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Articles 5431 - 5460 of 6380

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Adopting The Lifelong Communities Initiative In The Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Corneil Montgomery Jan 2016

Adopting The Lifelong Communities Initiative In The Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Corneil Montgomery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The older adult population has been growing since 1950. The quality of life of older Atlanta citizens may be reduced if adopted Lifelong Communities (LLC) initiative principles are executed poorly or not at all. The purpose of this case study was to describe and explore the experiences of local government officials in Atlanta, Georgia who have adopted LLC initiatives. Research questions focused on local government officials' experiences adopting the LLC initiative, their use of the LLC principles, as well as the benefits and challenges encountered when integrating principles within organizations and communities to ensure quality of life for persons served. …

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An Ethnographic Study Of Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors Returning To Work, Bruce Santy Jan 2016

An Ethnographic Study Of Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors Returning To Work, Bruce Santy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience challenges in returning to work differently and at a rate that surpasses the return to work transition for people who experience other types of disabling injuries. In part, this challenge is a result of a lack of policy structure that promotes the successful return to work transition. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the policy implications of the return to work transition for TBI survivors, address the gap in the literature, and identify key factors that contribute to the success of return-to-work programs in Washington State. A hybrid …

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Self-Efficacy, Perceived Skills, And Real Knowledge Of Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Lynn Baker-Rush Jan 2016

Self-Efficacy, Perceived Skills, And Real Knowledge Of Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Lynn Baker-Rush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although speech language pathologists' (SLPs) knowledge of communication and swallowing has been undisputed, their knowledge and skills related to tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation (MV) seem varied. The consequences associated with the presence of tracheostomy or MV demonstrate the necessity of training. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory, this study was designed to determine if SLPs' training influenced self-efficacy and real knowledge, and to evaluate trends associated with SLPs' pursuit of specialized training. A total of 236 SLPs practicing in the United States responded to a researcher-developed knowledge and confidence test for tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation (KCT-TMV). Data were analyzed via …

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Graphological Analysis: A Potential Psychodiagnostic Investigative Method For Deception Detection, Michelle R. Doscher Jan 2016

Graphological Analysis: A Potential Psychodiagnostic Investigative Method For Deception Detection, Michelle R. Doscher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

False confessions and unproductive criminal investigations have resulted in misidentification of verbal and nonverbal deceptive cues. Further, the association of deceptive behavioral responses has not been confirmed based upon quantifiable graphological discrepancies. Guided by the 4-factor model for deceptive behavior, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between psycholinguistic cues and graphological spacing discrepancies. Handwriting samples were gathered from a stratified group of college students and law enforcement officers in rural Illinois and Tennessee (n = 113). The research was designed to determine whether graphological spacing discrepancies were evident in left margin indentions, word spacing, and sentence …

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Effect Of Violent And Nonviolent Risk Factors On Depression In Postpartum Mothers, Brandi Reliance Spaulding Jan 2016

Effect Of Violent And Nonviolent Risk Factors On Depression In Postpartum Mothers, Brandi Reliance Spaulding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to analyze and explore the predictors for postpartum depression (PPD) and the strength of these predictors using a secondary data set from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study from Princeton, Pennsylvania State, and Columbia Universities. By incorporating the biopsychosocial model and feminist theory as the theoretical frameworks for this research, PPD was conceptualized as a serious, multidimensional psychological condition. Using logistic regression, many predictors were identified as etiological for PPD, including subjective attitudes about ideal and introjected characteristics ascribed to women as primary caretakers. These beliefs prevent the extension and acceptance …

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Psychological Stress In Critical Care Nurses, Oladele Augustine Odunayo Akinwolere Jan 2016

Psychological Stress In Critical Care Nurses, Oladele Augustine Odunayo Akinwolere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased levels of stress in the workplace have led the American Psychological Association to predict a looming public health crisis. Critical care nurses (CCNs) are highly exposed to stressors in the workplace, more than other nurses. Tens of billion dollars were reported lost in productive work time yearly due to ill health from depression alone. An important gap remains in understanding the relationships of stressors with the amount of stress. Supported by the biopsychosocial stress theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between frequencies of perceived stressors (IVs) as a source of perceived levels of stress …

