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Social Workers' Perceptions Of Exercise In Treating Chronic Mental Illnesses: Action Research, Carlene Battiste-Downie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social Workers' Perceptions of Exercise in Treating Chronic Mental Illnesses: Action Research

by

Carlene Battiste-Downie

MSW, Fordham University, 2000

BS, Oneonta State University, 1993

DSW Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Social Work

Walden University

July 2020

Though social workers are an integral part of the mental health profession, there is a fundamental gap in the clinical mental health social workers' practice. This gap is a lack of physical exercise as part of the routine regimen in treating clients suffering from chronic mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, …

Africentrism, Leadership, And Human Rights At Indiana University’S African American Dance Company, Vickie M. Casanova-Willis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for educational leadership to prepare multicultural students for 21st-century careers in a global economy is high; however, there is scant research on the right to culturally relevant education and its potential to foster the dispositions required of individuals and society in this context. Critical race theory, human rights ideals, and distributed leadership theory provided the conceptual framework for this interpretive qualitative study to explore the experiences of those who participate in African-centered arts education and to investigate its possible benefits as a reparative human rights tool. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 9 former and current members …

College Students And Their Decisions To Disclose Disabilities, Matthew A. Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Legislation in the United States mandates support services to assist students with disabilities in postsecondary settings, and research literature includes legislation and case law dealing with access rights to higher education and studies in areas of transitioning to postsecondary settings, including perceptions of support services and barriers to attainment. Yet, the processes that require students to divulge increasingly personal information related to their disabilities can discourage the students who need services. There is a gap in research and practice concerning the factors leading these students to decide to disclose; therefore, the purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the …

There Are Always Two Sides To Policy: Police Use Of Deadly Force, Jana Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the policy-specific, perceptional, and conceptual knowledge that citizens have regarding policing policies and police-citizen deadly force encounters to gain a greater understanding of how media, social media, and community leaders impact this public knowledge. This study provided insight into the public’s policy-specific knowledge and perceptions about policing policies and police-citizen deadly force incidents filling the gap within the existing police use of force literature. Bittner’s theory on policing, constructionism of reality, and the exemplification theory were used in a unique conceptual framework to understand this phenomenon. Interviews were conducted with 19 members of the public. …

Understanding Scaled Agile Framework Coordination Methods For Reducing Failure Rates, William Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As organizations’ software needs continue to increase, software development failure rates parallel and directly threaten organizations’ wellbeing and viability. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to understand the methods and relationships impacted by coordination during a transformation to the scaled agile framework. The research question was designed to explore how large organizations transforming to scaled agile frameworks use coordination methods to support software and systems engineers to potentially improve the success of implementation. This was an exploratory single case study of a global aerospace organization. Data collected included historical organization documents, casual field observations, and semi-structured …

Obstacles With Data Security: Strategies From Carolina Universities, Yamiah R. Compton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some university data custodians lack information security strategies to prevent data security breaches. Reducing duplicitous use of personally identifiable information (PII) obtained maliciously from colleges and universities should be important to university data custodians, IT leadership of all levels, state legislators, and individuals that have an interest in moving into the cybersecurity space in higher education. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to examine information security strategies that university data custodians use to protect PII collected from staff, students, and other stakeholders. The participants consisted of 15 college and university data custodians …

Predictive Factors Of Risky Sexual Behaviors Of Emerging Adult Women, Corey Dabney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study offered a predictive model to better understand the social dynamics of risky sexual behavior through examining how reproductive coercion, self-esteem, and peer relationships that present with risky sexual behaviors correlate to unintended pregnancy. The participants were 104 emerging adult women between the ages 18-25 who resided in the United States and were proficient in the English language. Using the theoretical lens of reciprocal determinism, direct logistic regression was performed to assess the likelihood that the variables reproductive coercion, peer relationships, and self-esteem would impact unintended pregnancy. The full model containing all predictors was statistically significant, indicating that the …

