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The Biopsychosocial Impact Of Racial Discrimination Among African Americans, Amy Renae Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between racial discrimination and anger, stress, and obesity. The stress-disease model provided a theoretical perspective of the biological, psychological, and social pathways from stress. Past research regarding the correlation between racial discrimination, anger, stress, and obesity reported a possible connection, but results have been mixed. This research expanded upon existing literature that proposed that blatant or subtle experiences of racial discrimination are pathways to mental and physical health consequences. The hypothesis was that there was a significant relationship between racial discrimination and the levels of stress, anger, and obesity. Racial …

Relationship Of Mindfulness To Worldview Defense When Mortality Is Salient, Blake Ausmus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humans value self-preservation, and therefore that which is perceived to threaten survival should cause stress. However, humans have also developed the understanding of their own mortality, meaning that they cognitively understand that death is inevitable. The conflict arising from these opposing constructs holds the potential to cause anxiety. Interestingly, this anxiety is not easily observed in most. Terror management theory posits that there are buffer systems in place that help to keep death anxiety at bay so that humans are able to continue to function in their daily lives. These buffers include becoming more stringent to one’s worldviews and less …

Strategies For Competitive Advantage In Small Construction Businesses, Syheed Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Syheed Fields

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Michael Lavelle, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Carol-Anne Faint, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. William Stokes, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and ProvostSue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

AbstractStrategies for Competitive Advantage in Small Construction Businesses by Syheed Fields

MLD, The Pennsylvania State University, …

Website Accessibility Strategies, Gary W. Hrezo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most websites cannot be readily used by people with disabilities, despite the internet being an essential component for people to be part of a community. Applying web accessibility strategies means that people with disabilities can better interact with the web. Grounded in Davis’s technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine strategies used by web designers to make websites accessible for people with disabilities. The participants were experienced web developers from organizations in Florida with websites that have a Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Level 2 of three levels, i.e., AA- rating. The data collection …

Perspectives On Gender Stereotypes And Glass Ceiling Beliefs Of Male And Female Corporate Professionals, Shellie Cecelia Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, as of 2021, women comprise almost half of the entire workforce (46.8%), yet only represent 24% of top earning officers and 6% of CEO positions. A phenomenon known as the glass ceiling is recognized as an unofficial barrier to advancement within a profession or a company that specifically affects minority populations, including women in business. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the glass ceiling barriers to career advancement for professional women and gender stereotypes. The framework used for this study was based on the role congruity theory that proposes prejudice towards …

Typhoid Fever Among Low-Income Women Living In Gujranwala, Pakistan., Tehmina S. Khan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 21 million individuals suffer from typhoid fever (TF) globally, and most outbreaks occur in Southeast Asia. The incidence of TF is high in Pakistan, particularly in low socioeconomic areas, and a new drug-resistant strain makes it difficult to control the spread of TF. There is a pressing need for up-to-date and accurate data regarding the attitudes, beliefs, and habits leading to the spread of TF infection among individuals living in low socioeconomic areas of Pakistan. This qualitative, phenomenological study was grounded in the health belief model and explored factors that influence the spread of TF among women of childbearing …

Exploring Cyber-Physical Systems’ Security Governance In The Oil And Gas Industry, Soliman Mahmoud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which utilizes modern communication-dependent technologies, including cyber-physical systems (CPS), has made exploration and production operations more efficient in the oil and gas industry. CPS in this industry should be secured against operational threats to prevent interruption of critical oil and gas supplies and services. However, these systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and many oil and gas companies have not incorporated effective cybersecurity measures into their corporate management strategies. This qualitative, multiple-case study, which was guided by the routine activity theory, explored how cybersecurity governance was applied to develop controls that stopped or mitigated the consequences of …

Emerging Adults' Lived Prenatal Care Experiences As First-Time Mothers: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Linda Mcclerklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPrenatal care is fundamental in the lives of expectant mothers. Studies have highlighted the prenatal care experiences of mothers ranging from adolescents to older women, which included the experiences of emerging adults. However, emerging adults bring particular social, emotional, and developmental concerns to pregnancy experiences that are distinct from those of their counterparts. This study explored these experiences to answer the question of what are emerging adults’ lived prenatal care experiences are as first-time mothers. Interpretive phenomenology and assumptions from critical race, feminist, communication, and intersectionality theories helped frame the study. Through purposive and snowball sampling, nine participants were selected …

