About My Research

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
10.2139/ssrn.5072887

Exploring High Turnover of Information Technology Teams During a Global Pandemic: A Qualitative Single Case Study
Degree: Doctor of Business Administration

In an era marked by rapid digital transformation and unprecedented global disruption, understanding the forces behind employee retention in IT teams has never been more vital. In this timely and rigorously executed doctoral study, Dr. Carl Ryan Tucker provides a deep, empirical exploration into the heart of the issue: why do some IT teams maintain cohesion during crisis while others fracture under pressure?

Focused on the Washington, DC metropolitan area, this qualitative single case study investigates the real-world strategies used by middle managers in a global contracting IT firm who achieved low turnover rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through interviews, coding, and thematic analysis, Dr. Tucker uncovers three key pillars of employee retention:

• Leadership style: Clear communication, empathy, and trust-building proved critical in navigating crisis.
• Growth opportunity: Access to advancement, skills development, and meaningful work drove retention.
• Job stressors: Work-life balance and flexible expectations were essential to avoid burnout and disengagement.

Grounded in Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation, this study offers business leaders, HR professionals, and organizational scholars vital insights into the psychological, relational, and strategic factors that shape employee commitment during turbulent times.

Whether you’re facing high attrition in your own organization or simply striving to understand how to lead through uncertainty, Exploring High Turnover of Information Technology Teams During a Global Pandemic is your essential guide to building resilience and retention from the inside out.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
10.2139/ssrn.5257792

Exploring Usui Reiki: A Historical, Clinical, and Sociocultural Inquiry
Degree: PhD, Philosophy & Consciousness

Exploring Usui Reiki offers a groundbreaking interdisciplinary study of Reiki’s origins, development, and contemporary significance—bridging ancient spiritual wisdom and modern healing practices.

Dr. Tucker takes readers on a journey that begins with Mikao Usui’s early 20th-century teachings in Japan and extends through the global expansion of Reiki via pioneers like Chujiro Hayashi and Hawayo Takata. This rigorously researched work traces how Reiki evolved from a spiritual discipline into a global wellness phenomenon, practiced in hospitals, clinics, and private healing spaces across the world. From historical roots to clinical relevance, this book covers:

• Reiki’s philosophical and spiritual foundations in Buddhism, Shinto, and Japanese healing arts;
• Its integration into Western medical contexts, including stress and pain management, oncology, and palliative care;
• The sociocultural dynamics that have propelled Reiki’s adoption among diverse communities and wellness professionals;
• Debates over scientific validation, biofield energy, and the intersection of spiritual and empirical worldviews.

Whether you are a practitioner, scholar, or a curious reader, this book provides a balanced, deeply informed perspective that respects both scientific inquiry and spiritual tradition.

Perfect for readers of alternative medicine, spiritual healing, cultural anthropology, and integrative healthcare, Exploring Usui Reiki is a must-have resource for those seeking to deepen their knowledge and professional practice.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
10.2139/ssrn.5257191

In the Shadow of the Rainforest: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry into the Orang Pendek
Degree: PhD, Cultural Anthropology

Discover the mystery, science, and cultural lore surrounding one of the world’s most enigmatic cryptids—the Orang Pendek. In this richly detailed and academically rigorous volume, Dr. Carl Ryan Tucker leads readers into the dense Sumatran rainforest to investigate the elusive creature whose legend blurs the line between myth and biological possibility.

Combining cultural anthropology, zoology, and cryptozoology, In the Shadow of the Rainforest offers a compelling exploration of the Orang Pendek through indigenous oral traditions, eyewitness testimonies, historical records, and scientific inquiry. From colonial-era reports to modern expeditions, Dr. Tucker evaluates physical evidence, including footprint casts, hair samples, and motion-sensitive camera data, and engages critically with debates surrounding the creature’s plausibility as an unknown primate or relict hominin. This groundbreaking study offers:

• An interdisciplinary analysis that bridges folklore, empirical science, and cultural meaning-making;
• Firsthand accounts and field research from local Sumatran communities and Western investigators;
• A critical review of biological feasibility, referencing the discovery of Homo floresiensis and other Southeast Asian hominoid myths;
• Methodological reflections on how science and folklore converge, conflict, and potentially co-create new forms of knowledge.

Whether you are a student of anthropology, a skeptic intrigued by the unknown, or a believer in hidden creatures, this book delivers a nuanced, respectful, and intellectually invigorating look at one of cryptozoology’s most fascinating subjects.

Don’t miss the opportunity to journey into the shadows—where the rainforest conceals more than just trees, and legend may hold echoes of truth.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
10.2139/ssrn.5259010

Mysticism Across Cultures: A Critical Examination of Esoteric Practices and Metaphysical Beliefs
Degree: EdD, Metaphysics Education

Step into the rich and enigmatic world of mysticism with Dr. Carl Ryan Tucker’s masterful work, Mysticism Across Cultures. This comprehensive volume unravels the symbolic languages, spiritual technologies, and transcendent experiences that have shaped mystical traditions from antiquity to the modern age.

Dr. Tucker navigates the esoteric currents of divination, dreamwork, energy healing, astrology, crystals, astral projection, chakras, séances, numerology, and sacred traditions such as Kabbalah, Sufism, and Hawaiian Huna. He brings a critical, yet respectful lens to the analysis—one that honors both cultural specificity and universal spiritual themes. Rooted in phenomenological and cross-cultural methodology, this dissertation-level study offers readers:

• An in-depth survey of mystical practices across global religious and spiritual systems;
• A nuanced understanding of symbolic structures like the aura, chakra system, and sacred cosmologies;
• A timely critique of modern spiritual commodification, cultural appropriation, and the challenges of integrating mysticism with scientific rationalism;
• A compelling case for the academic legitimacy of esoteric knowledge, exploring its relevance in psychology, intercultural dialogue, and personal transformation.

Whether you are a scholar of religion, a metaphysical practitioner, or an intellectually curious seeker, this work offers a rare blend of academic rigor and spiritual insight. Mysticism Across Cultures not only illuminates the mystical impulse in human history—it reaffirms its place in our collective future.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
Pending

Hypnosis and Life Coaching: Foundations, Practices, and Applications in Contemporary Wellness
Degree: MSc.D, Metaphysical Science

Discover the transformative power of the subconscious mind with Dr. Carl Ryan Tucker’s in-depth scholarly work, Hypnosis and Life Coaching. This pioneering volume explores the fusion of hypnotic techniques and life coaching strategies to create an integrative wellness model rooted in science, spirituality, and ethical practice.

Backed by over 50 scholarly sources across neuroscience, psychology, spiritual care, and coaching, this dissertation-level study offers a structured, evidence-informed approach to using hypnosis as a non-clinical tool for self-transformation. Dr. Tucker critically examines core topics such as induction, suggestion, regression, visualization, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), while navigating the legal and ethical frameworks essential for professional integrity. Key themes include:

• Theoretical and neuroscientific foundations of hypnosis and suggestibility;
• Applied techniques such as age and past-life regression, visualization, and personalized script construction;
• NLP and hypnotic language as tools for rewiring limiting beliefs and enhancing behavioral change;
• Ethical and legal considerations for coaches and spiritual practitioners using hypnosis outside of clinical settings;
• Models for training, credentialing, and best practices that ensure both efficacy and professional accountability.

Whether you’re a certified coach, aspiring hypnotist, spiritual guide, or wellness professional, this book delivers a practical and academic roadmap for integrating hypnosis into your practice ethically and effectively.

Enhance your client impact. Deepen transformational outcomes. Redefine modern coaching with hypnosis.