4,265 research outputs found
Enhancing Athletic Participation: Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Athletes
The difficulties that children and teenagers with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) encounter are discussed in this thesis, with a focus on how fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) and actual hypoglycemia associated with this chronic illness affects their ability to engage in physical activities, especially organized sports. A common challenge for children diagnosed with T1DM is meeting the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate if participation in structured exercise (physical education classes and after-school sports) increases among school-aged children who wear continuous glucose monitors (CGM) when their PE teachers and coaches have been specifically trained to interpret their CGM data and intervene to correct their hypoglycemia. The study will also examine the intervention\u27s effect on the children\u27s FOH and incidence of unsafe blood glucose levels during such structured exercise. Pre and post-intervention FOH will be measured using the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey, which is a validated FOH Questionnaire. Pre and post-intervention blood glucose levels during structured exercise will be measured by CGM. Pre and post-intervention structured exercise participation levels will be measured by the PE teachers and coaches. The ultimate goal of this research is to increase activity and quality of life levels for youth with T1DM
The cooperation-competition paradox: Managing coopetition across firm sizes
This publication-based dissertation investigates how firms of different sizes and structures manage simultaneous cooperation and competition (coopetition). It includes five self-contained research papers, four designed for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals, and one developed for publication as an academic teaching case study. The first paper is a systematic literature review that identifies recent accomplishments and future trends in coopetition research. It delivers a comprehensive, unique, and updated view on the field, unifying scattered research findings into a cohesive and overarching framework. The second paper is a single-case study, zooming in on the inner workings of a corporate incubator. It explores the role and management of internal coopetition to develop entrepreneurial competencies for business model innovation. The third paper shifts the research focus toward large multinational enterprises to explore the formation of new coopetition relationships. It illuminates a new organizational design and accompanying management principles to address paradoxical tensions in the first and potentially most difficult phase of coopetition. The fourth paper taps into the complexities of coopetition between small- and mid-sized firms and large corporates. It uncovers three coopetition strategies and a mix of management principles for smaller firms to navigate asymmetrical risks in coopetition with larger companies. The fifth paper expands the scope of the dissertation to include an entire industry, analyzing the drivers, strategies, and outcomes of coopetition in a highly concentrated and regulated sector. Taken together, the five research papers collectively contribute to a more nuanced understanding about the management of coopetition and provide valuable implications and recommendations for practitioners
Strategies to Improve Employee Retention in Nonprofit Organizations
Talented employee turnover in nonprofit organizations has the potential for excessive costs and unfavorable outcomes. Nonprofit organization managers are concerned with retaining talented employees not only to sustain competitive advantage but also to continue to provide essential services. Grounded in person-organization fit theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that four nonprofit organization managers in the southern United States use to increase employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational retention documents. Through Yin’s five-step data analysis process and thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) employ competitive benefits and compensation, (b) foster an innovative and engaging organizational culture, (c) enable employee development, and (d) maintain high levels of employee satisfaction. A key recommendation is for nonprofit managers to provide intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to improve culture. The implications for positive social change include the potential to retain talented employees and better serve local and socially disadvantaged communities
Examining systemic and dispositional factors impacting historically disenfranchised schools across North Carolina
This mixed method sequential explanatory study provided analysis of North Carolina (NC) school leaders’ dispositions in eliminating opportunity gaps, outlined in NC’s strategic plan. The study’s quantitative phase used descriptive and correlation analysis of eight Likert subscales around four tenets of transformative leadership (Shields, 2011) and aspects of critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2006) to understand systemic inequities and leadership attitudes.
The qualitative phase comprised three analyses of education leadership dispositions and systemic factors in NC schools. The first analysis of State Board of Education meeting minutes from 2018–2023 quantified and analyzed utterances of racism and critical race, outlined the sociopolitical context of such utterances, and identified systemic patterns and state leader dispositions. The second analysis of five interviews of K–12 graduates identified persistent and systemic factors influencing NC education 3 decades after Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and within the context of Leandro v. State of NC (1997), where the NC Supreme Court recognized the state constitutional right for every student to access a “sound basic education.” The final qualitative analysis consisted of five interviews of current NC public school system leaders, for personal narratives of the state of NC schools compared to patterns from lived experiences of NC K–12 graduates.
