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- Genre: Masters Thesis
- Creators: Arizona State University
Description
This research covers the possibility of airports serving as virus scanning hubs for future intercontinental travels. This aims at providing an idea for better control of tackling potential harmful viruses unknowingly carried by travelers. The benefit of this research is to help prevent less blow to the local economy and businesses, help keep travel industries, especially airlines, operating, slow down the rate of infection, and decrease cases and death rates, by providing a more secure health check for incoming and outgoing air travelers.
ContributorsLiu, Shelby (Author) / Feil, Magnus (Thesis advisor) / Mejía, Mauricio (Committee member) / Xian, Xiaojun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries took serious measures to control its spread and reduce its effect on health, social, and economic aspects. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken unprecedented preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19, including complete lockdowns and the closing of some businesses. Therefore, 27% of companies expected to lose their businesses within a month, while 43% of companies expected to go out of business within six months. This was not only due to the countrywide lockdown, or the impacts caused by the pandemic, but also due to the bad leadership of some leaders during this crisis. There are little of studies and data that discuss the consequences of these decisions on businesses, and it will be helpful to measure the consequences over three years. This study answers the following question: How much did myopic staffing and compensation decisions in the context of COVID-19 affect companies’ performance? To answer this question, I use agent-based modeling (ABM) supported by secondary data to create a simulation to study the consequences of myopic decisions made on employees’ performance in the private sector in the United Arab Emirates starting from the 2020 year and through an anticipated period of 3 years . The study found that under the assumptions that pay deductions, layoffs, and unpaid leaves, are myopic decisions and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the companies’ performance, there is a huge affect on companies’ performance over the study period which is 3 years.
Keywords: bad leadership, myopic decisions, companies, businesses, COVID-19, agent-based model.
ContributorsAlsaleh, Mohammad (Author) / Trinh, Mai P. (Thesis advisor) / Castillo, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Wallace, L. Marie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
As the construction industry in Saudi Arabia was on its way to thriving again. Their growth was due to the unprecedented volume of planned projects such as large-scale and unique projects. Suddenly, the world was faced with one of the most disrupting events in the last century which had a devastating impact on the construction industry specifically. This paper explores mainly the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction projects in Saudi Arabia. Particularly, this paper explores how the pandemic and its related events contributed to the projects' schedule disturbances. This is because most of the projects rely on manpower and supply chains which were heavily disrupted due to the protective measures. For that, a study was conducted to evaluate the impact on the construction projects in Saudi Arabia, to what extent the schedule projects were affected, and what were the main reasons for the schedule delays. The research relied on a field survey and schedule analysis for 12 projects which resulted in identifying several causes of delays and the delayed durations that the projects in Saudi Arabia were facing. This research allows those in construction fields to identify the main causes of delays in order to avoid or minimize the impact of these issues on future projects.
ContributorsObeid, Muhammad Hasan Hani (Author) / Ariaratnam, Samuel (Thesis advisor) / El Asmar, Mounir (Committee member) / Chong, Oswald (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the structure of work foremployees worldwide, as many began working remotely in response to national and local
social distancing efforts. These changes occurring amid the transition to remote working
conditions led to the question of how daily stress and daily uplifts occur in this new work
context. For the present thesis study, I explored how internal (i.e., optimism) and external
(i.e., team flow) resources function to moderate the effects of daily hassles and uplifts on
employee well-being (i.e., burnout and professional efficacy) during the COVID-19
pandemic. In a sample of 417 adults at baseline, and 266 at the follow-up, I investigated
how specific resources function to protect employees experiencing occupational burnout.
Additionally, I explored gender differences in these relationships. Study results
demonstrated that both daily uplifts and hassles predicted burnout and professional
efficacy at earlier stages of the pandemic, while at a later stage in the pandemic, the
relationships between daily uplifts and burnout and daily hassles and burnout persisted,
but only daily hassles were associated with professional efficacy. For males at baseline,
higher scores in optimism strengthened the negative relationship between daily uplifts
and burnout. Surprisingly, males with relatively low team flow in work or school settings
seemed to fare better professionally with increased daily hassles. This finding indicates
that males with less collaboration at work thrive as they experience increased daily stress.
