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Hi Shereese
Your comments in the audio raise an important issue about employees not being committed to the mission and vision of the organization. We know from our EDUC800 and EDUC845 classes that is an important component of both leadership (motivating employees to work toward a shared vision) and to the success of the organization.  I will be interested to see how your research methods develop, but as you design your study you may want to consider incorporating some measure of whether employees understand and support the mission of the organization.  Also, will you be looking at professional development offered to those entering leadership positions? I would think that would contribute to the work environment and engagement. Sorry for the late comments, nice work on the poster!
Graceann

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Hi Shereese,

I think it is interesting that there is not much literature  on leadership accountability. Do you have any ideas why that is? Also, I wonder if the effiecency and accountability of tax dollars would lead to a more productive government. What do you think?
-Denisha

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Brief introduction and research overview

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Some limitations in this research are my knowledge and understanding of all aspects of graduate research as well as my full direction on my research topic.  I hope to lessen the effects of these limitations as I progress through the doctoral program.  In addition, another limitation is current data.  Many FEVS results are from the previous year as well as action plans.  The goal will be to extrapolate and determine trends for strategies and effectiveness.

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Next steps in my research involve locating research on leadership and its' contributions to an engaged workforce. In addition, I will research OPM's policies, strategies and practices regarding employee engagement and whether there are measures in place for leadership accountability

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Action Plans -  systematic change-‐management processes that allow
managers to address program and/or process shortcomings and
develop actionable plans for improving the weaknesses (OPM)
Appraisals -  behavioral-based and/or objective and/or results-oriented
evaluations of federal employees (OPM)
Communication - defined as the imparting or exchanging of information or news;

a process by which information is exchanged between individuals
through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior
DHHS - the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services serves to
enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans

Direct Leadership - immediate supervisor(s)
EEO - Equal employment opportunity
Employee Engagement - how employees find personal meaning in their work,
take pride in what they do and where they do it, and have the
feeling that their organization values them (MSPB)
FEVS - Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
HRSA - the Health Resources and Services Administration - agency
under the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Job Functions - categorized as classifications, job grading and qualifications
information that is used to determine the pay plan, series, title, grade
and qualification requirements for most work in the federal government
(OPM)
Knowledge Sharing - a systematic effort to enable information and knowledge to grow,
flow, and create value
MSPB - the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board is an
independent, quasi-judicial agency in the Executive
branch that serves as the guardian of Federal merit systems.
OPM - the U.S. Office of Personnel Management  serves as the chief
human resources agency and personnel policy manager for
the Federal Government and conducts the FEVS annually.
Performance Measures -  encompass the assessment of performance and
results achieved by individual employees, groups of
employees or teams, and entire organizations (OPM)
System-Wide Leadership - manager (s) who supervise immediate
or other supervisor(s)

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So far, I have not found studies that address specific employee engagement strategies nor ones that emphasize leadership accountability in the process.  In addition, I am looking for studies that address leadership styles that are most conducive for increased employee engagement and/or job satisfaction.  Moreover, I am interested in any connections between leadership and work environments to see if any correlations exist for increased employee engagement.

The FEVS does have questions that directly ask employees how their direct supervisors and upper management affect how they feel about their jobs and their work environments.  I hope to glean new information and new conclusions from these data analyses.

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The 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) records that 55 percent of employees feel that their leaders lead relative to leadership behavior, communication and work motivation.  This number is lower than the overall engagement index score of 67 percent suggesting that leadership may have a part in influencing how engaged federal workers feel about their jobs as leaders influence trust, behavior and work motivation.

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The research questions to be answered are what employee engagement strategies are leaders using in the federal government to engage employees in this political era and how effective are these strategies and what is the impact on morale and engagement.  In the current political climate of doing more with less, there is interest by the federal government to determine ways to re-imagine the federal workforce to be more efficient and more effective.  Federal leaders are developing methods to address this issue, but the impact on employee morale is not included in the re-imagine conversation.  Therefore, this research will address the strategies currently available and measure the effectiveness of those strategies to address employee morale and engagement.

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This research is significant because the federal government is one of the largest employers in the United States and serves the American people. Therefore, there is a strong responsibility to ensure efficiency and accountability for taxpayer dollars.

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According to the U.S. Merit Systems and Protection Board (MSPB) Report “The Power of Federal Employee Engagement” (2008), “Agencies with the highest rates of average sick leave use, equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaints, and instances of work-related injuries had lower levels of employee engagement”.  In addition, the pressures to do more with less in this political era are requiring organizations to reexamine what factors are key to sustaining and increasing their employees’ productivity.  The Report concludes that engagement and motivation are crucial to this goal and agencies are encouraged to create conditions that promote them.

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Shereese Harris is a Chief in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration Agency (HRSA). HRSA, an agency of 2200 employees and a $10.5 billion budget, serves under-served and underrepresented populations.  Being in Division Management encouraging change and leading staff of 11 for over six years, Ms.Harris serves also on Agency-level outreach and strategic planning work groups and as a HRSA Senior Leader Fellow, a 12-month program.  In addition to pursuing a doctorate in education at Drexel, Ms. Harris earned a master's degree in Business Administration and a bachelor's degree in Public Health.

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The purpose of the study is to determine the federal government’s strategies regarding employee engagement and the impact on employee morale.  My area of study relates to organizational strategies surrounding employee engagement of the federal worker.  The emphasis of my research is on leadership’s role in contributing to employee engagement.