Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies Nurse Managers Use To Increase Registered Nurses Retention, Andrew Sobers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRegistered nurse (RN) turnover significantly impacts organizational profitability and performance. The turnover of nurses also impacts business practices as it may disrupt the organization's ability to properly staff and provide efficient patient care. Further, nurse managers inability to retain RNs may result in problems such as loss of productivity and increased personnel costs. Guided by Burn's transformational leadership theory and Homan's social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies that nurse managers use to increase RN retention. Participants were 6 nurse managers from Boston, Massachusetts who implemented RN retention strategies in their …

Exploring The Use Of Learner-Centered Instruction With English Language Learners In Social Studies Classrooms, Taraneh Sabouri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLearner-centered instructional strategies in social studies are currently ineffective in meeting the learning needs of the ELL population in an urban school in the northeastern United States. Despite English language learner (ELL) supplemental instruction on Saturdays and evenings and professional development for teachers, strategies being used to deliver curriculum have had a marginal effect on learning for ELL students, and the local school board supported the importance of exploring this problem. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore the learner-centered instructional practices used at the study site and how teachers are using Weimer’s learner-centered framework to engage …

Sustainable Building Certification In Healthcare And Patient Satisfaction, Brian Jay Goehner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eco-friendly healthcare delivery concepts are becoming more accepted as hospital leaders seek to control energy costs, mitigate contributions to climate change, and preserve scarce resources. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offers healthcare leaders a framework for designing and constructing sustainable facilities that meet efficiency goals. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to build an understanding of whether LEED certification influences Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings. Using complex systems theory as the framework, the research questions were focused on exploring if higher levels of LEED certification led to greater HCAHPS overall hospital …

Child Welfare Workers' Perceptions Of The Effective Black Parenting Program, Kharmynn M. Bullock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The child welfare system (CWS) serves around half a million families each year in America. Of those, in Texas, hundreds of thousands of African American families represent the greatest percentages of families in the CWS when compared with their respective numbers in the general population. In 2013, African American children made up about 13.9% of the overall population of children in the United States; however, these children represented close to 26% (or 101,938) African American children in the system with CWS. Child Protective Services (CPS) has various programs and services, including parent education referrals to social services agencies that carry …

Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence And Workplace Instability, Robert Boyd Cannon Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on victims’ employment status is well-documented. The purpose of this study was to examine the implications of domestic violence on the status and stability of employment for victims who work in the public sector. The study’s 2 research questions asked how victims’ perspectives on IPV could provide insights to (a) help public sector employers improve victims’ employment stability and (b) create policies and practices that support victim disclosure. A phenomenological approach was used to understand the experience of victims of IPV and unstable employment. The theoretical framework derived from feminist theory and focused …

Strategies For Promoting Employee Engagement In The Canadian Banking Sector, Curt Donahue Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, more than 70% of the labor force do not actively engage in the workplace. Disengaged employees are often absent, increase customer dissatisfaction, and decrease organizational profitability. Bank managers who fail to address employee disengagement risk organization profitability and competitive position. Grounded in Khan's engagement theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies bank managers use to promote employee engagement for increased organizational profitability. The participants comprised 5 bank managers from a single bank in Toronto, Canada, who successfully implemented employee engagement strategies to increase organizational profitability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, …

Adult Attachment Functioning Of Former Foster Youth Initially Placed In Early Adolescence, Adrienne Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child attachment has been an area of study among scholars for several decades; however, early adolescent attachment is a specific age period that few scholars have examined, especially pertaining to child welfare where placement is a necessary but forced attachment disruption. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the likelihood of early adolescent attachment during initial placement and to explore the frequencies of this population securely attaching postplacement based on the added variables of placement setting (foster home/kinship home/group home/institution) and sibling accessibility. Attachment theory was the lens through which to analyze the 83 results received via anonymous …

Understanding The Experiences Of Young Adults Receiving Community-Based Eating Disorder Care, Hali Sitarz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn Ontario, Canada, eating disorder care is predominately delivered through nurse practitioner-led community outreach programs; however, there is a paucity of evidence informing the role of nurses in terms of outpatient treatment, community-based care, and young adult patient experiences. With high rates of morbidity and mortality, it is imperative to establish an evidence-informed approach to eating disorder treatment and ensure that care is patient-centered. This interpretive phenomenological study explored the experiences of young adults receiving community-based treatment in Ontario. Reigel, Stromberg & Jaarsma’s Middle Range Theory of Self-Care in Chronic Illness was used as an orientating framework. Seven young adults, …

