Business Commons^™

Funding Strategies For Smallholder Rice Farmers In Afadzato South District, Ghana, Faith S. Ababio-Twi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Agriculture revenue contributions to Ghana's gross domestic product have declined because of limited farm funding, which has constrained some smallholder rice farmers access credit to acquire necessary inputs, and to secure a stable market for their harvests. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies some smallholder rice farmers in the Afadzato South District of Ghana used in obtaining farm funding. Data collection included semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 9 smallholder rice farmers who successfully obtained farm funding. Previous research, reports, and policies of the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture served as additional data collection …

Relationship Between Time Estimation, Cost Estimation, And Project Performance, Eyas Nakhleh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the project management role is increasing, project failure rates remain high. Project time and cost are 2 project factors that can affect the performance of the projects. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between time estimation, cost estimation, and project performance. Data collection involved a purposive sample of 67 project sponsors, managers, and coordinators in Qatar. The theoretical framework was the iron triangle, also known as the triple constraints. Participants were randomly invited to answer 18 questions using the project implementation profile instrument. A standard multiple regression analysis was used to examine the correlation …

Let Me Upgrade You: Common Measures In Public Health Accreditation Action Plans, Gurleen K. Roberts

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the success rates for health departments pursuing and achieving accreditation in version 1.0 and 1.5 of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) standards and measures. During the accreditation process, health departments that present performance gaps are asked to complete an Action Plan to specify how they plan to improve to meet the desired conformity. This study will highlight specific measures that are often included in Action Plans so that health departments pursuing accreditation can be better prepared to address these common pitfalls.

Methods: This study is a non-experimental, secondary …

Regression Tree Construction For Reinforcement Learning Problems With A General Action Space, Anthony S. Bush Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Part of the implementation of Reinforcement Learning is constructing a regression of values against states and actions and using that regression model to optimize over actions for a given state. One such common regression technique is that of a decision tree; or in the case of continuous input, a regression tree. In such a case, we fix the states and optimize over actions; however, standard regression trees do not easily optimize over a subset of the input variables\cite{Card1993}. The technique we propose in this thesis is a hybrid of regression trees and kernel regression. First, a regression tree splits over …

Public Health Workforce Perceived Impact Of Emerging Issues In Public Health, Kristie C. Waterfield

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: In an era where public health has been viewed as a global, multi-disciplinary field, the public health workforce has remained united to unfailingly holding fast to the mission of protecting, promoting, and improving the health of the public. However, the practice of public health is consistently evolving, and the workforce is continually facing a mirage of challenges. In order to overcome these challenges, practitioners need to be up-to-date on the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver the core public health services.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the perceived impact of emerging trends in public …

Data Disparity: Tiered Pricing As An Alternative To Consumer Iot Data Privacy Regulations, Matthew Lostocco

Honors Theses and Capstones

In recent years, Internet of Things (IoT) devices have exploded on the consumer scene. These emerging products bring new technological capabilities into our everyday lives. IoT is projected to contribute anywhere from $4-11 trillion to the global economy and companies are investing billions of dollars into the technology. However, with the vast amount of data that IoT devices collect, consumers are burdening the risk of having their personal data breached or sold to third parties. This paper first identifies why consumers may be weary or willing towards providing their personal data and how unconscious biases in the purchasing process cause …

The Facts Behind Gmo Food, Wenbin Liu

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Portfolio Optimization With International Diversification, Sardar Adam Saeed Khan

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Gold Mining And Economic Performance In Africa And The Case Of Ghana, Josephine Amponsem

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Based on the statistical analysis of 920 observations covering forty-six countries during the 1997 to 2016 period, this study investigates the impact of goldmining on the economic performance of African nations while paying particular attention to the case of Ghana. It employs the GDP’s output approach to evaluate the role that gold production may have played on GDP growth at the aggregate and per capita levels, as well as potential spillover effects across the services, industry and agriculture sectors. The empirical results for the African economies as a whole as well as for the country of Ghana in particular, suggest …

An Evaluation Of The Racer Academy Of Agriculture And Its Effectiveness, Caleb Brannon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Through this thesis research study, an evaluation of the Racer Academy of Agriculture (RAA) is performed to get a better understanding of how well it is doing in several key areas. One of the focus areas for the RAA as well as most other dual credit programs includes allowing high school students to attain college credit through participation in a class that counts both towards high school and collegiate degree completion. Other key objectives for these programs include aiding in the recruitment of students to the participating university, preparing the students to succeed at a higher rate once becoming full-time …

The Demand For Women Who Painted: Recent Art Market Trends For Female Artists Of The Premodern Era, Cristina Demiany

MA Theses

A number of events highlighting female artists who lived and worked before the year 1900 are currently appearing in the art world. In consideration of this expanding cultural activity, this paper explores recent art market behavior around premodern female painters by examining sales of their work at auction between the years 1998 and 2019. The larger questions around such an analysis include assessing if the work of premodern female artists presents a new investment opportunity for collectors, and if it could also provide a means of invigorating the Old Master market. Three case studies representing female artists from different locations, …

