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Employee Engagement As A Mediator Between Transformational Leadership And Organizational Commitment, Catherine Despotovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The hospitality industry in the Southeast United States plays a vital role in economic growth but faces leadership challenges that impact employee engagement and organizational commitment. Hospitality industry leaders should understand these challenges that disrupt service quality and negatively impact customer satisfaction and organizational stability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, employee engagement, and organizational commitment in the hospitality industry of the Southeast United States. The participants were 100 full-time hospitality employees who completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The results revealed significant positive …

Teachers’ Experiences With Researched-Based Programs And Strategies To Help Struggling Readers In Grades 6–8, Ebony Camille Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in this qualitative study was that adolescent students in Grades 6–8 in a rural district in the southeastern United States were struggling with reading and had inadequate reading comprehension achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate how teachers implemented researched-based practices of reading intervention programs and the strategies they deemed beneficial to use while aiding struggling students. Marzano’s nine instructional strategies were used to frame the study. The 12 participants were reading teachers, interventionists, and specialists. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using thematic analysis with open and axial coding. The …

From Assistance To Impact: The Expanding Role Of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants In Higher Education, Erin Measom

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is presented in a three-article format. It explores the evolving role of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in higher education, with a particular focus on how they facilitate interaction, engagement, and student success in online courses. As higher education institutions expand online learning and seek innovative ways to enhance student support, UTAs have emerged as key players in bridging the gap between students and instructors. The first article provides a scoping review of the literature on UTAs, tracing their historical evolution and examining their expanding role. While traditionally viewed as logistical or grading assistants, UTAs are increasingly taking on …

Reconnecting To The Person Before Acquired Brain Injury: A Continuing Bonds Grief Intervention, Elizabeth Gilmour, Alyson Norman

School of Psychology

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) affects millions yearly potentially altering the emotional, behavioural and physical characteristics of the person. Consequently, it can result in the person before the ABI being markedly different from the person after. Family members of individuals with ABI often report feeling grief but there is limited support to help them. This study aimed to pilot a four-week grief writing intervention based on the continuing bonds intervention ‘Hello Again’, for family members after ABI. The purpose was to determine the experience of writing the letters and the perceived benefit. Recruitment was through volunteer sampling, and three participants took …

The Effectiveness Of Clinical Frailty Assessment In Older Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury In Predicting Outcome And Quality Of Life: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth Cray, Nida Javed Hayat, Chi Ho Song, Max Western, Ellie Edlmann

Peninsula Medical School

Ground-level falls are the most common cause of Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leading to emergency hospital admissions, in adults aged 65 years and older. The world’s population is ageing and frailty is becoming more relevant in healthcare provision, therefore assessment of frailty on admission is integral to care planning. Identifying whether frailty is a risk factor for poor outcomes may facilitate clinical decision making and direct care appropriately. This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical frailty assessment or scale in predicting outcomes in older patients following a TBI, including mortality, functional recovery, hospital length of stay, and …

The Colors Of Good And Evil: A Quantitative Study On The Effect Of Disney Animated Feature Films On Audience Color Association, Grace Mallory Hayes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine what impact Disney animated feature films have on audience color association. The problem is that Disney assigns colors to certain movie roles that are in contrast to what color theory posits or would assume. This study sought to determine if audiences that are highly saturated in Disney animated feature films receive a different message from colors than someone who does not regularly consume Disney films. This research examines the impact of Disney habitually assigning colors to characters in contrast to their traditional meaning on the emotional association of viewers through …

Exploring The Differences Of Gender On Physician Burnout And Perceptions Of Work Environment, Holly C. Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Physician burnout is a growing public health crisis, threatening care quality, patient safety, and workforce sustainability. Research suggests gender may influence burnout levels and perceptions of the work environment. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined gender differences in physician burnout and workplace perceptions among U.S. physicians that impact burnout. A total of 170 licensed physicians completed an online survey using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS (MP)) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). MANOVA results indicated a significant multivariate effect of gender on burnout. Follow-up ANOVA testing revealed that gender was significantly related to emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. …

Building Resilience In Ministry With Effective Supports Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study Of Long-Tenured Pastors In The Southeastern United States, Tina Marie Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study, which involved long-tenured pastors in a southeastern state in the United States, explored how these pastors framed resiliency in ministry during COVID-19 and what tools or practices helped them to be resilient. The study also explored the effects of social distancing on the demands of ministry, on pastors, and their congregations, and if earlier resiliency practices continued to suffice. Pastors were often the first professionals people went to when guidance was needed in every aspect of life. Pastors aided with not only spiritual guidance, but also, they were sought after for guidance in mental health and emotional …

