Date of Conferral

10-6-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Rocky Dwyer

Abstract

Balancing business demands with working parents’ responsibilities is critical to organizational success because return-to-office decisions can influence employee turnover, organizational performance, and costs. Organizational leaders are concerned about designing return-to-office arrangements for working parents that prevent the risk of heightened employee turnover, damaged trust, and rising organizational costs linked to lost productivity and replacement hiring. Grounded in Homans’s social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore strategies that leaders use to encourage working parents in the United States to return to office-based work. The participants included six organizational leaders within the United States who had successfully implemented return-to-office strategies for employees with dependent-care responsibilities. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and review of publicly available documents. Four themes emerged from reflexive thematic analysis: (a) successful leaders offer working parents adaptable, flexible scheduling; (b) working parent employees thrive with leaders who role model work–life balance; (c) transparent communication and feedback loops offer working parent employees strong systemic support; and (d) working parent employees prefer workplaces offering employee-centered support and empowerment. A key recommendation is for leaders to institutionalize feedback mechanisms that allow ongoing adaptation of return-to-office practices. The implications for positive social change include the potential for more stable employment for working parents, enhanced family predictability, and stronger community vitality through steadier labor-force participation.

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