OU - Theses

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https://hdl.handle.net/11244/23528

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Open Access
Business, Belonging, and Culture Within the Realms of Culturally Based Fraternal Organizations (CBFO)
(2023) Bui, Thuy; Bert, Shannon; Long, Wesley; Allen, Katie
This qualitative research study aimed to explore the membership experience of culturally based Greek organizations in relation to childhood upbringing and background. Through in-depth interviews with collegiate and alumni members, the study sought to understand what factors from childhood and cultural background motivates individuals to join a Culturally Based Fraternal Organizations (CBFO) and examines the themes of belonging and business within the overall CBFO membership experience. Information from this study is beneficial to understand the needs, motivations, and values of current members and future members. Leadership from national to local CBFOs can utilize the insight gained from this study to examine how organization’s operation and programming can make improvements to cater to the needs of their targeted demographic.
Open Access
Correlation between Perceived Emotional Support and Satisfying Interpersonal Communication: Technology Enabled and In-Person
(2023-04-11) Mistelske, Alexandra; Bert, Shannon; Barnum, Linda; Moreau, Emrys
In stark contrast to In-Person Communication (IPC), Technology Enabled Communication (TEC) presents challenges for interactions due to constraints on the transmission of social cues. This is hugely problematic as TEC increases the likelihood that messages will not be interpreted true to the meaning in which the sender intends. Despite the variety of ways individuals are connected through TEC, it seems that with missing social cues and modalities of communication, there is an overall sacrifice to the full potential of interactions. Instead of hearing and seeing the other, a text may substitute an impulse for communication at the cost of a substantial amount of unrealized social cues. Because the Mentalizing System (MS) and Mirror Neuron Systems (MNS) are central to participating in social interactions, the richest setting for having the ability to anticipate others’ intentions through gestural communication, imitation and empathy appears to take place in the context of IPC, with face-to-face interactions. Ultimately, well-being is impacted by how an individual uses TEC. As TEC communication with the identified support person increased, satisfaction with life scores decreased. As anticipated, however, IPC was shown to have a significant negative association with relationship stress in that higher rates of IPC were related to lower rates of stress within the relationship with the identified support person. keywords: Communication Satisfaction, Emotional Support, In-Person Communication, Technology Enabled Communication, Mirror Neurons, Mentalizing System
Open Access
The Creation of Natural Motherhood: A Call for a Rebirth of the Maternal
(2017-12) Collier, Janine; Worley, Jody; Lloyd-Jones, Brenda; Myers-Morgan, Meg
There is considerable intricacy associated to the maternal identity in the modern western culture. One of the most distressing issues with mothering is that it is subject to external influences that conceptualize an idealized mother identity which is likely to attenuate the experiences of mothering and impact the personal identity of a mother. In an integrated review of relevant scholarly literature this paper seeks to explore how the paradigm of the “natural” mother identity was created in relation to psychological constructs that characterize positive states as normative experiences while distinguishing negatives states as uncharacteristic of the maternal identity. The primary purpose of this analysis is to illuminate the need for the creation of a conceptual framework for a developmental process of the actual lived experience of mothers whose realities do not align with the idealized mother ideology.
Open Access
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education: A Reality or a Façade?
(2020-12-18) Suresh, Madhunika sai; Bert, Shannon S.; Long, Wesley; Davidson, Tim
In response to the growing demographics in the United States, diversity, equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) offices and efforts have become a conventional part of higher education institutions in the United States. Despite these efforts, there remains a disconnect in D.E.I. perceptions and the effectiveness of D.E.I. efforts between students from historically marginalized and minoritized communities and the administrations of Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). Using a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, the purpose of the thesis was to explore existing literature and conduct a study to ascertain the prevalence of differing perceptions of the relationship between diversity efforts and campus climate for underrepresented and historically excluded students. There were four key findings. First, students from marginalized and minoritized communities are more likely to feel unsatisfied with D.E.I. efforts. Second, there is a prevalence of bias and discrimination witnessed or experienced by students from sources that included faculty, staff, and administration despite D.E.I. efforts. Third, the experiences prompted negative implications physically and mentally for students. Fourth, university administrators and D.E.I. offices were perceived to intentionally embody mainstream and superficial definitions and practices of D.E.I. This thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of research findings and future directions. Keywords: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Colonialism, Higher Education, Pseudo Wokeism
Open Access
First Generation Hispanic/Latine Students in Higher Education
(2024-05-11) Turrubiartes, Karina; Habashi, Janette E.; Bert, Shannon S.; Surratt, David A.
