Public Administration Commons^™

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Physician Assistants, Roderick Stanton Hooker

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined if physician assistants (PAs) are cost-beneficial to employers. In an era of cost accountability, questions arise about whether a visit to a PA for an episode of care differs from a visit to a physician, and if PAs erode their cost-effectiveness by the manner in which they manage patients.

Four common acute medical conditions seen by PAs and physicians within a large health maintenance organization were identified to study. An episode approach was undertaken to identify all laboratory, imaging, medication and provider costs for these diagnoses. Over 12,700 medical office visits were analyzed and assigned to each …

An Analysis Of Workplace Violence Incidents In Virginia Community Colleges And The Major Employers, Betsy E. Summerfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The media during the past ten years has given considerable attention to the workplace violence in factories, service organizations, and the public school systems throughout the United States. This study compared patterns of workplace violence in the 23 member institutions of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) with the patterns of workplace violence in selected for-profit service and manufacturing employers in Virginia, to determine if workplace violence incidents occurring in the VCCS's member institutions reflect the workplace violence incidents experienced by business and industry within each member institution's service region. Chi-square analysis showed a significant difference in non-violent conflict training …

Democracy Behind Barbed Wire: Examining The Political Culture Of Japanese American Evacuees, Allen Atkinson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper explores the relationship between culture and political behavior through an investigation of those Japanese Americans who were denied due process and imprisoned during World War Two simply for being of Japanese descent. Military necessity was the reason cited for the government's action, although racism, war hysteria and economic competition also played a major role.

At the time there was a general belief among Caucasian Americans that the Japanese in America had avoided Americanization and could not be trusted to participate in democratic processes. It was suggested that their political and civic culture was an obstacle to the achievement …

Validation Of The Risk And Needs Assessment Used In The Classification For Parole And Probation Of Virginia's Adult Criminal Offenders, George Michael Yacus

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study analyzes the effectiveness of risk-needs assessment used in the classification of probation and parole for adult criminal offenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The use of risk-needs classification instruments dramatically increased in the 1980's and 1990's, but some research has indicated that these instruments do not have universal applicability and must be validated to the population to which they are applied. The research selected a useable cohort (n = 13,011) of probationers/parolees in the Commonwealth of Virginia from the 20, 647 cases opened in 1994 and tracked them for three years, using Virginia Department of Corrections records, to …

Intermunicipal Agreements: Case Studies In Durham And York Regions, Rebecca James

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the extent and nature of intermunicipal partnerships in Durham Region and York Region based on an inventory of public partnerships in the two regions and case studies of five intermunicipal agreements. The findings reveal that if municipalities form public partnerships in certain service areas, cost savings can be achieved while still maintaining individual municipal control and accountability.

When Is Bigger Not Better?: The Management And Delivery Of Social Services On Manitoulin Island, Mary Nelder

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the Ontario government’s creation of District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) has accomplished the stated objectives of simplifying access to services and better servicing clients, as well as improving cost-effectiveness, coordination, innovation, the sharing of resources, and achieving economies of scale. A case study of Manitoulin-Sudbury reveals that the DSSAB for the two combined districts has been unsatisfactory and none of the stated objectives of the policy have been achieved.

Why A Strategic Plan?: A Review Of Strategic Planning In Selected Ontario Municipalities, Moira Winch

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether strategic planning processes successfully assist municipal councils and staff in Ontario based on case studies of 11 municipalities in Ottawa-Carleton and the City of Burlington. The findings reveal that in many instances, strategic planning is being used successfully and the most important factor that contributes to its success is the leadership and commitment of council to the initiation and implementation of the plan.

Development Of A Model For User Fees: A Model On Policy Development In Creating And Maintaining User Fees For Municipalities, Jim Mcqueen

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the relevance and significance of user fees in Ontario based on case studies that assess user fee policies in four municipalities in the Halton Region – Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville. The findings reveal that user fees have become a more prominent revenue source and they are an important component of a municipality’s revenue base.

The Birth Of The Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Richard Ramsay

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the causes of amalgamation in Cape Breton County are similar to the causes that have driven other amalgamations in the Maritime Provinces. Interviews with key stakeholders and an analysis of reports associated with the amalgamation were conducted. The findings reveal that Cape Breton County is a unique case and the Government of Nova Scotia decided to amalgamate because it recognized the dismal financial position of several of the municipal units.

Budô In Japanese And U.S. Policies, Guy H. Power

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Public Journalism, The Second Level Of Agenda-Setting And Public Policy: The Role Of The Daily Press Newspaper In Creating, Framing And Fostering The Issues Of Regionalism And Consolidation On The Virginia Peninsula, 1944-1996, Shannon O'Bier Jackson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study uses quantitative content analysis, with qualitative elite interviewing as a supplemental tool, to investigate the role of the Daily Press newspaper in creating, framing and fostering the locally controversial issues of regionalism and consolidation on the Virginia Peninsula from 1944-1996.

The investigation supports earlier findings regarding the second-level of Agenda-setting in terms of the newspaper's ability to cumulatively create "the pictures in our heads" of events or issues. The dissertation suggests that by selecting thematically related attributes over time, the newspaper acts to transmit issue salience, but that the potential impact of the "picture in our heads" is …

Factors Affecting Leadership Styles Of Prison Wardens: A Case Study Of Public Adult Prisons Within Virginia, Nancy Elizabeth Santiago

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study attempts to identify the leadership styles of Virginia prison wardens within public adult prisons, and to determine which factors contribute to the development of their leadership styles. The two instruments used in this study to assess leadership style were the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI, which measures "transformational" leadership), and the Leader Behavior Analysis II Self (LBAII Self, which measures "transactional" leadership). Both instruments have been used in prior research with correctional personnel, and comparisons of this research study is made with previous dissertations utilizing the LPI and LBAII.

Also developed for this study was a set of questions …

Subtle Sentry: State Public Records Laws And The Availability Of Government Information, Grace I. Lessner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Crafton Hills College Computer Hardware/Software Tracking System, Catherine Pace-Pequeño

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Municipal Involvement In International Relations, John Jack William Hilgers

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The purpose of this study is to examine municipal involvement in international relations in the United States. This municipal phenomenon is occurring concurrently with both a shift away from the traditional nation-centric structure of international relations under the influence of globalism as well as a sharp decline in intergovernmental aid. The research questions were: (1) What are the indicators that define municipal involvement in international relations? and (2) What is the extent of that involvement?

Extensive qualitative and research was conducted in the form of an exploratory literature survey which was set forth in narrative analysis to overcome the paucity …