Yiyang Sun
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Research Mentor(s): Elizabeth Trinh
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Management and Organizations / Business
Program: UROP
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Authors: Elizabeth Trinh, Rachel Sun, Lilian Shern
Abstract
Leadership is an integral part of a successful organization, as it is responsible for setting the direction and ensuring the organization is running to its greatest potential. According to P Eisinger, author of the 2002 Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly article, “Studies have shown that the quality of leadership is a major factor in determining whether nonprofit organizations can successfully retain their staff†(Eisinger, 2002). Leaders play a significant role in staff retention, as they determine the organizational culture and values, the relationships between employees and supervisors, and the overall organizational climate. When leaders are effective in setting goals and providing employees with the resources and support they need to accomplish them, they help foster an environment of trust and mutual respect that leads to employee engagement, job satisfaction, and ultimately, staff retention (Eisinger, 2002). Despite nonprofits being known to have employees that are passionate and mission-driven, they have reported significant challenges in retaining staff and filling vacancies since the second half of 2021. This research aims to explore the meaning of work from the perspective of leaders in nonprofit organizations as the meaning of work literature has included aspects of employees ( Brent D. et al. 2010), yet there is limited study on the influence of leaders. Specifically, researchers will analyze nonprofit organizations in different geographic locations and examine their change during the pandemic.
