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From a privilege to an option: hybrid work schedule: a gap analysis

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From a privilege to an option: hybrid work schedule: a gap analysis

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From a Privilege to an Option: Hybrid Work Schedule: A Gap Analysis

Julia Jim

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Education

May 2023

© Copyright by Julia Jim 2023
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Julia Jim certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Robert A. Filback
Susanne Foulk
Adrian J. Donato, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2023

iv
Abstract
The global coronavirus pandemic changed the way organizations nationwide utilize telework.
The insufficient availability of telework options in the judicial branch led to a loss of
productivity at work, accumulated backlogs, and delays in delivering justice to the public. The
Court of Justice of the West (Court, a pseudonym) is a large-sized state trial court system in
California. The Court has over 1,500 employees and serves over 3 million people each year. The
purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a needs analysis in the areas of knowledge
and skills, motivation, and organizational resources necessary for Court executives to offer
hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks could be completed remotely. Analysis of
the study’s quantitative and qualitative data revealed that while the executives understood the
misconceptions of remote work, they lacked consistency in knowing how to use best practices to
optimize employee flexibility and productivity. Not all the executives placed high importance on
offering remote work plans, and they were not consistent in feeling confident in their ability to
effectively develop remote work plans. There was also a lack of alignment between policies and
remote work best practices. Recommendations to address the needs identified in this study, along
with the integrated implementation and evaluation plan framed by the new world Kirkpatrick
model, can help the Court achieve its goal of offering hybrid work schedules to employees.

v
Dedication
To my husband, Kerry Henson, whose love sustains me. He is my pillar of support and sounding
board. By taking over childcare and household responsibilities, he created the space and time for
me to finish this project.

To my daughter, Jacquelyn Henson, who has spent many hours doing homework with me. Our
shared love of learning is evident. She is my cheerleader, and she is one of the inspirations for
this doctoral journey.

To my son, Jonathan Henson, who has clicked the assignment submission button as many times
as I have. He reminds me every day that joy can be found all around us. He makes me laugh and
keeps me balanced, and he is the other inspiration for this doctoral journey.

To my loyal companion, Jesse, who spent over 18 years by my side. He was always curling up
close to me during late-night studying and writing sessions. I miss him, and he will always be in
my heart.

To my parents, Joseph and Libby, for always believing in me.

vi
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my dissertation chair and professor, Dr. Adrian Donato, who provided
guidance and support since my first semester in the program. Dr. Donato was my beacon as I
navigated through this unfamiliar journey of doctoral research. His method of accountability kept
me on the path, and his encouragement both uplifted my spirits and propelled me to the finish
line.
Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Robert Filback and Dr. Susanne Foulk. Their
invaluable feedback has made my dissertation project more focused and coherent.
Thank you to my friend Dr. Joshua Porter, who encouraged me to apply to the program
and helped me map out the literature review outline over smoked meat and drinks.
Thank you to my friends Dan Kopp, Katrina Coreces, and David Yamasaki, who believed
in me and gave me unwavering support throughout the doctoral program.
Thank you to all my professors, who have shared their wisdom, experience, and
knowledge with me.
Thank you to my mentor Trevor Rosenberg, who checked up on me and cheered me on
through the years.
Thank you to my Cohort 18 classmates, who have been with me every step of the way. I
am grateful for your friendships. A special thank you to Pam Kelly, my success buddy, whom I
have leaned on throughout the program. Also, thank you to my weekend writing group, who kept
me motivated and supported.

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication ................................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. x
Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1
Organizational Context and Mission ................................................................................ 1
Organizational Performance Status .................................................................................. 2
Related Literature ............................................................................................................ 3
Importance of Addressing the Problem ............................................................................ 4
Organizational Performance Goal .................................................................................... 5
Description of Stakeholder Groups .................................................................................. 5
Stakeholder Group of Focus and Performance Goal for the Study .................................... 6
Purpose of the Project and Questions ............................................................................... 7
Overview of the Conceptual and Methodological Framework .......................................... 8
Definitions ....................................................................................................................... 8
Organization of the Project .............................................................................................. 8
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature...................................................................................... 10
Influences on the Problem of Practice ............................................................................ 10
Conceptual Framework .................................................................................................. 15
Chiefs’ Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences...................................... 15
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 28
Chapter Three: Methods ............................................................................................................ 29
Conceptual and Methodological Framework .................................................................. 29
Participating Stakeholders ............................................................................................. 32
viii
Data Collection and Instrumentation .............................................................................. 36
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 37
Credibility and Trustworthiness ..................................................................................... 38
Validity and Reliability .................................................................................................. 39
Ethics ............................................................................................................................ 39
Role of Investigator ....................................................................................................... 40
Chapter Four: Results and Findings ........................................................................................... 42
Participating Stakeholders ............................................................................................. 42
Determination of Assets and Needs ............................................................................... 44
Results and Findings for Knowledge Needs ................................................................... 44
Results and Findings for Motivation Needs .................................................................... 50
Results and Findings for Organization Needs ................................................................. 59
Chapter Five: Recommendations for Practice ............................................................................ 67
Organizational Performance Goal .................................................................................. 67
Description of Stakeholder Groups ................................................................................ 68
Goal of the Stakeholder Group for the Study ................................................................. 69
Purpose of the Project and Questions ............................................................................. 69
Discussion on Findings .................................................................................................. 69
Overview of Recommendations and Implementation and Evaluation Plan ..................... 71
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences .......................................... 72
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ............................................................. 85
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach ................................................................... 99
Future Research ........................................................................................................... 100
Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 101
Appendix A: Pre-interview Recruiting Communications ......................................................... 120
ix
Appendix B: Information Sheet for Exempt Research ............................................................. 123
Appendix C: KMO Survey Crosswalk ..................................................................................... 125
Appendix D: KMO Survey Protocol ........................................................................................ 127
Appendix E: KMO Interview Crosswalk ................................................................................. 130
Appendix F: KMO Interview Protocol..................................................................................... 131
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 131
Questions..................................................................................................................... 132
Interview Conclusion ................................................................................................... 133
Appendix G: KMO Document Analysis Protocol .................................................................... 134
Appendix H: Immediate Evaluation Instrument (L2–L1) ......................................................... 136
Appendix I: Delayed-Blended Evaluation Instrument (L4, L3, L2, L1) ................................... 138

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Organizational Mission, Organizational Performance Goal, and Stakeholder Group
Performance Goal 7
Table 2: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal 19
Table 3: Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal 24
Table 4: Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve
Performance Goal 27
Table 5: Data Sources 31
Table 6: Chiefs’ Involvement With Telework Decision Making for Employees 43
Table 7: Core Points of Interview Responses for Myth About Telework 47
Table 8: Core Points of Interview Responses for Information Needed for Remote Work Plan
Best Practices 49
Table 9: Core Points of Interview Responses for the Importance to Offer Remote Work Plan 52
Table 10: Core Points of Interview Responses for Level of Confidence 55
Table 11: Core Points of Interview Responses for Feelings About Supporting Telework 58
Table 12: Core Points of Interview Responses for Alignment With Best Practices 61
Table 13: Core Points of Interview Responses for Levels of Trust 64
Table 14: Knowledge Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data 65
Table 15: Motivation Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data 66
Table 16: Organization Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data 66
Table 17: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 73
Table 18: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 77
Table 19: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 82
Table 20: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 87
Table 21: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation of Chiefs 89
xi
Table 22: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors for Chiefs 91
Table 23: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program 95
Table 24: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 96
Appendix C: KMO Survey Crosswalk 125
Appendix E: KMO Interview Crosswalk 130
Table G1: Alignment of Selected Documents to KMO Assumed Influences 134
Appendix H: Immediate Evaluation Instrument (L2–L1) 136
Appendix I: Delayed-Blended Evaluation Instrument (L4, L3, L2, L1) 138

xii
List of Figure
Figure 1: Gap Analysis Process 30
Figure 2: Study Participant Selection Process 32
Figure 3: Responses to Survey Item: “When It Comes to Telework, It:” 46
Figure 4: Responses to Survey Item: “Please List What You Consider When Balancing
Employee Flexibility and Productivity?” 48
Figure 5: Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Is It Important to Offer Remote Work
Plans for Your Employees?” 51
Figure 6: Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Are You Confident That You Can
Effectively Develop Remote Work Plans for Your Employees?” 54
Figure 7: Responses to Survey Item: “I Feel Good Supporting Telework for My Employees” 57
Figure 8: Responses to Survey Item: “The Court’s Policies and Procedures for Approval of
Participation in Telework Are Aligned With Remote Work Program Best Practices” 60
Figure 9: Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Do You Think Trust Exists Between
Chiefs and the Employees at the Court?” 63
Figure 10: Chiefs Who Offer Hybrid Work Schedules to Employees 98

1

Chapter One: Introduction
This dissertation addresses the problem of insufficient availability of flexible work
environments in the government sector. Almost a decade after the Telework Enhancement Act
(2010) required federal agencies to offer telework, only 44% of eligible employees participated,
demonstrating this as a problem. The evidence further highlights that 73% of surveyed state and
local governments did not permit telework for their staff (Kwon & Jeon, 2017). Research
(Mahler, 2012; Pérez et al., 2002) shows that managerial resistance impacts employees’
participation in telework and availability of telework affects employee retention (Bae & Kim,
2016; Choi, 2018; Mahler, 2012). This problem is important to address because the global
coronavirus pandemic changed how organizations nationwide utilize telework. Telework brings
many benefits to employers and employees, including increased productivity (Choudhury et al.,
2021), reduced employee turnover (Choi, 2020), lowered overhead costs and employee work-life
balance (Felstead & Henseke, 2017; Wheatley, 2017).
Organizational Context and Mission
The Court of Justice of the West (Court, a pseudonym) is a government entity with nine
operating locations in California. As part of the judicial branch, the Court’s daily operations are
guided by laws, statutes, and rules of court. The Court’s stated mission is to administer justice
and resolve legal disputes. It has jurisdiction over three million people, and the Court handles an
average of 500,000 case filings each year, covering different case types such as civil, criminal,
juvenile, family law, traffic, and probate and mental health. The Court has two governance
structures: one for judicial officers and another for administrative personnel. Under judicial
governance, the presiding judge oversees about 140 judges and commissioners.
1
The primary

1
Judges are elected by the people or appointed by the state governor. Commissioners are hired employees to assist
with judicial workload by performing subordinate judicial duties.
2

role of judicial officers is to preside over court hearings and trials. Under administrative
governance, the court executive officer (CEO) is responsible for over 1,500 employees across
five departments: finance, human resources, legal, operations, and technology
2
. The Court’s
employees are responsible for providing administrative support for all aspects of court
operations.
Organizational Performance Status
The organizational performance problem for this study is the insufficient availability of
hybrid work schedules for the Court’s employees. Prior to the pandemic, telework options were
not widely available at the Court. Employees that had face-to-face contact with members of the
public were often not eligible to telecommute. During the initial months of the pandemic, the
Court was closed to ensure public and employee safety. The state judiciary enacted emergency
orders to allow for court services to be provided remotely through online forums (Judicial
Council of California, 2020d). The Court’s executives allowed some employees to telecommute
in an effort to continue its operations while limiting the number of people at each court location.
However, those with job tasks that were deemed not conducive to telework did not have the
option to work remotely. More than 80% of staff-level (or non-managerial) employees were
required to report to the Court in person.
3
It is expected that once the state of emergency
declaration related to the pandemic is lifted, all of the Court’s employees will return to their
workplace full-time. While the Court currently fulfills its mission to administer justice and
resolve legal disputes, the pandemic caused procedural delays due to employees not being able to
work if they have been exposed to or contracted coronavirus. The mandatory quarantine period

2
The source is the organization’s website. Actual URL is not provided because it will reveal the identity of the
organization.
3
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included because it will
reveal the identity of the organization.
3

leads to a loss of productivity at work, accumulating backlogs, and delays in delivering justice to
the public. The inability to work remotely has also caused anxiety and stress for employees
required to work at the Court’s buildings during the pandemic.
Related Literature
The Telework Enhancement Act (2010) requires federal agencies to establish telework
policies for employees. This law encouraged agencies to create a flexible work environment for
employees whose duties and tasks may be performed at an alternate worksite. Research showed
that the opportunity to telework was not realized for all employees. Results from the Office of
Personnel Management’s (OPM) employee viewpoint survey conducted 2 years after the
implementation of the Telework Enhancement Act found that only 25% of respondents whose
jobs were eligible for telework were telecommuting (OPM, 2012). Four years later, 49% of
eligible employees did not participate in telework (OPM, 2017). In 2019, the year prior to the
pandemic, 44% of eligible employees were still not telecommuting (OPM, 2021a). While it
requires federal agencies to permit telework, the law does not apply to state and local
governments.
Using data from the 2010 International City/County Management Association survey,
Kwon and Jeon (2017) found that 73.2% of responding cities do not permit telework. In fact,
flexible workplace benefit was available to only 4% of state and local government workers
nationwide (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). The literature suggests that management
resistance is a barrier to employee participation in telework. Human resources managers
surveyed by Pérez et al. (2002) identified the management of teleworkers as the most important
barrier to telework implementation. Using survey data from over 262,000 respondents, Mahler
(2012) found that 23% of those eligible to telework were prohibited by management. The
4

availability of telework influences employee retention. Eligible workers forbidden to telework
are more likely than their counterparts to be dissatisfied with their job and organizations (Bae &
Kim, 2016; Mahler, 2012), and they are more likely to express intention to leave or quit (Choi,
2018).
Importance of Addressing the Problem
The problem of insufficient availability of hybrid work schedules for the Court’s
employees is important to solve for several reasons. After the arrival of the global pandemic in
2020, there was a shift in the participation rate of telework employees nationwide. In the early
months of the pandemic, there was a large increase in teleworking, with 33% of U.S. workers
reporting that they telecommuted (Dey et al., 2021). Currently, at the federal government level,
90% of eligible employees work remotely (OPM, 2021b). Statistics tracked by the State of
California (2021) show that 94% of eligible state employees are teleworking. Yet, there are no
published teleworking statistics for the California Judicial Branch. At the Court, there is an
equity issue, as only 20% of staff-level employees telecommute, while 80% of managers work
remotely.
4
The literature shows that telecommuting brings many benefits to employers and
employees, including increased productivity (Choudhury et al., 2021), reduced employee
turnover (Choi, 2020), lowered overhead costs and employee work-life balance (Felstead &
Henseke, 2017; Wheatley, 2017). Addressing the hybrid work schedule at the Court could
benefit 1,500 employees, whose work impacts almost 85,000 dispositions
5
each year in its
jurisdiction (Judicial Council of California, 2021b) and over 3 million people they serve.

