Digital Commons Network^™

The Rise Of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis Of American Religious And Political Extremism From Presidents Jimmy Carter To Barack Obama: 1977-2016, Alwyn J. Melton

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to address the problem of domestic terrorism facing the United States. This concern led to a comprehensive examination of historical documents that focused on the temporal evolution of the problem beginning with the Carter administration and continuing through the Obama administration. The conceptual foundation centered on resolving the research question and validating three hypotheses directed at qualifying the escalation of domestic incidents of terrorism. This led to developing a behavioral model to assist law enforcement agencies in combating the issue of domestic terrorism. Bivariate and clustering statistical analysis validated the data while …

A Phenomenological Research Study On The Effects Of Paternal Abandonment On Hispanic Women In South Florida And Their Conflict Management Skills, Diana Herrera

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Even though women who have been abandoned by their fathers at a young age are more likely to exhibit destructive behaviors as adults, there are cases in which women develop new social skills and become successful at building new relationships (Stolberg, Complair & Wells, 1987). The main purpose for this phenomenological research wasto understand the shared experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers at a young age and explore their conflict management skills. This research wasguided by the following research question: What are the lived experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers before the …

A Case Study Of Crisis Management Training Needs: Saudi Airlines, Hussain Saad Alqahtani

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores crisis management policies, programs, and training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s premier airliners, Saudi Arabian Airlines. Saudi Arabian Airlines is a domestic and international carrier with a major role in the transportation of millions of Muslim pilgrims to the Kingdom during the annual Hajj season. This event places enormous strains on the capacity of the carrier, the airport, ground support systems, and the societal infrastructure of country. There have been tireless efforts by the Airline’s staffers to serve millions of visitors including pilgrims in a timely, safe and appropriate manner. Crisis management for Saudi Arabian Airlines …

The Effect Of A Multigenerational Workforce On Workplace Bullying, Supaporn Walton-Robertson

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Workplace bullying has become increasingly prevalent in the workplace, and as such has led to instances of job dissatisfaction, and in extreme cases, workplace violence. It is important to understand workplace bullying as an organization, a manager, and particularly in the role of human resources in order to best address such situations. Current studies have evaluated the effects of workplace bullying, along with possible suggested causes – however with the vast differences in the four generations now working together in the workplace – this is an area that also needs to be addressed as the problem of workplace bullying continues …

Conflict, Stress And Faith Experienced By Caregivers Of Bipolar Family Members, Sharonrose Bollers

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues present challenges to the mentally ill, and to the family members who are their caregivers. Among the challenges faced by caregivers are conflict and stress. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the experiences and perceptions of caregivers of conflict, stress, and the role of faith. In addition, this study sought to learn what lessons and strategies caregivers utilized and often created while caring for their family member with bipolar disorder. In this study ten caregivers were interviewed, telephonically or face-to-face, using a semi-structured interview format. Coming from four states, some were employed, some were retired, and one was …

Understanding Challenges Of The Healthy Workplace Bill – An Interpretive Policy Analysis, Cynthia Contreras

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The study provided an interpretive policy analysis of the Healthy Workplace Bill, which was designed to hold employers financially liable for the reported severe cases of workplace bullying suffered by their employees. In order to facilitate this interpretive policy analysis, the study used a mixed methods research design. The quantitative data were collected through a survey administered to currently employed employees and supervisors from California and Florida who were tasked with identifying which behaviors constituted workplace bullying, workplace incivilities, and personality clashes. The qualitative data came from the original Bill, California’s Abusive Work Environments Bill, and Florida’s Abusive Workplace Environment …

Architecture, Emotion, And Conflict Resolution: The Power Of Space In Developing Or Obstructing Human Identity, Peren Sabuncu

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

A grounded meta-analysis study was conducted to explore underlying hidden agendas in the design and proposed use of architectural spaces. The introduction of architecture as a discipline into the field of conflict resolution adds a new definition of conflict. It comprises the concepts of architecture in emotion, emotion in conflict, and follows through to show that architecture is tied to conflict, not only through the classical assumption of built environments, but more through the underlying emotions felt by individuals experiencing the spaces. How does architecture influence conflict? How do spaces affect emotions? How do these emotions trigger conflict? Data was …

