Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

Mid-level administrators occupy a complex position within higher education institutions, a role defined by middleness” (Gleeson & Shain, 1999, p. 488), which characterizes their place in institutional hierarchies between superiors and subordinates. Mid-level administrators often feel isolated since they cannot be seen as having close personal relationships with those above or below them in the rankings. Consequently, mid-level administrators are subject to burnout, a psychological condition resulting from isolation compounded by working long hours reconciling the competing and conflicting needs of supervisors and subordinates, which leaves them emotionally exhausted, physically depleted, and feeling like they have reached a professional dead-end. However, engaging in networking and relationship-building activities with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., administrators, peers, and community partners) helps alleviate position-related stress and opens doors to future career prospects. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the relationship between networking experiences and perceived level of burnout among mid-level administrators working in the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs divisions. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests will be used to examine the relationships.

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