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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Articles 5251 - 5280 of 5913

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Managing Effective Communication After A Crisis, Enid Alane Thompson Jan 2016

Managing Effective Communication After A Crisis, Enid Alane Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the effects of natural disasters on small business owners, the owners' communication strategies to alleviate loss to their companies' profitability remain problematic. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiunit case study was to explore what communication strategies some small business owners developed and implemented for facilitating resuming their business operations after a natural disaster. The targeted population consisted of 2 small business owners located along the Belmar Boardwalk in Belmar, New Jersey. The conceptual framework for this study was Coombs' situational crisis communication theory. The case data collected were from semistructured interviews and company documents. Employing member checking and …

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The Perception Of African American Clergy Regarding Mental Health Services, Tamara White Jan 2016

The Perception Of African American Clergy Regarding Mental Health Services, Tamara White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rise in diagnosable mental illness disorders in the United States is a major concern. However, researchers indicate that African Americans are far less likely to seek mental health treatment than Caucasian Americans. This qualitative, phenomenological study addressed a research gap regarding the beliefs, perceptions, stigmas, and practices of African American clergy regarding their promotion of mental health services. Two conceptual frameworks consisting of the sociocultural theory and the social learning theory guided the study. There were two research questions used to guide the exploration of the purposive sampling of 6 African American clergy from major African American denominations across …

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Culture And Attitudes Regarding Physical Punishment Of Children In Akwa Ibom State Of Nigeria, Alfred Aniefiok Bassey Jan 2016

Culture And Attitudes Regarding Physical Punishment Of Children In Akwa Ibom State Of Nigeria, Alfred Aniefiok Bassey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined whether cultural factors could predict parents' attitudes toward the use of harsh physical punishment on their children in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. Presuming that most people disapprove of child abuse, different cultural groups may define the parental behaviors that constitute abuse differently, and such variances may result in a disparity of identification of parents from some cultures as more abusive than others. Four different independent cultural variables were measured: (a) conflict tactics, (b) nurturance, (c) drinking, and (d) valuing children. Form P, Part E of Dimension of Disciplinary Inventory (DDI) was used to measure parents' perception …

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Business Leaders Marketing To Bottom-Of-The-Pyramid Consumers In Nigeria, Chantell Ramaun Beaty Jan 2016

Business Leaders Marketing To Bottom-Of-The-Pyramid Consumers In Nigeria, Chantell Ramaun Beaty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders often leave more than half of the world's population the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), a $5-trillion market of potential consumers untapped for products and services on account of failing to see BOP markets as profitable for business, yet business leaders who have managed inclusive BOP marketing in Nigeria have experienced profit margins as high as 120%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies of business leaders who market to BOP consumers in Nigeria and maintain a profit. The study population consisted of 3 business leaders in the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan area …

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The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Canadian Women With The Healthcare System, Salma Debs-Ivall Jan 2016

The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Canadian Women With The Healthcare System, Salma Debs-Ivall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrants to Canada report better health status than the Canadian-born population when they first arrive in Canada, a phenomenon called the Healthy Immigrant Effect. However, by the fourth year after immigration, immigrants report a health status that is worse than that of the Canadian-born population. Visible minority immigrant women report the largest deterioration in health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of visible minority immigrant women with encounters with the Canadian healthcare system to examine the multiplicative impact of gender, ethnicity, and immigration on their health. This phenomenological study, guided by Crenshaw's feminist intersectionality …

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The Lived Experiences Of Counselor Educators Using Mindful Teaching Approaches, Abby E. Dougherty Jan 2016

The Lived Experiences Of Counselor Educators Using Mindful Teaching Approaches, Abby E. Dougherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that mindful teaching approaches support students and educators throughout the learning process. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselor educators with a daily mindfulness practice in the classroom with culturally diverse students. Relational-cultural theory (RCT) was the conceptual framework. Relational cultural theory concepts of relational connections and disconnections were used to explore the participants' lived experiences implementing a mindful teaching approach. Purposeful sampling yielded 10 participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. Using an inductive approach, the data were analyzed to identify essential themes. Thematic analysis was conducted by hand …

