Organization Development Commons^™

A Faith Community Nursing Initiative: Establishing An Ecumenical Health Ministry, Lindsey K. Anderson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to establish an ecumenical coalition to address healthcare disparities in a rural community. The project, led by a Faith Community Nurse-DNP student, utilized a health ministry model to foster stakeholder collaboration and collective action. Key objectives included: (1) Developing, implementing, and evaluating the ecumenical coalition; (2) Sharing insights and lessons learned from the project, particularly regarding faith-based approaches to coalition building; (3) Advocating for policies that enhance healthcare services in rural communities. By leveraging systems thinking and evidence-based interventions, the project sought to improve access to healthcare, enhance quality of care, and …

What Removal Causes Are Most Common For Children In Foster Care? Are There Discrepancies Across Age Groups?, Elise Woodliff

Social Work Theses - Archive

Although there has been recent focus on child welfare to prevent removals, little literature has examined reasons children are removed among diverse developmental stages. The present study explores the multifaceted demographics of children in the foster care system in order to recognize who is being affected by what removal causes. The purpose of this study is to better understand the foster care system to target interventions and screenings for children under eighteen years of age in the United States. Quantitative measures were used to analyze statistics that were made available through the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System. …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Identifying The Perception And Impact Of Culture On Job Retention At A Local Government Human Services Organization, Shenickie Mauney Ford

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Acknowledging and understanding the factors connected to job retention is a phenomenon that has been studied and researched by many. Retention and turnover within the human services field are also critical as they impact the organization, the employees, and the public. This mixed methods research study collected quantitative and qualitative data. The purpose of this study was to examine organizational culture and the impact of job retention at Help Services Organization (HSO), a North Carolina government agency that provides public services to the community. A 29-question Likert scale survey was administered to 70 employees of HSO. The survey was designed …

From Command Posts To Corporations: Applying United States Marine Corps Leadership Development To Corporate Organization Development, Paul D. Gowin

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the applicability of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) leadership development (LD) to corporate organizational development (OD). Despite significant investment in LD, many corporate programs do not meet expectations, highlighting the need for effective models. The USMC LD approach, emphasizing personal and subordinate leadership skills development, mission accomplishment, and team welfare, presents a unique model for exploration. This study examines the integration of USMC leadership components-traits, principles, and core values-into corporate leadership roles and evaluates the perception of USMC veterans on their applicability in corporate settings. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys of 125 …

How Does Participation In A Work Request Redesign Impact Individual-Level Outcomes In Interpersonal Skills, Problem-Solving Skills, Team Commitment, Learning And Quality Of Work-Life?, Henry Mason Hughes Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the emotional impact of individual team members who will revise a process of online requests for assistance between teams in an international high-tech organization. A survey of the team members upgrading the process will assess the impact of the revision on team members’ learning, problem-solving, team commitment, interpersonal skills, and quality of work life to assess satisfaction toward improved work morale.

The Strategic Planning Process: A Mixed Methods Examination Of The Process As An Antidote To Promote Sustainability And Prevent The Extinction Of Startup Nonprofits, Charrisse Somme

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The nonprofit sector plays an intricate role in today’s economy and communities nationwide. Nonprofits employ over 12 million people in the United States and provide over $800 million in salaries and benefits, which equates to adding $1 trillion to the national economy. These contributions affirm the necessity for nonprofit existence. There is a sense of urgency to address this problem, as nonprofit dissolution has been increasing steadily since the pandemic began and spiked 30% during January 2022 compared to January 2021 (Delaney & O’Leary, 2022). “While competition amongst and the resulting exit of for-profit businesses have been studied, the exit …

Diversifying The Workforce: Women In Plumbing, Aviva Maxon

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the benefits and challenges of being women in plumbing through first person narratives.

Toxin Handling In Human Resources (Hr) And Its Impact On Burnout, Cecilia J. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

These are challenging times for HR professionals. The world of work has experienced unprecedented levels of change since the pandemic. Now on the horizon is the transformative influence of generative AI on the future of work and HR sits at the center of these changes in organizations. Business executives need healthy and productive HR professionals to effectively support organizations in the future. Unfortunately, recent industry studies paint a sobering picture of waning well-being and high levels of burnout in HR. Burnout is characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy, experienced by individuals and caused by systemic organizational imbalances. This study was …

Voluntary Employee Turnover And The Engagement Perception Of Responsibility, Troy Duerr

Theses and Dissertations

This research project investigates voluntary employee turnover and perceptions of engagement responsibility within organizations. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US workforce experienced significant pressures. Through qualitative research with semi-structured interviews of 15 professionals, key themes influencing engagement and disengagement were identified. These themes include leadership, recognition, role autonomy, team collaboration, unmet career promises, and poor communication. Participants represented various industries, from Fortune 10 companies to family-owned businesses, and held roles from individual contributors to divisional leaders. This research offers both theoretical advancements and practical solutions, emphasizing the necessity of shared responsibility between employees and organizations in managing …

Organization Change Processes In U.S. Protestant Churches: A Comparative Case Study Analysis, Leslie Mulder

