Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maternal Discrimination Stress And Negative Birth Outcomes Among Black Women, Quantrilla Y. Ard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women are more than twice as likely as White women to experience losing their infants in the first year of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between maternal discriminatory stress and negative birth outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, very low birth weight, and infant death among Black women with varying levels of education. This study was grounded in critical race theory and Black feminist theory, positing that Black women are the sum of intersecting identities that shape their world view. A sample of 107 Black women were recruited by convenience and …

The Lived Experiences Of Caregivers Of Children With Reactive Attachment Disorder, Abby Baumgart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) encounter challenges in parenting and parent-child relationship development that are not typical to most parental situations. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of caregivers of children with RAD, to identify current met and unmet needs, to explore the experiences the caregivers of children with RAD have and the resources available to them. The study included a hermeneutic phenomenological foundation and incorporated the conceptual frameworks of family systems theory and attachment theory. A nonprobability, self-selection sampling strategy was utilized with recruitment through Facebook support groups. Methods included …

The Relationship Between Multifaceted Motivational Factors And Academic Achievement, Sandra Luann Beasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has yet to reach the White House’s 2020 goal of attaining the top international ranking in college degree attainment among young adults. Researchers have investigated the academic performance variables associated with timely degree attainment for first-year college students. Prior research has indicated that poorly motivated students are likely to struggle academically, experience academic stress, and drop out of school. However, it remains unknown which types of motivation significantly affect academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to better understand which Reiss basic desires of motivation predict undergraduate academic achievement. An additional purpose of this study was …

Strategies Small Business Owners Use To Access Working Capital To Fund Operations, Michael Patrick Belleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business owners encounter a lack of access to traditional bank funding that limits the owner’s ability to meet working capital shortages to sustain operations. Grounded in the resource-based view, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that small, home health care agency owners use to access working capital lending sources to finance their operations. The participants comprised 3 owners of small home health agencies in Wayne County, Macomb County, and St. Clair County, Michigan, who developed and implemented successful strategies to obtain working capital. Data were collected through semistructured interviews using open-ended questions, …

Discrimination, Organizational Commitment, And The Impact Of Diversity Programs On Black Millennials, Brittany Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited research on the impact of diversity and inclusion programs on the organizational commitment levels of Black Millennials. This quantitative study, which was guided by social identity theory, examined discrimination in the corporate workplace faced by Black Millennials, born between 1977 and 2000, and how it influences their organizational commitment. The purpose was to examine whether the presence of diversity and inclusion programs moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and organizational commitment. In line with this purpose, 3 research questions were formulated. Data were collected from143 Black Millennials using the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and the Perceived Discrimination Against …

Exploring Adversities Of Custodial Grandparents Transitioning From The Grandparent To Parent Role, Carmelita Dockery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many familial and social disparities, including drug addiction and use, incarceration, abandonment, and sometimes the death of a biological parent, that cause grandparents to acquire custody of their grandchildren. Current public welfare policies in some states, however, may not adequately address the needs of custodial grandparents caring for grandchildren and little academic literature exists that explores the unique experiences of custodial grandparents. Using role theory as a foundation, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of custodial grandparents in a large mid-western city as their role transitions from grandparent to parent in order to inform …

Impact Of Kentucky’S Prescription Drug Monitoring Program On Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates, Robert Neal Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 7 years, there has been an alarming increase in the number of opioid overdose fatalities in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The increase has occurred despite Kentucky’s passage of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) as defined by House Bill 1 (HB1) in 2012. Following the passage of Kentucky’s PDMP, heroin and fentanyl surpassed other prescription drugs as the most identified drugs in overdose deaths in Kentucky. Little is known about how the implementation of a PDMP influences the overall opioid overdose fatality rate. The purpose of this quantitative research, using a quasi-experimental design, was to evaluate the relationship …