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African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act, Ewang Theo Epie-Alobwede Jan 2016

African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act, Ewang Theo Epie-Alobwede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans as a group tend to have numerous health issues, and by the time they seek healthcare, the conditions often advance into more serious ailments. Researchers have shown that cultural distrust of the U.S. healthcare system coupled with some discriminatory practices has hindered African Americans seeking care and taking full advantage of the healthcare system. With the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is some confusion about the application of the law, resulting in many intended beneficiaries misinterpreting it, and not accessing quality healthcare. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how African Americans in the …

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Texas Sheriff Perceptions Of The Militia Movement, John F. Fisher Jan 2016

Texas Sheriff Perceptions Of The Militia Movement, John F. Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the election of President Barack Obama, the United States has seen a steady increase in the number of right-wing militia groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Department of Homeland Security have claimed that the various militia groups are a dangerous domestic terrorism threat. Law enforcement perceptions of the threat that these militia groups pose served as the focus of inquiry in this multiple case study. These perceptions were explored through the theoretical frameworks of groupthink, Credulous Bayesianism, and nudge theory. A purposeful sample of 12 local sheriffs in Texas were interviewed in an attempt to identify common …

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Graduates' Perceptions Of An Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program In Jamaica, Patricia Jacobs Jan 2016

Graduates' Perceptions Of An Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program In Jamaica, Patricia Jacobs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher training institutions in Jamaica have been introducing, developing, and revamping undergraduate degree programs. There is, however, little evaluation of these efforts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine The Mico University College's early childhood education undergraduate degree program by exploring the lived experiences of its graduates. The research questions elicited from the participants their views about how changes were being implemented in the program, and how they impacted the institution's development and improvement, how major policy shifts related to changes in national educational policies, and how together these shifts may impact future processes at The Mico and …

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Compassion Fatigue And Crisis Workers' Attitude To Work, Maria Adneza Loolo Jan 2016

Compassion Fatigue And Crisis Workers' Attitude To Work, Maria Adneza Loolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that mental health practitioners experience challenging reactions in the course of their professional interactions with traumatized clients in the clinical work setting. The demands of caring, without commensurate replenishment, deplete the practitioners' empathy and produces forms of apathy and indifference towards the suffering of others, known as compassion fatigue. This quantitative, exploratory, cross sectional study examined the predictive relationships between compassion fatigue and work attitudes in primary care physicians located in West Africa. The etiological model of compassion fatigue and constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) formed the conceptual framework for examining clinician responses to trauma-related experiences in …

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The Exposure Of Workplace Conflict On Residential Mental Health Clients, Shawna Deann Stoneking Jan 2016

The Exposure Of Workplace Conflict On Residential Mental Health Clients, Shawna Deann Stoneking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who receive residential mental health services rely on caregivers for support, supervision, and a safe living environment. Residential clients exposed to workplace conflict among staff may feel insecure and mistrust their caregivers, which in turn could negatively impact quality of life and treatment outcomes. The theory of therapeutic alliance proposed by Zetzel, emphasizing the client's perception of the therapist as a nurturing beneveolent figure, was used as the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 adults, recruited with homogenious sampling, who had experienced conflict among staff members and who had been discharged from residential …

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Understanding Host Community Distrust And Violence Against Oil Companies In Nigeria, Abby Kalio Amabipi Jan 2016

Understanding Host Community Distrust And Violence Against Oil Companies In Nigeria, Abby Kalio Amabipi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The violence of the Niger Delta host communities against the international oil companies (IOCs) is rampant and dogged. The extent of violence that occurs is harmful to communities, individuals, and oil companies that provide a certain degree of economic stability to the region. The Nigerian government faces a major challenge of resolving community violence in Nigeria. This case study used social exchange theory to better understand the causes and consequences of the lack of community trust against the oil companies that is pervasive in the region. Purposeful sampling was used in the selection of 10 community members, 8 representatives of …

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Affecting Teen Attitudes Through Positive Media Portrayals Of Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sheila Orta Jan 2016

