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Articles 5491 - 5520 of 6380

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Childhood Abuse And Neglect, Global Emotional Functioning, And Emotional Regulation In A Comunity Sample Of Adults, Deborah Isaacs Jan 2016

Childhood Abuse And Neglect, Global Emotional Functioning, And Emotional Regulation In A Comunity Sample Of Adults, Deborah Isaacs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional impairment can lead to emotional disorders or dysfunction. Childhood abuse or neglect can be used to predict disorders and dysfunction. Missing from the literature was research exploring a direct relationship between a history of abuse or neglect and future emotional impairment. This quasi-experimental study served to examine whether histories of childhood abuse or neglect can be used to predict future emotional impairment using the Mayer and Salovey model of emotional functioning. A community sample of 138 adults from rural Wyoming completed retrospective reports of childhood trauma and current measures of emotional functioning, and 42% of the sample reported a …

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A Purposeful Approach To Student Conduct With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Learners, Heidi Lynn Jordan Jan 2016

A Purposeful Approach To Student Conduct With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Learners, Heidi Lynn Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students spend more time in conflict resolution than their general education colleagues do. Although emerging research suggests that both students and teachers benefit from an approach to student conduct that is more purposeful than traditional behavior modification models, further research was necessary to clarify how such an effective purposeful program would work. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore how teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students perceived and used a purposeful approach to student conduct. Deutsch's conflict resolution theory served as the conceptual framework. A single case study design was …

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Trait Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, Engagement, And Intended Retention Of Court-Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers, Kim Obenoskey Jan 2016

Trait Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, Engagement, And Intended Retention Of Court-Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers, Kim Obenoskey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. volunteer-dependent organizations continue to look for more effective ways to support their volunteer recruitment, training, and retention efforts. No prior research has evaluated what variables support sustained volunteerism for CASA volunteers. The purpose of this study was to investigate sustained volunteerism by evaluating the relationships between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) measured using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, motivation to volunteer using the Volunteers Functional Inventory, volunteer work engagement using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and intended retention of CASA volunteers. One hundred fifty five CASA volunteers from different CASA organizations responded to an on-line survey. Correlational and regression …

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Perceptions Of Homeless Individuals Regarding Public Housing Use, Shirley Elaine Hicks Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Homeless Individuals Regarding Public Housing Use, Shirley Elaine Hicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on how homeless individuals perceive shelters, housing programs, and their agents has been limited, especially in relation to the reasons for engaging in or avoiding programs. This phenomenological study explored the perspectives of chronically homeless individuals in Wake County, North Carolina, regarding shelters and housing programs, examining their reasons for using or not using shelters or public housing. Using Glidden's structuration theory as the framework, the research questions for this study were based on exploring the perceptions of homeless individuals use of public resources related to housing and shelters to better understand why some use, and perhaps more importantly, …

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Lived Experiences Of Exonerated Individuals 1 Year Or Longer After Release, Claudette M. Grooms Jan 2016

Lived Experiences Of Exonerated Individuals 1 Year Or Longer After Release, Claudette M. Grooms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of information related to the postprison experiences of exonerated individuals is frequently found in reports by journalists, or based on the findings of scholars on systematic factors that contribute to wrongful incarcerations. There is a lack of social science research on the unexplored meanings and essence of the postprison lived experiences of exonerees exclusively from their perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the postprison lived experiences of exonerated individuals, 1 year or longer after their prison release. The conceptual framework was guided by Tajfel's social identity theory and Becker's social reaction theory. …

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Servant Leaders' Use Of High Performance Work Practices And Corporate Social Performance, Michelle Kathleen Fitzgerald Preiksaitis Jan 2016

Servant Leaders' Use Of High Performance Work Practices And Corporate Social Performance, Michelle Kathleen Fitzgerald Preiksaitis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business researchers have shown that servant leaders empower, provide long-term vision, and serve their workers and followers better than do nonservant leaders. High performance work practices (HPWPs) and corporate social performance (CSP) can enhance employee and firm productivity. However, when overused or poorly managed, HPWPs and CSP can lead to the business problems of employee disengagement, overload, or anxiety. Scholars noted a gap in human resource management research regarding whether leadership styles affect HPWPs and CSP use. This study examined the relationship between leadership style and the use of HPWPs and CSP, by using a quantitative, nonexperimental design. U.S. business …

