Abstract Some social work leaders in the United States lack strategies to successfully reduce employee turnover, which is detrimental to the profitability of an organization. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective strategies that social work professionals used to reduce employee turnover. The targeted population included 10 social work managers from organizations in South Carolina who experienced employee turnover and implemented successful strategies to overcome it. The conceptual framework was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. Triangulation was used to increase the reliability and validity of the data. Data were collected from semistructured in-depth interviews with managers who spent at least 1 year in a managerial position at a social work agency and a review of agency documents. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: job satisfaction was key to reducing employee turnover, positive working environment, and management. Reducing employee turnover contributes to social change by providing social work leaders with valuable insight that can lead to improved organizational growth, increased profitability, and enhanced sustainability, which might promote prosperity for local families and the community.

Research indicates trust in schools significantly relates to student achievement and trust in school leaders significantly relates to trust in schools. This study expands on the existing research by identifying behaviours principals display and teachers identify that correspond to antecedent conditions of trust, as identified in the research literature. Principalunderstandings are compared to teacher articulated thoughts in order to identify if shared understandings and interpretations of events are a component of trust in schools. Seventeen survey questions about trust were asked in 138 schools. Three high trust and three low trust schools were identified via deviation from the grand mean. Interview data related to a broad spectrum of school structures and daily events was gathered at the six identified schools from a randomly selected group of teachers and each school’s principal. The interview data was coded using antecedent conditions of trust as the organizational units for analysis. Supporting previous research, this thesis finds teacher data identified the antecedent conditions that are described most frequently by teachers as being Competence, Consistency and Reliability,Openness and Respect. Principal data identified the antecedent conditions of trust as being similar, not identical. There are relevant differences described in elements within the antecedents between teachers and school leaders. Overall, the results confirm the findings of Bryk and Schneider and Tschannen-Moran, while adding detail to the understanding of what matters in trust when in-school educators reflect on issues of organizational life.

Research indicates trust in schools significantly relates to student achievement and trust in school leaders significantly relates to trust in schools. This study expands on the existing research by identifying behaviours principals display and teachers identify that correspond to antecedent conditions of trust, as identified in the research literature. Principalunderstandings are compared to teacher articulated thoughts in order to identify if shared understandings and interpretations of events are a component of trust in schools. Seventeen survey questions about trust were asked in 138 schools. Three high trust and three low trust schools were identified via deviation from the grand mean. Interview data related to a broad spectrum of school structures and daily events was gathered at the six identified schools from a randomly selected group of teachers and each school’s principal. The interview data was coded using antecedent conditions of trust as the organizational units for analysis. Supporting previous research, this thesis finds teacher data identified the antecedent conditions that are described most frequently by teachers as being Competence, Consistency and Reliability,Openness and Respect. Principal data identified the antecedent conditions of trust as being similar, not identical. There are relevant differences described in elements within the antecedents between teachers and school leaders. Overall, the results confirm the findings of Bryk and Schneider and Tschannen-Moran, while adding detail to the understanding of what matters in trust when in-school educators reflect on issues of organizational life.

Leadership research has traditionally focused on the organizational context and is largely dominated by micro-leadership theories that describe specific styles of leadership. The current research advances previous work by introducing two general interpersonal frameworks – attachment theory and self-determination theory – in order to better understand how leaders relate to those around them in the workplace context. In addition, the current series of studies considers leadership not only in the traditional organizational context, but also in the context of other workplace settings wherein there may not be traditional leadership roles. The central research question was that leaders with more secure attachment orientations would provide greater need support to their employees. In other words, when leaders held positive views of themselves and others, they would be inclined to provide employees with choices, a sense of volition, feelings of connectedness, and efficacy about their abilities. This association was expected to be observed in a variety of leadership contexts. In Study 1, using hospitality managers (N = 104), results indicated that fearful and avoidant attachment (insecure attachment) predicted lower levels of reported need support provision in hypothetical scenarios. Results also indicated that the traditional leadership styles that most research includes did not explain any additional variance in need support beyond that accounted for by attachment orientation. In Study 2, using a sample of students (N = 106) and an experimental design, both secure Attachment and Leadership attachment and positive affect led to higher levels of reported need support provision in hypothetical scenarios. Finally, in Study 3 (N = 154), using a sample of life and business coaches, coaches’ preoccupied attachment orientation predicted lower levels of reported need support in hypothetical scenarios. In addition, coaches’ preoccupied attachment predicted lower levels of reported empathy provision, whereas coaches’ secure attachment predicted higher levels of reported empathy provision. This is the first known research to bring together attachment theory and self-determination theory in a series of three studies with different samples (hotel managers, students and coaches), and multiple research designs (experimental and non-experimental), all focusing on the leadership context. The findings and associated implications are discussed in the context of previous research and future research directions. / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-79).

Univ., Diss.--Köln, 2002.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2006. / Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 179 p. Includes bibliographical references.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF KEITH B. REINHARDT, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, presented on May 26, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PERCEPTIONS OF FACULTY ASSOCIATION LEADERS: ROLES AND ESSENTIAL SKILL MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Patrick Dilley A specific perspective of how faculty association leaders function at a tangible level has yet to be presented. Past studies describe faculty leadership as a collective abstract idea or theme, disregarding the concept and importance of individual faculty leader's roles at an operational level. The purpose of the study was to identify the roles and skills of present-day faculty association leaders (FALs) within Illinois' public four-year universities with a collective bargaining unit and distinguish tangible actions of these individuals as they exercised their everyday roles in this professional capacity. A qualitative research design was used to gather data and explore perceptions and life experiences of twelve FALs at six Illinois public four-year universities with collective bargaining. A personal interview was conducted with each participant with the assistance of a researcher designed interview guide. FALs view their role as that of a contract manager: one who interprets, negotiates, and defends the contract in conjunction with informing their constituents to contractual matters of concern. The ability to communicate effectively was identified as the primary professional skill required of FALs. The ability to be an empathetic listener with the capacity to be open-minded and flexible to circumstances on-hand was identified as the foremost personal skill best suited for FALs. This research advances the contextual understanding of FALs as they go about fulfilling their daily roles and their need for preparatory training.

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