Committee Chair

Cunningham, Christopher J. L.

Committee Member

O'Leary, Brian J.; Black, Kristen Jennings, 1991-

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This study examined the influence of supervisor unavailability on employee job satisfaction, counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), and intent to quit. We introduced perceived supervisor unavailability (PSU), as employee's perception that their supervisor is not present, reachable, or responsive when support is needed. Grounded in Job Demands-Resources and Social Exchange Theory, we looked at personal (role clarity) and organizational resources (perceived supervisor or PSS and organizational support or POS) as mediators of the PSU-work outcomes relationship. Data were collected from on-site and hybrid/remote employees. Perceived supervisor unavailability was significantly negatively associated with job satisfaction and positively associated with intent to quit, but these became non-significant once role clarity, PSS, and POS were included, suggesting that these resources account for the variance. Additionally, personal and organizational resources appeared to mediate the PSU-CWB relationship. These findings highlight the importance of clear roles, supportive supervisors, and strong organizational practices in reducing PSU’s negative effects.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my thesis chair, Dr. Christopher Cunningham, for your support, availability, and dedication throughout this project. Your guidance has been instrumental in my academic, professional, and personal development. I am especially grateful for the trust and confidence you placed in me during this process. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kristen Black and Dr. Brian O’Leary, for their valuable feedback, encouragement, and thoughtful challenges, which strengthened this work and pushed it to a higher standard. I would also like to thank my workplace for supporting my pursuit of graduate studies while working full-time and for inspiring the topic of this research. I am also grateful to my friends (especially those in UTC’s Industrial Organizational Psychology program) for their encouragement, camaraderie, and support throughout this graduate program. Finally, I want to thank Sarah Neiles for her unwavering support as well as Susan and Tommy Neiles for their constant encouragement throughout this journey.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Employee retention; Job satisfaction; Labor turnover; Supervisors

Keyword

Perceived Supervisor Unavailability; Perceived Supervisor Support; Job Demands-Resources; Mediation; Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xi, 91 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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