4
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included because it will
reveal the identity of the organization.
5
Disposition - termination of a proceeding. Civil dispositions before trial include transfer to another trial court,
dismissals, summary judgments, and other judgments. Criminal dispositions before trial include transfers to another
trial court, sentences after pleas of guilty or no contest, and dismissals. Civil dispositions after trial include entry of
judgment after jury trial and court trial. Criminal dispositions after trial include acquittals, grants of probation, and
sentences after conviction.
5

Organizational Performance Goal
The Court’s ability to operate has a direct impact on its mission to administer justice and
resolve legal disputes. Almost 2 years after the pandemic forced the Court to utilize telework as
an option to maintain the continuity of operations, the CEO realized the value and utility of a
remote workforce. In November 2021, the CEO established a goal to continue embracing a
remote workforce post-pandemic: by the end of 2024, the Court will implement a hybrid work
schedule. While there are no benchmarked standards, achieving the Court’s goal will be
measured by the actual or lack of implementation of a new policy on a hybrid work schedule.
Allowing for the option to continue work outside the Court’s physical buildings will ensure that
justice can be administered without interruptions (such as from a pandemic, natural disaster, or
power outages) and the public’s legal disputes can still be resolved. In addition, the availability
of a hybrid work schedule will help retain a workforce that has grown accustomed to working
outside of the Court’s buildings and attract future employees who expect telework options.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Several stakeholder groups directly contribute to and benefit from achieving the Court’s
goal: top-level executives, the management team, and employees. The first stakeholder group is
the top-level executives: the CEO and his five direct reports of department heads. Known as the
chiefs, these individuals oversee more than 1,500 employees. Chiefs hold organization-wide
decision-making power, have control over the allocation of resources, make all global decisions
for the organization, and approve all policies and procedures. The second stakeholder group is
the management team. These 130 individuals manage various work units and teams.
6
They
supervise, coach, and address the needs of almost all of the Court’s employees. This

6
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included because it will
reveal the identity of the organization.
6

management team is relied upon to execute and ensure adherence to organizational policies.
They will need to work out scheduling details, balance workload among in-person and remote
employees, ensure proper coverage, and manage their teams regardless of their work locations.
The third stakeholder group is the Court’s employees, who will reap the most benefit from the
organization's goal. If achieved, over 1,400 employees will have a choice to participate in hybrid
work schedules that allow them to work away from the Court’s physical buildings.
Stakeholder Group of Focus and Performance Goal for the Study
Although a complete analysis would involve all stakeholders, for practical purposes, the
stakeholders of focus in this study were the top-level executives: the chiefs. These six individuals
can most influence change because of their collective decision-making power within the Court’s
hierarchy. They approve policies and set expectations for all employees. Thus, they will lead the
effort to implement a hybrid work schedule. Chiefs’ actions or inaction have a direct impact on
the achievement of the organization’s goal. In this study, the focus was on the stakeholder goal
established by the CEO: by December 2024, 100% of the chiefs will offer hybrid work schedules
to employees whose job tasks can be completed remotely. Failure to achieve this stakeholder
goal might cause disruptions in services during another unexpected natural or man-made disaster
and might hinder the Court’s ability to fulfill its mission to administer justice and resolve legal
disputes. It may also impact the Court’s ability to retain and recruit employees who expect
telework options. The gap is 100% because this is a new goal. Table 1 presents the
organizational mission and performance goal and the stakeholder groups’ performance goal.

7

Table 1
Organizational Mission, Organizational Performance Goal, and Stakeholder Group
Performance Goal
Organizational mission
The mission of the Court of Justice of the West (Court) is to administer justice and resolve
legal disputes fairly, efficiently, and expeditiously.
Organizational performance goal
By the end of 2024, the Court will implement a hybrid work schedule for employees whose job
tasks can be completed remotely.
Stakeholder group performance goal
By December 2024, 100% of chiefs will provide the option to telework for employees whose
job tasks can be completed remotely.

Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this innovation study was to conduct a needs analysis in the areas of
knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational resources necessary for chiefs to achieve
their stakeholder goal of offering hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks can be
completed remotely. The analysis generated a list of possible needs for chiefs to accomplish their
goal and systematically examined these to ascertain which are actual or validated. Two research
questions guided this needs analysis study:
1. What are the chiefs’ knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization needs related
to offering a hybrid work schedule?
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
solutions related to chiefs’ offering a hybrid work schedule?

8

Overview of the Conceptual and Methodological Framework
This study used Clark and Estes’s (2008) needs analysis. This framework states that to
close any performance gap, it is best to utilize science-based strategies to remedy problems that
impede an organization’s ability to achieve its goals. By identifying the causes of the gap, the
Court can implement performance improvement programs. The present study examined
knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) barriers to the Court’s employee participation
in a hybrid work schedule. The methodological framework is a mixed-methods case study where
the unit of analysis is a single entity: the Court. These factors were explored through a literature
review, surveys, individual interviews, and document analysis. After a diagnostic of individual
and organizational factors impacting the participation in hybrid work schedules within the Court,
an integrated implementation and evaluation plan details a holistic KMO gap closure for
increasing employees’ participation in hybrid work schedules.
Definitions
Telework/telecommute/remote work is used interchangeably to refer to a work
arrangement in which “an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of such employee’s
position, and other authorized activities, from an approved worksite other than the location from
which the employee would otherwise work” (OPM, 2012, p. 13).
Organization of the Project
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the key concepts and
terminology commonly found in a discussion about flexible work environments in the
government sector. The organization’s mission, goals, stakeholders, and the initial concepts of
gap analysis were introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of the literature surrounding the
scope of the study and details the assumed influences. Topics of telework adoption, the impact of
9

the global pandemic, and the organization’s KMO influences will be addressed. Chapter Three
describes the methodology when it comes to the selection of participants, data collection, and
analysis. In Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter Five provides
solutions, based on data and literature, for closing the gaps and the formulation of an integrated
implementation and evaluation plan for the solutions.

10

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
The problem of practice is the insufficient availability of flexible work environments in
the government sector. This problem is important to address because the global coronavirus
pandemic has changed how organizations nationwide utilize telework. In this chapter, there will
be a review of the adoption of telework at the federal government, state and local governments,
the California judicial branch, and the organization of interest. Following this, the study’s
conceptual framework will be presented. The next section will detail the KMO influences lens
used in this study and the role of the stakeholder group of focus: the chiefs.
Influences on the Problem of Practice
This section describes several influences on the problem of practice. To better frame this
study, it is best to start with the definition of telework.
Telework Definition
The Telework Enhancement Act (2010) defines telework, or teleworking, as a work
flexibility arrangement that allows employees to perform duties from locations other than their
normal worksite. In practice, teleworking employees often voluntarily complete their work
during all or part of their regular, paid hours at an approved alternative worksite such as their
homes. For this study, telework refers to employees performing work activities outside their
assigned place of work.
Telework Adoption in Federal Government
The practice of telework has long existed as an option for government employees.
Eligibility to participate used to go through a case-by-case approval process. It changed when the
Telework Enhancement Act (2010) was signed into law, requiring federal agencies to create
work environments for employees whose jobs can be performed from alternate worksites. The
11

law required the establishment of policies to allow eligible employees to telework, to determine
eligibility criteria, and to notify employees of their eligibility status. It also tasked the OPM to
collect data and submit annual reports to Congress to provide information on the use of telework
by employee numbers, the percentage of employees eligible to participate, and any outcome
measures for the telework program (Telework Enhancement Act, 2010).
Even when required by law, the federal government was slow to adopt telework. It took
almost a decade to increase the percentage of eligible employees who telecommuted from 25%
in 2012 to 56% in 2019 (OPM, 2012, 2017, 2021a). Although the law's impact grew steadily, its
influence remained confined to the federal government (Telework Enhancement Act, 2010).
Telework Adoption in State and Local Governments
While the new law made an impact at the federal level, other government employees
were not directly affected by it. The requirement to offer telework was specific to federal
agencies (Telework Enhancement Act, 2010). Prior to 2020, research revealed that the majority
(73.2%) of cities did not permit telework, less than one-third (27%) of surveyed jurisdictions had
telework options for their employees, and the flexible benefit was available to only 4% of state
and local government workers nationwide (Center for State and Local Government Excellence,
2020; Kwon & Jeon, 2017; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). The practice of telework was
not widely embraced before the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Shift to Telework During COVID Pandemic
The COVID pandemic changed the view and reliance on telework for organizations
around the nation. As a response to the pandemic, and in an effort to curb its transmission, states
issued stay-at-home orders in March 2020. Within 2 months, 42 states and territories had issued
the order, affecting 73% of the nation (Moreland et al., 2020). When worksites shut down or
12

reduced on-site operations, employers and employees shifted to working from home (Parker et
al., 2020). Research revealed that telework accounted for about half of paid work hours during
the early months of the pandemic (Barrero et al., 2021). Since then, one-third of businesses have
increased telework, and 13% of jobs are teleworking full-time (Dalton & Groen, 2022; Dey et
al., 2021).
A larger shift to telework during the COVID pandemic also took place at government
entities. At the federal government level, the percentage of eligible employees working remotely
grew from 56% pre-COVID to 90% during COVID (OPM, 2021a, 2021b). Statistics tracked by
California show that 93% of eligible state employees are teleworking (State of California, 2022).
Yet, this California rate reflects only the adoption of telework for the executive and legislative
branches (State of California, 2022). The impact of the COVID pandemic has changed how
employees perform their work throughout the justice system.
COVID Pandemic Impact on the California Judicial Branch
The pandemic had an immediate, revolutionary impact on California’s judicial branch.
One day after the stay-at-home order, the state’s chief justice issued an advisory to allow court
closure as deemed necessary by each of the state’s 58 counties (Judicial Council of California,
2021a). Although court employees were considered essential workers who were exempt from the
stay-at-home order, the chief justice recognized that courts could not comply with health
restrictions and continue with court proceedings that required gathering of staff, litigants,
attorneys, witnesses, and jurors (Judicial Council of California, 2020b). Over the next few
weeks, the chief justice authorized courts to immediately adopt any proposed rules or
amendments to address the impact of the COVID pandemic (Judicial Council of California,
2020c, 2020d). Emergency orders were enacted to allow the use of available technology to
13

conduct judicial proceedings and permitted the entire judicial branch to work remotely (Judicial
Council of California, 2020c, 2020d). Whereas the laws previously prevented remote
participation, all 58 local courts currently hold judicial proceedings remotely (Judicial Council of
California, 2021). One large-size court holds a daily average of 5,000 remote proceedings
(Judicial Council of California, 2021). Other court operations also shifted to virtual platforms,
where the public can seek assistance or complete transactions online (Corren, 2021). The use of
technology for remote access allowed courts to continue serving the public and providing access
to justice. While some solutions were initially implemented to comply with health restrictions,
many of these practices are becoming permanent changes to the judicial branch.
Shift to Remote Access for the California Judicial Branch
In California, conducting court business remotely will continue in the foreseeable future.
The COVID pandemic changed how Californians expect courts to conduct business (Ad Hoc
Workgroup on Post-Pandemic Initiatives, 2021). By the end of June 2022, the chief justice’s
emergency orders ended (Judicial Council of California, 2022a). Soon thereafter, legislative
efforts began on the California Court Efficiency Act (2021) to extend the option to have remote
proceedings for non-criminal cases through June 2023. Within the judicial branch, the Ad Hoc
Workgroup on Post-Pandemic Initiatives (2021) recommended permanent expansion of remote
access to the courts in both judicial proceedings and court operations. Continued efforts include
an active partnership between three branches of government, coordination among courts and
justice partners, and the adoption of new rules, practices, and procedures. While most focus has
been on the continued access for the public to resolve court matters remotely, little has been
publicized about formally allowing court employees to work remotely.

14

Telework for Employees of the California Judicial Branch and the Court
Unlike the other two branches of government, the California Judicial Branch did not
publicize a formal telework arrangement for its employees. There is no branch-wide policy or
procedure on telework, and no branch-wide statistics are included in the State Hybrid Workforce
Dashboard (State of California, 2022). Each of the 58 trial courts has discretion to approve or
deny telework arrangements for its employees (Judicial Council of California, 2022b, 2020d,
2022). Without published information, it is unknown how many court employees are eligible for
telework, what percentage of eligible court employees are teleworking, or how each court is
exercising telework arrangements. When court buildings slowly reopened after the initial
closure, many of the Court’s employees reported back to their worksites in person, even if their
work shifted to support online public access
7
. However, there are promising practices to guide
the implementation of telework programs for the California Judicial Branch and the Court.
Telework Promising Practices
There are effective ways to implement telework as a flexible work arrangement for the
Court’s employees. Research indicates that infrastructure, such as quality software and formal
policies and procedures, enhances telework adoption and employee satisfaction (Beham et al.,
2015; Brown et al., 2016; Kuruzovich et al., 2021). Training programs to help employees
telework effectively also have an impact on the telework experience (Barrero et al., 2021; Brown
et al., 2016). Managerial support is also an important factor in implementing new workplace
programs (Chatterjee et al., 2022). Leadership commitment, trust in employees, manager or
supervisor support, and quality communication affect employee satisfaction and organizational
performance (Getaruelas, 2022; Kaplan et al., 2018; Kim et al., 2021; Kwon & Jeon, 2020; Sull

7
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included in order to
protect the confidentiality of the organization.
15

et al., 2020). In contrast, resistance to telework by managers and supervisors has a direct impact
on employees’ participation in telework (Mahler, 2012; Pérez et al., 2002). Utilizing these or
other emerging strategies is essential to prepare the Court to offer remote work opportunities to
its employees.
Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes’s (2008) framework is a problem-solving process used to study
organizations’ performance. It states that to close a performance gap, its causes must be
identified so that improvement programs can be implemented. Clark and Estes focus on KMO
barriers. By examining KMO factors that impede performance, strategies can be implemented to
address them. A robust evaluation component is used to assess performance progress and success
in meeting performance goals.
This innovation study adapted Clark and Estes’s (2008) framework as a needs analysis.
This problem-solving process is based on understanding the Court’s stakeholder goals with
regard to the organizational goal and identifying assumed performance influences in the areas of
KMO based on general theory, context-specific literature, and an existing understanding of the
organization of focus. For this study, the Court’s stakeholders are the six top-level executives
known as chiefs. The remainder of this chapter will detail the chief-specific KMO assumed
influences as they relate to offering employees telework as part of a hybrid work schedule.
Chiefs ’ Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
Chiefs’ knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assumed influences are
described in this section.

16

Knowledge and Skills
During gap analysis, organizations assess whether their employees have the knowledge
and skills to achieve their performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The focus is on what they
know, whether they know how to think about what they know or how to apply what they know
in action. There are four knowledge dimensions or types: factual, conceptual, procedural, and
metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002).
Factual knowledge refers to the participant’s degree of knowing information such as
facts, terminology, or specific details and elements (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001; Clark &
Estes, 2008; Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016; Krathwohl, 2002; Seli, 2021). It is the
fundamental, first level in the knowledge dimension (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Possession
of factual knowledge can be demonstrated by the participant’s ability to list items, summarize
features, respond to questions, select from a list of activities, check with other sources, and
generate logs (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Conceptual knowledge refers to a complex, organized form of knowledge. It refers to a
deeper and more understanding of the underlying category, principles, structure, or theory of an
area or field and how the basic elements are interrelated to enable them to function together
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001; Krathwohl, 2002). It is the second level in the knowledge
dimension (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). In addition to having the ability to demonstrate
factual knowledge, possession of conceptual knowledge can be demonstrated by the participant’s
thinking skills, such as recognizing, classifying, providing, differentiating, determining, and
assembling (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Procedural knowledge refers to knowing how to do something (Seli, 2021). This includes
knowledge of the skills and procedures involved with a task, such as techniques, methods, and
17

necessary steps (Krathwohl, 2002). It is the third step in the knowledge dimension (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). Building onto factual and conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge can
be demonstrated by the ability to apply knowledge and execute a task (Krathwohl, 2002). They
have skills to recall, clarify, carry out, integrate, judge, and design (Anderson & Krathwohl,
2001).
Metacognitive refers to the awareness and knowledge about one’s cognition (Seli, 2021).
It allows individuals to regulate their thinking, reflect and adjust, and plan their approach and
behavior (Krathwohl, 2002). It is the fourth, and highest, step in the knowledge dimension
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Participants at the metacognitive level demonstrate their ability
to identify, predict, use, deconstruct, reflect, and create (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
This section reviews literature focused on knowledge-related influences that may impact
the chiefs in achieving the stakeholder goal to offer telework to employees whose job tasks can
be completed remotely. Although all four knowledge types are important, this literature review
will focus on conceptual knowledge, which is the second level of the knowledge dimension
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Conceptual knowledge is knowing the interrelationships among the basic elements within
a larger structure that enables them to function together (Krathwohl, 2002). This is the next step
in the knowledge dimension after factual knowledge (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). “It is made
up of facts, concepts, processes, and principles one is aware of having learned and can remember
and think about” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 74).
Chiefs Need to Understand the Misconceptions of Remote Work
In the context of creating an evaluation plan, to be successful, chiefs need to understand
misconceptions of remote work. Contrary to common myths, research found that teleworkers do
18

not experience different levels of difficulties due to age (Arvola & Kristjuhan, 2015).
Teleworkers put in longer hours than normal working time (Solis, 2016). They were also found
to have increased concentration (Biron & van Veldhoven, 2016), experienced greater autonomy
(Arvola et al., 2017), and had higher productivity and commitment to organizational
performance (Greer & Payne, 2014). If chiefs know the misconception of remote work, they are
more likely to be able to achieve the stakeholder goal of providing telework options to
employees.
Chiefs Need to Know the Principles of Best Practices to Optimize Employee Flexibility and
Productivity
When organizations lack a clear vision or plan for post-pandemic work, employees have
concerns and feel anxious at their workplaces (Alexander et al., 2021). Leaders are expected to
provide support and flexibility to employees as remote work becomes the new way of work
(Babapour Chafi et al., 2021; Chatterjee et al., 2022). As organizations redesign how they work,
leaders should make decisions and plan out what tasks can be done remotely or in person
(Boland et al., 2020). They also need to adopt new practices to lead remote employees to ensure
productivity (Contreras et al., 2020). For chiefs to successfully provide telework options to
employees, they first need to know the principles of best practices to create a plan that optimizes
employee flexibility and productivity. Table 2 shows the chief’s influences and the related
literature.

