Susanna Adams
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Elizabeth Trinh
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Management and Organizations / Business
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Authors:
Abstract
The ODESI Lab explores the dynamic between leaders and whom they led and the various challenges within the workplace. Within the lab, we conduct multiple different projects through surveys, interviews, and traditional lab settings. In particular, in our last project, we interviewed CEOS, Presidents, and CFOS of Nonprofit organizations across the United States. Our goal was the see if nonprofit employers believed that their staff is motivated even though there are fewer incentives in the nonprofit sector. Another aspect we were looking for was if burnout was a prominent factor in the nonprofit sector – we predicted that it was. Throughout these interviews, we recorded the leader’s answers to our questions. Each interview lasted about 20-40 minutes. We then sorted through all of the interviews, finding common themes and topics. After analyzing our interviews, we concluded that even though the nonprofit sector lacks the incentives that the for-profit sector provides, employers and employees were extremely motivated and passionate about their work. We also concluded that due to COVID -19, office hours became blurred because people have access to work from home via email, zoom, and their laptops; this led to overworking and burnout. Another aspect of burnout is the nature of nonprofit work – especially direct service – because it is emotionally and mentally taxing. Throughout the interviews, each employer recognized burnout and overworking as an issue within their organization and recognized that taking time off, setting strict office hours, and promoting mental health are necessary to combat these factors. The majority of the employers stated that they intend to lead by example when it comes to overworking, for example, taking more breaks, turning off email past a certain time, and taking vacations.
