Cultural Competence, Emergency Management, And Disaster Response And Recovery Efforts Among African Americans,
2016
Walden University
Cultural Competence, Emergency Management, And Disaster Response And Recovery Efforts Among African Americans, John Stanley Laine
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Natural disasters disrupt African American communities in the United States and can exacerbate the degree of poverty for individuals within these communities, necessitating greater aid from local, state, and federal governments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of cultural competence in disaster response serving African American communities. This research study focused on emergency manager's comprehension and education of cultural competence, what they recognized to be vital elements of a culturally competent emergency manager, and what the obstacles and components are to bring about the changes to the profession. This study used a qualitative case study design …
The Conceptual Framework Of Leadership In A Public Private Partnership,
2016
Walden University
The Conceptual Framework Of Leadership In A Public Private Partnership, Mary Ellen Ludden
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Partnerships between public and for profit organizations are increasing in frequency and scope due to scarce economic resources to support and deliver social programs. However, little is known about the characteristics of a successful partnership versus the characteristics of a failed partnership. The purpose of the study was to explore the leadership characteristics that were exhibited by the management team of a public-private partnership (PPP) that suffered a significant failure at the onset of the partnership, but recovered successfully over a period of time. The research question explored which leadership characteristics existed within the public and for-profit leadership teams that …
Toward Excellence: A Study Of Public Sector Department Of Defense Teams,
2016
Walden University
Toward Excellence: A Study Of Public Sector Department Of Defense Teams, Denise Marie Miller
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The Department of Defense's (DoD's) budgetary and personnel challenges are affecting readiness, thus encouraging the use of effective teams to improve efficiency. This qualitative, descriptive case study examined how public sector DoD members experienced characteristics of high-performing teams (HPTs), defined by their members' shared sense of purpose, interdependent commitment, and exceptional team effectiveness. The documentation of these experiences may aid other DoD teams seeking to improve performance. Lewin and Sherif's theories on group dynamics, Johnson and Johnson's theory on groups, Katzenbach and Smith's theory of HPTs, and Edmondson's work on teams comprised the theoretical framework. Thirty-nine public sector DoD members …
The Influence Of Public Policy Interventions On Millennial Distracted Driving Behavior,
2016
Walden University
The Influence Of Public Policy Interventions On Millennial Distracted Driving Behavior, Karen Anne Versuk
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite recent public policy initiatives limiting or banning forms of distracted driving resultant from cellular phone use, crashes remain on the rise. Individuals from the millennial generation, ages 16 to 35, appear to be most susceptible to distracted driving. Understanding the behaviors, attitudes, and habits of millennials is critical to developing effective policy for behavior change. A dual task ethnographic study framed by Skinner's theory of behavior modification and Maslow's hierarchy of needs motivational model, was used to investigate to what extent millennials feel public policy has influenced their driving, and if additional policy initiatives are required to deter distracted …
The Question Of Homeland Security In Rural America,
2016
Walden University
The Question Of Homeland Security In Rural America, Manuel Gonzalez
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Following the issuance of the National Preparedness Guidelines in 2009 by the Department of Homeland Security, it remains unknown whether homeland security programs have been consistently implemented in the nation's rural areas. Research findings have been inconsistent and inconclusive on the degree of implementation. Two problems may result from inadequate implementation of these programs: weakened national security from the failure to protect critical infrastructure in remote areas and a threat to public safety in rural towns. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and describe the reasons for possible noncompliance through purposeful interviews with 10 law enforcement …
The Relationship Between Increased Police Patrols And Violent Crime Rates In Seven United States Cities,
2016
Walden University
The Relationship Between Increased Police Patrols And Violent Crime Rates In Seven United States Cities, Victor Sylvester Kabia
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Large, metropolitan areas across the nation have experienced high rates of violent crime over the past 2 decades. As a consequence, law enforcement agencies have increased patrol efforts, but little is known about whether the decrease in violent crime rates was correlated to increased police patrols or to the economic variables of unemployment, inflation, level of education, unemployment compensation, and homeownership. The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational study was to examine the nature of the relationship between increased police patrols, the 5 economic variables, and violent crime rates in 7 large US cities for a 10-year period. The theoretical framework …
Implementation Procedures For Puerto Rico's Environmental Laws,
2016
Walden University
Implementation Procedures For Puerto Rico's Environmental Laws, Sara Enid Camerón