Principal Leadership For The Establishment Of Family-School Partnership, Mickelli Dunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The area of family engagement and its benefits to the academic outcomes of students has been well researched. Educators, including practitioners and those who prepare them, and community members need to understand more about the leadership actions of principals, especially in urban, low-income predominantly African American schools, that lead to effective communication and learning at home partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the leadership actions of principals that support teachers establishing productive communication and learning at-home family engagement practices. Epstein’s school, family, and community partnership model was the framework that guided this research. Research questions …

Influence Of Perceived Supervisor Support And Narcissistic Leadership On Employee Turnover Intention, Natalie Disque

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees may perceive that many factors contribute to negative attitudes at work that

increase turnover intention. Researchers have established that uncivil behavior, toxic

leadership, bullying, and mobbing increases disengagement and absenteeism and

negatively influences the leader-follower dyad and organizational performance. Based on

the theoretical foundation of the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this

quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the independent

variables (employees’ perceptions of supervisor support [PSS] and narcissistic leadership

[NL]) and the dependent variable (employee turnover intention [TI]). Employee age and

tenure with the company were control variables in the study. Survey data from …

Adult Learners' And Instructors' Perceptions Of The Andragogical Instructional Method Used At A Northern Mississippi Community College, Renee Lajune Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand adult learners’ and instructors’ perceptions of the andragogical instructional method used at a Northern Mississippi Community College. In addition, this study explored how well the andragogical instructional method worked as a way to educate adult learners. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to examine the perceptions of six returning full-time adult learners and six full-time instructors regarding the use and impact of the andragogical instructional method via purposeful sampling. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews. Through the participants’ shared experiences and reviewing the interview transcripts, several themes emerged regarding their perceptions of …

Disaster Survivors’ Experiences With Disaster Volunteers, Christa Frances Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention of this qualitative case study was to understand the disaster survivors’ experiences with disaster volunteers. Understanding the experiences of the survivors with the volunteers may determine how disaster volunteer training could be improved to inform how overall assistance is provided to disaster survivors. The community affected by the disaster can be overwhelmed by the impact of the disaster on their homes and possessions. This stress can be alleviated by the offerings of volunteers. However, volunteers may also pose a challenge as they may lack the appropriate training, may not understand the culture or community norms, and thus may …

Youth Overcoming Barriers Through Multiple Adult Mentoring Relationships, Faraji Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American youth may face several problems that may hinder their positive growth into adulthood. These individuals may not have adults in their lives who aid in overcoming difficulties that halt positive youth development. Mentoring may provide a young person with an adult or several people that can assist youth with problems and help them find the appropriate solutions to overcome them. Numerous studies have provided research on negative influences on youth development, but authors noted that further research on positive youth development among disadvantaged African American youth is necessary. The current study provides information about informal mentoring and the …

The District Of Columbia And Gun Control Laws: Homicides And Social Impacts, Richard Ghislain Mbakop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The District of Columbia has one of the toughest gun laws in the United States, yet the city has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation and much of this gun violence is concentrated in the southeastern part of the city. The framework for the study was comprised of (a) the psychological theory based on many arguments, such as labeling weapons as symbols of male superiority and power, and (b) the social contract theory. Finding the perceptions about the relationship between gun control laws and homicide rates in Washington D.C. was the essential aim of the study. …

Achieving Profitability In Global Small Business Supply Chain Management, Cheryl A. Mccloud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers of small and medium-sized enterprises face cost inefficiencies in meeting human, physical, and technology capital requirements. Small and medium-sized enterprise supply chain managers who fail to implement cost-efficiency strategies risk jeopardizing profitability. Grounded in the chaos theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the successful strategies SME supply chain managers used to create cost efficiencies to remain profitable. Participants were 3 corporate supply chain managers of a small and medium-sized international enterprise located in central Florida who were successful at creating cost efficiencies to remain profitable. The data collection process included face-to-face …

Strategies Used By Retail Business Managers To Address Disruptive Changes In Technology, Fredrick Simon Muema