The study’s findings suggested NC school and state education leaders experience a racialized dichotomy between willingness for change (equity intentions) and execution of transformative action (practice). Although leaders at the board and school levels recognize the need for inclusivity and equity, a struggle to transcend systemic challenges, especially rooted in racial biases and power dynamics is evident. This study may identify leadership qualities needed for change in NC to address systemic inequities for improving educational access and inform policy to uphold all students’ constitutional right to a sound, basic education
Examining the Psychosocial Impacts of Transgenerational Trauma: A Phenomenological Study of Parenting Styles Among African American Women
This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to examine the psychosocial impacts of unresolved grief and trauma within the dynamics of parenting styles of African American women. The theories used to guide this study include family systems theory, first introduced by Murray Bowen in the 1950s, and attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby in 1969, as they intersect and provide a foundation for understanding emotional bonds, social relationships, and parent-child attachment wounds at the core. This phenomenological qualitative study answered the following central research question: “How has trauma exposure affected African American women’s awareness of their traumas within their lived experience and parenting practices?” Data were collected from 15 African American women. Criteria for this study were participants who were born in the United States, at least 25 years of age, a parent, stepparent, or adoptive parent to one or more children, and have adverse childhood experiences. Audio recordings, participant observations, and a reflective journal were used to collect, organize, and analyze the data. The research findings identified eight themes and 12 subthemes to address awareness of trauma and barriers to counseling. Each theme answered the research questions of this phenomenological study. Results from the study suggested that African American women experience contextually multiple psychosocial and intergenerational factors that influence self-perception, interpersonal relationships, help-seeking attitudes, and parenting practices. The research from this study contributed to the gap in the literature on parenting styles, parent-child attachment across generations, and stress-related disorders in the family dynamics of African American mothers. This study provided recommendations for future research on transgenerational trauma and the psychosocial factors related to the lived experiences of African American women in the parenting role. This study could benefit the field of family counseling to help expand access to culturally appropriate counseling interventions for African American women, their families, the church, and governmental agencies to create culturally responsive mentorship programs. Also, this study could prove particularly beneficial for trauma-informed mental health therapists who work with individuals in this population to improve help-seeking behaviors. Overall, the research findings lead to a more insightful understanding of the impact of unresolved trauma in the family systems of African American women to halt transgenerational trauma
Business Functions Capabilities and Small and Medium Enterprises’ Internationalization
Ineffective global expansion can adversely affect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) business outcomes. Business leaders are concerned with developing effective global expansion strategies to penetrate potential international markets, thus enhancing sustainability. Grounded in the business management systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore strategies that leaders of Sub-Saharan Africa manufacturing SMEs use for global expansion. The participants were five manufacturing value-adding SME leaders participating in export markets. Using Yin’s five steps data analysis process, six themes emerged: (a) enterprise characterization, (b) understanding the enterprise’s product, (c) intra-enterprise factor-based strategies for export participation, (d) the enterprise’s external factor-based strategies for successful export venture, (e) global expansion strategies, and (f) serendipitous findings. A key recommendation for SME leaders is to analyze the critical components of their products and prepare to adjust them to the demand dimensions of the target market. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase the enterprise’s wealth, increase employment, reduce poverty for all value chain participants, and growth in gross domestic product
Analytical validation of innovative magneto-inertial outcomes: a controlled environment study.
peer reviewe
Educator Professional Development in Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning: A Collective Case Study
Carefully constructed professional development supports learning. Integration of Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning into professional development supports comprehension and encourages generalization. This study sought to understand educators’ perceptions following a five-part webinar series on the connections between Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning. Using the constructivist paradigm and a theoretical framework of collective case study, various aspects of professional development experiences were explored. Webinar design features, relevant content, significant take aways, and future training were all discussed. Review of post session survey comments and participant interviews were analyzed to reveal the findings. Slide decks from each session were used to support data analysis. This study concluded that educators should be provided opportunities to learn about the connections between Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning in an environment that uses their frameworks to model the effective application of guidelines and strategies
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