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Articles 4201 - 4230 of 5392

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Theory Of Planned Behavior Analysis And Organic Food Consumption Of American Consumers, Marie Elizabeth Donahue Jan 2017

Theory Of Planned Behavior Analysis And Organic Food Consumption Of American Consumers, Marie Elizabeth Donahue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of organic foods consumed by Americans are sourced internationally, which has global-reaching implications on health, economics, and sustainability. Current research findings show that environmental devastation and negative health outcomes have resulted from unsustainable, nonorganic agricultural practices; including herbicides, pesticides, and overcultivation. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on factors that motivate Americans to consume organic food. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this quantitative study employed an online survey to examine the role of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention and behavior of American consumers to consume organic foods. …

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Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal Jan 2017

Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Provisioning Internet services remains an area of concern for Internet service providers. Despite investments to improve resources and technology, the understanding of sociotechnical factors that influence the service-provisioning life cycle remains limited. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the influence of sociotechnical factors associated with telecom service provisioning and to explore the critical success and failure factors, specifically in the telecommunication industry of Kuwait. Guided by sociotechnical systems theory, this qualitative exploratory case study approach examined a purposeful sample of 19 participants comprising of managers, engineers, and technicians who had the knowledge and experience of the service-provisioning …

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Relationship Quality Associations Family Values For Online Graduate Students With Intimate Partners, Tracy J. Jones-Garcia Jan 2017

Relationship Quality Associations Family Values For Online Graduate Students With Intimate Partners, Tracy J. Jones-Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research found that relationship quality (RQ) for intimate couples may be adversely effected in times of stress, potentially decreasing marital satisfaction up to 36% during a four-year period for high stress couples. Previous research indicated family values (FV) may mediate RQ in stressful times; however, no research has examined this relationship for online/blended program graduate students. Students in these programs experience unique stress, change, and at times, physical distance from an intimate partner. Coombs's theory on values consensus postulated that the more alike family values are in a relationship, the better the RQ will be. The purpose of this …

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U.S. Army Drill Sergeants' Response To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Assault Of Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Recruits, Marin Vesselinov Nikolov Jan 2017

U.S. Army Drill Sergeants' Response To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Assault Of Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Recruits, Marin Vesselinov Nikolov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with the repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) policy, the U.S. Army has seen increased cases of sexual harassment; sexual assault; and discrimination of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) service members by other service members. Despite this trend, few studies have explored the experiences of victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault of GLB recruits before, during, and after the repeal of the DADT policy. Using the bystander effect as the theoretical construct, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and interactions with a sample of 11 drill sergeants (DSs) who witnessed GLB …

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Racial Ethnic Health Disparities: A Phenomenological Exploration Of African American Adults With Diabetes Complications., Florence A. Okombo Jan 2017

Racial Ethnic Health Disparities: A Phenomenological Exploration Of African American Adults With Diabetes Complications., Florence A. Okombo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial/ethnic minority groups experience a higher mortality rate, a lower life expectancy, and worse mental health outcomes than non-Hispanic in the United States. There is a scarcity of qualitative studies on racial/ethnic health disparities. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the personal experiences, attitudes, and perspectives of 6 African American adults with chronic health issues related to diabetes through a face-to-face interview. Social cognitive theory and health belief model guided the study. The participants were recruited through purposeful sampling. The data were coded using axial and thematic coding and subsequently analyzed through phenomenological interpretive inquiry. The …

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Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke Jan 2017

Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Democracy building operations in foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been met with resistance and at great cost in terms of dollars and lives. Reducing these costs requires understanding why individuals choose to resist the transition to democracy, yet current research in the field does not address the issues of a previously nonviolent population turning to terrorism to resist transition to democracy. The purpose of this single case study was to use rational choice theory and Crenshaw's 3 levels of causation to understand what factors influenced members of the Sunni sect to resist democratic transition following the 2003 invasion …

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African American Males' Lived Experiences Of Fathering Following Incarceration, Sherece Shavel Jan 2017

