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Qualitative Examination Of Strategies To Overcome Resistance To Change In Lean Manufacturing, Elizabeth Burmester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 80% of lean manufacturing program initiatives are abandoned in the first year of implementation. Only 2% of organizations that embark on the lean journey complete it with the results and the sustainability they expected. There is a gap in past research regarding, the leadership strategies organizations can use to overcome resistance to change during lean manufacturing program implementations. The problem in this study was that leaders have limited information to overcome resistance to change when implementing these programs. The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders within manufacturing organizations may overcome resistance to change through leadership strategy. …

Liberian Educational Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Overcrowding In An Urban Public Elementary School In Monrovia, Franklin T. Dalieh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In post-conflict Liberia, more students are returning to schools and moving to urban areas resulting in overcrowding and class sizes that surpassed recommended and legally-sanctioned limits. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore educational stakeholders' perceptions of the factors (e.g., organizational leadership, social, and environmental) contributing to overcrowding and the challenges and opportunities of overcrowding. The conceptual framework was based on Bolman and Deal's theory of reframing organization and Bertalanffy's theory of general systems. The research questions centered on educational stakeholders' perceptions of the effects overcrowding has on elementary school students' achievement and the opportunities available for …

Teamwork Perceptions Of Nurses And Nursing Assistants In A Community Hospital, Iwona Halina Enzinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teamwork in healthcare is recognized as a significant factor in achieving patient safety and impacting patient outcomes. Despite the general focus on teamwork in healthcare, there has been little research on teamwork among nurses and nursing assistants working on patient care units. The purpose of this doctoral project was to identify, compare, and analyze perceptions of teamwork in a group of nurses and nursing assistants in a community hospital setting where the TeamSTEPPS program has been implemented. The framework of this project was the concept of shared mental model and Imogene King's conceptual system and middle-range theory of goal attainment. …

Cultural Sensitivity In The Performance-Based Learning Environment, Monique Matleen Hazzard-Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Georgia Department of Education requires students to earn 4 course credits in the area of mathematics in order to graduate from high school. Academic success for mathematics students in a school district in southern Georgia has been encumbered because teachers lack cultural competency in mathematics instruction, which has hindered minority students from developing reasoning, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills needed to earn these required math credits. The purpose of this project study was to examine teachers' perceptions of using culturally relevant teaching strategies to influence the academic performance of minority students in the mathematics classroom. The conceptual framework was …

Perceptions Of Women Of Color On Career Advancement In High Technology Management, Angela Michelle Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In information technology, few women of color hold senior level executive leadership positions in the United States. Currently, in the high-tech industry, Asian and Black women hold 1.7% of executive/senior-level positions, and only 0.2% are in CEO positions. The purpose of this research was to understand professional executive women of color experiences in career advancement in the high technology fields. The study's conceptual framework included organizational culture theory, Krumboltz's theory of career counseling, and the leadership pipeline model. The overarching research question and subquestions addressed the lived experiences of 15 professional senior executive women of color in relation to career …

Clinical Social Work With Underserved Persons In Colorado In An Integrated Healthcare Facility, Trisha Sue Goetz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is significant documentation showing that health disparities experienced by underserved persons can be mitigated through the provision of quality integrated healthcare. This research project was grounded in social support theory and how support influences improvements in physical, psychological, and overall health. Social workers in integrated healthcare are in a unique position to be the source of social support for individuals experiencing health disparities, yet there is little research concerning how these social workers are providing services and how they affect health outcomes. This research addressed gaps in the literature concerning social worker roles in order to improve integrated healthcare …

Faculty Roles In Student Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dorothy Langley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implications for student dropouts include fewer career options and lower earning potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of their roles in the student retention process at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast United States. Guiding the phenomenological study was Lewin's theory of change model. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and faculty-student intervention logs. The questionnaire was completed by 32 full-time faculty at the study site. Interviews with 5 participants were conducted after the completion of the questionnaire, and 5 participants provided information via a faculty-student intervention log about strategies …

Differentiating Successful And Unsuccessful Nursing Students, Trilla Mays

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators of nursing programs in community colleges are aware of the need to retain and to graduate students to meet the growing demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs). High attrition in a 2-year nursing program in South Carolina affected the number of students either graduating as a LPN after completing the third semester, or continuing in the program to become a registered nurse (RN). Guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model, this causal comparative study investigated the differences between students who were and were not successful in the initial 3 semesters of the program. Archival student records for …

