Public Administration Commons^™

Succession Planning Strategies For Retiring Employees In The Department Of Defense, Danielle Mccullough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2017, more than 18% of the workforce in the Department of Defense (DoD) was eligible to retire. Employee retirement continues to present a persistent shortage of DoD knowledge workers, especially in security protections. The purpose of this qualitative single case study within a DoD intelligence agency was to explore succession planning strategies that DoD managers use to ensure knowledge possessed by retirees was transitioned to incumbent knowledge workers. The conceptual frameworks for this study were the 7-pointed star model for succession planning and the 4 pillars of knowledge management. The population was DoD managers from STEM and cyber intelligence …

Exploring The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Education Program On Current Graduate Entrepreneurs, Ruth Oluwatoyosi Abioye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria produces up to 500,000 graduates from multiple disciplines every year from its educational institutions however, most of these graduates fail to possess the 21st Century skills and competencies that are required to be effective in the workforce and are therefore considered unemployable. The current general qualitative study employed the theory of planned behaviour and the theory of social construction in order to examine the role of entrepreneurship education and its impact on the graduates in the country. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 recent graduates from Covenant University’s entrepreneurship education programs and who are …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …

Treatment Providers’ Perceptions Of Effective Sexual Offender Treatment Modalities, Reta Alphin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The treatment of sex offenders is a controversial public policy issue, yet the research on what treatment providers perceive to be effective treatment modalities is limited. Using von Bertalanffy’s systems theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine and evaluate the treatment providers’ perceptions of effective treatment modalities. Data were collected from 101 treatment providers located within 6 states in the Midwest through a researcher developed survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. A total of 55 treatment modalities were examined, which were condensed into 5 categories. Findings indicated that the psychoeducational modality …

Black Women Nonprofit Executives’ Use Of Sustainable Funding Strategies In Marginalized Communities, Asakuia Ayoka Wiles-Abel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of funding resources, inadequate staffing, poor capacity building, and difficulties in attracting individual donors are problems for small Black-led nonprofit organizations. Black women lead a majority of nonprofits in low socioeconomic and under resourced neighborhoods and have deep connections with and cultural awareness of community needs. However, little is known about how Black women leaders of nonprofits employ effective strategies to overcome funding and staff capacity challenges. The purpose of this study, which had resource dependency theory as its foundation, was to examine Black women nonprofit executives’ perceptions of obstacles in securing organizational funding and strategies for overcoming them. …

Rethinking Young Adults’ Entrepreneurial Program Policies And Barriers On Enterprise Performance In Nigeria, Olorunyomi Akinboyo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the primary goals of government policies globally is to improve the standard of living of its citizenry through effective utilization of available resources. With the number of students that graduate from Nigerian tertiary institutions on yearly basis, without a commensurate increase in job creation, youths in Nigeria without entrepreneurial skills and resilience, tend to face greater challenges entering into the labor market. Existing policies have not made remarkable achievement in addressing youth unemployment due largely to absence of research on the causal factors. The main research question that guided this study was how government policies by the Federal …

Social Media Technologies In Policy Communication: A Case Study Of Ghana’S Information Services Department, Winnifred Nafisa Mahama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an informational gap in demand and supply of real-time policy information confronting Ghana’s Information Services Department. This problem of a gap in demand and supply impacts the productivity of individuals, groups, as well as public and private institutions. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore how the government could integrate social media technologies in its policy communications to bridge the informational gap. The narrative policy framework provided the theoretical framework for the study. Research questions focused on how the government uses social media technologies in engaging citizens to generate input for policy decision making as …

Religious Tolerance And Government Collaboration With Faith-Based Organizations, Sheree Rose Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaboration between faith-based organizations and local governments provides an opportunity for projects to be fulfilled when budgets fall short of meeting all of a community's demands. Concerns arise, however, regarding the working relationships of government entities and faith-based organizations, when cosponsoring organizations include participants of various belief systems. The purpose of this case study was to explore participants' perceptions of toleration levels regarding their spiritual beliefs while working within a collaborative setting of mixed faiths. The conceptual framework consisted of Gajda's collaboration theory that states that collaboration is an imperative; is known by many names; is a journey, not a …