Strategies Of Competitive Advantage For Small Businesses In The Service Industry, Lakeshia Marie Gardner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners play a leading role in the United States economy by creating jobs. However, small businesses have a high failure rate, with approximately 50% going out of business during the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the competitive advantage strategies that owners of small businesses used to sustain their businesses longer than the first 5 years. A sample of 6 small service industry business owners in Houston, TX that have been in business for 5 years or more participated in semistructured interviews. Additional data were collected from company documents and the …

Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover To Increase Profitability In A College Workplace, Cremaya Pariscene Lewis-Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover disrupts organizational functioning, service delivery, and administration. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that some college administrators used to reduce employee turnover in the workplace to increase profitability. The population for the study included 3 administrators in a senior (4-year) college in the southeastern region of the United States who developed and implemented successful strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with college administrators and from publicly available organizational documents. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for this study. Data analysis included inductive analysis guided by transformational leadership …

Competency Development And Implementation Among Direct Support Professionals In New York State, Johanna Loporto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Direct support professionals (DSPs) serve an important function in the daily supervision and care of clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) through standardization of technical, cognitive, and ethical competencies for all DSPs. It is not clear, however, how these DSPs and managers perceive the implementation process and utility of these competencies or whether implementation results in meeting the desired outcomes for clients. Using Donabedian's quality of care model as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative case study in New York State to understand how DSPs perceived the implementation of the DSP core competencies under the direction of front-line …

Millennial Retail Employees Experiences And Perceptions Of Leaders With Body Image Modifications, Jennifer Mcclure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millennials in retail account for a large portion of the U.S. workforce and have the highest number of body image modifications from tattoos, piercings, and/or gauges. Following Moustakas concept of perception, the purpose of this transcendental phenomenology study was to explore how Millennial-aged retail employees describe and experience leaders with body image modifications from tattoos, piercings, and/or gauges. Participants were sought from various retail locations and were required to be born between 1981 and 1996. Data were collected through interviews with 6 participants and the data were analyzed using Moustakas modification of the Van Kamm Method. The results showed that …

Small Business Sustainability Strategies In The Tanzanian Construction Materials Industry, Seraphia Robert Mgembe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners in the construction materials industry play a significant role in economic development through gross domestic product and employment. However, like other small business owners, many owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry close their businesses within 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study grounded in the resource-based theory was to explore the strategies that owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry operating in Tanzania used to sustain business for longer than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 purposefully selected owners of small businesses in the construction materials …

Marketing Strategies Of Successful Coffee Shop Owners, Abi Adeleke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure is an issue with small businesses globally; some owners of small businesses lack the knowledge of business administration and marketing strategies necessary to help ensure success. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what marketing strategies some coffee shop owners use to sustain business operations during the first 5 years of operation. The targeted population consisted of 5 coffee shop owners in Arkansas who successfully implemented marketing strategies to sustain business operations during the first 5 years of operation. Goldsmith's 8Ps of marketing mix was the conceptual framework used in the study. Data were collected from …

Social Media Marketing Strategies Used By Owners Of Small Retail Businesses, Curtis Dean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementing an effective social media marketing strategy campaign to engage customers and increase sales is a challenge for owners of small retail business owners The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the social media marketing strategies owners of small retail businesses used to increase sales. The conceptual framework for this study was the social media marketing strategy theory. Data were collected from 5 small retail business owners in North Carolina through semistructured, face-to-face interviews and a review of company documents, websites, and social media sites. Data analysis through Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and …

Managerial Practices That Contribute To Mitigating Nursing Turnover Intentions, Marcy Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. health care industry incurs a high level of employee turnover year over year, which results in significant costs for organizations in the sector. Specific to the field of nursing, some pharmaceutical health care managers lack effective management strategies to successfully mitigate nursing turnover intentions to reduce organizational losses. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies health care managers used to mitigate nursing turnover intentions. The conceptual framework was social exchange theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. The targeted population included 9 managers from a pharmaceutical company in the state of New Jersey …

Disruptive Innovation Within The Legal Services Ecosystem, Dr. Donald G. Billings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most law firms have done little to address the opportunities and threats related to potentially disruptive technology (DT), such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that law firm leaders in the United States used to address the potentially detrimental influences of DT, such as AI and ML, on their organizations. The systems approach to management was employed as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 participants at 2 international law firms with offices in California using semistructured interviews and organizational artifacts. Data were analyzed using Miles, …

Rational Choice Theory For Financial Strategy In Rural Michigan Community Colleges, Nicholas John Brege

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2011, drastic declines in tuition revenue for many rural community colleges have hindered institutional budgets and have been the primary driver for the financial strategy decisions made by college leaders. Recent declines in revenue for rural community colleges have created a constrained fiscal environment causing college leaders to increase focus on internal operations. The aim of this research was to expand the understanding of how management decisions influence tuition revenue when demand fluctuates. Data from multiple archival sources including several national and state statistical databases were used. This study used a multiple regression analysis to investigate the relationships between …