This qualitative research project used an ethnographic research methodology to analyze the qualitative questionnaire presented to participants who identify as first generation Hispanic/Latine students in the state of Oklahoma. From attending any academic institution in the state of Oklahoma, this study was to identify any ongoing and new challenges, limitations, and the different experiences that these first generation Hispanic/Latine students undergo on a daily basis in their higher educational journey.
Open Access
Gender Identity and Diversity in Oklahoma Sex Health Curriculum: Non-Binary Student Voices
(2022-05) Anvar, Hannah Scout; janette, habashi; Bert, Shannon; natale, anthony
This research studies Oklahoma-educated, non-binary university students as sources of information about gender identity and diversity messaging in Oklahoma public schools and its impacts. It is the assumption of this research, based on the background of the researcher and supporting literature, that Oklahoma students may not have been given enough information about gender identity and diversity in public high schools between 2006 and 2010. Through a qualitative phenomenological research design, interviews were conducted on a sample of this population. This study highlights and discusses six major themes: the effects of hidden curriculum, shared experiences of mental health issues, an inability to come out of the closet, impacts of gender-exclusive school climates, discouraged authenticity of identity, and perpetuation of gender-based violence. Sex health education programs should use these themes as guidance to aid in creation of gender-inclusive programs in the future.
Open Access
THE IMPACT OF REPRESENTATION IN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITIONS IN SOCIAL SERVICE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
(2024-05) Reynolds, Ana; Habashi, Janette; Worley, Jody; Hyppolite, Belinda
This qualitative research project used a comparative analysis methodology to analyze and compare current executive directors in active social service nonprofit organizations in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. This study was designed to investigate how their views on the importance of diverse representation within their own organizations’ leadership and other social service nonprofit affect the services these organizations provide. Interviews were conducted with two executive directors of nonprofits that provided social services to the Oklahoma City community. This study highlights and discusses five major themes: representation of the people served was considered a strength for the organization, diverse representation in leadership was an aid to provide better services, lack of candidates for the board as a challenge to bring representation to the organization, lack of qualified diverse board member prospects, and having board members who represented the nonprofit well but did not represent the people served. A link between diverse representation in social service nonprofits in Oklahoma City and the type of programming that said nonprofits offered to the public was found.
Open Access
Performance Measurement Indicators in the Healthcare Industry: A Systematic Review
(2016-08) Abu Jbara, Nida'a; Worley, Jody; Hellman, Chan; Lloyd-Jones, Brenda
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore and investigate the types of employee performance measurement systems applied in healthcare services and assess their efficiency in providing accurate measurement of the performance of healthcare workers across the various job types with focus on performance indicators to measure soft skills. Study Design and Methodology: A systematic search in discipline specific databases included PsychInfo, Medline, ABI/Inform, and Business Source Elite; and in multidisciplinary databases included Academic Search Elite, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, ProQuest, and Science Direct. The used search terms were “employee performance indicators”, “employee performance appraisal”, and “healthcare”. The search was limited to publications in English language without any restrictions on year of publication. The search was supplemented with an independent manual search of references of relevant studies and bibliographies of review articles. Results: A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria. Articles were classified into 3 categories: Performance measurement systems and programs comprise of 10 studies, evaluation and development of measuring tools includes 7 studies, and problems and gaps of measuring performance of medical practitioners included 6 studies. Majority of the studies (65.22%), 15 studies, are healthcare related. Conclusions: There was wide diversity in the applicable methods. However, there appears to be no comprehensive approach to performance evaluation in healthcare. The systematic review of published literature does not provide or identify a clear solution to the weakness of applicable employee performance appraisal systems in healthcare organizations. There is a literature gap in covering performance measurement systems for non-medical employees working in healthcare organizations and in discussing performance indicators for soft skills. The findings have supported the statement of problem and provided direction for future research that is needed to address the existing gap in performance measurement literature and contribute to evidence-informed decision-making in healthcare performance management.
Open Access
Racial diversity in University of Oklahoma student organizations: the case for increasing informal interactional diversity within siloed institutions
(2015) Gillespie, Kayley Mary; Bert, Shannon
Literature suggests racial diversity is a common good for in groups and out groups and further suggests a particular type of diversity, informal interactional diversity, has the greatest benefits. This research explores the demographics of student organizations at the University of Oklahoma and determines if student organizations engage in meaningful informal interactional diversity. Research suggests student organizations do not engage in informal interactional diversity. Data suggests any diversity encounters or partnerships between student organizations are artificial and student organizations are largely siloed.
