Digital Commons Network^™

Information Technology Industry Leaders’ Methods To Enhance Employee Job Performance, Helen Chioma Orisakwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many U.S. tech companies are grappling with the challenge of sustaining high employee performance. It's crucial for information technology (IT) executives and business leaders to adopt strategies that support high employee performance, as this is vital for fostering innovation, promoting staff well-being, and ensuring reliable service. Grounded in Bass and Avolio’s transformational leadership theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry sought to determine which leadership practices employed by experienced IT supervisors most effectively elevate employee performance. Purposive sampling was used to recruit seven IT organizational leaders with at least five years of supervisory experience and demonstrated success in performance-enhancing initiatives. Data from …

Improving Fall Prevention Practices Through Nursing Staff Education In Psychiatric Hospitals, Fidelia Chukwuto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary Falls are a significant patient safety concern in psychiatric units due to unique risk factors such as impaired cognition, medication side effects, and behavioral issues. This nursing staff education project focused on fall prevention practices among RNs and mental health technicians (MHTs) in a psychiatric hospital by enhancing staff knowledge through a targeted educational intervention. The practice problem addressed inconsistent fall prevention practices stemming from a lack of specialized training, which increased the risk of patient harm, longer hospital stays, and healthcare costs. The purpose of the project was to determine whether an evidence-based educational intervention could enhance nursing …

The Influence Of Emotional Intelligence On Project Leadership Effectiveness, Puteri Sara Lily Mohd Fauzi

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Effective leadership was necessary to enable the completion of modern projects due to their increasing complexity. An important component of leadership success was emotional intelligence (EI), which was defined by self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. This study examined how emotional intelligence affected project leadership effectiveness and how it might have improved project delivery results. The study adopted a qualitative approach and concentrated on detailed information obtained from project managers across a range of industries. Stakeholder communication, team motivation, conflict resolution, and project success rates were examples of leadership performance indicators that were examined in this study in connection …

From Bed To Table: Improving Outcomes By Encouraging Patient Mobility During Meals, Quyen Ho

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is a preventable complication associated with increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and elevated healthcare costs. Early mobility, particularly positioning patients out of bed for meals, is a key strategy to mitigate this risk. Problem: On a 42-bed telemetry unit, only 24% of eligible patients were positioned out of bed for meals. This low rate of mobility presented an opportunity to reduce the risk of HAP and improve patient outcomes. Interventions: This quality improvement initiative, guided by the Donabedian Model, employed a nurse-led intervention that included daily mobility assessments, visual bedside cues, and targeted staff education. …

Implementing Strategies To Reduce Hospital Readmission Reduction Program Readmissions By Improving Discharge Planning In Nonprofit Hospitals, Joy Nwagboliwe Chukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Non-profit healthcare administrators in United States hospitals face the challenge of hospital readmissions, especially due to the CMS Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), which affects reimbursement. The purpose and review question for this integrative review was to research evidence-based strategies that could be implemented to improve the discharge planning process in non-profit hospitals and reduce readmissions for patients with HRRP diagnoses. A review of literature identified 126 articles for analysis, with 25 studies selected for quality assessment using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and the Research Evidence Appraisal form. The Donabedian framework provided a structured approach for evaluating …

Teacher Challenges In Ela Instruction For Low-Achieving Elementary Students In Urban Title I Schools, Keshiea Tamika Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that approximately 80% of upper elementary students do not reach proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) at an urban Title I school district in Georgia, despite implementing intervention and literacy programs. Guided by Senge’s organizational learning theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the challenges that elementary teachers face when providing ELA instruction to low-achieving students in a local Title I school district in Georgia. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 ELA teachers across Grades 3-5. Data were analyzed …

Effective Public Sector Information System Enterprise Cybersecurity Leadership Strategies, Christopher Adiele Orisakwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public sector organizations face increasing cybersecurity risks due to the growing complexity of digital infrastructure, expanding attack surfaces, and evolving threat landscapes. Despite the increasing risk, many Information Technology (IT) leaders continue to struggle with implementing comprehensive and sustainable strategies to protect information systems. Grounded in Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior, the purpose of qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective cybersecurity strategies IT leaders in the public sector use to protect organizations from cyberattacks, maintain public trust, and prevent financial losses. The project examined how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence leaders’ cybersecurity practices. Data were collected …

Exploring Strategies For Mitigating Toxic Behaviors And Improving Employee Retention In Organizations, Roy Lydell Rucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of mitigation strategies for middle manager toxic leadership can negatively affect organizational retention outcomes. Business leaders are concerned with a lack of effective strategies to counteract these behaviors and improve retention. Grounded in the toxic leadership theory, this study aimed to explore executive leaders’ strategies for mitigating toxic leadership and enhancing retention, guided by the toxic leadership framework. A qualitative, pragmatic inquiry design employed purposive sampling of nine C-suite executives from U.S. technology small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Data were collected via semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Thematic analysis, employing iterative coding and constant comparison, yielded six themes: …

