Public Policy Commons^™

Influences Of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act On Ethical Financial Operations In Nonprofit Organizations, Stephanie Powell Works

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 7% of nonprofits' annual revenue is lost as a result of a lack of ethical financial operations among nonprofit executive directors (EDs). This represents $85 billion in estimated annual losses in available operating funds. This study addressed the problem of ineffective leadership in nonprofit organizations from the perspective of EDs responsible for ethical financial operations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of nonprofit EDs who self-reported the use of 1 of Burn's and Bass' 3 leadership styles and whether leadership style influenced the use of the Sarbanes Oxley Act …

How And Why International Nongovernmental Organizations Fill The Global Governance Institutional Gap, Joel James Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global governance refers to global cooperation through existing and developing structures, groups, and initiatives, yet little academic research focuses on the role of international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) in promoting global governance. Using Benet's polarities of democracy as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this critical case study was to explore why and how INGOs address the gap in global governance institutions in terms of humanitarian support. Data collection involved open-ended interviews with 12 members of an international, nonprofit service organization that provides humanitarian support services to a global community. Interview data were inductively coded and subjected to a thematic analysis …

A Limited Rational Choice Theory In Local Public Health Decision Making, Lona Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The threat and occurrence of terrorist attacks have increased in the United States since September 2011, heightening concerns for weaponized anthrax, other biological pathogens, and epidemics and pandemics. Early decisions and funding levels in local public health agencies can be the first line of defense or first point of failure; yet little is understood about how decisions are made when there are budget cuts before a biological event happens. Using Lindblom's conceptualization of limited rational choice theory, the purpose of this single case study was to understand how a local public health official made decisions after budget cuts in a …

How Naturalized African-Americans Experience Racial Microaggressions In U.S. Federal Agencies, Casimir Yem Bilong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Civil Rights Act was enacted more than 5 decades ago, and its provisions forbade discrimination on the basis of race in hiring, promoting, and firing. Yet some researchers argue that racial discrimination issues are still prevalent in the United States. They contend that modern racial discrimination is more covert and takes the form of racial microaggressions, which are subtle conscious or unconscious insults and derogatory attitudes directed towards minorities. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in U.S. workplaces, however. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of naturalized African-Americans …

U.S. Individuals' Perceptions Of Government Electronic Surveillance After Passage Of The Usa Patriot Act, Floyd Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the implementation of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, public trust in the U.S. federal government to protect individuals' right to privacy has been affected negatively. Many studies have addressed this topic, but few have delved deeply into the reasons behind the distrust. The purposes of this qualitative study were, to explore the perceptions and attitudes of U.S. citizens regarding the effect of the USA Patriot Act on their right to privacy, to determine whether a loss of trust in the government occurred, and to identify the factors contributing to the lack of trust. The theoretical foundation for …

Kenya's Constituency Development Fund, Free Secondary Education Policy, And Access To Secondary Education, Charles Kyalo Nzuki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Free Secondary Education Policy (FSEP) on access to secondary school education in Kenya's Yatta sub-county have not been adequately explored in available public policy literature. Hence, this qualitative multiple-case study was designed to understand the effects of the 2 policies on both enrollment and dropout among secondary school age children in Yatta. The study was conducted in 1 mixed-boarding secondary school and 1 secondary day school in Yatta. The study was built on an adapted Huisman and Smits' theoretical model on dropout among students in developing countries. The data were …

Awareness And Attitudes Of Young Nigerian Immigrants In The United States To Sickle Cell Screening And Premarital Genetic Testing, Timothy Atolagbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The carrier frequency for sickle cell anemia among Nigerians, who account for a high percentage of African immigrants in the United States, is high, according to the World Health Organization. Even though sickle cell disease contributes $2.4 billion annually to U.S. health care expenditures, ascertaining the number of affected individuals in the U.S. is difficult because sickle cell is not a reportable genetic disease. However, according to the Census Bureau, the number of African immigrants continues to grow at a steady pace among the foreign-born immigrant population in the U.S. There is a lack of research on the contribution of …

The Readjustment Experiences Of Single Women Returning From Combat In Iraq And Afghanistan, Joanie Rainey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On January 24, 2013, the Secretary of Defense rescinded the 1994-ground combat exclusion policy to integrate women into all occupations previously closed to them, particularly special operations, infantry, and armored divisions. This change in policy required military policy makers to establish gender-neutral standards for physically demanding jobs to meet the military's needs. Extensive research exists on the readjustment experiences of male veterans and families adapting to new lives after a service member returns from combat, yet the experiences of single women returning from combat remain empirically unexplored. The purpose of this study was to fill the gap in this area …

Time Banks As Aging-In-Place Initiatives, Calli Sajnani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been growing concern over how state and federal governments can support the increasing population of aging Americans and their need for long-term care. Current insurance funding models cover acute hospitalization and skilled care only, leaving unskilled care needs and homemaker services at the full expense of those in need. Time banking allows individuals to exchange or barter time for goods or services without monetary payment. There is insufficient evidence to determine if members believe time banks to be a viable alternative to support aging-in-place care needs. This phenomenological study explored time banking as a potential vehicle for nonskilled …

Effectiveness Of Practice Change From Risk Model To Safety Model At Dhs, Shirlana Norene Dash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported an estimated 686,000 victims of child abuse and neglect. Forty-nine states reported a total of 1,593 fatalities. This quantitative research study examined the relationship between the variables: age of child, gender of child, age of parent/caregiver, prior substantiated reports of abuse, and incidents of abuse in Philadelphia at the Department of Human Services using risk practice model (RPM) and safety practice model (SPM). Although child welfare practitioners have examined the relationship between family and societal factors that affect child abuse; few researchers have examined the correlation between service delivery …

