Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Analysis Of How Newly-Hired Nurses Are Educated To Provide Customer Service, Patricia Mcafee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As part of healthcare reform through the Affordable Care Act of 2010,

hospitals across the United States are being held accountable for

providing a positive patient experience and will lose up to 2% of

their reimbursement by 2017 if they fail to reach targeted scores.

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to review the

process used by a Georgia hospital to educate newly-hired nurses

about customer service expectations and to provide recommendations

for process improvement. Theoretical foundations supporting

customer service included the caring philosophy of Mayeroff; the

caring theories of Watson, Leininger, Boykin, and Nyberg; and

Roy's adaptation …

Factors Influencing The Use Of Physical Restraints On Children Living In Residential Treatment Facilities, April M. Minjarez-Estenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of physical restraints in residential treatment centers for children has been shown to be detrimental to both staff and the children. Although there have been nationwide initiatives to reduce or eliminate the use of physical restraints on children, to date, researchers have not yet identified the organizational factors that predict the likelihood of using physical restraints on children. Based on the two-factor theory, in which two different types of predictors of motivation and behavior in the workplace were identified, the purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study was to examine whether satisfaction with pay, a hygiene factor, and satisfaction …

Navy Personnel And Effects Of Select Factors On Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology, Thomas J. Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the establishment of the individual augmentee role within the U.S. Navy, little research has examined this nontraditional role associated with combat units. The majority of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research has been dedicated to Army and Marine Corps personnel with little research conducted on the Navy population. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to identify the prevalence of combat-related PTSD symptomology for Navy personnel returning from an augmentee tour. The link between component and tour length and the presence of individual resilience factors on PTSD were examined. The theoretical foundation of this research included the cognitive link …

The Relationship Between Resilience And Academic Success Among Bermuda Foster Care Adolescents, Zina Denise Zuill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The primary goal of this study was to explore whether individual resiliency factors measured by the Resilience Scale (RS) influence academic success for Bermudian foster care adolescents, a population previously unstudied in the literature. Academic vulnerability is a concern for foster care adolescents, and more empirical studies need to be conducted to increase understanding of the variables that affect academic success for this population. Resiliency is a conceptual framework based on a positive developmental focus. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the relationship between resilience and academic success among 51 Bermudian foster care adolescents who attended …

Immigration's Impact On Emerging Mental Health Issues Among Kenyans In The Northeast United States, Jane Itumbi Kabuiku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrants lose their unique psychosocial context when their experiences are subsumed under pan ethnic labels such as Hispanics, Latina/o, Asians or Africans. The stress from navigating different cultural contexts becomes problematic when immigrants operate within mainstream cultural norms that are in conflict with their traditional values. The number of Kenyan immigrants to the United States has steadily increased since the 1980s. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to study the lived experience of Kenyan immigrants by focusing on their integration experience and how the integration processes may have affected their mental health. Very few studies center on the …

Age Cohorts Impact On Public Employee Job Satisfaction Through Motivation, Isaac Edwin Perry, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the most critical issues facing government over the next decade will be filling management positions vacated by Baby Boomers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to examine how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affect job satisfaction among different age cohorts in the public workforce. The public workforce is comprised of Baby Boomers (born 1946- 1964), Generation X (born 1965- 1980) and Generation Y (born1981 to 1996). The theoretical framework for this study was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. A random sample of 213 participants: Generation Y = 40, Generation X = 77, and Baby Boomers = 96, participated …

Perceived Self-Efficacy And Dispositional Optimism In Leaders' Behavioral Escalation Of Commitment, Adebimpe Yetunde Babatunde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Escalation of commitment is an individual's persistent behavior at sustaining commitment to an original decision or course of action. Although researchers have found that personality impacts escalation of commitment behavior, this study addressed a gap in escalation of commitment behavior regarding personality in higher education, which has consistently been ignored. Building on the self-justification theory, this study was an investigation of (a) whether perceived self-efficacy and dispositional optimism individually predicted escalation of commitment behavior; and (b) whether perceived self-efficacy and dispositional optimism jointly predicted escalation of commitment behavior after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and tenure. Hierarchical regression …

Examination Of The Mediating Role Of Student Engagement On The Relationship Between Personality And Academic Success For Hispanic College Students, Fernando Chapa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, college and universities have relied on achievement indicators to estimate students' potential for success. More current researchers have demonstrated that other noncognitive factors provide incremental predictive validity to traditional achievement measures in predicting student success. This study is intended to contribute to the scholarly work in this regard by examining the mediating role that student engagement has on the relationship between Big Five personality traits and student success for Hispanic, two-year college students. First factor analysis derived four factors of engagement: Mental Activities, School Opinions, Collaborative Learning, and Student Services. Mediation models showed that there was a negative relationship …

