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Theory of Mind and Decision Making in Public Managers Work with Turnover and Retention: a Qualitative Study

Lydahl, Oscar LU and Lagerström, Adam LU (2024) PSYP01 20241
Department of Psychology
Abstract
The research on theory of mind is increasingly focused on adults in various professional contexts. One such context in which the role of theory of mind remains rather scarce is within public management, and decisions regarding turnover and retention. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge on theory of mind in working adults in this specific context. 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers within a larger Swedish municipality that were currently dealing with elevated levels of turnover. The intent of the interviews was to investigate what role various facets of theory of mind played in their work with turnover and retention. A theoretical thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed material to extract the... (More)
The research on theory of mind is increasingly focused on adults in various professional contexts. One such context in which the role of theory of mind remains rather scarce is within public management, and decisions regarding turnover and retention. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge on theory of mind in working adults in this specific context. 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers within a larger Swedish municipality that were currently dealing with elevated levels of turnover. The intent of the interviews was to investigate what role various facets of theory of mind played in their work with turnover and retention. A theoretical thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed material to extract the function of six known facets of theory of mind: empathy, sympathy, social awareness, social perception, perspective-taking as well as prognostication. Aside from those, another three facets were identified as relevant: expressive pragmatics: narrative construction, social common sense and audience adaptation. A last theme departing from theory of mind was included: public sector. The results of this study mostly align with prior research. This study indicates that theory of mind aids public managers in deciding what to focus on when addressing issues related to turnover and retention, as well as implementing those decisions effectively. This appeared to be particularly relevant in the public sector, as the managers had to balance electorate wishes with their own departments' success. (Less)
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author
Lydahl, Oscar LU and Lagerström, Adam LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYP01 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Theory of mind, public sector, retention, turnover, decision-making, managers, thematic analysis, qualitative psychological research
language
English
additional info
We would like to note that the provided appendix containing the interview guide used in this study is kept in Swedish, and not translated to English.
id
9174644
date added to LUP
2024-09-18 12:47:41
date last changed
2024-09-18 12:47:41
@misc{9174644,
  abstract     = {{The research on theory of mind is increasingly focused on adults in various professional contexts. One such context in which the role of theory of mind remains rather scarce is within public management, and decisions regarding turnover and retention. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge on theory of mind in working adults in this specific context. 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers within a larger Swedish municipality that were currently dealing with elevated levels of turnover. The intent of the interviews was to investigate what role various facets of theory of mind played in their work with turnover and retention. A theoretical thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed material to extract the function of six known facets of theory of mind: empathy, sympathy, social awareness, social perception, perspective-taking as well as prognostication. Aside from those, another three facets were identified as relevant: expressive pragmatics: narrative construction, social common sense and audience adaptation. A last theme departing from theory of mind was included: public sector. The results of this study mostly align with prior research. This study indicates that theory of mind aids public managers in deciding what to focus on when addressing issues related to turnover and retention, as well as implementing those decisions effectively. This appeared to be particularly relevant in the public sector, as the managers had to balance electorate wishes with their own departments' success.}},
  author       = {{Lydahl, Oscar and Lagerström, Adam}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Theory of Mind and Decision Making in Public Managers Work with Turnover and Retention: a Qualitative Study}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}