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The Impact Of Gender And Focal Concerns Theory On The Treatment Of White-Collar Defendants By Federal Judges, Brandon Michael Roberts Jan 2016

The Impact Of Gender And Focal Concerns Theory On The Treatment Of White-Collar Defendants By Federal Judges, Brandon Michael Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research found gender to be a primary consideration of judges in terms of actions towards defendants. Blameworthiness, the combined effect of criminal history, offense severity, and the defendant's role in the criminal event, is also known to impact judge's actions. Little, though, is known about how gender and blameworthiness, combined, may be related to judges' actions towards white-collar defendants. The purpose of this case study, therefore, was to explore whether defendant gender and blameworthiness impact judicial actions towards defendants charged with white-collar crime(s) in a federal district court of New York. The theoretical framework was Demuth and Steffensmeier's theory …

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Transitional Planning And Homelessness Of Youths Emancipated From Foster Care, Sharon Patricia Sutherland Jan 2016

Transitional Planning And Homelessness Of Youths Emancipated From Foster Care, Sharon Patricia Sutherland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that approximately 25% of the 30,000 youths emancipated from foster care each year experience negative outcomes including poor education attainment, limited employment opportunities, homelessness, lack of access to healthcare, and poor social networks. Despite the existence of federal legislation that requires foster care agencies to assist foster youths to make the transition to independent living, research has revealed that the current transitional planning process is not effective. There is a gap in the current literature regarding qualitative research on youths' shared experiences of the transitional planning process as they transit out of foster care. This study …

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Examining Alignment Between Canadian Municipal Police Performance Evaluation Policies And Officer Perceptions, Birdella Wilson Jan 2016

Examining Alignment Between Canadian Municipal Police Performance Evaluation Policies And Officer Perceptions, Birdella Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of alignment between police performance evaluation policy purposes and officer performance evaluation perceptions has implications for the organizations' resource management, officer morale, and public safety. A literature review points towards a gap existing between policy purpose statements and employee perceptions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the policy purposes of police performance evaluations and the officers' perceptions of those evaluation experiences in 4 Ontario municipal police services. DiMaggio and Powell's (1983) Institutional theory was the foundation for this study. Data for this study were collected from 4 police services in Ontario, Canada. The …

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The Effect Of Objectified Images In The Media On The Development Of Body Dissatisfaction And Depressive Symptoms In Filipino American Women, Nicole J. Dionisio Jan 2016

The Effect Of Objectified Images In The Media On The Development Of Body Dissatisfaction And Depressive Symptoms In Filipino American Women, Nicole J. Dionisio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although Filipinos are becoming one of the largest Asian groups in the U.S there is limited research regarding mental health challenges Filipino women experience specifically regarding body satisfaction and self-image. The goal of this explorative qualitative study was to explore the relationship between objectified images of women in the media and the reported levels of body dissatisfaction in a sample of 8 American-born Filipino women and 8 Philippine-born Filipino women. Objectification theory was used to guide this research and levels of sociocultural influences, body satisfaction, and body consciousness were explored through a qualitative research design using statements from the Sociocultural …

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Young Adults Adherence To Cancer Treatment As Compared To Older Adults, Laurie Ann Cox Jan 2016

Young Adults Adherence To Cancer Treatment As Compared To Older Adults, Laurie Ann Cox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As compared to pediatric and older adult cancer patients, young adults are the only oncology group that has not demonstrated an increase in survival rates. Low treatment adherence rates have been one explanation for this discrepancy, although this hypothesis has not been explored specifically. Guided by the biopsychosocial model of health and wellness, this study compared the treatment adherence rates of 46 young adult cancer patients (ages 18-39 years) to 46 older adult cancer patients (ages 40 years and older). Adherence was measured by a dichotomized variable, as yes/no, adhering to radiation treatment and follow-up appointments recommended by the physician, …

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Improving Child Welfare: African Canadian Youth's Postcare Options, Irene Elizabeth Mcintosh Jan 2016

