Digital Commons Network^™

"Am I At Peace"?: A Deeper Look Into Identity Formation And Integration, Annette Susanne Peters, Maria Lahman

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

This holistic case study exploring the identity formation of a multicultural female college student stemmed from a previous study. Understanding the process of cultural integration is vital for counselors and educators to recognize because the confusion in integrating crosscultural experiences and culture groups can be part of the reason an individual seeks counseling. Observation, five in-depth interviews, and a photo journal composed of ten pictures were used to gather information over a span of six months. Furthermore, six themes identified in the initial study were explored to see how they appear in the participant’s everyday life. The six themes were …

For The Love Of Land And People: An Evaluation Of The Food Project As An Empowering Youth Development Program, Emily Walls

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

For the Love of Land and People uses youth experiences to examine The Food Project, a youth development and urban agriculture organization from the Greater Boston area. Both youth experience and program structures are viewed through the framework of Critical Youth Empowerment in order to analyze how youth experience empowerment and personal growth in The Food Project's youth programs. This study finds that The Food Project youth programs demonstrate effective empowerment because they successfully create safe spaces, engage youth in work that is meaningful to them, and give youth the confidence and skills to effect change in their world.

Utilization Of A School Specific Intervention Manual To Increase Teacher Perceptions Of The I&Rs Process And Reduce Special Education Referrals, Jacqueline Jade Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

One of the primary purposes of the Intervention and Referral Services (I & RS) process is to assist school staff in addressing students' learning, behavior, or health needs (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1 [a]). This study sought to improve I & RS process and student outcomes in a southern New Jersey elementary school that services students from grades Pre-Kindergarten through second grade. At the outset of the study, school administrators reported that an area of need was to formulate an intervention resource for the school's I & RS committee and teaching staff. It was determined that an online/interactive intervention manual would be created …

Implementation Of The Reengineered Discharge Process And Transitional Care Management At A Rural Critical Access Hospital, Chad L. Wilfong

Doctoral Projects

Healthcare in the United States is changing from a fee-for-service to a value based healthcare delivery system. One area of national focus is reducing 30-day hospital readmissions by providing high-quality transitions-of-care. Patients leaving the hospital without proper assessment of home care needs, patient education, and coordination of care run into barriers managing health conditions, which contributes to hospital readmissions. Poor transitions-of-care contribute to deterioration of health leading to acute care utilization and hospital readmissions, which is costly for healthcare organizations, insurance payers, and individuals. In 2017, the value based healthcare structure will be decreasing reimbursement to hospitals that have 30-day …

Enhancing Clinical Manager Self-Efficacy Through A Change Management Academy, Chet Hurley Doering Iii

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Healthcare systems are facing increased pressure to develop their clinical managers’ abilities and competencies leading change. Clinical managers that are equipped with these capabilities can influence greater quality and safety outcomes for patients. Literature and industry findings both strongly suggest that leaders who possess increased self-efficacy are more effective leading change. This is demonstrated at the unit and system level through improved project management, successfully executing strategic initiatives, retaining staff, and being more fiscally responsible. There are significant clinical and business advantages for healthcare systems that foster change management skills for their clinical managers When organizations do not provide support, …

Combating Workplace Violence: An Evidence Based Initiative, Diana L. Giordano

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Patient/visitor violence against healthcare (HC) employees is a type of workplace violence (WPV) and considered a dangerous hazard within HC occupations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Lack of recognition of the true incidence and underreporting of WPV may contribute to a false sense of security within a HC facility (HCF). Therefore, fully addressing the problem may be met with administrative resistance, resulting in poor employee perceptions of support and commitment for a zero-violence environment. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the HCF’s online incident reports, security request calls, and data from a previously deployed WPV employee survey. The emergency department …

A Qualitative Study On The Influence Of Quality Systems In Meeting Performance Funding Criteria In Wisconsin Technical College System Institutions, Kinga N. Jacobson

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This case study investigated the influence of quality systems on meeting performance funding criteria in Wisconsin Technical College System institutions. Using qualitative text-analysis methodology, the case study identified the common processes, systems, values, and culture of three Wisconsin Forward Award-recognized technical colleges, looking for ways these characteristics were used for attaining performance-based funding goals. Sources analyzed included the colleges’ Wisconsin Forward Award application documents and evaluator feedback reports, and the transcripts of six interviews conducted with professionals with expertise in organizational effectiveness and performance funding at these institutions. Findings indicated that the entities shared quality, benchmarking, feedback, strategic planning, and …

