Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Effects Of Leadership-Fostered Organizational Priorities On Employee Mental Health, Lauren Cornelio

Thinking Matters Symposium

This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge by addressing the gap in the current literature regarding how organizational priorities enacted by a leader foster a work environment that can impact the mental health of employees. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in phenomenology, this study explores employees’ subjective experiences within different organizational cultures. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the study uncovers nuanced insights into employees’ lived experiences, shedding light on the intricate interplay between organizational priorities determined by the leader and employee mental health. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, allowing participants to reflect upon their perceptions of …

Development Of Leader Voice And Leader Silence Scales: How And Why Leaders Choose To Remain Silent Or Speak Up During Situations Of Workplace Aggression, Katherine L. Dickins

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the factors that drive leaders to speak up or remain silent when witnessing workplace aggression and to develop scales to measure leader voice and leader silence. While research on employee voice and silence exists, leader voice and silence need more theoretical development. I used an exploratory sequential mixed-method design to address these gaps. Subjects: Study one included 26 graduate management students and 35 leaders across multiple industries in the United States who witnessed workplace aggression in their unit. Study 2 included 345 people who supervised others at work. Instruments: Seven open-ended questions asking respondents to …

Workplace Gender Gap: Generational Differences In The Narrative Of Women In The Banking Industry, Carly S. Riehle

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study gathered stories from four generations of women in banking to observe how the gender gap has changed over time through their personal experiences and to determine if there is a new story that can be told about the closing of the gender gap for at least one industry. The study included 36 women from 15 different banks across most regions in the United States. The 60-minute interviews covered 20 questions. Participant answers were coded and analyzed, yielding several themes. The study found that all four generations of women in banking agree there have been substantial improvements to …

What Does It Look Like For Mental Healthcare Organizations To Be Healthy Places To Work? An Action Research Study, Stephanie L. Fox

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Mental healthcare organizations have a reputation for being unhealthy places to work. The irony of this reputation is keenly felt by its workforce who report unsustainable workloads, high levels of stress, and lack of support or engagement from higher-level leadership. As a mental healthcare provider now in a position of leadership, who has worked across all levels of care within the sector, it was of interest to me to explore how a mental health organization can become a healthier and more sustainable place to work. I approached this study with the assumption that if an organization was healthy and intentional …

Trends And Challenges In Developing Emerging Leaders For Ambiguous Working Environments: A Qualitative Research Study, Alanna Brahms

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examined trends and challenges faced by leadership development practitioners in developing emerging leaders for ambiguous working environments, particularly considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-five participants were interviewed using 16 questions related to competencies, changes in the leadership landscape, and best practices and challenges in developing emerging leaders for present-day working environments. The study found that leaders in hybrid and ambiguous working environments face increased demands, necessitating flexibility, and agility. The results emphasized the importance of a growth mindset and a desire to lead as foundational traits for emerging leaders. Strong communication and interpersonal skills …

Recovery At Work: Seeking Relief From Toxic Workplace Behavior Through The Adult Children Of Alcoholics And Dysfunctional Families Model, Matthew D. Devandry

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated whether the Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) 12-step recovery model might be relevant to reducing toxic workplace behavior. Seventeen participants in the ACA program were interviewed to answer what changes in work-life are experienced by those who have worked in the ACA program and what components of ACA do practitioners believe have been most influential in their work-life changes? Interviewees reported experiencing positive results in their work lives, categorized by internal, philosophical changes, changes in behavior regarding interpersonal issues, changes in behavior regarding issues of self, and changes in overall outcome. These findings …

Working Outside The Binary: Experiences Of Nonbinary Employees In The Workforce, Mordeky C. Dullum

University Honors Theses

Transgender issues in the workplace have only recently become a focus in research, and it is still new and understudied. Even less studied is the demographic of gender expansive individuals including nonbinary and gender non-conforming individuals. This qualitative study aims to explore and highlight workplace experiences for nonbinary people, with a particular focus on younger nonbinary people who experience less employment stability in more public facing jobs. Thirteen participants engaged in interviews where they were asked to describe their experiences dealing with discrimination, harassment and transphobia in the workplace, in addition to sharing their ideas for practical solutions or changes …

Model.Disclose(): Examination Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Disclosure At Work, Timothy Allen Carsey

Dissertations and Theses

Research focused on Identity Management (IDM) in the workplace has explored the experiences of people with many different stigmatized identities (e.g., sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, religiosity); however, research has only recently begun to explore IDM of mental illness in the workplace. One such identity, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), has remained particularly unexplored. Individuals with mental illnesses, such as OCD, experience unique consequences with their concealment and disclosure process. Specifically, OCD has both cognitive and behavioral components, and, the behavioral component of OCD can demonstrate to coworkers visible actions that are seen as "not normal" or "awkward," potentially unintentionally signaling the …