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In 2004, Puerto Rico's new environmental legislation became part of the penal code with the intention of protecting the island nation's natural resources through criminal prosecution. However, the problem is a dearth of information about the prosecutions of environmental crimes and the law enforcement agent's implementation practices. The purpose of this study was to describe the execution of the law and the few cases prosecuted. Lipsky and Hull and Hjern's theory of implementation were used to help answer the research question: What are the implementation procedures of law enforcement agents on Puerto Rico's environmental crimes law, and what can be …
Perceptions Of Homeless Individuals Regarding Public Housing Use,
2016
Walden University
Perceptions Of Homeless Individuals Regarding Public Housing Use, Shirley Elaine Hicks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Research on how homeless individuals perceive shelters, housing programs, and their agents has been limited, especially in relation to the reasons for engaging in or avoiding programs. This phenomenological study explored the perspectives of chronically homeless individuals in Wake County, North Carolina, regarding shelters and housing programs, examining their reasons for using or not using shelters or public housing. Using Glidden's structuration theory as the framework, the research questions for this study were based on exploring the perceptions of homeless individuals use of public resources related to housing and shelters to better understand why some use, and perhaps more importantly, …
Precursors Of Terrorism In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo,
2016
Walden University
Precursors Of Terrorism In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Israel Kabashiki
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been entangled in a cycle of violence. Extensive crimes that include summary executions, rapes, and the use of child soldiers are frequent in the eastern provinces of the DRC. Little is known, however, about the factors that have contributed to the emergence of these ongoing acts of terror. The study provides insights into the antecedent conditions of terrorism in this country. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study is to examine the precursors of the conflict in the DRC. The study provides the opportunity to understand the degree and …
The Relationship Between Juvenile Sex Offender Registration And Depression In Adulthood,
2016
Walden University
The Relationship Between Juvenile Sex Offender Registration And Depression In Adulthood, Sharon E. Denniston
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Accounts of sexual abuse appear daily in the media. Rightfully, this issue demands attention. Juveniles may be victims; they may also be offenders who are subject to sex offender registration and notification (SORN) policies. Growing research finds that SORN policies fail to achieve intended public policy outcomes. Little is known, however, about the unintended consequences of SORN for juvenile offenders. This study contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of these policies on this population. Merton's concept of manifest and latent functions of purposive social action and an alternate non-criminogenic form of Lemert's secondary deviance proposition provided the …
Nigerian Policy On Child Labor: An Evaluation Of The Education Sector Preparedness For Effective Policy Implementation,
2016
Walden University
Nigerian Policy On Child Labor: An Evaluation Of The Education Sector Preparedness For Effective Policy Implementation, Samuel Effiong Ekong
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A number of studies have been conducted about policy failures in Nigeria; however, little is known about the state of stakeholders' readiness to implement any government policy. Using the functionalist theory of Durkheim and the infrastructure theory of Frischmann, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to evaluate the level of preparedness of the education sector to implement the Nigerian policy on child labor, which was adopted on September 11, 2013, by the federal executive council of Nigeria. Preparedness in this study was conceptualized as the ability of the education sector to absorb children of school-going-age who quit all …
A Community's Perception Of Pregnancy And Sexually Transmitted Infections And Prevention Programs,
2016
Walden University
A Community's Perception Of Pregnancy And Sexually Transmitted Infections And Prevention Programs, Felecity Nicole Burns
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancies, births, abortions, and sexually transmitted infections in the industrialized world. African American teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in many rural southwest school districts in the State of Georgia where the sex education curriculum is nonexistent or solely focuses on abstinence. Georgia ranked 4th in cases of primary and secondary syphilis, 6th in AIDS, 12th in gonorrhea, 14th in teen pregnancies, and 17th in chlamydia in the United States in 2012. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the perceptions of residents of a …
Perception Of Job Satisfaction And Over Qualification Among African Immigrants In Alberta, Canada,
2016
Walden University
Perception Of Job Satisfaction And Over Qualification Among African Immigrants In Alberta, Canada, Benard Chi Njeundam Chuba
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African-trained landed immigrants in the Alberta labor market are faced with employment over qualification and professional devaluation. Researchers have documented the precarious labor market position of this cohort and efforts undertaken by federal and provincial Canadian governments to address it. Little is known, however, about how these African immigrants perceive job satisfaction and over qualification. Guided by human capital theory, this phenomenological study focused on the perceptions of job satisfaction and over qualification among 11 landed immigrants of African origin in Alberta, Canada. Data were collected using semi structured interviews. Hatch's 9-step technique was used to analyze data, resulting in …
Experiences Of Colorado Parents As They Recognized Their Child's Mental Illness,
2016
Walden University
Experiences Of Colorado Parents As They Recognized Their Child's Mental Illness, Lori Salgado
