Digital Commons Network^™

Describing The Patient Care Experience: Quality Improvment In Federally Qualified Health Centers In Alaska, Shawna Cooke

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether the quality assurance/performance improvement (QAPI) plan at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) provided a valid mechanism for assessing the overall patient experience or if implementing a multimodal approach to evaluating the patient experience provided a more accurate depiction on which to base operational decisions. The project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to examine the efficacy of a multimodal approach to assessment of the patient care experience. The aims were to describe the patient care experience in a FQHC located in a small community in Alaska using a qualitative …

Leader Behaviors For Sustaining The Implementation Of Lean Methodologies In Multi-National Companies: A Qualitative Case Study, Gary Vance

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing global competition has led many business leaders to implement Lean methodologies to drive operational improvement and deliver increased customer satisfaction. However, not all business leaders have been successful in sustaining Lean implementation with the majority failing within the first three years. In addition, the challenge related to implementing Lean in multi-national companies is exacerbated by the cultural differences associated with the various business units involved. Recent research has suggested that business leaders who have sustained their Lean implementations have utilized specific behaviors to do so. Therefore, this study explored how leaders of multi-national companies utilized specific behaviors to sustain …

"I Am That Family Member That No One Talks About!" Latino And Lgbtq Students' Perspectives On Institutional Discourse Of Inclusion, Manuel Antonio Rodriguez Jr.

All Theses

There has been a vast amount of research that has focused on inclusion, diversity, and multiculturalism within institutional settings (Cuyjet, Howard-Hamilton, & Cooper, 2012). Researchers such as Schedler, Glastra, and Kats (1998) have focused on the positive benefits of having a diverse population of people in a particular setting. How to best integrate these groups in a multicultural setting has been the focus of many researchers (Milem, Clayton-Pederson, Hurtado, & Allen, 1998). Despite the prior research dedicated toward inclusion, there are certain areas that remain neglected due to the complexities of multicultural identities, as well as institutional reluctance to address …

Assessing Organizational Health Literacy At An Academic Health Center: A Quantitative Research Study, Latrina Y. Prince

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inadequate health literacy is a national health problem that affects about 90 million Americans. Health literacy is the degree to which a person is able to make good health decisions based on his/her ability to read, understand, and use health information and services. Organizational Health Literacy (OHL) is the degree to which an organization considers and promotes the health literacy of patients by providing easy to read, understand, and use health information and services. Since it is difficult to determine which patients have inadequate health literacy, a recommended intervention for addressing health literacy is to use OHL practices at all …

Religious Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Social Acceptability Among Religious Groups, Kathryn E. Dozier

Honors Theses

This study seeks to develop a better understanding of the relationships between religious commitment, social support, and job satisfaction. This research specifically investigated the correlations between religious commitment and social support, religious commitment and job satisfaction, and social support and job satisfaction. After surveying undergraduate students from a southern university, there was no statistical evidence supporting the idea that the indicated combinations contributed to job satisfaction. The research did demonstrate, however, a correlation between religious commitment and social support. In addition, groups were tested for significant differences in levels of religious commitment, social support, and job satisfaction; the groups based …

Acceptability Of The Md Anderson Symptom Inventory And Qualitative Analysis Of Barriers To Palliative Care Services For Rural And Non-Rural Populations, Daniel M. W. Johnson

Doctoral Projects

The United States health system strives to improve the care patients receive while reducing healthcare expenditures. A significant portion of the nation’s healthcare expenditure is spent on end of life care. Palliative care provides one solution to reducing healthcare expenditures while improving the patient experience. Reducing symptom intensity is one example of palliative care’s success. A midwest palliative care program was tasked to gather quality data on the service’s ability to manage patient symptoms.

The program selected the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory to improve symptom assessment and provide quality metrics for the organization. Additionally, research suggests rural populations have poorer …

Organizational Collaboration And Its Impact On Immigrants And Refugees In Louisville., Elizabeth Burdette Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To understand the impact of collaboration on internationals’ integration experiences, this study captures the stories of supporting organizations and Somali refugees in Louisville, KY. The study utilized in-depth interviews and participant observations to analyze the programs and services offered by three supporting organizations, the partnerships they have formed in the community, and the impact the partnerships have on the challenges immigrants and refugees face during the integration process. Non-profit organizations, tasked by the government and communities to support internationals in their integration, face limited resources and capacity, which local partnerships help alleviate. The collaboration relies on relational embeddedness and a …