Total Rewards Or Totally Not What The People Want? Examining The Preferred Total Rewards Of Those At Home Vs. In The Workplace, Luke Ronchetti

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid change to remote work, the present study explored whether differing life circumstances (e.g., an at-home parent vs. an older male) changed reward preferences. The present study adds to the scarce total reward preference research by examining the moderating effect age, gender, and parental status have on the relationship between physical work location and total reward preference. Results indicated age to be a moderator of the relationship between work location and reward preference (benefits, work-life effectiveness, performance management, talent development), but gender and parental status were not significant moderators. Exploratory analyses were performed and found correlations between work …

The Transformational Leader In Nursing Practice – An Approach To Retain Nursing Staff, Anita C. Reinhardt, Teresa G. Leon, Linda Ochart Summers

Administrative Issues Journal

Transformational leaders have been shown to influence positive work environments and support the retention of nursing staff. While exemplars have been found in upper-level management, the implementation of these characteristics in unit-based leaders is less explained. The elements of the transformational leader on followers and the organization—individual consideration, individual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence—can engage nursing staff to remain in an organization which will promote positive patient outcomes. This article will review the elements of the transformational leader and share two exemplars of the transformational metanarrative as demonstrated in nursing care units. Both exemplars demonstrate how the transformational leader …

Influence Of Records Management Practices, Work Environment And Administrative Effectiveness In Lagos State Judiciary, Nigeria, Otobo Elvis Efe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examines the influence of records management practices, work environment and administrative effectiveness in Lagos State Judiciary, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 328 administrative staff of Lagos State Judiciary, Nigeria. Total enumeration was used. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.93 to 0.94. A response rate of 100% was achieved. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (multiple and linear regression) statistics. Findings showed that records management practices and work environment jointly influenced administrative effectiveness (Adj. R² = 0.333, F(2, 326)= 39.520, p …

The Role Of Work In Animal Shelter Volunteers' Experiences Of Compassion Fatigue, Andria L. Corso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Animal shelter volunteers are a critical part of the operation and maintenance of animal shelters across the United States, and risk developing compassion fatigue (CF) that can impact their ability to volunteer. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of work in animal shelter volunteers’ experiences of CF. The compassion stress and fatigue model and aspects from several occupational stress models were used as conceptual frameworks. A basic qualitative design was used to recruit 12 animal shelter volunteers experiencing compassion fatigue symptoms. These volunteers came from 10 different animal shelters across the U.S. Three research questions were …

Relational Leadership Strategies In U.S. Banking, Irakli Bandzeladze

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to gain an understanding of relational leadership strategies currently employed among banking leaders developing quality workplace relationships. A quality workplace environment is where individual differences are nurtured, information is not suppressed or spun but instead openly shared, and where employees feel the company adds value to them, rather than only expecting it from them (Goffee & Jones; 2013; Katz & Miller, 2014; Tan, 2019).

This study employed Uhl-Bien’s (2006) relational leadership model to explore the research question: What are relational leadership strategies commonly practiced by banking leaders to foster quality workplace environments? The study employed a …

A Multicase Study Exploring The Motivation Of Support Staff In The Office Of The Registrar, April M. Martin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although a large body of research exists within higher education that focuses on factors related to faculty motivation and student motivation, there is limited research concentrated on the motivation of college and university administrative staff. This study examined how job duties, work processes, elements of the work environment, and leadership styles are related to employee motivation, specifically the motivation of front-line support staff who work in the Office of the Registrar. Additionally, I aimed to identify any disconnect between what support staff need and want from supervisors in the Office of the Registrar pertaining to motivation and supervisors’ behavior to …

Work Stress And Information Anxiety Of Library Personnel In Academic Libraries In Nigeria, Adenike Ayokari Adebamiro, Sunday O. Popoola Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper investigates work stress and information anxiety of library personnel in academic libraries in South-west, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was survey method of the correlational type. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample population of 308 (60% of the population) out of 703 library personnel in academic libraries in South-west, Nigeria. The findings of this study revealed that the level of work stress of the library personnel is moderate with a mean score X = 52.45; SD=7.366. The level of information anxiety of is also moderate with mean score X=36.87; SD= 6.370. …

A Study On Differing Generational Values And Expectations In Corporate America, Abigail Grella

