Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leadership Transition Failure In Small To Medium-Size Enterprises, Jonathan Kieren Smilie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Expanding companies may inevitably encounter leadership transition situations that involve challenges for employees, leaders, and founders. Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) members have experienced leadership transition complications, sometimes due to the loss of tribal and predecessor-specific knowledge, resulting in compromised firm functionality and the long-term viability of businesses. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on leadership transition failure, including an examination of mechanisms that influence the success and failure of leadership transitions. To address identified knowledge gaps, a flexible design, single-case study was conducted using a constructivist paradigm. Data were collected from a diverse selection of interviewees, …

The Role Of Citizen Feedback In Improving Public Services: A Case Study In San Diego, David M. Burton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States of America has many vibrant metropolitan areas known for their diverse populations and active civic engagement. Due to its melting pot of cultural diversity and robust public service infrastructure, these metropolitan areas offer an ideal environment for investigating citizen feedback and its influence on public service delivery. This case study, based in San Diego, California, examined the significance of citizen feedback in enhancing the quality and efficiency of public services in multicultural urban environments. The study employed a multimethod design and data collection, which involved both qualitative and quantitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper …

Financial Coaching To Improve Financial Well-Being: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Jennifer A. Jessee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how effective a financial coaching program is for helping participants improve their overall financial well-being through short-term incremental steps moving toward obtaining long-term financial goals. Financial coaching is built on a client- and solution-focused approach, where participants set the pace and goals of the process, with a coach providing encouragement and motivation throughout this journey. Additionally, the coach is responsible for holding participants accountable for fulfilling their commitments and providing education and support in revising their goals when it becomes apparent they are struggling. The premise of financial coaching is to …

Military Spouses’ Lived Experiences In Remote Assignments Overseas: A Heuristic Study, Veronica Carbajal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The heuristic study explored the lived experiences of military spouses accompanying service members on remote assignments overseas. Relatively little was understood about geographically remote assignments from U.S. military installations overseas. Numerous studies have investigated military spouses’ experience transitioning from military to civilian life, geographically remote location challenges within the United States, and culture shock related to overseas military installations, independently. To date, research on military spouses transitioning to nonmilitary communities in remote assignments overseas with their active duty service members is lacking. The qualitative heuristic phenomenological design implemented semi-structured open-ended interviews, a focus group, and reflective questionnaires for data collection. …

Judicial Deference In Immigration Cases: A Qualitative Inquiry Into How Judicial Decision Making Shapes Immigration Policy, Jurgen R. Soekhoe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the United States, the inherent right of a sovereign nation to regulate immigration and naturalization has been a privilege long recognized. The judicially established plenary power doctrine affirmed that right in 1889, only to be forgotten to history through shifting judicial focus. This study analyzed the connection between the political branch’s constitutional and statutory authority on immigration regulation and the influence of the federal judiciary on that power by reviewing immigration law, executive action, and judicial decisions. Increased judicial review into immigration-related matters has affected immigration policy. Soliciting firsthand insight from 17 federal judges provided unparalleled insight when investigating …

Exploration Of The Congruence Between Environmental Concerns And Eco-Spirituality Programming At Retreat Centers As Experienced By Participants, Jean Golicz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-embedded case study was to explore the role of environmental awareness and concerns in influencing engagement in retreat practices that were organized around the theme of eco-spirituality and the impact on organizational leadership and program development at two retreat centers in the northeastern region of the United States. Roman Catholic retreat centers were the focus of the study as they endeavored to fulfill leadership directives reflected in the papal encyclical Laudato si’. The centers examined offered immersion in nature, reflection on the interdependence of organic systems, and the development of action plans to address environmental issues. …

The Mediating And Moderating Effects Of Job Satisfaction, Burnout, And Compassion Fatigue, Through The Lens Of The Cfrm, Jasmine N. Radcliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the relationship between job satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. The theoretical framework of the compassion fatigue resilience model was also used to analyze the variables of self-care, social support, compassion satisfaction, and detachment. This quantitative study used a self-reporting survey design to examine the rate at which job satisfaction mediates the relationship between compassion fatigue and burnout; as well as; the rate at which the following variables of self-care, social support, compassion satisfaction, and detachment, moderate the relationship between compassion fatigue and burnout. The anonymous survey results were analyzed using moderation and mediation analyses. The findings for …

Emotional And Spiritual Support Assessment For Clinical Outpatient Staff At Lower Cape Fear Lifecare, Jamie Champion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action project in the field of pastoral counseling is designed to assess the level of emotional and spiritual support that clinical outpatient workers receive at Lower Cape Fear Lifecare. The problem is that clinical outpatient workers do not utilize spiritual care services for themselves, and the purpose of this study is to create and implement tools to increase chaplain utilization amongst team members. This action project utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data including surveys and interviews and a workshop, newsletters, and videos to disseminate to team members for education and encouragement. This project will help to identify …

