Date of Conferral
2021
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Jorge Gaytan
Abstract
AbstractBusiness leaders often fail to investigate cases of workplace misconduct effectively, costing organizations millions of dollars in losses each year. Effective investigation of cases of workplace misconduct is essential to avoid costly lawsuits. Grounded in Adams’ equity theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies business leaders use to investigate complaints of workplace misconduct. The participants were three business leaders from three different organizations in Georgia, United States, with successful strategies to investigate complaints of workplace misconduct. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, organizational documents, and artifacts. Yin’s five-step process guided the data analysis. Two themes emerged from analyses: improved process for handling workplace misconduct investigations and decreased employee perceptions of favoritism. A key recommendation is to build relationships with employees to avoid employee perception of unfair treatment and favoritism and provide leaders with proper investigation training to reduce bias. The implications for positive social change include the potential for effective investigation of workplace misconduct that leads to a positive workplace, which is critical to the behaviors of the employees at work, at home, and in their communities.
Recommended Citation
Ford-Thompson, Vonetta, "Strategies to Handle Complaints or Incidents of Suspected Workplace Misconduct" (2021). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10793.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10793