Individual Characteristics As Predictive Variables Of The Level And Impact Of Contrapower Harassment Of Faculty Teaching In Schools Of Pharmacy, Joel M. Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A review of literature documents that higher education faculty are likely to be the target of student harassment. A scenario in which a person of lesser power in an organization harasses a person of greater power is known as contrapower harassment. Students' acts of harassment range from mild incivilities to aggressive and threatening behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative web-based survey study is to document (a) the prevalence of contrapower harassment in a sample of U.S. pharmacy school faculty (n = 110), a previously unstudied population, (b) gender differences in faculty experiences of contrapower harassment, (c) faculty characteristics which may …

The Effects Of Self-Disclosure Among U.S. Iraq War Veterans, Cheryl Ann Mark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous researchers have indicated that military deployments have challenged married couples and contributed to relational strain. It has also been found that veterans in marriages lacking intimacy are at risk of psychological problems and suicide. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to fill a gap in existing research by determining if attachment style, likelihood of disclosure, and demographic variables (age, length of marriage, education, race/ethnicity) predicted marital intimacy for heterosexual married male Iraq War veterans. Attachment theory provided a framework for the study, measuring anxiety and avoidance in veterans, which contributed to secure or insecure styles of relating …

A Comparison Of Marketing Techniques Among Military Recruiters, Paul Vincent Mccullough Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense spent $11 billion in enlistment and retention bonuses from 2006 to 2010, which had only a marginally positive effect on the enlistment rate for the Army. The case study addressed this business problem of recruiting by exploring marketing strategies successful recruiting professionals used to motivate individuals to join the military. The purpose of this study was to determine effective recruiting strategies. Therefore, it incorporated the conceptual framework of emergent strategy theory, which postulated the best strategies are neither completely planned nor completely random, but are rather an adaptation to changing dynamics and circumstances. The population …

Adoption Of Electronic Health Record Systems Within Primary Care Practices, Marvin Leon Reid, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Primary care physicians (PCPPs) have been slow to implement electronic health records (EHRs), even though there is a U.S. federal requirement to implement EHRs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine why PCPPs have been slow to adopt electronic health record (EHR) systems despite the potential to increase efficiency and quality of health care. The complex adaptive systems theory (CAS) served as the conceptual framework for this study. Twenty-six PCPPs were interviewed from primary care practices (PCPs) based in southwestern Ohio. The data were collected through a semistructured interview format and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method. …

Psychological Capital As A Mediator Between Team Cohesion And Productivity, Robert John Cesaro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations attempting to optimize productivity are seeking new ways to develop psychological capital in teams. The researcher conducted a quantitative study to determine whether team cohesion, as assessed by the Revised Group Environment Questionnaire (RGEQ), impacts team productivity, as assessed by the Performance Measurement Team (PMT) Manufacturing Resource System (MRS); whether this relationship can be attributed to a team's level of psychological capital, as assessed by the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12); and whether psychological capital mediates the relationship between team cohesion and team productivity. Forty-five PMTs in a large U.S. defense manufacturing organization were surveyed using the PCQ-12 and the …

Differentiated Instruction, Teacher Immediacy, And Students' Mathematic Success, Katherine Ann Albanese-Benevento

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated the role of both arts-integrated instruction (art activities as part of math instruction) and teacher immediacy (teacher caring behaviors) levels on students' math achievement. Although students from low socio-economic culturally diverse school districts have shown improvement in academic test scores, their scores are still significantly lower than scores of students from other school districts. Research has shown that when there is an increase in teacher immediacy, students' academic success increases. Despite this known correlation, there is a lack of literature on the ways that arts integration, combined with teacher immediacy, can affect academic success. Constructivist theories, experiential …

Innovation Difussion Of Smartphone In Nigeria, Olukunle Ariyo Iyanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid diffusion and use of smartphones in Africa are challenging, given the state of its infrastructural facilities. The problem addressed was a lack of information on the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban users in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to examine the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban residents. Research questions examined the relationship of performance expectancy, social influence, price value, and habit on adopters' intentions to use smartphones, continued use of smartphones, and the sociodevelopmental effect on smartphone users lives and standard …