Strategies To Reduce Effects Of Organizational Stress In Health Care Workplaces, Kate Chinyere Mbidoaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace stress has become a frequent occurrence in the race for competitive business advantage. This stress leads to negative physiological consequences in the workplace, causing productivity and profitability to suffer. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the stress management strategies that some health care business leaders used to reduce the effects of work-related stress on their employees to improve productivity. The interview process included 3 managers employed at a health care institution in Houston, Texas, with records of implementing successful strategies for mitigating the effects of workplace stress. The conceptual framework was job demands-resources model, pertinent …

Effectiveness Of Cognitive Rehabilitation As Memory Intervention For Elderly Adults With Dementia, Luzviminda Salamat Morrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although cognitive rehabilitation is not a new field of intervention, as it dates back to the treatment of brain-injured soldiers during World War I, the use of cognitive rehabilitation intervention therapies for individuals with dementia and mild cognitive impairment has yet to draw definite conclusions about its effectiveness. Based on the conceptual framework of biopsychosocial theoretical model, this study explored to what extend cognitive rehabilitation intervention was effective in improving the memory and mood functioning of elderly adults with mild cognitive impairments. An archived data set of 216 elderly adults collected at a midwestern agency in the United States during …

Breast Cancer, Mana'olana/Hope, And The Experience Of Native Hawaiian Women, Karla Marie Calumet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women. A diagnosis of cancer is a stressful event that requires an individual to adapt to new stressors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the perceptions of mana'olana/hope and living with breast cancer among Native Hawaiian women. The conceptual framework of this phenomenological study was positive psychology. Data collection included in-depth interviews with 5 Native Hawaiian women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Data coding and analysis resulted in identification of 8 themes.

The themes included: (a) mana'olana /hope is the essence …

The Role That Autism Parent-Led Support Groups Play In Facilitating Advocacy, Carlos Javier Carmona

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, autism parent-led support groups and the contribution these groups had in creating parental advocacy were studied. The primary purpose of the study was to determine if autism parent-led support groups promoted advocacy skills of parents of children with autism. The secondary purpose of the study was to evaluate the level and extent of support provided by parent-led support groups. The qualitative data collection was done through individual interviews of parents of children with autism whose children were of any age. Through data analysis 6 major themes were identified: advocacy, emotional support, difficulty with funding, informational support, instrumental …

The Influence Of Culture On Hiv Disclosure Among Gay Asian Males, David C. Doan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV-positive, Asian Pacific Islander (API) men who have sex with men (MSM) experience triple minority stigma including HIV, sexual orientation, and minority ethnicity. To date, there is no research that examines the influence of cultural factors, level of acculturation, social determinants of health, and other confounding variables (e.g., age, education, level of income, and length of time since diagnosis) on HIV-positive disclosure behaviors, attitudes, and intentions to casual sexual partners for API MSM. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Hofstede's original cultural values and Triandis's cultural dimensions. In this 2-phase, mixed methods, sequential explanatory study, 24 API …

A Complex Systems Simulation Study For Increasing Adaptive-Capacity, Kadambari Ram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Examination of empirical research confirmed that climate change is a complex problem of anthropological origin and revealed the need for a management framework to facilitate strategic decisions aimed at mitigating a rise in global temperatures of 2-°C linked to irresponsible and unsustainable business practices. The purpose of this simulation study was to develop a management framework of resilience, robustness, sustainability, and adaptive-capacity (RRSA) for organizations viewed as complex systems to address the current unsustainable state. As such, the evolutionary-RRSA prisoner's dilemma (PD) simulation was developed using an evolutionary game theory approach to agent based modeling and simulation, to generate data. …

Night Shift Work And Weight Gain Among Female Filipino Nurses, Raymundo Mintac Apellido

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem is the increasing numbers of overweight and obese nurses working the night shift. Study on overweight and obesity among female Filipino nurses has not been conducted. It was important to conduct a research study among female Filipino nurses to find out if there are statistically significant associations between night shift work and weight gain. The purpose of this correlational and cross-sectional study was to determine if there are statistically significant associations between insufficient sleep, abnormal eating patterns, working 12-hour shifts, years of working night shift, age, stress, marital status, nursing units, decreased physical activity, and level of …