Affecting Teen Attitudes Through Positive Media Portrayals Of Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sheila Orta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of knowledge about individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can create stereotypes, which serve as barriers to interaction. Television is a component in the development of social attitudes in teenagers. Using social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative 2-group, posttest only, experimental design was to determine whether observational learning could be effective in generating positive teen attitudes toward peers with ASD. Senior high school students (N = 130) completed the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Survey to determine whether observing a video clip can positively affect the attitudes of teens about their peers with …

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Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo Jan 2016

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has been conducted to identify the determinants of information technology (IT) adoption. No previous quantitative researchers have explored IT adoption in the context of enterprise social computing (ESC). The purpose of this study was to test and extend the social influence model of IT adoption. In addition, this study addressed a gap in the research literature and presented a model that relates the independent variables of social action, social consensus, social authority, social cooperation, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and organizational commitment to the dependent variables of social embracement and embedment. A …

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The Predictive Relationship Between Emotional Expressiveness And Discussing Death With Children: An Exploratory Study With Online College Parents, Sally A. Gill Jan 2016

The Predictive Relationship Between Emotional Expressiveness And Discussing Death With Children: An Exploratory Study With Online College Parents, Sally A. Gill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Death is a sensitive topic, and discussing death with children may be difficult for parents, especially parents who are uncomfortable with emotional expression. Many factors are associated with parents' decision to discuss death; however, a dearth of recent literature existed examining the role of parental emotional expressiveness and discussing death with children. Using Jackson's communications theory within the broader family systems theory, this exploratory non-experimental quantitative study examined if one or more of the selected variables of parents' emotional expressiveness, parents' gender, and any previous discussions about death with a child adequately predicted the age of a child when parents …

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Puerto Rican Vocational Students' Experiences Regarding Standardized Tests, Nomara I. Segui Jan 2016

Puerto Rican Vocational Students' Experiences Regarding Standardized Tests, Nomara I. Segui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational high school students are not passing state tests and are not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements in Puerto Rico. Limited qualitative research has been conducted to examine the experiences of vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests. Using a qualitative case study, the experiences of Puerto Rican cosmetology and barber vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests were examined. The conceptual framework was based on Dewey's theory of experience regarding the influence of continuity and interaction on students' career paths. The sample was 20 vocational students from cosmetology and barber classes who participated in standardized tests. …

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The Impact Of Treatment Programs In Reducing The Incarceration Rate For Children With Incarcerated Parents, Chandra Valencia Thornton Jan 2016

The Impact Of Treatment Programs In Reducing The Incarceration Rate For Children With Incarcerated Parents, Chandra Valencia Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has found that children who experience the incarceration of a parent may experience behavioral, psychological, and emotional problems. Studies have identified treatment programs and interventions designed to alleviate the long-term effects of parental incarceration on children. Limited research exists on the impact of treatment programs and interventions on these children. The purpose of this research was to determine if treatment programs are successful in reducing future incarceration rates for adults that experienced the incarceration of a parent during childhood. Research questions examined how treatment programs and interventions impacted the sample population. A phenomenological approach guided the study methods and …

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The Effect Of State Financial Aid Policies On College Completion, Sheri E. Ragland Jan 2016

The Effect Of State Financial Aid Policies On College Completion, Sheri E. Ragland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2008, state legislatures provided $6 billion in financial aid to 2 million low-income young adults. When low-income young adults receive state financial aid and do not complete college, states lose their investment because fewer people with degrees will contribute to the state's economy. Declining states' budgets have led to (a) the rising cost of higher education, (b) state merit-based aid that has targeted nonminority students from affluent backgrounds, and (c) state need-based aid that has targeted students further along in their college career. State need- and merit-based aid may contribute to the lack of college completion among low-income freshman …

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The Correlation Of Leader Traits And Learning Organizational Culture, Mark Reginald Porter Jan 2016