Examining Admission Policy Change At A Private, Tuition-Dependent, Baccalaureate Institution In An Urban Setting: A Qualitative Case Study, Christopher B. Gage

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Higher education in America is resilient; in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, higher education manages to weather the storm of change, pressure, doubt, and criticism. Consider the following challenges: shifting demographics, escalating tuition, decreased state funding, retention and graduation rates, flat tuition revenue, competition for students, student preparedness, and student loan debt. Enrollment managers navigate these formidable impediments through innovative policy change, leadership and faithfulness to institutional mission (Eckel & Kezar, 2003b; Hector, 2016). Test-optional admission policies are changing the landscape of the enrollment management profession. Critics say some institutions adopt test-optional admissions to improve their national rankings by …

Constrained Cognition: Information Management And The Practical Limits Of Nuclear Escalation Control, Luke James O'Brien

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Nuclear escalation control theory rests on the idea that decision makers, in a limited nuclear war scenario, will choose their actions based on a rational assessment of the available information. That information essentially consists of intelligence reports about one's adversary and information reporting the status of one's own forces' ability to execute offensive actions and the damage level of vital national targets. Yet the practical limits of managing the flow and quality of this information, coupled with the fog and friction inherent in human analyses, significantly affect the decision-making process vis-à-vis nuclear escalation. Hence, these limitations cast a pall over …

Leadership And Performance In Various Group Dynamics, Jonathan Fedczuk

Business/Business Administration

This thesis will begin by providing a summary of the differences between flat and tall organizations. The bulk of the research will aim to explore leadership styles and demands that are effective in flatter organizations. More specifically, it will examine several aspects of autocratic and participative leadership in relation to managerial success. It will also assess certain need satisfactions of managers in flat organizations and the extent to which they have achieved success. The second portion of this thesis is intended to explore whether structural differences influence performance. A number of laboratory studies are evaluated to measure performance in tall …

Developing An Innovation- Based Ecosystem At The U.S. Department Of Defense: Challenges And Opportunities, Adam Jay Harrison, Bharat Rao, Bala Mulloth

Defense Horizons

The Department of Defense must move beyond traditional, centralized models of research and development. Instead, it should build an ecosystem that connects government, industry, and academia to accelerate innovation. This approach focuses on people as much as technology. Programs like the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator highlight the importance of developing human capital, networks, and entrepreneurial skills to generate new solutions. An effective ecosystem would support dual-use technologies, strengthen collaboration, and improve the transition of ideas into real capabilities. To stay competitive, the Pentagon must foster a more flexible, connected, and continuously evolving innovation environment.

Leadership’S Guide For Achieving Sustainable Lean Six Sigma Program Change In Higher Educational Institutions, Sandra Furterer

International Conference on Lean Six Sigma

This paper will highlight the current research, practices and an innovative framework for enhancing Lean Six Sigma leadership engagement, and program success in higher educational institutions.

Impacting Instructional Practice In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom: Does Mindset Matter?, Tatia Totorica

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

National and international testing data reveal that current mathematics achievement falls short of the mark, supporting the claim that existing mathematical practice is insufficient to meet our students’ needs. Research shows that experiential, social learning which emphasizes mathematical understanding over procedural mastery has more impact on student achievement, while widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics further supports the call for transformational shifts in pedagogy. Despite all this, the behaviorist orientation which dominates much of current mathematical practice persists. The barriers to change and the ways in which various interventions address those barriers was the focus of …

Symbolic Versus Sustainable: Tracking The Apparel Industry’S Response To Crisis Over Time, Sadell R. Crabb

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study I investigate the impact different director types have on firm commitments to voluntary labor regulation. Using an author-constructed dataset of eight focal firm’s boards of directors for a nineteen-year period, I examine the impacts of gender and racial diversity, as well as the inclusion of independent interlocking board members on firm commitments to voluntary labor regulation following a legitimacy crisis in the 1990s. Framing firms’ responses within a chronological approach to institutional theory, I test how trends for these three director types varied for firms most and least committed to voluntary labor regulation, as well as for …

