Research That Matters (January 17 - 20, 2008)

Background: Well-trained and highly qualified workers are invaluable assets to human service agencies; yet, these workers face a host of work-related challenges. Prior studies have gauged organizational commitment, job satisfaction, intention to leave, and turnover as outcome variables in response to work-related stressors (Mor Barak et al., 2005, 2001). This study forges new ground focusing on employees' responses to undesirable work experiences in a human service setting. Specifically, this study examined the following employee responses: (1) efforts to improve dissatisfying work conditions or promote change (voice), (2) efforts that reflect one's disengagement from work-related tasks (neglect), and (3) efforts toward quitting (exit) (Rusbult, et al. 1988). Purpose: The study's purpose is three-fold: (1) to test a theory-driven conceptual model depicting the relationships among employee diversity characteristics, perceptions of work climate, stress, wellbeing, and voice/neglect/exit; (2) to specifically examine the relationship among voice/neglect/exit; (3) to test the conceptual model longitudinally. The interdisciplinary conceptual model was developed based on social work, organizational psychology, management, and communication theories. Relevance to SSWR Conference Theme, “Research that Matters”: The study provides research findings on employee behavior in the face of undesirable work experiences to assist organizations in creating well-functioning environments that support employee well-being and foster positive client outcomes. Method: This study employed both cross-sectional and longitudinal panel designs to investigate the relationships among study variables. Surveys were distributed to a purposive (non-random) sample of 359 human service workers at baseline and six-month follow-up. To achieve optimal model parsimony, the hypothesized model was tested in four phases using path analysis (Amos 6.0). Sobel's test of indirect effects was used to test for significant mediation effects (Preacher & Hayes, 2004). Results: Both the cross-sectional (χ2=75.311; df=61; p=.103; NFI=.936; CFI=.986; RMSEA=.026; CN=382) and longitudinal χ2=58.402, df=61, p=.571; RMSEA=.000; NFI= .934; CFI=1.00) path analytic models fit the data well and provide evidence of important determinants of voice/neglect/exit responses. Highlighted results indicate that employees who perceived themselves as included in decision-making were more likely to engage in voice (β=.172, p<.001) and less likely to engage in neglect (β=-.183, p=.006); employees who experienced supervisory support were less likely to engage in exit (β=-.110, p=.026). Conclusions and Implications: This study sought to provide insight into factors contributing not only to employees' efforts toward quitting (exit), but also disengage from work-related tasks (neglect) and attempts to improve dissatisfying work conditions or promote change (voice). Based on study findings, researchers are encouraged to continue making conceptual distinctions among support and inclusion and refined and reconceptualized the constructs of voice and neglect in accordance with the challenges and demands of a human service setting. Finally, at the practice-level, this research provides guidance to organizational leaders interested in designing interventions focusing on supervisory support and inclusion to retain employees and keep them fully engaged.