Jail Administrators' Compliance With The Prison Rape Elimination Act,
2019
Walden University
Jail Administrators' Compliance With The Prison Rape Elimination Act, Leone M. Lee
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Correctional institutions across the United States continue to experience prisoner sexual assault despite the enactment of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the association between jail administrators' difficulty complying with the PREA and their transformational leadership styles. The theories of punctuated equilibrium theory and general strain theory formed the theoretical framework of the study. The data were collected through an Internet-based survey from 22 local and regional jail administrators from the East Coast. Data analysis using Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed on leadership scores to test the hypotheses. There …
Competency Development And Implementation Among Direct Support Professionals In New York State,
2019
Walden University
Competency Development And Implementation Among Direct Support Professionals In New York State, Johanna Loporto
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Direct support professionals (DSPs) serve an important function in the daily supervision and care of clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) through standardization of technical, cognitive, and ethical competencies for all DSPs. It is not clear, however, how these DSPs and managers perceive the implementation process and utility of these competencies or whether implementation results in meeting the desired outcomes for clients. Using Donabedian's quality of care model as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative case study in New York State to understand how DSPs perceived the implementation of the DSP core competencies under the direction of front-line …
Perceptions About The Asylum-Seeking Process In The United States After 9/11,
2019
Walden University
Perceptions About The Asylum-Seeking Process In The United States After 9/11, Keith Nalumango
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Asylum seekers in the U.S. have faced a plethora of impediments leading to some of them abandoning their applications, which may deny them their rights under the United Nations convention on refugees. Despite the abundance of literature on the plight of these persons, no study has examined the lived experiences of asylum seekers in the U.S. from the time they apply for asylum to the time their applications are adjudicated. Using Benet's polarities of democracy as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this single participant narrative study was to explore these experiences in order to provide policy makers with a …
Teachers' And Principals' Perceptions Of Antibullying Programs In A U.S. Middle School,
2019
Walden University
Teachers' And Principals' Perceptions Of Antibullying Programs In A U.S. Middle School, Nneka Uzoma
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
School bullying has become a serious issue in U.S. schools, with children being harassed, hurt, and even killed or driven to suicide or homicide as a result of being bullied. Bullying in schools has persisted despite the various intervention measures taken to curtail the phenomenon. The purpose of this phenomenological exploration was to explore how teachers and principals at a U.S. middle school perceive the school's existing bullying programs and elicit recommendations about how to improve the programs. The theoretical basis of this investigation was Bandura's social learning theory. Data were collected through interviews with 4 principles and 6 teachers. …
Bioterrorism Hardening: An Exploratory Study Of Emts Preparedness And Practices,
2019
Walden University
Bioterrorism Hardening: An Exploratory Study Of Emts Preparedness And Practices, Ndubuisi Chinemerem Ejike
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The 2001 anthrax attacks heightened awareness of the possibility of weaponizing biological agents such as Ebola, anthrax, and smallpox and hence, the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 to prevent biological attacks and reduce bioterrorism threats and vulnerabilities. However, the 2014 Ebola epidemic raised concerns about unpreparedness for bioterrorism within the healthcare community and about secondary infections from healthcare workers. Using Kingdon's conceptualization of multiple streams as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the nature of bioterrorism threats and the level of preparedness of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who were involved in the 2014 Ebola epidemic in …
An Exploration Of The Nongovernmental Organization-State Relationship Through A Postinternational Framework,
2019
Walden University
An Exploration Of The Nongovernmental Organization-State Relationship Through A Postinternational Framework, Dana-Marie Ramjit
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the state contribute considerably to the unique state of Caribbean politics, yet their relationship is turbulent which prevents effective policymaking. Specifically, the problem this study addressed is the turbulent relationship between NGOs and the state in Trinidad and Tobago from a postinternational framework. The purpose of this research was to provide an explanation of the NGO-state relationship through the postinternational concepts of turbulence and distant proximities. Data for this study were acquired through open-ended surveys from 22 leaders of NGOs and publicly available documentation pertaining to the relationship between government and NGOs. These data theoretically coded …
Fire Training Fatalities And Firefighter Adherence To National Fire Protection Association Standards,
2019
Walden University
Fire Training Fatalities And Firefighter Adherence To National Fire Protection Association Standards, Lucas Aaron Garcia
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Sudden cardiac arrest continues to be a major cause of firefighter deaths during training due to a lack of individual firefighter adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. These standards identify requirements for fire departments to create and maintain fitness programs. Existing research has not identified any relationships between training fatalities and individual firefighter adherence to NFPA 1583, Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department Members. Using self-determination theory as the foundation, the purpose of this cross-sectional correlation study was to investigate whether individual firefighter adherence to NFPA 1583 has a measurable effect on training fatalities. Survey data …