Female Circumcision: A Phenomenological Study Of Somalian Immigrant To The United States, Emmanuel Fai Tatah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female circumcision (FC) is the partial or total removal of the female genitalia for nonmedical reasons. This study was designed to examine the lived experiences of Somali women who underwent FC before coming to the United States. FC is widely carried out in Somalia with a prevalence of 98%, making Somalia the country with the highest percentage of circumcised women. There are short- and long-term consequences associated with FC such as bleeding, infection, and death. Therefore, it is important to understand how Somali women who underwent FC think and feel about circumcision, why they would continue the practice, and whether …

The Relationship Between Nigerian Local Government Administrative Leadership Styles And Organization Outcomes, Adebayo A. Adanri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the multitude of existing studies of leadership and organizational outcome, there are few empirical studies of these phenomena in Africa. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between Nigerian local government administrative leadership and organizational outcome and between perceived leadership effectiveness and transformational leadership factors, based on Bass's full range leadership theory (FRLT). Data were collected through the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaires administered to a randomly selected sample of 240 department heads in 30 local governments in Osun State, Nigeria. Regression result shows a statistically significant correlation between the local public administrators' leadership practices and organizational …

Exploring Ghana's Strategies For Stability:Lessons For Postwar Reconstruction, Wilmot Nah Adekoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 1990 and 2005, the state of affairs in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Liberia, remained fragile due to continuous civil unrest and war. Although peace initiatives were initiated, progress toward peace has remained minimal. Ghana, one of the nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, has continued to demonstrate significant stability and progress in the midst of civil and political conflicts in the sub-region. Currently, little research exists on how Ghanaians managed to remain stable, while countries in the sub-region continued to experience civil unrests and wars. Using Eisenstadt's theory of sociological modernization as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this holistic …

Evaluative Feedback: How K-12 Teachers Respond, Deetta Lorick Andersen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This sequential mixed methods study addressed the need for research that both described and explained how teachers of varying experience respond to administrative evaluative feedback. Formative evaluation theory of Scriven and professional growth models of Steffy and Fessler served as theoretical models for data analysis. An online survey asking teachers how they changed their practices and what accounted for their response was received from 270 teachers in 1 Midwestern state. Of these, 9 teachers of varying experience were interviewed. The quantitative data showed that most teachers do not change practices on the 8 state teaching standards in response to feedback. …

Perceptions About Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Akwa Ibom State Of Nigeria: A Qualitative Study Of Young Adults Age 18-24, Mfon Archibong Archibong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the ongoing investments in programs to increase sexual health awareness among young adults globally, many youths remain vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Two-thirds of all STDs occur among youths engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors, which put young adults at higher risk of STDs and can result in serious consequences including infertility. Additionally, the social consequences of STD affect families and communities. While a need exists for increased public awareness of STDs among young adults, extant intervention and prevention activities should be informed by a cultural perspective, including the integration of community and government roles. The purpose of this …

Exploring Linguistic Challenges And Cultural Competency Development In A Small Multinational Corporation, Cindy J. Atchley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2016's global business landscape, the increase in workers moving across borders to find employment accentuates the language and cultural challenges for both employees and organizations. Employees working in a multinational environment need to have an understanding of language and culture to handle the complex nature of professional work in a multinational corporation (MNC). The purpose of this study was to explore what communication competencies employees in a small MNC needed to communicate across multicultural environments in the workplace. A dialectic approach of intercultural communication was used to explore these needs in one small MNC located in the Kingdom of …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of Humanist, Spiritual, And Transpersonal Films On Positive Organizational Behaviors In The Workplace, Frederick Henry Keeve

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A solution is needed to counteract violent news, Internet, and other negative media images and management behaviors in the workplace, in order to boost engagement and prosocial behaviors at work. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the attitudes of working professionals toward prosocial behaviors and employee engagement in the workplace as affected by transpersonal Hollywood films. An organization's ability to survive is directly related to empowerment and innovation. Classic films provide a gateway for transpersonal experiences that could change behavior and thoughts. Peterson and Seligman's transformational typology involving 6 character virtues and 24 strengths was the basis …

The Role Of Religiosity In The Development Of Obesity From Adolescence To Adulthood, Trini Gene Rangel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The development of obesity from adolescence to adulthood is not well understood, nor does the research support a multidimensional approach for this understanding. Studies have described primarily cross-sectional bivariate relationships between combinations of obesity, religiosity, depression, and social support, but it is still not known whether there is a relationship between adolescent religiosity, depression, and social support in the development of adult obesity or whether depression and social support mediate the religiosity-obesity relationship. The dynamic, multidimensional, functional model of wellness presented by Hawks was the basis for the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical interactions proposed in this study. The research …