Communication Strategies Used To Improve Employee Performance In A Diverse Workforce, Dr. Sharine Denise Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective communication strategies can negatively affect employee performance in a diverse workforce, which may hinder business growth. Top-level managers in the telecommunication sector who struggle to improve employee performance are at high risk of their businesses failing. Grounded in organizational information theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the communication strategies top-level managers in the communication sector use to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce. The participants were 5 top-level managers in 2 telecommunication companies in St. Maarten, who effectively used communication strategies to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce. Sources for data …

Strategies For Automating Pharmacovigilance Adverse Event Case Processing, Mythily Easwar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders who fail to implement innovative technology solutions in their companies face economic distress in these organizations. Guided by the task technology fit model as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies used by pharmacovigilance (PV) systems leaders to implement innovative technology solutions. The participants were 4 PV systems managers working in a pharmaceutical company in the Boston area of Massachusetts, United States, who used successful strategies to implement innovative technology solutions to automate adverse events case processing. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and company documents. The collected data were …

Perceptions Of Health Care Professionals Providing Smoking Cessation In Health Care Settings, Dr. Tenishia Tamika Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tobacco use affects many individuals in the United States and around the world, particularly those who have existing health disparities. Smoking cessation therapy is a process used by health care professionals (HCPs) to help aid in the reduction or elimination of tobacco use. HCPs providing this service in health care settings can reach patients directly while helping to decrease the mortality rate in those who use tobacco. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify HCPs’ perceptions of patient barriers to adherence to smoking cessation services and what can be done to improve smoking cessation in health care …

Lived Experience Of Parenting Nurses Pursuing A Doctorate: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Jaimee Feldstein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for more doctoral prepared nurses is evident; data indicate that less than 1% of nurses hold doctoral degrees, yet, little is known about student persistence in doctoral nursing programs. Even less is known about doctoral nursing students navigating an online learning environment while balancing parenthood. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by Rovai’s composite persistence model, was to explore the embedded meanings in the experiences of parenting nurses pursuing their doctoral degrees at an online university. Ten female parenting nurses who completed a doctorate within the last 2 years were interviewed and shared the key factors that …

Hispanic Women's Experiences And Perceptions Of Challenges In Higher Education Leadership, Blanca Figueroa Estrada

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of diversity exists in higher education leadership, particularly with Hispanic/Latina women. Differences in cultural backgrounds play a role when leaders who are mostly White consider individuals of other ethnicities for promotion. In 2016, only 3% of all higher education leadership positions were held by Hispanics/Latinos and even a smaller percentage were women. Identifying the challenges Hispanic/Latino women face in competing for leadership roles in higher education is needed to understand the factors needed to be overcome to succeed. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with 13 participants to explore how Hispanic/Latina women perceive the higher education work environment …

The Socialization And Academic Engagement Of Black Males In A Christian High School, David Flowers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black males in a metropolitan private Christian high school (PCHS) in the Midwest encounter unique sociocultural experiences that may be associated with racial microaggressions and the struggles of fitting in that can negatively impact academic success. The problem that was addressed in this study was the need for more specific information on how Black males fit socially into the local PCHS, and their attitudes towards academic achievement. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Tajfel’s social identity theory were used in this case study to explore the sociocultural experiences of 6 former Black male students and 5 members of the school staff. The …

Single Mothers’ Perceptions Of Police Encounters And Effectiveness Related To Youth Gun Violence, Janay M. Gasparini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single mothers and their children residing in high-crime communities (HCCs) in the United States are disproportionately exposed to crime, and therefore, the criminal justice system. Specific challenges of single motherhood in HCCs compound the link between juvenile offending and single-female-headed households. Little is known, however, about how single mothers in HCCs perceive and use the police as a resource to help prevent juvenile offending, specifically gun violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of single mothers with police as they related to the arrest of their children for a gun crime. The research questions focused …

Peer-To-Peer E-Learning And Professional Practices Of First-Year Teachers, Brian Keith Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students are at an academic disadvantage by having first-year teachers who lack the necessary professional practices and teaching skills. Education leaders need ways to improve professional practice deficits of first-year teachers to address the inequities professional practice deficiencies cause. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to examine the professional practice differences of first-year teachers who participated in peer-to-peer e-learning to those who did not receive similar training. Participants of this study included first-year teachers (n = 28) who participated in peer-to-peer e-learning throughout their first year of teaching compared to a historical cohort of first-year teachers (n = …

