Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Cybersecurity Using Risk Management Strategies Of U.S. Government Health Organizations, Ian Cornelius Wilkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seismic data loss attributed to cybersecurity attacks has been an epidemic-level threat currently plaguing the U.S. healthcare system. Addressing cyber attacks is important to information technology (IT) security managers to minimize organizational risks and effectively safeguard data from associated security breaches. Grounded in the protection motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore risk-based strategies used by IT security managers to safeguard data effectively. Data were derived from interviews of eight IT security managers of four U.S. government health institutions and a review of relevant organizational documentation. The research data were coded and organized to …

Sustainable Building Certification In Healthcare And Patient Satisfaction, Brian Jay Goehner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eco-friendly healthcare delivery concepts are becoming more accepted as hospital leaders seek to control energy costs, mitigate contributions to climate change, and preserve scarce resources. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offers healthcare leaders a framework for designing and constructing sustainable facilities that meet efficiency goals. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to build an understanding of whether LEED certification influences Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings. Using complex systems theory as the framework, the research questions were focused on exploring if higher levels of LEED certification led to greater HCAHPS overall hospital …

Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flooding is a severe threat to livelihoods and socioeconomic development in Ogbaru riverine communities of Anambra State, Nigeria. Limited success in the traditional approach of using predominantly structural measures, such as flood channels, to manage floods makes it imperative to explore nonstructural resilience initiatives that would potentially better protect vulnerable flood-prone communities. This study contributes to addressing the problems of ineffective flood management by developing vital social responsibility (SR) data and information that can enhance community flood resilience through individual and collective responsibilities for resilient action. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore SR perceptions of flood …

Strategies To Maintain Profitability When Crude Oil Prices Fluctuate, Yussif Sulemana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid and sustained fluctuations in the crude oil market have remained a threat to the financial performance of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. Such fluctuations can reduce the profitability of national and multinational oil and gas corporations. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive single case study was to explore strategies oil production leaders used to maintain profitability when crude oil prices fluctuate. The participants included 6 senior oil production leaders in a national oil corporation in Ghana who employed successful strategies to maintain profitability. Kraus and Litzenberger’s trade-off theory of capital structure served as the conceptual framework for …

Strategies For Information Technology Employee Retention, Stephen Horton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) employee retention is essential to IT departments tasked with supporting the goals and objectives of the organization. IT employees manage, support, and direct IT to drive business, pursue innovation, and create a competitive edge. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to identify strategies that IT managers use to retain IT employees in order to support the goals and objectives of the IT organization. The population for this study consisted of 5 IT managers in the transportation industry. The IT managers selected for this study had subordinates and delegation duties and worked for employers …

Green Innovative Strategies Construction Business Leaders Implement To Increase Organizational Performance, Janelle Sharee O'Mard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The construction industry lacks innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. However, construction business leaders are hesitant to implement innovative green strategies due to the possibility of decreased organizational performance. Grounded in Fiedler’s contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the innovative green strategies implemented by construction business leaders to increase organizational performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents with 5 construction business leaders in Antigua who successfully used innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step process. Five themes emerged: innovative research and design, collaboration, …

Strategies For The Development Of It Disaster Recovery Plans In The Manufacturing Industry, Michael Landry Sartwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) leaders have reported technology disruptions because of natural disasters, terror attacks, or adversarial threats. Information technology leaders are concerned with technology disruptions, as these disruptions are costing organizations as much as $22,000 per minute. Grounded in Zachman’s framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies IT managers in the manufacturing industry use to develop IT disaster recovery (DR) plans to support business operations. The participants included 3 manufacturing IT professionals, 2 Department of Defense manufacturing infrastructure specialists, and 1outsourcing contractor, each from firms located in the central United States who successfully developed …

