| The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to investigate the complex, real-world problem of department chairs not knowing how to promote faculty well-being while balancing a multitude of workplace responsibilities. Consequently, there is a critical need to better understand how department chairs, middle managers, currently perceive and manage their role in promoting faculty well-being. In the absence of such knowledge, the development of effective approaches to provide support and professional development in the area of well-being promotion for department chairs will likely remain minimal. Rath and Harter's definition of well-being was used to frame the study. This definition includes 5 components of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. The study had 3 aims: to determine the perceptions of department chairs regarding their role in promoting faculty well-being; identify the influential factors department chairs consider when promoting faculty well-being; and identify techniques used by department chairs to promote faculty well-being. Three data collection tools were utilized in the research study, which included: a semi-structured interview, memo writing, and member checking. The 6-step interpretative phenomenological analysis framework established by Smith, Flowers, & Larkin guided the data analysis. The research study findings suggest that department chairs feel most comfortable promoting the components of purpose, social, and community wellbeing. While they feel less comfortable promoting faculty's financial and physical wellbeing. Furthermore, department chairs in this research study make sense of their role in promoting faculty well-being through cultural influences established by the university, from past personal experiences and personal beliefs, theoretical requirements of the academic position, and through experiences with difficult faculty. A variety of leadership strategies were utilized by department chairs to promote faculty well-being. These included communication, supporting faculty development opportunities, encouraging social events, providing faculty flexibility, and using the wait and see method. The proposed solution to the complex, real-world problem is to supplement current professional development programs for department chairs with information that interweaves tenets of path-goal theory with findings from the current study and information on the five components of well-being. |