Completing City Streets, Christopher Alan Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a city in Tennessee continues to expand and the population continues to grow, citizens are concerned with safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. In this study, citizen comments and concerns for the city planning department were collected. A case study design was used for this study because it allowed for a focus on one setting and gathering data from a specific set of key stakeholders in the community. Data represented the thoughts and experiences of community pedestrians and were collected through surveys and 1-on-1, semistructured interviews with select participants that reflect the citizens of this community. The survey …

Coalition Sustainability After Federal Funding Is Expended: A Case Study, Shawnee Marie Seese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community coalition sustainability has been a focus of scholars as community coalitions deliver vital programs and services for communities in need. Despite the value coalitions bring to U.S. communities, they often become vulnerable after federal funding is expended. Researchers acknowledge the need to build understanding of coalition sustainability and have identified factors that contribute to the sustainability of programs, but studies on the topic remain quite limited. Federal funding requirements are more stringent than in previous years, requiring evidence of sustainability planning, which increases the urgency to identify those elements that ensure sustainability. The purpose of this study was to …

Skin Bleaching Among Female University Students, Adegboyega Abayomi Adewoyin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, skin bleaching, a practice that can create significant health problems, represents a persistent social issue. The behavior has become widespread due to unfettered access to various brands of bleaching creams. The purpose of this study was to gather data to (a) seek an understanding of the deeper motivations underlying the decision to engage in skin bleaching or skin whitening among female tertiary students and (b) examine the awareness among such students of public policy on skin bleaching creams. The case study qualitative research design was employed to enable skin bleaching cream users to share their motivations and experiences. …

Exploring Adversities Of Custodial Grandparents Transitioning From The Grandparent To Parent Role, Carmelita Dockery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many familial and social disparities, including drug addiction and use, incarceration, abandonment, and sometimes the death of a biological parent, that cause grandparents to acquire custody of their grandchildren. Current public welfare policies in some states, however, may not adequately address the needs of custodial grandparents caring for grandchildren and little academic literature exists that explores the unique experiences of custodial grandparents. Using role theory as a foundation, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of custodial grandparents in a large mid-western city as their role transitions from grandparent to parent in order to inform …

Drug Control Officers' Perception Of Nigeria's Narcotics Control Policy, Olufemi Ajayi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Nigerian government’s cannabis prohibition policy has failed to achieve the suppression of supply and reduction of demand for drugs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the policy implementation experiences of Nigeria’s drug control officers regarding Nigeria’s drug control policies. The theoretical foundation was social construction theory. Data were collected from reviews of public documents and in-depth interviews with 15 active or retired drug control officers. Data were sorted, organized, and coded through directed content analysis to identify themes. The themes that emerged included defective nature and content of the policy, poor policy implementation, and unfavorable …

Single Mothers’ Perceptions Of Police Encounters And Effectiveness Related To Youth Gun Violence, Janay M. Gasparini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single mothers and their children residing in high-crime communities (HCCs) in the United States are disproportionately exposed to crime, and therefore, the criminal justice system. Specific challenges of single motherhood in HCCs compound the link between juvenile offending and single-female-headed households. Little is known, however, about how single mothers in HCCs perceive and use the police as a resource to help prevent juvenile offending, specifically gun violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of single mothers with police as they related to the arrest of their children for a gun crime. The research questions focused …

Influence Of Implicit Racial Bias On Police Officers’ Decision To Use Force, Billy L. Moffett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. police administrators have embraced the implicit racial bias model to minimize the racial bias in their officers’ use-of-force decisions amid a public outcry on excessive police force and racism against African Americans. Although researchers have investigated whether officers have an implicit racial bias, they have not analyzed implicit bias from a police officer’s naturalistic perspective. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to describe what implicit racial bias perceptions emerged from a small sample of experienced officers when the officers were confronted with a use-of-force decision during an encounter with an African American man. The implicit racial bias …

Perceived Employment Barriers Involving Program Managers Assisting Unemployed Young African American Males, Michael P. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For unemployed, young, African American males who face significant barriers to jobs, public employment training centers have become a critical last option. For 2016, the U.S. federal government appropriated more than $6.9 billion to states for Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act programs and approximately $3.4 billion in federal formula funding for partner programs. The research problem in this study concerns the lack of adequate employment-based policies and programs that guide the workforce employment process between program managers and recipients, in particular, young, African American males. Guided by Ingram, Schneider, and DeLeon’s theory of social construction and policy design, this study examined …

