Graduation Semester and Year

2020

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Public and Urban Administration

Department

Public Administration

First Advisor

Maria Martinez-Cosio

Abstract

Community Health Workers (CHWs) organizations are professional associations that support the growing CHW workforce and advocate for the unique needs of CHWs. CHWs have successfully improved health outcomes of vulnerable populations and helped alleviate the burden of high healthcare costs. The professional support provided by CHW organizations can play a significant role in addressing the downward trend in the number of CHWs and certification renewals. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of the professional support provided by CHW organizations. This interdisciplinary study applied principles from public administration and behavioral sciences research to apply organizational performance measures to CHW organizations. The study engaged a mixed methods approach to analyze the data collected from CHWs, CHW instructors, and organization participants. The results of this study identified essential factors in predicting member’s behavior towards the organization, thereby impacting a key measure of organizational performance. This study also revealed a fragmented support system for CHWs throughout their professional career. The identification of the key factors for increasing behavioral intention is crucial for breaking down these silos to build better collaborations and improve the professional support available to the CHW workforce. Finally, this study proposed the following operational definition of CHW organization performance: a high performing CHW organization focuses on providing organizational support, fulfilling professional needs, and gaining members’ trust in order to improve member’s social identity and increase member satisfaction, thus influencing member’s behavioral intentions.

Keywords

Organization effectiveness, Community health workers, Perceived organizational support, Member satisfaction, Professional associations

Disciplines

Public Affairs | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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