19

Table 2
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve the Performance Goal
Assumed knowledge influences Research literature
Conceptual (categorize, classify,
interpret, compare theories, concepts,
and principles)
Chiefs need to understand the
misconceptions of remote work.
Arvola & Kristjuhan, 2015; Arvola et al., 2017;
Biron & van Veldhoven, 2016; Greer & Payne,
2014; Solis, 2016; Vasconcelos et al., 2015

Conceptual (categorize, classify,
interpret, compare theories, concepts,
and principles)
Chiefs need to know the principles of
best practices to optimize flexibility
and productivity.
Alexander et al., 2021; Babapour Chafi et al., 2021;
Boland et al., 2020; Chatterjee et al., 2022;
Contreras et al., 2020

Motivation
In the gap analysis, organizations assess whether their employees are motivated to
achieve their performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The focus is on whether people want to
and if they think they can or have the energy to do things. Clark (2005) defined motivation as the
internal process that gets individuals to begin, continue, and invest efforts to achieve goals.
Clark and Estes (2008) noted the three types of motivational indexes as active choice,
persistence, and mental effort. Active choice refers to an individual actively choosing to start
something or begin to pursue a goal. Persistence is when an individual consistently focuses on
the chosen task or goal, despite distractions and competing goals. Mental effort refers to the
degree of energy an individual invests in a task or goal. Together, these motivational indexes
impact performance. Clark (2021) further highlighted five factors that influence motivation:
having clear, concrete, challenging and current goals; valuing the goals one is pursuing;
20

believing that the effort will lead to success; having self-efficacy; and being able to control
emotions or mood when facing difficulty.
This section reviews literature focused on motivation-related influences that may impact
chiefs in achieving the stakeholder goal of offering telework to employees whose job tasks can
be completed remotely. The expectancy-value theory is discussed, as it influences how
individuals value a task. The self-efficacy theory is also discussed, as it affects individuals’
expectations of their capabilities to achieve goals.
Value Influences
The expectancy-value theory posits that individuals’ motivation for goal-directed
behaviors is influenced by two factors: their expectancy of success and their subjective value of
the behavior or goal (Ambrose et al., 2010). If people believe they cannot do the task
(expectancy), they are unlikely to fully engage. If they believe they can do the task (expectancy),
but do not want to do the task (value), full engagement is also unlikely. When both expectancy
and value are in place (such as when people can and want to do the task), an individual will be
motivated to engage in behaviors that will support learning and performance (Ambrose et al.,
2010; Patall, 2021b).
Expectancies, or one’s expectation for success, can be influenced by prior experience in a
similar context. Notably, the reasons used to explain past successes or failures may greatly
determine expectancies. Past successes based on internal or controllable causes (such as ability
or effort) would likely induce high expectancies of success in the future. Failures attributed to the
same internal or controllable causes would lead to low expectancies of future success, and hence
it could lead to low motivation to engage (Ambrose et al., 2010).
21

Individuals are also influenced by the values of the tasks. According to Patall (2021b),
people assess the attainment value (satisfaction gained from mastery or accomplishment),
intrinsic value (how much the person enjoys doing the task), utility value (usefulness and how it
fits into their goals and plans), and cost belief (what the person stands to lose if engaged in the
task). This paper focuses on utility value. Utility value, or usefulness, refers to how a task or
behavior fits into an individual’s future plans or can help accomplish desired goals. A high utility
value can act as a motivator for engagement in the activity.
The value influence examined in this study was that chiefs need to value the importance
of offering a remote work plan. For chiefs to offer telework to employees, they must consider
how their decision will impact the organization's performance. Beham et al. (2015) found that
managers are more likely to approve requests for telework for employees on whom the
department’s success depends due to their skills and knowledge. If managers consider telework
useful and compatible with work activities, it will become positive and important to them (Silva-
C et al., 2019). Mayo et al. (2016) found that when top leaders were convinced of the value to
employees and felt a personal commitment to implement family-friendly practices, the provision
of telework was more prevalent. If telework benefits were perceived to be important, managers
were more likely to expand its use (Criscuolo et al., 2021). Effective executives maintain an
agency-wide view and manage their near- and long-term goals (Morris & Williams, 2012). If
chiefs believe that offering a remote work plan has value and importance, then they may be
motivated to disseminate the messages and engage employees to achieve the stakeholder goal of
providing telework options.

22

Self-Efficacy Influence
Self-efficacy refers to people’s expectations of their capabilities to achieve an outcome or
goal (Bandura, 2005). Self-efficacy focuses on performance capabilities, and it is forward-
focused on future performance. As such, self-efficacy can act as a mediator that affects the
choice of activities, effort, and persistence (Sinatra, 2021). The principle of self-efficacy theory
posits that high self-efficacy positively influences motivation (Ambrose et al., 2010; Elliot et al.,
2018; Sinatra, 2021). There are two types of efficacy: individual self-efficacy and collective self-
efficacy. This study identified the expected need of each chief’s individual efficacy, and it
assessed each person’s expectation of their capability to achieve the stakeholder goal.
The self-efficacy influence examined in this study was that chiefs need to feel confident
in their ability to effectively develop remote work plans. Malureanu et al. (2021) found that
one’s self-confidence has a direct effect on perceived self-efficacy. Employees’ self-efficacy is
positively related to organizational performance (Jacobsen & Andersen, 2017). Leadership self-
efficacy beliefs also predict transformational leadership behaviors (Carleton et al., 2018).
Transformational leaders engage employees, help them reach their fullest potential, and create
connections that raise both their motivation and morality levels (Northouse, 2019). To better
accommodate telework, managers revealed that their primary concern is the coordination of a
team’s schedule (Criscuolo et al., 2021). When they do not have the opportunity to participate in
planning, managers are unhappy with how guidance is given to employees on how to work
remotely (Dandalt, 2021). If chiefs have high self-efficacy in their ability to effectively develop
remote work plans, then they may be motivated to exert effort in messaging and offering
telework options to employees.

23

Emotions Influence
There are various emotional phenomena, including affect, mood, and emotions.
According to Patall (2021a), affect is a general term used to refer to both diffuse mood and
specific emotions, such as nervousness and uneasy feelings. Mood refers to the general feelings
that are less intensive and do not have a referent. Emotions are feelings that are short-lived,
intense, and specific.
There are two types of emotions: epistemic emotions and achievement emotions (Patall,
2021a). Epistemic emotions are triggered when cognitive incongruity, or inconsistency between
ideas, arises. This can result in feelings of surprise, curiosity, confusion, or frustration. Pekrun
(2017) defined achievement emotions as emotions related to achievement activities or outcomes,
and they are associated with success and failure. Achievement emotions can be categorized by
valence and degree of activation (Pekrun et al., 2002). Valence is the positive (pleasant) or
negative (unpleasant) state experienced by a person. Within each valence, emotions can be
categorized by dimensions of activation and deactivation. Pekrun’s research on emotions and
motivation found that enhancing positive emotions and reducing negative emotions enhances
motivation by increasing choice, persistence, and mental effort (Pekrun et al., 2002). For this
study, the focus is on the chiefs’ achievement emotions and the effect on their motivation to
accomplish their stakeholder goal.
This study examined the emotions-related influence that chiefs need to feel good about
supporting telework for their employees. One way to create positive emotions at an organization
is to have leaders use a responsive communication style in which they are other-oriented,
considerate, and willing to listen (Men & Yue, 2019). When messengers are in a positive mood,
their messages contain more descriptions, are lengthier, reflect the recipients' perspectives, and
24

facilitate comprehension (Nelson, 2016). Positive emotions help teams foster resiliency and
improve performance (Meneghel et al., 2016). The presence of leaders’ positive affect increases
employees’ service performance and energy at work (Jiang et al., 2019). In turn, employees’
success is an inspiration from which leaders draw enthusiasm for their jobs (Uusiautti et al.,
2012). Chiefs who feel positively about supporting telework will be motivated to exert effort
toward achieving their goal of offering telework options to employees. Table 3 shows the chief’s
influences and the related literature.

Table 3
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve the Performance Goal
Assumed motivation influences Research literature
Value (important to me)
Chiefs need to value the importance of
offering a remote work plan.
Beham et al., 2015; Criscuolo et al., 2021; Mayo et
al., 2016; Morris & Williams, 2012; Silva-C et al.,
2019
Self-efficacy (confidence)
Chiefs need to feel confident in their
ability to effectively develop remote
work plans.
Carleton et al., 2018; Criscuolo et al., 2021; Dandalt,
2021; Jacobsen & Anderson, 2017; Malureanu et
al., 2021; Northouse, 2019
Emotions (feel)
Chiefs need to feel good about
supporting telework for their
employees.
Jiang et al., 2019; Men & Yue, 2019; Meneghel et
al., 2016; Nelson, 2016; Uusiautti et al., 2012

25

Organization
In the gap analysis, organizations assess whether organizational barriers prevent
employees from achieving their performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The focus is on the
lack of efficient and effective processes, the lack of available resources, or the influence of
organizational cultures. This section reviews literature focused on organizational-related
influences that may impact chiefs in achieving the stakeholder goal to offer telework to
employees whose job tasks can be completed remotely.
Policies, Processes, and Procedures Influence
Clark and Estes (2008) stated that work processes and organizational policies influence
the achievement of business goals. They explained that work processes define how people,
equipment, and material link together to produce a result. When processes are inadequate or
misaligned with organizational goals, it will lead to a greater risk of failure to achieve the goals.
Similarly, if policies and procedures do not support work processes, employees are unlikely to
achieve the organizational goals. However, identifying and correcting processes or procedural
barriers will improve performance, leading to the achievement of organizational goals (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
An influence examined in this category was that policies and procedures for approval of
participation in telework are aligned with remote work best practices. An organization’s policies
and procedures have a significant role in successfully implementing a new system (Kassab et al.,
2019). Top management’s commitment to publicizing its policy and procedures helps employees
align their work with the organization’s mission and provides guidance on what needs to be done
(Ahmad et al., 2017). When policies and procedures are unclear, they leave room for questions
and multiple interpretations from employees and supervisors (Brown et al., 2016). Executives
26

undermine the legitimacy of their policies when they are not applied consistently or when
policies and practices are not supportive of each other (Williams et al., 2017). Together,
organizational policy and top management support play an impactful role in implementing
remote work policies (Chatterjee et al., 2022). Managers are more likely to approve a request for
telework in organizations that have a formal telework policy (Beham et al., 2015). As remote
work evolves, employee needs will vary (Smite et al., 2023), and policies should be updated
accordingly (OPM, 2021c). Having policies and approval procedures aligned with remote work
best practices will improve the chance of chiefs achieving their goal.
Culture Influence
Culture is defined as a group’s accumulated shared learning that is passed on to its
members, including core values, goals, beliefs, emotions, and processes (Bolman & Deal, 2017;
Clark & Estes, 2008; Schein, 2017). An organization’s culture can be examined through its
cultural models and cultural settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models refer to
values, beliefs, and attitudes that are generally invisible and automated (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001; Hirabayashi, 2021). They define the way things are and should be and how
individuals think and feel (Schein, 2017). Examples include a lack of accountability, resistance
to change, lack of trust, and feelings of helplessness (Hirabayashi, 2021). Cultural settings refer
to the visible and concrete manifestation of the cultural models when people complete a joint
activity or where behavior is enacted (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001; Hirabayashi, 2021).
Examples include an organization having vague performance goals, a lack of communication,
and ineffective rules and policies (Hirabayashi, 2021). An organization’s cultural model and
setting influences have an impact on its ability to reach performance goals.
27

The culture-related influence examined was that there is a culture of trust between chiefs
and employees. There is a positive relationship between workplace performance and employees’
trust of managers (Brown et al., 2015; Noda, 2020). When there is transparent organizational
communication, there is more employee trust of the organization (Jiang & Luo, 2018). Men et al.
(2020) found that employees’ trust in their organization positively influenced their openness to
change during a new initiative, which in turn, contributed to behavioral support for the change.
For telework, Kaplan et al. (2018) found that managers are influenced by the amount of trust
they have in their employees, with those who are more trusting allowing more telework.
Conversely, a lack of trust is a reason managers prohibit their employees from teleworking
(Brown et al., 2016; Peters et al., 2010). As such, having mutual trust between chiefs and their
employees will impact the performance of the stakeholder goal to offer telework options. Table 4
shows the chief’s influences and the related literature.

Table 4
Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Chief’s Ability to Achieve Performance Goal
Assumed organization influences Research literature
Cultural settings: policies, processes, &
procedures
Policies and procedures for approval of
participation in telework are aligned
with the chiefs’ support of telework.
Ahmad et al., 2017; Beham et al., 2015; Brown et
al., 2016; Catterjee et al., 2022; Kassab et al.,
2019; Smite et al., 2023; OPM, 2021; Williams
et al., 2017
Cultural models:
There is a culture of trust between chiefs
and employees.
Brown et al., 2015; Brown et al., 2016; Jiang &
Luo, 2018; Kaplan et al., 2018; Men et al., 2020;
Noda, 2020; Peters et al., 2010

28

Summary
This innovation study sought to identify the resources necessary for chiefs to reach their
goal of offering employees telework as part of a hybrid work schedule. To inform this study,
Chapter Two presented a review of the literature related to telework adoption in the federal
government, state and local governments, and California’s judicial branch. The conceptual
framework guided the assumptions of KMO influences related to achieving their goal. The
knowledge influence includes conceptually understanding remote work misconceptions and
principles of best practices. The motivational influences include valuing the importance of
offering telework options, self-efficacy about their ability to effectively develop remote work
plans, and the positive feeling while supporting telework to employees. Finally, the
organizational influences include policies and procedures and an organizational culture of trust
between chiefs and their employees. Collectively, the KMO influences identified in this chapter
were the foundation for this study’s methodology, presented in Chapter Three.