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disruptive changes in technology have shifted the competitive landscape in the retail travel industry and have led to high failure rates of traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies. Retail business leaders have estimated the loss of market share to new market entrants at approximately 40% in 5 years. Responding to disruptive changes in technology may increase market share and survival rates of incumbent firms. Grounded in Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by retail business managers to address disruptive changes in technology. Participants were 6 owners of travel agencies …

Qualitative Inquiry Of Resilience In Veterans Transitioning To Civilian Life, Brenda D. Nicholson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological research focused on the resilience of 10 veterans transitioning back to civilian life. An increase in suicide rates among veterans over the last 10 years has become a major concern for the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense (DoD). The theoretical frameworks guiding the study are Durkheim’s suicide theory, Lindenberg and Frey’s social production function theory, and Diener’s deindividuation theory. Many veterans have no self-awareness of their need for psychological and transitional assistance, leaving them vulnerable during a time of potentially increased and unfamiliar stress. Understanding the need for effective psychological adjustment and resilience in military members …

Female Small Business Owners: Strategies For Success, Betsy J. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, 30.2 million small businesses existed in the United States; the Small Business Administration predicted that only half would survive beyond 5 years. Female business owners who do not establish practices to gain a competitive advantage in the small business marketplace may experience poor business performance. Grounded in trait theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business strategies female small business owners use to succeed in a small business beyond 5 years. Participants included 3 female owners of successful small businesses in Northern California who have been in continual operation for more than …

Experiences Of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials In New York City Shelters, Xellex Z. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of homeless millennials seeking shelter in New York City (NYC) increases

nightly. Aside from seeking shelter services, millennial adults are also staying in shelters longer than the time allotted by the city. Their extended stay places a burden on city resources and taxpayers. Although there is research on the millennial generation and homelessness in NYC, more research is needed on the experiences of single, millennial adults who stay in shelters for extended periods of time. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the experiences of 4 long-term-stay millennials, 25 to 34 years of age, …

Experiences Of Jamaican Adult College Students In Counseling, Pamela Victoria Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the introduction of counseling services in Jamaica in the 1960s, young adults continue to encounter obstacles in utilizing the services made available to them. Some significant factors impacting how individuals use the professional counseling services are (a) the clients’ historical and political background, (b) the ill-treatment of people with mental illness, (c) cultural practices and values, (d) the stigma toward mental illness, and (e) knowledge deficiency concerning psychological issues and psychosis. This qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological research describes the experiences of Jamaican adult college students in counseling with counseling professionals. Seven participants volunteered through the networking sample method from universities …

Social Workers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Trauma On Police Officers, Amber Leigh Copeland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPolice officers experience trauma in their roles as first responders. Although there are resources to address the psychological and physical impact on police officers, these resources are underutilized. Police officers in active duty endure traumatic events regularly but fail to seek assistance for their physical and mental health symptoms. Officers interact with individuals from multiple disciplines throughout their daily encounters, including social workers. Despite the professional relationship between officers and social workers, some officers remain guarded and minimize their mental health needs. For this project, a focus group was conducted with 9 social workers who have worked with police officers …

Iii. Tasting Dwelling Thinking: Tasking Wine Thinking About Being With Heidegger, Charles S. Taylor

Wine Journey: Tasting Dwelling Learning at The Kitchen Table

It started simply enough. Wanting something not yet tasted I brought from the cellar a barely 6-year old 2009 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico. Had it turned the corner into its optimal drinking window? Six years is usually a bare minimum for these wines to get through their early awkwardness while reports said the 2009’s were early-maturing. A pleasant surprise, it was delightful. Chianti aroma and taste as well as the harmonious, full-spectrum profile one expects even from an entry-level Felsina Chianti were all in place. Based on that experience I opened on the next opportunity a 2009 Badia …

Drug Testing In The U.S. Trucking Industry: Hair Vs. Urine Samples And The Implications For Policy And The Industry, M. Douglas Voss, Joe Cangelosi

Journal of Transportation Management

Virtually everything we own was transported by truck at some point. Around 3.5 million truck drivers haul almost 71% of U.S. freight. To ensure the safety of our roadways, the U.S. government requires all drivers to pass urinalysis drug screens. However, urinalysis drug screens are easily thwarted and some trucking companies use hair drug screens, a more stringent test. This research examines trucking industry data and finds about 300,000 truck drivers would be removed from their positions if forced to pass a hair drug test. Hair testing opponents argue that the test is biased against ethnic minority groups. Comparing urine …

