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Supporting healthy health and human service systems: Understanding organizational commitment and turnover within Ohio’s child welfare workforce

Phillips, Rebecca
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2827-1406
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1680327325395509

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Social Work.
Background & Purpose. Occupational stress and subsequent negative turnover are prevalent and severe issues within health and human service systems in general, and amongst child welfare workforces in particular. In addition to the psychological and physiological consequences for workers, occupational stress and related turnover can greatly impact child welfare organizations, as well as service delivery and family outcomes. Despite various efforts to address retention challenges affecting child welfare workforces, high levels of turnover continue to be a prevalent issue with costly familial and societal implications. The currently inconsistent evidence of turnover-reduction intervention effectiveness reflects a lack of consensus regarding the occupational levels and specific targets that should be involved when addressing workforce stress, organizational commitment, and related turnover. Therefore, the goal of this research project was to understand how multi-level occupational characteristics and experiences of the child welfare profession are associated with workforce recruitment and retention, while accounting for the unique internal and external factors salient to specific service system contexts. Methods. This research project was designed as a cross-sectional state-level case study of the Ohio child welfare workforce. Ohio is one of nine states with a state-supervised county-administered child welfare system, wherein specific policies and practices may range widely between agencies. A multi-level mixed methods approach was therefore used, as solely quantitative data may have failed to accurately capture work-related psychosocial influences. Specific data collection methods included: (1) assessing the local context through quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups conducted with Ohio child welfare staff; and (2) analyzing administrative and secondary data regarding salient features of the child welfare occupational context (e.g., agency, county). Participant recruitment involved all employees working within a stratified random sampling of Ohio’s 88 county Child Protections Service Agencies (PCSAs). 245 staff from 20 PCSAs participated in the quantitative online study survey, 26 of whom agreed to participate in a subsequent study focus group. Results. Multivariate multiple regression, ANCOVA, and mixed-method analyses revealed that in addition to individual-level occupational influences (e.g., role characteristics), work-related environmental characteristics (e.g., agency features, community contexts), as well as professional perceptions and experiences can significantly affect employment responses (e.g., organizational commitment, turnover; p<.01). Study results suggest that effectively improving workforce outcomes within child welfare systems requires addressing multi-level occupational characteristic and process factors, which interact with each other as well as influence organizational commitment and employment decisions.
Alicia Bunger (Committee Chair)
Michelle Johnson-Motoyama (Committee Member)
Arati Maleku (Committee Member)
Jennifer Hefner (Committee Member)
137 p.
Mental Health; Occupational Health; Organizational Behavior; Public Administration; Social Work; Welfare
Child Welfare; Workforce Well-Being; Occupational Stress & Turnover; Organizational Commitment; Health & Human Services; Multilevel Mixed Methods

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Phillips, R. (2023). Supporting healthy health and human service systems: Understanding organizational commitment and turnover within Ohio’s child welfare workforce [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1680327325395509

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Phillips, Rebecca. Supporting healthy health and human service systems: Understanding organizational commitment and turnover within Ohio’s child welfare workforce. 2023. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1680327325395509.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Phillips, Rebecca. "Supporting healthy health and human service systems: Understanding organizational commitment and turnover within Ohio’s child welfare workforce." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1680327325395509

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1680327325395509
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.