Abstract

The pandemic forced many employees to transition to remote work, leading to concerns about the economic impact and inequities between remote and on-site workers. The shift to remote work has raised psychological safety issues, work-life balance, and employee engagement. The virtual workspace created during the pandemic has highlighted communication challenges, interpersonal dynamics, and maintaining boundaries between work and personal life. Through a quantitative approach, this study explored changes in perceived psychological safety, its relation to the psychosocial impact of COVID-19, and demographic factors, offering the opportunity to gain insights into this unprecedented experience during a global pandemic. Findings showed that 60.9% rated their psychological safety as having changed for the worse. Remote work did not significantly affect psychological safety, but differences were observed among races/ethnicities and genders. Asian/Pacific Islanders and White/Caucasians reported lower psychological safety than Hispanics/Latinos, while females felt safer than those who preferred not to answer. The relationship between total tenure and psychological safety was not substantial, but employment tenure had a slight negative correlation with changes in psychological safety. Employment tenure also negatively impacted Team Psychological Safety Change and had a small negative impact on the Leader Psychological Safety Change Score. These findings will contribute to understanding psychological safety in remote work contexts and inform organizations in creating supportive and engaging hybrid work environments. The study's significance lies in its examination of the unique experience of remote workers during the pandemic and its implications for future work arrangements. By investigating psychological safety, organizations can foster a positive work culture and address the challenges associated with remote work, ultimately enhancing employee well-being and productivity.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Virtual work; Well-being--Employees; Work-life balance--United States; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020---United States

Date of Award

2024

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Education

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Elio Spinello

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