The Limits Of Inclusion: Teacher Beliefs And Experience With Inclusion Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Allegra Johnson

LMU Theses and Dissertations

General education teachers are critical contributors to the successful inclusion of students labeled with learning disabilities in general education classrooms. Similarly, teacher beliefs about disability labels significantly influence how teachers include or exclude students labeled with a learning disability in their classrooms. This qualitative study investigated eight secondary general education teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their experiences teaching students labeled with a learning disability from a Critical Disabilities Studies perspective. Data were collected using an innovative qualitative method, Q methodology, in order to surface distinct perspectives within the group about inclusion and the experience of teaching students labeled with a …

Humanity’S Best Friend: A Dog-Centric Approach To Addressing Global Challenges, Naomi Sykes, Piers Beirne, Alexandra Horowitz, Ione Jones, Linda Kalof, Elinor Karlsson, Tammie King, Howard Litwak, Robbie A. Mcdonald, Luke John Murphy, Neil Pemberton, Daniel Promislow, Andrew Rowan, Peter W. Stahl, Jamshid Tehrani, Clive D. L. Wynne, Eric G. Strauss, Greger Larson

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

No other animal has a closer mutualistic relationship with humans than the dog (Canis familiaris). Domesticated from the Eurasian grey wolf (Canis lupus), dogs have evolved alongside humans over millennia in a relationship that has transformed dogs and the environments in which humans and dogs have co-inhabited. The story of the dog is the story of recent humanity, in all its biological and cultural complexity. By exploring human-dog-environment interactions throughout time and space, it is possible not only to understand vital elements of global history, but also to critically assess our present-day relationship with the natural world, and to begin …

Enabling Meaningful Labor: Narratives Of Participation In A Grading Contract, Mathew Gomes, Bree Bellati, Mia Hope, Alissa Laferriere

English

Grading contracts value labor and make it a central or sole determinant of grades. However, the labor of learning is not all the same; in writing courses, labor includes the work of producing writing, as well as the work of participation in class. This article, authored by a writing instructor and three former undergraduates, reflects on participation labor in a course that used a labor-based grading contract, Teaching Writing. We describe our attitudes and purposes going into the course, make observations about our labor during the class, and offer reflections on the impact of that labor after the class from …

Exploring And Supporting Tenant Activism In Upstate New York, Catherine Porter

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Estimation And Clustering In Block Models, Majid Noroozi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Networks with community structure arise in many fields such as social science, biological science, and computer science. Stochastic block models are popular tools to describe such networks. For this reason, in this dissertation which is composed of two parts we explore some stochastic block models and the relationship between them. In the first part of the dissertation, we study the Popularity Adjusted Block Model (PABM) and introduce its sparse case, the Sparse Popularity Adjusted Block Model (SPABM). The SPABM is the only existing block model which allows to set some probabilities of connections to zero. For both the PABM and …

Marijuana Use Among Adults In The United States: Comparing Correlates Of Use, Assessing Impact Of Education, And Evaluating Use And Health Amid Justice-Involved Populations, Corey Pomykacz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Over the past two decades, there have been significant changes in state-level policies (i.e., decriminalization, medicalization, legalization) in the U.S. regarding marijuana use. Prior research has found a relationship between marijuana policies and decreased perceived risk as well as increased prevalence of use. In light of these historical shifts, the public health implications of marijuana use deserve increased attention by researchers so that we can discern patterns of use, evaluate risk, and inform intervention. This dissertation has three aims: (1) investigate how correlates of use prevalence versus use frequency vary; (2) offer a theoretical explanation as to why more education …

Family Mass Homicide: An Investigation, Alec Szalewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Operationalizing mass murder consistently has yet to be achieved. Mass homicide definitions often use time and space, but other key factors (e.g., victim count) vary widely across literature and agencies. Because of this, the current study argues for a mass family homicide definition of two or more victims, not including the offender, with no method of killing requirement. The purpose of using this victim count derives from the average family size and how many victims can be killed before an entire family annihilation. Next, using the suggested definition, three exploratory logistic regression models were run to further the understanding and …