A Combined Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Social Skill Intervention For Autistic Youth With Symptoms Of Anxiety, Ashley Dreiss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent co-occurring diagnoses in autistic youth, often exacerbating challenges in social functioning and quality of friendships. While social skills interventions and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have demonstrated efficacy in addressing these difficulties separately, limited research has examined the integration of these approaches within an individualized format, while including measures of self-report and generalization of skills. This study investigates the development, implementation, and efficacy of a combined CBT/social skill intervention for autistic youth with symptoms of anxiety. Utilizing a single-case multiple baseline design, the study evaluates outcomes across levels of anxiety symptoms and social competence …

Creative Climates: The Impact Of Different Environmental Exposure On Group And Individual Creativity, Michael P. Hopkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of indoor versus outdoor environmental exposure and individual versus group participation on verbal creativity performance. Guided primarily by Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989), it was predicted that outdoor natural settings would enhance creativity through restorative cognitive processes. Additionally, it was hypothesized that groups would outperform individuals due to the cognitive advantages of collective induction and information pooling. Participants (N = 256) completed verbal creativity tasks—Remote Associates Task (RAT; convergent creativity) and Alternate Uses Task (AUT; divergent creativity)—following a 30-minute exposure period in either an indoor student center or outdoor botanical garden setting, …

Exploring Age And Employee Experience Among Healthcare Workers Post-Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila-Celestine Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the well-being of healthcare employees and their experience following COVID-19. The pandemic has negatively affected adults over the age of 50 in the United States and limited their ability to return to work. Older adults who have returned to work have faced challenges with discrimination, lack of work, stress, and other factors. A survey of 59 adult healthcare workers, 21 years and older, was conducted to determine whether there is a relation between age and perceptions of organizational support during the pandemic including work factors such as stress, job satisfaction, and age discrimination. A non-experimental research …

Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Work Intensification In A New Jersey High School, John Joseph Manning

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore high school teachers’ lived experiences with work intensification in northern New Jersey. The theory that guided this study was Apple’s teacher work intensification thesis as it helps to explain the organizational conditions that lead to increases in teacher workloads, as well as teachers’ responses to work intensification. The central research question for this study involved exploring the lived experiences of 10 public high school teachers in New Jersey managing perceived feelings of time poverty due to work intensification. Sub-questions were used to explore teachers’ value of time during their workday, …

The Experiences Of Itinerant Teachers Of The Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Promoting Self-Determination Skills Among K-12 Students With Hearing Loss: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca E. Rhodes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of promoting self-determination skills in students with hearing loss to address their listening and learning challenges for itinerant teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing at K-12 public schools in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory through the lens of teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing promoting competency, autonomy, and relatedness skills in relation to self-determination for addressing challenges among students with hearing loss. The study's central research question was: What are the experiences of itinerant teachers of the deaf/hard of …

Diversity Matters In Public Education: A Phenomenological Study, Monique A. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of diverse public-school educators who are overlooked for promotion and educational advancement opportunities within public school systems in the State of Texas. The theories guiding this study were Marilyn Brewer's optimal distinctiveness theory, which advocates how every individual needs to belong and feel uniquely accepted, and James House's social support theory, which purports the importance of groupthink--a concept that leans toward togetherness. The central research question, What are the lived experiences of diverse, public-school educators who are overlooked for promotion and educational advancement opportunities within public school …

Sense Of Belonging In The Workplace: Development And Validation Of A Scale, Campbell C. Dunson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this dissertation, I describe the development and validation of the Sense of Belonging in the Workplace Scale (SBWS). A comprehensive, multidisciplinary review of the belonging construct revealed five key components of a sense of belonging in the workplace: (1) accepted/liked, (2) known/understood, (3) purpose/status, (4) respected/voice, and (5) safety/trust. Scale validation began with a review of 40 initial items by a panel of 12 subject matter experts (SMEs). The items were then revised, and a pilot study involving 67 participants was conducted to test these 40 items through exploratory factor analysis and construct validation. The top-performing 25 items were …