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This paper examines the most common factors that lead to voluntary employee turnover, and the implications employee turnover has on an organization. Additionally, this paper will consider the varying values and workplace expectations of different demographic groups such as Millennials, Generation X, Generation Y, and Baby Boomers and how such factors could influence voluntary turnover. A study is conducted from survey results gathered across a large span of generations that are currently employed. Using statistical analysis employing t-tests and a Mood’s Median test, the results show that different generations have differently weighing values for specific organizational offerings. The results show …

Easing The Return To Normalcy: Reintegrating Victims Of Domestic Violence Into The Workplace, Corrine Wolfe

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study aimed to provide actionable solutions to organizations regarding how they can best help reintegrate victims of domestic violence into the workplace following a domestic-related incident. Study one surveyed 59 domestic violence survivors using open-ended questions regarding what their organizations did well and/or could have done better to help reintegrate them. Through directed and conventional content analysis, five key themes emerged for how organizations can demonstrate support: safety, emotional support, resources, work modifications, and general perspectives/additional information. Study two turned the key themes from study one into potential recommendations and then interviewed five Human Resources professionals to assess …

Returning To Rejection: Outcomes And Boundary Conditions Of Mental Illness Stereotypes, Stefanie Fox

Dissertations and Theses

Mental illness is a common condition in the United States, with over 20% of working age adults managing a mental illness condition in a given year. Disclosure of mental illness is often required for workers to take advantage of employer-provided resources (e.g., accommodations), yet use of resources is exceedingly low (less than 10%). Negative stigma-related outcomes are a top reason for which individuals delay the use of resources. Using an experimental design in an online data collection of 242 participants over two time points, the current study builds on existing organizational diversity literature to examine the stereotypes associated with mental …

An "I" For An "I" : A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Instigated And Reciprocal Incivility, Lauren Sarah Park

Dissertations and Theses

Workplace incivility and its negative impacts on individuals, teams, and organizations have been widely studied. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of incivility from the instigator's perspective. The purpose of this dissertation was to demonstrate a set of meta-analytic relationships with instigated incivility to understand what individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors facilitate or prevent incivility instigation. Additionally, this work aimed to empirically test moderating effects of the relationship between experienced and instigated incivility, elucidating the conditions under which targets of incivility are more or less likely to instigate incivility in turn. This meta-analysis included 35,344 workers from 76 independent …

Internal Needs Assessments: A Worthwhile Endeavor?, Carolyn Prescott, Mary Ann Walker, Daniel D. Isgrigg, Angela Sample

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

On May 1, 2020, the Needs Assessment Committee submitted their final report of findings and recommendations to the dean of the Oral Roberts University Library, Dr. Mark Roberts. The report represented the culmination of approximately six months of a broad-based investigation of the Library, including an internal examination of the Library and an external study of Library resources, services, and staff. This Needs Assessment was unique in that a team of Library faculty and staff conducted it. Internal members of an organization rarely perform needs assessments for many reasons, including inherent bias and the potential distrust of those not on …

An Integrative Study Of Service And Safety Climate And Performance: Do Climates Compete?, Jeffrey B. Paul

Selected Faculty Publications

Organizational scholars continue to expand our knowledge of the contextual forces influencing employee behavior in organizations. A notable stream in this research agenda includes organizational climate studies that describe the social processes guiding employee perceptions of their environment. These shared perceptions formulate climate constructs that have demonstrated through theorizing and empirical findings relationships with attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes across multiple levels of analysis. Contemporary climate studies have focused on facet-specific climates, such as a service climate or safety climate, and have linked facet climates with the same facet related performance (e. g. safety climate predicts increased safety performance). Given …

Human Energy In The Workplace: An Investigation Of Daily Energy Management Strategies, Job Stressors And Employee Outcomes, Morgan Rose Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

Recent research has pointed to the benefits associated with the use of work-related energy management strategies for employee outcomes. Using the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Challenge and Hindrance Stressor Framework, the current study extends the energy management literature by examining day-level relationships between work-related energy management strategies (e.g., organizing, meaning-making, and prosocial strategies) and employee outcomes, namely, goal progress, work engagement, and relational energy respectively. Further, challenge and hindrance stressors are tested as day-level moderators of these relationships. Using experience sampling methods across 10 workdays, results showed that day-level organizing strategy use was related to higher goal progress …

Employer-Reported Access To Paid Parental Leave: A Study Of San Francisco’S Paid Parental Leave Ordinance, Julia M. Goodman, Holly Elser, William H. Dow

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: A growing body of research finds that paid leave policies have significant population health benefits for workers and their families, but the lack of a national paid leave policy in the United States leaves most workers without access to any paid leave. In 2017 San Francisco implemented the nation’s first fully paid leave policy, mandating that covered employers provide up to six weeks of leave to care for a new child. The objective of our study is to examine how the San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (PPLO) affected paid leave access, including among workers in low-wage industries. Methods: …

