Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Creating Curriculum And Practices For The 21st Century Master Of Arts In Communication: A Program Evaluation, Michelle Grace

Dissertations

In 2018, a Master of Arts in Communication program was reviewed for relevance, academic rigor, and satisfaction of program stakeholders. Qualitative and quantitative research was conducted with current and former program participants and community business leaders to answer these questions. While program satisfaction was high, the results suggested the need for revised curriculum to align with the 21^st century workplace and to better meet the needs of adult learners. The results of this research will be implemented by introducing new courses or modifying existing ones, maintaining relationships with industry partners, and changing the format of classes to provide adult …

Turbulent Times In Content Development: Remaining Efficacious Among Reorganizations, Fires, And The Serials Crisis, Casey D. Hoeve

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

All too often, the internal organization of collection development departments are ignored. Perhaps inadvertently, more pressing issues of budgets, resource renewals, and vendor negotiations divert our attention; yet at the same time, the completion of these initiatives require capable and efficient faculty and staff. Burnout, now classified by the World Health Organization as a “syndrome conceptualized resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” (WHO, 2019) is appropriate to juxtapose against the organization of collection development departments. As self-care is vital to our health, the same question of vitality should be applied in collection development departments — …

Tracing The Development Of Literacy Practices For Integrating Interdisciplinary Curriculum In Higher Education: Interactional Ethnographic Study, Monaliza Maximo Chian

Faculty Publications

In this paper, I present an ethnographic approach that guided multiple cycles of analysis undertaken to trace the developing history of the decisions and actions taken by the lead professor and his design team as they engaged in iterative and recursive phases of development of an interdisciplinary course of study. This study was undertaken in an undergraduate Organizational Communication Program in a public regional university in the United States over a two-year period. The goal of this study was to identify factors that were critical in developing the interdisciplinary curriculum that met the university’s and department’s learning objectives. The microethnographic …

Sense Of Belonging Among Foreign-Born And U.S.-Born Latinx Subgroups At A Community College, Raquel Cotuno

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored sense of belonging among 15 U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinx students at a community college designated as a Hispanic serving institution. To further explore sense of belonging among these students, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both groups of students. The results indicated that U.S.-born Latinx students contributed sense of belonging to instructors who displayed characteristics of equal treatment, genuineness, and support in and outside of the classroom. Instructors who displayed these characteristics made students feel more connected to the instructor and to the college as a whole. Results also indicated that foreign-born Latinx students credited their …

The Importance Of Disclosing Cybersecurity Risks And Incidents In A Company’S 10-K, Anna Duplechin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Implementing A Transporter Performance Management System In A Hospital Imaging Department, Sarah Dunn

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Saudi Arabian Women’S Lived Experiences Attaining Higher Education Deanships: Paths, Supports, And Challenges, Sarah Abdullah Allhoian

Dissertations

Saudi Arabian women are underrepresented in higher education leadership positions. To take advantage of opportunities and have lasting effects on future generations of women, women must learn to attain leadership positions such as academic deanships. Deans are in a uniquely influential position as they engage in many significant aspects of educational leadership, such as academics, operations, and administrative aspects of colleges and universities.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the lived experiences of female deans to understand the specific supports and challenges they faced in attaining their leadership positions. These challenges and supports are embedded in the …

Feedback X4: Leading Library Staff Through Organizational Review, Renna Redd, Suzanne Rook Schilf

Presentations

Some say that the only constant in libraries is change but it is often a challenge for our employees. A small committee of public service managers were tasked to explore public service operations and organizational structure through examining the ways in which units communicated, cross trained, and staffed various services. The review process and discussions were expected to include all personnel from access services, research and instruction, resource sharing, stacks, security, and facilities.

Four different ways of involving employees through a comprehensive review process, including SWOTT analysis, roundtable discussions, card sorting, and organizational structure review.

The Unheralded Hero: Mid-Level Manager Training And Development In Student Affairs, A Case Study Analysis, Sherri L. Watson

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Mid-level managers are the largest administrative group, yet the most professionally underdeveloped, in the organizational structure on college campuses. Mid-level managers are responsible for navigating and communicating to those both above and below them in the organization. The challenge in this three-part mixed methods study was to determine the impact of a short-term training intervention on mid-level manager self-efficacy. Specifically, the training intervention was a week-long residential professional development Institute which focused on the following areas: free speech, cultural competency, budgeting and strategic planning, collaboration and partnership, and leading/managing/followership-navigating the political landscape. In the first, a quantitative phase, secondary data …

Dod Mission Engineering And Integration Explorative-Exploitative Architecture For Technology Innovation, Jose L. Bricio-Neto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The ability of U.S. Department of Defense to achieve timely innovation in support of U.S. National Defense and Military Strategies continues to increase in significance. The growing challenges in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) technological innovation in a context of global security and rapid pace of global competitiveness continue to reveal many shortcomings in current weapon systems development and acquisition practice. As the pace of technological innovation is accelerating, the DoD faces the challenge that the same disruptive technological advances are also being made available to or developed by its adversaries. Based on literature review, no innovation system theory exists …