Empathy In Detained Male Juvenile Offenders, Cloyce Joe Barton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Texas and across the United States, minority male juvenile offenders are overrepresented in juvenile detention facilities. Researchers have demonstrated an inverse relationship between levels of empathy and antisocial beliefs and delinquent behaviors in juveniles. Understanding this relationship is an important step in designing and implementing rehabilitative interventions for juvenile detainees. Grounded in social learning theory and the social empathy model, the current study addressed whether significant differences in empathy existed between nonminority and minority male juvenile offenders with felony and nonfelony offenses within a juvenile detention facility in rural Texas. A de-identified data set of 357 Interpersonal Reactivity Index …

Perception Of Job Satisfaction And Over Qualification Among African Immigrants In Alberta, Canada, Benard Chi Njeundam Chuba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African-trained landed immigrants in the Alberta labor market are faced with employment over qualification and professional devaluation. Researchers have documented the precarious labor market position of this cohort and efforts undertaken by federal and provincial Canadian governments to address it. Little is known, however, about how these African immigrants perceive job satisfaction and over qualification. Guided by human capital theory, this phenomenological study focused on the perceptions of job satisfaction and over qualification among 11 landed immigrants of African origin in Alberta, Canada. Data were collected using semi structured interviews. Hatch's 9-step technique was used to analyze data, resulting in …

Relationship Between Meaning In Life And Dispositional Forgiveness, Shirley Karseboom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Both meaning in life and forgiveness have been shown to separately contribute to better mental health. However, no prior research examined the linkage between meaning in life and forgiveness. This quantitative study was therefore to identify if there was a relationship between meaning in life, as measured by the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and overall dispositional forgiveness, dispositional forgiveness of self, dispositional forgiveness of others, and dispositional forgiveness of situations, as measured by the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS). Survey data were gathered from 250 college students in Western Canada, and multiple linear regression controlling for sociodemographic factors was used. …

Short Term Memory Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists, Samuel Maldonado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the short term memory (STM) difference of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists versus non-MRI technologists. Human and animal studies have indicated that residual magnetic fields have caused changes within the cerebral structure. Research on residual magnetic fields and their effect on STM is still at its infancy. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine if any significant difference existed between the STM of MRI technologists (n = x) and a control population sample (n = x). The STM of both groups was assessed with the use of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test-Third Edition. Solicitation of the participants …

Hiv-Positive Status Disclosure Barriers In Stable Heterosexual Partners In Warri, Nigeria., Edith Nkechinyere Ogbozor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nondisclosure of positive status drives the secondary transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This cross sectional quantitative survey study grounded by the consequence theory evaluates fear of stigma, lack of social support, and level of HIV-related knowledge as barriers to self-disclosure of HIV-positive status to stable heterosexual partners. A sample of 303 HIV-infected respondents (111 men and 192 women) accessing antiretroviral therapy at 4 designated centers in Warri, Nigeria, completed the self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between these factors and spousal HIV-positive status disclosure. Results demonstrated: (a) social support availability significantly predicted HIV …

Experiences Of Colorado Parents As They Recognized Their Child's Mental Illness, Lori Salgado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness is not only the leading cause of disability among adults, but there is also an emerging public health crisis in childhood mental illness. A majority of parents do not recognize symptoms of psychological disorder in their children, and current policies and programs for mental health service delivery are not sufficiently responsive to the early help-seeking dynamics of families. Using a concurrent mixed methods design, this study explored how parents in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado learned to recognize their child's mental illness. Phenomenological interviews, augmented by poetic inquiry and quantitative measurements, were used to discover factors that …

Utilization And Intensity Of Integrated Behavioral Health Services Within A Primary Care Setting, Joseph Aron Shafer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integrated behavioral health care within primary care has become a popular style of health care delivery within the United States. However, individuals with a behavioral health concern face several barriers in using these services. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify key factors accounting for individuals' utilization and intensity of behavioral health services. Andersen's behavioral model of health care use and the integrated theory of health behavior change served as the theoretical framework. It was hypothesized that gender, age, race, ethnicity, family size, payer type, poverty level, and certain preexisting medical conditions (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and tobacco use) …