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as have employees at organizations outside of academia; this study also …

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High School Math Teachers' Perspectives About Improving Teaching Constructed Response Questions, Kenya Claiborne Roberts Jan 2016

High School Math Teachers' Perspectives About Improving Teaching Constructed Response Questions, Kenya Claiborne Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student test scores related to mathematical word problems have been declining in a rural school district in western Louisiana. Word problems constitute a major component of the Algebra 1 End of Course examination, which students must be able to pass to graduate. Mathematics teachers have struggled to find appropriate strategies to teach students to answer constructed response questions (CRQs) effectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of math teachers about effective teaching strategies for improving student performance on CRQs. Guided by Piaget's constructivist theory, which is characterized by an emphasis on learner control of the learning …

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Effects Of Acculturation Gap And Attachment Style On South Asian Adolescent Well-Being, Malliga Delaney Delaney Jan 2016

Effects Of Acculturation Gap And Attachment Style On South Asian Adolescent Well-Being, Malliga Delaney Delaney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

South Asian (SA) adolescents experience the added challenges of identity development and coping as a minority population of color in a predominantly White host culture. Adolescent attachment style (AS) with their parents, along with an acculturation gap (AG) with their parents, can either add to or alleviate their struggles. A matched acculturation style and secure AS with their parents were hypothesized to result in higher ethnic identity and adaptive coping. The Brief COPE, Multiethnic Identity Measure, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, and the Bicultural Inquiry Questionnaire were used to measure the independent (AG and AS) and dependent variables (identity …

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Decision Making Of Environmental Engineers On Project Selection, Millicent Amanda Davis Jan 2016

Decision Making Of Environmental Engineers On Project Selection, Millicent Amanda Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some environmental engineers do not understand how to perceive profitable opportunities in redeveloping the large number of contaminated brownfield sites in New Jersey. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to find effective decision-making strategies that help environmental engineers acquire profitable environmental redevelopment projects. The target population consisted of 4 environmental engineers in an environmental organization in Camden County, New Jersey who possessed proven decision-making strategies that helped them acquire profitable environmental redevelopment projects in the past 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the multiple criteria decision method (MCDM). Semistructured interviews were conducted with the …

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Women Entrepreneurs: Keys To Successful Business Development And Sustainability Beyond Five Years, Delores Duncan Foster Jan 2016

Women Entrepreneurs: Keys To Successful Business Development And Sustainability Beyond Five Years, Delores Duncan Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial populations, accounting for 8 million of the 28 million small businesses in the United States. Small businesses fail at a rate of 55% by the 5th year of operation and women, who own over 30% of all small businesses, contribute significantly to the 55% small business failure rate. Using Schumpeter's framework, this single exploratory case study investigated how women entrepreneurial small business owners use strategies to sustain their business operation beyond 5 years. A purposeful sample identified 2 women salon small business owners located in the Macon, Georgia metro area. Data …

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Student Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Retention In A Rural Associate Degree Nursing Program, Jodi Garcia Jan 2016

Student Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Retention In A Rural Associate Degree Nursing Program, Jodi Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High nursing student attrition rates at a community college in a southwestern state were noted as a significant problem by nursing faculty and college administration because of a nursing shortage and subsequent health care issues in the surrounding community. The purpose of this project study was to explore the perceptions of nursing graduates regarding the influences that led to or impeded their success in completion of the associate degree nursing program. Additionally, perspectives of the usefulness of remediation sessions provided for students failing a course were investigated. This qualitative case study, guided by transformative learning theory, included a sample of …

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Small Aviation Business Success Strategies For Profitability, Christina Hiers Jan 2016

Small Aviation Business Success Strategies For Profitability, Christina Hiers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ninety-five percent of all aviation businesses are small businesses; from 2009-2012, small aviation business operations decreased by 10.2% and resulted in a loss of $4.4 billion in revenue. The purpose for this multiunit case study was to explore what strategies small aviation businesses leaders used to reduce or control operating expenses for profitability. The sample comprised 3 small aviation businesses located in Middle Tennessee. The conceptual framework for this study built upon systems theory and sustainability theory. The data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Member checking was completed to strengthen creditability and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological …

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The Aesthetic Experience, Flow, And Smart Technology: Viewing Art In A Virtual Environment, Carol Ikard Jan 2016

The Aesthetic Experience, Flow, And Smart Technology: Viewing Art In A Virtual Environment, Carol Ikard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Smart technology can support art educators and museum professionals in mediating the aesthetic experience. It can also increase museum attendance, enrich the viewer's delight and engagement with artworks and art collections, and provide an avenue for extending art on a global level. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a mobile art app with text-based narrative influences scores on an aesthetic experience questionnaire. This quantitative research measured the difference in pretest and posttest human-computer interaction scores on the Aesthetic Experience Questionnaire Form after participants used two versions of a mobile art app. Csikszentmihalyi's flow was …

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Precursors Of Terrorism In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Israel Kabashiki Jan 2016

