A Narrative Inquiry into the Contribution of Music Experiences to Work-Life Balance of Non-Musicians in Higher Education in Ukraine and the United States
Open Access
- Author:
- Buchko, Olga
- Graduate Program:
- Workforce Education and Development
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 20, 2020
- Committee Members:
- David L. Passmore, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
David L. Passmore, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Michael W. Harvey, Committee Member
Catherine Z. Baumgardner , Outside Member
Albert A. Vicere , Outside Member
Kyle Leonard Peck, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Kyle Leonard Peck, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Susan Mary Land, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Organizational behavior
Work-life balance
Work engagement
Positive psychological capacity
Faculty Development
Ecological system
Educational leadership
Music education
Skills Formation
Transferability of learning
Leisure
Serious leisure
Occupational devotion
Self-efficacy
Work-life enrichment
Leisure-work enrichment.
Organizational behavior
Work-life balance
Work engagement
Positive psychological capacity
Faculty Development
Ecological system
Educational leadership
Music education
Skills Formation
Transferability of learning
Leisure
Serious leisure
Occupational devotion
Efficacy
Cognitive efficacy
Social Efficacy
Self-efficacy
Work-life enrichment
Leisure-work enrichment
Optimism
Hope
Resilience
Mindfulness
Flexibility
Flow
Agility.
Organizational behavior
Work-life balance
Work engagement
Positive psychological capacity
Faculty Development
Ecological system
Educational leadership
Music education
Skills Formation
Transferability of learning
Conservation of resources
Leisure
Serious leisure
Occupational devotion
Efficacy
Cognitive efficacy
Social Efficacy
Self-efficacy
Work-life enrichment
Leisure-work enrichment
Optimism
Hope
Resilience
Mindfulness
Flexibility
Flow
Agility
Music therapy. - Abstract:
- This dissertation explored the relationship between music experiences and work-life balance. The study was conducted with faculty from the U.S. and Ukraine. The reason for conducting it was the importance of looking at how faculty navigate high levels of work with methods of balancing work and life, the lack of research on this topic, and having access to faculty on two continents. Study participants indicated that their development of well-being skills and leisure and occupational practices through eleven (and more years) of music education enhanced their abilities to manage their work and non-work domains at all levels of their ecological systems. Also, study findings offered one very important insight: through their blending of work-life balance mechanisms that included significant formal and non-formal experiences with music, study participants had developed significant abilities to maintain work-life balance, manage work-life conflicts and avoid burnout by developing a positive psychological capacity, life skills, personal agency, conservation of resources, serious leisure engagement, and occupational devotion, among other important strategies. Another important contribution of this dissertation study was the assembling and synthesis of several relevant works of literature to the question of work-life balance and music experiences. More than 350 references were reviewed and cited in this dissertation. The main theories on work-life balance skills development refer to work engagement, organizational behavior, serious leisure, occupational devotion, transferability of learning, self-efficacy, conservation of resources, positive psychological capacity, job demands-resources, mindful work, work-life enrichment, leisure-work enrichment, positive spillover, positive crossover and ecological system. To answer the three research questions, a qualitative research design was developed which integrated several research methods –narrative inquiry, case study, and comparative research. Data were collected through a sequence of three interviews with each study participant; follow-ups were conducted. The combination of case study and comparative analysis proved to be effective in conducting a cross-cultural comparison of the meanings that participants assigned to their work-life and music experiences. Also, an ecological model was employed to organize the data. Research findings provide a thought-provoking signpost for future studies, particularly about the need for a quantitative study on the relationship between music experiences and a work-life balance not only in universities but also in businesses and public organizations, especially those that involve high levels of occupational stress and evidence of the detrimental effects of work-life imbalance. In terms of the further significance of this study, knowledge of employees’ past music experiences can be very helpful to human resource managers during recruitment and selection—armed with this information, these managers will be better able to predict individuals’ abilities to balance work and non-work domains, fulfill work demands, fit well within the work environment, cope with occupational stress, and avoid burnout. Moreover, the insights into work-life balance and music experiences provided here offer a comparative look at these experiences among faculty in two countries. These findings may enable comparative and international education researchers and practitioners to make better decisions about how to use music programs to prepare youth to more effectively and proactively meet work-life demands in their adulthood. This information also may be of interest to teachers and parents who seek to assist their children and learners/students in making informed decisions when selecting extra-curricular activities, especially as these decisions will have important implications for their personal and professional well-being in adulthood.