Digital Commons Network^™

Artificial Intelligence And Perception: An Empirical Study, Anthony J. Neil

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of adjusting artificial intelligence explainability levels’ outputs on user perception. The overarching study extends within the Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) domain. It examines a spectrum of variables, including performance, cognizance, familiarity, transparency, system bias, and the overall impact of AI, to understand their collective and individual effects that enable effective professional use in an organization. The study aims to illuminate the relationship between the degree of explainability provided by large language models such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing AI and the performance of these models when tasked with XAI adjustments.

Exploring Fiscal Year Budget Assessments: A Look At Sbir/Sttr And Congressional Rescissions, Bryan N. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between acquisition programs within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (LCMC) and budgetary assessments from both the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR & STTR) programs, as well as Congressional Rescissions. It analyzes the tendency and severity of budget cuts across different programs, considering factors such as completion time, budget activities, and a variable akin to true Acquisition Category (ACAT) levels. Key findings include a significant difference in the rates of proportion of programs assessed between appropriations 3010 (23.65%) and 3600 (67.05%) from fiscal years 2010-2023. The research indicates a …

The Impact Of Resilience On A Middle Manager’S Resistance To Organizational Change, April D. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Change is never ending in organizations, as it is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage. Although change is needed, research shows most change implementations do not succeed.

Middle managers (MMs) are considered the main facilitators of change. They receive directive for change and are tasked with not only processing and accepting the change but also communicating the directive down into the ranks and executing upon it. This basic qualitative study explored how resilience can aid an MM when implementing change, where resistance is present. The conceptual framework for this study included Lewin’s (1947) three-stage model of change theory and the …

Unpacking Qalb Behavioral Traits Through The Lens Of Maqasid Al-Shariah: A Pathway To Foster Inclusive Entrepreneurial Intentions In The Muslim Community, Mhd Louai Sarhan, Kamarulzaman Ab Aziz

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

In Malaysia, a worrisome trend is emerging as an increasing number of individuals find themselves trapped within the poverty bracket and the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) socioeconomic groups. To address the economic and social challenges faced by these marginalized communities and to contribute significantly to poverty reduction and overall well-being, inclusive entrepreneurship has emerged as a pivotal strategy. This study delves into the critical imperative of inclusive entrepreneurship, which often eludes existing quantitative measurements of societal well-being. These measurements frequently overlook the fundamental dimensions of social and psychological well-being inherent to inclusive entrepreneurship. Drawing from the Islamic framework of …

A Case Study Examining How Culture And Shared Leadership Practices Improve Literacy, Jennifer Gutierrez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine how school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in an urban Title I elementary school. Shared leadership practices are defined as transformational and instructional leadership that ensures all stakeholders are included as active participants, and that collaborative objectives are carried out (DeWitt, 2017). The central research question is, how do school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in urban elementary schools? The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, as it impacts the direction of behavior …

A Mixed Methods Study To Evaluate The Nature Of The Lead Pastor's Psychological Capital And The Impact On Leading Church Revitalization, Toney Allen Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In response to the substantial amount of church revitalization that is necessary to cause a noteworthy decrease in the 70 percent of churches in America that are declining or plateauing (Rainer, 2019, para. 4), lead pastors carry a biblical responsibility to lead churches into growth and spiritual health (Jamieson, 2011, para. 15-16). While church planting is a respectable portion of the macro solution, revitalizing declining or plateaued existing churches is an equally significant part of the solvent. However, a substantial majority of revitalization literature and education focuses on the practical methodology of implementing church renewal and emphasizing the lead pastor’s …

Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates

Social Work Faculty Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for social workers in the U.S. and abroad has increased. There is demand for more social workers in North Carolina due to ongoing and increasing mental health, substance use disorder, and child welfare needs. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the personal and professional lives of social workers, and research is needed to understand the pandemic’s effects on burnout and commitment among social workers. The present study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the personal and professional lives of social workers practicing in North Carolina and to determine how …

Reimagining The Criminal Justice Response To Sexual Assault, Jacob Swanson

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

After a crime is reported, several different stakeholders work to take the case from a police report to a conviction. In sexual assault cases, these stakeholders may consist of police officers, medical professionals, advocates, forensic scientists, prosecutors, and others. Yet, this process cannot begin until a victim reports their crime to law enforcement. Sexual assault cases are widely underreported and for a variety of reasons. Data from the 2015-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey suggests that only about one-third of sexual assaults are reported to police, while only about 3% lead to a felony conviction (RAINN, n.d.).