Integrated Threat Management: An Alternative Approach To Regional Security System For Ecowas, Farouck Mohammed-Bashar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of new and emerging threats to peace and security in West Africa has added another layer of threat to security in West Africa. There is a need for research on the interconnectedness among existing and new and emerging threats to security in the region. The purpose of this study was to explore the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS') approach to its regional security management strategy. The punctuated equilibrium theory and policy feedback theory were used to conceptualize the problem within the context of ECOWAS' policy inertia and the wide range of security and sociopolitical dynamics in …

Exploring The Impacts Of Workplace Loneliness On Criminal Justice Senior Leaders, Johanna Papa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to explore the impacts of workplace loneliness on senior leaders of various criminal justice organizations. The theoretical framework used was Descartes' views of the self-concept theory, which explained how individuals defined and described themselves within a social context. Using purposive sampling and semistructured telephone, and email interviews of 16 criminal justice senior leaders from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, this research was conducted to answer the overarching question of this study. Workplace loneliness was a professional hazard. The key findings revealed that at least 87% of the criminal justice senior leaders reported feeling or have …

The Impact Of Public Consultation On Business Growth In The Virgin Islands, Arliene T. Penn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consistent public consultation in the making of policies and regulations is a problem in the Virgin Islands, affecting small businesses across the territory. Small business owners and the public have challenged the government to be more accountable and transparent in drafting and implementing legislation and regulations. The stakeholders are mainly concerned with those pieces of legislation and regulations that have a behavioral, social, or economic impact on their business, and, in turn, society. There is a lack of research on how the presence or absence of public input in the rulemaking process of business regulations impacts the economic growth and …

The Role Of Social Media In Supporting U.S. Citizens’ Trust In Government, Terrence M. Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

This qualitative study was designed to examine citizen trust in government relations. Data consisted of information from 23 semistructured interviews from 14 consumers/clients and 9 information technology coordinators in Oakland, California participating in a 501 C3 nonprofit agency and 2019 Pew Center surveys. Data were analyzed using content analysis and cross-verified through the process of data source triangulation. Results of each group interviews in comparison to survey results from the Pew Research Center’s 2019 Trust and Distrust in America study indicated that participants demonstrated trust in social media platforms, and these platforms informed participants’ views on their trust in …

Nonprofits’ Financial Health And Healthy People 2020 California Program Outcomes, Tammie Vanessa Johnson-Lozolla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are essential for implementing U.S. health promotion policies such as the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status 9, 10.4, and 15.1 program goals. Obtaining and sustaining NPO funding are pervasive problems. Prior research has focused primarily on NPO financial measures without taking into consideration a conjoint assessment of program outcomes connected to their primary mission. This study examined the influence of financial, accountability, and transparency measures on a selection of California NPOs whose program goals focused on Healthy People 2020 nutritional outcomes. Using Mohr’s program theory lens, this quantitative study examined financial strategies and administrative components …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Community Programs In Reducing And Deterring Juvenile Delinquency, Susan Michelle Newton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Indianapolis, the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, continues to experience a high rate of offenses committed by juvenile offenders. Community programs are in place to assist in the deterrence and/or reduction of juvenile crimes, yet the city’s crime rate continues to increase with youth being the perpetrator of many of these crimes. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived effectiveness of these programs, which has not been adequately studied. The research questions focused on identifying which of the city’s current programs are perceived as being effective or ineffective in reducing juvenile delinquency and why so. …

Conceptualising, Implementing, And Teaching Ethical Leadership For Nigerian Public Officials, Stella Benaiah Georgeson-Agege

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unethical behavior of some Nigerian public officials has resulted in poverty of citizens and a lack of infrastructure such as shelter, electricity, and roads in the country. Researchers have noted that ethical leadership frameworks could address these issues. In Nigeria, there are no such frameworks. The aim of this study was to explore the views of experts on conceptualizing, implementing, and teaching ethical leadership for Nigerian Public officials. Using the Brown et al. ethical leadership theory as a conceptual framework, and the Delphi method, 3 rounds of questionnaires and interviews were administered to 20 experts. The research question included curriculum …

