dc.contributor.author	Ham, Carol Ann
dc.coverage.spatial	United States, Georgia.	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2018-05-17T23:46:18Z
dc.date.available	2018-05-17T23:46:18Z
dc.date.issued	2018-04
dc.identifier.citation	Ham, Carol Ann. "Identifying Possible Guidelines for Addressing the Unexpected Death of a Coworker in an Academic Workplace." P.hD. diss., Valdosta State University, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10428/3070.
dc.identifier.other	349C12CD-C172-9281-4D73-FA0A4CD4771D	UUID
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10428/3070
dc.description.abstract	Although grief in the workplace has been researched, only two studies concerning the experiences of employees following the death of a coworker in an academic workplace have been published. Academia presents unique challenges when an employee dies unexpectedly because the institution must continue to function for the students, and the deceased employee’s duties must be assumed by highly-qualified individuals, frequently by grieving coworkers. To better understand the experiences of those left to carry on after the death of a coworker, a study of discovery was designed utilizing grounded theory. Twenty participants, 10 from Valdosta State University and 10 from Darton State College, completed a written survey consisting of five open-ended questions, and four follow-up questions related to the death of a coworker in an academic environment. Consistent themes between the two institutions emerged related to notification preference via phone or in person, responsibility for notification, faculty feeling honored to cover the descendant’s class, the greater difficulty of assuming upper administration duties, and the crucialness of upper administration response because of potentially lasting negative impression for years if handled badly. Evidence emerged that different responses are owed for the loss of a coworker to traumatic death than to natural causes. Further research is needed, especially related to traumatic loss, but the preliminary findings can be used to craft basic policy and procedure in anticipation of future deaths. Decisions may be made ahead of time related to manner of notification, designated notifiers, policies related to funeral attendance and memorials, training related to grief, cooperative agreements with adjacent institutions concerning the use of adjuncts, and the role upper administration will play when there is a loss.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 \| Background 1 \| The Problem 5 \| Research Questions 6 \| The Questions 7 \| Definition of Terms 8 \| Procedures/Methodology: An Overview 10 \| Significance 11 \| Limitations of the Study 12 \| Organization of the Study 12 \| Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 14 \| Death Is a Fact of Life 14 \| Dual Process Model 16 \| Grief in the Workplace 18 \| Experience of the Employee 21 \| Experience of the Manager 22 \| Preparation and Training 26 \| Interventions for Traumatic Loss 28 \| Postvention 29 \| Group Support 32 \| Existing Policy 35 \| Limits of the Literature 37 \| Summary 39 \| Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 43 \| Grounded Theory 43 \| Researcher Bias 46 \| Data Collection Sites 47 \| Recruiting 48 \| Procedures 52 \| Data Analysis 53 \| Follow Up Questions 54 \| Reliability 57 \| Chapter IV: RESULTS 59 \| Participants 59 \| Comparison of Institutions 61 \| Core Categories, Categories and Subcategories 62 \| A Note on Administration 64 \| Core Category 1: Trauma 66 \| Notification 71 \| Core Category 3: Work 80 \| Grief 80 \| Productivity 84 \| Central Category Administration 93 \| Experience of Administrators 97 \| Response of Administration 99 \| Loss of an Administrator 101 \| Participant 52 111 \| General Discussion 115 \| Implications 116 \| Conclusion 117 \| Chapter V: CONCLUSION 120 \| Limitations of the Study 120 \| Overview 122 \| Notification 125 \| Work 128 \| Generalized Application 135 \| Conclusion 136 \| The Researcher’s Story 138 \| REFERENCES 147 \| APPENDIX A: Participation Letter 161 \| APPENDIX B: Informed Consent Form 164 \| APPENDIX C: Survey 167 \| APPENDIX D: Institutional Review Board Approval 170 \|	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	Work environment	en_US
dc.subject	Death	en_US
dc.subject	Grief	en_US
dc.subject	Bereavement	en_US
dc.subject	Full employment policies	en_US
dc.subject	Universities and colleges	en_US
dc.subject	Universities and colleges--Professional staff	en_US
dc.title	Identifying Possible Guidelines for Addressing the Unexpected Death of a Coworker in an Academic Workplace	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department Of Political Science Of The College Of Arts And Sciences	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Sangey, Michael
dc.description.committee	Vodde, Richard
dc.description.committee	Scnmidt, Penelope
dc.description.committee	LaPlant, James T.
dc.description.degree	D.PA.	en_US
dc.description.major	Public Administration	en_US