Assessment Of The High Performance Cycle To Understand Work Motivation Among U.S. Workers, Eric J. Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high performance cycle (HPC) is a multi-theoretical model of workplace motivation that is rooted in goal setting theory. While limited studies have empirically tested the HPC since its inception in 1990, early studies were limited in the lack of an instrument designed to assess HPC variables. Using an instrument developed by Borgogni and Dello Russo to empirically test the HPC, this study’s aim was to provide further examination of the HPC antecedents of performance with an increased sample size and by drawing from a diverse population of workers. Using a self-report measure of performance, a cross-sectional design was implemented …

Low-Income Household Adults Sustaining Affordable Housing In Affluent Neighborhoods, Edward Brian Flournoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public housing policy continues to exacerbate the concentration of poverty for low

income household adults (LIHA), preventing their mobility to achieve or sustain

affordable housing in low-poverty affluent neighborhoods. Successful design and

implementation of public housing policy for LIHA has been elusive for policymakers

seeking to address socioeconomic self-sufficiency problems in the United States.

Wilson’s spatial mismatch theory on social transformation of the inner city was the

theoretical framework for this study. This qualitative study utilized policy analysis and

key interviews to explore the importance of public policy design and implementation in

how the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program influenced …

Exploring Young Opioid Users’ Motivation To Seek Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Patricia Gianotti-Avella

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 15 years, the nonmedical use of opioids in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, resulting in a 21% increase in overdose fatalities. This surge in opioid use and dependence represents a shift in the demographic from inner-city populations over the age of 40 to young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 who dwell in primarily white suburban neighborhoods. Research has identified physicians’ liberal prescribing practices as one cause of this epidemic and has documented the ineffectiveness of current interventions with young addicts. The purpose of this narrative study was to gain insight into what …

The Impact Of Boko Haram Insurgency On The People Of Borno State, Chris Kaiser Granville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although researchers have examined the causes and impacts of terrorism in Nigeria, there is no known research on the impact of Boko Haram’s insurgency on the people of Borno State based on their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the social, political, and economic consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency on the people of Borno State. The study’s theoretical framework was based on the relative deprivation theory; the theory was used to diagnose the problem of the Boko Haram insurgency and articulate possible alternative solutions. The central research question concerned the adverse effects of the …

Experiences Of Resiliency And Family Support In Older Women With Mental Illness, Dawn Harbin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of a support system for older females with mental illness may cause reduced resiliency skills and an increase in mental illness symptoms while they attempt to manage independent living. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the individual stories of older women living independently who suffer from a mental illness and have a support system. Social learning theory and self-efficacy theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 8 women ages 65-80 years who are in treatment at a mental health center in South Carolina. Findings from coding analysis showed that …

Experiences And Challenges Of Social Workers Working With Transitioning And Postmilitary Service Members Who Have Mental Health Issues, Joyce M. Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active duty service members, veterans, and their family members are faced with a myriad of problems including mental health issues, substance abuse issues, traumatic brain injury, suicide, family integration issues, and family distress. Understanding the organizational, environmental, and person-centered factors that affect the delivery of mental health care treatment to active duty service members, veterans, and their families is urgent to this unique population for social work practitioners (licensed master, advanced, & clinical). This project explored the experiences and challenges that social work practitioners (licensed master, advanced, & clinical) have in providing effective services for mental health care treatment to …

Student Voices In Teacher Evaluation: A Multilevel, Latent Factor Investigation Of Teacher Quality, Kathleen J. Hoff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher effectiveness is a key driver of student achievement but persistently difficult to measure. Although precollege student surveys are one cost-effective alternative to traditional observation measures, little empirical research has been conducted on their factor structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Tripod Survey, a widely adopted precollege survey, as a measure of teacher effectiveness. The dataset was the Measures of Effective Teaching (Year 1, N = 1,024 Grade 9 classroom sections, 20,500 students; Year 2, N = 488 Grade 9 classroom sections, 8,658 students). The dynamic model of educational effectiveness guided the study. …

Financial Advisory Firms’ Strategies For Diversifying And Growing Clients’ Portfolio, Gerald Lee House