Non-Traditional Student Experiences With Using An Asynchronous Video Writing Tutorial, Michele Sweeting-Decaro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated in this study was that low-level writing skills among postsecondary, non-traditional students contributed to poor essay grades, a lack of persistence, and low test scores, resulting in increased drop-out rates. A college writing center in a large city in the Northeastern United States developed an innovative, asynchronous tutorial to improve students' writing skills. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of non-traditional students at a four-year college regarding an on-demand asynchronous writing tutorial offered by the college writing center. The technology acceptance model was used to frame the study because it has …

Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness And Executive Leaders, Karen Renee Solomon Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. nonprofit organizations provide important services to society as an integral sector within the community. This necessitates organizational effectiveness. The problem explored in this research concerned how nonprofit executive leaders defined organizational effectiveness and perceived their role in creating and sustaining it within their organization. There was limited scholarly literature regarding a common understanding of how executive leaders defined organizational effectiveness within a nonprofit, and how they perceived their role in creating and maintaining it. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how nonprofit organization executive leaders defined organizational effectiveness and perceived their role in creating and …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Transforming Project Management In The Fashion, Selin Yapici

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

The quick adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a significant revolution in the fashion. The use of AI in project management is still somewhat unexplored, despite its widespread adaptation in design, retail, and marketing. The impact of AI on project management procedures in the fashion industry is examined in this study, with a focus on striking a balance between operational effectiveness and creative freedom. The study is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Industry 4.0, and Project Management Theory, which collectively offer a multi-theoretical perspective for comprehending the adoption and effects of AI. Examining fashion expert’s perspectives and …

Effects Of Risk Management Strategies On Project Delays In Aircraft Maintenance, Inkyu Lee

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Aircraft maintenance delays create operational inefficiencies, increase costs, and reduce aircraft availability. These delays were often caused by poor planning, weak communication, and inconsistent risk identification. Previous research focused mainly on safety and compliance, with less attention given to how risk management affected project efficiency. This qualitative study looked at how structured risk management strategies could help reduce delays in aircraft maintenance projects. Data was collected through interviews with 12 professionals working in line and hangar maintenance. Each participant had at least five years of experience with risk-related tasks. The group included technicians, lead mechanics, a planner, and a manager. …

Exploring The Role Of Accessibility In Enhancing User Experience: Trends, Challenges, And Opportunities Across Digital Platforms, Adiba Khan

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Accessibility was a fundamental aspect of enhancing user experience (UX) across digital platforms, ensuring equitable access to information and services for a diverse range of users, including individuals with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments. As digital products became increasingly central to education, commerce, and communication, the need for inclusive design grew. This study explored the intersection of accessibility and UX, with a specific focus on how accessibility-driven design improved usability, user satisfaction, engagement, and the overall quality of digital interactions. Grounded in Agile project management principles, the research examined how early integration of accessibility into the software development lifecycle …

A Comprehensive Evidence-Based Educational Initiative For Improving Hand Hygiene, Lyanna L. Chan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a persistent concern in assisted living facilities, often resulting from inconsistent hand hygiene practices. Although national guidelines exist, adherence remains suboptimal, especially where staff training and compliance monitoring are limited.

Context: This project took place in a 53-bed assisted living facility without a formal system to track or reinforce hand hygiene. The aim was to improve staff knowledge and promote infection prevention through education.

Interventions: A Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) led an evidence-based hand hygiene education program. The intervention included interactive training, visual reminders, personal sanitizers, and leadership support during clinical huddles.

Measures: Pre- …

Enhancing Adherence To Oxytocin Administration Guidelines To Reduce Postpartum Hemorrhage Rates In A Labor And Delivery Unit, Maya Denny

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a critical challenge in maternal care. It shows a 13% PPH incidence rate in a high-risk labor and delivery unit in a northern California medical center, exceeding the national benchmark of 5%–10% based on 2021 ACOG data from 150 patient records.

Problem: There is inconsistent adherence to oxytocin administration guidelines, with only 60% of 100 audited charts documenting fetal and uterine activity, contributing to the elevated rate. The team is looking for a target rate of 90%.