African American Males' Lived Experiences Of Fathering Following Incarceration, Sherece Shavel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, African American fathers are incarcerated at a disproportionate rate and have a poor prognosis of success. Although researchers have considered how crime, paternal abuse, poverty, and social disparities have affected African Americans, they have not adequately studied how formerly incarcerated African American fathers experience parenting. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by exploring the parenting experiences of formerly incarcerated African American fathers on parole. The research question focused on the parenting experiences of African American fathers obligated to mandatory supervision following an incarceration. A criterion-based sample of …

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The Role Of Gender In Hiring Officials' Perceptions Of Chief Information Officer Candidates, Shanna Van Ness Jan 2017

The Role Of Gender In Hiring Officials' Perceptions Of Chief Information Officer Candidates, Shanna Van Ness

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few women in academia occupy the leadership role of chief information officer (CIO), yet little is known about the underlying causes for gender disparity in this role. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to investigate whether gender stereotypes may impact perceptions about managerial characteristics of CIO candidates in academic settings. The theoretical foundation for this study was Schein's 'Think Manager, Think Male' paradigm and Acker's gendered organization theory. Data were acquired from 48 hiring officials from four-year public, private, and nonprofit colleges, universities, and research institutions in the Northeastern region of the United States who completed the Schein …

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Workers' Perceptions Of The Effect Of Three-Tier Shift Schedules On Community Functioning, Jillian Leigh Wallace Jan 2017

Workers' Perceptions Of The Effect Of Three-Tier Shift Schedules On Community Functioning, Jillian Leigh Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shift work is commonplace in many fields that require around-the-clock employee coverage. There is ample evidence that two-tier shift work can detrimentally affect health and functioning. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of three-tier shift schedules on physical and mental health and community functioning, a concept which refers to activities and behaviors performed by individuals or groups within a system. This study used a qualitative phenomenological design, and community functioning and recovery theory were central to the conceptual framework. In-depth interviews were used to explore the perceptions of three-tier shift workers on their functioning, relationships, mental …

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Work-Family Conflict: Does Romance Matter?, Christie Marie Charles Jan 2017

Work-Family Conflict: Does Romance Matter?, Christie Marie Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that being in a romantic relationship has related negatively with work-family conflict. Using social exchange theory, the investment model, and role theory, this study examined the relationships among the dimensions of perceived partner support, romantic relationship interdependence, and work-family conflict. A sample of 192 adults in paid employment, currently involved in a romantic relationship, were recruited from SurveyMonkey Contribute. Study participants completed online a demographic survey, the revised Support in Intimate Relationships Rating Scale (SIRRS), the Investment Model Scale, and work-family conflict scales. Correlation analyses showed that work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict correlated negatively with commitment and …

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Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking And Social Work Practice, Stephanie E. Chester Jan 2017

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking And Social Work Practice, Stephanie E. Chester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is a social problem affecting children between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. The issues related to DMST present challenges for social work practitioners because they often lack knowledge regarding how to identify and provide specialized services to this population. The purpose of the qualitative study was to collect and analyze data to develop an understanding of how social workers in the northeastern region of the United States identified challenges and thereby improved their practice skills when intervening with this vulnerable population. An epistemological paradigm, with a constructivist perspective employing Nguyen's systems theory, …

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Workplace Antidiscrimination Policy Effect On Transgender Employee Job Satisfaction, Stacie Christian Jan 2017

Workplace Antidiscrimination Policy Effect On Transgender Employee Job Satisfaction, Stacie Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Not all organizations in Wisconsin have transgender inclusive antidiscrimination policies. Leadership can use the results of this study to understand the effect of antidiscrimination policies on transgender employee job satisfaction. Quantitative data were collected from transgender employees aged 18 years or older who were employed but not self-employed in the state of Wisconsin. The relationship between the presence and absence of transgender inclusive antidiscrimination policy and job satisfaction was addressed by creating an anonymous online survey that contained demographic questions, the 1997 Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and the Job in General (JIG). Participants were notified of the study using fliers …

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Child Neglect, Child Physical Abuse, And Relationships Among 12-Year-Old Girls, Corrine Dale Jan 2017