Factors Influencing Cloud Computing Adoption By Small Firms In The Payment Card Industry, Marie Njanje Tambe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology acceptance is increasingly gaining attention in research considering the continuous exploits of innovation and various derived advantages. Cloud computing (CC) has shown to be the ideal solution for aligning information technology with business strategies. However, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the payment card industry are reluctantly adopting this technology despite the benefits. This correlational study aims at investigating whether security, cost effectiveness, or regulatory compliance influence CC adoption by U.S. SMEs in the payment card sector. The study builds on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and uses a previously validated instrument to assess CC adoption by decision-makers in U.S. …

Exploring Software Testing Strategies Used On Software Applications In The Government, Angel Diane Cross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developing a defect-free software application is a challenging task. Despite many years of experience, the intense development of reliable software remains a challenge. For this reason, software defects identified at the end of the testing phase are more expensive than those detected sooner. The purpose of this multiple case study is to explore the testing strategies software developers use to ensure the reliability of software applications in the government contracting industry. The target population consisted of software developers from 3 government contracting organizations located along the East Coast region of the United States. Lehman’s laws of software evolution was the …

Risk Assessment Strategies To Reduce Profitability Losses From Pipeline Accidents In The Natural Gas Industry, Cynthia Hurdle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective risk assessment strategies can negatively impact the natural gas industry.

Engineer project managers who struggle to maintain a risk assessment plan are at high risk of failure, which could result in devastating consequences for the business and environment. Grounded in the theory of risk assessment, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies engineer project managers in the natural gas industry use to improve risk assessment planning to reduce pipeline accidents and improve profitability. The participants comprised of 5 engineer project managers in Virginia, who effectively use risk assessment strategies to promote safety metrics and …

The Way Forward For The Integration Of Sustainability Standards, Tobi Petrocelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large-scale environmental failures within public companies in the United States have led to a globally growing trend in stakeholder insistence that company leaders maintain formal integrated sustainability accounting in their financial reports. Companies that rate high on communications of their sustainability efforts and integrating corporate social responsibility develop investment efficiency and ultimately increase their financial performance. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies 5 chief sustainability officers within publicly held companies in New York can integrate into their annual reporting in order to generate maximum value for stakeholders. Data were collected …

Lifestyle Factors And Social Determinants As Predictors Of Weight/Body Mass Index, Uthman Alhaji Baba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a major public health concern that includes the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults. Previous studies have established the relationship between gender, educational level, household income and respondents’ weight but additional research is needed to factor the nature of education in relation to gender differences, diet, and other important behavioral mediators such as social determinants. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to determine the extent to which frequency of physical activity, household income, social determinants of health (money for balanced meals, finances at the end of month, and poor mental health), respondent …

Small-To-Medium-Size Enterprise Managers’ Experiences With Cloud Computing, Anthony Effiong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, managers of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have had concerns regarding cloud computing and cybersecurity. Their resistance to using cloud computing has influenced their ability to do business effectively and to compete with businesses that use cloud computing. The purposes of this descriptive phenomenological study were to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of SME managers that might influence their decisions to adopt cloud computing. Watson’s concept of resistance to change and Davis, Bagozzi, and Warhaw’s technology acceptance model were the conceptual frameworks that guided this qualitative study. Data collection consisted of conducting 16 semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions …

Security Strategies To Prevent Data Breaches In Infrastructure As A Service Cloud Computing, Alberta Amanda Pratt-Sensie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the ever-growing threat of security breaches that information technology (IT) organizations continually face, protecting customer information stored within the cloud is critical to ensuring data integrity. Research shows that new categories of data breaches constantly emerge; thus, security strategies that build trust in consumers and improve system performance are a must. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore and analyze the strategies used by database administrators (DBAs) to secure data in a private infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud computing. The participants comprised of 6 DBAs from 2 IT companies in Baltimore, Maryland, with …