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Emergency Room Utilization Of Participants With Mental Health Conditions Enrolled In Health Home Services, Amanda Duff Jan 2016

Emergency Room Utilization Of Participants With Mental Health Conditions Enrolled In Health Home Services, Amanda Duff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large numbers of individuals utilize the ER each year for mental health reasons. The health home agency in this study was designed under the Affordable Care Act with the intention of increasing patient self-management thus decreasing high-cost service utilization. The effectiveness of health homes in reducing mental health-related ER visits has remained unexplored. In this study, the relationship between participation in this program and ER utilization was examined, using the theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model. The sample of 128 health home participants with documented mental health conditions was selected using systematic random sampling. A one-way, repeated-measures t-test and …

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Impact Of Distance, Diagnosis, And Demographics On Attendance For Rural Outpatient Treatment, Trey Howard Jensen Jan 2016

Impact Of Distance, Diagnosis, And Demographics On Attendance For Rural Outpatient Treatment, Trey Howard Jensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Missed psychotherapy appointments inhibit mental health treatment, limit the availability of treatment to those waiting for care, and reduce clinician revenue. Previous research has revealed that the factors that predict missed appointments vary depending on the geographic location in which that research is conducted. There is not a complete understanding of the characteristics of people who miss appointments in a rural context. This study used information from 281 client records to examine the predictive relationships among missed appointments and the distance traveled to the clinic, mental health diagnosis, age, and gender at a rural outpatient mental health clinic. The purpose …

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Exploring Strategies To Gain Frontline Employee Buy-In During Change Initiatives In Manufacturing, Charles James Iv Jan 2016

Exploring Strategies To Gain Frontline Employee Buy-In During Change Initiatives In Manufacturing, Charles James Iv

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high failure rates of change initiatives threaten the sustainability of commercial printing operations. The focus of this qualitative multicase study was to research the strategies commercial printing managers use to succeed in gaining frontline employee buy-in during change initiatives to improve productivity and profitability in a manufacturing environment. The participants included four commercial printing managers from the Midwestern United States. Each manager had implemented successful change initiatives in the past 2 years and maintained profitability of the business for 12 months before the study. McGregor's (1960) Theory Y served as the basis for the conceptual framework. Data collection included …

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Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha Jan 2016

Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Niger Delta militancy ravaged the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector between 2004-2009, bringing it to a standstill. In response, the Nigerian state adopted an amnesty policy―a globally recognized tool for conflict resolution and peacebuilding―to protect the sector and the economy from collapse. Little is known, however, about the unintended consequences of the amnesty implementation for the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector. Thus, the purpose of this study was to fill this gap in the research literature on the Niger Delta amnesty program. Polarity management was the conceptual framework applied; relative deprivation and polarities of democracy constituted the theoretical foundation for this …

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How Tenure In Higher Education Relates To Faculty Productivity And Retention, Cindy Kay Manjounes Jan 2016

How Tenure In Higher Education Relates To Faculty Productivity And Retention, Cindy Kay Manjounes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some public university systems are considering abolishing tenure as a cost-saving mechanism, but little is known about how this change may impact organizational outcomes related to faculty retention and research productivity. Using Almendarez' human capital theory, the purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to explore how tenure relates to faculty retention and productivity at a convenience sample of public universities in mid-western states. Qualitative questions focused on faculty perceptions of factors that affected retention and productivity. Quantitative data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and publicly available information from institutions was used to explore questions about relationships …

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Job Satisfaction In Law Enforcement Officers According To Generational Cohorts, Johnathon Michael Sharp Jan 2016

Job Satisfaction In Law Enforcement Officers According To Generational Cohorts, Johnathon Michael Sharp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction in law enforcement is important because it promotes continuity of a professional and cohesive police force that works well together, follows proper policy and procedures, and provides the services needed to the public. Given multigenerational law enforcement officers are now working together, its impact on job satisfaction is not known. This study focused on how generational cohort membership impacts the job satisfaction of law enforcement officers based on Mannheim's theory of generations and Locke's range of affect theory. It utilized a survey design where job satisfaction was assessed using the Job Descriptive Index, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Job …

