Digital Commons Network^™

Importance Of Social Support: Buffer To Social Identity Threat In Institutions, Kaylah J. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Due to the minority status non-white students face in higher education, they are susceptible to social identity threat (Steele & Aronson, 1996), which may lead to psychological distress. However, social support, particularly from in-groups, offsets related distress consequences, e.g., self-esteem, anxiety, and depression (Haslam et al., 2021). This study investigates social support, through collective racial socialization, as a buffer for social identity threats to minority college students. I investigated Hispanics and Black undergraduates' self-esteem, using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), before and after stereotype threat, with participants in minority-centered organizations as the moderator. Results revealed that there was a …

Essays On Entrepreneurship And Government Policy, Abdul-Kadir Ameyaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Government policy has long been used as a lever to stimulate entrepreneurship, yet its outcomes vary widely across contexts, prompting renewed interest in how such policies shape entrepreneurial activity. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted relationship between government policy and entrepreneurship using a two-essay framework that draws on extant literature and qualitative field data. It examines how policies not only create structural conditions but also activate symbolic mechanisms that influence individual behavior and occupational choices.

The first essay conducts a systematic review of 166 articles published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals between 1993 and 2024. It maps theoretical perspectives, methodological …

#Tribe: A Study On Digital Tribalism In Saudi Arabia, Maha Alrehaili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines digital tribalism in Saudi Arabia as a lens through which to explore the complex interplay between state, identity politics, and social media in an era of rapid transformation. Amidst ambitious modernization efforts under Vision 2030 and ongoing economic restructuring, the Saudi state has sought to establish a national identity by leveraging tribal heritage. This study investigates how the three major tribes, Harb, Qahtan, and Otaibah, are responding to rapid modernization through an examination of their digital presence on X (formerly Twitter).

Employing a comparative case study design and content analysis of three years of digital activity, this …

Directors’ Professional Experience, Firm Risk, And Corporate Policies, Esteban Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Essay 1 examines whether directors’ prior negative professional experiences— such as bankruptcies, stock price crashes, bond downgrades, and cash flow shocks— affect firm risk, financial policies, and performance. Using a panel of 48,288 board members across 5,324 U.S. industrial firms from 1984 to 2023, I construct a composite distress measure based on directors’ pre-board employment histories. Firms with a higher proportion of distress-experienced directors exhibit significantly lower return volatility, more conservative financial policies—including lower leverage, higher cash holdings, and reduced dividends—and greater policy persistence. These effects are strongest among independent directors and those chairing advisory committees. Causal evidence is supported …

Challenging Motherhood And Analysing Cultural Differences: A Review Of The Film Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway (2023), Sana Hashmi

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Survival Mode: Navigating The First Five Years Of Teaching Performing Arts In Neoliberal Education Assemblages, Kirsten Lambert, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper shares data from a longitudinal study into secondary performing arts teachers’ perceptions of their first five years of teaching. Utilising Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of rhizomatic becomings and Braidotti’s posthuman knowing subject, our research explores the embodied, relational, and fluid identities of early career teachers. This is important when exploring nascent teacher becomings because it takes into consideration the configuration of bodies and hyper-performative expectations in neoliberal educational assemblages. Our longitudinal qualitative research in Western Australia revealed that early career teachers (ECTs) experienced concerning levels of mental ill-health in response to insecure employment, high stress, long hours, performative …

Addressing ‘Wicked Complex Problems’: Qualitative Understandings Of Sexual Violence Prevention In Male-Dominated Industries, Sarah Vrankovich, Sharyn Burns, Giselle Woodley, Jacqueline Hendriks

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Globally there has been increased focus on the prevalence of sexual violence in workplaces, including the mining industry. In Western Australia, where this study is situated, this industry is a significant employer, predominantly male-dominated, and the prevalent use of fly-in-fly-out schedules can blur work and social life. Consequently, efforts to prevent and manage workplace sexual violence have become a priority, leading to the development and implementation of various strategies and resources. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 participants, including sexual violence prevention professionals (n = 16) and mining industry workers (n = 18). Reflexive thematic analysis identified systemic and behavioural …