It Security Managers' Strategies For Mitigating Data Breaches In Texas School Districts, Mercy Ikhuoria Nwankwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School districts are increasingly becoming a prime target for cybercriminals. As a result, information technology (IT) security managers in Texas school districts are concerned about hackers gaining access to network resources that could lead to data breaches on their network. Grounded in the technology threat avoidance theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies IT security managers use to mitigate data breaches in school district networks in Texas. The participants comprised 6 IT security managers in 3 Texas school districts whose roles involved managing and implementing data security strategies. Data collection involved conducting semistructured interviews …

Exploring Strategies For Capturing Requirements For Developing Ict4d Applications, Jonathan Makanjera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some software engineers make decisions using applications designed from poorly captured user requirements. The quality of user requirements is crucial in the requirements engineering process, costing 50 times more to remedy the defects of using poorly captured user requirements. Grounded in the socialization, externalization, combination and internalization model of Nonaka theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies software engineers in Southern African software houses and IT departments use for capturing information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) requirements. The participants consisted of software 12 engineers who were working in Southern Africa, capturing ICT4D …

Exploring Strategies For Enforcing Cybersecurity Policies, Bayo Olushola Omoyiola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some cybersecurity leaders have not enforced cybersecurity policies in their organizations. The lack of employee cybersecurity policy compliance is a significant threat in organizations because it leads to security risks and breaches. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies cybersecurity leaders utilize to enforce cybersecurity policies. The participants were cybersecurity leaders from 3 large organizations in southwest and northcentral Nigeria responsible for enforcing cybersecurity policies. The data collection included semi-structured interviews of participating cybersecurity leaders (n = 12) and analysis of cybersecurity policy documents (n = 20). Thematic …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Style And Financial Sustainability, Tameika R. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 50% of the U.S. small businesses opened in 2011 were able to maintain financial sustainability. Small business owners struggle with identifying the type of leadership style needed to increase financial sustainability. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and financial sustainability. The participants consisted of 76 small business owners located in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. The business owners completed a survey containing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Financial Capability Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple …

Design Strategies For User Interfaces In Virtual Reality Environments, Jennifer Maple

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The virtual reality market is rapidly increasing and is projected to drastically expand soon as more head-mounted displays are released to customers. These changes have made it more critical that organizations have adequate user interface strategies. Yet there is still a lack of research on how to design quality virtual reality user interfaces that result in positive user experiences. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify design strategies software developers use to create user interfaces for virtual reality environments. Constructionist and constructivist theories served as the conceptual frameworks. The participants consisted of 6 developers from 3 different …

Reducing Payment-Card Fraud, Chares R. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical public data in the United States are vulnerable to theft, creating severe financial and legal implications for payment-card acceptors. When security analysts and managers who work for payment card processing organizations implement strategies to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud, they protect their organizations, consumers, and the local and national economy. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies business owners and card processors use to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud. The participants were 3 data security analysts and 1 manager working for an international payment card processing organization with 10 …

Exploring Trust In Cloud Computing For A Governmental Organization In Ethiopia: A Case Study, Estifanos Abebe Seyoum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations face a rapidly changing environment that forces them to seek high computing power. The problem was how to overcome factors that cause managers at governmental organizations in Ethiopia to be reluctant to trust cloud computing, while some managers overcame this lack of trust. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to provide a deeper understanding of how a governmental organization in Ethiopia overcame the factors that adversely influenced managers of other organizations to the extent that they distrusted and decided against adopting cloud computing. The population for this study was comprised of 12 managers from a governmental …

The Challenges Of Adopting Cloud Computing In Nigerian Government Organizations, Ayodele Adegbenga Bakare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several technical challenges prevent the adoption of cloud computing by government organizations in Nigeria. Information technology (IT) leaders in the Nigerian government are concerned about this problem because the lack of cloud computing adoption may prevent the Nigerian government from taking advantage of cloud-based information systems to improve its service delivery to citizens and businesses. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine if IT administrators’ perception of data security and perception of fault tolerance can predict their intentions to adopt cloud computing. Data were collected from 79 IT administrators in government …