Working With Wildlife: The Effects Of Stressors And Resources On Burnout And Engagement For Animal Caretakers, Destiny Burns

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study was designed to identify the impacts of stressors experienced by animal caretakers within zoos, aquariums, and shelters. To analyze these impacts, I administered a survey to individuals within this population which assessed interactions with environmental, social, and financial stressors for animal caretakers in relation to engagement and burnout. In total, 112 animal caretakers participated in the study. Results supported that physical stressors were most commonly encountered within the workforce, but coworker conflict was the only stressor to have consistent significant effects on burnout and engagement. Specifically, more coworker conflict was associated with more burnout and less engagement. …

Work Environment And The Job Satisfaction Of Librarians In Private Universities In South-East And South-West, Nigeria, Uloma D. Onuoha, Clement Chinemerem Ukangwa, Evans Chima Otuza

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The need for a conducive work environment and job satisfaction is heightened by the conviction that the university library constitutes the powerhouse of knowledge responsible for providing information materials for teaching, learning and research. The study, therefore, investigated the relationship between work environment and the job satisfaction of Librarians in private universities in South-East and South-West, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study consisted of one hundred and eighty-one (181) librarians. Total enumeration technique was employed for the study. Data was collected using a self-structured questionnaire that was scrutinized by experts and subjected to …

Assessing The Impacts Of Work-Related Applications Of Improvisation Training On Psychological Safety In Teams, Marne Maykowskyj Nordean

Theses and Dissertations

This paper discusses improvisational training (IMPT) and psychological safety and seeks to find if the former impacts the latter. For this study, improvisation has four main tenets: ensemble / co-creating, 'yes, and' / accept and heighten, authenticity / celebrating failure, and listening and communication skills. Psychological safety is defined as the shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking and a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up. This confidence stems from mutual respect and trust among team members. It is described as …

Development And Validation Of The Workplace Mental Illness Stigma Scale (W-Miss), Nicholas Anthony Smith

Dissertations and Theses

Although 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness at some point, each year people with mental illnesses continue to face high levels of stigmatization and discrimination at work. Recognizing this, many organizational researchers and practitioners have sought to improve workplaces for employees with mental illness through a variety of organizational interventions. Unfortunately, few interventions are thoroughly evaluated. One barrier to evaluating such interventions is the lack of a theoretically meaningful measure of workplace mental illness stigma. In this dissertation, I proposed to develop and evaluate such a measure (the W-MISS) based on Jones, Farina, Hastorf, Markus, Miller, and …

Do Workplace Aesthetics Matter? Testing The Moderating Effects Of Need For Aesthetics And General Mindfulness, Lydia Johnson (Fogo)

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Minimal research has examined the impact of workplace aesthetics on employee outcomes such as negative work attitudes, job satisfaction, or resource recovery needs. The present study tested if aesthetic elements in workplace matter to employees and if this effect is moderated by the extent to which employees are generally mindful and have a need for an aesthetically pleasing workspace (NFAPW). Data were collected from adult fulltime employees (N = 175) and were analyzed using correlational and regression-based techniques. Results suggest that together, need for an aesthetically pleasing workplace and general mindfulness affect employees’ work attitudes. Specifically, for individuals with high …

Innovative And Introverted: How Introverts Function In The Creative Workplace, Rose Needle

Senior Theses

Open office plans have become the dominant style for creative workplaces, designed to encourage constant collaboration and proximity. Little research assesses the validity of that conventional practice, or the impact of open environments on creativity, productivity or employee satisfaction for introverts, who require time alone for highest functioning. Though the “Extrovert Ideal” permeates these industries, nearly 50% of the general population is introverted—and introverted traits correlate positively with creativity. This thesis includes a survey of 143 people working in creative industries, assessing perceptions of productivity and satisfaction along with personality type. A majority of respondents yearned for solitude to complete …

Just Culture: It's More Than Policy, Linda Paradiso, Nancy Sweeney

Nursing Faculty Publications

[Description] Paradiso and Sweeney discuss the relationship between trust, just culture, and error reporting in medical care. Errors rarely occur in a vacuum, rather they're a sequence of events with multiple opportunities for correction. Clinical nurses can have a significant impact on reducing errors due to their proximity to patients. Just culture is a safe haven that supports reporting. In a just culture environment, organizations are accountable for systems they design and analysis of the incident, not the individual. The shift to a just culture is a slow process that takes years to develop and hardwire. Hospital-wide policies that incorporate …