Date of Award

6-12-2000

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL)

Department

Leadership

First Advisor

Lucie Ferrell, R.N., Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Rosemary Link, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Jeanne Bailey, R.N., MA

Abstract

This study describes mothers with children and their perceptions of success and their ability to balance responsibilities of home and work. The study is the result of hospital leaders' expressed concern for the inability of hospitals to recruit and retain qualified employees to fill service oriented non-professional jobs. The research method is a descriptive survey utilizing a convenience sample of working mothers in nonprofessional hospital job categories. The survey questions are designed to elicit answers to the research question: How do mothers with dependent children and working full-time perceive their ability to balance the responsibilities of employment and motherhood? The theoretical framework for this research is Servant Leadership for its inherent strength to encourage team-based and individual empowerment and may positively influence retention of a committed workforce.

Although only four working mothers completed the survey, findings are relevant in that these mothers who were married and single parents identified how few hours of sleep they get in a twenty four hour day, that being married does not mean they have more time for themselves, and the mothers expressed how important it was to their sense of well being to have a supervisor that took time to learn and understand their personal interest and concerns for their children's health and social welfare.

Identifier

SC 11.MAL.2000.James.LA

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