Intervention: This involves implementing a checklist, providing training for 25 clinicians, and conducting two 30-minute simulation scenarios …

The Pastoral Ministry Perspective Of Church Librarians, Ka Lim Cheung

The Christian Librarian

This article explores the pivotal role of church librarians from a ministry perspective, highlighting their importance in fostering spiritual growth and knowledge dissemination within congregations. It articulates the essence of ministry, emphasizing accountability to God and the spiritual significance of knowledge, as rooted in biblical teachings. The article outlines the multifaceted responsibilities of librarians, including resource management, communication, and relationship building, while advocating for a holistic approach that addresses congregants’ diverse needs. Furthermore, by highlighting the values of empathy, service, and hospitality, the article illustrates how librarians can create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages engagement with faith. It also explores …

Beyond A Monoracial Paradigm: Parents Practicing Racial Humility In The Racial Socialization Of Mixed-Race Children, Katherine Johnson

Sociology

Interracial parents face unique challenges in racially socializing their mixed-race children, but this socialization is imperative to their overall well-being and self-esteem. Using critical multiracial theory, the author argues that the interracial parents included in this study overwhelmingly understand the harm of promoting a monoracial paradigm of race when raising their children. They demonstrate this by implementing racial humility in their socialization practices to support and encourage the formation of a positive racial identity in their children. Drawing upon in-depth, semistructured interviews with 19 sets of interracial parents in the United States, the author identifies four themes related to how …

Genetic And Environmental Factors Contributing To The Pathogenesis Of Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused By Enterococcus Cecorum In Broiler Chicken, Ummu Syauqah Al Musyahadah, Andi Asnayanti, Anh Dang Trieu Do, Adnan Alrubaye

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) is the primary cause of Vertebral Osteomyelitis (VO) in poultry, characterized by a hock-sitting posture with legs extended forward. The disease begins with intestinal colonization, where pathogenic strains of E. cecorum establish themselves in the gut within the first week of a bird's lifecycle and translocate to the bloodstream later, reaching the organs, which finally infect the birds' Free Thoracic Vertebrae (FTV). Several factors contribute to the initiation and progression of the disease. Environmental factors such as heat stress, high blood sugar levels, prior infections, overcrowding, and rapid growth conditions weaken immunity and stimulate the emergence of …

The Anti-Work Attitude Scale: Conceptualizing And Measuring The Resistance To The Institution Of Work, Alayna Del Rosario

Master's Theses

Recent shifts in labor discourse have drawn attention to rising burnout, declining organizational commitment, and diminishing job satisfaction, which challenge traditional assumptions about the centrality and desirability of work. These tensions have given rise to the concept of anti-work, a growing discourse that questions the moral, economic, and psychological foundations of work itself. Despite its cultural relevance, anti-work remains largely undertheorized and unmeasured in empirical research. Drawing from interdisciplinary scholarship, this study defined anti-work as a negative critique of work as a social construct, questioning its value, purpose, and impact on individuals and society. Anti-work was operationalized through two higher-order …

Stability Of Micrornas In Serum And Plasma Reveal Promise As A Circulating Biomarker, Erryk S. Katayama, Jonathan J. Hue, Alexander W. Loftus, Semmer A. Ali, Hallie J. Graor, Luke D. Rothermel, Eric R. Londin, Mehrdad Zarei, Jordan M. Winter

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To verify the stability and reliability of circulating microRNA (miRNA) profiles in plasma and serum under different processing and storage conditions to inform future applications to circulating biomarker analyses.

BACKGROUND: The development of blood-based methods for early disease detection has become increasingly desirable across various medical fields. RNA profiles have been investigated but have been a challenge due to rapid degradation of the analyte by ubiquitous RNases. miRNAs are short, non-coding regulatory RNAs that are believed to be more stable under certain conditions, large in number, and specific to cell type and disease state. Thus, circulating miRNA profiles hold …

Fort Hays State University Tiger Weekly, August 08, 2025, University Relations

Tiger Weekly Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Hsp70 Is A Chaperone For Il-33 Activity In Chronic Airway Disease, Omar A. Osorio, Heather E. Raphael, Colin E. Kluender, Ghandi F. Hassan, Lucy S. Cohen, Deborah F. Steinberg, Ella Katz-Kiriakos, Morgan D. Payne, Ethan M. Luo, Jamie L. Hicks, Derek E. Byers, Jennifer Alexander-Brett

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IL-33 is a key driver of type 2 inflammation and implicated in pathology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. However, the mechanism for IL-33 secretion and regulation in the context of chronic airway disease is poorly understood. We previously reported an airway disease-associated isoform IL-33Δ34 that escapes nuclear sequestration and is tonically secreted from epithelial cells. Here, we describe how this IL-33Δ34 isoform interacts with HSP70 within cells and is targeted to secretory organelles through coordinated binding to phosphatidylserine (PS) and delivered to compartments for unconventional protein secretion (CUPS). Once secreted, extracellular HSP70 (eHSP70) in complex with IL-33Δ34 …

