Students: Dissertation: Nanette Yragui
ABSTRACT
The workplace is a setting where women in abusive relationships can potentially access information and support to resolve the violence in their lives. This study addresses a critical need for data-based knowledge about how supervisors can effectively support employees experiencing intimate partner violence. The dissertation study examines supervisor support congruency (i.e., the match between support wanted and received) and work outcomes for Latina and non-Latina, abused women. Specifically, I examine which supervisor support measures best predict work outcomes for abused, low-wage, employees. In addition, I evaluate the criterion validity and reliability of a behavioral measure of wanted and received supervisor support, the Intimate Partner Violence Work Support Assessment (IPV-WSA).
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with Spanish-speaking Latina and English-speaking non-Latino participants aged 18 or older, currently employed or employed in the past six months, and involved within the past year in intimate partner violence relationships (N = 163). The IPV-WSA was examined on dimensions of positive congruent support (PCS, support wanted and received) and support commission (COM, support not wanted but received).
Test-retest reliabilities for the dimensions of PCS and COM were .84 and .82, respectively. Positive congruent support predicted job satisfaction after controlling for hours worked, job tenure, general supervisor support, and relational demography variables. Higher levels of PCS were associated with higher job satisfaction (² = .23, p = .01) and higher COM was associated with more job reprimands c2 (8, N = 142) = 18.84, p = .02. For an increase in 10 points of support commission, the odds of receiving a reprimand were increased 1.37 times.
Findings from the study provide important theoretical and practical implications which are discussed in light of social support theory and workplace interventions for IPV. Theoretically, the findings are consistent with research based on a taxonomy of support that accounts for individual differences in support wanted (Reynolds & Perrin, 2004). Practically, the IPV-WSA provides more specific behavioral information on supervisor support match than that provided from a global measure of supervisor support and, therefore, is more useful in informing the development of workplace IPV interventions.
June 11, 2008
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
Eric Mankowski, Chair
Leslie Hammer
Nancy A. Perrin
Robert Sinclair
Wayne W. Wakeland
Jose Padin, Graduate Studies Rep.