Workplace Bullying: Proven Methodologies To Mitigate The Issue Within The Government Contracting Workplace Environment, Wendy Jan Kirk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to ascertain proven methods to adopt within the workplace to mediate workplace bullying in organizations in a specific region of north Alabama, with emphasis given to organizations whose workforce is mixed, consisting of federal government employees as well as contracted staffers. At the theoretical level, this study aims to consolidate knowledge from Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) in the field of workplace bullying and outline concrete steps and implementable plans for area corporate leadership to implement within their organization. At the practical level this study aims to bring attention to the issue of workplace …

A Comprehensive Study Of Intrapreneruship As A Cultural Form Of Innovation And Sustainable Competive Advantage, Timothy Charles Mcdowell

Theses and Dissertations

Intrapreneurial activity within the firm varies within the contexts of employee perception and motivation. The problem explored in this study is to better understand complex internal workings of organizational dynamics, discovering what factors energize employees to perform intrapreneurially in the aerospace industry. This study examines antecedents and consequences of intrapreneurial activity within firms leading to innovation as a sustainable competitive advantage. The need for specific research is evident from limited data available regarding intrapreneurial motivation from the individual perspective within the aerospace community. The phenomenon of intrapreneurship within the aerospace industry often occurs over multiple years. This study examines the …

Professional Development In Arts Integration: An Activity Theory Analysis Of Participating Teachers' Experiences, Joel F. Baxley

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the tensions and changes experienced by teachers participating in two professional development programs in arts integration through the lens of cultural historical activity theory. Between 2007 and 2012 the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts (SCEA) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga facilitated long-term programs aimed to build teachers’ capacity to develop and implement arts integrated instruction. Varied evaluation data were collected from each program, but the available information was inconsistent between programs, and the data gathered at the two sites did not effectively address the complexity of participants’ experiences. In order to better understand …

Applying A Multidimensional Strategy To Mitigate Lateral Violence In A Small Rural Community Hospital In Western New York, Nicole M. Lewis

Nursing Doctoral

Providing registered nurses with education and strategies to mitigate lateral violence is an evidenced-based method for creating a culture of civility. A descriptive pilot study with registered nurses was conducted on two medical/surgical units at a small rural community hospital. Strategies included a review of organizational policies, a one-day educational retreat for unit managers and registered nurse champions, and an online educational toolkit on lateral violence for the staff nurses on the pilot units.

Improving Patient Outcomes: Early Mobilization Of Intensive Care Patients, Casey Teves

Honors College Theses

Early mobilization of intensive care patients has gained the interest of researchers within the last few years due to its safe and practical application and numerous benefits it can provide. Reviewing the literature on this topic reveals the substantial benefits of early mobilization and the detrimental effects of prolonged bed-rest. Despite recent evidence proving that this practice will increase quality of care, many intensive care units still utilize bed-rest as a standard. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of this change can help transform this research into practice and improve patient care outcomes. Nurses are the key facilitators in the initiative …

Factors That Influence Accreditation In Nebraska Public Districts And Schools, David Gibbons

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Public schools and districts in Nebraska are required to be accredited. The Nebraska Department of Education allows two methods to reach accreditation, the Nebraska Frameworks model and AdvancED Accreditation model. This study examined the factors that drive accreditation activities in Nebraska public schools and districts. It sought to answer questions regarding the importance of the two models’ policies and procedures, the actions that schools took in response to external visits and what factors went into choosing an accreditation model.

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to determine the critical factors that influenced accredited public schools in Nebraska and …

The Leadership Behaviors Of College Freshmen, Kevin Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if a difference exists between leadership behaviors of male and female college freshmen and the amount of extra or co-curricular activities they participated in during high school. Leadership was measured using the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (S-LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2013) and was guided by the theoretical framework of leader identity development (LID) as promulgated by Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, and Osteen (2005) and revised by Komives, Longerbeam, Osteen, Owen, and Wagner (2009). Participants consisted of 98 male and 84 female incoming college freshmen attending a mid-size Catholic university located …

Utah Elementary School Principals’ Preparation As Technology Leaders, Nathan L. Esplin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rapidly expanding use of technology in education has brought about the need for principals to be prepared as technology leaders. Although, there is a need for principals to be prepared as technology leaders, many currently are not prepared for this role. It is crucial that principals are prepared in order ability to lead their school in successful technology integration. The primary purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the perceived level of technology leadership preparation of Utah elementary principals using the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Administrators.

