Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Organizational Behavior

In this dissertation, I build theory to support the introduction of a new construct – workplace relational self-efficacy – defined as a person's belief in their ability to initiate, develop, and maintain desired workplace relationships. Across a series of four field studies, I develop and validate an 8-item scale to measure workplace relational self-efficacy. In Study 1 I use interview data to guide the development of a comprehensive item pool. In Study 2 I assess the items in the item pool for content adequacy relative to generalized self-efficacy and social self-efficacy. Study 3 further reduces the item pool using exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, I examine the psychometric structure of the proposed scale, including the assessment of convergent and discriminant validity, with hypothesized related constructs. Finally, in Study 4, I assess the concurrent and predictive validity of workplace relational self-efficacy using self- and supervisor-report data collected across three time points. As hypothesized, extraversion, proactive personality, optimism, and three facets of political skill significantly predicted workplace relational self-efficacy. Further, workplace relational self-efficacy significantly predicted workplace loneliness and workplace relationship satisfaction when controlling for the influence of a number of other variables such as political skill. Implications for research, practice, and future research are discussed.

Committee: Richard Boyatzis Dr. (Committee Chair); Diane Bergeron Dr. (Committee Member); Melvin Smith Dr. (Committee Member); Chris Burant Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organizational Behavior

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Research on workplace relationships with people with disabilities (PWD) has found mixed results on emotional responses, such as empathy, to PWD in the workplace (Carpenter & Paetzold, 2013; Hirschberger et al., 2005). Within the research, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether empathy is always beneficial for workplace relationships between non-disabled individuals and PWD (Cesare et al., 1990; Colella & Varma, 2001; Lyubykh, 2016). The current study investigates the role of empathy in behavior towards PWD in the context of relationships between coworkers by conducting interviews with employees with disabilities and their non-disabled coworkers. The research questions addressed by this study are: What is the lived experience of employees with disabilities working with non-disabled coworkers?, What role do empathy and sympathy play within these relationships?, and How does an individual's disability identity impact their relationships with non-disabled coworkers? The interviews with the disabled employees were analyzed according to interpretive phenomenological analysis (Moustakas, 1994; Smith, 2011). Dyadic analysis was also conducted on the non-disabled coworker interviews paired with the disabled employee interviews. The interviews provide valuable insight into the experiences unique to disabled employees working with non-disabled coworkers. The results reveal factors that are important to disabled individuals in their relationships with non-disabled coworkers. Empathic behaviors appear to play a beneficial role within relationships between disabled and non-disabled coworkers while behaviors based in sympathy can be harmful. Implications from the study on how organizations can integrate the beneficial behaviors highlighted in the interviews are also discussed.

Committee: Donna Chrobot-Mason Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Song Ju Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stacie Furst-Holloway Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Occupational Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, Educational Leadership

This manuscript describes a research study regarding supervisor influence in the workplace with potential effects on employee effort. It contributes to current literature because it focuses specifically on supervisor power and the effects on employee motivation through the moderation of supervisor gender and employee locus of control in a business context. Specifically, it discusses French and Raven's (1959) power dynamics as the basis for supervisor influence. Further examining employee motivation, Ryan, Williams, and Deci's (2009) self-determination theory and Rotter's (1966) locus of control assist in understanding the impact that supervisor influence has on employees. This manuscript hypothesized a positive relationship between supervisors using reward power and employee effort, as well as a negative relationship between supervisors exhibiting coercive power and employee effort. Gender (primary) and locus of control (secondary) were used as moderating variables. Results indicated a positive relationship existed between reward power and employee effort. Results also indicated a positive relationship between supervisors using coercive power and employee effort. The supplemental analyses revealed that female supervisors who influenced employees using coercive power was positively related to employee effort, but that this relationship was neutralized for male supervisors. To test the hypotheses, 155 full-time employees directly reporting to a supervisor, participated from a variety of organizations. In terms of theoretical contributions, this work contributes to gender and power literature, as it illustrates that supervisor gender dictates whether coercive power relates to motivation in the form of employee effort. In terms of practical implications, the findings illustrate that males and females should consider the manner in which they leverage their power (i.e., reward versus coercive) when attempting to influence employee effort.