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Effectiveness Of Testing Accommodations For Postsecondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Dana Lindsey Jan 2016

Effectiveness Of Testing Accommodations For Postsecondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Dana Lindsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Learning disabilities (LDs), which are the most common diagnosis of students entering colleges, are found in approximately 3% of first-year college students. Little information is available, however, on the role of classroom accommodations on these students' academic performance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether academic performance, self-efficacy, and motivation of postsecondary LD students were influenced by extended testing time. Social cognitive theory and expectancy-value theory were used to frame the study. Fifty-three participants from a community college in the Southeastern United States who were approved to receive classroom accommodations completed a demographic questionnaire and measures of motivation …

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Motivation For Volunteering With Older Adults In A Rural Community, Tonia Maria Truesdell Jan 2016

Motivation For Volunteering With Older Adults In A Rural Community, Tonia Maria Truesdell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Baby Boomer generation in the United States is growing older, and the number of adults age 65 years or older is expected to double by 2050. The increase in older adults combined with the reduction in services to older adults has created a gap in available social services and volunteers are needed to fill those gaps. This quantitative, nonexperimental study was designed to identify the motivations of volunteers who served the socialization needs of isolated older adults in a rural U.S. community. The functional approach theory was utilized to explain how volunteers engage in the same volunteer activity for …

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Traffic Enforcement, Policing, And Crime Rates, Marc Weiss Weiss Jan 2016

Traffic Enforcement, Policing, And Crime Rates, Marc Weiss Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement agencies believe that traffic enforcement, in addition to reducing fatalities associated with automobile collisions, may also reduce the incidence of public order crimes. The academic literature, though, has largely failed to address this phenomenon. The purpose of this correlational study was to use Kelling and Wilson's broken windows theory to evaluate whether a statistically significant relationship exists between traffic enforcement rates and public order crimes in South Carolina. Secondary data from 5 counties were acquired from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for the time period 2008 through 2012. Statistically …

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Policemoms: Perceptions Of Motherhood And Policy In Ohio Police Organizations, Lacy Kristine Ellis Jan 2016

Policemoms: Perceptions Of Motherhood And Policy In Ohio Police Organizations, Lacy Kristine Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police organizations have a problem retaining female police officers, especially those who are mothers. Women leave the policing profession at higher rates during childbearing and child-rearing years than during any other time in their career. Using feminist theory as a foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of policewomen who are mothers and identify factors that contribute to poor retention rates during childbearing and child-rearing years. Data were collected through 11 interviews with policewomen, who were also mothers, in Ohio. These data were analyzed using Saldana's 2-cycle coding procedure followed …

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Emotional Dysregulation And Adaptive Skills Among Siblings Of Bipolar Children, Nikki Marie Woller Jan 2016

Emotional Dysregulation And Adaptive Skills Among Siblings Of Bipolar Children, Nikki Marie Woller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of pediatric bipolar disorder on child siblings. A quantitative quasi-experimental research design was used. According to family systems theory, which was used in the formation of this study, all family members are interconnected and affect each other in a variety of ways. The research questions investigated whether children demonstrated more emotional dysregulation and fewer adaptive skills when a bipolar sibling was living in the home than when there was no bipolar sibling. The matched comparison study used 2 groups of children: those with bipolar siblings and those without bipolar siblings. …

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Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond Jan 2016

Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The criminal justice program in a community college located in the southwestern United States had experienced an increase in student plagiarism. However, the current teaching practices of criminal justice instructors to prevent and manage the increased student plagiarism have not been effective. The purpose of this study was to explore criminal justice college instructors' experiences, perceptions, and teaching strategies related to undergraduate student plagiarism using Goleman's emotional intelligence theory and Daloz's mentoring theory. Employing a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 criminal justice college instructors. Member checking and reflective journaling ensured accuracy and …

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Social Disorganization Theory: The Role Of Diversity In New Jersey's Hate Crimes, Dana Maria Ciobanu Jan 2016