The criminal justice community …

Nurse Relationships, Techniques, And Turnover With Female Nurses In Nigeria, Judith Obirieze Oparaocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse understaffing relates to reduced quality and safety of care in the healthcare sector, which substantially risks the nation's future health. With issues such as faculty shortage, burnout, increased workload, retirement, and increased turnover, the nursing sector has been unable to sustainably have adequate staffing to satisfy patients' needs. Nurse leaders, directly and indirectly, influence the rate of nurse retention and turnover mainly by affecting the work environment, workload, and staff motivation. Based on the leader-member exchange model, this research stipulates that an amicable and supportive relationship between leaders and followers promotes staff retention and increased productivity. The study aims …

Efficiency In Hr: Lean Management With E-Sep And Auto Closing System In Pasar Minggu Hospital, Melanie Husna, Prima Syahputra

Jurnal ARSI : Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia

The study focuses on enhancing efficiency in outpatient transactions at Pasar Minggu Hospital, which, in 2019, experienced a high volume of visits primarily covered by national health insurance. With 299,041 outpatient visits using national health insurance that year, the hospital's transition to a COVID-19 referral facility in 2020 underscored the urgency of streamlining operations. Presently, outpatient transactions are manually closed by three staff members, led by the financial administrator, who handles Participant Eligibility Letter files, resolves transaction issues, and finalizes services. Given the imperative for digitization accelerated by the pandemic, the study adopts lean thinking, employing a value stream map …

Leadership Strategies To Increase Department Store Employees' Morale, Stephanie L. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Department store leaders who lack effective strategies to increase employee morale face an organizational decrease in productivity, thus increasing absenteeism and turnover rates, which could cost an organization billions of dollars. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore leadership strategies department store managers use to increase employee morale and improve productivity in their organizations. The participants were seven department store leaders who minimized low employee morale. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of public company documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) effective communication, (b) …

Open Strategy For Social Impact: An Action Research Study Of A Multistakeholder Open Strategy Planning Process, Jo Pang

Dissertations

As social and environmental challenges become increasingly dire, organizations are focusing on creating positive social impacts beyond generating profits. Traditional strategic planning tools were originally created for the purposes of profit maximization and are not sufficient for organizations with the aim of addressing complex social issues. Open strategy offers a promising alternative by increasing multistakeholder involvement in the formulation of organizational strategy. Existing research has supported the idea that multistakeholder collaboration is an effective means for creating positive social impact since societal challenges are too complex for any one organization to sufficiently address. Despite these promises, there are risks and …

Community Nonprofit And Small Business Partnerships - The Impact On Community Well-Being, Tracye D. Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the challenges impeding the establishment of sustainable partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in South Fulton, Georgia, and their potential impact on community development were explored. Drawing upon existing literature and employing a qualitative research approach involving ten community leaders from NPOs and ten small business (SB) owners, the perceived barriers hindering successful partnerships were examined through thematic coding in NVivo. The findings revealed a range of obstacles, including inadequate funding, limited financial capacity, divergent interests, uneven benefits, and challenges arising from the COVID-19 economic landscape. The study included insights into the potential for stronger …

Strategies To Engage Multigenerational Workforces, With A Focus On Millennials, Talisha T. Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A problem that continues in the blue-collar industry is the lack of strategies to keep a multigenerational workforce engaged, especially millennials. The purpose of this basic qualitative descriptive design was to learn how to engage the millennial workforce in the blue-collar industry. The study examined the generational shift in the workplace leading to high turnover in the construction blue-collar industry. The goal was to enhance understanding of the effects of the generational shift in the blue-collar industry and show the impact that millennials have and will have on the blue-collar industry. The two research questions addressed (a) how experienced supervisors …

Walk It Like You Talk It: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of College Athletics Response To The Murder Of George Floyd, Ezinne Ofoegbu, Leslie Ekpe

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

(Black)Listed: The College Sport Landscape, Historically Black Colleges And Universities, And A Theory Of Racialized Organizations, Sayvon Jl Foster, John N. Singer, Joseph Cooper

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Toxic Coaching Of Collegiate Student-Athletes: Burnout Mediates The Relation Between School/Sport Conflict And Commitment, David Rusbasan, Brian Collisson, Ericka Ham

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Person-Environment Fit On The Academic Satisfaction Of Division Ii Student-Athletes, Mark Beattie, Brian A. Turner

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Assessing Fundraising Practices Of Intercollegiate Athletic Departments: An Empirical Analysis Of Tiered Reward Systems, Javonte U. Lipsey, Nels Popp, Jonathan A. Jensen, Patrick Patrick