Understanding The Emotional And Informational Influence On Customer Knowledge Contribution Through Quantitative Content Analysis, Xiaolei Wang, Terence T. Ow, Yuqiang Feng, Luning Liu

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Customer knowledge contribution is a vital source of business value. Existing studies paid limited attention to emotional influence on knowledge contribution. Drawing upon social support theory, this study attempts to elaborate the influence of emotional support and informational support on knowledge contribution of customers in a firm-hosted online community. Through quantitative content analysis including product feature extraction and sentiment analysis, we analyzed content data from 2318 users. A set of research hypotheses were tested via regression analysis of panel data. We found that informational support (information diagnosticity and source credibility) and emotional support (emotional consistency and emotional difference) significantly affect …

The Evolution Of Technology In Call Centers, Julieo Stephen Thompson

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Historical research was conducted through literature. The report traces the evolution of technology in call centers (CCs) from their early inception to 2018. CCs are integrated into many facets of multidisciplinary areas of business, industry, and public and private institutions of higher education. Three research questions were addressed:

1. What technologies enabled the start of CCs? How did the communications between customers and CSRs take place? What was the content of the earlier communications?
2. How did services and communications evolve as technology matured?
3. What are the current state-of-the-art technologies that exist in CCs? Which industries appear to have the best solutions? …

Examining Task Conflict And Team Atmosphere In Virtual Teams Engaged In Outsourced Project Work, Harold Carr Osborn

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Global teams have become commonplace. As teams have become more dispersed, leveraging outsourced resources has gained popularity. Outsourcing can be a prudent move financially; however, when it is inappropriately applied, the damage it produces can easily overshadow any financial gains. Such ill effects can include impaired employee performance and morale caused by decreased job security. Moreover, it can lead to a less favorable team atmosphere and increased task conflict.

This study examined the effects of team virtuality along with the strategic alignment of outsourcing on team performance. The research utilized the intervening processes theory (IPT). The IPT posits that the …

Motivation Factors For Using Mobile Information Systems In M-Learning, Neelima Bhatnagar

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Organizations of all types have benefited from the development and use of information systems. With the explosion of mobile applications, also known as mobile information systems, new uses are emerging. One such application of mobile information systems is mobile learning, referred to as m-learning hereafter. M-learning has found its ways in the corporate world for employee training and development, and in higher education for teaching and student learning. However, m-learning has not seen the same extent of usage as distance learning and e-learning, often attributed to technological limitations. Motivational factors, though, may also contribute to the slow adoption of m-learning. …

Preventing Internet-Based Juror Misconduct: Investigating The Efficacy Of Prohibitive Jury Instructions, Emily Marie Carstens Namie

Theses and Dissertations

To prevent the biasing influence of information obtained outside of the courtroom courts often issue instructions to jurors that limit or prohibit certain activities and the use of information during the trial and when making verdict decisions. (i.e., prohibitive instructions). However, research indicates that mock jurors tend to ignore such instructions. Additionally, advances in mobile technology give today’s jurors easier access to potentially biasing information obtained through the internet and digital communication (e.g., social media, blogs, email, and texting). This raises the question not yet addressed by extant research, whether jurors access this information during a case, even when judges …

A Wintered Mind, Cody James Deitz

Theses and Dissertations

A Wintered Mind is a collection of poems that explores the space and place of North Dakota through the eyes of an outsider. Having moved to North Dakota from Southern California, the author’s experience is initially one of disorientation and displacement, but through meditative engagement with the landscape and working to understand his place in it, the author finds a place rich in austere beauty. The speaker of these poems turns often to the language of Zen Buddhism, using the North Dakotan landscape as a lens to explore inner geographies. In turn, these inner geographies implicate the reader in their …

Predicting Mental Health Court Program Outcomes Based On Individual Characteristics In Participant Profiles, Melissa M. De La Luz

Theses and Dissertations

Mentally ill offenders are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and experience increased risks of cyclic incarceration and recidivism following release. Mental health court programs were introduced to offer court ordered treatment regimens and a team of legal and behavioral health professionals as an alternative to incarceration. The goal of mental health court research is to improve graduation rates and decrease post-program recidivism by identifying participant characteristics that significantly contribute to successful program completion. This study proposed an examination of the association between characteristics of mental health court program participants and their influence on the likelihood of graduation, termination, and …