A Comparative Program Analysis Of The Safe And Successful Youth Initiative In The Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities Of Brockton And New Bedford, Adam J. Costa

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In the summer of 2016, I participated in an internship with the Massachusetts Department of Correction Program & Reentry Services Division. I worked with state policy analysts to research and implement new reentry program initiatives in state facilities. The responsibility of these state employees was to identify key areas of research and evaluate program effectiveness through statistical analysis. I learned it was possible to compare and contrast public programs through comparative analytical study. The purpose of this honors thesis is to research violence reduction programs under the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) in Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities. This paper will …

Changing School Culture To Engage Disengaged Students, Trisha E. Sotropa

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines how formal leaders (including principals and vice principals) and informal school leaders (such as influential teachers) can provide opportunities for greater engagement in the learning process for all students by changing the culture (Schein, 2010) of an increasingly diverse Alberta school. Educational leaders beliefs and assumptions about the purpose of education and the roles of teachers and students will impact their beliefs about student engagement (Vibert & Shields, 2003) in both teacher-led curricular and extracurricular activities. Several recent surveys, including surveys in Alberta schools (Learning Bar, 2016) and larger surveys in the United States …

Increasing Success: Strategies To Address Factors Affecting Student Retention From First To Second Year At A Canadian, Undergraduate, Liberal Arts University, Tracy L.A. Cunningham

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

As demographics shift, student retention and attrition rates are increasingly becoming of greater concern to the overall viability and longevity of post-secondary institutions. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines some of the challenges faced by a small, liberal arts, faith-based university in southern Ontario which, in recent years, have impacted its enrolment and retention from first to second year. With some of the probable challenges identified, the study provides a strategy for guiding institutional change and possible solutions which may aid in the encouragement and support of continued enrolment from those students who would normally be at risk for withdrawing. …

Mergers In Higher Education: A Case Study Of Organizational Culture, Communication, And Conflict Management Strategies In The University System Of Georgia, Jia Min

Doctor of International Conflict Management Dissertations

Abstract

By 2018, the University System of Georgia will have 18 institutions merged with each other. This qualitative case study focuses on how organizational culture, communication strategies, and conflict management strategies affect a merger in higher education in the state of Georgia. This study attempts to answer the following questions: How is organizational culture preserved and/or changed in the process of consolidation? How was information about consolidation communicated to various group of people? How do various groups of people make sense of the information provided regarding consolidation? What aspects of consolidation generated the most conflicts? What conflict management strategies were …

Preparing For The Merit-Based Incentive Payment Structure: A Value-Based Business Plan, Ali R. Saheb

Doctoral Projects

The notion of delivering value-based care while maintaining corporate vitality in health care is a multifaceted process. Shaping a business model to reflect this process requires the alignment of quality implications, reimbursement initiatives, a framework that takes into account stipulations on reimbursement for different types of clinicians, and an understanding and preparedness for emerging guidelines and nationally recognized structures for quality indicators. When organizations recognize the need for change, but are not yet prepared to implement it, a comprehensive business plan can help the organization visualize a path to success. In this project, the foundation of requirements for a value-based …

Return On Investment Comparison Of Three Payment Models For Chronic Care Management Under Medicare In A Northwestern Physician Hospital Organization, Megan J. Madole

Doctoral Projects

Chronic disease is the most prevalent and costly health condition. The coordination of care provided to those with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) is suboptimal and fragmented. This population is among the highest utilizers of healthcare, and accounts for the majority of Medicare expenditures annually. Chronic care management (CCM) programs represent evidence-based initiatives shown to improve outcomes, reduce hospital and emergency department utilization, and reduce healthcare costs. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have provided various payment models for reimbursement of CCM services. Primary care practices have stated that inadequate reimbursement and confusing payment models are barriers to CCM implementation. …

Using Sport As A Global Change Agent: The United Nations Model Of Sport For Development, Meghan Burke

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Since 2001, the United Nations (UN) has used sport as a development tool through the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP). This paper examines the issues in the Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) movement that warranted the UN’s involvement and looks at how and why the UN uses sport. It will also offer recommendations on how it can continue to do so in a more sustainable way. Academics have struggled to find a way to measure the success of the SDP movement and the only evidence that exists that shows that sport is creating long-term …