The Correlation Of Leader Traits And Learning Organizational Culture, Mark Reginald Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers in numerous studies have focused on leadership style and organizational cultures, but there is an absence of research regarding leader personality traits and productive work cultures in Alberta's oil and gas industry. The purpose of this correlational study was to assess the relationship between leader traits and preestablished learning organization culture benchmarks within Alberta's oil and gas industry. Learning organization culture is an extension of Senge's learning organization theory. Simple random sampling was used to attain a population comprised of 52 employees in Alberta's oil and gas industry who were accountable to an organizational supervisor. Data were collected …

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Impact Of Orientation Programs On Nontraditional Students' Perceived Academic Success In Adult Education Programs, Marsha Ann Webster Jan 2016

Impact Of Orientation Programs On Nontraditional Students' Perceived Academic Success In Adult Education Programs, Marsha Ann Webster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many administrators and faculty within higher education institutions have grappled with identifying and employing effective strategies to facilitate student success and persistence. The current study focuses on assessing nontraditional students' self-efficacy beliefs and their perception of the orientation program at a 2-year continuing education program in a Caribbean nation. The study is important as the findings have the potential to increase nontraditional students' persistence and learning. Bandura's social cognitive theory and the theory of self-efficacy served as the theoretical frameworks of this sequential mixed-methods design study. The quantitative research questions examined the reported self-efficacy levels of 77 participants and nonparticipants …

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Clinician Perspectives Of Adult High-Functioning Autism Support Groups' Use Of Neurodiversity Concept, Gwendolyn Spencer Barnhart Jan 2016

Clinician Perspectives Of Adult High-Functioning Autism Support Groups' Use Of Neurodiversity Concept, Gwendolyn Spencer Barnhart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has examined the impact of autism for children and families, but less has addressed the effects of this condition for adults. The literature indicates that adults on the autism spectrum suffer from depression and have a heightened risk of suicidal ideation because of their social skills deficits. Research also shows that individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA) can benefit from participating in support groups. In addition, research indicates that use of the term "neurodiversity" rather than other diagnostic labels encourages increased self-esteem to persons on the autism spectrum. This grounded theory study sought to understand the belief of clinicians …

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The Impact Of Religiosity And Gender On Attitudes Toward Juvenile Sex Offenders, Angela Marie Barteau Jan 2016

The Impact Of Religiosity And Gender On Attitudes Toward Juvenile Sex Offenders, Angela Marie Barteau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Personal characteristics of mental health professionals can impact their attitudes toward juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) and affect treatment. The correlation between mental health professionals' religiosity and their attitudes has not been examined, and there is limited research about the correlation between professionals' gender and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to examine how mental health professionals' religiosity and gender related to their attitudes toward JSO treatment. Labeling theory provided the theoretical foundation for this study. This theory posits that individuals label certain populations, such as sex offenders, as deviant and this labeling perpetuates a cycle of criminal behavior. Using …

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Stigma And Hiv Testing Among African American Women In New Jersey, Mirriam Limage-Pierre Jan 2016

Stigma And Hiv Testing Among African American Women In New Jersey, Mirriam Limage-Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are 18 times more likely to contract HIV than are European American women, yet they are less likely to be tested for HIV. Lack of HIV testing leads to late diagnosis and increased mortality from HIV-related illnesses. Based on the health belief model, this correlational study analyzed the extent to which HIV stigma mediated the relationship between perceived benefits or perceived severity of HIV and the uptake of HIV testing among African American women in New Jersey. A total of 93 African American women aged 18 and older who resided in New Jersey completed online questionnaires. Data …

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Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction And The Unemployed Spouse, Julie Anchustigui Jan 2016

Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction And The Unemployed Spouse, Julie Anchustigui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The recent economic recession has led to a large number of dual-income families losing their second income or having a smaller overall household income as a result of hourly wage cuts. Previous research has examined how job satisfaction can spill over into home life satisfaction; however, literature on how life satisfaction can affect job satisfaction is scarce. Based on theories of job satisfaction, personality, conservation of resources, and affective spillover, this study examined whether job satisfaction of the working partner was affected when the other became unemployed. Measures of job satisfaction, life satisfaction, personality, spousal status, and some demographic data …

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A Phenomenological Exploration Of Children's Experiences During The Therapeutic Process, Katherine Destefano Jan 2016