Committee: Thelma Horn Dr. (Advisor); Scott Dust Dr. (Committee Chair); Melissa Chase Dr. (Committee Member); Joel Malin Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organizational Behavior

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2017, Leadership and Change

Conventional forms of leadership that are prominent in organizational life today are seemingly antithetical to the landscape of our dynamic, global society. The continued focus on traditional hierarchies with leadership that functions in a “chain of command” manner begs the question of how organizations can reshape routines and relationships to reflect processes of inclusion and collaboration that have the capability of provoking progressive change in organizations. Diversity and Inclusion scholars have identified the newer construct of inclusive leadership as apt to advance climates and cultures of inclusion through social processes that encourage inclusive practices and behaviors. These fluid aspects of inclusive leadership strengthen how organizations foster the engagement of organizational members across groups, functions, and/or levels to stimulate change within work settings. While scholars have ascertained the necessity of expanding our knowledge of the inclusion construct by examining inclusion in more depth, inclusive leadership remains an anomaly as it positions leadership as a collective, social process. The complexities associated with research in this area were instrumental in my choice to pursue an exploratory critical (single) case study with grounded theory for this dissertation research to better understand the social processes associated with inclusive leadership within a contained work environment. This multiple method qualitative study utilized intensive interviewing, field observations, and document reviews to explore inclusive leadership in a K-12 school district. Thematic, content, and dimensional analyses elicited findings associated with human connection, change, and evolving contexts associated with inclusive systems. The overlapping case study and grounded theory findings served as the basis for the development of an inclusive leadership model. The research provided empirical evidence of inclusive leadership's effect on organizational clim (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway Ph.D. (Committee Member); Harriet Schwartz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Placida Gallegos Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Education; Educational Leadership; Ethics; Multilingual Education; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; School Administration

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2014, Psychology

This study investigated potential barriers to cross-sex friendships in the workplace by comparing results of perceived challenges to both cross-sex and same-sex friendships in a within-subjects design. O'Meara's (1989) four proposed challenges to cross-sex friendships have not been directly applied to the workplace setting. In addition, literature has found that cross-sex friendships have barriers beyond the barriers faced by same-sex friendships (Elsesser & Peplau, 2006; Monsour, Harris, Kurzweil, & Beard, 1994), which led to this study's comparison of challenges to cross-sex and same-sex friendships in the workplace. This study surveyed 64 full-time employees on (1) their perceived opportunity for and prevalence of workplace friendships and (2) their perceived challenges to workplace friendships. Findings revealed that employees were more likely to report opportunities for and prevalence of same-sex friendships than cross-sex friendships in the workplace. Furthermore, employees perceived their cross-sex friendships as having stronger challenges than their same-sex friendships according to the following: the emotional bond challenge, the audience challenge, the sexual challenge, and the equality challenge. Based on these findings, organizations should be aware that employees do not only perceive more opportunities for and prevalence of same-sex friendships than cross-sex friendships, but they are also perceiving more challenges to their cross-sex friendships than same-sex friendships.

Committee: Morell Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Mark Nagy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Social Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2008, Leadership and Change

This was an exploratory study to understand the lived experience of those involved in mentoring relationships within a formal mentoring program in a corporate context. The researcher looked for rich detail about the nature of the relationship from the perspective of the mentor and mentee. To achieve a holistic perspective, the experience of organizational managers was deliberately included in the research. Exploration of this triadic relationship of mentor, mentee, and organizational manager has been neglected in the empirical literature. An exploration of where meaning intersected and diverged among the triad relationship members gave depth to the dimensional frame. Findings suggested that the lack of a holistic approach to mentoring in the workplace may be creating counterproductive mentoring participant behaviors. Values misalignment may be creating cultural miscues that potentially misdirect mentoring program design and policies. Findings pointed to the need for increased integration of mentoring, leadership development, cultural transformation, and organizational learning initiatives in order to better serve the aims of the corporation and increase the capacity of the workforce. The qualitative paradigm was followed for this research. Grounded theory dimensional analysis was employed to discover the dimensions of mentoring important to participants. Open-ended interview techniques allowed the participants to express their experiences in their own words. A research team experienced in the tools and techniques of this research approach collaboratively analyzed the data. As theoretical propositions emerged they were explored via a theoretical sampling method. The basic social process of mentoring among the three members of the mentoring triad and other human and non-human actors was illustrated. Metaphorical and theoretical models were developed that illustrated the participants' perspectives on the interrelated and interdependent parts of the ancient human activi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Holloway PhD (Committee Chair); Laurien Alexandre PhD (Committee Member); Laurent Daloz PhD (Committee Member); Michael Carroll PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Management; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships; Social Psychology