An Action Research Study on Improving Job Satisfaction and Belonging through Flexible Work

• Main Author: Miller, Carey Scheide
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest LLC 2023
• Subjects: Employee Attitudes; Group Discussion; Inclusion; Job Satisfaction; Leadership; School Personnel; Sense of Community; Supervisor Supervisee Relationship; Supervisors; Training; Universities; Work Environment
• ISBN: 9798377639022

The purpose of this action research study was to understand what workplace factors fostered a sense of belonging and overall job satisfaction in the staff of the researcher's university. Participants and data collected in Cycle One consisted of three focus groups, three stakeholder interviews, and an anonymous survey of all administrative staff. The Cycle Two action step included developing and offering leadership development workshops for staff supervisors. The workshops were designed and implemented to provide supervisor training and cohort discussion groups on inclusive leadership practices, flexibility approaches and tools, work-life integration, and skills that could help them manage their teams more effectively. Workshops addressed Cycle One findings that strong and supportive supervisor relationships were critical to foster greater job satisfaction, but supervisors needed additional support to manage in a flexible work environment. The evaluation included pre- and post-workshop surveys of workshop participants, ten semi-structured participant interviews, and a split test anonymous survey of workshop participants' direct reports compared to direct reports of non-participants. Findings included: job satisfaction and belonging have a positive relationship; flexibility increases job satisfaction and belonging; supportive supervisors influence job satisfaction and belonging; and providing leadership training benefits job satisfaction. Implications for the organization are to continue offering flexibility to staff despite the challenges of implementing it on a residential campus, to continue the leadership workshop cohorts, and to annually audit the flexibility policy and arrangements to ensure that it continues to meet the needs not only of the staff but also the organization. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]