Precursors Of Terrorism In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Israel Kabashiki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been entangled in a cycle of violence. Extensive crimes that include summary executions, rapes, and the use of child soldiers are frequent in the eastern provinces of the DRC. Little is known, however, about the factors that have contributed to the emergence of these ongoing acts of terror. The study provides insights into the antecedent conditions of terrorism in this country. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study is to examine the precursors of the conflict in the DRC. The study provides the opportunity to understand the degree and …

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Associative Relationship Among Mindfulness, Academic Grades, And Affective Outcomes In Adolescence, Elena Ksendzov Jan 2016

Associative Relationship Among Mindfulness, Academic Grades, And Affective Outcomes In Adolescence, Elena Ksendzov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents navigate through escalating academic and social pressures while undergoing major physical and psychological changes. Concerned with behavioral, mental, and emotional challenges of youth, educators seek to expand approaches to promote learning success. Research founded in mindfulness theories has suggested that mindfulness positively and significantly correlates with psychological and physical health, work performance, decision-making ability, and emotional regulation, and may be a factor in learning. Two theoretical viewpoints on mindfulness, Western- and Eastern-based, formed the conceptual framework for this study, which aimed to examine associative relationships between mindfulness and academic achievement, and between mindfulness and affective outcomes for the general …

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Diminishing Stigma Sentiments In Individuals With Depression: Sociopsychological Predictors Of Deflecting And Challenging Coping Orientations, Jennifer Marie Lee Jan 2016

Diminishing Stigma Sentiments In Individuals With Depression: Sociopsychological Predictors Of Deflecting And Challenging Coping Orientations, Jennifer Marie Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who suffer from depression can be stigmatized by labeling and resort to negative stigma coping orientations such as secrecy and withdrawal, resulting in internalized self-stigma. Self-stigma can have negative effects such as low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, isolation, and feeling like a failure. Guided by modified labeling theory, the purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature on predictors of two orientations (challenging and deflecting) of positive stigma coping. Challenging stigma involves taking action, and deflecting is a cognitive strategy; both are used to positively cope with the stigma of mental illness. Predictors included symptom severity, …

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An Analysis Of The Technological, Organizational, And Environmental Factors Influencing Cloud Adoption, Joe Malak Jan 2016

An Analysis Of The Technological, Organizational, And Environmental Factors Influencing Cloud Adoption, Joe Malak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing provides an answer to the increasing costs of managing information technology (IT), and has become a model that aligns IT services with an organization's business strategies. However, concerns and uncertainties associated with cloud computing are deterring IT decision makers from making sound decisions regarding the adoption of the technology. The purpose of this online survey study was to examine the relationship between relative advantage, compatibility, organizational size, top management support, organizational readiness, mimetic pressure, normative pressures, coercive pressure, and the IT decision makers' intent to adopt cloud computing. The theoretical framework incorporated the diffusion of innovations theory, a …

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Experiences And Perceptions Regarding Emergency Telephone Number Use Relative To Civic Engagement, Jacquetta Mccoy Jan 2016

Experiences And Perceptions Regarding Emergency Telephone Number Use Relative To Civic Engagement, Jacquetta Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of engagement in public service awareness education programs, coupled with reduced funding to implement a diversion system such as 311 systems or 10-digit phone numbers, contribute to 911 misuse. Many local governments have invested in alternative systems, but research regarding community members' use of 911 or alternatives relative to civic engagement is lacking. Guided by Gordon's conceptualization of civic engagement, this phenomenological study bridged the gap in knowledge by exploring community members' civic involvement and their use of 911 between 2012 and 2015 in a county in the state of Georgia. A snowball sampling strategy was used to select …

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Patterns Of One-Course Cohort Participation In Online Teacher Education Programs, Janeal Crane Smith Jan 2016

Patterns Of One-Course Cohort Participation In Online Teacher Education Programs, Janeal Crane Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online higher education is a field that can benefit significantly from further research on innovative pedagogical methods designed to support students and decrease attrition rates. One method shown to improve engagement and retention of students in online environments is to include interactive engagement. This case study explored the patterns of students' interactions and assessment performance in an introductory teacher education one-course cohort. The study used a conceptual framework incorporating Bandura's social learning theory and Siemens' theory of connectivism. The study assessed archival data, from Adobe Connect recordings and records of competency pass rates, on the interactions and patterns of behavior …

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Exploring Strategies Required For Small Business Sustainability In Competitive Environments, Christian Ozioma Akaeze Jan 2016

Exploring Strategies Required For Small Business Sustainability In Competitive Environments, Christian Ozioma Akaeze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small businesses contribute approximately 39% of the gross domestic product and create 2 out of every 3 new jobs, but only 25% of startup small businesses stay afloat after 5 years. Guided by the resource-based view theory of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small auto dealership business owners use to sustain businesses in New York City. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 3 participants who owned small auto dealership businesses and succeeded beyond 5 years. Data analysis entailed using coding techniques and cluster analysis. Member checking was used to …

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Hiv Knowledge, Intoxication, Risky Behaviors, And Sexual Communication Among Nigeria University Students, Johnpaul Chukwuemeka Ezeonyido Jan 2016

Hiv Knowledge, Intoxication, Risky Behaviors, And Sexual Communication Among Nigeria University Students, Johnpaul Chukwuemeka Ezeonyido