Lipid-Mediated Gating Of A Miniature Mechanosensitive Mscs Channel From Trypanosoma Cruzi, Jingying Zhang, Aashish Bhatt, Grigory Maksaev, Yun Lyna Luo, Peng Yuan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) from E. coli (EcMscS) has served as the prevailing model system for understanding mechanotransduction in ion channels. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite causing Chagas disease, encodes a miniature MscS ortholog (TcMscS) critical for parasite development and infectivity. TcMscS contains a minimal portion of the canonical EcMscS fold yet maintains mechanosensitive channel activity, thus presenting a unique model system to assess the essential molecular determinants underlying mechanotransduction. Using cryo-electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that TcMscS contains two short membrane-embedded helices that would not fully cross an intact lipid bilayer. Consequently, drastic …

Shark Wildlife Tourism’S Influence On Conservation Efforts, Elizabeth C. Saraf

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Shark wildlife tourism has the potential to shape pro-environmental values and attitudes, fostering meaningful conservation behaviors. Understanding the influence of participating in shark tourism activities provides valuable insights into its effectiveness as a conservation tool. This study compared different intervention types related to wildlife tourism, including both direct (i.e., swimming with sharks) and indirect (i.e., viewing a related documentary) interactions with sharks. To evaluate the impact of these intervention events, participants were surveyed at three time intervals: before, immediately afterwards, and one month after the event. The surveys assessed respondents’ psychological constructs related to the environment, specifically their value orientations, …

Tenth Anniversary Celebrations Of Aga Khan University Karachi

University anniversary celebration materials

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Potential Factors Influencing College Sport Communicators Feels Of Being Overworked And Underappreciated, Kelly P. Elliott, Natalie Bunch, Tyler Williams

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

CSCs play pivotal roles, balancing the preservation of student-athlete narratives with the real-time demands of media-driven communication. However, a persistent challenge has emerged: many CSCs experience a pronounced sense of being overworked and undervalued. This study aims to explore predictors contributing to CSCs' feelings of being overworked and underappreciated, investigating factors like years of experience, career motivations, reasons for institutional selection, and tenure plans to understand their impact on CSCs' perceptions before employment. Researchers sent a survey instrument that included Likert scale, closed-ended items related to feelings over being overworked and underappreciated to CSCs. The primary analysis involved an independent …

“I Want To Continue Athletics And I Also Want To Study”: Exploring International Student Athletes’ Transition Experiences To The Naia Affiliated Colleges, Kibaek Kim, Karina Jolly, Chris Corr, Jinwook Han

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

There are over a million international students pursuing their degrees in U.S. universities. Among them are 25,000 international student-athletes (ISAs) who are enrolled in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) affiliated Universities. While studies have been striving to foster and support this population’s successful transition to the U.S., few studies are available that deal with international student-athletes competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) affiliated universities. Hence, based on the transition theory, this study utilized focus group interviews to explore the transition experiences of ISAs competing in NAIA. Based on previous studies that explored the transition experiences of ISAs …

Do They Belong? Inquiries Into The Perceptions Of The Black Male College Athlete Identity In Higher Education, Marcis Fennell, Kayla Martinez, C.Keith Harrison, Whitney Griffin, Nick Kopka

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This qualitative study examined attitudes about Black male college athletes (BMCA)in predominantly White higher education institutions. To investigate the experience in the classroom, the purpose of this study was to inquire into the perception of the BMCA identity from the identity of the non-college athletes (NCA). Using the social identity complexity model, we sought to understand the perceptions that influence group formation among college students. The present study employed the film elicitation technique to examine the NCAs’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the BMCA identity in higher education during faculty interactions and its correlation to ingroup formation. The findings from …

Meet The Fars: An Examination Of The Background, Roles, And Appointment Of Faculty Athletic Representatives At National Collegiate Athletic Association Member Institutions, Chris Corr, Christopher Atwater, Mark S. Nagel, Richard Southall, Rick Eckstein, Marek Taškár

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

As many National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions continue to engage in athletic centric decision-making processes, academic integrity and the campus experience for college athletes is often marginalized. Mandated by the NCAA to represent athletes’ academic interests, the faculty athletics representative (FAR) position is designed to occupy a central role in maintaining the primacy of academia among college athletes. FARs, however, exist within an institutional setting muddled by competing and contradictory logics. Accordingly, given the inherent juxtaposition between the operation of collegiate athletics and the stated role of FARs, the present study sought to examine the characteristics and positional …

Assessing College Athletic Departments’ Ability To Implement The Ncaa Mental Health Best Practices, Grace O. Louis, Shaine Henert

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Student-athletes endure rigorous schedules, intense pressure, and significant physical and mental strain, all while being expected to show no signs of weakness. This high-stakes environment can exacerbate mental health challenges (Harris & Maher, 2023; Rice et al, 2016 & Brown, 2021). To address these concerns, the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute developed mental health best practices to support college student-athletes. However, FBS Division I non-autonomous athletic programs often struggle to fully implement these guidelines due to resource limitations, despite their commitment to student-athlete well-being (2021; Beebe & Petrie, 2024). This study employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to explore the …