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores organization change processes in three U.S. Protestant churches through a comparative case study analysis, emphasizing the role of Religious Institutional Entrepreneurs (RIEs). The research identifies key factors and conditions contributing to change, focusing on how shifts in collective narratives, generative metaphors, and strategic conversations are associated with transformation. External shocks, strategic partnerships, and adaptive leadership emerged as crucial elements in fostering change. Challenges such as emotional impacts of conflict, structural alignment and urgency-based decisions were also noted. The study highlights the balance between innovation and tradition, the importance of inclusive and reflective community engagement, and the optimization …

Designing And Evaluating A Framework For Assessing And Addressing Identity Threat And Integration As Part Of A Merger And Acquisition, Melanie Figler

Theses and Dissertations

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) offer both advantages and challenges to firms that pursue this growth strategy. Although various frameworks and approaches have been designed to reduce the risks of these transactions, high failure rates continue to plague M&A events. This study investigated a lesser-examined but powerful factor in change outcomes: organization identity. This study examined the effects of M&As on organization identity and identified practices for assessing and addressing identity threat and integration as part of an M&A. The research design was a single case study, with 11 employees ranging from individual contributors to executives being recruited from an organization …

Decision Satisfaction In Corporate Settings, Alison Keppler

Theses and Dissertations

While seemingly important, decision satisfaction has remained an understudied aspect of decision making. Defined as how satisfied an individual feels with a decision at the time it is made, separate from any feeling toward the chosen option or ultimate outcome, decision satisfaction has not been explored in the business context. Developing an understanding of what may lead to decision satisfaction is important as it has the potential to impact employee work experience as well as the outcomes of the decisions themselves. To explore this concept, this study conducted 10 interviews with senior employees in corporate environments. They discussed their preferred …

Understanding Startup Dynamics: A Qualitative Exploration Of Founder Leadership Impact On Organizational Culture, Nikita Mathur

Theses and Dissertations

The business landscape presents challenges and opportunities for startups, influenced by the leadership of their founders. This study investigated how a founder’s leadership qualities, values, and vision influence the organizational culture. This study explores the dynamic interplay between leadership behaviors and cultural outcomes, offering new insights into the organization development process within startup contexts. The analysis that transformative leadership qualities, such as empowerment, transparent communication, and strategic decision-making, along with a clear and compelling vision, are essential for fostering a culture that supports innovation and adaptability. This thesis contributes to the broader field of organization development by bridging theoretical frameworks …

Exploratory Study Of Leading U.S. Companies’ Post-Covid 19 Manager Engagement Practices, Christina Watt

Theses and Dissertations

Managers are crucial to employee satisfaction, serving as the bridge between leadership and staff, balancing expectations from both sides. Although managers are important for employee engagement, recent research highlights a significant issue in organizations regarding the low engagement levels of managers themselves. The purpose of this study was to examine the practices leading companies are using to engage managers and support their performance post-COVID-19. Informants from six Fortune 100 and three Fortune 500 companies were recruited using purposive sampling and interviewed for this study. The participant was required to have worked regularly on their company’s enterprise-wide manager engagement programs within …

Best Practices For Community Outreach For The Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot, Callie B. Houghland

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The purpose of this plan is to understand best practices for community outreach for the VERP program and provide materials to aid future outreach efforts. This plan has five parts. First, this plan will review characteristics that contribute to housing vulnerability, such as race or number of children, and consider which vulnerabilities should be prioritized in outreach. Then, this plan will identify how VERP grantees are currently conducting community outreach and who is being served through the program. Next this plan will look to understand who is missed between those who are most vulnerable and who are actually served across …

The Effects Of Leader Member Exchange Differentiation On Task Performance And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Junhui Gan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study delves into the intricate dynamics of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) within working teams, with a specific focus on Leader-Member Exchange Differentiation (LMXD) and its subsequent impact on task performance and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCB). Utilizing a comprehensive, multisource dataset comprising 394 employees across 120 store teams in three furnishing shopping malls in Zhejiang Province, China, this research employs a two-wave data collection methodology to examine the proposed theoretical model.

Contrary to prevailing assumptions in the LMX literature, this study reveals that LMXD does not significantly influence anticipated team conflict, nor does it exert indirect effects on task performance and …

Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact Of Non-Binding Informal Groups On The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Claudia M. V. Hampton

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis analyzes the policy impact of the informal group known as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a non treaty-bound grouping of states organized to define mutually agreed upon nuclear export controls with the aim of advancing the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, in line with the values of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). As informal groups or voluntary forms of interstate cooperation are often criticized for their lack of enforcement mechanisms, two case studies in this thesis review the implementation of amendments and changes in national laws for states participating in the NSG (The United …

Performance Management Through Service Quality Perspective, Tanaporn Supanichrattana

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This research report examines performance management in educational facilities through a service quality framework. Drawing on the SERVQUAL model, it conceptualizes service quality across five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The report identifies performance measures associated with each dimension and demonstrates how these measures can inform the assessment of facilities operations and service delivery. The research emphasizes the strategic selection of performance measures that align with organizational priorities and goals rather than the adoption of standardized measures across institutional contexts. Through this framework, the research positions service quality as a foundational lens for data-informed decision-making, continuous improvement, and …

Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio

CMC Senior Theses

New ventures created by entrepreneurs are crucial to the economy and to the diffusion of innovative technologies. However, startups often operate in highly uncertain environments characterized by constrained resources, lack of established processes, and complex market dynamics. Despite surges in startup investment, the failure rate for new ventures remains high, making it crucial to understand the factors that can contribute to their success. This thesis explores how founder personalities, leadership styles, and cultivating psychological safety impact startup performance and growth trajectories. Founder personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are positively associated with securing funding, achieving exit opportunities, and overall …

Tracing Global Experiences To Employer Favorability, Sarah E. Mccord

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Globalization has elevated society's workforce contributions, forcing employees to have global competence for career success. Global competence is a term used to describe the proficiencies an individual can gain from experienced-based learning opportunities, like study away. This form of experiential learning has proven to have many benefits for students in secondary and higher education. Existing evidence suggests cross-cultural and international experiences provide travelers with professional, intellectual, and integral traits, increasing their working social capital and aiding in experiential learning. However, research is lacking if employers desire study abroad experience in their new hires and/or if global competence is a skill …

Navigating Embodied Self-Awareness States To Produce Work-Enhancing Adaptive Stress Responses, Kristina Banfield

Theses and Dissertations

Work-related stress is increasingly problematic for middle managers and executives, leading to escalating problems of burnout, turnover, diminished performance, and compromised well-being. However, given the same stressor, differential outcomes are observable across individuals, ranging from paralysis to agitation, and even enhanced performance. Individuals’ responses to stress are strongly influenced by their mental models, physiology, and nervous systems—all of which can be deliberately modulated to promote more adaptive stress responses. The purpose of this study was to examine managers’ experiences of their modulated self-awareness states to optimize their stress response for work performance. A purposive sample of 10 senior managers and …

An Examination Of The Facilitators And Barriers For Implementing Environmental Sustainability Plans Into Corporate Strategy, Nathan Maton

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how organizations integrate environmental sustainability and corporate strategy, describing that intersection as strategic sustainability. The goal of the study was to use qualitative interviews of public American corporations to understand the facilitators and barriers to strategic sustainability. The study identified three facilitators (i.e., emerging regulations, customer demand, and leadership) and two barriers (i.e., data quality and education). These results suggest corporations leverage upcoming regulations, leaders who advocate for sustainability, and customer demand to embed sustainability while improving their education and data quality. Additionally, the research suggests more quantitative research and validation of the results.

Understanding How The Organizational Systems That Select, Promote, And Retain First-Time, Managers Can Be Improved For The Growing Millennial Supervisory Population, Stephanie Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The success rate for first-time managers is staggeringly low (approximately 40%) during their first 24 months in the role. While various journals and studies have addressed this topic, few have addressed it with a focus on millennial, first-time managers. Given that many millennials are stepping into the role of front-line supervisor, understanding their experience is an important step in understanding how organizational systems can be improved to increase new managers’ success rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand how to improve the organizational systems that select, promote, and retain first-time managers for the growing millennial supervisory population. …

Vamc Supervisors’ Perceptions Of Servant Leadership’S Role In Retention, Laticia Swartout

Theses and Dissertations

Servant Leadership is a phenomenon that has existed for centuries and continues to make waves today. While entities using this leadership style are generally non-profits, the United States government has chosen to use it in some of its federal agencies. More specifically, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs enlists Servant Leadership to achieve its organizational goals, like retaining employees. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of the role Servant Leadership plays in assisting supervisors in retaining employees. The research question was: How do supervisors perceive Servant Leadership’s role in retention at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans …

Certified Impact: Organization Design For Zero Waste Certification And Its Impact On Organizational Identity, Sumner Byrne

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined how organizations, primarily in the manufacturing and distribution industries, approached the change process to achieve a third-party verified zero waste certification. It investigated how the change process impacted employees’ sense of organizational identity, and what challenges they faced in pursuing certification. Sixteen participants from seven recently certified organizations agreed to be interviewed about their experience. Challenges stemmed most consistently from fiscal misalignment with leadership’s priorities, capacity struggles, and employee disconnection to the certification’s purpose. Participants reported that the most impactful organizational change strategies included clear, positive messaging, investment in employee empowerment and leadership, and consistency throughout …

2024 Adult Foster Home: Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Adult Foster Homes, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sarah Dys, Diana Jacoby, Wafi Albalawi, Minju Kim, Yuliana Levchenko, Paula C. Carder

Institute on Aging Publications

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Resident and Community Characteristics Report on Adult Foster Homes as part of the Oregon Community Based Care project. The first of these reports was published in 2014 and looking back, one gets a sense of both stability and change. In this year’s report, we describe the results based on data we collected from AFHs licensed and monitored by the Aging and People with Disabilities program of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS/APD). These are small residential settings that provide personal and health-related services for up to five residents. They are primarily …