Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

James S. Herndon

Abstract

Professional attitudes toward results-oriented performance cut across job sectors; however, they are pronounced among disaster management personnel. Within the disaster management sector (DMS), commitment to the organization is critical to retention and quality services and has been shown to be related to degree of work satisfaction; however, research remains lacking related to the specific needs of the DMS related to employee and volunteer worker attraction, engagement, and retention. The purpose of this study was to explore job attitudes among disaster management sector (DMS) workers to create and support a more effective solution to employee job attitude problems and to promote performance and job satisfaction. A review of the literature revealed little published on this service area, with the existing research focused on the negative drivers of job dissatisfaction, lacking information on motivation and self-efficacy. A descriptive case study using both questionnaires and interviews was used both to investigate DMS HRM perceptions and experiences and to identify factors affecting job attitudes among employees and effective job attitude solutions to enhance job performance and satisfaction. Results of the data analysis revealed themes that can identify specific job attitudes that support DMS as an effective and efficient organization, the key drivers for achieving these job attitudes among employees, and HRM best practices in the DMS to support positive job attitudes among employees and why these best practices may be different than in other organizations. Components of employee engagement and retention will provide the DMS insight to develop job attitude solutions with the possibility of increasing job performance and satisfaction, serving to promote positive social change.

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