29

Chapter Three: Methods
The purpose of this innovation study was to conduct a gap analysis in the areas of
knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational resources necessary for chiefs to achieve
their stakeholder goal - to provide the option to telework for employees whose job tasks can be
completed remotely. The analysis generated a list of possible needs for the chiefs to accomplish
their goal, which were systematically examined to ascertain what needs were actual or validated.
Two research questions guided this study:
1. What are the chiefs’ knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization needs related
to offering a hybrid work schedule?
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
solutions related to chiefs’ offering a hybrid work schedule??
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis framework analysis stated that closing an
organization’s performance gap requires identifying its causes so that the appropriate
improvement programs can be implemented. Clark and Estes specified KMO barriers and
various strategies to address each of these factors. Examining KMO performance impediments
will inform corrective strategies. The final component of the framework is a robust evaluation
plan to measure progress and success. Figure 1 shows the various steps in the general gap
analysis.

30

Figure 1
Gap Analysis Process

Note. Steps to identify KMO factors and evaluate solutions are shown. Adapted from Human and
Institutional Capacity Development Handbook: A USAID Model for Sustainable Performance
Improvement by U.S. Agency for International Development, 2010.
(http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADT442.pdf)

The remainder of this chapter will begin with a review of participating stakeholders. The
sampling criteria, recruitment strategy, and rationale are detailed for the data sources. Next, data
collection, instrumentation, and data analysis are described. The study’s credibility,
trustworthiness, validity, and reliability are addressed. Finally, ethics and the role of the
investigator, as well as the study’s limitations, are discussed.
This study was a mixed-method, convergent parallel approach where quantitative and
qualitative data were collected and analyzed simultaneously (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The
KMO factors, yielded from the literature review, were explored through surveys, interviews, and
document analysis. Surveys were conducted online, and they were suited to assess the
31

respondents’ needs, knowledge, and attitudes. Standardized questions and responses increased
reliability, and they allowed for comparative analysis. Participating stakeholders completed
surveys using an online survey instrumentation tool, Qualtrics XM. Interviews were used when
an in-depth understanding of another’s perspective was desired or needed (Creswell & Creswell,
2018; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Confidential one-on-one interviews were conducted over the
Zoom online platform. A document analysis of organizational material and artifacts provided
additional context, allowed for the examination of historical records, and was used to triangulate
survey and interview data (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Johnson & Christensen, 2014; Merriam
& Tisdell, 2016). Table 5 shows the data sources for each of the study’s research questions.

Table 5
Data Sources
Research questions
Method 1
survey

Method 2
interview

Method 3
document
analysis
RQ1: What are the chiefs’ knowledge and skills,
motivation, and organization needs related to
offering a hybrid work schedule?
X X X
RQ2: What are the recommended knowledge and
skills, motivation, and organizational solutions
related to chiefs’ offering a hybrid work
schedule?
X X X

32

Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder population of focus was the top-level executives at the Court, known as
the chiefs. They included the CEO and his five direct reports of department heads. These
individuals were responsible for overseeing more than 1,500 employees. The chiefs held
organization-wide decision-making power, had control over the allocation of resources, made all
global decisions for the organization, and approved all policies and procedures. As such, this
study focused on them. Collecting data on the chief’s knowledge and skills, motivation, and
organizational influences related to telework was needed to answer both research questions.
Figure 2 shows the study participant selection process used for the survey and interviews.

Figure 2
Study Participant Selection Process

33

Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
This study used three criteria for survey sampling. The rationale for each criterion is
detailed in this section.
Criterion 1
Chiefs who have held the position at the Court for at least 4 years. Participants must have
extensive experience making organization-wide decisions for the Court.
Criterion 2
Chiefs who oversee a distinct department at the Court. Participants must have
organization-wide perspectives and an understanding of the unique needs of each of the Court’s
departments.
Criterion 3
Chiefs who have at least 2 years of experience in telework at the Court. Participants must
have experience approving or denying telework and managing remote staff.
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
For this study, purposive sampling was used to select participants that were
representatives of the population to understand and gain relevant insights for the Court (Merriam
& Tisdell, 2016; Pazzaglia et al., 2016). Since there were only six individuals, a census was
needed for the survey to ensure 95% confidence levels at a 5% margin error (Pazzaglia et al.,
2016). This minimized potential errors such as missing data, inaccurate information, or sampling
error. Their input helped to understand the performance gap, KMO factors, and potential
solutions to achieve the goal of offering telework at the Court. Although I obtained the CEO’s
approval to conduct the study at the Court, participants were recruited by personal request
through email correspondence (Maxwell, 2013). Surveys were completed at the beginning of the
34

data collection process. Each chief received an email invitation to their work email address with
a Qualtrics link to the survey. The survey period was 10 days. Appendix A presents the pre-
interview recruiting communication.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
This study used three criteria for interview sampling. The rationale for each criterion is
detailed in this section.
Criterion 1
Chiefs who have held the position at the Court for at least 4 years. Participants must have
extensive experience making organization-wide decisions for the Court.
Criterion 2
Chiefs who oversee a distinct department at the Court. Participants must have
organization-wide perspectives and an understanding of the unique needs of each department.
Criterion 3
Chiefs who have at least 2 years of experience in remote work at the Court. Participants
must have experience approving or denying telework and managing remote staff.
Interview (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
For the interview, purposive sampling was used to select participants that were
representatives of the population to understand and gain relevant insights for the Court (Merriam
& Tisdell, 2016; Pazzaglia et al., 2016). Input from all six chiefs helped answer the research
questions. Recruitment for interviews occurred when they were asked to participate in the
survey. The timing of the interviews followed the completion of the survey data collection. Six
synchronous interviews were conducted over 3 weeks. Each chief received an email invitation to
35

their work email address with a Zoom link to the interview meeting. Each interview session
lasted less than 60 minutes. Appendix B presents the information sheet included in the email.
Document Analysis Sampling Criteria and Rationale
This study used three criteria for document analysis sampling. The rationale for each
criterion is detailed in this section.
Criterion 1
Subject matter must be related to telework. Documents or artifacts must refer to aspects
of telework at the Court. Potential information included policies and procedures, recruitment
material, and budget resources.
Criterion 2
The source must be the Court. A review of the Court’s documents and artifacts was
necessary to understand KMO influences at the organization where the focus of the study took
place.
Criterion 3
The date of the documentation must be after March 2020. Prior to the global pandemic,
which started in March 2020, telework was not prevalent at the Court. Only documents relevant
to current practice and policy were considered for inclusion in the study.
Document Analysis Sampling (Access) Strategy and Rationale
Document analysis for this study included all public documents and artifacts that met the
sampling criteria. No personal information was used in this study. The collection of relevant
documents commenced during the survey period, and it took 1 week.

36

Data Collection and Instrumentation
This was a mix-method innovation study. Survey, interview, and documents were used to
address the research questions. Data were gathered to assess stakeholder knowledge and skills,
motivation, and organizational resources needed to offer telework to employees whose job tasks
could be completed remotely. The use of different data sources, a practice known as
triangulation, was to increase the validity or credibility of a study. Triangulation allowed
researchers to compare and confirm emerging findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Surveys
Surveys were used to quickly capture information that was not yet available, such as
respondents’ attitudes, knowledge, and opinions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Robinson &
Leonard, 2019). For this study, the survey was conducted using an online survey instrumentation
tool, Qualtrics XM. Over 10 days, participants had access to an online survey link. It was
expected that the survey could be completed within 15 minutes. There were 11 questions. These
questions addressed the stakeholders’ knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
influences related to offering telework at the Court. The survey was designed specifically for this
study, and each item addressed theories and research findings detailed in the literature review.
Appendix C presents the KMO survey crosswalk, and the survey protocol is Appendix D.
Interviews
When another’s perspective allows for understanding what cannot be observed or
assessed through a survey, interviewing is the preferred mode of data collection (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016; Patton, 2002). One-on-one conversations allowed for a focused discussion on the
research questions to elicit relevant information from the participants. Data collection procedures
included conducting six synchronous, informal interviews over 3 weeks. Each participant was
37

interviewed once, with each session lasting less than 60 minutes. The interviews were conducted
via Zoom from my home to ensure privacy. The participants determined their locations for the
interview appointments. A semi-structured interview protocol was designed and used, allowing
for flexibility to let interviewees guide the discussion through their thought processes. This
approach could lead to insights on interesting and relevant topics that were not included in the
protocol. All seven interview questions addressed at least one key concept of the gap analysis
KMO framework. Appendix E presents the KMO interview crosswalk, and the interview
protocol is Appendix F.
Documents and Artifacts
Secondary data, such as official documents recorded by an organization, were included in
this study as a third source of data. Document analysis allowed me to corroborate findings with
the survey and interview data (Johnson & Christensen, 2014, Chapter 9). Official documents
from the Court related to the stakeholder goal and assumed KMO influences were collected. I
used the Court’s public website to search for known documents, such as policies and procedures,
recruitment material, and budget resources. Electronic copies were made and saved on a USB
flash drive. For previously unknown documents that were brought up during interviews with the
stakeholders, I obtained them through direct requests to the stakeholders. Thirty documents were
collected. The KMO document analysis protocol is Appendix G.
Data Analysis
Data analysis took place in phases. The first phase focused on the quantitative data
collected from the stakeholder surveys. Responses entered into Qualtrics were exported as a
Microsoft Excel file, allowing for more tailored analysis in Excel. Descriptive analysis of data
revealed the frequency, means, and range of scores for each variable. The next phase focused on
38

the qualitative data obtained through documents. Organizational documents were analyzed for
KMO influences using content analysis. Findings were categorized around a priori KMO
influences. The last phase focused on the interview data. Zoom generated audio transcripts for
each recorded interview session. The transcripts were analyzed and coded to keywords and
themes aligned with the a priori KMO influences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Credibility and Trustworthiness
To maximize the credibility and trustworthiness of the qualitative components of the
study, I utilized triangulation, adequate engagement, and reflexivity to ensure that research
findings matched reality (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Triangulation
involved using multiple measurement points to confirm emerging findings. In this study,
surveys, interviews, and data analysis were used to collect information. During data collection, I
followed the interview protocol, captured data by taking good notes during the interviews,
recorded the interview sessions (after permission was obtained from the participants), and
utilized Zoom’s capability to transcribe the recordings. I also followed Patton’s (2002)
suggestions to review interview notes and the transcripts in a timely manner, reflect on the
quality of the information, and note down ideas and interpretations that emerged after the
interviews. These post-interview activities ensured data accuracy and completeness.
Adequate engagement in data collection meant spending enough time or gathering
enough data to ensure that no new information would surface through additional data collection.
In this study, interviews were conducted with every key stakeholder to assess their understanding
of the KMO influences and recommended solutions to offer telework to employees. Reflexivity
was the awareness of both a researcher’s influence on what was being studied and the study’s
influence on the researcher. In the final write-up, I explained any positionality, biases, and
39

assumptions that may have influenced the findings of the study. Lastly, peer review that involved
a review of the entire project increased the study’s credibility.
Validity and Reliability
To increase the validity of the quantitative components of the study, I ensured confidence
in the survey sample by selecting appropriate participants to represent the population being
studied and included enough individuals to minimize error. This study included all six top-level
executives with organization-wide decision-making power. This approach ensured 95%
confidence levels at a 5% margin error (Pazzaglia et al., 2016). To ensure a 100% response rate,
I contacted participants through an initial invitation, one reminder, and confirmation emails. To
increase the reliability of the quantitative components of the study, I maintained the integrity of
the survey data collection by sending online links to Qualtrics to each participant through
personalized invitations. Assurance of anonymity and confidentiality were emphasized. It was
important to use standardized procedures, questions, and response categories. This allowed for a
comparative analysis of the data (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Ethics
Ethical consideration for human participants was of paramount importance. Informed
consent, voluntary participation, and confidentiality were addressed prior to the start of the study.
After informing the participants of the study's purpose, their email responses were kept to
document their consent and willingness to be surveyed and interviewed (Glesne, 2011; Samkian,
2021). Reminders of voluntary participation were clearly stated in the survey instruction and
verbally announced at the beginning of the interview sessions. Confidentiality was assured in
several ways. I did not discuss with anyone the specifics of what was said, and I separated
participants’ names from the data, used a pseudonym for the organization, and disseminated only
40

general findings. All electronic copies of data and documents were stored in a USB flash drive
dedicated to the study.
I had a dual role as a doctoral student and a Court employee. Since the participants were
at the top of the organizational hierarchy, I could not exert coercion through positional power.
Yet, I had personal power to influence participants’ decisions to participate. I had a great rapport
with the CEO, and he had provided me with support and mentorship for years. He had also
expressed an interest in the study to understand the components needed to offer telework. This
could have influenced participants’ decisions to take part in the study. Perhaps the chiefs felt
obligated to complete the survey and be interviewed when they realized their leader supported
the study. To address the potential ethical issue, I defined this study as a doctoral dissertation
project, not an assignment or project for the organization. During each interaction with the
participants, I reminded them that they could withdraw without penalty at any time. It should be
noted that all recruitment efforts and data collection began after institutional review board (IRB)
approval was obtained. This ensured that the rights of the participants were protected, procedures
and protocols were well-prepared, and all participants provided informed consent.
Role of Investigator
I was a mid-level manager at the Court. I had a strong working relationship with all the
chiefs, even though I reported directly to another manager. My perception of telework was
shaped by my positionality as a tech-savvy, upper-middle-class, anglophone, and able-bodied
employee (Cooper, 2017). I had knowledge of the justice system, access to equipment, flexibility
to work at my fully furnished home office, spoke English, and had no visual or hearing issues.
As an insider of the organization, I comfortably solicited knowledge and insights from my
participants. However, I may also have brought biases to the study. I could not fully grasp the
41

challenges faced by employees who were younger and less experienced, were not tech-savvy,
lacked access to the equipment or dedicated quiet workspace, or needed special visual or hearing
accommodations. My bias could influence the way I developed the research questions and how I
collected and interpreted the data. To mitigate potential bias and its impact on the study, I
utilized the validity strategies previously mentioned, including triangulation and peer review
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018).

42

Chapter Four: Results and Findings
Based on the literature review, seven assumed influences were identified for this study.
All were categorized under KMO needs. The two conceptual knowledge influences were the
need to understand misconceptions of remote work and the need to know the principles of best
practices to optimize employee flexibility and productivity. Three motivational influences
included valuing the importance of offering a remote plan, feeling confident in one’s ability to
effectively develop remote work plans, and feeling good about supporting telework for
employees. Two organizational influences included having policies aligned with remote work
best practices and having a culture of trust in the organization. Study results were organized in
the KMO framework and presented in the same order as the assumed influences. Multiple
quantitative and qualitative data were collected to validate the assumed needs. Survey, interview,
and document data were collected to understand the KMO needs of the stakeholders to provide
hybrid work schedules to the Court’s employees whose job tasks could be completed remotely.
Survey data was collected first at the beginning of the study. Participants were able to quickly
access and complete the survey. During the 10-day survey period, publicly available
organizational documents were collected. The interview data was collected last due to participant
availability.
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholders of this study were the CEO and his five direct reports. Known as the
chiefs, these six individuals oversaw over 1,500 employees. Data were collected from the chiefs
to validate the assumed needs for this study. All six chiefs agreed to participate in the survey and
the interview. In general, all the chiefs had experience in government work. Four chiefs (67%)
indicated a tenure of over 13 years, with two of them working for government entities for over
43

20 years. All have worked in their current role for over 4 years. Although only five chiefs (83%)
reported that they currently telework, all chiefs had experience with telework-related decision
making. Table 6 details the chiefs’ involvement in making decisions on telework for their
employees.

