Work/Nonwork Boundary: A Phenomenological Investigation of the U.S Pre-Tenured Academic Faculty during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The overarching purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the work-nonwork boundary management experiences of the US pre-tenured faculty members during the COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies they used to navigate their personal and professional lives in the times of crisis. By unfolding the experiences of the early-career faculty members in the context of pandemic and better understanding work-life theory and research in this context, this study can contribute to the strategic development of policies, practices, programs and interventions that appear to reduce uncertainty and accommodate demands fostering greater work/nonwork boundary (WNB) management. This research is a step to enhance understanding of institutional response to the COVID-19 global crisis and to plan for other potential crises. Capitalizing on this study’s approach to problem-solving, scholars in the field will be able to conduct research and provide data resources to leaders engaged in planning and researchers seeking to understand the higher education sector’s response to crises.

This study revealed three major findings. First, a combination of personal and professional demands and resources shaped the WNB management experiences of the junior faculty during the home-based telework. Professional demands including scholarly productivity and the urgency of teaching duties were found to lead to mental exhaustion. Second, findings of this study showed that the disruption caused by the pandemic has added an even greater pressure on the tenure clock for academic promotion. Although the extension of the tenure clock was offered as an institutional resource, it seemed not to be sufficient considering the high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout the junior faculty members were experiencing. Third, physical and cognitive coping strategies were utilized by the faculty members to boundary manage their personal and professional roles. My analysis illustrated that academic faculty are a heterogeneous workforce of individuals with respect to demographics, home/work stresses, varying proportions of contributions to the research, instruction, and methods for self-care.

Findings of this study provided some major implications for HRD research and practice. Findings of this study will help leaders and policymakers to accurately assess how junior faculty members’ academic performance has been affected. It can also provide insight and opportunity during a time of extreme disruption. It can help power the innovation and cooperation that is so essential as the higher-education sector re-imagines its business model.