Developing Ecological Citizenship: The Role Of Political Agents Using Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model, Teresa Victoria Grabs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite decades of research on environmental behavior, it is unknown how various political actors aid in the development of ecological citizenship (EC). The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the relationship between environmental worldview (NEP) and willingness to take action (WTTA) among political actors within 5 states: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The overarching research question examined how EC can be increased within the 5-state region by identifying the similarities and differences in NEP and WTTA between state legislators, state partners, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model provided the theoretical framework for the study. …

Opportunity And Sex Offending By International Peacekeepers In The Central African Republic, Musa Yerro Gassama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite their peacekeeping role in the management of internal armed conflicts, some military peacekeepers have sexually exploited local populations in host countries, resulting in dire social and health consequences and threats to the success of international peace operations. Although researchers have examined sexual violence committed by peacekeepers, few researchers, if any, have used routine activities theory to examine sex offending by peacekeepers. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which situational opportunities influenced international military peacekeepers' engagement in the sexual exploitation of civilians in the Central African Republic, a peacekeeping host country. Data were collected from …

Perceptions Of Foster Care Providers' Implementation Of The Pstsfa Of 2014, Catherine Osilama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth in foster care encounter challenges during and after they transition from foster care to adulthood. To address these challenges and prepare these youth for transitioning into adulthood, U.S. Congress enacted the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (PSTSFA) in 2014. The problem, which has received little attention in research, concerns the challenges that the implementers of this policy encounter as they provide services to foster youth. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the challenges faced by foster care providers in their implementation of PSTSFA. Von Neumann and Morgenstern's game theory provided the theoretical framework …

Increasing Employee Retention Within The Georgia Division Of Family And Children Services, Santoria Lushell Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Santoria Lushell Williams

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by

the review committee have been made.

Review Committee

Dr. Hilda Shepeard, Committee Chairperson,

Public Policy and Administration Faculty

Dr. Clarence Williamson, Committee Member,

Public Policy and Administration Faculty

Dr. Anne Hacker, University Reviewer,

Public Policy and Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer

Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University

2018

In Fulton County, Georgia, the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) child-welfare workers …

Correlating Residual Stress With Personal And Professional Characteristics In Aircraft Pilots, Erik Eckblad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every day aircraft pilots must successfully resolve significant inflight situations and then manage the possibility of residual psychological and physiological stress. Previous research has shown primary attention is given to presignificant event training and stress management, however there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding postsignificant event stress within the aviation profession. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to use the observational lens of stress theory and survey U.S. pilots who have experienced an inflight emergency, looking for correlation between factors such as age, gender, flight experience, and training against a pilot's self-reported level of residual …

Strengthening Jamaica's Anticorruption Policy With An Independent Agency, Curt Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corruption is a kind of behavior that undermines good governance. Current research has suggested that Jamaica's present anticorruption policy is ineffective, and needs strengthening. A civic organization in Jamaica has advocated for an independent anticorruption agency, with both investigative and prosecutorial powers to strengthen Jamaica's anticorruption policy. Little is known about the perspectives from the Jamaican business community on this concept. The purpose of this study was to discover and understand perspectives from the Jamaican business community on this concept. A framework included in this study is the principal-agent theory, which provides an understanding of the essence and relevance of …

Prosecution As The "Soul Crushing Job:" Complexities Of Campus Sexual Assault Cases, Tammi L. Slovinsky

Theses and Dissertations

On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter on campus sexual assault reaffirming the intent of Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits discrimination sex-based under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. In response to growing concern over due process rights for defendants, in September 2017 the guidance was rescinded. Public policy continues to evolve, leading to potentially lasting institutional changes on many college campuses. These developments include the formalization of campus investigations and adjudications, the development of campus coordinating committees and expanded support mechanisms for victims. In Virginia, laws passed …

Understanding Knowledge Sharing Motivation In The Public Sector: Application Of Self-Determination And Person-Environment Fit Theories, Jaeyong Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge has been recognized as an important resource that should be carefully managed in order to enhance organizational competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to manage knowledge resources that have been learned and stored in organizations. Several scholars in the public administration literature have examined whether public service motivation (PSM) can help employees share their knowledge in ways that contribute to the effective functioning of public organizations. However, the mechanisms by which PSM influences individuals’ propensity to share knowledge have not been clarified by past research.

Against this background, at first, this study contributes to understanding the relationship between PSM and …

Countervisuality As Policy Feedback: A Critical Policy Study On The Symbolic Role Of Visual Culture In Contemporary Antiracist Resistance, Lindsay N. Plott-Buckner

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

This critical interpretive study explores the relationship between public policy and visual culture. Drawing from five areas of research literature on (1) policy feedback theory, (2) the spectacle, (3) art and visual culture, (4) Black feminist theory, (5) and critical philosophies of resistance, images of contemporary antiracist activism are conceptualized as a form of policy feedback. Photographs of Ieshia Evans, Bree Newsome, and a self-portrait by Nona Faustine are reverse searched through Google Images. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory, a collection of publicly available news articles, blogs, and social media content are analyzed to better understand how mass publics engage with …

2018 Community-Based Care: Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Assisted Living, Residential Care, Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sheryl Dejoy Elliott, Sarah Dys

Institute on Aging Publications

This report is the fourth in a series prepared by the Institute on Aging to describe Oregon’s assisted living, residential care and memory care service sectors which are referred to by Oregon Department of Human Services as community-based care (CBC) settings. These settings may also be referred to as Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).

Community-based care settings provide a variety of services, including daily meals, housekeeping and laundry, assistance with personal care needs, medication administration, evaluation, coordination, and monitoring of health conditions, communication with residents’ health care providers, and social and recreational activities. As the population of Oregonians aged …