Experiences Of African American Parents Of Special Needs Students And School Decisions, Jennifer Selena Mccray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany individuals prefer the ability to choose options as opposed to being directed toward a certain path. School choice programs in the United States allow parents to exercise their democratic right to choose what is best for their children with respect to choosing a school for them to receive their education. The problem is that many African American parents have lost faith and trust in public education due to low school safety, lack of quality education, and social/emotional issues with public schools. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of African American parents concerning students’ …

Elementary And Middle School Administrators’ Decisions About Professional Development For Bilingual Educators, Enid Montalvo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

K–8 school administrators are expected to provide professional development (PD) to bilingual teachers that will enhance instructional practices. PD is an important factor that may lead to student academic achievement. However, it was unclear in what ways K–8 administrators provided PD for bilingual teachers to enhance instructional practices for Latino English-language learners (ELL). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how K–8 administrators used reflective practices to identify ELL-focused PD for bilingual teachers within two Midwestern school districts. The conceptual framework for the current study was Schön’s theory of reflective practice. The guiding questions asked how K–8 …

Exploring The Integration Of Corporate Sustainability Into Small-Scale Business Activities, Olushola O. Odutola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-scale enterprises contribute 49% of the gross domestic product in Nigeria. The lack of research studies on how small and medium-scale enterprises integrate corporate sustainability into their business operations might present challenges for policymakers in achieving Nigeria’s sustainable development goals (SDG). The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore how managers of small and medium-scale enterprises integrate the corporate sustainability dimensions into their business operations based on the concepts of the corporate entity, corporate nature, and corporate obligations. The central research question of this study was how managers of small and medium-scale enterprises integrate the economic, …

Relationship Between Information System Success Model Dimensions And Electronic Health Records Use, Gloria Oshegbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rise in the use of electronic health records (EHRs) in health care facilities necessitates a standardized tool for evaluating their effectiveness. Delone and McLean’s information system success model (ISSM) was the theoretical foundation, which consists of seven dimensions namely system, information, service qualities, user satisfaction, use, system usefulness, and net benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine EHRs’ efficiency and identify ISSM dimensions that influenced net benefits, the dependent variable. The research questions examined the relationship between dimensions of ISSM and the dimensions that affect net benefits. Participants were recruited using purposeful sampling via social media and …

The Relationship Of Diversity Education On Perceptions Of Criminal Justice Majors, Deborah Palicia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn a world of ever-changing demographics, it is imperative that criminal justice practitioners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to effectively interact with the communities they serve. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to ascertain the relationship between perceptions of diversity of undergraduate criminal justice majors at a Northeastern college who had taken a diversity course to those who had not. Bandura’s social cognitive theory guided this study. Data were collected using McMorris’ Perceptions of Criminality survey with a purposive nonprobability sample of 72 criminal justice majors at a Northeastern college who were 18 years of age or older. …

Pedagogical Practices And Digital Tools Used By Online Tutors With Students In Grades K-5, Alison Marie Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little was known about the experiences of K-5 online tutors. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of online tutors regarding their pedagogical practices and digital tools used when tutoring students in Grades K-5. The community of inquiry model served as the conceptual framework. Data included online tutor profiles, websites, and one-to-one interviews with 16 participants. Data were coded and analyzed using NVivo. Findings were interpreted within the contexts of the conceptual framework and the literature. The study revealed five themes: K-5 online tutors as educational entrepreneurs, rewards of being a K-5 online tutor entrepreneur, …

Elementary Educators’ Perceptions Of Their Knowledge And Motivation To Support Struggling Readers, Ann Brazzel Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDespite the implementation of district approved programs at Maplebrook Elementary, a Mid-Atlantic school district, students in third, fourth, and fifth grades continue to show reading comprehension below grade level as measured by standardized test scores and district-created assessments. The goal of this study was to gain teacher perceptions about knowledge and motivation when working with students who continue to struggle with reading. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy was used to guide the research. The research questions addressed teachers’ perspectives regarding the role knowledge and motivation play when working with students struggling with reading comprehension and the teachers’ levels of confidence in …