While these findings are specific to the COVID-19 context, they may be beneficial for
companies and supervisors seeking to improve employee engagement.
ContributorsO'Brien, Mary (Author) / Mickelson, Kristin D (Thesis advisor) / Hall, Deborah (Committee member) / Luciano, Margaret (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Mexican-origin families (MO) have been more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to White European-Americans. Latinx youth also reported increased concern about somatic symptoms (i.e. bodily symptoms) during the pandemic compared to non-Latinx peers. Current research on the pandemic indicates that cohesive and supportive families fare better than families within high-conflict households. However, no research has directly examined parent-child conflict during the pandemic in relation to youth somatic symptoms. Previous studies considered cultural proxies as predictors of somatic symptoms in Latinx children, the specific influence of prominent cultural values like familism remains less explored. Familism, emphasizing family well-being, is considered protective for Latinx youth, but evidence suggests it may pose risks in high parent-child conflict households. Utilizing Qualtrics panel, I collected data from 301 MO parents reporting on a target child (Mage= 11.4 years, SD= 3.7; 50.2% female) between March and June 2022. Approximately 40% of parents completed the survey in Spanish. Parental familism dimensions (support, family as referent, and obligations) were assessed as well as youth somatic symptoms. Changes in parent-child conflict and changes in social and family contacts due to the pandemic were also measured. Logistic regression models revealed that greater increases in conflict significantly predicted the presence of youth somatic symptoms (OR = 0.52, 95% CI= [0.27, 1.00]. Unexpectedly, total familism did not significantly moderate the relation between change in parent-child conflict and the presence of somatic symptoms (RR = 1.16, 95% CI= [0.99, 1.36]. However, post hoc analyses revealed that parental familism support was the only dimension of familism that was directly associated with the count of child somatic symptoms (RR= 0.81, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]= 0.71, 0.93). Parental familism as a referent significantly moderated the relation between change in parent-child conflict and the count of somatic symptoms (RR= 1.19, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.41]), such that higher familism values strengthened the positive relationship of change in parent-child conflict and higher count of somatic symptoms. Findings emphasize the need for future longitudinal research, considering medical conditions, to understand how parental familism values, particularly support, may buffer against somatic symptoms for Latinx youth.
ContributorsWilson, Maria Karla (Author) / Cruz, Rick A. (Thesis advisor) / Perez, Marisol (Committee member) / Doane, Leah (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic arguably affected the travel industry more than any other global industry. In what felt like overnight, both domestic and international travel was halted due to the spread of the virus. Travel organizations, such as The Travel Corporation, had to learn to adapt and create policies and procedures to help mitigate the consequences of the pandemic. This qualitative research examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel industry to provide an understanding of future travel implications and restrictions for travelers and guided travel companies, utilizing The Travel Corporation as an example. A total of 36 employees of The Travel Corporation were surveyed regarding their views on how the company handled the pandemic. The research shows that the travel industry needs to have policies in place that ensure resilience against any future catastrophes.
