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Dissertation
From first contact to fatigue: the hidden tolls of admissions work
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Drexel University
May 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010974
Abstract
This dissertation examines how job demands, trusting one's supervisor, and fair compensation contribute to work fatigue among college admission recruiters in higher education. Guided by Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) theory, Conservation of Resources theory, Equity theory, and Distributive Justice theory, the study investigates the effects of long workdays, heavy workloads, and travel on three dimensions of work fatigue: physical, mental, and emotional. The research also explores whether trust in supervisors and perceptions of fair compensation affect these relationships. A quantitative methodology was employed, using validated instruments to survey college admission recruiters across U.S. institutions. Data analysis included regression and general linear modeling to assess relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that while individual job tasks did not directly predict fatigue, trusting one's supervisor and fair compensation significantly influenced employee well-being. These results highlight the importance of social and organizational resources in mitigating fatigue and sustaining performance in enrollment management roles. By addressing these relational and structural factors, institutional leaders can better support student recruitment staff, improve retention, and align human resource practices with the demands of the contemporary admissions landscape. This study contributes to the limited literature on non-instructional staff in higher education and extends the application of occupational stress theories to a critical but often overlooked professional group.
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Details
- Title
- From first contact to fatigue
- Creators
- Richelyn Ewania Penn-Mekile
- Contributors
- David Gefen (Advisor)Lauren D'Innocenzo (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xi, 135 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Bennett S. LeBow College of Business; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022057438904721