Children’S ‘Playbour’ As Influencers On Social Media: An Investigation Into The Legal And Ethical Issues Surrounding Kidfluencers, Catherine J. Archer, Kate Mirandilla Delmo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The legal and ethical concerns around children performing as social media influencers (SMIs) on various social media platforms have been in the spotlight, with the recent world-first decision by the Australian Government to ban social media for those under 16. Social media influence is big business across the globe, with organisations investing in working with influencers to promote their brands and/or ideas. Some children now ‘work’, often managed by their parents, to produce posts that promote brands and ideas on behalf of organisations–not only to other children but also to adults. This paper presents findings of two case studies of …

The Impact Of Due Diligence Legislation On International Trade And Business: Analysis Of Potential Trade-Offs, Peter Draper, Andreas Freytag, Naoise Mcdonagh, Matthias Menter

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As countries increasingly adopt due diligence legislation to promote human rights, labor standards, and environmental sustainability in global value chains, a complex dilemma arises. While these laws commendably aim to address moral and political issues in international trade, they may also impose significant costs on companies, potentially disincentivizing investment and trade. This study examines the impact of due diligence laws on international trade and business, analyzing some 60 cases. We explore their unintended consequences, including the potential withdrawal of investors from partner countries, reduced trade, including strategic commodities, and increased costs of compliance leading to competitiveness concerns. Our research categorizes …

Cultural Factors In Alcohol And Other Drug Use Among Immigrant Youth In Western Australia: A Qualitative Investigation, Justine Dandy, Caroline Ng Tseung-Wong, Amanda M. George, Byron L. Zamboanga, Vilma Palacios

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: Our aim was to identify the influence of heritage cultural factors and mainstream Australian cultural norms on young culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) immigrants’ alcohol and other drug (AOD) use attitudes, motives for use, and behaviors. Method: We conducted nine focus groups with 55 youth (aged 16–30; 22 female, 33 male). Participants were from diverse cultural backgrounds including India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Hazara-Afghanistan, Burma (Chin and Karen), Malaysia, Singapore, and China. They were first- (80%) and second-generation immigrants to Australia. Results: We constructed three overarching themes: bicultural conflict, freedom versus constraints, and the intersection of gender and …

Philosophers On Prison Abolitionism: Theory Versus Practice, Piero Moraro

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Philosophers have long been debating the moral justifiability of punishment. However, they have seemingly ignored the adjacent question concerning the moral justifiability of incarceration, as demonstrated by the dearth of philosophical work on prison abolitionism. This silence is puzzling, given that, on closer examination, many philosophers implicitly (or even explicitly) endorse the core assumptions of prison abolitionism. By discussing some examples in the recent literature in philosophy of punishment, I argue that philosophers support prison abolitionism in practice, but not in theory. They endorse the practical strategies in the abolitionist agenda, yet refuse to engage with the normative assumptions that …

Ecological Grief: How Can We Bear This Together?, Susan Bailey, Nicholas Gerrish

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The impacts of human activity on ecosystems are increasingly evident through ecological degradation and climate change. Despite this, in many jurisdictions across the world, action to address and curtail destructive human activities is slow and resisted at all levels. In this article, we suggest that this resistance is connected to deep ecological grief. We introduce a dual approach to understanding ecological grief, using concepts of unprecedented and unacknowledged grief. Unprecedented grief is felt in response to the loss of our ecosystems and unacknowledged grief connected to the anticipated loss of lifestyle necessary to curtail destructive human behaviour. Drawing upon an …

Applying Hybrid Coding And Reflexivity In Qualitative Content Analysis: An Exemplar, Kunwar Kaur, Ma’En Zaid Abu-Qamar, Amineh Rashidi, Nilufeur Mckay, Rosemary Saunders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) is a widely used method in nursing research for analysing textual data. Numerous authors have provided comprehensive explanations of this approach, including step-by-step guidelines. The coding methods employed in QCA are typically categorised as deductive, inductive, or a combination of both, often referred to as the abductive or hybrid technique. However, the hybrid coding technique remains under-utilised within nursing research. Further, trustworthiness, a cornerstone of qualitative research, has been extensively discussed in the literature, with reflexivity identified as a key component of ensuring rigor and credibility. This paper presents an example from nursing research where a …