Improving Child Welfare: African Canadian Youth's Postcare Options, Irene Elizabeth Mcintosh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of youth exit Ontario's Child Welfare System (CWS) each year and perform poorly after returning to the community. However, understanding African Canadian youths' perspectives about their experiences and needs was problematic because no outcome data was available in the Canadian database. Using a phenomenological design grounded in a constructivist framework, the purpose of this study was to explore the meaning(s) that African Canadian youth ascribed to positive outcomes on exiting the CWS. A purposeful sample included 10 participants (6 females and 4 males, ranging in age from 19-24). The data collection method was face-to-face interviews with hand coding used …

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The Lived Experience Of School Bus Drivers: Bullying Prevention On School Buses, Timothy Crable Jan 2016

The Lived Experience Of School Bus Drivers: Bullying Prevention On School Buses, Timothy Crable

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. school bus drivers witness bullying on their buses on a regular basis but are often not consulted on how to prevent bullying or how to maintain a safe environment. Over 24 million U.S. student passengers ride school buses daily, yet the voices of bus drivers have been inadequately represented in the development of school bullying policies. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experience of 12 active school bus drivers and their perceptions of bullying on the bus, driver training programs, school antibullying policies, and other mandated procedures developed for bus drivers. The conceptual framework …

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Relationship Building And Unethical Behavior In The Hospitality Industry, Sharron Lee Koch Jan 2016

Relationship Building And Unethical Behavior In The Hospitality Industry, Sharron Lee Koch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relationship building is a fundamental component to develop successful businesses, although corrupt purchasing executives pay bribes in excess of $1.5 trillion dollars annually. The participants for this case study consisted of 10 national sales managers who have successfully implemented strategies to train suppliers in relationship building in a hotel in Greensville, South Carolina. The resource dependence theory grounded the study. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies a hotel owner in Greenville, South Carolina used to train managers on relationship building. Collection of data included 8 semi-structured telephone interviews and 2 video interviews that were audio …

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Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Bullying And Their Practices In Reporting Bullying Incidents, Katherine Eileen Blust Jan 2016

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Bullying And Their Practices In Reporting Bullying Incidents, Katherine Eileen Blust

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student self-report surveys showed bullying behaviors were problematic among students in one Midwest middle school. Despite implementing a version of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, students continued to self-report bullying behaviors that occurred on school property during school hours. It is crucial that educators are proactive in intervening and preventing bullying to establish a safe environment for academic success. The purpose of this study was to describe teachers' perceptions of bullying behaviors and their practices in reporting bullying incidents. Bandura's social learning and Locke's social contract theories served as the study's framework. Teachers were asked to describe behaviors they perceived …

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Socioeconomic Status Mobility And Lifetime Exposure To Discrimination On Cardiovascular Disease Events, Nkenge H. Jones-Jack Jan 2016

Socioeconomic Status Mobility And Lifetime Exposure To Discrimination On Cardiovascular Disease Events, Nkenge H. Jones-Jack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blacks in the United States have the highest rates of hypertension in the world, and their cardiovascular disease mortality rates are higher than for any other population group as a result of traditional risk factors such as obesity and stronger family history. However, additional underlying factors, such as social determinants of health (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES]) and macrosocial factors (e.g., racism), also correlate with adverse health outcomes. This study investigated whether the interaction between SES mobility over the lifecourse and lifetime racial discrimination influenced the extent to which hypertension contributed to the cardiovascular disease health disparities observed among Blacks in …

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A Community's Perception Of Pregnancy And Sexually Transmitted Infections And Prevention Programs, Felecity Nicole Burns Jan 2016

A Community's Perception Of Pregnancy And Sexually Transmitted Infections And Prevention Programs, Felecity Nicole Burns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancies, births, abortions, and sexually transmitted infections in the industrialized world. African American teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in many rural southwest school districts in the State of Georgia where the sex education curriculum is nonexistent or solely focuses on abstinence. Georgia ranked 4th in cases of primary and secondary syphilis, 6th in AIDS, 12th in gonorrhea, 14th in teen pregnancies, and 17th in chlamydia in the United States in 2012. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the perceptions of residents of a …

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Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Inclusion In Elementary Classroom Settings, Delicia Peacock Peacock Jan 2016

Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Inclusion In Elementary Classroom Settings, Delicia Peacock Peacock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion classrooms were introduced in the United States in 1990 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act required that special education students be instructed in a general education setting. Ensuing changes in instructional formats have caused role confusion for special and general education teachers, resulted in mixed attitudes toward teacher responsibilities, and lowered teachers' sense of efficacy about being able to teach their students. Guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this bounded case study design in a rural elementary school in a southeastern state was used to understand the perceptions of general and special educators regarding their work in …

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Gender And Self-Care Behaviors In The Burnout Of Mental Health Professionals, Kafy-Ann Martin-Johnson Jan 2016

Gender And Self-Care Behaviors In The Burnout Of Mental Health Professionals, Kafy-Ann Martin-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Difficulties experienced at work can cause feelings of burnout that become prolonged and intensified without acts of self-care. The intense nature of mental health workers' jobs may make them, more vulnerable to burnout than other professionals. Because mental health professionals' mental and emotional wellness can significantly affect their work, adequate self-care is critical to both their well-being and that of their clients. Previous researchers have investigated the self-care behaviors of mental health professionals, but little was known about how gender affected the use of these behaviors in burnout prevention among mental health professionals. The purpose of this quantitative study was …

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The Effects Of Participative Leadership Practices On Job Satisfaction For Highly Skilled Virtual Teams, Funda Sinani Jan 2016

The Effects Of Participative Leadership Practices On Job Satisfaction For Highly Skilled Virtual Teams, Funda Sinani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virtual-team professionals have reported experiencing low job satisfaction due to lack of face-to-face interaction leading to stress, miscommunication, and role-confusion. Dissatisfaction among virtual teams has increased turnover and management costs for organizations. Despite these known associations, there was a gap in the literature investigating efficient leadership practices to improve job satisfaction for highly skilled virtual teams. Participative leadership offers an effective approach to increase job satisfaction among face-to-face teams and innovative teams. This study explored the relationship between participative leadership and job satisfaction among highly skilled virtual teams within the global software industry. A quantitative study with a correlational design …

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An Exploration Of Exposure To Music In High School Males In Appalachian Ohio, Cassandra Mcdonald Jan 2016

An Exploration Of Exposure To Music In High School Males In Appalachian Ohio, Cassandra Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with increasing availability of alternative educational systems, individual learning plans, and vocational schools, the high school dropout rate among males is still rising. High school dropouts have a negative effect on a community because their chances of being employed and contributing to the community are reduced. The theoretical frameworks of multiple intelligences, self-efficacy, and developmental constructivism were used to conduct a hermeneutical phenomenological study of the lived experiences of a specific population of male youth in rural Ohio who decided to return to school and complete the requirements for a high school diploma or GED after being exposed to …

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Exploring Barriers To Implementing A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program., Ronald L. Gay Jan 2016

Exploring Barriers To Implementing A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program., Ronald L. Gay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined factors related to the implementation of a School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) program at a large middle school in the United States. Parent Teacher Student Association volunteers at the school reported that teacher fidelity to implementation of SWPBIS activities was inconsistent, threatening the SWPBIS program's effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers that hindered teachers' fidelity in implementing SWPBIS. Teacher resistance to change, change leadership framework, and the model for effective professional development were used in this case study to explore the perceptions of 16 participants. The research questions focused on …

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Success Of The African American Female Military Field Grade Officers In An Army Environment, Sandra Thompson Jan 2016

Success Of The African American Female Military Field Grade Officers In An Army Environment, Sandra Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American female field grade officers perform many missions in the United States Army and often excel in their careers. Unfortunately, the factors accounting for the success of African American female military officers' career are understudied, and this gap in knowledge may prevent younger female military officers from advancing their careers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the success factors of African American female field grade officers. Participants were women who were currently serving on active duty, who retired after serving 20 or more years, or who had resigned their commissions. Success was defined as achieving rank …

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Transition And Transformation - From Military Combat To College Classroom: Strategies For Success, Charles Mark Brewer Jan 2016

Transition And Transformation - From Military Combat To College Classroom: Strategies For Success, Charles Mark Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that faculty, staff, and administrators at institutions of higher learning have a fundamental responsibility to create a safe and effective learning environment for returning military combat veterans. Studies of student veterans have shown that combat veterans have both unique strengths and barriers that must be taken into account if they are to complete an advanced degree. This study contributes to the literature on educational barriers faced by student veterans and their educators. Knowles' andragogy theory provided the theoretical framework for this transcendental-phenomenological research study. Ten randomly chosen student military veterans from Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, Washington, participated …

