Date of Conferral

12-19-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Hamid Kazeroony

Abstract

The challenges women face with dual responsibilities during a crisis often force them to take on additional or multiple responsibilities at home. The specific research problem is that although researchers have investigated job loss during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the topic of how employers can retain women with dual responsibilities, caring for their family members in their household and working during crises, has not been explored. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the best practices that employers use to retain women employees with dual responsibilities who are caring for their household family members in the post-COVID-19 era. The affective events theory and leader-member exchange theory ground this study. The 10 participants included human resources (HR) professionals, hiring managers, and decision-makers in the Greater Milwaukee metropolitan area. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and job descriptions as external artifacts. Ten themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) workplace flexibility as a critical factor; (b) caregiving supports; (c) supportive leadership and mentorship; (d) well-being and mental health; (e) inclusion, equity, and culture; (f) rewards and career growth; (g) attendance and leave practices; (h) productivity and organizational outcomes; (i) turnover and absence drivers; and (j) post COVID shifts. HR leaders can use these identified strategies to retain women with dual responsibilities during crises, supporting retention of women, reducing unemployment rates, and facilitating women's continued employment. The implications for positive social change include the potential for HR leaders to implement policies and practices that support caregiving employees for increasing productivity, morale, and retention.

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