Child Neglect, Child Physical Abuse, And Relationships Among 12-Year-Old Girls, Corrine Dale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child maltreatment, including physical abuse, neglect, emotional, and sexual abuse is a continuing social problem in the United States, resulting in a number of children who experience challenges with family and peer relationships in adolescence. Child neglect is one of the most common forms of abuse however, it is less likely to be investigated or substantiated than is physical abuse. Female child maltreatment in particular results in possible problems for victims with family and peer relationships in early adolescence. In 2015, state agencies reported an estimated 683,000 victims of child maltreatment, with two-thirds of this group representing child neglect victims. …

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Resilience Or Recovery: A Phenomenological Investigation Into Parental Bereavement, Anita Elderkin Jan 2017

Resilience Or Recovery: A Phenomenological Investigation Into Parental Bereavement, Anita Elderkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Facing the death of a loved one is often a traumatic experience; when the deceased is one's own child, the loss may be the most stressful event of one's life. There has been very little research into the phenomenon of being a bereaved parent. This study is a phenomenological investigation into the lived experience of being a bereaved parent and whether resilience or recovery plays a role in how parents move through and eventually past such a loss to continue with their own lives. Previous research has indicated that adjustment to traumatic experiences can take multiple pathways or trajectories, depending …

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Security Strategies For Hosting Sensitive Information In The Commercial Cloud, Edward Steven Forde Jan 2017

Security Strategies For Hosting Sensitive Information In The Commercial Cloud, Edward Steven Forde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

IT experts often struggle to find strategies to secure data on the cloud. Although current security standards might provide cloud compliance, they fail to offer guarantees of security assurance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies used by IT security managers to host sensitive information in the commercial cloud. The study's population consisted of information security managers from a government agency in the eastern region of the United States. The routine active theory, developed by Cohen and Felson, was used as the conceptual framework for the study. The data collection process included IT security manager …

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Social Workers' Perceptions Of A Rural Emergency Mental Health Trauma Service, William L. Getz Jan 2017

Social Workers' Perceptions Of A Rural Emergency Mental Health Trauma Service, William L. Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that emergency mental health trauma (EMHT) services can significantly reduce the long-term effects of trauma after a disaster. However, rural municipalities may find they do not have the capacity to create such a service, or may not realize that their disaster planning includes no provision for emergency mental health care. Such was the case in a rural island community in the state of Washington, where, in 2014, several residents initiated a discussion that helped to identify the community's lack of EMHT services. This project, framed by action research and based on collaboration theory, sought to advance the …

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Lived Experiences And Coping Styles Of Alaskan Women With Opioid Use Disorders, Faith May Golden Jan 2017

Lived Experiences And Coping Styles Of Alaskan Women With Opioid Use Disorders, Faith May Golden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Death caused by opioid abuse has increased in recent years, and women in the state of Alaska have been significantly impacted by this opioid crisis. Previous researchers have indicated a possible connection between opioid use and sub-clinical PTSD criteria. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory regarding the presence of PTSD diagnostic criteria in this population, to identify patterns in past traumas and other life stressors, and to investigate coping strategies in 43 Alaskan women who sought treatment for opioid use. Archived data in the form of therapy notes were analyzed using grounded theory techniques …

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The Soldier 360°Orgram: Strengthening Combat-Exposed, Noncommisioned U.S. Army Officers' Interpersonal Sensitivity, Anne Harper Jan 2017

The Soldier 360°Orgram: Strengthening Combat-Exposed, Noncommisioned U.S. Army Officers' Interpersonal Sensitivity, Anne Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interpersonal sensitivity is a foundational component of interpersonal relationships. It encompasses an individual's self-concept and self-identity, which are formed as the individual develops. An individual's self-concept develops from the norms and mores of his or her society. Soldiers in the U.S. Army have been trained to form a repurposed self to engage in combat and work in combat-focused jobs. The consequence of this training in many cases has been diminished interpersonal sensitivity that has been detrimental to their interpersonal relationships. The Soldier 360° course is a comprehensive treatment program that takes a holistic approach to providing soldiers with self-empowering tools …

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Attitudes Of Women Offenders Towards Medicaid Enrollment And Coverage Under The Affordable Care Act, Morrisa Barbara Rice Jan 2017