Helping Employees Help The Environment: An Intervention To Increase Environmental Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (Ocb-E) Via A Subtle Stimulus, Rebecca C. Garden

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Researchers’ understanding of the relationships between environmentally-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (i.e., OCB-Es) and other workplace variables have improved since the turn of the century, but both our comprehension of the behaviors and the effectiveness of interventions targeting them require much more investigation. Further, there is very little research that examines the role of positive affect in promoting these behaviors, even though scholars have suggested that it may be the “silver bullet” (Kals & Müller, 2012) to facilitating employees’ voluntary environmental actions. To that end, the aim of the current research is to take an initial step towards understanding how organizations …

The Role Of The School Administrator In Implementing Communities Of Practice To Build Organizational Capacity, Kara L. Plank

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The field of education is constantly changing and requires a significant shift in teacher practice. Despite the demands for ongoing professional learning and collaboration, teachers remain resistant to the transition from an autonomous position. Professional learning communities, a particular type of communities of practice, are a common practice for schools to implement with a goal of improving student performance. Despite attempts, this concept proves to be very difficult to implement. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of existing professional learning communities within the school setting. In addition, this study sought to understand the role of school …

The Impact Of Innovative Executive Servant Leadership On Organizational Citizenship, And Organizational Cynicism, Jerry L. Chi, Grace Chi, Nile M. Khanfar, Gabriel Gao, Belal A. Kaifi

Faculty Publications

Have you ever wondered how your employees complained to their friends about how things happened in your organization? The most challenging part for Servant Leadership is to reduce organizational cynicism and nurture organizational citizenship. The major research interest for this study was to discover whether the bottom-up servant leadership theory to “serve” first and “lead” second can be truly practiced by the president of a university and whether it is valid and effective in reducing employee’s organizational cynicism and enhancing employee’s organizational citizenship. The results showed that the goodness of fit (GFI) was good and sufficient and adequate. The null …

Phenomena Of Cultural Intelligence In Pennsylvania Libraries: A Research Study, Michele A.L. Villagran

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article describes a mixed methods research study of current Pennsylvania librarians to understand the phenomena of cultural intelligence within Pennsylvania libraries. The researcher surveyed Pennsylvania Library Association membership in September 2019. Survey participants took a cultural intelligence assessment, responded to qualitative questions, and addressed demographic questions. Overall, participants had varying levels of cultural intelligence, felt that cultural intelligence was important to their organizations and found value in its application. The results can inform library professionals and human resources about the importance of incorporation of cultural intelligence within everyday practices and communication with staff within libraries. Developing cultural intelligence through …

Agency Design And State Administrators: Political Insulation And Managers’ Views Of Their Workplace, Jennifer Symonds Morrison, James C. Clinger

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This paper examines the impact of agency design upon the perceived workplace conditions within state agencies. The research examines whether insulating features of agency structure such as independent commission status, removal of officers only for cause, and fixed terms for agency leaders are associated with perceptions by state agency managers that their work processes and environments are free of micromanagement and interference from political actors. Data are drawn from the National Administrative Studies Project III, with additional information collected from state agency web sites and statutes. We largely find that administrators working within agencies headed by officials with fixed terms …

Elementary School Teacher's Beliefs, Organizational Change, And Stem Implementation: Factors Impacting Teacher Leadership, Shelante Patton

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine organizational change as it related to the implementation of STEM as perceived by elementary educators in an urban school in an urban city. The barriers, challenges and supports provided to teachers regarding STEM implementation in an urban school were investigated This study looked to include teachers and teacher leaders over a six-week period in an elementary school in a large urban School District., As a result of this study, some dialogue was generated in reference to STEM instructional practices and integration. Teachers also shared how they can increase change implementation …

How Experienced High School Teachers Perceive The Effects Of An Instructional Coaching Program On Their Pedagogical Strategies, Marcia A. Tierney

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

A leading influence on teachers’ pedagogical strategies is the ongoing professional support provided by an instructional coaching program. However, due to competing needs, not all teachers receive the same amount of instructional coaching attention. More is known about the influence that instructional coaching programs have on new teachers and less about the benefits received by experienced teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore how experienced high school teachers perceive the effects of an instructional coaching program on their pedagogical strategies. Research questions also addressed how an instructional coaching program effected other areas of teacher performance and how teachers …

Strategic Change Process In Practice: Four Case Studies In Kosovo, Diana Lekaj, Bardha Qirezi

European Management Studies

Purpose: Strategic change from the perspective of strategy as practice (SAP) is an interactive and complex process entangled in the macro and micro environment, especially in the international business context. This paper explores the process of organizational strategic change in four financial companies with foreign and domestic ownership in Kosovo. Methodology: The study uses strategy as practice approach and grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2006) to examine the process of strategic change and to provide insights of change management in context. Results: The study proposes 5 stages of change: experiencing crisis, diagnosing the organization, shaping the change strategy, communicating the change …

Space And Defense – Volume Eleven – Number One – Spring 2019, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Examining Healthcare Institutions By Bringing Qualitative Data From Two Eras Into Empirical Dialogue, Judson G. Everitt, James M. Johnson, William H. Burr, Stephanie H. Shanower