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Less than half of all U.S. households have some form of retirement assets. Advisors who fail to use alternative investment strategies may not accumulate enough retirement assets for their clients. Grounded in Markowitz's modern portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore alternative investment strategies financial advisors use to enhance the growth and diversification of their clients' retirement assets. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents from 4

financial advisors in Georgia and South Carolina who had successfully incorporated alternative investments in their clients' retirement portfolios. Thematic analysis was used to analyze …

Evaluation Of Inappropriate Use Of Antibiotics In The Long-Term Care Community, Charlene A. Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of antibiotics prescribed in the 65 and older population significantly increased related to the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Although empiric treatment is necessary at times, it can lead to antibiotic resistance; therefore, clinical symptomology with an active infection verified by diagnostic testing is the requirement for the treatment of a UTI. This project addressed the practice-focused question of how the implementation of an evidenced-based antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in a nursing home on the East Coast may impact the overuse of antibiotics in that clinical setting. The project, guided by the theory of planned behavior, was …

A Multiple Case Study Of School Administrators On Use Of Disciplinary Measures, Michele L. Jones-Pace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionately high rates of out-of-school suspension and expulsion of African American children represent an ongoing issue in the U.S. public school system. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework for this multiple case study. The research question focused on the perceptions, perspectives, and experiences of a purposeful sample of 7 high school principals and what they believed were the reasons for persistently high rates of out-of-school suspension for African American students. The principals represented Title I and non-Title I schools located in urban, rural, and suburban regions of a southern state. Data from individual interviews and archival data …

Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies That Engage Employees And Increase Productivity., Alvin Sidney Moton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow employee engagement can negatively impact productivity for small fast-food restaurants in the United States. Small fast-food restaurant managers who do not engage employees experience decreased employee productivity. Grounded in Hofstede's cross-cultural dimensions theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies managers of small fast-food restaurants managers use to improve employee engagement. Participants were four small fast-food restaurants manager within the southern region of the United States who used cross-cultural strategies to successfully engage employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and internal company documents and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) …

Servant Leadership And Job Satisfaction As Moderated By Workplace Spirituality, Shellie Kae Mcnabb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction has been the focus of scholars for decades. Employers must create a workplace where the employee receives more than a paycheck. Servant leaders speak directly to the decisive leader-follower relationship. Workplace spirituality is a place where the employee is a valued part of the membership. Combining the three elements may answer the current problem of the aligning of business goals with employee needs. Existing research supports that servant leadership enhances job satisfaction. Researchers have demonstrated that the employee lead by example is more content. Missing are the contexts where these workers excel. The purpose of this study was …

Sanctuary: Understanding Immigrant Victimization Reporting, Jonathan Joseph Niksarian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the criminal justice system, the victim possesses the power to determine if crime goes unreported. The problem addressed by this study is if sanctuary type policies have an effect on victimization reporting by immigrants. The theoretical framework was based on Appleton-Dyer and Field’s interpretation of social exclusion theory. The key research question was focused on the perception of legal aid providers’ perception of immigrants’ victimization reporting determination. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviews with 4 legal aid providers who worked for an organization designed to serve victimized immigrants seeking relief. The data were coded and analyzed manually. Findings revealed …

Impact Of Kenya’S Public Debt On Economic Stability, Liston Willy N. Njoroge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kenya’s public debt has grown rapidly, precipitating debate on its impact on economic performance and causing public anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to investigate the long run and causal relationship between Kenya’s public debt and economic growth. Keynesian theory, Ricardian equivalence theory, and neoclassical theory provided the framework for the study. Research Questions 1 and 2 addressed the causal relationship between public debt and select covariates as independent variables and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable. Research Question 3 addressed the relationship between primary budget balance and public debt. …

Exploring Gender Dysphoria Among Active-Duty Transgender Service Members In A Right-To-Serve-Openly Military, Ralph Ogburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense’s June 2016 directive-type memorandum 16-005 permitting transgender service members to serve openly in the U.S. military disqualifies transgender personnel with a history of gender dysphoria from serving in the military unless a licensed medical doctor certifies that they have been free from significant distress for 18 months. Research has illuminated the prevalence of gender dysphoria among military veteran transgender members due to their military experiences, but not in active-duty military. Informed by role theory and minority stress theory, the purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis study was to explore role conflict and stress in the …