Decent Work In Ghana: Towards Understanding The Role Of Positive Psychological States In Worker Turnover Intentions, Albert Amankwaa, Irene Elisabeth De Pater, Isaac Kosi, Desmond Tutu Ayentimi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Decent work contributes to healthy work and employment, and strong societies. However, accessing decent work is a major issue particularly in developing economies where large proportions of the workforce hold precarious jobs or lack social security. Yet, so far, research on decent work and its scale validation has largely overlooked developing economy contexts, and this defeats the purpose of psychology of working theory to explain work experiences of all individuals. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we validate Duffy et al.’s Decent Work Scale (DWS) in the Ghanaian context and second, we test a theory-driven model connecting decent …

Exploring The Sociocultural Significance Of Funerals In Zongo Communities In Less-Developed Countries: A Case Of Effiakuma Zongo In The Western Region Of Ghana, Fusheini Halawayhi, Victor Fannam Nunfam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Social and cultural capital have been recognized as critical assets for improving nations under the Sustainable Development Goals. The sociocultural significance of funerals in Zongo communities in Ghana, however, has not received much research attention. The Kastenbaum’s concept of funerals and Szmigin and Louise’s relational framework on funeral experiences were used to explore the social-cultural significance of funeral in the Effiakuma Zongo community as is the case in Ghana. Based on interpretive phenomenology and descriptive case study, we purposively sampled and conducted focus group interviews with 15 participants including bereaved family members, gravediggers and Imams. Data was processed and analyzed …

Doing The Nutbush: How Australia Got Its Very Own Line Dance, Panizza Allmark, Jon Stratton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Nutbush dance is unique to Australia. It is danced to the Ike and Tina Turner track Nutbush City Limits released in 1973. It is a line dance. Anybody can join the line. This article explores the history and reception of the Nutbush. The Nutbush seems have been developed around 1975 in Sydney as a part of modernizing the physical education and creative arts curricula for state primary and secondary schools. The Nutbush is relatively simple and is danced on the beat, a characteristic of dancing to rock music. Nutbush City Limits has a driving beat. This is no doubt …

Mothers, Social Capital And Children’S Physical Literacy Journeys In Rural Australia, Kate Mccreery, Dawn Penney, Ruth Jeanes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In rural communities in Australia, the provision of sport and physical activities for children almost exclusively relies upon parents and their ability to access and contribute to facilities, funding, volunteers, and administration. This paper brings Putnam’s social capital framework to Whitehead’s conceptualisation of physical literacy as a journey to offer original insight into children’s sport participation and the opportunities arising for physical literacy development in rural communities in Australia. Changes in sport participation in Australia and directions in sport policy set an important context for the project, which is located in a small rural community in Western Australia. It was …

Adolescent Parent Perceptions On Sustainable Career Opportunities And Building Employability Capitals For Future Work, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As primary career influencers, parents must support adolescent children in navigating evolving and increasingly challenging employment landscapes. Using a capitals lens, this study explores secondary school parents’ capacity to provide informed career advice and their perceptions on factors known to enhance youth employability and employment prospects. Survey data were collected from 301 Australian secondary school parents to examine their understanding of sustainable youth career opportunities, what can aid youth’s employment prospects, and their utilisation of available resources to support career advice for adolescents. While parents’ perceptions of opportunities by sector and industry aligned with wider thinking, many lacked awareness of …

Physiological Plateaus During Normal Labor And Birth: A Novel Definition, Marina Weckend, Kylie Mccullough, Christine Duffield, Sara Bayes, Clare Davison