Breaking Point: Examining Secondary Traumatic Stress, Toxic Leadership, Coping Mechanisms, And Well-Being In Non-Uniformed Federal Law Enforcement Personnel, Karen F. Stapleton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined the extent to which secondary traumatic stress and toxic leadership were experienced and these variables’ relationships with well-being among non-uniformed federal employees in law enforcement organizations. The research aimed to identify coping strategies beneficial to employee well-being. A sample of 73 federal employees from a U.S. government law enforcement organization was recruited using purposive sampling, excluding uniformed personnel. Measurement instruments included the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, Toxic Leadership Scale, Brief COPE, and World Health Organization 5-Item Well-being Index. Statistical analyses using SPSS version 29 revealed a significant, moderate negative correlation between secondary traumatic stress and …

Okinawan-American Organizational Cross-Cultural Communication Behaviors, Cara J. Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Existing literature relating to Okinawa is sparse and outdated. There is a crucial need to study Okinawan-American cross-cultural organizational communication behaviors, as many U.S. military members and civilians work throughout Okinawa. Additionally, Japanese-American or Eastern-to-Western-cultured communication literature fails to identify and often misinterprets communication behaviors. Current literature also fails to account for the societal and personal constructs of cross-cultural communication differences that cause misinterpretations. Utilizing sociocultural and sociopsychological traditions, the research is grounded primarily in Identity Negotiation Theory, with aspects of Expectancy Violations Theory. Using qualitative research that relied on semi-structured interviews, twenty-four participants, equal parts Okinawan and American, were …

Comparative Efficacy Of Combined Versus Singular Auditory Alpha-Theta Brainwave Entrainment And Hypnotherapy Modalities In Chronic Pain Management, Jennifer Nicole Leavitt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This experimental quantitative research, a randomized controlled trial, evaluated combined efficacy of auditory alpha-theta brainwave entrainment (BWE) and hypnotherapy in chronic pain management versus each modality alone. Chronic pain is a serious clinical challenge that may benefit from novel, nonpharmacological interventions. Previous studies have demonstrated benefits of both BWE and hypnotherapy for pain; but research on combined effects was not identified. This study hypothesized that a synergistic approach would offer superior pain relief compared to singular modalities. The study utilized a randomized controlled trial design with a sample size of 38 participants, initially, aged 25 to 65 years old, recruited …

A Phenomenological Study: The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor, As Perceived By The Elementary School Teacher, Krista L. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study is to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors within the Greenbrier County School District. E. G. Williams’s trait-factor theory is the guiding theory for this study. Three research questions guide this study: How do elementary school teachers perceive the role of school counselors, what roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors do elementary school teachers feel they utilize most in their school, and what do elementary school teachers perceive to be the needs of their school related to counseling? Eight to fifteen teachers from nine …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Development And The Role Of Resilience In Shaping Adult Life, Rebecca Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on development and examines how resilience shapes adult outcomes. Early life experiences significantly influence an individual's lifelong development, with childhood experiences playing a particularly crucial role. Adverse childhood experiences, which encompass abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, are recognized as a major public health concern due to their association with health disparities and psychosocial issues in various aspects of life, including substance use, relationships, education, and employment. Despite these challenges, some individuals demonstrate remarkable resilience, adapting to new circumstances and maintaining normal functioning in the face of adversity. Themes from …

A Qualitative Study Of Registered Nurses’ Perceptions Of The Impact Communication Modalities Have On Patient Care Outcomes In Primary Care, Eleanor M. Chapital

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Communication plays a vital role in the provision of patient care and directly impacts patient care outcomes across the care continuum. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and determine registered nurses’ perceptions of the communication modalities that facilitate optimum patient care outcomes in the primary care setting. Registered nurses play a critical role in the provision and coordination of patient care. Therefore, it is imperative to study their experiences and perceptions to facilitate communication within primary care teams. The central research question for this study was the following: How do registered nurses describe their use of communication …

Voices Of Change: Narratives Of African Americans And Their Recommendations For Reforming Law Enforcement Practices, Tanisha N. Hines-Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this study was to explore real-life experiences African Americans have with law enforcement to suggest changes that can be put into action to improve interactions, fairness, and accountability. This study, which makes use of a case study technique, examined perceptions of police interactions and engagement from the viewpoints of community members. The study specifically responded to the following two research questions: 1) What is the narrative of individuals in the African American community regarding law enforcement? 2) What changes do participants suggest are needed to improve interactions and establish a better relationship between the African American community …

