Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Dutch Media: Pillarization, Multiculturalism, And Cross-Culturalism, Ayman H. Elsherbiny

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

‘Media and culture’ has been always a topic of interest and study, not only for scholars, but for policy makers and the general public as well. The topic is very broad. It includes defending cultural autonomy in face of the influences of globalized media, in addition to using media as a tool for preserving multiculturalism in societies and for integrating minorities. This paper explores the media system of the Netherlands (the Low Countries), also known as Holland, through the phenomenon of ‘pillarization’ in the media and its development towards ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘cross-culturalism’. Furthermore, it sheds light on the influence of …

Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tier II student characteristics and outcomes on a standardized reading assessment. Ninety students who scored in the lowest third on a Virginia standardized reading test were placed into one of three instructional groups: 1) a control group consistent with instruction from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group in which teachers determined students’ cognitive processing deficits and administered a chosen intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group in which students were administered the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and assigned interventions based on the results. …

Dancing In Davos: Combining Private Sector, Government, And Rising Nonstate Actors, Siyu Li

Exchange: The Journal of Public Diplomacy

Nonstate actors, nongovernmental organizations, and diaspora communities are forming connections across national borders. These actors insert themselves into a wide range of decision-making processes, but it is unclear how states and international institutions enable or constrain transnational participation. This paper analyzes the existing partnership among nonstate actors, sovereign states, and the private sector. It discusses the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland, and examines its ability to serve as a platform to combine the three different international actors and deal with global issues. By combining the three forces— sovereign states, private sector and the transnational …

Teacher Outreach Efforts And Reading Achievement In Kindergarten, Eunjoo Jung, Heejeong S. Han

Child and Family Studies

To estimate the overall relationship between teachers’ outreach efforts and the reading achievement of diverse kindergarteners over the school year, multilevel modeling techniques were applied using a large sample of kindergarten students. The results showed that, in schools with greater outreach efforts by teachers, there were sharper gains in the reading scores of students with low initial reading ability and students who frequently read outside of school. Minority students with low initial reading ability did not show much gains in schools where teachers engaged more in outreach. These findings demonstrate that teacher outreach efforts, student minority status, and reading outside …

The Effects Of Earlier School Start Times On Cognition And Sleep In Children Ages 7-10, Kimberly Bryant

Undergraduate Review

Adolescent sleep deprivation has been the focus of recent research; its primary cause is a shift in adolescents’ biological rhythms (Carskadon, Wolfson, Acebo, Tzischinsky, & Seifer, 1998). As a result, many school systems have chosen to restructure their school start times to allow high school students to start school later, resulting in younger students going to school earlier. Despite the research describing the benefits this change in school start times will provide adolescents, there has been virtually no research regarding its effects on younger children. This study examines the effects that a change in school start time between 2nd grade …

The Object Of Desire: How Being Objectified Creates Sexual Pressure For Heterosexual Women In Relationships, Tiffany Hoyt

Undergraduate Review

The objectification of women is widespread in the United States (American Psychological Association, 2007). In heterosexual relationships, a woman can feel objectified by her partner. When a woman feels objectified by her partner, she may internalize the objectification, feel like she has less control, and perceive more sexual pressure and coercion. However, there is relatively little research on objectification in romantic relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore how partner objectification might be related to sexual pressure in heterosexual relationships. A sample of 162 women from all over the United States participated in an online study that …

Determinants Of Political Transnationalism Among Vietnamese Americans In The United States, Saheli Datta

Social Science - Dissertations

This dissertation examines the presence and possibilities of political transnational activism stimulated by Vietnamese Americans in Orange County, California. Transnationalism is an increasingly dominant phenomenon that characterizes the way in which diaspora groups live their lives across borders. In fact, refugee diaspora, like the Vietnamese Americans, signify a unique dimension in the arena of transnational political practices, given their potential for raising awareness about their country's political struggles and affecting change. The central argument of this dissertation is that a stable and significant transnational field of political action connecting Vietnamese Americans with their country of origin does exist. My research …