Social Disorganization Theory: The Role Of Diversity In New Jersey's Hate Crimes, Dana Maria Ciobanu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reported number of hate crimes in New Jersey continues to remain high despite the enforcement of laws against perpetrators. The purpose of this correlational panel study was to test Shaw & McKay's theory of social disorganization by examining the relationship between demographic diversity and hate crime rates. This study focused on analyzing the relationship between the level of diversity, residential mobility, unemployment, family disruption, proximity to urban areas, and population density in all 21 New Jersey counties and hate crime rates. The existing data of Federal Bureau of Investigations' hate crime rates and the U.S. Census Bureau's demographic diversity, …

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Hearing Parents Of Children With Hearing Loss: Perceptions Of The Iep Process, Robin Fern Stegman Jan 2016

Hearing Parents Of Children With Hearing Loss: Perceptions Of The Iep Process, Robin Fern Stegman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study investigated the nature and extent of the support parents received during IEP development. The study was informed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Participants, located in a Northeastern state, were 10 hearing parents of children who had been diagnosed with hearing loss at birth and were between ages 5 and 12. Data were in-depth interviews that were analyzed, coded, and organized into themes using an inductive approach to analysis informed by Hatch. Results indicated that parents believed they needed more guidance on what to expect during the first IEP meeting, that advocating for appropriate accommodations for their child …

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Female Police Officers' Perceptions And Experiences With Marginalization: A Phenomenological Study, Dr. Arlether Ann Wilson Jan 2016

Female Police Officers' Perceptions And Experiences With Marginalization: A Phenomenological Study, Dr. Arlether Ann Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of female police officer representation in police departments nationwide. Women's position, or lack thereof, in law enforcement is a topic of discussion in many police literature reviews. However, there were minimal studies detailing female police officers' personal experiences in the law enforcement profession. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and understand the perceptions and lived experiences of female police officers, as well as the impact those experiences had on their careers. Female participants from 3 police departments formed the purposive sample that included 8 full-time female police officers. The feminist theory helped to …

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A Composite Index To Measure Integration Of Global Business Citizenship, Linda L. Sanner Jan 2016

A Composite Index To Measure Integration Of Global Business Citizenship, Linda L. Sanner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Among the top Fortune 100 U.S. companies, 97% claim to be global business citizens, primarily based on self-evaluated qualitative criteria. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey design study was to develop a self-administered survey and apply it to calculate a composite index rating that assesses the maturity level a company has attained toward becoming a global business citizen. The theoretical framework underpinning the research was based on the theory of global business citizenship (GBC) and accompanying four-step implementation process. The GBC theory was utilized to develop the research survey consisting of 1 qualifying question and 22 Likert-type questions. The …

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Local Governmental Development Of Alternative Food Systems In Distressed Urban Areas, Jeremy Earle Jan 2016

Local Governmental Development Of Alternative Food Systems In Distressed Urban Areas, Jeremy Earle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alternative food systems (AFS) projects are designed to address issues of environmental justice, food security and insecurity, community health disparities between the affluent and the poor, and access to healthful foods in distressed urban areas. Past research has questioned the efficacy and long-term viability of such interventions, particularly in distressed primarily Black urban areas. The purpose of this intrinsic case study (ICS) was to understand the ways in which local governmental entities collaborated with each other and with nongovernmental partners to help develop an AFS in South Florida through the creation of a market garden called the PATCH. Critical race …

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Women Working In Leadership Roles Who Were Raised In Father-Absent Families, Lauren Huff Jan 2016

Women Working In Leadership Roles Who Were Raised In Father-Absent Families, Lauren Huff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Girls from father-absent families tend to form low levels of trust that may dictate relationships throughout life, including progression into leadership roles. There is evidence to suggest that girls raised in father-absent families fail to reach their potential, and therefore public programs that address the development of strong interpersonal and leadership skills would enhance these capacities. Unfortunately, public programming gaps exist for girls raised in father-absent families that would provide the skills needed to be effective leaders in their schools, communities, and careers. Using House's path-goal leadership theory as the framework, this phenomenological study explored how girls from father-absent families …

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Improving The Completion Rate Of Advance Directives In Home Health Agencies, Ndidiamaka Ezinne Mbakpuo Jan 2016