The Meaning And Essence Of Rationalizing Workplace Injustice: A Phenomenological Study, Wendy F. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The extant literature on organizational justice (OJ) involves employee perceptions of fairness and justice in workplace decisions, outcomes, procedures, and interpersonal treatment. This research examined the dark side of these justice dimensions, including injustice acts of discrimination, bias, and unfair treatment. Workplace injustice is not an uncommon occurrence; however, a different reality emerges as employees are rationalizing their experiences. In this context rationalization involves individuals creating plausible explanations to justify the injustice, making it more acceptable and the psychological processes individuals employ through rationalizing. This qualitative study employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) examining the lived experiences of 12 participants. …

Pastoral Resilience Of The Igbo Clergy In The United States, Anthony Eboh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research provided a description of the pastoral resilience of the Igbo clergy in the United States. It began with an exploration of pastoral stresses and coping strategies employed in mitigating the impacts associated with the exercise of their priestly ministries in the States. The study was theoretically grounded in the framework of Job Resources (JD-R), which integrated positive psychology to guide the research process. The JD-R framework is a model for work that shows how stress in ministry happens when the demands on clergy are greater than the resources they have, including positive psychology, to handle those demands. The …

Citrus Farming, Tourism, And Globalization: Jeju Island’S Transformation Under South Korea’S State-Led Development, Caitlin Hong

Student Work

The Williams Prize in East Asian Studies is awarded to Caitlin Hong for her outstanding senior thesis, “Citrus, Capital, and Control: Jeju Island’s Transformation under State-Led Development.”

Hong’s work exemplifies intellectual ambition, methodological rigor, and original insight. Through an interdisciplinary blend of historical analysis and ethnographic fieldwork, she offers the first comprehensive English-language account of Jeju Island’s citrus farming industry, tracing its development from the postwar period to the present day.

Demonstrating extraordinary initiative, Hong designed and executed an independent research trip to Jeju Island, conducting interviews with citrus farmers, laborers, and experts, while also consulting numerous primary sources in …

Representation Of African Countries And Sino-Africa Relations In Chinese Newspapers, Zheng Zhu

Publications and Research

China’s neocolonialist expansion and domination in African continent has been well documented and extensively studied by scholars across various fields and disciplines. But what these studies didn’t pay attention to, or what they failed to pay enough attention to, was the ways this type of neo-colonialist exploitation was legitimated and justified by the powerful media outlets that support the Chinese government and have strong impact on public perceptions of the domestic and global situations. This research project aims to fill that gap by examining three Chinese newspapers’ coverage of African countries and their complex business relations with the Chinese government. …

Interteach: The Effects Of Active Engagement Compared To Passive Lectures, Bridget A. Barrett

Thesis Projects

Previous research has indicated how Boyce and Hineline’s (2002) interteaching technique is an effective teaching approach compared to traditional methods. Although researchers have examined the efficacy of various components within interteaching, few have altered the lecture component to increase active engagement. Saville et al., (2011) compared the effects of lectures (delayed, regular, and none), concluding no significant difference in performance between delayed and regular lectures within interteaching. Although delaying the lecture showed no difference in performance, the study concluded that removing the lecture component affected test scores. The current study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of the lecture component …

Validation Of The National Institutes Of Health Toolbox For Use In Phenylketonuria Clinical Trials: A Pilot Study, Clarissa Thin Tardiff

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Background: Many individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder, find current treatments inadequate and believe new treatments must be developed (Brown, 2018). Although approvals of existing treatments have largely been based on decreases in phenylalanine (Phe) levels, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that instruments to assess functional outcomes are needed in future PKU clinical trials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery (Toolbox) meets criteria that are crucial for such trials. Methods: Data from 58 individuals with early-treated PKU (aged 8–55 years) enrolled in an ongoing NIH-funded longitudinal study of hyperphenylalaninemia were used to …

Perceptions Of Police Executives Of Threat Assessment Practices In Municipal Level Policing, Robin Renee Griffin-Kitzerow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While there is no single solution to responding to active threats and targeted acts of violence, strategies such as awareness, preparedness through threat assessment practices, and education are the keys to prevention. Threat assessment practices and mandates are widely used in university and K-12 educational environments and have successfully prevented these acts. However, research up until this point seemed to indicate that local municipal police departments were slow to adopt these practices. As a result, communities suffer through targeted acts of violence, senseless tragedies, and untimely deaths of innocent victims. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how …

Waffles And Spaghetti: The Effects Of Cognitive Processing Methods On Team Performance And Communication, Jonah Daniel Browning

Masters Theses

The goal of this thesis is to shed light on a practical method for resolving conflicts in team environments that stem from miscommunications brought on by differing cognitive processes. Our brains use different cognitive processing techniques to make sense of and explore the vast amount of information the world presents them on a daily, even hourly basis. Each person has their own thinking style which influences how teams collaborate and problem solve. However, miscommunication can often arise when individuals fail to recognize and adapt to the varying processing methods, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency.