The Statistical Significance Of Juvenile Delinquency And Learning Disabilities, Collette Erica Scandrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency and recidivism have been consistent issues that seem to continually produce substantial numbers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine learning disabilities among juveniles and determine their statistical significance to delinquency and recidivism. Durkheim’s theory of anomie and Merton’s anomie/strain theory were used as the theoretical framework to guide the study. Archived cases for 15,900 juveniles, 2,633 of whom were learning disabled, were collected from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and the South Carolina Department of Education. To provide additional context, age, race, and sex were also analyzed. Chi-square tests were used to analyze …

Secondary Content Teachers’ Perceptions About Teaching Informational Text, Scott Allan Slechta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As school districts adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS), content area teachers were expected to incorporate disciplinary literacy skills into their lessons. The problem for this study was that secondary school science and social studies teachers struggle to teach students how to read and understand informational text. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers about the challenges of using disciplinary literacy skills to teach informational text and about the training and resources that may improve their knowledge and use of disciplinary literacy skills for informational text. With the CCSS as the conceptual framework, the …

Social Media Analytics Use Among Small Business Owners, Melody White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of January 2018, small businesses created 47.5% of private jobs in the United States, but little is known about whether and why small business owners use social media analytics. This topic is important because social media analytics assist businesses in identifying social media effectiveness, gaining new customers, and staying connected with current customers. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore the use of social media analytics by small business owners, which can increase customer interaction and help monitor company perception and effectiveness. The conceptual foundation used in this study was the technology acceptance model. The …

The Impact Of Funding On Organizational Sustainability Of Mental Health Nonprofits In The County Of Orange, California, Sophia E. Valdez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in literature regarding sustainment of mental health programs following budget reductions. Customarily, decreases in budgets have been presumed to be connected to decreases in sustainability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to describe the impact that a decrease in Proposition 63 funding had on nonprofit sustainability in the County of Orange, California. In 2004, California lawmakers enacted Prop 63 to revitalize the public mental health system. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used as the conceptual framework for this study. This tool can be used to measure data in five categories; intervention, inner …

Leadership Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Swaziland, Lizzy Oluwatoyin Taiwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an essential role in national and global economic growth. Lack of leadership strategies can negatively impact the sustainability and growth of SMEs. Business owners who implement appropriate leadership strategies can ensure the sustainability of their SMEs. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and sustainability development theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies owners of SMEs use to ensure the sustainability of their organizations. The participants were four owners of SMEs within the four regions in Swaziland who successfully used leadership strategies to enhance the sustainability of their organizations. …

Impact Of Internal Control, Cybersecurity Risk, And Competitive Advantage On Retail Cybersecurity Budget, Samuel William Pfanstiel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail organizations are driven to improve security posture for many reasons, including meeting financial regulation requirements, mitigating threats of data breach, and differentiating themselves within markets affected by customer perception. The problem was that little was known about how these drivers of internal control, cybersecurity risk, and competitive advantage impact retail cybersecurity budgets within the retail sector. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental correlational study was to describe the relationship between cybersecurity budget and drivers of internal control, cybersecurity risk, and competitive advantage among U.S.-based retail merchant organizations. Real options theory provided a foundation for explaining this decision-making process. Data …

Lived Experiences Of African American Middle School Males Taught By A Different Race, Pamela Lee Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWhile considerable research has explored the effect of teacher’s racial group on educating African American students from the teacher’s perspective, little is known about the students’ thoughts. The purpose of this study was to describe the feelings of African American middle school males who were taught by teachers of a different race. The bases for this qualitative study were critical race theory (CRT) and oppositional cultural theory (OCT). Purposive sampling strategy and snowball sampling were used to recruit seven African American middle school males for in depth semi structured interviews. The responses of the participants were coded, the analysis method …

Understanding The Involvement Of Parents Of Children With Disabilities In Island Rural Communities, Catherine Ava Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that parental involvement in children's school life has a positive impact on children's academic and social success, especially for children with disabilities (CWD), and even more so for CWD in island rural communities. The involvement of parents of CWD in primary schools in rural communities in Trinidad and Tobago has not been studied previously. This qualitative case study was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of why parents of CWD in three primary schools in adjacent rural southern communities in an education district in Trinidad do or do not become involved in their children’s education. At the same …