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

The Five-Stage Process Of Legitimacy Building Within A Sport Interest Association, Dylan P. Williams, Chad Seifried, Brian P. Soebbing

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Organizational Justice Perceptions Among Coaches Of Revenue And Non Revenue Intercollegiate Male Sports, Dustin F. Thorn, T. Christopher Greenwell, Mary A. Hums, Daniel F. Mahony

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Exploring Success: Variations In Division I Student-Athlete Academic And Athletic Performance, Marissa K. Nichols, Nancy L. Lough, Alice J. Corkill

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Direct Impacts Of Geography On Sport Organizations Through Athletic Association Movement, Dylan Williams, Brian Soebbing, Chad Seifried

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Using Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Access In Difficult Intravenous Access Patients, Diana Hampton

Dissertations

Inserting a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) can be challenging on the first attempt. At the project site there was no systematic process to impact failed first-attempt success for PIVC access, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the implementation of the Emergency Nurses Association's (ENA) Clinical Practice Guideline: Difficult Intravenous Access would impact the number of patients identified as difficult intravenous access (DIVA) and first-attempt success for peripheral intravenous access. The project was piloted over 12 weeks in a community living center in a Veterans Administration facility in the southern …

Navigating Title Ix Changes Through The Lived Work Experiences Of Title Ix Investigators, Robert Anthony Braswell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived work experiences of Title IX Investigators as they navigate their responsibilities amongst the continuous changes to Title IX policies and procedures. The lived work experiences of 12 Title IX investigators were collected through in-depth one-on-one interviews to provide knowledge and contribute to the limited preexisting literature regarding their role. Recommendations were provided for Title IX coordinators and advisory teams to foster a satisfactory work environment for Title IX investigators.

Implementation Of A Standardized Handoff Reference Tool From The Intensive Care Unit To The Operating Room, Sophia Agbomah, Stacie Summers

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background and Review of Literature: This quality improvement (QI) intervention evaluated the effectiveness of a standardized handoff reference tool for patients transferring from the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) to the operating room (OR) in a large metropolitan level I trauma center. There was minimal data to assess the quality of this sequence of patient transfer as no systematic ICU-OR handoff content practices were currently employed at the hospital. This project aimed to help fill the practice-knowledge gap that could impact some of the most vulnerable patients during ICU-OR transfer. Methods: Pre- and post-implementation staff surveys, live observations, and chart …

Leadership Development Strategies For Sustaining Organization Performance Through The Upper Echelon Theory, Marjorie Mccants

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders within the Department of the Army in the Military District of Washington frequently experience turnover that necessitates a new leader's transition into a position. These new leaders sometimes experience challenges in successfully transitioning into the organization to maintain the continuity of operations. Grounded in the upper echelon theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies senior leaders use to transition new subordinate leaders into their organization successfully. The participants included eight military and civilian leaders with more than eight years of knowledge and experience in employing effective strategies for developing midlevel managers. Data were …

Psychological Contract Breach Between Coaches And Student-Athletes: The Impact On Team Commitment, Christopher R. Barnhill, Brian A. Turner

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Virtual Facilitation Best Practices And Research Priorities: A Scoping Review, Asya Agulnik, Derrecka Boykin, Denalee M O'Malley, Julia Price, Mia Yang, Mark Mckone, Geoffrey Curran, Mona J Ritchie

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Facilitation is an implementation strategy that supports the uptake of evidence-based practices. Recently, use of virtual facilitation (VF), or the application of facilitation using primarily video-based conferencing technologies, has become more common, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Thorough assessment of the literature on VF, however, is lacking. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe conceptual definitions of VF, evaluate the consistency of terminology, and recommend "best" practices for its use as an implementation strategy.

METHODS: We conducted a scoping review to identify literature on VF following the PRISMA-ScR guidance. A search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and …

Equity Requires Action: Principals’ Use And Value Of Culturally Proficient Educational Practice, Jaime E. Welborn Ph.D., Peter Flores Iii, Ed.D.

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This quantitative, descriptive study investigated K-12 public school principals' perceptions regarding the degree to which they use and value practices related to cultural competence in their roles as school leaders. While an abundance of literature regarding leadership in education, disparities in educational outcomes, and school change exists, inequities in policy and practice perpetuate academic and social setbacks for some of our nation's youth Using the lens of the Cultural Proficiency Framework, specifically the Essential Elements, this study aimed to address the research questions and add to the literature by examining (1) the school principals' value in using culturally competent practices; …