Browsing by Type "Doctoral Dissertation"
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Item An Empirical Investigation Into the Antecedents of the Perceptions of Work-Life Balance of Professional Women(2022-04-20) Shipmon-Friedli, Shelia; Jose, Anita; Bands, Kathleen C.; Harris, Keith; Dufour, Peggy; George B. Delaplaine Jr. School of Business; Organizational Leadership (DBA)The entrance of women into the workforce in large numbers in the 20th century was one of the pivotal moments that changed the traditional family work roles of mom at home and dad in the workplace. Maintaining a balance in those roles between work and nonwork life has been the subject of much research (Ferguson et al., 2015; Goode, 1960; Greenhaus & Powell, 2006; Hogarth et al., 2001). Studies show that when employees feel support from the employer, they become more committed to the organization, and that work-life balance (WLB) policies increase organizational performance (Ferguson et al., 2015; Lazar et al., 2010). Furthermore, Ferguson et al. (2015) showed that the spillover effect enables supported employees to gain balance in both domains of work and personal life. There is a gap in this research, however, related to professional women and their role in balancing the changing dynamics of work and the diverse family. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the exceptional challenges faced by women professionals into sharp focus, as well as the significant mental and physical health consequences that can follow when adequate support is absent. Using a mixed-methods research design and a convenience sample of 184 participants, I examined how professional women maintained a balance between life and work. I also explored how work-family conflict and family-work conflict impact the perceived satisfaction of work-life balance (Voydanoff, 2004). Quantitative data were collected through a 109-question online survey, while qualitative data were derived from the analysis of six one-on-one in-depth interviews and narrative question responses provided by 133 survey respondents. Multiple regression analysis showed that four of six independent variables had a significant impact on WLB satisfaction: having WLB policies (p < .01) and team resources (p < .001) present in the workplace, and time for self (p < .001), were all positively related to WLB satisfaction, while work-family conflict was negatively related (p < .001). Using the same six constructs, an a priori analysis of responses to an open-ended survey question showed that 71% of responses aligned with two of the constructs: WLB policies and time for self. Three themes emerged from pattern coding of six interview transcripts, validating the importance of WLB, the difficulty in achieving it, and the need for support. Implications for practice were offered in three areas: organizations, government, and professional women. Collectively, they reinforce the importance of having WLB policies in the workplace and ensuring that employees know them; promoting practices such as the use of team resources, flexible schedules, advocacy, and mentoring; and having an independent government agency to rationalize and deconflict workplace policies and ensure that policy decision-making is based on data. Implications for future research include conducting the study using a random sample, conducting it solely with men, and conducting it outside the COVID-19 pandemic era.Item Principals' Perceptions of School Climate Surveys and How They Influence Their Practice(2022-05-05) Munsey, Joshua; Cuddapah, Jennifer; Hood College Education; Organizational LeadershipIn schools, principals are responsible for many things, but one of the primary responsibilities is to create a positive school environment. School climate has a different meaning to different stakeholders, including school leaders, school staff, and students, as well as parent and community members. School climate surveys are one way to measure school climate. Results provide each stakeholder with the opportunity to provide feedback on many of the aspects that make up the school climate. Additionally, climate surveys give administrators and other interested parties an opportunity to assess how stakeholders feel about the school climate. While climate surveys can provide insight into what is happening at a particular school, they also can be misleading. This may be problematic since they can have a large impact on evaluation of a school or school administrator. This qualitative research project explored how the perceptions of principals about their school climate surveys influenced their practice. A brief questionnaire was used to gather information from principals about their experiences with and perceptions about climate surveys. Each of the 12 principal participants was interviewed to further explore their perceptions about climate surveys. Within the interviews, a self-anchoring scale and values inventory activities were used to delve into how their perceptions of school climate surveys have influenced their practice. Principals reflected on how and why they used climate survey data to act or not on implementing a policy or a structure. The findings of the study indicate that climate matters for student achievement and that the duration of a principal’s experience in a school makes a difference. Additionally, the preparation of the administrator is of paramount importance as is the need to have multiple data points.