Attitudes Of Women Offenders Towards Medicaid Enrollment And Coverage Under The Affordable Care Act, Morrisa Barbara Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although women offenders face barriers to successful reentry into their communities, as yet, no research has explored their experiences in accessing health care reentry services. Medicaid enrollment, the process of applying for Medicaid coverage, can be offered as a health care reentry service. Women offenders in jails have shorter sentencing times compared to those in prison, which presents Medicaid enrollment opportunities before release. The Second Chance Act provides the opportunity for reentry services, and the Affordable Care Act provides the opportunity for Medicaid coverage for women offenders. This phenomenological study explored the attitudes of women offenders about Medicaid enrollment and …

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A Meta-Analysis: The Full Range Of Leadership Model Impacting Policing Organizations, Joseph Russell Jan 2017

A Meta-Analysis: The Full Range Of Leadership Model Impacting Policing Organizations, Joseph Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police leadership has traditionally been dominated by the commander style, yet the more recent generation of police officers reject this style of leadership. Little, however, is known about whether the different leadership styles of the full range of leadership model result in positive outcomes in policing organizations. The purpose of this quantitative meta-analysis study was to examine the relationship between transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles and the leadership outcomes in a policing context, such as subordinate satisfaction, perception of leadership effectiveness, and exerting extra effort. Data for this research synthesis derived from primary research studies, which included 9 U.S. …

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Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of Special Education Referral For African American Students, Darlene Smith Jan 2017

Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of Special Education Referral For African American Students, Darlene Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patterns of representation of African Americans in K-12 special education programs vary across the United States. A school district in Arizona has a 13% African American population, yet the African American special education representation is 17%. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate an understanding of the processes related to special education referral and assignment of African American elementary students as perceived by 7 teachers and 6 parents in the school district. Inductive analysis including open, axial, and selective coding led to the categorization of three themes: complexity in the referral process, inadequate teacher-parent communication and lack …

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Improving The Quality Of Electronic Documentation In Critical Care Nursing, Brent Alan Stevens Jan 2017

Improving The Quality Of Electronic Documentation In Critical Care Nursing, Brent Alan Stevens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Electronic nursing documentation systems can facilitate complete, accurate, timely documentation practices, but without effective policies and procedures in place, a gap in practice exists and quality of care may be impacted. This systematic review of literature examined current evidence regarding electronic nursing documentation quality. General systems theory and the Donabedian model of health care quality provided the framework for the project. Electronic databases PubMed and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health were searched for articles addressing electronic nursing documentation practices. The Cochrane systematic review methodology was used to analyze the articles. Articles were excluded if published before 2001 …

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Staff Member Perceptions Of Bullying In An Afterschool Center, Sherrich Monsher Thegg Jan 2017

Staff Member Perceptions Of Bullying In An Afterschool Center, Sherrich Monsher Thegg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Peer-to-peer bullying negatively impacts over 20% of school-aged children annually. While much literature exists on bullying on school premises, peer-to-peer bullying outside of the classroom is still relatively understudied. Despite states' implementation of antibullying legislation, peer-to-peer bullying has continued in schools and other areas such as afterschool centers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate staff perceptions of peer-to-peer bullying in afterschool centers. It specifically investigated bullying and the hierarchical imbalance of power using Sidanius and Pratto's social dominance theory. The research questions were designed to investigate the staff members' knowledge of bullying at the Boys and Girls …

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Exploring Personal And Societal Expectations Of Blind Veterans, Malinda L. Wimbs Jan 2017

Exploring Personal And Societal Expectations Of Blind Veterans, Malinda L. Wimbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More U.S. men and women are returning from military service obligations with physical and mental disabilities which complicate their transition to civilian life. Few researchers, however, have examined the post service experiences of blind veterans and whether they are affected by societal expectations of people living with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain knowledge about the experiences of U.S. veterans who suffered vision loss, and the influence of societal expectations on their lives. Hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was used to explore the personal meanings 8 veterans, who lost their vision during active service, attached to their experiences …