In addition to the study’s primary purpose, …

Women In Leadership: A Comparative Case Study On Successful Leadership, Christine Newcomb

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this report is to understand what makes a successful female leader. Since there are so few women in executive level positions, especially chief executive officer positions, I became interested in analyzing how successful leaders act in contrast with how unsuccessful leaders act. To analyze, I will focus on the leadership of two prominent businesswomen, one who has been successful in their tenure, and one who has been unsuccessful. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, Inc. has been successful throughout her tenure, while Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo has been unsuccessful in turning the company around. I will …

The Development Of A Short Form Of The Clinically Adaptive Multidimensional Outcome Survey, Peter William Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) movement has gained considerable influence in the healthcare industry, including psychotherapy. The American Psychological Association's (APA) official stance on EBP encouraged clinicians to used standardized outcome measures in routine practice in order to establish the efficacy of their interventions. Routine Outcome Measurement (ROM) systems were designed specifically to accomplish this purpose, and have been shown to improve client outcomes and provide valuable aggregate data that contributes to empirical literature. Despite this research and the endorsement of the APA's official EBP stance, these measures have not been widely adopted by clinicians. Several studies have found that clinicians …

An Exploration Of The Manner In Which Personal Spirituality Influences Five New Hampshire Principals’ Decision-Making, Carolyn Nicole Squires Cormier

All Theses And Dissertations

Educational leaders face difficult decisions on a regular basis. These decisions, often associated with educational leadership and organizational change, are influenced by a variety of factors including the leader’s personal spirituality. This phenomenological study explores the manner in which the personal spiritual beliefs of five New Hampshire public school principals influence their workplace decision-making. The purpose of the work is to describe the essence of the experience of having one’s personal spirituality influence educational decision-making in an effort to provide school leaders an opportunity for metacognition. Data analysis reveals that the participants’ personal spirituality provides purpose, integrity, and perspective to …

The Disclosure Of Organizational Secrets By Employees, Danny Franklin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational secrets enable firms to protect their unique stocks of knowledge, reduce the imitability of their capabilities and achieve sustained competitive advantages (Hannah, 2005). In today’s business environments, the loss of valuable proprietary organizational knowledge due to intentional employee disclosure represents a substantial threat to firm competitiveness. Anecdotal evidence suggests that firms in the United States lose more than $250 billion of intellectual property every year, with intentional employee disclosure accounting for a significant portion of these losses (Dandliker, 2012; Heffernan & Swartwood, 1993). Thus, understanding factors that influence such intentional secret disclosure is a key concern, especially in knowledge-intensive …

Investigating The Roles Of Felt Obligation And Politics In The Context Of Procedural Justice-Outcome Relationships, Caitlin Briggs

Psychology

Social Exchange Theory positions employee felt obligation as a mechanism by which organizational justice leads to positive organizational outcomes such as decreased turnover and increased job satisfaction. However, little has been done to test the empirical value of this theoretical claim. Additionally, although organizational politics is generally negatively correlated with justice, investigation of the mechanism by which politics might influence justice is lacking. Here, I look at whether politics has a moderating role on procedural justice and felt obligation, and thus turnover intentions and job satisfaction, or in words, whether politics reduces the positive relationship between procedural justice and felt …

Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study utilized ethnographic techniques to explore the potential for change in mental health trainees resulting from the participation in an in vivo Immersive Cultural Plunge (ICP) within the African American Descendant of Chattel Slave community. The ICP combined Multicultural Immersions Experiences (MIE) of Cultural Immersion (CI) and Cultural Plunge (CP) to contribute to the developing body of research utilizing MIEs that incorporate contextual, experiential, and historical knowledge to teach the skill of cultural sensitivity. During the 12- hour ICP the participants experienced an orientation, a lecture, a tour/community interaction, a multimedia presentation within an African American community. In …

The Role Of Human Resources In Organizational Restructuring: Perceptions Of Hrdepartment, Line Managers, And Employees, Mohamed Abdulla Mohamed Al Hammadi

Dissertations

The process of organizational restructuring is an integral and common aspect that has been integrated into the growth and development of organizations all around the globe. It is mainly undertaken to ensure that organizations are up to date with ever-changing external and internal business environments to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The government of Abu Dhabi emirate has developed a long-term plan to guide the future growth of the emirate (Abu Dhabi 2030). As a result, all of its departments and entities need to align to this strategic plan, which involves change. In many cases, this has forced organizations/entities to …

Connecting The Dots : Role Of Storytelling In Character Development And Leadership Practice Of One Rock Mentors, Associates And Mentees, Joanna E. Williamson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.