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Diagnoses of labor dystocia, and subsequent labor augmentation, make one of the biggest contributions to childbirth medicalization, which remains a key challenge in contemporary maternity care. However, labor dystocia is poorly defined, and the antithetical concept of physiological plateaus remains insufficiently explored. Aim: To generate a definition of physiological plateaus as a basis for further research. Methods: This qualitative study applied grounded theory methods and comprised interviews with 20 midwives across Australia, conducted between September 2020 and February 2022. Data were coded in a three-phase approach, starting with inductive line-by-line coding, which generated themes and subthemes, and finally, through …

Innovation Through Conceptual Research: Tips For Stoking Curiosity, Jun Wen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Conceptual research represents a critical step in the theory-building process and contributes innovative ideas that inspire empirical studies. This feature article highlights the importance of such research in academia with examples drawn from the tourism literature. It also critically discusses issues related to publishing conceptual research in premier journals. By using a five-dimension framework of curiosity (i.e., deprivation sensitivity, joyous exploration, social curiosity, stress tolerance, and thrill seeking), scholars can assess researchers’ conceptual topics and readers’ responses when contemplating “what's new” to gauge a paper's publication potential. Several tips are offered to guide like-minded scholars in conducting sound conceptual research: …

Managing The Impact Of Workplace Trauma For Australian First Responders: Harmonizing Policy And Practice, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Ben Farr-Wharton, Yvonne Brunetto, Matthew Richman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Police, fire, ambulance, and emergency services workers face an increased exposure to traumatic events while at work, negatively affecting their mental health, and with broader financial, legal, and moral implications for the public sector organizations that employ them. To better support these workers, and to mitigate the potential financial burden resulting from workers’ compensation claims, many first responder organizations are implementing wellbeing initiatives. This article examines the efficacy of an initiative for a sample of 530 frontline and administrative first responders, working in one state jurisdiction in Australia. The results indicate that wellbeing programmes moderate the impact of trauma on …

Enhancing Summative Assessment And Pedagogy Of Senior Secondary Dance Education Through Digital Technologies, Maria Gamble, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite advances in digital technology, summative assessment in the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) Dance syllabus remain shaped by historical structures and practices. This study explores how digital technologies might better support fair, valid, and reliable assessment in senior secondary dance education. Through semi-structured interviews with six Australian experts in ATAR Dance curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, the research highlights a shared interest in using technology to enhance learning and address assessment challenges. Participants acknowledged constraints imposed by traditional models but expressed openness to explore new possibilities and adapt to the current climate. The findings suggest that digital tools could foster …

Of Scents And Cytokines: How Olfactory And Food Aversions Relate To Nausea And Immunomodulation In Early Pregnancy, Dayoon Kwon, Daniel M.T. Fessler, Delaney A. Knorr, Kyle S. Wiley, Julie Sartori, David A. Coall, Molly M. Fox

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: During pregnancy, the maternal body undergoes extensive physiological adaptations to support embryonic growth, including whole-body remodeling, that may induce odor and food aversions, as well as nausea and vomiting. The biological mechanisms behind odor and food aversions, as well as nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, remain largely unexplored. Our study investigated associations between these changes and cytokine profiles during pregnancy. Methodology: A cohort of pregnant Latina women in Southern California (n = 58) completed a structured questionnaire on pregnancy "morning sickness"-related symptoms and aversions. Maternal plasma cytokine levels were measured between 5 and 17 weeks' gestation. Results: About …

Physical Education And Sport-Focused Degree Programs: An Exploration Of Symbolic Boundaries And Policy Negotiations, Ellen Jones, David Aldous, Andrew P. Lane, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article explores the negotiation of contemporary policy agendas in physical education and sport-focused degree programs. Centring on one Higher Education Institution in Wales, the article pursues three foci in negotiations that are integral to the everyday work, relations and identities of academic staff: the commodification of university sport; quality learning and teaching; and changing relations with industry. Conceptually, the article draws upon Bernstein’s concept of symbolic boundaries to critically explore the translation and enactment of different policy agendas, and pursue constraints and possibilities arising for subject, professional and learner identities. Data from focus groups and interviews with 16 participants …

Perfect Is Boring: The Character Problem Of Electric Vehicles, Andrew Hutcheon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