Rights In Transit: Public Transportation And The "Right To The City" In California's East Bay, Kafui Ablode Attoh

Geography and the Environment - Dissertations

In recent years, a number of researchers in geography and in urban studies have taken to the idea of the "right to the city." These scholars have drawn on the idea to frame debates on topics as wide ranging as urban social movements, the regulation of urban public space, to the relationship between cities and citizenship. Implicit in this literature is a conception of the city and of urban space in which political conflict and class struggle are dominating features. This dissertation seeks to add to that discussion by focusing on debates over transit policy in California's East Bay. In …

Book Review: Next-Gen Library Redesign, Janice M. Derr

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Review Of Fundamentals Of Library Instruction, Kirstin Duffin

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

Library instruction is often an underrepresented component in the library school curriculum. Monty McAdoo presents in this slim volume a clearly written guide to both the conceptual and practical aspects of library instruction. The book, one in the ALA Fundamentals Series, does not aim to provide an encyclopedic portrayal of the topic; rather, it offers an overview of the subject matter. The book is especially suitable to nascent library instructors, but more advanced teachers may also gleam useful knowledge.

Review Of Fundamentals Of Library Instruction, Kirstin Duffin

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

Library instruction is often an underrepresented component in the library school curriculum. Monty McAdoo presents in this slim volume a clearly written guide to both the conceptual and practical aspects of library instruction. The book, one in the ALA Fundamentals Series, does not aim to provide an encyclopedic portrayal of the topic; rather, it offers an overview of the subject matter. The book is especially suitable to nascent library instructors, but more advanced teachers may also gleam useful knowledge.

Accounting For Product Substitution In The Analysis Of Food Taxes Targeting Obesity, Zhen Miao, John C. Beghin, Helen H. Jensen

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

We extend the existing literature on food taxes targeting obesity. We systematically incorporate the implicit substitution between added sugars and solid fats into a comprehensive food demand system and evaluate the effect of taxes on sugars and fats. The approach conditions how food and obesity taxes affect total calorie intake. The proposed methodology accounts for the ability of consumers to substitute leaner low-fat and low-sugar items for rich food items within the same food group. This substitution is integrated into a calibrated demand system in addition to the substitution among food groups, using recent food intake data and existing demand …

Learning About The Local Labor Market, R. Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Several communities in took part in a community process called Marketing Hometown America. They learned how to capitalize on their strengths and tell the story of their communities.

Consent And The Subjective World Of The Worker, Marty Laubach, Michael Wallace

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Research

Purpose: This study tests three theories of determinants of workers’ subjective response to work situations – structural factors (measured by individual, organization and job characteristics), general disposition, or informal work arrangements as constructed by Laubach’s (2005) “consent deal.”

Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from the Indiana Quality of Employment Survey, a survey of workers covering general working conditions. We constructed 10 models regressing worker perceptions and attitudes (e.g. satisfaction, relations with supervisors, meaningfulness) on structural determinants. We then used structural equation modeling to identify an underlying factor representing a general worker response from elements of the attitudes and perceptions. …

Lister Hill Letter - January 2013, Lister Hill Library

Lister Hill Letter (2011-2015)

No abstract provided.

Mind The Gap: Fostering Scholarship-Into-Practice For Advanced Practice Nursing Students Through Embedded Librarianship, Brenda H. Sheingold, Thomas Harrod

Nursing Faculty Publications

In recent years, librarianship has been increasingly recognized as a critical component of inter-professional healthcare education. This manuscript describes how innovative coordination between libraries and university healthcare programs can remove the barriers to scholarship for graduate students who enroll in distance education (DE) programs. The authors examined the perceived impact of librarian embedment for DE nursing students graduating with master’s degrees from George Washington University in 2013. Librarians were embedded in the first course in which they were enrolled in 2010 to support the mastery of scientific research skills. Analysis indicated that students strongly agreed that contact with embedded librarians …

Internship Program Development: Developing An Effective Internship Program For Faith Based Organizations, Kelly R. Black