ContributorsBurg, Amber Dawn (Author) / Akpan-Obong, Patience (Thesis advisor) / Veach, Paula (Thesis advisor) / Todd, Megan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2020 necessitated a sudden and national transition from in-person to telehealth mental health services. Burgeoning literature has supported the use of telehealth services generally, though there is little research related to its use among graduate-level trainees. The present study utilized data collected from a university counseling training center to compare client outcomes, namely ratings of depression and anxiety, between in-person (pre-pandemic; n = 86) and telehealth (intra-pandemic; n = 102) groups. Additionally, I examined treatment format (in-person vs. telehealth) as moderator of the association between client-reported working alliance and client-reported outcomes. Results showed a significant and negative effect of the working alliance on symptoms of depression and anxiety regardless treatment format. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
ContributorsGerton, Jessica M (Author) / Spanierman, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Bludworth, James (Thesis advisor) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Despite the constitutional right to trial, the vast majority of defendants waive this right and enter a guilty plea. There are many factors defendants consider when entering a plea, with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic being the newest factor that may impact defendant decision making. Previous research has found that both innocent and guilty participant defendants were more likely to plead guilty when provided information on COVID-19 outbreaks. Additionally, innocent defendants ranked concerns related to COVID-19 higher than guilty defendants in driving their plea decisions. As the pandemic continues to evolve, so do the various policies and tactics used to reduce transmission rates. This thesis expands on previous work by employing an experimental plea simulation on a college sample to see how varying levels of COVID-19 mitigation strategies in a jail setting impact plea decision making. Varying levels of COVID-19 mitigation efforts on their own did not significantly impact plea decision making; however, presenting COVID-19 related information did increase the willingness to accept a guilty plea more generally. Given the possibility of innocent defendants pleading guilty, this thesis demonstrates the importance of reforming the application of pretrial detention and calls for more oversight into plea negotiations.
ContributorsForston, Jacob W (Author) / Yan, Shi (Thesis advisor) / Mitchell, Ojmarrh (Committee member) / Wilford, Miko (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for 26% of the American population as of 2020. Despite this large proportion, 14% of immigrants live below the federal poverty line compared to 12% of U.S.-born citizens. The immigrant population is vulnerable to food and housing insecurity and limited access to social services and medical care, on top of navigating the increasingly convoluted immigration system. Migrant women and children are especially at risk for systemic, poverty-related adversities. Periods of pregnancy and postpartum are particularly financially straining due to employment disruptions and additional expenses. Migrant mothers experience adverse health outcomes due to chronic stress, unstable living situations, integration barriers, and an unfavorable occupational environment during pregnancy. In addition to the postpartum needs of a new mother and her baby, these challenges may be barriers to maintaining breastfeeding. The unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic exasperated many existing systemic inequities and brought additional hardship. This study aims to investigate breastfeeding rates among immigrant mothers compared to U.S.-born mothers and other social disparities that affect health. While this study did not find a statistical difference between breastfeeding adherence and immigrant status during the COVID-19 pandemic, other risk factors relating to maternal-child health were identified. Immigrant families were more likely to experience job or income loss and a higher frequency of food insecurity compared to families with U.S.-born parents. The risks of being impoverished greatly reduce the incidence of breastfeeding, which can offer tremendous health benefits both to mother and baby. Most immigrants migrating to the U.S. are ethnic minorities who face additional societal disparities in culture, employment, economic stability, safety, and healthcare. The burden of social determinants of health that impact this population is not unique to adults. The moment a child is born into an immigrant family, particularly if they are also an ethnic minority, they inherit risk factors that can impact their entire lifespan. Ultimately, the risks associated with pregnancy and infant feeding are issues of social justice and health equity.
ContributorsFahmy, Gabriella (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis advisor) / Schuster, Roseanne (Thesis advisor) / Mayol-Kreiser, Sandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This study was designed to examine the associations between food skills, resilience, and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between April and June of 2020, a sample of 154 students, faculty, and staff from Arizona State University were surveyed. Each respondent was administered a survey containing demographic questions, a food skill questionnaire, and the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS). Results indicate that food skill was correlated with resilience (p<0.001) at an r=0.364 and r2=0.1243 and that resilience was correlated with coping during the Covid-19 pandemic (p<0.001) at an r=0.455. Correlations were also run between resilience score and the separate domains of food skill score: all domains remained significantly associated with resilience score (p<0.001) with a r=0.340 and r2=0.1173 for ‘Food Selection and Planning,’ r=0.312 and r2=0.0958 for ‘Food Preparation,’ and r=0.294 and r2=0.0767 for ‘Food Safety.’ Data seems to be consistent with contemporary research suggesting positive associations between diet quality and physiological resilience and positive associations between resilience and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ContributorsPhares, Savanna Julene (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Irving, Andrea (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020