This research seeks to …

Examining The Relationship Between Biblical Characters And Mental Health: Identifying A Christian's Well-Being, Shanetia Sharie Chapman

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to examine the intersection between biblical texts and mental health within the framework of Christian belief systems. Through a critical analysis of key biblical narratives involving figures who exhibit experiences analogous to contemporary psychological struggles, this study investigates the influence of scriptural interpretation on believers’ perceptions of mental health and their coping mechanisms. By employing textual analysis, the research seeks to evaluate the potential of biblical teachings as therapeutic resources. Ultimately, this thesis aims to contribute to developing culturally and theologically informed approaches to mental health awareness and support within Christian communities.

Self-Expression As Communication In The Student Film, Matthew Sereno

Masters Theses

The student film is an often overlooked artistic medium, a one-and-done, means to an end kind-of form. Within the academic sphere, the student film holds value as a part of class curriculum, yet such a finite definition is often hindering. Once a project is completed and graded, it is often forgotten (except, of course, in the circumstances of grading). In the case of a student film that is extracurricular in nature, i.e. the passion project, incentive-based reasoning is forfeit. The student film, in all regards, is an overlooked, neglected artistic medium. Such oversight of the student film by both individuals …

An Antidote To Populist Ill-Rule? Polycentricity, And Excess Mortality In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Lee

Publications and Research

It has often proven difficult for scholars of populist governance to untangle the policy results produced by populist governments from the conditions that might lead voters to elect populist leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic – an exogenous event occurring amidst the rise of populist governments to power in many of the world’s democracies – offers a unique window into populist crisis management. Are populists less effective crisis managers when the stakes are high? And if so, what factors might mitigate populist ill-rule? In this paper I present evidence that populist-led governments experienced greater levels of excess mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic …

A Jus Ad Bellum Analysis Of The American Revolution, Lindsey Allen

Senior Honors Theses

America is a rose among the thorns of history, owing her existence to her remarkable victory in the Revolutionary War. However, America's end cannot necessarily justify the means of her creation. This qualitative thesis will determine whether the American Revolution was just by examining the jus ad bellum perspective of Just War Theory. This philosophical purview will focus on the justness of the colonists’ initiation of the American Revolution, with its criteria being last resort, legitimate authority, just cause, probability of success, right intention, and proportionality. This thesis will synthesize the contributing elements and arguments for the defense of the …

Performance Evaluations, Teacher Salary, And Teacher Retention In Online Alternative Learning Environments, April Renee' Siddique

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher retention has long been an area of study, as schools struggle with high teacher turnover, adversely affecting students’ quality of education. Researchers have demonstrated that low scores on evaluations and low salary adversely affect general education teacher retention, but there is little literature on how these variables influence teachers in online alternative learning environments (ALEs). The problem addressed in this study was low teacher retention, leading to a shortage of teachers. Guided by Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational, nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between teacher performance evaluation outcomes, salary, and retention …

Cultivating Workplace Wellness: An Evaluation Of Gratitude Card Interventions Among University Faculty, Jeffrey Druck, Patrick Ockerse, Jamal Jones

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: There has been a growing interest in understanding the role of gratitude in promoting well-being. Gratitude, defined as a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation in response to receiving a benefit from someone else, has been shown to improve mood, increase social support, and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. This research paper explores an innovative intervention using gratitude cards for faculty members and measures the emotional impact of this intervention.

Methods: The study involved 32 clinical physicians from the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah. Participants were invited to write a gratitude card to …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Sub-Sahara African Catholic Priests On Their Transition Through The Covid-19 Global Pandemic In The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Cornelius Kelechi Anyanwu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) has disrupted significant aspects of societal life worldwide, forcing individuals, communities, health organizations, educational institutions, consumer industries, and governments all over the world into unprecedented challenges. Likewise, religious organizations like the Catholic Church were not spared. African Catholic priests in the United States provide pastoral ministries in US dioceses and parishes, fulfilling the roles of shepherding their congregations and offering spiritual, moral, social, and emotional support in times of great adversity, such as the COVID-19 global pandemic. This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to explore how sub-Saharan African Catholic priests …