Unpacking Childhood Sexual Abuse And Eating Psychopathology Over Time: Impulsive Mechanisms And Deleterious Outcomes, Nicole M. Della Longa

Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation incorporated two independent studies to examine childhood sexual abuse (CSA) as a risk factor for eating psychopathology and to identify a potential conceptual model illustrating these constructs. Study 1 sought to investigate the associations between CSA, binge eating, and other variables over time. In a cross-sectional design, Study 2 aimed to examine these associations and additional risk-taking behaviors within a larger sample of young adults. Study 1 participants included adolescent girls, half of whom reported a history of CSA, and Study 2 participants were young adult men and women from a nationally representative community sample. In the …

Physiological Approach To Characterize Drowsiness In Simulated Flight Operations During Window Of Circadian Low, Bijay Guragain

Theses and Dissertations

Drowsiness is a psycho-physiological transition from awake towards falling sleep and its detection is crucial in aviation industries. It is a common cause for pilot’s error due to unpredictable work hours, longer flight periods, circadian disruption, and insufficient sleep. The pilots’ are prone towards higher level of drowsiness during window of circadian low (2:00 am- 6:00 am). Airplanes require complex operations and lack of alertness increases accidents. Aviation accidents are much disastrous and early drowsiness detection helps to reduce such accidents. This thesis studied physiological signals during drowsiness from 18 commercially-rated pilots in flight simulator. The major aim of the …

The Impact Of Historical Trauma On Alcohol Use And Academic Outcomes In American Indian College Students, Elizabeth Luger

Theses and Dissertations

Issues regarding substance use, particularly alcohol use, and academic outcomes are two factors that are vital to examine when researching the quality of life and academic success of American Indian (AI) college students. Because AI college students comprise a relatively small percentage of the general college population, the majority of research conducted using college student samples tends to focus on Caucasian (CA) subjects or all ethnicities combined – neither of which directly pertain to furthering understanding surrounding issues specific to AI college students. One factor that has been shown to predict alcohol use among AIs is historical trauma, which is …

Potentials Of Physiological Signals To Implement A Wearable Drowsiness Detection And Warning System For Pilots, Shubha Majumder

Theses and Dissertations

Drowsiness is a transitional psychophysiological state from alertness towards sleep, which decreases concentration and increases response time. Drowsiness during duty hours is common for in-flight pilots due to frequent travel across different time zones, extended duty hours as well as circadian rhythm disruption. Hence, drowsy flying is one of the leading reasons for increased risk of accidents, especially in commercial aviation. Mainly three approaches (i.e., vehicle-based, behavioral, and physiological signal based) are used for onboard drowsiness detection. Among them, physiological signal-based approach is advantageous for early detection of drowsiness with reasonable accuracy due to the strong relationship among some of …

Ethnic Bias Within The Nesarc Personality Disorders Using Item Response Theory, Susan Tara Scoullar

Theses and Dissertations

Racial bias within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Edition, or DSM5, has been recognized in studies of personality disorder diagnoses. Item Response Theory Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (IRT DIF and DTF) was used to examine the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) Wave 1 and 2 data. A review of prevalence information by gender and ethnicity was undertaken. Hypotheses included that bias would be present in the items and total scores of personality diagnostic scales. In particular, items and scales which rely on cultural comparisons, and …

Risk-Taking Behaviors As Predicted By (Mal)Adaptive Functioning In College Students: A Look Into Emotional Adjustment, Hillary Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Risk-taking behaviors emerge, increase, and peak during adolescence and have shown to continue into late adolescence. Research has begun to explore how some forms of risk-taking may be normative and adaptive. The aim of this study is to look at how social, academic, and occupational functioning are related to risk-behaviors, as measured by risk-favorability and reported risk-taking history, and emotional adjustment in a college sample (N=314). Risk was assessed using self-report and an implicit task, both of which were moderately correlated. Both risk measures were negatively correlated with self-report measures of adaptive functioning and emotional adjustment.A series of mediation analyses …

The Impact Of Defendant Weight On Mock Jurors’ Evaluations And Case Judgments, Stephanie Henley Weigel

