Date Awarded

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Education

Advisor

Pamela Eddy

Committee Member

James Barber

Committee Member

Ginger Ambler

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to higher education institutions, especially for staffing. Internal interim appointments were used to fill gaps in the administrative ranks. Literature emphasizes that interim leaders often serve during periods of uncertainty, crisis, and change. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivation(s) for why administrators within student affairs decided to accept an interim leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic and to better understand their experience. For this narrative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven student-affairs practitioners who were asked by their supervisors to serve in an interim dean, director, or vice-president role between March 2020–May 2022. An inductive analysis approach was employed to derive patterns and themes between the interims and their experiences. The findings indicated that all participants felt that their financial compensation for the role was inadequate given the demands of the interim role. Additionally, despite all but one of the participants constantly feeling overwhelmed and stressed, most indicated a willingness to do an interim role again. McClelland’s (1961) Achievement Motivation Theory was used as a framework to see if the factors of achievement, affiliation, or power were primary motivators for accepting the interim role. Over half of the interims indicated they were motivated by achievement. Additionally, the concept of being motivated by power was not viewed positively by most of the participants, yet power did emerge as a motivator for one participant. Given that interim appointments and pandemics are both temporary, conducting a study that focused on experiences during this timeframe adds to the limited body of research on this intersectionality. Additionally, narratives from the participants serve as a guide for future practitioners considering an interim appointment or supervisors looking for an interim employee.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-8s6d-x756

Rights

© The Author

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