Enhancing Nurses' Assessment Of Pain Management In Dementia Patients, Norma Jean Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain contributes to morbidity, mortality, and disability in millions of people. Prevalence rates for pain are as high as 83% among the 5.2 million older adults living with a diagnosis of dementia. The purpose of the quality improvement project was to assess nurses' knowledge of pain assessment and management in a 45-bed Veterans Health Administration long-term care facility serving older adults with dementia. Knowles' adult learning theory served as the theoretical framework and the knowledge to action model supported the translation of evidence into practice. A convenience sample of 27 licensed and unlicensed nursing staff answered the 16-question, 5-point …

How Self-Awareness, Motivation, And Empathy Are Embedded And Modeled In Community College Preservice Early Educator Online Courses, Tracey Bennett Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have determined that early childhood (EC) educators need to have personal and social skills and competencies to address the emotional demands of the EC profession. Research is lacking regarding how preservice programs help prepare students emotionally for the EC profession and on whether online courses are a suitable environment for future EC teachers to learn these skills. The purpose of this study was to explore if and how personal and social emotional intelligence (EI) competencies were being embedded and modeled in community college preservice EC educator online courses. This qualitative multiple case study design was employed using a conceptual …

Factors Affecting Inadequate Growth During Early Childhood In Guyana, South America, Valescia Xenobia John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children under 5 years of age in Guyana are at an increased risk for inadequate growth. According to the United Nations Development Programme, 1 out of 3 children of preschool age are undernourished globally. This is a major public health concern as undernourishment in children under 5 years can lead to lifelong health complications. The study assessed the relationship between inadequate growth and urban classification in children under 5 years in Guyana, South America, after controlling for the following variables: mother's level of education, mother's age at birth of the child, household size, wealth, and marital status. The study framework …

Educational Intervention For Engaging Adolescents And Their Parents In Hpv Vaccination, Alvin Mena Cantero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 79 million people are currently infected with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and it is estimated that an additional 14 to 20 million people will be infected with HPV every year. Infection with HPV increased to 52.7 % of preventable infections within the United States in 2012, and 39.6% of the infected population are adolescents engaged in sexual activities. The practice-focused question that this project addressed was: To what extent can an educational program influence the HPV vaccination rate in a small family practice clinic located in Texas? The main purpose of this project was to increase …

Linear And Nonlinear Effects Of Temperature And Precipitation On Ecosystem Properties In Tidal Saline Wetlands, Laura C. Feher, Michael J. Osland, Kereen T. Griffith, James B. Grace, Rebecca J. Howard, Camille L. Stagg, Nicholas M. Enwright, Ken W. Krauss, Christopher A. Gabler, Richard H. Day, Kerrylee Rogers

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Climate greatly influences the structure and functioning of tidal saline wetland ecosystems. However, there is a need to better quantify the effects of climatic drivers on ecosystem properties, particularly near climate‐sensitive ecological transition zones. Here, we used climate‐ and literature‐derived ecological data from tidal saline wetlands to test hypotheses regarding the influence of climatic drivers (i.e., temperature and precipitation regimes) on the following six ecosystem properties: canopy height, biomass, productivity, decomposition, soil carbon density, and soil carbon accumulation. Our analyses quantify and elucidate linear and nonlinear effects of climatic drivers. We quantified positive linear relationships between temperature and above‐ground productivity …

A Knowledge-Based Topic Modeling Approach For Automatic Topic Labeling, Mehdi Allahyari, Seyedamin Pouriyeh, Krys Kochut, Hamid Reza Arabnia

Computing: Faculty Publications

Probabilistic topic models, which aim to discover latent topics in text corpora define each document as a multinomial distributions over topics and each topic as a multinomial distributions over words. Although, humans can infer a proper label for each topic by looking at top representative words of the topic but, it is not applicable for machines. Automatic Topic Labeling techniques try to address the problem. The ultimate goal of topic labeling techniques are to assign interpretable labels for the learned topics. In this paper, we are taking concepts of ontology into consideration instead of words alone to improve the quality …