The Sustainability Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior Differences Between Green And Non-Green University Students, Rebekah Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that green schools and sustainability education (SE) can improve learning, health, attitudes, and behaviors. They can also model the necessary community, societal, and global changes needed for sustainable living. However, most students do not attend green schools or receive adequate SE. Limited peer-reviewed studies have also examined the sustainability knowledge, attitude, and behavior differences between green and non-green university student populations. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on the theories of planned behavior and social identity theory. In order to fill the research gap, 606 undergraduates and graduates from 265 U.S. accredited green and non-green …

Key Ethical Leadership Characteristics Of State Police Promotional Candidates In The South, David Patrick Hay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public officials, researchers, and practitioners agree police organizations need the proper tools to foster a stronger sense of ethical leadership to more effectively conduct police operations and work with communities. However, few researchers have investigated ethical leadership characteristics for police supervisors, and no research has been conducted to identify desired ethical leadership characteristics for state police supervisors in the southern United States. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to determine the degrees of consensus and support of identified key ethical leadership characteristics for state police promotional candidates in the southern United States, using the theoretical framework of transformational …

Does Counselor Type Affect A Manualized Treatment?, Cynthia C. Kay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study was to determine whether there are differences in client treatment outcomes based upon the type of counselor who conducted an empirically supported treatment called Seeking Safety for persons diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Many studies show that counselors’ personal attributes impact treatment; however, this study added to the literature by focusing on a standardized treatment for the co-occurrence disorder of substance use and posttraumatic stress disorder. Archival data from an outpatient treatment facility was used. Clients were provided integrated services, which included psychological and substance use treatment. The participants/clients were men and women …

Exploring Mid-Market Strategies For Big Data Governance, Kenneth Stanley Knapton Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many data scientists are struggling to adopt effective data governance practices as they transition from traditional data analysis to big data analytics. Data governance of big data requires new strategies to deal with the volume, variety, and velocity attributes of big data. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore big data governance strategies employed by data scientists to provide a holistic perspective of those data for making decisions. The participants were 10 data scientists employed in multiple mid-market companies in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area who have strategies to govern big data. This study’s …

Integration Of Social Work Practices With Refugees: An Action Research Study, Avril Williams Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States is facing an increasing number of refugees and asylees who resettled and were forced to migrate from their countries of origin. In the United States, social service professionals and social workers of resettlement agencies are responsible for the program enrollment and follow-up with newly arrived refugees. Hence, there is a huge learning curve for these individuals. Although a substantial number of refugees are linked to appropriate resources, many are neglected and are unable to sustain themselves. This action research was based upon family systems theory. Integrative techniques used by social workers were explored. The information was subjective, …

Perceived Obstacles For State-Facilitated Legal Recreational Cannabis, Robert A. Lino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. states that facilitate the use of legal recreational cannabis face the threat of federal prosecution because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assess the perceived obstacles to the state-facilitated regulation and implementation of legal recreational cannabis. Collective action federalism theory provided the framework for the study. The data collection instrument was developed based on themes in the literature and was pilot tested to ensure accuracy. The final study included 22 participants who represented the cannabis industry in the United States. Descriptive coding and thematic analysis indicated that the federal …

Institutional Narrative As A Means For Evaluating Mission Alignment At Community Colleges, Paul Wesley Lundburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community colleges have expanded their goals and their mission statements to accommodate more students, introduce new programs, and respond to community needs. One result of this expansion has been the perception of mission misalignment: the idea that community colleges are struggling to fulfill their missions. Recent literature has focused on causes and problems presumed to be associated with mission misalignment; however, there is a gap in the empirical research on whether mission misalignment occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine mission misalignment in community colleges, thereby helping to fill the gap in the literature. The research question was …

Preschool Teacher Perspectives Of Crisis Preparedness, Sara Ann Machado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of preschool teachers

regarding school-based emergency planning in independently funded childcare centers.