Public And Voucher School Graduation Outcomes Between 2011-2015 In A Southwestern State, Raymond Onyeama Ibeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn 1995, Texas created its first charter schools, which consisted of open enrollment schools of choice, as part of education initiative/reform. However, low graduation rates among public schools in the state persisted. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that might contribute to students who received vouchers to attend private or high-performing public schools not graduating at a higher rate than traditional public schools’ students. I used the rational choice theory (RCT) as the theoretical framework to examine whether students awarded vouchers for attending private schools graduated higher than students attending traditional public schools. The study covered 2010 …

The Influence Of Community-Based Reentry Programs On Reintegrating Ex-Offenders In Ohio, Ebony Ann Ivery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ex-offenders participate in community-based reentry programs to help transition back into society, yet some are still reoffending. Previous research suggested that community-based reentry programs need to be evaluated to successfully determine their influence on reintegrating ex-offenders. Limited research existed on the experiences of ex-offenders while taking part in such programs. The theory of effective correctional intervention was used to guide this general qualitative research study on Ohio community-based reentry programs. The following areas were addressed: (a) the role that community-based reentry programs play in addressing the needs of ex-offenders; (b) barriers and limitations that community-based reentry programs face in meeting …

The Beliefs Of Sex Education Instructors In The Classroom, Denise Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Data-driven research is an ethical precept for nearly every profession, and it holds a particular importance within any human-services field, including public health education. This research study used a phenomenological methodology and Brofenbrenner’s theoretical framework to construct descriptive themes, investigating how public school instructors' personal beliefs impact teaching practice. Ten in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with public high school teachers who self-identified as being involved with sex education instruction. Participants were selected from several public Minnesota high schools responsible for providing sex education to public school students in Grades 9 to 12. The findings revealed several themes relating to how …

Impact Of Unemployment And Lack Of Education In Kenya On Al-Shabab Recruitment, Michael Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch on terrorism in Kenya often involved a separation of concepts contributing to the issue of terrorism. Researchers have focused on Al-Shabab and demonstrated that political and military instability directly resulted from terrorism; however, researchers have not yet been able to establish a link between unemployment and Al-Shabab recruitment. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to understand Al-Shabab recruitment among male Kenyan young adults between the ages of 18-35. This study used social constructive framework (SCF) as a conceptual point of theory to analyze Al-Shabab recruitment and why some Kenyan young adults do while others do not join the …

The Need For Gender Specific Jail Reentry Programming To Help Female Ex-Inmates Experience Successful Community Reintegration, Penny Lee Humerick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reentry programs seek to reduce recidivism while maintaining community safety. Most reentry programs have focused on prison reentry and rarely on the reintegration of female offenders from jail to community which left a gap in the research literature. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the barriers that hinder successful community reentry for the female offender. Using social learning theory as the theoretical perspective, this study was intended to gain a better understanding of criminality and deviant behavior among female jail detainees. To build a strong study and gain insight into jail reentry programs, institutional analysis and …

Nonprofit Arts Programs As Professional Development Experiences In Rural West Virginia, Ariel Mcgill Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public educators in West Virginia are required to take 18-hours of professional development learning annually. The professional development opportunities offered are not varied, inclusive of all content areas, and have been found by the state’s Department of Education to lack in application and effectiveness. This study examined the benefits of living laboratory professional development experiences, utilizing Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence, with educators that volunteer with fine arts community-based nonprofit organizations, as a possible alternative to the professional development policy requirements by the state. The study’s key research questions were about the recognition and enhancement of intrapersonal and interpersonal …

Predators And Principles: Think Tank Influence, Media Visibility, And Political Partisanship, Timothy Beryl Bland

Theses and Dissertations

By some measures, the major U.S. political parties have become more extreme in their political positions in recent decades, and scholars have raised concerns about whether the policy expertise provided by today’s think tanks has become similarly partisan and polarized. Furthermore, there is a perception that certain overtly partisan and highly visible think tanks wield considerable and growing influence over the policy platforms of the major U.S. parties, using their media presence to shape public and policymaker views of particular issues. Using publicly accessible tax, media, and congressional data, my proposed study assesses the extent to which media visibility and …