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Mental illness is not only the leading cause of disability among adults, but there is also an emerging public health crisis in childhood mental illness. A majority of parents do not recognize symptoms of psychological disorder in their children, and current policies and programs for mental health service delivery are not sufficiently responsive to the early help-seeking dynamics of families. Using a concurrent mixed methods design, this study explored how parents in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado learned to recognize their child's mental illness. Phenomenological interviews, augmented by poetic inquiry and quantitative measurements, were used to discover factors that …
Social Disorganization Theory: The Role Of Diversity In New Jersey's Hate Crimes,
2016
Walden University
Social Disorganization Theory: The Role Of Diversity In New Jersey's Hate Crimes, Dana Maria Ciobanu
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The reported number of hate crimes in New Jersey continues to remain high despite the enforcement of laws against perpetrators. The purpose of this correlational panel study was to test Shaw & McKay's theory of social disorganization by examining the relationship between demographic diversity and hate crime rates. This study focused on analyzing the relationship between the level of diversity, residential mobility, unemployment, family disruption, proximity to urban areas, and population density in all 21 New Jersey counties and hate crime rates. The existing data of Federal Bureau of Investigations' hate crime rates and the U.S. Census Bureau's demographic diversity, …
African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act,
2016
Walden University
African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act, Ewang Theo Epie-Alobwede
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African Americans as a group tend to have numerous health issues, and by the time they seek healthcare, the conditions often advance into more serious ailments. Researchers have shown that cultural distrust of the U.S. healthcare system coupled with some discriminatory practices has hindered African Americans seeking care and taking full advantage of the healthcare system. With the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is some confusion about the application of the law, resulting in many intended beneficiaries misinterpreting it, and not accessing quality healthcare. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how African Americans in the …
Texas Sheriff Perceptions Of The Militia Movement,
2016
Walden University
Texas Sheriff Perceptions Of The Militia Movement, John F. Fisher
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
With the election of President Barack Obama, the United States has seen a steady increase in the number of right-wing militia groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Department of Homeland Security have claimed that the various militia groups are a dangerous domestic terrorism threat. Law enforcement perceptions of the threat that these militia groups pose served as the focus of inquiry in this multiple case study. These perceptions were explored through the theoretical frameworks of groupthink, Credulous Bayesianism, and nudge theory. A purposeful sample of 12 local sheriffs in Texas were interviewed in an attempt to identify common …
Graduates' Perceptions Of An Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program In Jamaica,
2016
Walden University
Graduates' Perceptions Of An Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program In Jamaica, Patricia Jacobs
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teacher training institutions in Jamaica have been introducing, developing, and revamping undergraduate degree programs. There is, however, little evaluation of these efforts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine The Mico University College's early childhood education undergraduate degree program by exploring the lived experiences of its graduates. The research questions elicited from the participants their views about how changes were being implemented in the program, and how they impacted the institution's development and improvement, how major policy shifts related to changes in national educational policies, and how together these shifts may impact future processes at The Mico and …
Veterans First Contracting Program Preference Hierarchy: Effect On Veteran-Owned Small Business,
2016
Walden University
Veterans First Contracting Program Preference Hierarchy: Effect On Veteran-Owned Small Business, Harry Parker
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) leaders created a Veterans First Contracting Program (VFCP) under Public Law 109-461 to provide procurement opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). However, DVA leaders established a preference hierarchy that increased opportunities for SDVOSBs and decreased opportunities for VOSBs. Research was lacking regarding the effects of the preference policy on VOSBs as a distinct small business category. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and understand the experiences of 20 VOSB owners actively enrolled in the VFCP from Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia. Through the lens …
Strengthening Participatory Democracy Through Participatory Budgeting,
2016
Walden University
Strengthening Participatory Democracy Through Participatory Budgeting, Babatunde Adesegun Sobanjo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although participatory budgeting (PB) was introduced in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2005, it has yet to be widely adopted. While PB has great potential to enhance citizen participation in the democratic process, little academic research has focused on the utility of PB as a mechanism for citizen empowerment in the region. The purpose of this case study was to gain further understanding of the role of civil society in educating and empowering the citizens of Ijede LCDA in Lagos State, Nigeria to participate effectively in budgetary decision-making processes. The data were gathered from 15 semi-structured, one-on-one interviews of purposefully selected participants …
