Comparing Organizational Change Impacting Commitment and Burnout on Essential Childcare Workers During COVID-19: A Qualitative Analysis
Comparing Organizational Change Impacting Commitment and Burnout on Essential Childcare Workers During COVID-19: A Qualitative Analysis
Kimberly Amanda Gentry | 2023
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine the impact of organizational change on both organizational commitment and employee burnout, specifically related to COVID-19 through a postpandemic lens. The conceptual background of the study highlighted the importance of this research, and the study was designed to answer the call by numerous scholars including Yates (2022), Jung et al. (2020), Kim et al. (2016), Allen et al. (2007), and Peng et al. (2020). Based on the body of previous literature, a qualitative bounded case study fell into place as the research methodology. The researcher interviewed 12 research participants following the interview guide derived from literature and answered the two research questions: 1. Utilizing the theoretical constructs derived from Maslach’s Burnout Inventory and Meyer & Allen’s Organizational Commitment, in what ways did COVID-19 impact the essential worker’s organizational commitment and level of burnout in childcare-focused organizations comparing nonprofit and for-profit small businesses? 2. Through the lens of influence with Kotter’s eight steps of organizational change, is employee burnout related to organizational commitment within nonprofit and for-profit organizations? Qualitative data were collected and analyzed by the researcher and coded using ATLAS.ti software. The two cycles of qualitative coding including descriptive and thematic coding were used, and a total of 10 themes emerged for greater understanding. The themes found included leadership, COVID, communication, motivation, perspective, atmosphere, strategy, COVID accommodations, communication (comparison), and deficiencies. Practical implications, limitations of the research, and future recommendations are provided to conclude the study.