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper presents the process, methods, and findings of action research on lhe topic af internship program development within organizations. Organized and well-designed programs can improve a sludent's ability to integrate academic knowledge with practical applications, as well as improve career opportunities after graduation, while developing work place communication and problem solving skills. lnternship programs also offer non-profit organizations opportunities to develop future leaders while gaining extra support within the working environment. Information gathered from an online survey taken by past and present internship students, data from a staff focus group, along with responses from one-on-one interviews has provided important …

Teen Pregnancy And The Latino Community: Informing A Youth Worker, Lindsey N. Boster Decker

Theses and Graduate Projects

Across the nation we are experiencing very high numbers of teen pregnancies within the Latino community. Time is of the essence, with schools and communities finding themselves increasingly overwhelmed with questions on how to address this issue. This research project identified some of the major risk and protective factors specific to teen pregnancy in the Latino community, some of the key behaviors and beliefs that make teen pregnancy in the Latino community a complex matter, and recommendations for educators/youth workers who encounter this circumstance in their own work. Research for this project was gained via in-depth interviews with four research …

Strategies To Enable Young Adults To Be Financially Literate, Stephanie Ruckel

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify factors that parent(s) both intentionally and unintentionally impart on their children that enable young adults to be more financially literate. I administered a three question financial literacy test to 344 students at a private, not-for-profit liberal arts institution in a Midwestern city. Each result, a score of zero to three was compared to each student's socio-demographic characteristics, family characteristics, and parental education techniques to determine potential correlation and causation for financial literacy scores. I determined factors to be studied through relevant literature and personal experience.

Application Of Situational Leadership Theory To Gender-Based Pay Inequality, Joseph N. Maro

Theses and Graduate Projects

Women have made significant progress eliminating the equality gap with men in many areas. The one area with a persistent gap is pay. The gender wage ratio is about 81.2%. The median weekly earnings for women is about $669, compared with $824 per week for men (Hegewisch, Williams, & Henderson, 2011). The gender wage gap has an impact on women, families, and employers. It is important for leaders to understand some of the reasons for the wage gap and the impacts and be equipped to address them. The Situational Leadership theory is one tool that is available to leaders to …

Learning From Leadership Students' Experiences: An Evaluation Of The Mal Program, Mariana Gallo Llorente

Theses and Graduate Projects

The current independent project was developed to strengthen the Master of Arts in Leadership and build on its effectiveness. A program evaluation was conducted utilizing the perspectives and experiences of current leadership students. To accomplish this, a focus group was intentionally designed to gain insights into how students perceived the program. The resulting dialogue provided an opportunity for students to discuss issues that mattered to them, as well as, identify challenges and opportunities for improvement. The analysis concludes with a set of recommendations, including a template for periodic program review.

Employee Satisfaction And Employee Productivity: Finding The Link, Diane Slyman

Theses and Graduate Projects

In this era of economic challenges corporate leadership struggles to do more with less, while maintaining the delicate balance between employee productivity and employee satisfaction. The focus of this research paper is to determine the degree to which employee job satisfaction truly impacts employee productivity. Can it really be as simple as to increase employee satisfaction in order to get them to produce more? The study further examines satisfaction and proiductivity measurements for a department within a healthcare administration department. While a limited sample size, the department's survey results are compared to the literature review relative to top satisfaction drivers …

Best Practices For Loinc Mapping And Maintenance, Tawni M. Reller

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to assess the current clinical laboratory industry perception of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) and if best practices exist for the mapping and maintenance of them. A literature review was conducted, beginning with the creation of the LOINC nomenclature in 1994 through the current studies detailing recommended best practices and standards that are necessary to ensure success of clinical laboratory result interoperability. An original, qualitative survey was created emailed to 7,303 Iaboratorians, of whom 206 responded. The results of the survey reinforce the researcher's perception of the implementation and maintenance …

Transformational Leadership And Profitability In A Retail Setting, Barbara Koziol