By many critical measures, electric cars are better than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts–they are capable of being faster, cheaper to run and have no tailpipe emissions. Yet, a common complaint in automotive enthusiast circles is that most electric vehicles are lacking in what might be called character. In the words of one car reviewer, referring to faster electric cars while driving a V8 muscle car, ‘perfect is boring’. Character here is defined as both the embodied feel of a car and the ways in which that feel is technologically structured. Importantly, this apparent lack of character is not …

Hybridity And Safety: The Lived Experiences Of Market Vendors In Urban Settlement Communities In Lae, Papua New Guinea, Wilma Langa, Verena Thomas, Jackie Kauli, Laurie Buys

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In most developing countries, informal economies–such as those that operate through urban markets–commonly support city dwellers’ livelihoods. However, public perceptions of safety and informality in urban markets have often focused on apparent deficiencies, resulting in a limited understanding of the dynamics and resilience of such spaces. There has been limited consideration of the perspectives of those who work within these spaces every day and the support structures they create for themselves. Drawing on focus group discussions and interviews with vendors and other actors at one market, Awagasi market in Lae City in Papua New Guinea, we argue that the history …

Check Your Data Before You Wreck Your Model: The Impact Of Careless Responding On Substance Use Data Quality, Abby L. Braitman, Anna M. Petrey, Jennifer L. Shipley, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Emily Renzoni, Alison Looby, Adrian J. Bravo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The accuracy of survey responses is a concern in research data quality, especially in college student samples. However, examination of the impact of removing participants from analyses who respond inaccurately or carelessly is warranted given the potential for loss of information or sample diversity. This study aimed to understand if careless responding varies across a number of demographic indices, substance use behaviors, and the timing of survey completion.

Method: College students (N = 5809; 70.7% female; 75.7% White, non-Hispanic) enrolled in psychology classes from six universities completed an online survey assessing a variety of demographic and substance use-related information, …

Understanding The "Paradox" In Black-White Alcohol Outcomes: Examining High-Effort Coping And Health Behaviors With A Focus On Black Populations And College Students, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite experiencing more physical health disadvantages and psychosocial stressors, Black Americans consistently report better mental health outcomes compared to White Americans—a phenomenon commonly referred to as the Black-White health paradox. Alcohol research has identified another racial paradox suggesting Black Americans are at greater risk for alcohol-related problems despite drinking less than White Americans, which is known as the Black-White alcohol paradox. While both paradoxes are well-documented, few studies have examined their potential overlap or how insights from one might inform understanding of the other. Although the alcohol paradox is usually examined among older adults, it may be important to consider …

Perceived Ostracism And Fathers’ Experiences Of Grief And Trauma After Miscarriage, Eric D. Wesselmann, Jordan A. Arellanes, Leandra Parris

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Miscarriage can be a traumatic experience with serious mental health implications for parents. However, fathers’ experiences and outcomes post-miscarriage are understudied compared to those of mothers. Previous research focused on mothers’ experiences found that perceived ostracism correlated with grief intensity and posttraumatic stress symptoms, predicting unique variance in symptoms beyond grief intensity factors. We replicate several of these research findings in a sample of fathers and demonstrate that their perceived ostracism correlated positively with posttraumatic stress symptoms and negatively with grief reality (i.e. the pregnancy did not feel real to them). Perceived ostracism also explained additional variance in posttraumatic stress …

Autism Is Black Too! Intersectional Experiences With Service Provision For Black Autistic Individuals And Their Families, Brea M. Banks, Tyra Jackson, Randi Goodwin, Raven Moore

Faculty Publications – Psychology

We aimed to address a gap in the literature surrounding the experiences of Black autistic individuals and their families, specific to their engagement in the diagnostic process and service provision broadly. Our study was theoretically oriented in critical theories, as we aimed to push back against the dominant narrative about autism. We used qualitative methods and conducted interviews with Black autistic people (n = 2) and parents of Black autistic people (n = 9) to learn about their experiences. We employed an inductive approach to interpretation of data and used MAXQDA to engage in analysis. Results demonstrated that …