Semester Award Granted
Spring 2025
Submission Date
May 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Deborah L. Floyd
Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair
Cristobal Salinas Jr.
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to better understand the nature of ombuds’ psychological safety experiences in higher education by exploring how ombuds make meaning of their lived experiences with psychological safety and how it informs their roles with the constituencies they serve in higher education. Relying on data gathered related to the lived experiences of 12 organizational ombuds working at institutions of higher education, this study utilized one-on-one, open-ended, semi-structured interviews to collect data. The Four Stages of Psychological Safety was the conceptual framework used to study participants’ lived experiences. This study will contribute to the limited published empirical research related to organizational ombuds in higher education by providing recommendations for organizational ombuds practitioners to contribute to their effectiveness and to contribute to a body of knowledge that improves understanding of the role of organizational ombuds in higher education.
Recommended Citation
Wint, Angella J., "YOU ARE SAFE HERE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND ORGANIZATIONAL OMBUDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 12.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/12