Table 6
Chiefs’ Involvement With Telework Decision Making for Employees
Types of employees Yes No
n % n %
Direct reports 6 100.00 0 0.00
Manager 3 50.00 3 50.00
Supervisors 2 33.33 4 66.67
Employees 2 33.33 4 66.67

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Determination of Assets and Needs
Data were collected through an online survey, one-on-one interviews, and organizational
documents. Triangulation was achieved through the use of three data sources (survey, interview,
and documents) and through multiple perspectives from different individuals on the same topic
area. As there were only six individuals, interviews were conducted with all chiefs. During data
analysis, decisions had to be made on the criteria to determine if an influence was an asset or
need. With a small sample, it was important to include and consider input from all participants.
At the Court, decisions are made by consensus to ensure consistency throughout the
organization. As such, 100% agreement was used as the cut score for survey items, interviews,
and document analysis. Each instrument was assigned a weight to reflect its importance in
assessing each influence. Surveys and interviews captured direct input from participants, so they
were weighted more heavily than documents. Interviews provided opportunities for probing and
for the chiefs to elaborate, thus allowing for richer data to be collected. For this study, the online
survey had a weight of 30%, the in-depth interviews had a weight of 50%, and the documents
had a weight of 20%.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Needs
For this study, there were two assumed knowledge influences. Both related to the chiefs’
conceptual knowledge related to remote work, including understanding misconceptions of
remote work and knowing the principles of best practices to optimize employee flexibility and
productivity. In this section, detailed survey results, interviewing findings, and document
analysis were presented. A summary statement was included to show if each influence was
determined to be an asset or a need.

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Conceptual Knowledge Influence 1
The first influence related to conceptual knowledge that this study evaluated was that
chiefs need to understand the misconceptions of remote work.
Survey Results
To assess if leaders had the conceptual knowledge of misconceptions of remote work, the
survey asked participants to complete the sentence “When it comes to telework, it:” by choosing
all responses that apply. Results indicated that the chiefs were able to identify misconceptions of
remote work. From a list of 10 items, all chiefs chose the same four items: provides a better
work/life balance for employees, can lead to cost savings, can help with recruitment, and can
enhance employee productivity. None chose items considered to be misconceptions of remote
work: is not suited for everyone, so it is not fair, is not for leadership roles, requires complex
technology, prevents you from building strong work teams, causes more work for supervisors,
and won’t work for us. Figure 3 shows participant responses to the survey question.

46

Figure 3
Responses to Survey Item: “When It Comes to Telework, It:”

Interview Findings
When asked to give an example of a myth about telework, all six chiefs mentioned
misconceptions, such as employee non-productivity and telework being a nonconductive
business practice. Chief 1 shared the myth that employees had differing levels of productivity
“unless they are working at the office.” Similarly, Chief 6 stated that there was a belief that
“people are less productive at home.” Chief 2 added another myth that certain businesses are
“not conducive to that type of telework.” Table 7 shows the core points of participant responses
to the interview question.

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Table 7
Core Points of Interview Responses for Myth About Telework
Participant Core points
Chief 1 “People are not productive unless they are working at the office physically.”
Chief 2 “That our business is not conducive to that type of remote work.”
Chief 3
“People take advantage of it, … doing all their own personal work, … aren’t
really as productive or as committed or working as hard as they do when they’re
on site.”
Chief 4
“That people are not productive, and they’re easily distracted when they’re
teleworking.”
Chief 5 “That our employees are less productive.”
Chief 6 “People are less productive at home or less productive while teleworking.”

Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
Thirty organizational documents were reviewed, but none was relevant for this influence.
There was no determination if this influence was an asset or need based on the documents.
Summary
The chiefs’ understanding of misconceptions of remote work was confirmed by the
survey and interview data. All identified misconceptions listed in the survey and provided
examples during the interviews. The document data was not relevant or considered for this
influence. Both the survey results and interview findings met the cut-score threshold of 100%,
making this conceptual knowledge influence an asset.
Conceptual Knowledge Influence 2
The second influence related to conceptual knowledge was that chiefs need to know the
principles of best practices to optimize employee flexibility and productivity.
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Survey Results
The chiefs were asked to list what they would consider when balancing employee
flexibility and productivity. Their open-ended responses were coded into eight distinct
categories. The most important element was the completeness of tasks or projects without delay,
followed by being accessible or available when needed, and then by maintaining team dynamics
or collaboration. Figure 4 shows participant responses to the survey question.

Figure 4
Responses to Survey Item: “Please List What You Consider When Balancing Employee
Flexibility and Productivity?”

49

Interview Findings
During interviews, chiefs were asked to elaborate on what information they would need
to know about best practices to balance flexibility and employee productivity. Their responses
varied. Three responses (50%) were vague, with references to “meeting the business needs and
the individual needs” (Chief 2), “needs that you have in terms of your statutory responsibilities.”
(Chief 1), and “depends on who your stakeholders are” (Chief 5). Three other responses (50%)
were more result-driven, stating that the information considered would include “judges
complaining … work is not getting done on time, or … quality is not there” (Chief 6), “are we
able to run our court efficiently” (Chief 4), and “about delivery, getting the job done right. …
work always comes first” (Chief 3). None mentioned best practices from their own or any other
industries. Table 8 shows the core points of participant responses to the interview question.

Table 8
Core Points of Interview Responses for Information Needed for Remote Work Plan Best
Practices
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“Strike a balance between meeting the needs that you have in terms of your
statutory responsibilities … and opportunity to maybe have people work
remotely.”
Chief 2
“We look at business needs and the individual’s needs, and try to offer that
flexibility as much as we can”
Chief 3
“It’s about delivery, getting the job done right. … I do believe in, you know,
allowing the flexibility, … but work always comes first.”
Chief 4
“Are you supporting them? … Are we able to support the business to move
forward. … Are we able to run our court more efficiently.”
Chief 5
“I think it depends on who your stakeholders are and who you’re serving. … I
look at each individual’s role.”
Chief 6
“The key for me is, are the judges complaining … that the work is not getting
done on time or … the quality is not there?”

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Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
Thirty organizational documents were reviewed, but none was relevant for this influence.
There was no determination if this influence was an asset or need based on the documents.
Summary
Overall, chiefs’ knowledge of principles of best practices to optimize employee flexibility
and productivity did not meet the 100% cut-score threshold in the survey and interview data. The
document data was not relevant or considered for this influence. The chiefs considered different
elements, lacked consistency, and made no reference to any best practices in their or any other
industry. This assumed conceptual knowledge influence is a need.
Results and Findings for Motivation Needs
There were three motivational influences in this study. Valuing the importance of
offering a remote plan, feeling confident in one’s ability to effectively develop remote work
plans, and feeling good about supporting telework for employees were assessed. In this section,
detailed survey results, interviewing findings, and document analysis were presented. A
summary statement was included to show if each influence was determined to be an asset or a
need.
Utility Value Influence
The influence related to utility value was that chiefs need to value the importance of
offering a remote work plan.

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Survey Results
Chiefs were asked to indicate how important it was to them to offer a remote work plan
for their employees. Results showed that the chiefs indicated varying degrees of importance. One
chief gave the highest rating of 100%, showing it was very important to offer remote work plans.
Yet, another chief rated the importance at 50%. The average rating of importance was 81%.
Figure 5 details the responses from each chief.

Figure 5
Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Is It Important to Offer Remote Work Plans for
Your Employees?”

52

Interview Findings
During the interviews, all chiefs shared that it was important for them to offer a remote
work plan for their employees. Several stated that the offer was “extremely important” (Chief 5),
“it’s not a nice to have” (Chief 3), and “it’s the biggest perk we have” (Chief 6). Table 9 shows
the core points of participant responses to the interview question.

Table 9
Core Points of Interview Responses for the Importance to Offer Remote Work Plan
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“It’s important for us to demonstrate that we are fulfilling our responsibilities, but
also doing it professionally and efficiently.”
Chief 2 “I think it’s really important these days, for a lot of reasons.”
Chief 3
“So, for me, it’s hugely important. I use the word huge. … It’s not a nice to have
… it’s an important thing.”
Chief 4
“I think it’s really important to have some of that flexibility, it’s almost kind of
like a norm or an expectation that there’s some level of remote.”
Chief 5 “It’s extremely important.”
Chief 6 “Oh, it’s huge! It’s the biggest perk we have.”

53

Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
Thirty documents were reviewed for offers of remote work opportunities. Of the 20 job
bulletins, seven (35%) noted “primarily remote opportunity” in the title and included a statement
indicating “this position is eligible for a combination of telework and on-site work assignments.”
One (5%) stated it “may have a hybrid telework schedule available after the probationary period
is completed.” One (5%) explicitly stated that the position “requires duties to be performed on-
site and remote work is not available.” Aside from the two telecommuting policies and a budget
document, a remote work plan was not mentioned in the remaining seven documents.
Summary
In the survey data, there were mixed ratings on the level of importance for the chiefs to
offer remote work plans. Yet, they all stated that it was important to them during the interviews.
Document data also revealed a lack of consistent language about remote work or telework
options. Although the interview data met the 100% cut-score threshold, the survey and document
data did not. The weighted total determined that the motivation influence on utility value is a
need.
Self-Efficacy Influence
The influence related to self-efficacy was that chiefs need to feel confident in their ability
to effectively develop remote work plans.
Survey Results
The survey asked chiefs to rate their level of confidence in being able to develop remote
work plans for their employees. Survey results showed that the chiefs had varied levels of
54

confidence. While most of the chiefs gave ratings at or above 90%, one chief self-rated at a 50%
level of confidence. Figure 6 details the responses from each chief.

Figure 6
Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Are You Confident That You Can Effectively
Develop Remote Work Plans for Your Employees?”

55

Interview Findings
When asked to describe their level of confidence to effectively develop remote work
plans for their employees, only two (33%) chiefs reflected positively on their own abilities. For
example, Chief 6 shared that “I’m pretty darn confident.” Three (50%) chiefs referred to working
with their teams, such as having “my managers to put the program together” (Chief 3). One
Chief (16%) specifically said that “I don’t think I could do that myself.” (Chief 4). Table 10
shows the core points of participant responses to the interview question.

Table 10
Core Points of Interview Responses for Level of Confidence
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“I am very pleased with the fact that I have such a great leadership team that
reports to me. … I get a chance to get feedback and make sure that we are
headed down the right path.”
Chief 2
“I have high confidence, because we’ve been kind of walking the talk now for 3
years almost.”
Chief 3 “So, I worked with my managers to put the program together.”
Chief 4
“I don’t think I could do that myself. I would have to rely on my direct reports
and working together with them.”
Chief 5
“Fortunately, I have had the same management team throughout this, and so I
have not been in a position where I have had to onboard [employees].”
Chief 6
“Oh, I’m pretty darn confident. … I had a very high level of confidence from
Day 1.”

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Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
All six job bulletins for technology positions mentioned the availability of remote work
plans. It is not the same for the other departments. Only one of the two legal positions stated a
“primarily remote opportunity,” and one of nine operations positions “may have a hybrid
telework schedule available after the probationary period is completed.” Two finance positions
did not mention remote work plans, and the last finance position specifically noted “duties to be
performed on-site and remote work is not available.” The telecommuting policies did not specify
how remote work plans were to be developed.
Summary
Survey data showed that there was at least one chief who was not confident, the interview
data did not show compelling evidence that there was high confidence in individual abilities to
develop effectively remote work plans, and the document data did not clearly show who would
be responsible or how remote work plans would be developed. The 100% cut-score threshold
was not met. This motivation influence on self-efficacy is a need.
Emotion Influence
The influence related to emotion was that chiefs need to feel good about supporting
telework for their employees.
Survey Results
Using a Likert scale (1 = strongly agree to 4 = strongly disagree), chiefs were asked how
they felt about supporting telework for their employees to assess their emotion. Results showed a
57

unanimous positive emotion, as all six chiefs answered strongly agree to feeling good about
supporting telework. Figure 7 shows participant responses to the survey question.

Figure 7
Responses to Survey Item: “I Feel Good Supporting Telework for My Employees”

58

Interview Findings
Chiefs were asked to share how they felt about supporting telework for their employees.
All felt positive about their support, with one simply saying that it was “fabulous” (Chief 5).
Chief 1 shared, “I feel very positive about giving employees options.” The same enthusiasm can
be found in the response from Chief 3, who said, “So, it’s something that I’ve always been a big
fan of.” Table 11 shows the core points of participant responses to the interview question.

Table 11
Core Points of Interview Responses for Feelings About Supporting Telework
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“I’m always supportive of creating opportunities for us to manage our people in
a productive way. I feel very positive about giving employees options.”
Chief 2 “I feel strongly that I’d want to support it.”
Chief 3
“So, it’s something that I’ve always been a big fan of, and I have always
supported that. … I’m really excited.”
Chief 4
“I’m very supportive, and I see a lot of benefits, and you know there’s that nice
balance.”
Chief 5 “Fabulous!”
Chief 6 “I’m a big fan. I feel very strongly.”

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Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
Thirty organizational documents were reviewed, but none was relevant for this influence.
There was no determination if this influence was an asset or need based on the documents.
Summary
All chiefs felt good about supporting telework for their employees. While the document
data was not relevant or considered for this influence, both the survey results and interview
findings met the cut-score threshold of 100%. This motivation influence on emotions is an asset.
Results and Findings for Organization Needs
There were two organizational influences in this study, including having policies aligned
with remote work best practices and having a culture of trust in the organization. In this section,
detailed survey results, interviewing findings, and document analysis were presented. A
summary statement was included to show if each influence was determined to be an asset or a
need.
Policies, Processes, and Procedures Influence
The influence examined in this category was that policies and procedures for approval to
participate in telework are aligned with remote work best practices.
Survey Results
Using a Likert scale (1 = strongly agree to 4 = strongly disagree), chiefs were asked if
the Court’s policies and procedures for approval to participate in telework were aligned with
remote work best practices. Survey results revealed a general agreement, with four chiefs
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responding with “strongly agree” and two chiefs responding with “agree.” Figure 8 details the
participants’ responses to the survey question.

Figure 8
Responses to Survey Item: “The Court’s Policies and Procedures for Approval of Participation
in Telework Are Aligned With Remote Work Program Best Practices”

61

Interview Findings
When asked if there was alignment between the policies and procedures for approval to
participate in telework and remote work program best practices, the chiefs’ responses were split.
Half believed there was alignment, but half was not certain. Chief 1 said, “Many of the things …
been demonstrated in other industries … everything is pretty much in alignment.” However,
Chief 2 stated, “Don’t know how much exploration we did. … Didn’t have a lot of time to do a
lot of research.” Chief 4 admitted, “I don’t know what the best practices are.” Table 12 shows the
core points of participant responses to the interview question.

Table 12
Core Points of Interview Responses for Alignment With Best Practices
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“Many of the things that we’ve created have been created because it has been
demonstrated in other industries. … I think everything is pretty much in
alignment.”
Chief 2
“Don’t know how much exploration we did. … We made decisions on the fly that
seemed right. We used our gut. … Didn’t have a lot of time to do a lot of
research.”
Chief 3
“My gut is, it’s in alignment in the sense that there was nothing really weird in
there. … It’s all pretty standard stuff.”
Chief 4
“I’m not sure I’m able to answer that because I don’t know what the best
practices are. … I haven’t looked at out there to see what other people are
doing, to see what the best practices are.”
Chief 5
“As compared to other courts, we are probably aligned, if not better. … I do think
we have a fair program.”
Chief 6
“It’s in complete alignment with what we do. … We got a policy that I think is
entirely consistent.”