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The Effect Of Emotionally Validating And Invalidating Responses On Emotional Self-Efficacy, Gregory Witkowski Jan 2017

The Effect Of Emotionally Validating And Invalidating Responses On Emotional Self-Efficacy, Gregory Witkowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The power of abuse, either in childhood or in adulthood, is clear in many cases. Yet certain types of abuse are harder to detect and understand. Emotional invalidation is one type of abuse that is characterized by an incongruence or minimization of another person's emotions. This experimental study explored effects of emotional invalidation and emotional validation on people's level of emotional self-efficacy. Participants (n = 230) were recruited through Quest Mindshare using a survey created through SurveyMonkey, and randomly placed into 3 groups. All participants were given a survey that asked them to choose how certain pictures made them feel. …

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Examining The Retention Of African American Young Adults In Their Childhood Church, Stacia Lynn Alexander Jan 2017

Examining The Retention Of African American Young Adults In Their Childhood Church, Stacia Lynn Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for the decline of young adult church attendance after an affiliation with church during childhood. Religion plays an important role in the lives of African Americans as a coping mechanism for loss, adversity, racism, and trauma. In addition, spiritual exploration is a component of psychological development during maturation. Using the social identity theory, the study explored the impact of childhood church affiliation and coping styles of young adults. African American Youth between 18 and 30 years old were randomly selected to complete a combination of questions from the Lasting Faith …

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Multiple Role Conflict And Coping Strategies Of Men In The Aerospace Industry, Lynette Bowden Jan 2017

Multiple Role Conflict And Coping Strategies Of Men In The Aerospace Industry, Lynette Bowden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-life balance is a dilemma for both men and women. However, the perspective of men on this issue has not been previous addressed. Work intensification and societal pressures cause men to work longer, harder, and cope with the stressors of multiple role conflicts and work-life imbalance. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore men's lived experience in managing multiple roles regarding work-life conflicts, and identify coping strategies they used to achieve a work-life balance. The research questions were related to the lived experiences, perceived causes, and coping strategies of work-life imbalance for men in the aerospace industry. The …

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Three Factors Leading To The Failure Of Communications In Emergency Situations, James E. Burroughs Jan 2017

Three Factors Leading To The Failure Of Communications In Emergency Situations, James E. Burroughs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of communications, particularly related to interoperability, between police and firefighters responding to dangerous situations has resulted in death or injury to themselves or those they strive to protect. Using Grebner's and Shannon and Weaver's conceptualizations of communications theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to evaluate, from the perspective of first responders, what barriers exist that may impede opportunities for interoperability of communications systems. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 18 experienced first responders from the states of California, New York, and Texas. Interview data were deductively coded …

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Barriers Cardiac Nurses Face In Addressing Psychosocial Issues Of Heart Failure Patients, Debra Kay Disbrow Jan 2017

Barriers Cardiac Nurses Face In Addressing Psychosocial Issues Of Heart Failure Patients, Debra Kay Disbrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure is a chronic disease and a common cause of hospitalizations and readmissions within 30-days of discharge. To decrease the cost of care for patients with heart failure, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services initiated the Readmissions Reduction Program that reduces payment to hospitals with preventable readmissions. Among the causes for readmissions of patients with heart failure are concurrent behavioral health issues that can lead to decreased medication compliance and increased risk for disease progression. The prevalence of comorbid depression is as high as 77% among patients with heart failure and may be an important factor in readmissions. …

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A Developmental Project Focusing On Young Adult Hispanic-Americans, Tarsicio Gacheru Jan 2017

A Developmental Project Focusing On Young Adult Hispanic-Americans, Tarsicio Gacheru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reducing diabetes risk among Hispanic-American adults in the United States is a critical public health need and programs targeting young Hispanic-American adults with prediabetes can reduce the risk for developing diabetes. The purpose of this project was twofold: (a) to examine the literature related to diabetes prevention best practices among young adult Hispanic-Americans with prediabetes and (b) create an intervention program to promote these best practices to delay or reverse the trajectory toward diabetes. The inclusion criteria for the literature review were studies with at least a 12-month follow-up and reported outcomes related to changes in diet, increased exercise, and …

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