Theses and Graduate Projects

Creative Kidstuff, a privately owned company with five retail locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and a sixth location in West Des Moines, Iowa, experienced rapid growth in its first 15 years of business, Sales started to decline due to vendor mergers, consolidations, and bankruptcies along with increased competition from other toy retailers and the advent of on-line shopping. Transformational leadership has been shown to be effective in organizations undergoing change. My hypothesis was that there are significant leadership differences between stores which are highly profitable and those that are not. The Creative Kidstuff Employee Survey was designed with questions …

Perceived Needs: Small Nonprofit Boards And Leadership Development Efforts, Luisa K. Gerasimo

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nonprofits have become more important in recent decades: almost two million American charities provide important and diverse services. How they function under the leadership of nonprofit boards of directors has not been studied to the extent that corporate boards have. Some nonprofit boards do not offer new member training or an orientation to board service, which may leave some board members underprepared to lead. Do nonprofit boards that get training improve themselves and the functioning of their associated nonprofit agency? Using a review of academic literafure, personal experience working for nonprofits and serving on nonprofit boards, interviews with a board …

Leadership Strategies That Foster Innovation And Creattvity In 21st Century Organizations, Patricia Dianne Carlson

Theses and Graduate Projects

In an increasingly change-driven world, leaders are called upon to evolve their mindsets and skill-sets to reflect and serve the demands for innovation that characterize the 2Ist century. In this research, I examined the leadership strategies that foster innovation and creativity as a stimulus for sustained competitive advantage in organizations. Creativity without innovation in an organization is a wasted effort. However, without creative ideas there is nothing to promote, feed and develop the innovation process. I focus on three critical questions: What type of organizational climate fosters innovation and creativity? What is leadership's role in fostering innovation and creativity? What …

More Than A Search Engine: Undergraduate Perspectives On Library Instruction, Kristine Vick

Theses and Graduate Projects

Historically, libraries have been repositories of knowledge for scholars. Overtime, libraries have evolved into media centers that include digital access points, instructional spaces, and comfortable gathering places. As school libraries transition to accommodate the 2lst century learner, are educators meeting the needs of the college and career bound students they serve? The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the information literacy instruction that occurs in high school libraries. Specifically, how effective this instruction was in preparing students for college. This research was conducted with five undergraduates attending college in a variefy of public and private institutions. …

Communication Satisfaction And Part-Time Employees In A Park And Recreation Organization, Debra Lynn Derosa

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of communication satisfaction depending on work status (whether employees work on a full-time or part-time basis) in a single municipal park and recreation organization. Part-time and full-time employees were surveyed using the Down and Hazen's Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire, resulting in 40 usable responses. The results showed that both part-time and full-time employees surveyed had low levels of communication satisfaction in the researched organization. Part-time employees had slightly higher levels of communication satisfaction than the full-time employees in each of the eight communication dimensions researched. This study draws attention for organizational need …

Relationship Between Leader Behavior And Subordinate Organizational Commitment In Higher Education Administrators, Christy L. Leduc

Theses and Graduate Projects

Organizational commitment (OC) is the psychological link betrveen employees and their organizations that reduces the likelihood that ernployees rvill voluntarily leave. OC is an important dimension of organization effectiveness; it has been shown to impact productivity, work performance. and rurnover. It is instructive to recognize how a leader's behavior impacts the overall stress and the organizational commitment of employees. Fifty-five administrators at a private college in the Midwest completed a 56-question electlonic survey to explore the relationship arnong leaders' behavioral scores for (1a) structure-initiation and (1b) consideration as assigned by their employees and the (2) self-reported organizational commitment levels of …

Our Shared Table: The Emerging Future Of Food, Seed And Biodiversity, Marita Bujold

Theses and Graduate Projects

Until recent decades, food was produced entirely by organic methods by farming communities who depended on adapting seeds within specific ecosystems and local ecological knowledge. This traditional approach to agriculture generated a wealth of vital genetically diverse seeds and plants. Since 1960, peasant communities have contributed 1.9 million varieties of plants to the world's seed banks. In today's food economy, one and half billion peasant farmers continue to rely on seed saving, local ecological knowledge and produce 70% of the world's food. The remaining thirty per cent of food produced by the agribusiness approach to farming that emerged in the …