African American Males' Perceptions Of The Police,
2019
Walden University
African American Males' Perceptions Of The Police, Shawanda S. Moore
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African American males are more likely than any of race of males to report unreasonable and unnecessary negative experiences with law enforcement officers. They may describe these experiences as unjustified due to the level of force used. In some cases, excessive force used by police has resulted in the death of African American males. Due to unresolved issues between African American males and police officers dating back to the slavery era, there is a deep historical division between these groups. Among African American males, the percentage of individuals who express distrust toward police officers tends to be higher than in …
Late Adolescent Mothers' Homelessness And Pregnancy Experiences While Living In Transitional Housing,
2019
Walden University
Late Adolescent Mothers' Homelessness And Pregnancy Experiences While Living In Transitional Housing, Beverly Vendryes
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The numbers of homeless adolescent mothers have been increasing over the past decade. Previous studies have focused on homeless individuals, but no studies examined late adolescent mothers' homelessness and pregnancy experiences while living in transitional housing. Using a phenomenological methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of 7 adolescent mothers, 18 to 24 years old, who were homeless, pregnant, and living in transitional housing. The social construction of reality theory provided the framework and interpretive lens for this study. Social networking and snowball sampling were used for participant recruitment. Through in-depth interviews, data coding and analyses were conducted to identify …
Cultural Integration In Newly Formed Public-Private Partnership Organizations,
2019
Walden University
Cultural Integration In Newly Formed Public-Private Partnership Organizations, Scotty O. Izevbigie
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) formed public-private partnerships (PPPs) with local and international private companies during the construction of the Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) project. These PPPs had employees from different cultural backgrounds who brought new cultures, ideas, innovation, and experiences to their PPPs. The limited PPP literature did indicate that different cultures should be properly integrated to avoid challenges and conflicts in the new organization. If not properly managed and integrated, cultural conflict can create communication problems, increased employee dissatisfaction, higher turnover, and poor employee performance. Using Risberg's communication theoretical foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study …
Education Policy Adoption In A Child Welfare Agency: Frontline Perspectives On Leadership,
2019
Walden University
Education Policy Adoption In A Child Welfare Agency: Frontline Perspectives On Leadership, Jennifer Lea Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study focused on a policy that promotes educational stability for foster children in a southern state in the US. At the time of this study, this policy had not been fully adopted across the state which resulted in foster children not routinely receiving the interventions necessary for improving academic outcomes. Using the diffusion of innovation theory as a framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how local-level leaders impacted the successful adoption of education policy in one county office of a statewide child welfare agency. Data were collected from a sample of 5 case managers …
National Strategy Against Narcotics, Drug Control Policy, And Law Enforcement Experiences In Kosovo,
2019
Walden University
National Strategy Against Narcotics, Drug Control Policy, And Law Enforcement Experiences In Kosovo, Ferid Azemi
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This research is focused on evaluation of National Strategy Against Narcotics (NSAN) enacted in 2012 in Kosovo. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of NSAN through visualizing data and gaining deeper insight from experiences of antidrug experts. Convergent parallel mixed methods were used to answer the main research questions. The central research questions examined the impact of strategy implementation in juvenile drug arrest reduction, and its effectiveness on Kosovo criminal justice system. Markwood's comprehensive theory of substance abuse prevention (CTSAP) was used to assess and explore the NSAN. Deidentified juvenile arrest rates taken from Kosovo official …
Redefining Protection Intervention In Humanitarian Aid Through External Factors: A Case Study Of Niger,
2019
Walden University
Redefining Protection Intervention In Humanitarian Aid Through External Factors: A Case Study Of Niger, Valerie Svobodova
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The magnitude of internal displacement worldwide is growing every year and represents a tripling of the existing number of refugees worldwide. Internally displaced persons have specific vulnerabilities and the system of assistance to them needs to be adapted and revised. The purpose of this case study was to identify external factors that influence protection interventions for internally displaced persons in humanitarian response. Using Benet's Polarities of Democracy theory and the Theory of Change Conceptual Framework as a framework, the study sought to identify key external factors influencing protection intervention in humanitarian aid settings. Data for this study was gathered through …
Accomplished Education Leaders' Perspectives On Competition, Capacity, Trust, And Quality,
2019
Walden University
Accomplished Education Leaders' Perspectives On Competition, Capacity, Trust, And Quality, Robert Lee Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
