The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
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Item Examining the Path from Relationship Conflict to Work Disengagement: A Phenomenological Study of Employee Perspectives(2026-04)Relationship conflict in the workplace is a persistent organizational problem that undermines employee well-being, diminishes work engagement, and contributes to voluntary turnover. Although prior research has linked relationship conflict to disengagement and turnover, there has been limited attention given to understanding how employees experience this progression. The problem addressed in this study was how relationship conflict in the workplace leads to work disengagement, resulting in voluntary employee turnover. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore employees’ lived experiences as they progressed from relationship conflict to work disengagement, with the aim of identifying factors that may help decrease employee turnover within organizations. The conceptual framework for this study was the conservation of resources theory, which conceptualizes relationship conflict as a stressor that depletes emotional and psychological resources, leading to disengagement and eventual withdrawal from work roles. The research methodology involved a qualitative phenomenological design to gain deep insights into the participants' perspectives. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 participants who had experienced relationship conflict in the workplace. The study identified nine themes from three research questions that focused on how employees experience relationship conflict, the progression toward disengagement, and potential organizational strategies to reduce disengagement and turnover. The findings of this study indicated that relationship conflict in the workplace triggers severe emotional strain and physiological stress that negatively affects employee well-being. The recommendations for practice include increasing leadership engagement and involvement, providing conflict management training and organizational support through formal human resources processes, and fostering healthy work environments that prioritize employee well-being. Recommendations for ii future research include longitudinal designs, cross-cultural replication, and exploring pathways across different industry sectors to broaden the understanding of resource-driven disengagement. This study contributed to the literature by addressing the gap in understanding the lived experience through which relationship conflict progresses to work disengagement and turnover while providing insight to organizations regarding potential effective intervention strategies.Item Psychosocial Stress, Perceived Gendered Racism, and Preterm Birth by Gestational Age at Birth: Associations Among Non-Hispanic Black Women During Pregnancy(2026-03)Stress is a complex and multifaceted construct that may arise during pregnancy from pregnancy-specific concerns or social and cultural interactions, referred to as psychosocial stress. It can affect both maternal and infant health. Persistent racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly the disproportionately high rates of preterm birth among non-Hispanic Black women, remain inadequately explained by known risk factors. The problem addressed in this study was the limited understanding of how psychosocial stress and perceived gendered racism are related during pregnancy and how these factors may be associated with preterm birth outcomes among non-Hispanic Black women. Grounded in Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, this quantitative non-experimental correlation study examined the relationships between perceived gendered racism, psychosocial stress, and preterm birth by gestational age at birth. Two research questions guided the study: (a) What is the relationship between perceived gendered racism and psychosocial stress? (b) What is the relationship between perceived gendered racism, psychosocial stress, and preterm birth? Data were collected via self-report surveys from a nonprobability sample of 170 participants. Measures included the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale and the Psychosocial Hassles Scale. Pearson and partial correlation analyses were conducted. Results indicated statistically significant, moderate positive associations between perceived gendered racism and psychosocial stress. No statistically significant direct association was found with preterm birth when psychosocial stress was controlled. These findings suggest psychosocial stress represents an important correlate linking gendered racism to maternal health disparities. Findings may support culturally responsive prenatal care and indicate a need for future longitudinal and intervention research.Item Phenomenological Study of the Influence of Student Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Social-Emotional Experiences of Novice Teachers in Urban Environments(2026-06)Teacher shortages, retention issues, and an exodus from teaching due to workload demands have left school districts with little choice but to fill vacancies with novice teachers. Disproportionately placed in settings where they are likely to instruct students with adverse childhood experiences, novice teachers in urban environments possess unique experiences. This study explores the influence that the adverse childhood experiences of students have on novice elementary teachers in urban environments. The problem is that novice elementary teachers in urban environments are exposed to social-emotional stressors while working with large numbers of students with adverse childhood experiences, possibly contributing to teacher burnout, fatigue, and resignation. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the feelings and experiences of novice elementary teachers working in urban school districts who are exposed to social-emotional stressors while working with large numbers of students with adverse childhood experiences. Participating in a series of interviews and document review, six novice teachers provided context and revealed trajectories toward burnout, fatigue, and resignation in their work with students with childhood adversities. The Modified Stevick-Colaizzi Keen method of data analysis and NVIVO were used to organize and analyze data collected from the study’s novice teachers. The findings reveal multiple internal and external factors related to the social-emotional experiences of novice teachers, influenced by the adversities of their students and how novice teachers cope with their feelings relative to student adversities. Implications for practice include providing novices with trauma-informed practices and holistic strategies for coping with job-related stress and burnout. Future research should further explore novice teachers in urban environments in their work with students facing adversity, including novices across diverse school contexts.Item The Role of Trust an Engagement in Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices(2026-05)Employees belief and employer reality on an all-inclusive working environment are in continuous conflict. Such conflicting perceptions within an organization can hinder positive results in staff development, recruitment, engagement, and retainment of employees, and ultimately the overall performance of the organization. The problem addressed by this research was the misalignment of organizational EDI’s desired expectations and those of leadership and employees. This research utilized the social exchange theory via the leader member exchange that originated from Bauer and Greene for focusing on relationship, the social interactive exchanges, and attitudes between leaders and subordinates or team members. The research employed the qualitative case study methodology. The purposive selection strategy was incorporated where 12 participants were voluntarily retrieved from the sample population who were mid-level leaders and non-leaders with a healthcare setting. They were exposed to in-depth interview with structured open-end questions which were subjected to the scrutiny of EDI professionals. The research findings highlighted that workplace inclusion and engagement thrive on daily interactions and reciprocal relationships among employees, as trust reinforces a sense of psychological safety that is critical for authentic engagement. The implication on inclusivity, trust and engagement between leader and member showed that the participants motivation and satisfaction were strongly linked to how connected they felt. The research encourages organizations to recognize that trust manifests differently between leader and member relationships, and the potency of supporting both avenues via activities where employee’s connection bandwidth can go beyond groups and hierarchical boundaries, allowing bonds of trust to continuously evolve towards fostering a more engage workforce. While this research proved to be effective to retrieved insightful data from the targeted population, broader sampling that includes participants from a variety of demographic backgrounds and intersectional identities will deepen understanding of how inclusion and exclusion are experienced differently across groups.Item Employee Perceptions of AI-Driven Performance Management Systems: Impacts on Motivation, Fairness, and Trust(2026-05)AI-driven performance management systems are increasingly adopted to improve efficiency and objectivity in employee evaluations, yet their influence on employees' psychological and relational workplace experiences remains underexplored. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how these systems affect employee motivation, trust, and perceptions of fairness. Grounded in self-determination theory and organizational justice theory, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight U.S.-based employees with at least six months of direct experience with AI-supported performance management. Interviews were conducted remotely, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using NVivo. The analysis identified mixed motivational effects: participants reported heightened motivation when systems delivered timely feedback and improved efficiency, but diminished motivation when systems appeared opaque or context-insensitive. Trust was conditional, with participants consistently preferring hybrid models that integrated AI analytics with human managerial judgment. Fairness perceptions were negatively impacted by limited transparency and restricted opportunities for voice or appeal. Collectively, the results indicate that system effectiveness depends less on technological capability than on organizational commitment to transparency, fairness, and human-centered oversight. Practitioners are encouraged to adopt hybrid models, clarify evaluation criteria, establish mechanisms for employee voice, and design systems that support intrinsic motivation. Future research should employ larger, more diverse samples alongside longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to broaden and validate these findings.
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