This study created a model using factor analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship of service quality, word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity of individuals who experienced a timeshare mini vacation at a branded timeshare resort. The constructs of service quality were developed by creating a survey tool. A total of 4,797 surveys were electronically sent resulting in a total of 1,275 of the individuals surveyed who met the criteria of staying at a branded hotel or resort during their mini vacation. Six different variables were created from the ordinal level questions on the survey: Resort Accommodations, Sales Gallery, Sales Presentation, Resort Activities, Resort Staff and Brand Value. These were then used in an exploratory factor analysis to identify latent factors after which structural equation modeling was used to define the relationship between the factors and the independent variables. A total of 44 models were explored and evaluated based on goodnessof-fit metrics. The model that had the best level of fit was a first-order two-factor model. This model was created with an 80% subset and confirmed with a 20% subset of the sample. The factors found represent the Vacation Experience Promise (VEP) and the Vacation Experience Delivery (VED). There was a positive correlation for both VEP and VED with word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity. The research also posited 24 hypotheses of the relationship between the service quality constructs, word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity with the demographic characteristics of guest type, gender, stay type, age, marital status, gross income, timeshare ownership and the number of presentations attended. There was not enough information to support a relationship between the service quality constructs, word-ofmouth recommendation and price sensitivity with regards to gender, gross income and marital iv status. There was a difference in the scores for the service quality constructs and the varying categories within the age, stay type, and timeshare ownership demographic variables. There was a difference only in the VED scores and the varying categories within the guest type and presentations attended demographic variables. There was also a difference in the scores for the word-of-mouth recommendation construct and the varying categories within the age, guest type, timeshare ownership and number of presentations attended demographic variables. Lastly, there was also a difference in the scores for the price sensitivity construct and the varying categories within the guest type, timeshare ownership and presentation attended demographic variables. The research discusses the business implications associated with these findings and proposes next steps for future research.

Recent literature on parent-child sex communication (PCSC) has identified optimal sex communication as being not only frequent, but also open in quality, and proactive in timing. However, no studies have sought to understand what motivates parents to participate in this type of optimal parent-child sex communication, nor assessed these relationships longitudinally. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to inform the analysis, this study investigated parent characteristics (parent's sexual self-concept and parenting dimensions) that may longitudinally predict optimal PCSC. This study further examined whether parental sex communication efficacy mediated these relationships. The sample included 607 mother-child dyads, and the father-figure when available (mother-father-child triads (n = 363); mother-child dyads (n = 244)). Adolescent children were 12-17 years old (Wave 1 Mage = 14.55, SD = 1.68), White (56%), and cisgender female (51%). Data were collected annually for 3 years. A longitudinal SEM analysis was utilized. Results revealed that parental sex communication efficacy is longitudinally associated with children's reports of optimal sex communication. The discussion will focus on the importance of efficacy in improving parent-child sex communication processes.

Studies have shown that increased student engagement is correlated with improved learning outcomes and overall positive results for students. While engagement can be viewed as a precursor to other outcomes, it should also be examined as an outcome itself. To increase student engagement and improve the learning experience for students, we must understand which factors can facilitate engagement and how educators can positively affect these factors. This research explored the influence of three proposed facilitators of engagement: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Self-determination theory, a theory of motivation, posits that these are three innate psychological needs that must be fulfilled to experience the highest level of motivation, for which engagement has been used as a proxy. In the format of a multiple-article dissertation, I present three articles. The first article reviewed the literature concerning self-determination theory and student engagement in both K-12 and higher education settings. It answered the following research question: What has been found regarding the influence of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on student engagement? The second article built upon findings from the first article and outlined the process to create and validate an instrument to measure autonomy, competence, relatedness with peers, relatedness with professors, and emotional engagement. Data were collected from university students through an online survey (n = 340). Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that survey items performed well and measured the intended constructs. Structural equation modeling was then used to identify the best fitting model for the data collected. Results showed that sense of competence had the largest predicted effect on emotional engagement. The third article employed the validated survey discussed in the second article. It was administered to students in an online higher education program (n = 3092). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted on the sample. Students sense of autonomy was found to have the greatest effect on emotional engagement.

The purpose of the present study was to assess if combining the two frameworks would account for more variance in PTSS than could be accounted for using the frameworks separately. An online community sample from Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk (N = 437), who reported experiencing a prior traumatic event, completed measures that reflected the constructs of narrative centrality, negative affectivity, and death concerns, along with a measure of PTSS. PTSS was regressed on the latent variables of death concerns, narrative centrality, and negative affectivity, along with the latent variable interactions between narrative centrality*death concerns and narrative centrality*negative affectivity. Death concerns was not be predictive of PTSS, whereas narrative centrality and negative affectivity were found to uniquely and interactively account for 77% of the variance in PTSS. Death concerns was found to be a separate construct from negative affectivity. The implications of these findings for the two frameworks are discussed along with future directions. By considering aspects of narrative centrality and negative affectivity, substantial portions of PTSS can be accounted for.