Olfactory Training: Reclaiming Our Wellbeing, Nathan Smetzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The connection between the sense of smell and memory offers a promising avenue for enhancing cognitive, emotional, and mental health, thereby contributing to overall wellbeing. This research explores how olfactory stimuli relate to memory and emotion, aiming to expand understanding of the effects of scent-based interventions on mental health. Utilizing a 12-week longitudinal phenomenological approach with experimental components, the study engaged seven participants in a regimen of olfactory training twice daily. Participants used essential oils—citrus, cloves, eucalyptus, and rose—applied to cotton and kept in sealed containers, along with a pen and daily planner. Data were gathered through recurring qualitative interviews …

Strengthening Communication Between Staff And Health Providers In A Mental Health Setting, Michael Tricoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Communication between nursing staff and providers is essential for supporting optimum patient outcomes. Each component of the communication process needs to be clearly defined to create an environment of safety for both patients and caregivers. The SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) is a nurse-driven protocol that is widely used as a communication and documentation template in health care organizations. This format is currently not being used effectively on the mental health units where the evidence-based project was implemented. Recognizing and reiterating the value of SBAR as a communication tool is necessary when communication deficits are noted. The purpose and scope …

Applying The Nonadoption, Abandonment, Scale-Up, Spread, And Sustainability (Nasss) Framework To Adapt The Champ App For Pediatric Feeding Tube Weaning: Application And Case Report., Dana Bakula, Alexandra Zax, Sarah T. Edwards, Kristina Nash, April Escobar, Rachel Graham, Amy Ricketts, Ryan Thompson, Sarah Bullard, Julianne Brogren, Leah Shimmens, Lori A. Erickson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based tube feeding (TF) weaning involves reducing the volume of tube feeds to induce hunger, with interdisciplinary monitoring to allow for proactive medical, nutritional, and behavioral intervention as needed. This can be done outpatient; however, the current standard of care requires a high degree of medical monitoring and care coordination, which can be challenging to implement. The CHAMP App is a mobile app designed for remote patient monitoring of children born with congenital heart conditions who are at high risk for medical morbidity and mortality. The CHAMP App remote patient monitoring program would be ideally suited to improve medical …

The Not-So Wonderful World Of Disney: How Disney Films Usurp What Is In The Bible, Jacquelyn Irene Cortez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Disney films are often chosen as entertainment for families and their main target audience is children. While many adults still choose to watch these films, there is a darker side to these films. A majority of these films depict magic and/or witchcraft in them. The ideologies of feminism and toxic masculinity are on display in many of their films. And finally, a lot of these films mock God and what is in the Bible. When looking at popular films such as The Little Mermaid and Frozen, these films are teaching children about magic and making deals with the devil. Disney’s …

Strategies For Time Management Challenges Of The First-Year Secondary School Music Educator, Jamey Bartlett Derks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the number of first-year music educators, there is a lack of research on the challenges of time management that first-year teachers face. Time management affects first-year secondary music teachers in areas that challenge their success in the classroom. This study recovered first-year music educators’ perspectives and experiences in the music classroom, specifically regarding time management challenges. Guided by Husserl’s phenomenological research model, this qualitative phenomenological research study identified perspectives that must be explored and documented concerning first-year music educators’ time management challenges. Perspectives on lesson planning, classroom management, and mentor assistance have emerged as themes through studying a small …

The U.S. And Japan: Containing A Rising China?, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Early

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research involved investigating the impact that the coherence between international relations (IR) theories and national strategies and policy practice through effective implementation (independent variables) have on China’s perceived vulnerabilities (CPV; dependent variable) using the Cold War, the United States, and Japan case studies. The research focused on how the coherence between these variables could shape CPV and strategic calculations, particularly concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea. Additionally, the research involved analyzing how the modern strategies of conventional deterrence (i.e., the strategy of denial and integrated deterrence) influence CPV. This study was guided by the hypothesis that the degree …

Therapists’ Inclusion Of Forgiveness During Cognitive Processing Therapy For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Marybeth Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated whether the inclusion of an evidence-based forgiveness therapy during a course of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) improved the efficacy of the treatment. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study examined 201 completed episodes of care from CPT-trained and rostered clinicians. Participants were divided into two groups. Group one contained clinicians who used no less than 46 minutes of an evidence-based forgiveness therapy intervention (n = 102), and group two (n = 99) contained clinicians who did not utilize an evidence-based forgiveness intervention. Pre- and post-treatment PTSD symptom severity was measured using the PTSD Checklist for …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study Interpreting The Lived Experience Of K-12 Teachers: The Role Of Technology Integration In Shaping Academic Performance, Kathy S. Vaughan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to interpret the lived experience of K-12 teachers and the role of technology integration in shaping academic performance. The theory guiding this study was Bronfenbrenner's theory, which described how important the environments surrounding the individual were in affecting development. The central research question guiding this study was, "How do K-12 teachers interpret their lived experiences with technology integration and its role in shaping academic performance?" Participants in the study included K-12 teachers from the southeastern United States with at least three years of experience integrating technology. The participants were selected using purposive …