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this paper, we argue that there is new insight to be gained by reexamining the classic text, Boys in White, in strategic ways. Specifically, we share excerpts from Boys in White with current medical students and ask for their reactions in qualitative interviews, examining the relevance (or lack thereof) of earlier meanings about professional training for current processes of professional training. We show how we have employed this technique in our current project revisiting Boys in White with current medical students, and discuss preliminary findings that reveal the potential of this technique for documenting evidence of macro-level forces …

Political Styles And Strategies Of Suburban Unified School District Superintendents And Board Members: A Mixed Methods Study, Reginald Thompkins

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to understand the political styles of suburban unified school district superintendents and school board members as perceived by superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and explain the political strategies suburban school district superintendents use to work with the different political styles of board members.

Methodology: This explanatory sequential mixed methods study served to identify political styles of suburban unified school district superintendents and board members. The collection and triangulation of data included digital survey responses, face-to-face interviews, artifacts and observations. The quantitative and …

Social Scientists’ Testimony Before Congress In The United States Between 1946-2016, Trends From A New Dataset, Thomas V. Maher, Charles Seguin, Yongjun Zhang, Andrew P. Davis

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Congressional hearings are a venue in which social scientists present their views and analyses before lawmakers in the United States, however quantitative data on their representation has been lacking. We present new, publicly available, data on the rates at which anthropologists, economists, political scientists, psychologists, and sociologists appeared before United States congressional hearings from 1946 through 2016. We show that social scientists were present at some 10,347 hearings and testified 15,506 times. Economists testify before the US Congress far more often than other social scientists, and constitute a larger proportion of the social scientists testifying in industry and government positions. …

Implementing A Standardized Nutrition Protocol To Enhance The Nutritional Health Of Pediatric Oncology Patients In The Ambulatory Care Setting, Jacqueline N. Arrison

Dissertations

It is estimated that 11,060 children in the United States, under the age of 15, will be diagnosed with cancer in 2019 (American Cancer Society, 2019). Malnutrition, a common consequence of the disease and its treatment, has shown to increase the risk of morbidity, mortality, early relapse, and a number of complications throughout cancer treatment.

A Research Tapestry: Stories Woven Into Stories, Laura Colket

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography highlights the subjective nature of narrative research and illustrates the ways in which both micro and macro forces impact the research process. Through this article, I present a research tapestry in which the experiences, perspectives and stories of the participants weave together with my own experiences, perspectives and stories. I draw from my dissertation research, a narrative inquiry focused on the experiences of Haitian educational leaders working to create systemic change after the 2010 earthquake.

Suffolk Journal, Vol.83, No.16, 3/20/2020, Suffolk Journal

Suffolk Journal

No abstract provided.

Growing And Sustaining Effective Leadership, Jacob Theut

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Social Media In Raising Special Needs Awareness Among Saudi People, Lujain Bugshan

Student Theses and Dissertations

Notwithstanding the decades-long focus afforded by the Saudi government on people with special needs, the sector remains to receive minimal research-based interventions (Alharbi & Madhesh, 2017), making social awareness more challenging. However, social media has become a means for information diffusion and raising awareness about different social issues. Furthermore, it has been employed as a powerful medium in influencing the perceptions of its users in Saudi Arabia (de Alencar, 2016). Given the utility of social media and the expected positive outcomes of public health advocacies, this paper seeks to examine the role of social media in raising awareness of the …

Surfacing Services For Students As Scholars: A Case Study, Jill Cirasella

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

This poster presents as a case study the recent library reorganization at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The reorganization was initially spurred by the need to divide the library’s large, hydra-headed Public Services and Scholarly Communication unit into smaller, more coherent units. One of the five resulting units is Scholarly Communication and Digital Scholarship, composed of librarians who provide services related to scholarly communication, the institutional repository, data management, digital scholarship, digital preservation, and theses and dissertations. In other words, this new unit provides services that pertain not to the discovery and consumption of knowledge …

Revitalizing Scholarship On Academic Collective Bargaining, Daniel J. Julius

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Research on unions in academe began in the 1960s and 1970s. It continued in the 1980s as greater numbers of faculty organized but then declined in the 1990s, with the exception of a small group of scholars who continue to study and comment on labor management relations in post-secondary education. Many prognostications, originally put forward in the 1970s and 1980s, remain unexamined. The last two decades in particular, have seen less attention focused on unions in academe. Organizing efforts continue to be robust, and advocates from all vantage points continue to offer arguments both in favor or against collective bargaining. …

Speaker Of The House: The Intersection Of Faculty And Administrator Roles Among Community College Faculty Department Chairs, Miles Young

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

Community colleges face significant challenges in the 21^st century due largely to the effects of neoliberalism. Shifts in governance structures and an emphasis towards productivity and accountability have put a strain on institutional relationships, particularly between the faculty and the administration. Much attention has been given to how this relationship could be restored through direct means; however, another institutional stakeholder group has largely been overlooked in terms of a resource that could help bridge the faculty and administration. The community college faculty department chair is uniquely situated between the faculty and administration within these institutions, yet little is known …