D.B.A.  Baker College (Michigan), 2018.
Specialization:  Business administration; Organizational behavior; Military studies

Losing an adult child service member in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and its impact on fathers in the work force
127 pages. UMI #: 13426590
Citation, Abstract & Full text in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database

The loss of a child may well be the biggest challenge a parent may face. A parent’s world is forever changed when an adult child is lost, including in war. The problem is surviving fathers, who lost adult children service members in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, are an overlooked population and face challenges in the work environment when they return to work. A phenomenological study was conducted using video and teleconferencing interviews to gather data. The research questions include the following: (a) What experiences do surviving military fathers have in the work environment after the loss of adult children from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars? (b) How do leaders impact fathers as employees prior to the loss of adult children? (c) How do leaders impact surviving fathers as employees after the loss of adult children? The semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 subjects. The participants in this study were chosen using the purposeful sampling method. The data collected in this study was analyzed using NVivo 11 Plus. Based on the findings of the phenomenological study, grieving fathers expressed mixed levels of support from their coworkers, that grief impacted their ability to perform their employment responsibilities, sustainability of employment, and impacted their relationships with their managers. The fathers saw themselves as an overlooked population and believe the bereavement leave policies to be unrealistic for the loss of a child. Transformational leaders emerged has having the most positive impact on fathers before and after the deaths of their children.

• Susan Cathcart, Ph.D., Chair
• Mary Dereshiwsky, Ph.D.
• Peggy Houghton, Ph.D.