Identifying Effective Counseling Strategies For Working With Women Who Endorse A Strong Black Woman Schema: Exploring The Perspectives Of African American Clinicians, Jacqueline Javonne Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American women underutilize mental health services despite experiencing high rates of psychological distress. Existing literature has not fully explored how the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema influences this behavior. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how the lived experiences of African American women positively influenced or impeded their help-seeking behaviors to address mental health problems through the lens of African American women mental health clinicians via Zoom Video Communications. This study addressed the gap in research on how cultural norms, systemic barriers, and therapeutic strategies shape access to care for this population.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted …

Do Perceived Social Support And Positive Religious Coping Moderate Any Relationship Between Post-Intensive Care Syndrome–Family Symptoms And Quality Of Life In Informal Caregivers Of Intensive Care Unit Survivors?, Carol R. Hirschkorn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Family members and close friends often act as informal caregivers (CGs) for survivors of critical illness, assisting with activities of daily living, ongoing care needs, and adjustment to life after critical illness. These CGs simultaneously cope with their own mental, physical, and social sequelae, including significant changes (to roles and responsibilities) in everyday life. Qualitative researchers have examined this constellation of CG symptoms, which constitute post-intensive care syndrome–family (PICS-F), to understand the experiences, needs, and coping of CGs of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. None have looked at the impact of religious coping and perceived social support on PICS-F and …

The Functionality Of Special Education Inclusion: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Collaboration, And Co-Teaching, Steven Andre Madden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of educators utilizing inclusive collaborative teaching models within co-teaching environments to develop positive student academic experiences for students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities at various locations within the Long River School District (pseudonym) located in the Mid-South of the United States. The theory that guided this study was Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which underpins the postulation that a student can learn through the help of a more knowledgeable other with the aid of the zone of proximal development, which correlates to collaborative co-teaching as a mode …

Crossing The Line: How Larry Doby, Jack Johnson, And The Syracuse Eight Broke The Color Barriers And Demanded Equality In Sports, Joey O'Ryan Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how Jack Johnson, Larry Doby, and the Syracuse Eight broke racial barriers in sports. In this dissertation, the lives of several people who broke racial barriers in sports will be examined. First, there is the life and times of Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight boxing champion, known for his larger-than-life attitude and his willingness to live his life on his own terms. Then, Larry Doby will be explored. He was the second African American to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball and the first to do so in the American League. Lastly, the …

Systemizing Church Hospitality: Converting Attendees To Committed Members, Dallas J. Blacklock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American church continues to lack a theoretical framework to guide newcomers through the process of becoming members. The problem is that First Mt. Carmel MBC lacks an onboarding system to guide visitors and guests through the process from attendees to members. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to design, teach, and implement a 12-week onboarding system to integrate visitors into the congregation. To connect visitors to the congregation in the process of becoming a new creation in Christ, strategic steps are predetermined to assimilate them into the congregation. This problem was addressed by developing and implementing …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring Transition Planning For High School Seniors With An Individualized Education Program. Are We Doing Enough?, Chrystal A P Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to discover the views of high school seniors with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and their experiences with transition planning. This study identified that there is more work to do in inclusive education in understanding how to implement transition planning goals and utilizing collaborative efforts from all educators, the students, and their parents. Most of the available research discussed building awareness towards implementing transition planning, which aimed at building self-awareness in the educator. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Bandura’s social cognitive theory is based on the belief …

Ebony Heroes: The United States Colored Troops From Kentucky During The War Between The States, Robert B. Mccormack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sergeant Major Thomas Boswell, a soldier assigned to the 116th US Colored Infantry Regiment (USCI) asserted, “We are Kentucky boys, and there is no regiment in the field that ever fought better. We can boast of being the heroes of eight hard-fought battles, and this we deem a sufficient recommendation for our discharge…” 1 The fog of history has stilled the voices of the intrepid men, the colored Kentuckians, who populated the ranks of the federal army who served during the 1861-1865 War Between the States as the United States Colored Troops. The federal government, rather than the Kentucky Commonwealth, …