Current research has investigated perspectives of crisis preparedness by a variety of

school staff but has not yet included the extent to which preschool teachers feel prepared

to handle a school crisis event. This study was based on the integrated model of school

crisis preparedness and intervention proposed by Jimerson, Brock, and Pletcher. This

study examined how preschool teachers describe the effect of crisis preparedness drills

and training on their ability to handle school crisis events prior to, …

Mentoring Among Homosexual Male Managers: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Joseph Mannino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homosexuality has become more accepted and recognized in the past 50 years by the public. Mentoring has been a key factor in employee engagement and job satisfaction of proteges. While past studies have investigated discrimination towards homosexual employees, there has been an absence of research about homosexual mentorship relationships between homosexual managers and employees in the workplace. The research question for this study inquired about the mentoring experiences of homosexual male managers in corporations. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological investigation was to develop an understanding of the mentoring experiences of homosexual male mentors and proteges in corporate management. Leader-member …

Small Nonprofit Fraud: Risk Mitigation Strategies, Anne M. Marchetti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fraud is a significant worldwide issue for organizations of every size and industry. Small nonprofit organizations are particularly vulnerable to financial and reputational loss due to a fraud incident, which can be devastating. Grounded in the Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commission framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore fraud risk mitigation strategies employed by management in a small nonprofit organization in Florida. Three managers in a small nonprofit organization in Florida, participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to share their fraud risk mitigation strategies. The data collection process also included inspection of business …

The Effect Of Self-Control And Grit On Female Leader Emergence, Heather E. Mitterer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women account for 47% of the total workforce in the United States, but only 27% of women hold executive positions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether and to what extent a significant relationship exists between self-control and grit, as well as the effect that both have on female leader emergence within male-dominated industries of manufacturing, computer science, and engineering in the United States. The goal of this research was to show how gender stereotypes shape a woman’s journey to leadership, with a focus that does not characterize women as victims of discrimination, but rather empowers women to …

Influence Of Implicit Racial Bias On Police Officers’ Decision To Use Force, Billy L. Moffett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. police administrators have embraced the implicit racial bias model to minimize the racial bias in their officers’ use-of-force decisions amid a public outcry on excessive police force and racism against African Americans. Although researchers have investigated whether officers have an implicit racial bias, they have not analyzed implicit bias from a police officer’s naturalistic perspective. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to describe what implicit racial bias perceptions emerged from a small sample of experienced officers when the officers were confronted with a use-of-force decision during an encounter with an African American man. The implicit racial bias …

Financial Management Strategies For Sustaining Small Entertainment Businesses, Michael Nana Nitto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective financial management control strategies results in many small business entertainment owners (SBEOs) failing within their first 5 years of operations. Without strategies to develop and maintain adequate financial management controls, SBEOs may lose market share and potentially go bankrupt, which would result in the loss of jobs and income for employees. Grounded in the mental budgeting theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore financial management strategies successful SBEOs use to improve productivity and profitability to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 4 successful SBEOs in Northern Virginia who effectively …

Pedagogical, Attitudinal, And Environmental Influences On Student-Centered Technology Practices Of Elementary Teachers, Shanna Renae Opfer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While much is known about individual influences on teacher technology use, there is a lack of research explaining the overlapping factors of pedagogy, attitude, and environment that intersect to influence teachers’ decisions to use student-centered technology. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive descriptive study was to examine how the intersection of these factors influenced the student-centered technology practices of 14 third through fifth grade teachers in faith-based schools across the United States. The study’s conceptual framework was built on both social cognitive theory and first- and second-order barriers to technology use. Data were collected through virtual interviews with participants who …

Motivational Factors Of At-Risk Students In Blended High School Credit Recovery, Tyese L. Parnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of high school students taking online courses for an initial course or credit recovery (CR) is growing, it is not clear why at-risk students are not successful in blended CR courses. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions and students’ experiences related to at-risk students’ motivation in blended CR courses. Keller’s ARCS model of motivation for instructional design provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from interviews with 2 teachers, 5 students and from 2 school sites, face-to-face classroom observations, and online CR curricula. Data were analyzed through a …