Improving The Completion Rate Of Advance Directives In Home Health Agencies, Ndidiamaka Ezinne Mbakpuo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of individuals aged more than 65 years in the United States and their life expectancy has been increasing in the past decades. In spite of the presence of federal and accreditation policies recommending completion of advance directive documents by patients admitted to health care settings, advance directive completion rates are low in most health care organizations. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of advance directive completion among home health patients. The health belief model provided the theoretical framework that guided this study. A retrospective chart review was carried out in a home health agency …

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Assessing The Impact Of Yoga As A Moderator On Substance Abuse Treatment Effectiveness, Joseph Antonio Mcdaniel Jan 2016

Assessing The Impact Of Yoga As A Moderator On Substance Abuse Treatment Effectiveness, Joseph Antonio Mcdaniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and treatment adherence reduce substance dependence. Yoga has been suggested as an adjunct to substance dependence treatment to enhance outcomes. This study was designed to assess yoga as a moderator of substance abuse treatment effectiveness, as indicated by the Exercise Self-Efficacy survey and Treatment Effectiveness Assessment scores. This study was guided by self-efficacy theory and used a nonequivalent quasi-experimental design to evaluate self-efficacy changes and treatment effectiveness. A drug treatment program that did not incorporate yoga as an adjunct to treatment was compared to another treatment program that did. Convenience sampling strategy was utilized to recruit 100 voluntary yoga …

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A Qualitative Study Of The Growth Strategies Of Mature Small Businesses, Racquel Thompson-Elliott Jan 2016

A Qualitative Study Of The Growth Strategies Of Mature Small Businesses, Racquel Thompson-Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small businesses have slower growth as they age and have limited strategies to maximize profit, productivity, and job creation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the strategies small business managers use to capitalize on growth opportunities. Area small business managers and support program stakeholders could gain new knowledge to develop effective support for mature small businesses. Twenty managers participated in this case study. These managers were from small businesses operating in the state of Florida for more than 5 years with less than 500 employees. The data collection approach included purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews with …

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An Interpretive Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Of Job Satisfaction Among Veteran Special Educators, Raeann Barnes Jan 2016

An Interpretive Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Of Job Satisfaction Among Veteran Special Educators, Raeann Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The attrition rate among special education teachers is ranked among the highest in the education profession. Retaining teachers early in their careers continues to be a concern due to increased job responsibilities, larger caseloads, challenging student behaviors, minimal support from colleagues, increased paperwork, and diminishing resources. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the meaning of satisfaction special education teachers made of their careers. The transactional model developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) can help to explain how the occurrence of stressful events can impact an individual. A purposive sample of 9 tenured, certified special education teachers currently …

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Domestic Violence Intervention Program Facilitators' Motivation For Working With Repeat Offenders, Elaine Marie Barclay Jan 2016

Domestic Violence Intervention Program Facilitators' Motivation For Working With Repeat Offenders, Elaine Marie Barclay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) rehabilitative program facilitators administer the same treatment programs to males who reoffend. When DV facilitators administer the same unsuccessful treatment programs to repeat offenders, facilitators may lose intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to perform their job. For this study a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology approach was used to explore the phenomenon of DV facilitators' motivation. Self-determination theory was used to frame the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on DV facilitators who administer treatment programs to repeat offending males. A recruitment flyer was placed in the DV organization, data were collected from 7 participants through face-to-face or telephone interviews …

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Alignment Of Standards, Assessment, And Compliance For A Residential Support Provider Organization, Monique Day Jan 2016

Alignment Of Standards, Assessment, And Compliance For A Residential Support Provider Organization, Monique Day

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although Code of Maryland policy mandates multidisciplinary, integrated teams for residential service provider organizations (RPOs) for an intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) population, alignment criteria to identify and evaluate the functional characteristics of such teams do not exist. This ambiguity has resulted in potential conflict in the goals of service delivery, as well as misaligned quality assessment and policy development criteria. The intent of this general qualitative study was to use complex adaptive systems theory and Vitkiene's work on corporate ethos to determine whether the services provided by a single RPO were consistent and aligned with the regulatory mandate set by the …

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