Examining Parental Involvement In Impoverished Schools, Tara Lynn Broadus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A decline in parent participation in one impoverished Pre-K through Grade 5 school in Texas over recent years has been an ongoing concern for school administrators. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to investigate parent perceptions of the school's efforts to involve parents in the school. Research questions focused on identifying factors that inhibited parental involvement concentrating on parent perceptions of school efforts. Constructivist theory and the advocacy/liberatory framework formed the conceptual framework for this study. A triangulation method for data collection included parent interviews, teacher questionnaires, and observations of parental involvement activities over 12 weeks. Participants were …

The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment And Sexual Coercion Proclivity In Women, Christina Renee Dean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored the effects of sociocultural factors on male and female sexual expression, as well as the relationship between sexual objectification and overall sexual well-being; however, few scholars have focused on how, when combined with early experiences of childhood maltreatment, such factors can result in increased long-term risks for a variety of concerns that may impede the development of healthy relationships in women. This quantitative study explores the relationship of childhood maltreatment and sexual coercion proclivity in adult women. The purpose of this study was to measure self-reports of 1 or more experiences with childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical, sexual, …

Spinning, Jill Christman

True Story

No abstract provided.

Wider Than The Sky, Phyllis Beckman

True Story

No abstract provided.

Correlating Metastable-Atom Density, Reduced Electric Field, And Electron Energy Distribution In The Initiation, Transient, And Post-Transient Stages Of A Pulsed Argon Discharge, James B. Franek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Argon emission lines, particularly those in the near-infrared region (700-900nm), are used to determine plasma properties in low-temperature, partially ionized plasmas to determine effective electron temperature [Boffard et al., 2012], and argon excited state density [Boffard et al., 2009] using appropriately assumed electron energy distributions. While the effect of radiation trapping influences the interpretation of plasma properties from emission-line ratio analysis, eliminating the need to account for these effects by directly observing the 3px-to-1sy transitions [ Boffard et al., 2012] is preferable in most cases as this simplifies the analysis. In this dissertation, a 1-Torr argon, pulsed positive column in …

Narratives Of Fracture: Class And Gender In Irish And Indian Postcolonial Domestic Fiction, Sreya Chatterjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The world system, core-periphery, and combined and uneven development---all concepts originating in sociology and economic history have enjoyed a fresh resurgence in literary studies (Moretti 2001, Casanova 2007, Deckard et al 2015). This dissertation studies the novel as a "global form," and explores its conceptual engagement with, as well its inflection by, the changing core-periphery relationship in a globalizing world. I focus on five Irish and Indian women novelists, Elizabeth Bowen, Molly Keane, Jennifer Johnston, Mahasweta Devi and Kiran Desai. Arguably, India and Ireland occupy anomalous and analogous positions in the literary world-system. As a growing cultural-economic power, India is …

Removal Of Zinc Ions From Model Wastewater By Electrocoagulation, Xiujuan Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study has investigated the removal of zinc ions from the synthetic wastewater models by electrocoagulation (EC) with aluminum for both cathode and anode. The results showed that EC process had a great removal when it comes to zinc contaminated water. The effects of parameters on the EC performance have been systematically investigated, such as solution conductivity, electrode spacing, initial pH, current density and initial zinc concentration. Since the wastewater in real situations usually contains several types of metals, a series of mixed cases were also studied in this work.;The results indicated that current density is critical to EC performance, …

The Largest Bond In 3-Connected Graphs, Melissa Flynn

Honors Theses

A graph G is connected if given any two vertices, there is a path between them. A bond B is a minimal edge set in G such that G − B has more components than G. We say that a connected graph is dual Hamiltonian if its largest bond has size |E(G)|−|V (G)|+2. In this thesis we verify the conjecture that any simple 3-connected graph G has a largest bond with size at least Ω(nlog32) (Ding, Dziobiak, Wu, 2015 [3]) for a variety of graph classes including planar graphs, complete graphs, ladders, Mo ̈bius ladders and circular ladders, complete bipartite …

Psychosocial Care In The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Miller Richmond

Honors Theses

The Syrian civil war created millions of refugees who are internally displaced across Syria and in surrounding host countries. The use of violence and forms of warfare against the Geneva Convention make this crisis particularly traumatic for civilians, leading to high rates of PTSD and depression among the refugee population. Relying on concepts of structural violence and the ecology of health, I justify the use of a psychosocial framework to build refugee crisis response in Jordan. I performed ethnographic fieldwork to collect data in the form of stakeholder and care provider interviews and training manuals, and I analyzed and critiqued …