Web Conference Vs. Webcast: The Perceived Effectiveness Of Training Sessions At A Southeastern Community College, Jenny Bailey Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Professional development is a lifelong learning process and technology has provided and will continue to provide new and different delivery methods. Regardless of the delivery method, the intention of professional development is to increase teacher knowledge, which in turn, increases student achievement. At a southeastern community college, meaningful professional development and technology training became a service requested by faculty and staff. The college identified the need to provide in-service training that could fit within their employees’ schedules and incorporate the college’s existing infrastructure. This need grew into the creation of virtual training sessions hosted by the eLearning department of the …

Book Reviews, University Of New Mexico Press

New Mexico Quarterly

No abstract provided.

The Fifth Epoch: Socio-Economic Approach To Sustainable Capitalism, David M. Boje, Yue Cai Hillon

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The purpose of this conceptual essay is to challenge the inevitability of living with the destructive beast of speculative market economics in the 4^th epoch of global capitalism. We are facing an existential socio-ecological threat from the short-term excesses of financial capitalism, a socially irresponsible form that consumes without producing value and without bearing entrepreneurial risk, benefitting only the few. The fate of roughly 90% of humanity hangs in the balance. The primary contribution of this paper proposes a 5^th epoch of capitalism, inspired by Savall and Zardet’s socio-economic and sustainable approach that restores human potential and value …

Organizational Factors Associated With Quality Perinatal Care, Lisa H. Akers

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Provisions for perinatal care are an integral part of quality healthcare and are increasingly moving to the forefront of quality care measures in the healthcare setting (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012; National Quality Forum, 2012; & The Joint Commission, 2010). Previous literature specifically focused attention to general quality of care, but recently there has been a call for a more comprehensive approach to measuring quality in the perinatal care setting, which necessitates the need for a better understanding of what is currently being offered (Collins & Draycott, 2015). Until now the literature has remained limited on the association …

Mepi, Bevi, And Ei Leadership: Implications And Applications For Global Leadership Assessment And Development, Whitney Giesing

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Across multiple settings, individuals who assume organizational leadership roles may find themselves grappling with unique opportunities to influence meaningful change. The complexities of such processes become especially apparent in a global context where multiple dynamics must be navigated simultaneously and skillfully. What variables are associated with greater or lesser effectiveness in these global leadership roles? Can such processes be measured in an ecologically valid manner? What might we learn about the cultivation of global leadership by an examination of such interacting intricacies? This dissertation sought to answer these questions by reviewing and applying existing global leadership theories and the Equilintegration …

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Outpatient Care: The Effect Of A Standardized Collaborative Medication Reconciliation Process, Traci R. Pulliam

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Pediatric patients are at an increased risk for medication errors and can benefit from processes that facilitate and promote medication safety (Stone et al., 2010). Medication reconciliation (Med Rec) is a valuable tool in improving patients’ medication safety and reducing adverse drug events (The Joint Commission, 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve the accuracy of the Med Rec process in a Midwestern pediatric hematology/oncology outpatient clinic by developing, promoting, and evaluating a standardized, collaborative Med Rec process. The Stetler EBP model guided the implementation of the intervention, with the goal of integrating current evidence …

Job Satisfaction Of Orchestral Musicians: The Effects Of Non-Performance Organizational Roles, Abigail Wilcox Young

Open Access Dissertations

This study measures the job satisfaction of professional orchestral musicians in the United States. The research focuses on those who hold additional non-performance roles within their organizations, whether paid or unpaid, and how these additional roles relate to job satisfaction. The paper also assesses the level of interest orchestral musicians have in taking on these added roles within their organizations. An anonymous, online survey was sent to personnel managers of U.S. orchestras and 560 individual responses were recorded. In addition to other trends within the data, string musicians were the only instrument group with below-average job and role satisfaction. Musicians …

Practical Steps For The Utilization Of Action Research In Your Organization: A Qualitative Approach For Non-Academic Research, Paul J. Antonellis Jr., Gwendolyn Berry

Management Faculty Publications

Action research is different from traditional research. Action research is more practice based as it is implementing an intervention to improve a problem. Action research involves collaboration and communication between the researcher and the participants within the study. The purpose of this article is to explain the multi-step process for a non-academic researcher or novice researcher when employing qualitative action research in an organization that is looking to solve a complex issue. The article will explore the action research steps for conducting phone employment interviews within the organization and an example of the process to follow. The outlined steps can …