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor sexual communication among Nigerian youth can create problems for health workers, medical practitioners, and the government in determining what is and is not working in their attempts to reduce sexually-related diseases. This quantitative study used self-administered questionnaires among 107 Nigerian university students, aged 18 to 35, to determine if a statistically significant predictive relationship existed between: (a) beliefs about alcohol, (b) HIV knowledge, (c) risk behaviors, (d) age, (e) religion, (f) gender, (g) sexual activity status, (h) dating status, (i) language, (j) sexual orientation, and (k) tribes of Nigerian university students and their sexual communication with partners. Previous studies …

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Association Between Biopsychosocial Factors And Physical Activity Among U.S. Stroke Survivors, Claire Johnson Jan 2016

Association Between Biopsychosocial Factors And Physical Activity Among U.S. Stroke Survivors, Claire Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stroke causes substantial morbidity and mortality, and physical activity can reduce the risk of stroke occurrence. The purpose of this study was to test the association between biopsychosocial factors and levels of physical activity and to develop a model to predict inactivity for US stroke survivors. A quantitative, cross-sectional analysis was performed of the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which is a representative sample of US households. Association for 1,077 stroke survivors was tested with chi-square between physical activity and independent variables: biological factors (age, sex, race, body mass index, musculoskeletal conditions, and cardiovascular diseases), psychological factors (mental distress, …

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Perceptions Of Inclusion Factors By General Education Teachers And Administrators, Rashelle Janine Mckenzie Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Inclusion Factors By General Education Teachers And Administrators, Rashelle Janine Mckenzie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special needs learners (SNL) under-perform on state benchmark measurements despite the efforts of general education teachers to implement inclusion effectively. Using Bandura's theory of self-efficacy as a framework, the purpose of this study was to explore perceptions toward factors for implementing successful inclusion in a high performing school. Research questions explored the perceptions regarding methodology used to implement inclusion, barriers or facilitators of the implementation process, and how inclusion affects the attitude and self-efficacy of general education teachers when teaching SNL. A qualitative case study design was applied within a purposeful sample of 5 general education teachers participating in a …

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Teacher Perceptions And Attitudes Of Classroom Technology Integration Related To Ipad Training, Theresa Marie Pepe Jan 2016

Teacher Perceptions And Attitudes Of Classroom Technology Integration Related To Ipad Training, Theresa Marie Pepe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While professional development on the use of technology in the classroom aids educators to implement new teaching strategies, little is known about teachers' concerns with professional development specifically for adopting mobile technologies like iPads in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to discover teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward teacher training for integration of the iPad into their classroom instruction. Using a case study approach and the concerns-based adoption model as a framework, this study examined teachers' concerns about their training for using the iPads in the classroom. Participants were 7 teachers from a small, suburban, Catholic K-8 school …

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The Relationship Between Knowledge Management Tools And Interprofessional Healthcare Team Decision Making, Lisa Simon Jan 2016

The Relationship Between Knowledge Management Tools And Interprofessional Healthcare Team Decision Making, Lisa Simon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rising costs and continued risks in patient care indicate that knowledge management (KM) tools have not been fully recognized in healthcare. A case study was conducted to determine how KM tools might support the decision-making process of interprofessional teams. The study was predominately qualitative with a quantitative supplemental component. A questionnaire was used to collect data; this questionnaire contained open-ended questions along with Baggs' Collaboration and Satisfaction about Care Decisions and Anderson & West's Team Climate Inventory instruments. Responses to open-ended questions were reviewed, categorized, and coded as part of the qualitative analysis. Descriptive statistics were completed from Likert scale …

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Relationships Between Business Planning And Reaching Forecasted Sales Objectives For New England Farmers, Kenny Roberts Jan 2016

Relationships Between Business Planning And Reaching Forecasted Sales Objectives For New England Farmers, Kenny Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 100 years, more than 3 million small farming operations have been replaced by large factory farms in America. This shift toward food production by conglomerations has led to severe environmental issues, food security hazards, and economic hardship in farming communities nationwide. This study investigated the extent to which a written business plan could help small farming operations meet their sales objectives and ultimately continue to operate; this study also examined the perceptions of farm owners regarding the ability of a business plan to affect sales objectives. The sample consisted of 71 Maine Farms for Future (FFF) recipients …

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Factors Involved In Successful Second-Generation Legacy Perpetuation In Independent Insurance Agencies, Christina Marie Rosensteel Jan 2016

Factors Involved In Successful Second-Generation Legacy Perpetuation In Independent Insurance Agencies, Christina Marie Rosensteel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors involved in successful second-generation legacy perpetuation in independent insurance agencies. This study examined the role of parent and child throughout the process in an effort to thwart the current high failure rates. This research aims to promote healthy business activity, improve success and sustainability, and add positive social stewardship in communities. Education and preparation of successor, timing of transition, financial considerations, and processes of succession were addressed. Two frameworks guided this study: Bertalanffy's systems theory and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. Nonrandom, purposeful samples of 3 profitable, second-generation agency owners of …

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