Date of Award

6-15-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

Daniels College of Business

First Advisor

Daniel Baack

Second Advisor

Dennis Wittmer

Third Advisor

Kerry Mitchell

Keywords

Autonomy, Employee autonomy, Employee neglect, Leader perspective, Leadership, Neglect

Abstract

The fine line between granting employee autonomy and inadvertently falling into patterns of neglect presents a complex challenge within organizational leadership. This study explores the question: What do leaders perceive as effective strategies for providing autonomy to remote employees without being perceived as neglecting them? Employee autonomy empowers employees to make decisions, while leader neglect towards subordinates (LNS) is defined through this research as a gradual decrease in a leader's interest or effort in sustaining positive relationships with employees. Navigating this balance is crucial to maintaining employee engagement.

This qualitative study uncovered nuanced perceptions on this issue using a grounded theory methodology and semi-structured interviews with leaders. The findings suggest the importance of regular check-ins with employees, deprioritizing external factors that influence or detract from leaders' attention, and the concept that autonomy could be an illusion in high-stress environments. A proposed model emerged to guide leaders in balancing these elements. In sum, this research underscores the intertwined nature of employee autonomy and perceived neglect from a leadership perspective in contemporary work settings.

Copyright Date

6-2024

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Lekshmy Sankar

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

192 pgs

File Size

2.0 MB

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