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of the current study was to extend current knowledge of extralegal factors, weight discrimination, and the culpable control model (CCM) by examining the impact of defendant weight and mock jurors’ sex on negative spontaneous evaluations (NSEs) and courtroom judgments. Explicit and implicit measures of anti-fat attitudes were investigated as mediators. The current study utilized a 3 (defendant weight: overweight, lean, control/no image) x 2 (mock jurors’ sex) between-subjects factorial design. To reduce potential bias and order effects, the study was conducted in two parts. During part one, mock jurors were randomly assigned to one of three conditions …

Labor Market Effects Of U.S. Sick Pay Mandates, Nicolas R. Ziebarth, Stefan Pichler

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

A Neoclassical Realist’S Analysis Of Sino-U.S. Space Policy, Christopher David Fabian

Theses and Dissertations

During the Cold War, the United States focused its collective policy acumen on forming a competitive, actor-specific strategy to gain advantage over the Soviet Union. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union resulted in a multi-polar geopolitical environment lacking a near-peer rival for the United States. Overwhelming soft and hard power advantages allowed American policy makers to peruse a general, non-actor specific strategy to maintain its hegemonic position. However, the meteoric rise of China as a near-peer competitor in East Asia has challenged this paradigm. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, or at the very least ensure the safety of …

Principals' Perceptions Of Implementation Levels Of Innovative Education In North Dakota Schools, Timothy Godfrey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to bring awareness to education policy makers and educators in North Dakota (ND) regarding the process of implementing innovative education after the enactment of North Dakota’s Senate Bill 2186 (SB 2186) in 2017. For the purpose of this study, innovative education is defined as instruction that incorporates any or all of the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. This study analyzed ND principals’ perceived levels of implementation of 4Cs instruction, perceived roadblocks and supports to 4Cs implementation, differences in implementation of 4Cs instruction dependent on enrollment, and differences in implementation of 4Cs …

Thermal Performance Analysis Of The Liquid Cooling And Ventilation Garment (Lcvg) With Respect To Tubing Geometry, Kayla Marie Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

The technology of a liquid-cooled garment allows astronauts to complete extravehicular activities while maintaining a degree of thermal comfort. The garment has gone largely unchanged despite advancements in technology, materials, and knowledge. This research examines possible advancements in thermal efficiency with an alternate tubing geometry through heat transfer rate calculations. A semi-circle cross-section was selected and compared against the current circular cross-section tubing. Each tubing cross-section was 3-D printed and integrated into forearm sleeves. For comparison, the assembly of each sleeve resembled the current Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment used with the Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Subjects wore the forearm sleeves …

Narrative Portraiture Of American Indian Men Who Persist To Completion Of Doctoral Degrees, Shawn F. Holz

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of American Indian men who have completed their doctoral degrees through the positive exploration of portraiture methodology. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with subject-actors being asked to share stories from their earliest childhood memories and educational experiences through high school and through to completion of their doctoral degrees. Using narrative analysis and transculturation theory as the framework, subject-actors stories are examined to identify emergent themes of common experiences and characteristics. These create a composite portrait of a male American Indian student who persists to completion of their doctoral degree.

The Influence Of Media Bias Perception On Space Publications, Benjamin Robert Raback-Schink

Theses and Dissertations

In an ideal world, scientific research and news would be published and reported through non-bias outlets and readers would view those sources favorably. However, that is an unrealistic expectation of our current society in which many believe that any publication will contain some bias. This thesis aimed to discover three factors on the topic. One was to see whether members of the space community view various news sources as biased, and to what degree they do if so. The second factor was to see how the general public viewed those same sources. These data were then used to compare the …

Measuring Friendship Maintenance In Gay Men, Eliah Reding

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the existing friendship maintenance literature to develop a psychometrically sound scale for the measurement of friendship maintenance among gay men. Existing friendship maintenance research does not adequately capture the uniqueness of gay male friendship. Utilizing DeVellis’s (2016) steps of scale development, this dissertation constructs a new scale, the GayFABS, to assess the unique aspects of friendship maintenance in gay men. Unique in this dissertation is the use of a focus group to establish content validity rather than the traditional approach of expert review. An exploratory factor analysis is conducted to structure the scale and its component subscales. …