In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the Universe for the blessing providing me the strength and patience to complete this dissertation. I pray that I utilize the knowledge Allah has provided me through this journey for good and to benefit others earnestly. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my dissertation committee chairperson, Dr. Ryan Brown, for the invaluable support, guidance, and encouragement throughout my journey. I would also like to acknowledge my dissertation committee members, Dr. Steve Mertens, Dr. Lydia Kyei-Blankson, and Dr. Jay Percell for their insightful comments and encouragemen. Their guidance, advice, and support have largely contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation. I would like to express my great gratitude to my family for all of the spiritual support throughout this process. To my parents, thank you for your prayers, inspiration, and endless encouragement. Thank you for believing in me and I hope that I have made you proud. To my sisters and brothers, thank you for all the love, encouragement, and endless support. To my beloved husband, words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude to you for being always by my side to provide love and support. Without your care, patience, sacrifices, and endless support, I would not be where I am today. To my brilliant children, thank you for being my inspiration to achieve greatness and success. Thank you for all the love, joy, and happiness that you gave me. Thank you for coming into my life, you are my greatest accomplishment.