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Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
The Court’s telecommuting policy was revised and updated in February 2022. There was
no mention of industry-wide remote work best practices. Contrary to organizations with
teleworking workforces from across the nation, the Court’s policy noted that “Court employees
participating in the Teleworking Program must work from a pre-designated home-based location
within the state of California.”
Summary
The survey data showed the chiefs generally agreed that policies and procedures aligned
with remote work best practices. However, the interview data revealed differing opinions about
the degree of alignment. Document data lacked evidence to show that best practices were
adopted. This organization-related influence on policies, processes, and procedures did not meet
the 100% cut-score threshold and is a need.
Cultural Models Influence
The influence related to cultural models examined in this study was that there is a culture
of trust between chiefs and employees.
Survey Results
The survey asked the chiefs to indicate “to what degree do you think trust exists between
chiefs and the employees at the Court?” Results showed that the chiefs generally believed that
there was trust. The highest rating of 90% was given by two chiefs, and the lowest rating of 75%
was given by another two chiefs. The average rating of trust was 83%. Figure 9 details the
responses from each chief.
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Figure 9
Responses to Survey Item: “To What Degree Do You Think Trust Exists Between Chiefs and the
Employees at the Court?”

Interview Findings
When asked about trust between chiefs and employees, all agreed that there was mutual
trust. “I trust the employees [to do] what they’re supposed to do. … Overall, the trust is the
same” (Chief 1). Similarly, Chief 6 shared that “I think there’s a pretty big level of trust between
them and me.” Table 13 shows the core points of participant responses to the interview question.

64

Table 13
Core Points of Interview Responses for Levels of Trust
Participant Core points
Chief 1
“I trust the employees what they’re supposed to do. Do they trust us? … I think
overall the trust is the same.”
Chief 2
“I trust my employees until they give me a reason not to. … I extend it freely on
the front end. … Do employees trust us? I think they do. I’d like to think they
do.”
Chief 3 “Generally, I think people trust their groups.”
Chief 4
“So, for me, there’s a very high level of trust with my direct reports. … with the
next level down. … The trust level is high.”
Chief 5
“I have a high level of trust, and that trust is based on experience. … I think the
court’s philosophy is yes, we trust our employees.”
Chief 6
“In terms of my crew, I think they trust me, … but I have huge trust in them. I
think there’s a pretty big level of trust between them and me.”

Observation
No observations were made for this influence.
Document Analysis
Thirty organizational documents were reviewed, but none was relevant for this influence.
There was no determination if this influence was an asset or need based on the documents.
Summary
Survey data showed that the chiefs thought there was trust within the organization.
Interview data further revealed that the chiefs believed that mutual trust between leaders and
their employees existed. While the document data was not relevant or considered for this
influence, the 100% cut-score threshold was met for both survey and interview data. This
organization influence on the cultural model is an asset.

65

Summary of Influences
Analysis of the study’s quantitative and qualitative data revealed if each of the seven
assumed influences was an asset or a need. Of the two conceptual knowledge influences, data
showed that the chiefs had an understanding of the misconceptions of remote work (asset), but
they lacked consistency in knowing how to use best practices to optimize employee flexibility
and productivity (need). For the motivation influences, not all chiefs placed high importance on
offering remote work plans (need), and they were not consistent in feeling confident in their
individual ability to effectively develop remote work plans (need). However, all the chiefs felt
good about supporting telework for employees (asset). For the organization influences, data
revealed differing degrees of alignment between policies and remote work best practices (need),
but showed support that a culture of trust existed in the organization (asset). Tables 14, 15, and
16 show the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences for this study and their
determination as assets or needs. The results and findings presented in this section serve as the
basis for recommendations for solutions, which are presented in Chapter Five.

Table 14
Knowledge Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data
Assumed knowledge influence Asset or
need
Chiefs need to understand the misconception of remote work. (Conceptual
Knowledge 1)
Asset
Chiefs need to know the principles of best practices to optimize employee
flexibility and productivity. (Conceptual Knowledge 2)
Need

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Table 15
Motivation Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data
Assumed motivation influence Asset or
need
Chiefs need to value the importance of offering a remote work plan. (Utility
value)
Need
Chiefs need to feel confident in their ability to effectively develop remote work
plans. (Self-efficacy)
Need
Chiefs need to feel good about supporting telework for their employees.
(Emotions)
Asset

Table 16
Organization Assets or Needs as Determined by the Data
Assumed organization influence Asset or
need
Policies and procedures for approval to participate in telework are aligned with
remote work best practices. (Policies, processes, and procedures)
Need
There is a culture of trust between chiefs and employees. (Cultural model) Asset

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Chapter Five: Recommendations for Practice
The Court has nine operating locations in California. Its daily operations are guided by
laws, statutes, and rules of court. The Court’s stated mission is to administer justice and resolve
legal disputes. It has jurisdiction over 3 million people and handles an average of 500,000 civil,
criminal, juvenile, family law, traffic, and probate and mental health case filings each year. The
Court has two governance structures: one for judicial officers and another for administrative
personnel. Under judicial governance, the presiding judge oversees about 140 judges and
commissioners.
8
The primary role of judicial officers is to preside over court hearings and trials.
Under administrative governance, the CEO is responsible for over 1,500 employees.
9
Court
employees are responsible for providing administrative support for all aspects of court
operations.
Organizational Performance Goal
The organizational performance problem for this study is the insufficient availability of
hybrid work schedules for Court employees. Prior to the pandemic, telework options were not
widely available at the Court. Employees who had face-to-face contact with the public were
often not eligible to telecommute. Early in the pandemic, the Court was closed to ensure public
and employee safety. The state judiciary enacted emergency orders to allow for court services to
be provided remotely through online forums (Judicial Council of California, 2020d). Court
executives allowed some employees to telecommute to continue operations while limiting the
number of people at each location. However, those whose job tasks were deemed not conducive
to telework did not have the option to work remotely. More than 80% of staff-level employees

8
Judges are elected by the people or appointed by the state governor. Commissioners are hired employees to assist
with the judicial workload by performing subordinate judicial duties.
9
The source is the organization’s website. Actual URL is not provided because it will reveal the identity of the
organization.
68

were required to report to the Court in person.
10
It is expected that once the state of emergency
declaration related to the pandemic is lifted, all Court employees will return to their workplace
full-time. While the Court fulfills its mission to administer justice and resolve legal disputes, the
pandemic led to procedural delays when employees could not work due to being exposed to or
contracting the coronavirus. Mandatory quarantine periods lead to a loss of productivity,
backlogs, and delays. The inability to work remotely also caused anxiety and stress for
employees who are required to work at court buildings during the pandemic.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Several stakeholder groups directly contribute to and benefit from achieving the Court’s
goal: top-level executives, the management team, and employees. The top-level executives are
the CEO and his five direct reports. These chiefs hold organization-wide decision-making power,
control resource allocation, make all global decisions for the organization, and approve all
policies and procedures. The management team consists of about 130 individuals who manage
various work units and teams.
11
They execute and ensure adherence to organizational policies.
They will need to work out scheduling details and a balanced workload among in-person and
remote employees. They must ensure proper coverage and manage their teams regardless of their
work locations. The third stakeholder group is the Court’s over 1,400 employees, who will reap
the most benefit from the organization goal, if achieved. They will have a choice to participate in
hybrid work schedules.

10
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included because it will
reveal the identity of the organization.
11
The source is unpublished raw data on personnel from the organization. A citation is not included because it will
reveal the identity of the organization.
69

Goal of the Stakeholder Group for the Study
This study focused on the top-level executive stakeholder goal established by the CEO to
have all chiefs offer hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks can be completed
remotely by December 2024.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this innovation study was to conduct a needs analysis in the KMO areas
necessary for chiefs to achieve their stakeholder goa. The possible needs were systematically
examined to ascertain which needs were assets and which were needs. Two research questions
guided this study:
1. What are the chiefs’ knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization needs related
to offering a hybrid work schedule?
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
solutions related to chiefs’ offering a hybrid work schedule?
Discussion on Findings
There are several noteworthy implications from the study findings. In the area of
knowledge, chiefs showed a lack of the conceptual understanding of best practices. While they
were able to distinguish between truth and myths of remote work, none was able to articulate an
example of best practices. In the interviews, some chiefs thought that the Court was using best
practices. Yet, some admitted that they did not explore or consult with industry best practices,
and none was operationalized at the Court. The findings indicated missed opportunities to
capitalize on existing research to determine what was needed when implementing remote work.
During the past three years, no assessment was made to revisit and determine if remote work
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was, indeed, implemented in a way that maximized value to both employees and the Court.
Similar discrepancies were found in the area of motivation.
The literature on motivation revealed that chiefs need to value the importance of offering
remote work, be confident in their ability to develop remote work plans for employees and feel
good about offering this option to their employees. In the interviews, chiefs spoke of the
importance of offering remote work. Yet, there were limited mentions of remote work
opportunities in organizational documents such as job announcements and websites. While they
believed that remote work was going well at the Court, the chiefs shared no evidence that
employees felt the same way. One chief wondered if the organization hierarchy had prevented
these top-level executives from hearing relevant feedback from employees. When discussing
their confidence in developing remote work plans, chiefs admitted in the interviews that they
delegated the task and relied on other people. Most of them did not know how to create work
plans, nor did they seek out reference materials or feedback from each other. Chief trusted their
own managers to make work plan decisions, and there was a lack of consistency on how these
plans were developed throughout the Court. On the other hand, all chiefs shared positive feelings
about offering options to employees to work remotely. They believed that their employees knew
they supported remote work, and it was offered to all whose job tasks could be completed
outside of the office. These findings suggested that the chiefs could benefit from targeted
resources or assistance to address their motivation to offer and develop remote work plans.
Implications on organizational needs were also found in this study.
In the area of organizational culture, the data supported the existence of mutual trust
between the chiefs and their employees. However, not all chiefs were certain if the policies,
processes, and procedures in place were aligned with remote work program best practices. In the
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interviews, some chiefs shared that they were never asked how the policy was created, there was
no discussion on incorporating strategies from another court, and they did not provide evidence
that best practices were adopted. The current policy was drafted as a response to the pandemic.
Although the chiefs stated that they valued flexibility and recognized the changing needs of the
public, Court, and employees, there was no immediate plan to update the policy. The findings
suggested a gap that chiefs would need to have policies and procedures that supported their goal
to offer remote work and that could be updated to address employees’ varying needs.
Overview of Recommendations and Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Based on the study’s data, seven recommendations have been identified. All will be
presented in the next sessions and categorized under KMO factors. The first two
recommendations relate to increasing the chiefs’ knowledge of remote work topics, including
truths, myths, and best practices. The next three recommendations address ways to motivate
chiefs to offer hybrid work schedules to employees, such as appealing to their values, self-
efficacy, and emotions. The last two recommendations focus on how the organization can
support the chiefs. All seven recommendations will be implemented as a learning program for
the chiefs. This three-phase program will start with a group meeting for the chiefs to form a
working group, then an in-depth discussion session for the chiefs to determine relevant remote
work best practices for their employees, followed by individual work plans for each chief to
experience telework and to receive targeted coaching.
The new world Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) will guide the
implementation and evaluation of the learning program. The model has four levels, each
representing a principle (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) used to evaluate training
programs:
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• Level 1: Reaction focuses on whether the participants find the training to be
favorable, engaging, and relevant to their jobs.
• Level 2: Learning emphasizes the benefits individuals gain from implementing a
program, such as knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment.
• Level 3: Behavior focuses on how much individuals apply what they have learned.
• Level 4: Results direct the attention to results that reflect and align with an
organization’s purpose and mission.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
This section presents recommendations for practice to address the identified needs in the
KMO areas.
Knowledge Recommendations
Two assumed knowledge influences, both related to chiefs’ conceptual knowledge of
remote work, were assessed in this study. While the data revealed that chiefs understood
misconceptions of remote work, there was a gap in their knowledge of the principles of best
practices to optimize employee flexibility and productivity. Prioritization of the influences was
determined by their level of impact on stakeholders. Since the knowledge influences would
affect 100% of the stakeholders, both were determined as a priority. The information processing
system theory (Johnson, 2002) guides the discussion of the knowledge influences in this section.
Both recommendations to address the conceptual knowledge influences were based on
theoretical principles that knowledge can be affected by how information is learned, stored,
organized, and applied. Table 17 shows a summary of the knowledge influences and
recommendations.

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Table 17
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed knowledge
influence
Asset
or
need
Priority
yes or
no
Principle and citation Context-specific
recommendation
Chiefs need to
understand the
misconception of
remote work (C).

Asset Yes Individuals learn best
when new
information is
meaningful and
connected with
prior knowledge
(Johnson, 2002).
Continue to provide chiefs
new information about
remote work truths
and/or myths.
Chiefs need to know
the principles of best
practices to optimize
employee flexibility
and productivity (C).
Need Yes Individuals learn
when they see
meaning in the
information
(Johnson, 2002).
Provide chiefs an
informational pamphlet
on remote work best
practices, and then
determine which relevant
practices to apply at the
Court.

Chiefs Need to Understand the Misconception of Remote Work
Although the results and findings indicated that all chiefs could identify and provide
examples of misconceptions of remote work, it is recommended that continued attention be given
to this area as new information about remote work may become available. A recommendation
rooted in the information processing theory has been selected to address this conceptual
knowledge. Johnson (2002) stated that information is learned best when it is meaningful and
connected with prior knowledge. This would suggest that providing chiefs with information that
could be built on what they already know would support their learning. The recommendation is
to continue to provide chiefs with new information about remote work truths and myths. An
74

information sheet or pamphlet comparing truths and myths would illustrate the facts and reality
of remote work.
Wade and Kidd (2019) investigated how prior knowledge relates to subsequent learning.
The researchers recruited 87 participants to engage in task scenarios that included a learning
phase, a distractor phase, and a testing phase. Results showed that prior knowledge provided a
boost to learning. Tegos and Demetriadis (2017) also investigated the impact of prior knowledge
on learning. In the experimental activity in the context of a course, 72 undergraduate students
were randomly selected to a control group or treatment group where they received interventions
that encouraged them to link new principles discussed in the course to prior knowledge. The
study revealed that treatment students outperformed their control counterparts in understanding
conceptual domain knowledge. Francis et al. (2020) studied the role of prior knowledge and
retrieval activity in testing effect. Fifty-three students participated in the quasi-experimental
study. Results suggested that students benefited more from the intentional mapping of new
information with prior knowledge. Therefore, if chiefs intentionally link new information with
their knowledge about remote work, they are more likely to be able to differentiate between
truths and myths.
Chiefs Need to Know the Principles of Best Practices to Optimize Employee Flexibility and
Productivity
Results and findings revealed a knowledge gap in knowing the principles of best
practices as the chiefs considered different elements, lacked consistency, and made no references
to any best practices in their or any other industry. Information processing theory has been
selected to form a recommendation to address this conceptual knowledge gap. Schraw and
McCrudden (2006) found that how individuals organize knowledge influences how they learn
75

and apply what they know. This would suggest that providing chiefs with information on best
practices and asking them to apply the information would support learning. The recommendation
is to provide chiefs with an informational pamphlet on remote work best practices and have them
determine which relevant practices to apply at the Court. In the form of lists, a pamphlet would
illustrate what practices should be considered and implemented to optimize employee flexibility
and productivity.
Munro et al. (2018) assessed change in knowledge for epidural use associated with use of
an information pamphlet. Forty women participated in the experimental study, in which they
completed a knowledge pretest, either received a short or detailed pamphlet and then completed
a knowledge post-test. Results revealed that the pamphlet significantly increased the women’s
knowledge on epidural use. Shah et al. (2018) explored the impact of an educational pamphlet on
older adults’ attitudes toward depression screening. One hundred forty older adults above 55
years were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group in this experiment. Results
showed that those who received the pamphlet with information on depression, its detrimental
effects on health, and the availability of treatment were more willing to be screened. Trust et al.
(2016) studied the effect of learning with peers. In this survey study, 732 teachers shared their
experience working with a professional learning network. Results showed that almost all (96%)
of respondents reported modifying their practices as a result of what they learned from their
peers. Therefore, chiefs are more likely to gain knowledge through pamphlets with information
on telework best practices, and they will be able to work with their peers to implement relevant
practices for the Court.