Umass Memorial Healthcare Information System Job Ladder, Matthew Simoncini, Vamsi Kavuru, Antariksh Nanda, Tahaseen Mahaboob Basha, Vikram Patil

School of Professional Studies

The capstone project report emphasizes the importance of a job ladder and the need of an hour to implement it at UMASS Memorial health care. The scope of this project is to create a well-established job ladder at UMASS with pre-defined standards on job levels related to Information Technology department that would facilitate in hiring, developing and promoting employees at various stages.

To Be Or Not To Be An Ethnic Firm: An Analysis Of Identity Strategies In Immigrant-Owned Organizations, Diya Das, Eileen Kwesiga, Shruti R. Sardeshmukh, Norma Juma

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

In this article, we develop a theoretical framework that draws on the concepts of liability of foreignness and social identity theory in the context of immigrant entrepreneurship.

How Healthcare Accounting Adapts To Lean Practices, Caitlin R. Duke

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Healthcare has recently begun a push towards more lean practices and management. Healthcare accounting, in an effort to reflect business practices, must change to accurately reflect reality. This research seeks to explore how healthcare providers improve their accounting systems to keep up with an ever-changing lean environment. By examining both healthcare and accounting literature, this comprehensive literature review seeks to answer the question, “How does healthcare accounting adapt to lean philosophies?”.

May 2017 School Of Graduate Studies Newsletter, Alan J. Stolzer, Katie Esguerra

School of Graduate Studies Newsletters

• Notes from the Dean
• New Faculty and Staff
• University Research News
• Awards and Publications
• Dissertation Defenses
• Ph.D. Program Notes

Who Is The Fairest Of Them All: The Development And Validation Of The Just Leader Measure, Heather E. Graham

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Much work has explored the dimensionality, antecedents and consequences of organizational justice; yet, the transfer of knowledge to application and intervention remains limited. The paper includes the development and validation of the Just Leader measure, a scale intended to assess individual differences in leaders’ tendencies to behave in ways that are likely perceived as fair and just. Building upon social-exchange theory and correlates associated with organizational justice, the Just Leader measure was theoretically derived from four main constructs: empathy, emotional intelligence, implicit person theory, and moral ideology. The development and validation of the measure spanned across two studies using three …

Technology Increases Efficiency In The Workplace, But Often Creates Chaos In The Process, Kathleen Merz Prester

Information Systems & Operations Management Theses - Archive

There is a multitude of technology solutions used in the typical workplace, aimed at increasing efficiency, but often chaos is created in the process. Can this chaos be reduced or eliminated? This paper seeks to answer that question. Specific technologies used in workplace environments and how they are implemented, including deployment, project management, and end-user involvement are dissected for a common thread. Underestimating the importance of communication is the common thread identified when chaos follows the implementation of new technology. The end-user requires constant communication before, during, and after the implementation process, whether the news is good or bad. Without …

The Phenomenon Of Teacher Burnout: Mitigating Its Influence On New Teachers, Kaila Sanford

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Burnout is a psychological condition with physical, emotional, and mental dimensions. Burnout often includes feelings of exhaustion, long-term fatigue, negative self-concept, despair or hopelessness, frustration, and a lack of productivity at work.

Teacher burnout is a well-known and researched field. It has been documented in the literature that teachers experience high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, which leads to high levels of burnout and professional attrition. This study examined the incidence of burnout in new elementary school teachers and offered recommendations for changes to organizational structure that may reduce professional burnout.

For the purpose of this study five new …

The Impact Of Leadership Style On Middle Managers’ Motivation: A Study Of The Ministry Of Civil Aviation In Egypt., Safaa Shaaban

Business Administration

This paper examines the relationship between leadership styles, used by top management, to motivate middle management managers, which drives them in accomplishing their organisational goals. Leadership use two techniques to motivate employee that are extrinsic and intrinsic (Self-determination Theory (SDT)) in Civil Aviation Ministry in Egypt. The objective of this study is to search which leadership style is currently used, from the perspective of middle management, as subordinates for top management and which leadership style motivated managers, extrinsically and intrinsically. A survey-based descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted using middle managers working in the Civil Aviation Ministry …