Effects Of Educational Curricula On Recidivism In A Community-Based Correctional Facility, Todd Angello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism in a community-based correctional facility (CBCF) was high. The average recidivism rate was 32.7%; however, in a Northeast Midwest U.S. state, the CBCF was 44%. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the effects of three educational curricula on recidivism at one CBCF. The Positive Reentry for Midwestern State Offenders certificate courses (vocational), the credit-bearing courses (college), the ASPIRE General Education Degree (GED), and no additional courses taken were tested on their predictive power of recidivism. The theoretical framework was Hirschi’s social bond theory. A binomial logistic regression was conducted to determine the effects of each …

Educators’ Perceptions Of The Reading Initiative For Student Excellence Professional Development, Arkadia Johnson Armour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Grade 3–5 students in southeastern Arkansas are reading below grade level despite the efforts of educators. The study explored educator perceptions of the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) professional development, in which educators learn about Science of Reading (SOR) instructional strategies and how to implement them in the classroom. The conceptual framework used for the study was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Research questions addressed how the R.I.S.E. professional development improved teaching methods to support students' reading achievement in low socioeconomic schools, as well as educators' perceptions of the R.I.S.E. professional development to support student achievement in low socioeconomic schools. …

Grade 3-5 Teachers' Perceptions About Their Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices, Shani A. Arnette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many schools are diverse with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. The problem is that it is unknown if Grade 3-5 teachers in a specific New Jersey school district (SNJSD) perceive their instruction as manifesting characteristics of effective culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and learning practices intended to promote CLD students’ academic growth. The superintendent created an action plan that listed CRT as a solution to meeting needs of diverse students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate Grade 3-5 teachers’ perceptions regarding their instruction as manifesting characteristics of effective CRT and learning practices in a SNJSD. Gay’s …

Individual Contributor Experiences Of Task Uncertainty And Task Interdependence Under Different Structures, Andrew R. Barbeau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 84% of North American individual contributors work in organizations with functionally specialized structures where task uncertainty (TU) and task interdependence (TI) undermine cross-functional task execution. However, there is a lack of research into the TU and TI experiences of individual contributors under different organizational structures. It is important that senior leaders have this missing knowledge to inform structural decisions. The purpose of this generic qualitative, exploratory, snowball sampling study is to explore how individual contributors experience TU and TI following a reorganization from a functional to a horizontal organizational structure. In the current study, the research questions explored were …

Offshore Wind Industry Interorganizational Collaboration Strategies In Emergency Management, Rodney L. Brady

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some health and safety (HSE) managers within the offshore wind industry lack effective interorganizational collaboration strategies in emergency management (EM) for successful disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The failure and the reluctance of neighboring offshore wind industry organizations to share knowledge or resources during a disaster could hinder successful disaster response operations resulting in preventable loss of life, extensive property damage, or damaged company reputations. Grounded in the interorganizational collaboration theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies HSE managers in the offshore wind industry use for successful disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. …

Prodigy Game And Third-Grade Mathematics Achievement In An Urban Setting, Christina D. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in Urban District 1 were not meeting grade level learning outcomes in mathematics on state- and district-administered benchmark assessments. The purpose of this study was to determine if including a specific educational video game (EVG), Prodigy, in mathematics instruction with third-grade students would influence students’ math achievement as measured by the districts quarterly Star Math benchmark assessments. The research question looked at the difference in students’ benchmark assessment scores for mathematics between third-grade users and non-users of the video game learning software Prodigy during the 2017–2018 school year. The use of EVGs as an instructional strategy was examined through …

Climbing The Economic Ladder - Doing Business In Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Using Sdg-Related Policies, Romena Tamira L.V. Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through Invest SVG, a statutory body under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology, the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was seeking to develop a policy environment that was conducive to optimal growth for private sector development, in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals. The outcomes of such endeavors may include but are not limited to higher levels of employment, revenue generation, and economic growth. In this study, two primary areas were addressed: the regulatory weaknesses for doing business in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, using the criteria outlined in The Ease of …