Predicting Personality Traits In Police Officer Candidates Using The M-Pulse, Kyle Villarama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The life of a police officer is filled with high stress and demands, so it is important to hire the right candidates. Preemployment testing is where candidates are screened with instruments such as the M-PULSE and the MMPI-2-RF to see if they are psychologically suitable for law enforcement. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to determine the extent that scores on selected M-PULSE scales (negative emotions and interpersonal difficulties) predicted scores on selected MMPI-2-RF scales (stress/worry and family problems). Archival data were provided by a small corporation that conducts preemployment testing of police officer candidates. Data from the …

Strategies For Increasing Workforce Engagement, Joanne White Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The existence of disengaged employees can reduce productivity and increase organizations’ costs. Engaged employees are vital to many organizations and the success of organizational leaders. Grounded in Herzberg's two factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies managers used to increase employee engagement in the nonprofit industry. Participants were 3 managers in South Carolina who successfully implemented strategies to increase employee engagement. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step method of analysis, and 3 themes emerged: providing clear and concise communication, recognition and …

Relationship Between Parental Involvement And 4th-5th Grade Students’ Academic Motivation, Charla Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The achievement gap between African American and White students has been well documented. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether parental involvement in academics predicted academic motivation of fourth- and fifth-grade African American students in the Southwest United States. Social development theory provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 43 students and 43 parents using the Parental Involvement Scale and the Children’s Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. A t test, linear regression, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Findings indicated no significant difference between how parents and students perceived parental involvement …

Stigma And The Life Experiences Of Recovering Counselors, Carroll Annette Beverly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigmatization, labelling, and stereotyping have been recognized through historical literature as categories that classify recovering counselors with the status of a second-class citizen. One of the subtle impacts of stigmatization on recovering counselors has been the reluctance of these counselors to share their substance abuse histories or admit they formerly used alcohol and other drugs. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the impact of stigma on the life experiences of recovering counselors in the addiction and counseling fields. The social identity theory was the theoretical foundation of this study. Four participants (3 recovering counselors and …

Strategies For Enhancing Organizational Performance By Advancing Women To Leadership Positions, Veronica Denise Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 45% of the U.S. labor force comprises women, but less than 5% work in executive positions due to ineffective succession strategies. Human resource (HR) managers who fail to implement succession strategies are at risk of losing competitive advantage and lower organizational performance due to a lack of equitable promotional and hiring processes for future female leaders. Grounded in the social role theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore succession strategies HR managers in the home improvement industry use to advance qualified women for leadership positions to improve organizations’ performance. The participants comprised 6 HR …

Attitudes And Beliefs Related To Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infection In Swingers Who Do Not Use Condoms, Deborah Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) affects the public as a hidden epidemic of contagious disease with significant economic and health impacts. There are 110 million living with STI in the United States, with 20 million new infections annually. Condom use can reduce STI, but some people have sex without condoms, with risk for contracting or transmitting STI increasing when a person is in the same sexual network. Swingers are a growing sexual network and are a group at high risk of developing and spreading STI. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to develop an understanding of the attitudes and …

The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Youth Violence: A Systematic Literature Review, Donna M. Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth are responsible for a great number of violent acts committed in the United States. Experiencing or witnessing some type of violence at home during childhood increases the possibility of engaging in violent behaviors as a youth. At present, no systematic literature reviews examined the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the development of youth violence. IPV includes various types of abuse that one member of a couple commits against the other member. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to examine the literature and analyze the relationship between IPV and youth violence. Bandura’s social learning theory and …

Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence And Workplace Instability, Robert Boyd Cannon Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on victims’ employment status is well-documented. The purpose of this study was to examine the implications of domestic violence on the status and stability of employment for victims who work in the public sector. The study’s 2 research questions asked how victims’ perspectives on IPV could provide insights to (a) help public sector employers improve victims’ employment stability and (b) create policies and practices that support victim disclosure. A phenomenological approach was used to understand the experience of victims of IPV and unstable employment. The theoretical framework derived from feminist theory and focused …