From 2017 to 2019, the primary strategy to improve public schools in the U.S. was increasing competition through the expansion of charter schools and the promotion of vouchers to send public school students to private schools. The problem this presented was that key education leaders had not provided adequate input and feedback into this strategy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather the perspectives of accomplished education leaders on how Tiebout's theory of competition and the concept of the Ontario K-12 School Effectiveness Framework impacted quality, trust, and capacity. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with a purposeful …
Tweeting In Public: How Florida's Public Information Officers Use Twitter To Engage The Publics They Serve,
2019
University of North Floirda
Tweeting In Public: How Florida's Public Information Officers Use Twitter To Engage The Publics They Serve, Jessica B. Scott
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This study expands Twitter interactivity research in the area of public relations. A content analysis of tweets from public information Twitter accounts in Florida counties examines the degree to which county public information officers interact with the publics on Twitter. Engagement on Twitter is examined using a coding scheme adapted from previous research (McMillan, 2002; Otterbacher, Shapiro, & Hemphill, 2012; Parmelee & Deeley, 2017), which is a more sophisticated measure of interactivity than merely counting the presence of replies and retweets. Findings indicate that when public information officers engage in mutual discourse, or the exchange of information in two-way communication, …
Mining The Evidence: Public Comments, Evidence-Based Policymaking, And A Controversial Mine,
2019
Michigan Technological University
Mining The Evidence: Public Comments, Evidence-Based Policymaking, And A Controversial Mine, Sun V. Nguyen
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
In policymaking, evidence-based policymaking is an essential method for influencing policies and decisions by telling decision-makers “what works” (Head, 2008). Western sciences typically make up most of the evidence decision-makers use, but because people are boundedly rational in understanding and incorporating it—politics, values, and beliefs impact thought processes— scholars and policymakers also include other types of knowledge to make decisions. One way for decision-makers to incorporate other types of knowledge into policies is through public comments. Although public comments may provide different types of knowledge to improve policy decisions, decision-makers face challenges with valuing different types of knowledge as evidence. …
Gender Competency In Public Administration Education,
2019
CUNY John Jay College
Gender Competency In Public Administration Education, Nicole Elias, Maria J. D’Agostino
Publications and Research
Sex and gender are evolving identity categories with emergent public policy and administration needs. To respond to the diverse landscape of sex and gender issues in the public sector, greater competency is needed. This research will contribute to the body of work on sex and gender in public administration by asking the following questions: (a) what do graduate students in Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs know about gender competency, (b) have graduate students learned gender competency in their MPA coursework, and (c) how can gender competency in MPA education be further developed and promoted? This study provides a critical …
Gender In Negotiation: Preparing Public Administrators For The 21st Century Workplace,
2019
CUNY John Jay College
Gender In Negotiation: Preparing Public Administrators For The 21st Century Workplace, Maria J. D’Agostino, Helisse Levine, Meghna Sabharwal
Publications and Research
This exploratory study questions whether Master of Public Administration programs prepare future public administrators to how gender plays out in negotiations that occur in organizations. Negotiated Order and Second-Generation Bias perspectives provide the theoretical basis to understand that negotiations in organizations may privilege masculine practices. In light of this gender leaning, the classroom is a necessary incubator for understanding gender differences in negotiation. Curricula and survey response data retrieved from NASPAA accredited MPA programs suggest that gender in negotiation is not being addressed in the MPA classroom. Public managers must negotiate for scarce organizational resources including salary, promotion, and other …
The Impact Of Good Governance And Stability On Sustainable Development In Ghana,
2019
Walden University
The Impact Of Good Governance And Stability On Sustainable Development In Ghana, William Deiyan Towah
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Previous studies have lauded Ghana's commitment to sustainable development, but corruption and violence may affect sustainable development policies and initiatives related to poverty reduction, agricultural practices, environmental protection, and human development. The purpose of this holistic, qualitative case study was to identify and describe good governance practices in Ghana and threats to sustainable development. A Marxist conceptual lens guided the thematic analysis of data collected from artifact documents, field notes, and interviews of 20 key informants from various professions and diverse perspectives who were directly involved in the governance of Ghana or implementation of policies. Three primary themes emerged: (a) …
Political Control And Accountability In Ethiopian Rulemaking,
2019
Walden University
Political Control And Accountability In Ethiopian Rulemaking, Esayas Kassa Araya
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Administrative rules have played a central role in Ethiopian public administration since 1994 when the current constitution was adopted. However, if the formulation and implementation of the rules are not politically controlled, and proper accountability is not applied, these same rules could become threats instead of assurances of the rule of law and order. This case study explored what strategic controls and accountability measures are in place to regulate the rulemaking process. To inform the study, the political control of bureaucracy framework in general and the principal-agency model, in particular, were used. The central research question focused on strategies that …