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Motivation Recommendations
Three assumed motivation influences related to utility value, self-efficacy, and emotions
were assessed in this study. Despite feeling good about supporting telework for their employees,
the results and findings revealed the chiefs had a gap in valuing the importance of offering
remote work plans and feeling confident in their ability to develop effective work plans.
Prioritization of the influences was determined by their level of impact on stakeholders. Since
the motivation influences would affect 100% of the stakeholders, all were determined as a
priority. The frameworks from Pintrich (2003), Shute (2008), Borgogni et al. (2011), and Clark
and Estes (2008) guide the discussion of the motivation influences in this section. The
recommendations to address the motivation influences were based on theoretical principles of
developing positive values, using feedback to increase self-efficacy, and using the environment
to support positive emotions. Table 18 shows a summary of the motivation influences and
recommendations.

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Table 18
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
motivation
influence
Asset
or
need
Priority
yes or
no
Principle and citation Context-specific
recommendation
Chiefs need to
value the
importance of
offering a remote
work plan.
(Value)

Need Yes Rationales about the
importance and utility
value of the task or
learning can help
learners develop
positive values
(Pintrich, 2003).
Provide chiefs materials
and activities relevant
and useful to themselves,
connected to their
interests, and based on
real world tasks.
Chiefs need to feel
confident in their
ability to
effectively
develop remote
work plans. (Self-
efficacy)

Need Yes Feedback that is private,
specific, and timely
enhances performance
(Shute, 2008).

Feedback as well as
actual success on
challenging tasks
positively influence
people’s perceptions of
competence (Borgogni
et al., 2011).
Provide chiefs with
targeted instruction,
corrective feedback, and
procedural advice on
how to develop remote
work plans.
Chiefs need to feel
good about
supporting
telework for their
employees.
(Emotion)

Asset Yes Positive emotional
environments support
motivation (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Continue to provide chiefs
with feedback on
employee productivity,
engagement, and morale
to lower anxiety about
having remote workers.

Chiefs Need to Value the Importance of Offering a Remote Work Plan
When chiefs gave mixed ratings of importance, coupled with the lack of consistent
language about remote work options in organization documents, a gap in valuing the importance
of offering a remote work plan was revealed. A recommendation rooted in the expectancy-value
78

theory has been selected to address this motivation influence gap. Pintrich (2003) found that
discussions of the importance and utility value of the work or learning can help learners develop
positive values. This would suggest that if chiefs could better understand and relate to remote
work, it would increase the value they place on offering a remote work plan. The
recommendation is to provide chiefs with materials and activities relevant and useful to
themselves, connected to their interests, and based on real-world tasks. Having each chief
telecommute, reflect on their experience, and share what they valued would increase the
importance they place on offering remote work.
Beham et al. (2015) studied task-related factors that impact managerial telework
allocation decisions. In a survey study, 208 managers reviewed vignettes of employees
requesting telework and made approval decisions. Results found that managers are more likely to
approve requests for employees with a central role in the department’s success. Silva-C et al.
(2019) examined the types of factors that influence attitudes toward the implementation of
telework. One hundred forty managers responded to the survey to provide their feedback. The
study found that telework becomes positive and important to managers if they consider it to be
useful and compatible with activities performed during work. Mayo et al. (2016) investigated the
role of top leaders’ beliefs as determinants of telework adoption. Almost 2,400 top executive
officers reported their beliefs in the value and feelings about family-friendly practices such as
telework. Findings indicated that when top leaders were convinced of the value to employees and
felt a personal commitment to implement family-friendly practices, the provision of telework
was more prevalent. Therefore, if chiefs have first-hand experience with the compatibility of
telework and affirm their commitment to keeping employees in critical roles, they should value
offering a remote work plan that leads to organizational success.
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Chiefs Need to Feel Confident in Their Ability to Effectively Develop Remote Work Plans
Results and findings revealed that only two (33%) chiefs were confident in their ability to
effectively develop remote work plans for their employees, and no organization documents
clearly show who would be responsible or how remote work plans would be developed. A
recommendation rooted in the self-efficacy theory has been selected to address this gap in
motivation influence. Feedback, especially that which is private and specific, could increase
one’s self-efficacy and performance (Borgogni et al., 2011; Shute, 2008). This would suggest
that proper guidance could help chiefs grow their confidence. The recommendation is to provide
chiefs with targeted instruction, corrective feedback, and procedural advice on developing
remote work plans. One-on-one sessions with an executive who is experienced with remote work
plans should provide the forum for instructions, feedback, and advice.
Dandalt (2021) explored the teleworking behaviors of managers. Forty-one public
managers participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences telecommuting
and managing remote staff during the pandemic. Results revealed that managers were unhappy
when they could not participate in the planning process of organizational resources, which
included guidance on how to work remotely. Malureanu et al. (2021) studied the relationship
among employees’ beliefs regarding self-confidence and self-efficacy in the workplace by
surveying 307 participants. The results suggested that one’s self-confidence has a significant
effect on perceived self-efficacy in performing a task. Dwyer (2019) conducted a review of
research on leadership self-efficacy. Analysis of 25 years of published work led Dwyer to several
findings. One indicated that coaching and mentoring led to a significant increase in leaders’ self-
efficacy. Therefore, if chiefs have a chance to develop their self-confidence through coaching
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and feedback, they should be motivated to exert effort in creating and offering remote work plans
to their employees to achieve the stakeholder goal.
Chiefs Need to Feel Good About Supporting Telework for Their Employees
While the results and findings revealed that chiefs felt good supporting telework for their
employees, it is recommended that continued attention be given in this area as feelings can
change over time. A recommendation rooted in the theory of emotion has been selected to
address this motivation influence. Clark and Estes (2008) found that positive emotional
environments support an individual’s motivation. This would suggest that if chiefs continued to
feel good about having remote workers, their general support of remote work would continue.
The recommendation is to continue to provide chiefs with feedback on employee productivity,
engagement, and morale to lower anxiety about having remote workers. Periodic updates from
managers would give opportunities for each chief to learn about how remote workers are
performing while away from the office.
Jiang et al. (2019) examined the influence of leaders’ positive affective presences on
employees’ performance. Through a survey, 383 employees provided feedback on their leaders.
Findings showed that a leader who makes their employees feel happy positively increased work
performance. Meneghel et al. (2016) investigated the relationship between positive emotions at
work and team resilience. Almost 1,100 employees responded to the study’s questionnaires.
Results found that positive emotions at work help teams foster resiliency and improve
performance. Ashford et al. (20186) studied the effect of leaders’ feedback-seeking behavior.
Through a survey, 422 top management team members from 65 firms answered questions about
feedback seeking, team effectiveness, and firm performance. Results revealed that top executives
who sought feedback from their management team increased their firms’ performance.
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Therefore, chiefs should continue to receive feedback from their team to maintain their positive
emotions at work, which should lead to improved performance toward achieving their goal.
Organization Recommendations
Two assumed organizational influences related to policies and cultural model were
assessed in this study. Results and findings showed that chiefs had differing opinions about the
degree of alignment between policy and remote work best practices. However, they all agreed
that mutual trust existed between them and their employees. Prioritization of the influences was
determined by their level of impact on stakeholders. Since the organizational influences would
affect all stakeholders, both were determined to be priorities. The frameworks from Clark and
Estes (2008) and Colquitt et al. (2007) guide the discussion of the organizational influences in
this section. The recommendations to address these influences were based on theoretical
principles that organizational effectiveness could be affected by aligning policies and
organizational goals and the leaders’ trustworthiness and ability to trust employees. Table 19
shows a summary of the organizational influences and recommendations.

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Table 19
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
organization
influence
Asset
or
need
Priority
yes or no
Principle and citation Context-specific
recommendation
Policies and
procedures for
approval to
participate in
telework are
aligned with
remote work best
practices. (Policies,
processes, and
procedures)
Need Yes Effective organizations
ensure that
organizational
messages, rewards,
policies, and procedures
that govern the work of
the organization are
aligned with or are
supportive of
organizational goals and
values (Clark & Estes,
2008).

Provide chiefs
procedures for
approval that support
participation in
telework and align
with remote work
best practices.
There is a culture of
trust between
chiefs and
employees.
(Cultural model)
Asset Yes Organizational
effectiveness increases
when leaders are
trustworthy and, in turn,
trust their team
(Colquitt et al., 2007).
Continue to provide
chiefs opportunities
to show transparency
to employees.

Policies and Procedures for Approval to Participate in Telework are Aligned With Remote
Work Best Practices
Results and findings showed that only half of the chiefs believed there was alignment
between the policies and procedures for approval to participate in telework with remote work
program best practices. A recommendation rooted in organizational change theory has been
selected to address this gap. Clark and Estes (2008) found that effective organizations ensure that
organizational messages, rewards, policies, and procedures that govern the organization's work
are aligned with or are supportive of organizational goals and values. This would suggest that the
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policy and procedure for telework should facilitate, and not hinder, the chiefs’ ability to grant
approvals and reach their goal of offering telework to all employees whose job tasks can be done
remotely. The recommendation is to provide chiefs procedures for approval that support
participation in telework and align with remote work best practices. A detailed policy and
procedure that addresses all commonly asked questions or concerns is based on research of best
practices, and is easy to follow would enable managers to grant more approvals for employees to
participate in telework.
In a study of employees, Kassab et al. (2019) aimed to identify the role of policies and
procedures in the success of a system’s implementation. Through a survey, 108 participants
shared their experience during the development and distribution of a new policy and procedure.
Results showed that clear adoption of the policy and procedure put in place lead to the success of
the implementation. Chatterjee et al. (2022) examined the role of top management team support
and organization policy toward remote work reflexibility. In a survey, 307 respondents answered
questions about their experience as teleworkers. The study found that top management team
support had a considerable impact on the employees of the organizations, and effective and
implementable policies acted as positive catalysts for remote work adoption. Smite et al. (2023)
gathered information from companies to examine new trends in remote work. Through access to
over 22 corporation surveys with 11,318 respondents and an analysis of 26 remote work policies,
the study found that employees’ needs varied greatly and many work-from-home policies were
subjected to future changes. The OPM (2021c) updated its guidance to help federal agencies
contextualize the continued evolution of telework and remote work. Therefore, chiefs should
have, support, and use telework policies and procedures that are updated with best practices to
address employees’ varying needs.
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There Is a Culture of Trust Between Chiefs and Employees
While the results and findings indicated that all chiefs thought there was trust within the
organization, it is recommended that continued attention be given in this area as trust can erode
or be lost. A recommendation rooted in leadership theory has been selected to address this
cultural model influence. Colquitt et al. (2007) found that organizational effectiveness increases
when leaders are trustworthy and, in turn, trust their team. This would suggest that if employees
see that chiefs are honest and transparent about their decision making and feel that the chiefs
believe in them, the culture of trust could be maintained. The recommendation is to continue to
provide chiefs opportunities to show transparency to employees. Including a communication plan
for each new initiative would allow chiefs to have the chance to share their decision making
clearly and openly with employees.
Jiang and Luo (2018) studied how organizational factors were linked to employee trust.
Through an online survey, a random sample of 391 employees across different industry sectors
answered questions about authentic leadership, communication, engagement, and trust. Results
revealed that transparent organizational communication significantly influenced employees’ trust
in their organizations. In a study of employers and employees, Noda (2020) examined the
relationship between employee trust in management and employee outcomes. When asked to
complete a survey, 1,502 respondents provided feedback on job security, employee effort, trust
in management, communication, and other topics. Results revealed that trust in management
improved employees’ sense of job security and encouraged productivity-enhancing efforts.
Kaplan et al. (2018) studied managerial decision making on allowing telework. Seventy-one
managers responded to the survey request. Participants were asked to place themselves in the
mindset of a manager, read through different scenarios, and make telework assignments. Results
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showed that managers who were more trusting in general allowed more telework. Therefore,
chiefs’ continued display of transparency should maintain employee trust and lead to enhanced
productivity. This will, in turn, lead chiefs to trust their employees and allow them to telework.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
This section includes a description of the new world Kirkpatrick model, a recap of the
Court’s purposes, needs, and expectations, a detailed explanation of how each of the four
Kirkpatrick levels will be implemented for the Court, evaluation tools, and data analysis and
reports.
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) introduced an updated training implementation and
evaluation model that was based on the one created in the 1950s. Known as the new world
Kirkpatrick model (NWKM), it has the same four levels as the original model, with each level
representing a principle used to evaluate training programs. Training professionals renamed
These principles (reaction, learning, behavior, results) the four levels, and they have been in use
for over 6 decades. Today, the unique, modernized framework of NWKM is used by
organizations worldwide to create effective strategies to design and evaluate training programs.
The unique aspect of the NWKM is that the levels are used in reverse, starting with Level 4 and
ending with Level 1 (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This is intentional to keep the focus on
the occurrence of targeted outcomes for the organization as a result of any training program.
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The Court is a government entity serving over 3 million people each year. Its mission is
to serve the public by administering justice and resolving disputes. Its vision statement refers to
the ideals of equal access, timely dispute resolution, and equal justice. The performance problem
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for this study is the insufficient availability of hybrid work schedules. The CEO established a
stakeholder goal of all chiefs offering hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks can
be completed remotely by December 2024. Allowing this option will ensure that justice can be
administered without interruptions and the public’s legal disputes can still be resolved. The
expected result of this study’s recommendations is the Court offering hybrid work schedules,
including a telework policy aligned with best practices and fully supported by the top-level
executives who value and can confidently make this option available.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
At this level, the attention is on results that reflect and are in alignment with an
organization’s purpose and mission. Leading indicators, which are short-term observations or
measurements, are examined to determine if behaviors are on track to create a positive result for
the organization. The Court’s purpose and mission is to serve the public by administering justice
and resolving disputes. As such, the external outcomes are focused on addressing the public’s
need and desire to have their court cases resolved expeditiously. Started during the pandemic,
many court cases have languished. Some of the delays are caused by a workforce who is still
getting infected with the coronavirus, but others are caused by subsequent leaves of absence and
mandated quarantine that prevented employees from returning to the courthouse buildings. It
now takes longer to resolve court matters, and staff is dealing with an increasing number of
backlogs.
All this can change if the Court has a remote workforce that can complete job tasks while
at home. By implementing the seven recommendations as described in the previous section, the
Court will be able to meet their internal outcomes of having employees in hybrid work
schedules, and having a policy that aligns with best practices. If the internal outcomes are met as
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expected as a result of the training and organizational support as proposed, then the external
outcomes should also be realized. Table 20 shows the proposed Level 4 results and leading
indicators in the form of outcomes, metrics and methods for both external and internal outcomes
for the Court.

Table 20
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metrics Methods
External outcomes
1. Decrease the time it takes to
resolve court matters for litigants

The length of time needed to
complete a court case for
litigants.