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Children's Experiences During The Therapeutic Process, Katherine Destefano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Billions of mental health care dollars for millions of children and adolescents in need has garnered significant attention within the behavioral health industry to reduce costs while improving treatment efficacy through the identification and implementation of evidence based practices with youth populations requiring therapeutic services. This hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research approach in the field of psychology is a consumer driven one in the world of business. Line by line context and discourse analyses, which included both a prior and inductive coding, of the verbiage and phraseology of 10 boys and 10 girls, aged 8-12, actively engaged in outpatient psychotherapy, formed …

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The Implementation Of Governance To Counter Islamist Militancy In Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, David Robert Diorio Jan 2016

The Implementation Of Governance To Counter Islamist Militancy In Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, David Robert Diorio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Militancy inspired by Islamists is escalating globally, and government action is necessary to protect vulnerable populations. Security professionals generally agree that governance may complement the use of force to defeat militants; however, current doctrine does not address the concurrent integration of governance in a comprehensive strategy. This interpretive case study explored Pakistan's application of governance during the 2009 Khyber operation in Swat Valley, code-named Operation Rah-e-Rast. The central research question focused on how governance activities were integrated with military operations to subdue militancy. Data were collected through interviews with 6 planners, Pakistani secondary source survey data, and government artifacts. Data …

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Exploring The Influence Of Management Communication Behaviors On Employee Engagement, Alicia J. Hart Jan 2016

Exploring The Influence Of Management Communication Behaviors On Employee Engagement, Alicia J. Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An engaged workforce can increase organizational productivity and decrease employee turnover. Current research on employee engagement exists, yet little research exists on how the communication behaviors of management affect employee engagement. Guided by the conceptual framework of systems theory and communications theory, an exploration of the influence of management communication behaviors on employee engagement was conducted. A descriptive research design helped explore the influence of management communication behaviors on employee engagement within local, government entities of the Tidewater, Virginia, area. Data included semistructured interviews with 23 participants (11 managers and 12 employees). Data analysis occurred using the modified van Kaam …

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Public Sector Leaders' Strategies To Improve Employee Retention, Michael D. Izard-Carroll Jan 2016

Public Sector Leaders' Strategies To Improve Employee Retention, Michael D. Izard-Carroll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics consistently reports significant employee turnover in the public sector, including the federal, state, and local levels. High turnover results in compromised public goods and services provided to a community. The widespread nature of the problem and the scarcity of literature focusing on employee retention strategies in the public sector merited this case study. Public sector leaders from Western New York who had implemented employee retention strategies in a public organization comprised the population for the study. Cost-benefit theory, human capital theory, and social capital theory provided the conceptual context for developing and executing …

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A Study Of Satisfaction With Online Learning In Workplace Training, M. Anita Jones Jan 2016

A Study Of Satisfaction With Online Learning In Workplace Training, M. Anita Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American workplace and American culture have rapidly transitioned to online learning and are now more dependent on technology. Yet, in spite of a multitude of studies that explored online learning, it has not been established whether managers are satisfied with application of technology to training. The purpose of this study was to examine receptiveness as expressed by satisfaction with effectiveness of online training among managers to determine if a relationship exists for age, position, and length of service. The research was based on theoretical foundations of Herzberg's theory of motivation and Herzberg's theory of job satisfaction. The goal of …

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Training And Experiences Of General Educators Who Have Students With Externalizing Behaviors, Sheila Ruann Lachelt Jan 2016

Training And Experiences Of General Educators Who Have Students With Externalizing Behaviors, Sheila Ruann Lachelt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In California classrooms, general education teachers have experienced stress due to an increasing number of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This study used a hermeneutical phenomenological inquiry approach to explore teachers' perspectives of their pre-service professional development (PD), in-service PD, and classroom experiences with students who have externalizing EBD. The theoretical framework centered on social constructivism. Research questions addressed the teachers' perceptions of their pre-service and in-service PD on students with EBD and their experiences with students' externalizing behaviors. Twenty California general education teachers, each from a different school district, volunteered to participate in face-to-face interviews. Stratified purposeful …

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