A Kaizen event (KE) may be defined as a structured improvement project that uses a cross-functional team and specific improvement goals to improve a targeted work area or process in an accelerated time frame. KEs, also known as Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs), have been utilized within hospitals to achieve beneficial operations, stakeholder (i.e., social), financial, and clinical outcomes. Due to their potential to achieve positive results in a rapid timeframe, understanding the determinants of KE success within a hospital environment is a valuable research undertaking. To date there has been limited rigorous empirical quantitative research focused on identifying success factors (SFs) influencing socio-technical outcomes of hospital-based KEs. Hence, this empirical research study seeks to determine the critical success factors (CSFs) for KEs in hospitals. For the first phase of this research work, a comprehensive systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify the success factors (SFs) for KEs in hospitals as reported in the literature. This SLR resulted in the identification of 54 unique success factors mapping to four broad success factor categories, KE Task Design, KE Team Design, Organization, and KE Process. Thereafter, the second phase, which involved the variable reduction process, was performed to determine the strength of effect, or importance, of the SFs in order to determine a feasible number of SFs to include in further empirical work. Two robust methods were applied; a Meta-synthesis Evaluation and an Expert Survey, to query the SFs and to determine high priority factors for the empirical study. As a result, a total of 30 factors were finalized for empirical study. Next, the last phase, the empirical study to investigate and determine the CSFs for KEs in hospitals, was executed using a retrospective field study survey research design. Specifically, a survey questionnaire was designed to elicit feedback on perceptual measures from targeted hospital KE facilitators/leaders on the criticality of SFs on socio-technical outcomes for KEs in hospitals. Sixty usable responses were obtained, which were subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), which were used to identify latent factor constructs and to determine the significance of the SFs, respectively. The results of this study identified seven significant direct relationships. Kaizen Event Design Characteristics (KEDC) and Target Area Buy-in (TABI) were found to have significant direct effects with both dependent variables, Performance Impact (PI) and Growth in Kaizen Capabilities (KCG). In addition, KEDC also had a significant direct relationship with Performance Culture (PC) and Team Dynamics (TD), respectively. Also, PC has a significant direct relationship with TD. Furthermore, Logistic Regression was utilized to test the SFs impact on the one objective technical outcome measure in the study, Goal Attainment (GOALATT). This analysis revealed one significant negative relationship occurring between TD and GOALATT. Overall, the study's findings provide evidence-based results for informing hospital managers, leaders, and continuous improvement practitioners on the key factors or value-added practices that can be adopted in their hospital KE initiatives to achieve beneficial socio-technical outcomes, as well as overall hospital KE success. Furthermore, this research can enable academia/researchers to strategize more confirmatory analysis approaches for theory validation and generalizability. / Doctor of Philosophy / The focus of this research study is to identify the most significant factors for Kaizen events (KEs) in hospitals, referred herein as critical success factors (CSFs). A KE may be defined as a structured improvement project that uses a cross-functional team and specific improvement goals to improve a targeted work area or process in an accelerated time frame. The aim of the study is to ultimately improve KE practice in hospitals through increased understanding of CSFs that can be planned or designed into KE processes to increase the likelihood of successful event outcomes. Various research formulation, development, and testing techniques are applied to frame the research study according to the aims and objectives and to achieve targeted research outcomes. The overall research design encompasses a retrospective study approach, performing a large-scale field study using a survey questionnaire to empirically identify the CSFs for KEs in hospitals. To help frame the research, a systematic literature review (SLR) along with bibliometric analyses were conducted. To help refine and select the success factors for empirical study, a meta-synthesis evaluation and an expert survey study were conducted. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) along with mediation analyses (MA) were performed to identify key factors, determine the significance of those factors, and to understand the influential relationships of those factors to hospital KE success. Results from this study aim to inform healthcare managers, healthcare improvement practitioners, researchers, and other relevant stakeholders about the critical components needed to achieve hospital KE success. The dissertation is documented according to a "manuscript style," using a journal/conference paper format to organize and report on the key findings and results obtained from the investigation. The Introduction chapter is provided to introduce the research study topic, study significance, indicate the overall research aims and objectives, present the overall research approach and design methodology, and to enumerate the main publication outputs and outcomes from this dissertation work. The Conclusions chapter summarizes the overall research outcomes, key study findings, study limitations, and provides areas for future research.

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