Obstacles With Data Security: Strategies From Carolina Universities, Yamiah R. Compton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some university data custodians lack information security strategies to prevent data security breaches. Reducing duplicitous use of personally identifiable information (PII) obtained maliciously from colleges and universities should be important to university data custodians, IT leadership of all levels, state legislators, and individuals that have an interest in moving into the cybersecurity space in higher education. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to examine information security strategies that university data custodians use to protect PII collected from staff, students, and other stakeholders. The participants consisted of 15 college and university data custodians …

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In New Restaurant Industry, Alexandria Norma Wilhoite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half of small businesses in the United States are unsustainable within the first five years of existence. Small business owners who do not implement successful and sustainable strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small restaurant owners use to sustain business beyond five years. The participants included three small business owners in Connecticut who have been in business for five years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company websites, and company documents. Yin’s 5-step thematic analysis was …

Microcystins And Liver Disease Mortality, Insights From An Ecological Study, Rajesh Tirpaul Melaram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. Algal bloom subsidence can stimulate MC release, which can impair liver function if orally exposed to in large doses. The purpose of this retrospective, U.S. ecological study was to determine if MC exposure represented an environmental risk factor for liver disease mortality using a socioecological approach. A longitudinal ecological substudy investigated the association between average total MCs in Lake Washington and Lake Manatee and age-adjusted chronic liver disease (CLD)/cirrhosis death rates in Brevard County and Manatee County, Florida (FL). A prediction model of total MCs was deduced by quantifying levels …

Search Results: Predicting Ranking Algorithms With User Ratings And User-Driven Data, Gary Michael Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to examine the possible relationship between user-driven parameters, user ratings, and ranking algorithms. The study’s population consisted of students and faculty in the information technology (IT) field at a university in Huntington, WV. Arrow’s impossibility theorem was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Complete survey data were collected from 47 students and faculty members in the IT field, and a multiple regression analysis was used to measure the correlations between the variables. The model was able to explain 85% of the total variability in the ranking algorithm. The overall model …

Developing Cloud Computing Infrastructures In Developing Countries In Asia, Daryoush Charmsaz Moghaddam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developing Cloud Computing Infrastructures in Developing Countries in Asia

by

Daryoush Charmsaz Moghaddam

MS, Sharif University, 2005

BS, Civil Aviation Higher Education Complex, 1985

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Information Technology

Walden University

March 2020

Strategies For Implementing Successful It Security Systems In Small Businesses, Martins Donbruce Idahosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small businesses who do not adequately protect business data are at high risk for a cyber attack. As data breaches against small businesses have increased, it has become a growing source of concern for consumers who rely on owners of small businesses to protect their data from data breaches. Grounded in general systems theory and routine activity approach, the focus of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by owners of small businesses to protect confidential company data from cyber attacks. The process used for collecting data involved semistructured face-to-face interviews with 5 owners of …

Information Security Ambassadors’ Perceptions Of Peer-Led Motivation In Phishing Detection, Kingkane Malmquist

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Phishing rates are increasing yearly and continue to compromise data integrity. The need to guard business information is vital for organizations to meet their business objectives and legal obligations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore security ambassadors’ perceptions of motivating their peers to adopt safe internet behaviors in a large medical campus in Minnesota. Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristic motivation theory was used to frame the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 20 security ambassadors. Data coding and analysis yielded 7 themes: rewarding, value, personal interest, limited information security knowledge, increased interest, communication, and topics …

Strategies For Increasing Employee Productivity In Small Technology Consulting Businesses, Dalinda Yvonne Milne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unproductive employees in technology consulting small businesses negatively affect organizational output and profits. Investing in employee productivity is beneficial to ensuring an organization’s ability to improve their profits and sustainability as business leaders have an influential role in identifying and addressing the root causes of employee productivity issues in their organizations. The conceptual framework that grounded this doctoral study was Thomas Gilbert’s behavioral engineering model. The participants in this study consisted of 8 leaders in a Texas technology consulting small business with experience in increasing employee productivity. Data were collected through in-person semistructured interviews and business documents. Methodological triangulation was …