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Sports Content Viewership Motivations Across Digital Devices, Mark Henry Jan 2016

Sports Content Viewership Motivations Across Digital Devices, Mark Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. advertisers spent over $2 billion on sporting events in 2014 directing advertisements towards consumers through digital devices used such as televisions, computers, smartphones, and tablets. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify motivation factors that predict the intention to view sports content on digital devices. Knowing such factors is important for advertisers to prioritize distribution channels. Uses and gratification theory formed the theoretical framework for the study. The methodology adapted a survey that encapsulated 9 motives. The research questions examined what motives influenced sports viewership, what motives predicted the intention to view specific sports content, and the …

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Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard Jan 2016

Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The field of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is growing in popularity as an alternative healing approach. However, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed research on the horses who serve as equal partners in EAAT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the impact of equine-facilitated therapeutic activities on the temperament of horses, and to determine how to select a better human-to-horse therapeutic match when providing EAAT services. The theoretical framework for this research drew from Romanes' theory of animal intelligence, which predicts that temperament would change as a result of prolonged participation in specific work (EAAT …

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Cultural Competence, Emergency Management, And Disaster Response And Recovery Efforts Among African Americans, John Stanley Laine Jan 2016

Cultural Competence, Emergency Management, And Disaster Response And Recovery Efforts Among African Americans, John Stanley Laine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Natural disasters disrupt African American communities in the United States and can exacerbate the degree of poverty for individuals within these communities, necessitating greater aid from local, state, and federal governments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of cultural competence in disaster response serving African American communities. This research study focused on emergency manager's comprehension and education of cultural competence, what they recognized to be vital elements of a culturally competent emergency manager, and what the obstacles and components are to bring about the changes to the profession. This study used a qualitative case study design …

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Toward Excellence: A Study Of Public Sector Department Of Defense Teams, Denise Marie Miller Jan 2016

Toward Excellence: A Study Of Public Sector Department Of Defense Teams, Denise Marie Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Department of Defense's (DoD's) budgetary and personnel challenges are affecting readiness, thus encouraging the use of effective teams to improve efficiency. This qualitative, descriptive case study examined how public sector DoD members experienced characteristics of high-performing teams (HPTs), defined by their members' shared sense of purpose, interdependent commitment, and exceptional team effectiveness. The documentation of these experiences may aid other DoD teams seeking to improve performance. Lewin and Sherif's theories on group dynamics, Johnson and Johnson's theory on groups, Katzenbach and Smith's theory of HPTs, and Edmondson's work on teams comprised the theoretical framework. Thirty-nine public sector DoD members …

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Culture Wars: Explaining Congressional Partisanship And Organizational Dysfunction Through Moral Foundations Theory, Jessica H. Wilson-Hart Jan 2016

Culture Wars: Explaining Congressional Partisanship And Organizational Dysfunction Through Moral Foundations Theory, Jessica H. Wilson-Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was the organizational working environment and existing partisanship evident in the United States Congress. There has been a reduction in the number of laws passed over the last 30 years from a high of over 1,000 to a low of around 120, with a period of complete government shutdown in 2013. This qualitative research utilized qualitative content analysis to discover the nature of partisan conflict as demonstrated by 6 members of Congress. The conceptual framework for this study was moral foundations theory. Different moral principles held by Democrats and Republicans were studied as a possible …

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The Influence Of Public Policy Interventions On Millennial Distracted Driving Behavior, Karen Anne Versuk Jan 2016

The Influence Of Public Policy Interventions On Millennial Distracted Driving Behavior, Karen Anne Versuk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite recent public policy initiatives limiting or banning forms of distracted driving resultant from cellular phone use, crashes remain on the rise. Individuals from the millennial generation, ages 16 to 35, appear to be most susceptible to distracted driving. Understanding the behaviors, attitudes, and habits of millennials is critical to developing effective policy for behavior change. A dual task ethnographic study framed by Skinner's theory of behavior modification and Maslow's hierarchy of needs motivational model, was used to investigate to what extent millennials feel public policy has influenced their driving, and if additional policy initiatives are required to deter distracted …

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