Small Business Sustainability For Longer Than 5 Years, Matthew James Godwin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over half the U.S. labor force is employed by small business owners, yet only 50% of small businesses survive beyond 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore sustainability strategies small business owners in the construction industry used to sustain their organization for longer than 5 years. The research population included 5 owners of small businesses in the construction industry in Georgia, who have been in operation for a minimum of 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was general systems theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, organizational documentation reviews, and business plan reviews. …

The Influence Of Leadership Engagement Strategies On Employee Engagement, Elyssa Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The influence of leadership engagement strategies on employee engagement affects the retail distribution industry in the form of lower productivity, decreased profitability, and reduced sustainability. In 2017, the retail distribution industry lost more than $50 billion annually due to leader's inability to develop and implement robust leadership strategies to engage employees. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the influence of leadership strategies on employee engagement used by leaders in the retail distribution industry in Florida. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for this study. Participants were purposefully selected because of their experience implementing leadership engagement strategies …

Strategies Retail Managers Use To Reduce Employee Turnover, Sharon Belinda Love

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retailers lost 5.1 million employees in 2016, which resulted in a loss of profitability. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies retail managers used to reduce turnover at one retail company in the southeastern United States. The conceptual framework for the study was transformational leadership. The target population consisted of 6 store managers who reduced employee turnover in the retail industry. Data collection methods included face-€to-€face, semistructured interviews and a review of the company documents. Yin's 5-step analysis was used to analyze data. Three themes emerged from data analysis: supportive management leadership style, competitive compensations, and …

Self-Leadership To Servant Leadership: A Metatheoretical Antecedent To Positive Social, Allen Lloyd Carn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A majority of current leadership programs are failing to deliver a comprehensive approach to leadership development by not providing middle and frontline managers the skills to enhance their potential to develop others. In failing to generate a comprehensive system, animosity towards all types of leadership has been festering for over 40 years as first identified by Greenleaf in 1977. The purpose of the study was to establish a link between the theoretical paradigms of servant leadership and self-leadership using the lens of emotional intelligence to generate an integral leadership development framework. The conceptual framework used Goleman et al.'s version of …

The Effect Of Workplace Characteristics On Millennial Worker Organizational Commitment, Karen Elizabeth Heizman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing research on the Millennial generation has focused on identifying the workplace attributions and stereotypes between generations, and the relationship between those attributions and stereotypes, as related to organizational commitment. However, research has not addressed which workplace characteristics influence organizational commitment of the Millennial generation. Herzberg's 2-factor theory was used to investigate the relationship between workplace characteristics and organizational commitment of the Millennial generation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether workplace characteristics influence organizational commitment in the Millennial generation. This quantitative study used the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. A convenience sample of …

Leaders' Perceptions Of The Sexual Misconduct Reporting System In The Military, Catherine Elaine Mincey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an unwarranted number of men and women that experience an unwanted sexual contact occurrence while on active duty, that is not reported through the military's sexual harassment or sexual assault system channels. A reporting system that is cumbersome and ineffective may hinder a leader's perception in implementing effective sexual harassment and sexual assault policies and procedures. The purpose of this descriptive multiple case study was to explore the ways a reporting system influenced the decision making processes of leaders and the importance of a fluent information flow through communication channels regarding the reporting system for sexual misconduct within …

Recognizing And Anticipating Stress Related Complacent Behavior In Manufacturing Industries, Ricardo Alberto Pineda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous safety studies suggest that stress complacency related accidents in manufacturing industries continue to cause injuries or fatalities because of the absence of emotional resources for leaders, who are unable to prevent accidents when these conditions exist. Leaders of the manufactory industries may not have the appropriate emotional measures which are significant to recognize employees' underlying complacent behavior. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to evaluate the relationship between leaders' emotional intelligence resources and their ability to manage to prevent injuries and fatalities in the workplace. The research questions address key traits of emotional intelligence regarding emotional perceptions …

Frontline Managers' Perceptions And Lived Experiences In The Execution Of Diversity Management Programs, James O. Rodgers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For over 30 years, organizations have engaged in programs to address the growing presence of diverse populations in their ranks, and researchers have attempted to identify and quantify a link between diversity and enterprise performance. The problem was a lack of understanding of how organizations benefit from increased diversity and the role of frontline managers in that process. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to address the research question aimed at the perceptions and lived experiences of frontline managers and to gain insights about how they are navigating the challenges of increased diversity to enhance their ability to produce …

Senior-Level African American Women, Underrepresentation, And Career Decision-Making, Marquita Barron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, 0.2% of African American women were in chief executive officer (CEO) roles and 1.2% were in executive or senior-level roles within a 500 Standard & Poor's (S&P) organization. African American women's lived experiences are underutilized by organizational and human resources (HR) leaders in the development and implementation of recruitment, talent development, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences regarding career advancement decision-making strategies for senior-level African American women. The conceptual framework used was social cognitive career theory (SCCT), which addresses the 'what' and 'how' of career …