Open Access
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOPE, MEANINGFULNESS, AND FLOURISHING AMONG SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
(2018-05) Ashton, Julie; Worley, Jody; Lloyd-Jones, Brenda; Hellman, Chan
The current study examines de-identified data from seven California Family Justice Centers. Domestic violence survivors were asked to take a pre-test at intake at any one of the seven Family Justice Centers. They were asked to take a post-test 45 to 60 days after the initial test. The tests were matched and de-identified. There were 125 matched surveys used to quantitatively assess hope and flourishing levels and qualitatively address goal statements authored by survivors in the post-test phase of the research. This study utilized Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale (Snyder, 1991), an 8-item Flourishing Scale (Diener et al., 2010), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (Felitti et al., 1998) in a Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design. The goal statements were coded into categories so that they could be correlated with the individual hope, flourishing and ACE scores of each participant to see if participants with high or low scores on the three quantitative well-being scales correlate with any specific category that his or her goal statement(s) fell into. Data about the frequency of the different topics that the goal statements reflected was also collected. Keywords: survivor defined success, hope, flourishing, goal statements, well-being, ace
Open Access
Social desirability and self-reported levels of stigma among mental health providers as it relates to people with schizophrenia
(2023-12-15) Michalek, Brady; Worley, Jody; Lloyd-Jones, Brenda; Barnum, Linda; Johnson, Chad V; Rodger, Randle
This study explores the relationship between levels of mental health stigma in mental health providers, and how they compare to the general population. In this literature mental health stigma is explored through the lens of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and the Mental Illness Stigma Framework (MISF). The participants in this study were divided into two dichotomous groups: general population and mental health providers. Two driving variables, levels of stigma and social desirability, were explored and compared between populations. The results of analysis demonstrated the difference in level of mental health stigma between both populations were not statistically significant. While level of social desirability was positively correlated, and elevated, in the mental health provider population with statistical significance as compared to the general population.
Open Access
Spanish Language Acquisition and Cultural Acceptance Benefits of Study Abroad Trips for Fifth Grade Students
(2017-12) Schaumleffle, Eileen; Worley, Jody; Lloyd-Jones, Brenda; Randle, Rodger
Spanish language acquisition and cultural acceptance benefits of study abroad trips for fifth grade students looked at the benefits of being bilingual, especially at an early age, and the benefits of study abroad programs. Bilingual education can have study abroad programs as a capstone to the classroom experience for the students. While research is inconclusive about the tangible benefits for teenagers and young adults who study abroad, the study of fifth grade students and their study abroad trips has not been previously measured. This mixed methods research found that the fifth grade students who studied abroad for four or eight weeks returned home with better grades, better second language acquisition, and increased independence in the classroom and at home in comparison to their peers who did not study abroad.
Open Access
Volunteer Motivation and Retention in a Nonprofit Organization
(2019-05-03) Pham, Thomas; Worley, Jody
This study examines the functional motivation to volunteerism behavior and hierar-chical leisure to constraint of individuals volunteering in a public service education non-profit organization. The study of motivation is grounded by the Public Service Motivation Framework and Volunteer Functional Motivation Framework, and the study of restriction of leisure activity is understood through the Hierarchical Model to Leisure Constraint Framework. The participants in our study are volunteers who actively provided service at a local public service education nonprofit organization during the period of our study. In our study, participants identified that they are functionally motivated by the values when engaging in volunteer behavior and volunteers are likely to be restricted by structural constraints to leisure when volunteering in a public service nonprofit organization.
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THE WOMEN OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND PARTICIPATION
(2019-05-10) Byrne, Jineva; Bert, Shannon; Habashi, Janette; Deacon, Zemarie
This qualitative research project used a content analysis methodology to analyze the Twitter feeds from three women in Classical Studies in order to identify 1) how they are using Twitter to their advantage in a historically misogynistic field and 2) how they are using Twitter to form a community of women within academia to support one another. The three participants are scholars in Classical Studies, active on social media, continually attend conferences, and publish in the field. The Twitter feeds were scraped for data, and the Twitter feeds were collected for a content analysis that was conducted by two researchers. The findings of this research showed that women are using Twitter to support each other’s work in the field and advertise their own re-readings of Classical history and mythology. This research can be replicated in different fields for future studies, as well as in conjunction with a quantitative analysis, concerning a small group of people and the implications of their social media use.