Solicit data from the
Court’s case
management system.
2. Decrease the number of received
documents from the litigants that
have not been filed into the case
management system

The number of received
documents that have not
been filed into the case
management system.

Solicit data from the
Court’s case
management system
3. Decrease the number of case
judgments that have not been
recorded in the case management
system

The number of case
judgments that have not
been filed into the case
management system.
Solicit data from the
Court’s case
management system
Internal outcomes
1. Increased number of employees
in hybrid work schedules

The number of employees
who have hybrid work
schedules

Solicit data from
human resources
records
2. Improved telework policy that
aligns with best practices

The number of best practices
incorporated in the policy
Review the telework
policy

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Level 3: Behavior
At this level, the focus is on how much individuals apply what they have learned to their
current jobs. Three main areas to examine are critical behaviors (specific actions that are most
impactful and important to achieve success), required drivers (key processes or systems to ensure
learning is applied on the job), and organizational support.
Critical Behaviors
The stakeholders of focus are the chiefs. The first critical behavior is that the chiefs must
create a working group to produce informational pamphlets or sheets on remote work. These
materials should compare truths and myths of telework to illustrate the facts and reality of
remote work, and list what best practices should be considered and implemented to optimize
employee flexibility and productivity. The second critical behavior is that each chief must review
these materials and determine which relevant practices to apply at the Court. The selected
practices must address each department’s unique business needs and practices. The third critical
behavior is that the chiefs must experience working away from the office. They need to have
first-hand experience of telework and realize the benefits of a remote work plan. The fourth
critical behavior is that each chief needs to have one-on-one sessions with experienced
teleworking executives to increase their confidence in developing remote work plans. Coaching,
instructions, and feedback from these meetings will enhance the chiefs’ self-efficacy. Data
collection throughout level 3 informs the feedback loop to help the organization monitor
progress and adjust required drivers for improved human performance. Table 21shows the
specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of these outcome behaviors.

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Table 21
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation of Chiefs
Critical behavior Metrics
Methods
Timing
1. Chiefs create a
working group to
produce
informational
material on remote
work.

Yes or No, creation of
working group
Chiefs will write the names
of working group
members in a shared
document in the Court’s
SharePoint.
Thirty days
after the
start of the
program
2. Chiefs determine
relevant remote work
best practices to
apply at the Court.

The number of
relevant remote
work best practices
that have been
determined to be
relevant

Chiefs will write the
relevant remote work best
practices for the Court in
a shared document in the
Court’s SharePoint.

Ongoing
monthly
3. Chiefs work away
from the office to
experience telework.

The number of days
each chief teleworks
Administrative assistants
will track the number of
teleworking days.

Ongoing
monthly
4. Chiefs engage in
one-on-one session
with experienced
teleworking
executives.

The number of one-
on-one sessions
attended
Administrative assistants
will track the number of
one-on-one sessions held.
Ongoing
monthly

Required Drivers
Key processes or systems should be in place to ensure the chiefs’ critical behaviors can
be realized. Table 22 shows the recommended required drivers to reinforce, encourage, reward,
and monitor their critical behaviors. Different methods can be used to reinforce and remind the
chiefs of what they should do. Providing literature on telework best practices can increase the
chiefs’ knowledge and allow them to meaningfully make decisions on hybrid work schedules for
employees. Reminders at their weekly meetings will also keep the critical behaviors at the
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forefront of business discussions. Direct encouragement from another experienced executive is a
powerful tool to support the chiefs in continuing their critical behaviors. Peer support and
collaboration are also important, especially if challenges encountered by one chief can be worked
out and resolved by their brainstorming efforts. As government employees, the chiefs are
accustomed to receiving non-monetary rewards that are aligned with their intrinsic values. At the
executive level, peer recognition and positive feedback for the performance of their department
and staff are significant and will support the continuation of critical behaviors. However,
monitoring should still take place to ensure a lasting change in behavior. An effective method is
direct follow-ups by the CEO.

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Table 22
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors for Chiefs
Methods Timing
Critical behaviors
supported
1, 2, 3 etc.
Reinforcing
Provide chiefs informational material on remote work best
practices.

Ongoing 1, 2
Provide chiefs reminders in agenda of weekly Chief meeting.

Weekly 1, 2, 3, 4
Encouraging
Provide chiefs feedback and coaching from an experienced
teleworking executive.

Ongoing 2, 4
Provide chiefs opportunities to work with peers to address
department-specific challenges.

Ongoing 2, 3, 4
Rewarding
Provide chiefs peer recognition of contribution to
implementation of hybrid work schedules.

Ongoing 2, 3
Provide chiefs feedback to acknowledge observed
improvements in level of confidence.

Ongoing 4
Monitoring
Provide chiefs follows-up with the CEO.

Monthly 2, 3, 4

Organizational Support
Critical behaviors and required drivers will also be supplemented by support from
organizational stakeholders. The presiding judge, who provides oversight of all judicial officers
and supervises the CEO, has the authority to submit budget requests to the state to secure needed
funding for the Court. Additional funding will enable the chiefs to have the proper resources to
implement a hybrid work schedule that may require additional hardware, software, and supplies.
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The human resources (HR) department will create and provide chiefs with procedures for
approval that support participation in telework. It will also update and incorporate best practices
into the policy as needed.
Level 2: Learning
At this level, the emphasis is on the benefits individuals gain from implementing a
program. There are five learning components to consider: knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence,
and commitment. Participants’ degree of knowing information (knowledge), knowing how to do
something (skills), believing in the benefits of applying what is learned to their jobs (attitude),
thinking they have the ability to do what they learned (confidence), and willing to apply the
knowledge and skills to their jobs (commitment) can help assess the effectiveness of the
program. To support required drivers and the desired critical behaviors, a learning plan has been
developed that specifically targets Level 3.
Learning Goals
Following the completion of the learning plan to implement hybrid work schedule for
employees whose job tasks can be completed remotely, the chiefs will be able to
1. Summarize the truth and misconceptions of remote work (Knowledge, conceptual)
2. Summarize the principles of remote work best practices (Knowledge, conceptual)
3. Follow the steps of integrating remote work best practices into a remote work plan
(Knowledge, procedural)
4. Value the importance of offering remote work plans for employees (Value)
5. Feel confident in their ability to develop remote work plans (Self-efficacy)
6. Feel good about offering remote work plans (Emotions)
Program
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The learning goals listed in the previous section will be achieved through a three-phase
program headed by a facilitator. During the first phase, the chief will meet for 1 hour to nominate
members and form a working group on remote work. This group should be composed of
representatives from different departments, with various job tasks, and from all levels of the
organizational hierarchy. The working group will be given 30 days to research and prepare
informational material on remote work and best practices.
Once the materials have been produced, the second phase of the program will begin. The
chiefs will meet online for four hours. As a group, the chiefs will review information material
produced by the working group. The reading material will allow the chiefs to gain factual
knowledge on telework, realize the best practices of remote work, and know the benefits of
offering remote work to staff. Each chief will be asked to provide short answers to summarize
their knowledge and views on remote work. As a group, the chiefs will determine which best
practices are relevant for the Court. The identified practices will be documented in a shared file
and shared with the HR department. HR staff will be instructed to incorporate these best
practices into the Court’s telework policy. Guided by these relevant practices, the chiefs will
begin work on creating a plan to offer hybrid work schedules.
The third phase of the program will take place over 6 months. During this phase, each
chief will meet with the CEO to identify their own telework days. The chiefs will create a hybrid
work schedule for themselves. By working off site on a consistent basis, the chiefs will gain first-
hand knowledge of the compatibility of telework with their job tasks. During this phase, each
chief will also be paired with an experienced teleworking executive. This person, who may be
from outside of the Court, will serve as mentor or coach to provide each chief with targeted
instruction, corrective feedback, and procedural advice on how to develop remote work plans
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during one-on-one sessions. During this phase, the chiefs will finalize a plan to offer hybrid work
schedules.
Evaluation of Components of Learning
An effective program affects learners’ degree of knowing information (declarative
knowledge), knowing how to do something (procedural skills), believing the benefits of applying
what is learned to their jobs (attitude), thinking they have the ability to do what they learned
(confidence), and willing to apply the knowledge and skills to their jobs (commitment). As such,
it is important to evaluate these components of learning. Table 23 lists the evaluation methods
and timing to be used for this learning workshop.

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Table 23
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Methods or activities Timing
Declarative knowledge: “I know it.”
Knowledge checks using short answers to summarize the
truths and misconceptions of remote work
During and after the program
Knowledge checks through group activities on identifying
remote work best practices
During and after the program
Discussion on relevant remote work best practices for the
Court
During and after the program
Procedural skills: “I can do it right now.”
Action planning: create telework schedule for themselves During the program
Action planning: create a plan to offer hybrid work schedules
to their employees
After the program
Attitude: “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Facilitator’s observation: are chiefs actively involved in
discussions and activities?
During the program
Group discussion to share their feelings about offering remote
work
During and after the program
Confidence: “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey using degree slider (0% to 100%) to self-assess
abilities
After the program
Peer to peer coaching activities During and after the program
Commitment: “I will do it on the job.”
Personal action plan implementation During the program
Discussion on questions, concerns, and barriers to developing
remote work plans
During and after the program

Level 1: Reaction
At the last level, the focus is whether the participants find the training to be favorable
(customer satisfaction), engaging (opportunities to actively contribute), and relevant to their jobs
(opportunities to apply what they learned). When all four levels are used together properly, the
NWKM can serve as an accountability mechanism for garnering stakeholder investment and
supporting goal attainment. The methods and tools listed in Table 24 will be used to determine
how the chiefs react to the learning workshop.
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Table 24
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Methods or tools Timing
Engagement
Attendance During the program
Observation by facilitator During the program
Active participation in discussion During the program
Completion of action plan After the program
Program evaluation Two weeks after program
Relevance
Pulse check via discussion After the program
Program evaluation Two weeks after program
Customer satisfaction
Pulse check via discussion After the program
Program evaluation Two weeks after program

Evaluation Tools
Evaluation will be conducted on two separate occasions. Details are presented in this
section on how to assess the program immediately upon implementation and after a delay of 90
days.
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
During and after the learning program, the facilitator will collect data to evaluate Levels
1 and 2. These data will indicate the chiefs’ engagement at the program sessions, relevancy of
program material to their needs, and their overall satisfaction with the content and delivery of the
program. The data will also demonstrate if the five components of learning (declarative
knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, commitment) are successfully addressed.
For Level 1, the facilitator will take attendance, observe, and make log entries of active
participation and task completion, conduct periodic pulse checks by asking the chiefs if the
content is relevant and if they are satisfied with the workshop activities, and send out an
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evaluation survey two weeks after the conclusion of the program. For Level 2, there will be
knowledge checks and discussions to measure declarative knowledge, action planning to assess
procedural skills, and observations, discussions, and rating scales to evaluate the chiefs’ attitude,
confidence, and commitment. See Appendix H for the immediate evaluation instrument.
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
Approximately 90 days after the learning program, the facilitator will administer a survey
containing scaled items using the Blended Evaluation approach to measure satisfaction and
relevance of the workshop (Level 1), declarative knowledge of telework (Level 2), application of
the program on effective follow-up to monitor progress (Level 3), and the extent to which each
chief was able to implement hybrid work schedule for their staff (Level 4). See Appendix I for
the delayed-blended evaluation instrument.
Data Analysis and Reporting
The stakeholder goal of offering hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks
can be completed remotely is measured by the number of chiefs who make remote work
available to their staff. Figure 10 is an example of a visual representation to show the gap closure
of the stakeholder goal. This information will be provided to the CEO and posted on the Court’s
intranet site for all employees.

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Figure 10
Chiefs Who Offer Hybrid Work Schedules to Employees

Summary
The NWKM (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was used as a framework to guide the
Court in the design, execution, and evaluation of a learning program to help them achieve their
stakeholder goal of having 100% of chiefs offer hybrid work schedules to employees whose job
tasks can be completed remotely. Reaching the stakeholder goal optimizes the Court’s ability to
achieve their aligned organizational goal of serving the public by administering justice and
resolving disputes in an efficient and timely manner. Together, the facilitator and the chiefs can
determine the definition of success and how it will be measured. Having clearly defined results
and agreed upon targets enables accountability between the facilitator and the chiefs. When the
chiefs experience an impactful learning program that meets their expectations, thus realizing a
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high degree of return on expectations, they are more likely to continue to invest adequate
resources to programs in the future.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
This innovation study used Clark and Estes’s (2008) framework to examine KMO gaps
that are impacting the Court’s performance in offering the option to telework for employees
whose job tasks can be completed remotely. Through a convergent mixed-method design, both
quantitative and qualitative data were collected, analyzed, and compared (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). This is a strength as standardized survey questions and responses increased liability of
results, and one-on-one interviews offered an opportunity to gain in-depth understanding of each
chief’s perspective (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Document analysis
also provided additional context and triangulation of data. Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis
allows for determination of root causes of the gaps. A second strength is the inclusion of
research-based solutions, which were recommended at the completion of the study. The third
strength is incorporating the NWKM to create an implementation plan and steps to evaluate for
progress and success. The primary weakness is the use of an innovation study design. While the
findings, recommendations, and implementation plan are specific, relevant, and targeted for the
Court, none can be generalized to other organizations within the California judicial branch.
Limitations and Delimitations
Elements that a researcher could not control but could affect a study’s results were
considered limitations. For this study, limitations included lack of previously established
research instruments, unsubstantiated truthfulness of respondents, incompleteness of collected
information, limited generalizability, and my dual role as a researcher and a member of the
organization. There were no known established instruments to measure KMO influences on
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offering telework at a judicial entity. The survey, interview, and content analysis methods were
unique to this study and had no established validity or reliability. However, they were bound by
Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis framework and relevant literature. This led to an
acceptable degree of content validity. Participant responses in the survey and interview varied,
depending upon each person’s full understanding of the questions and willingness to convey true
knowledge, feelings, and opinions on the subject matter. The documents and information
collected for content analysis may not have been comprehensive, as I may have missed unknown
yet relevant items from the organization. This research was conducted as an innovation study to
gain in-depth understanding of a single organization instead of what was generally true in the
field. As such, there was limited external validity, and the results could not be generalized.
Lastly, bias stemming from the dual role of being a researcher and an employee may have
impacted the study design, interaction with participants, and interpretation of data.
Future Research
As telework becomes more prevalent in organizations within the California judicial
branch, additional research opportunities emerge. This study noted that making hybrid work
schedules available for employees requires support and buy-in from top executives. The first
recommendation for future research is to conduct a field study in which several judicial entities
are assessed. A mixed-methods study using quantitative and qualitative data could reveal
additional gaps that prevent organizations from implementing telework options.
Although top-level executives are the main decision-makers for their organizations, there
is another group of stakeholders that plays an important role in the day-to-day function of an
organization. All organizations have management teams, who are responsible for supervising,
coaching, and addressing the needs of their employees. The second opportunity for additional
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research would involve expanding the participant group to include management team members.
Since these individuals are relied upon to execute and ensure adherence to organizational
policies, future studies should seek to capture their perspectives. Managers who work out
scheduling details, balance workload among in-person and remote employees, ensure proper
coverage, and manage their teams regardless of their work locations could present a new set of
challenges and needs. Different recommendations or solutions may be needed to address their
KMO gaps.
Conclusion
This study explored the insufficient availability of hybrid work schedules for employees
at a government entity within California’s judicial branch. The stakeholder group consisted of six
top-level executives who were policymakers responsible for more than 1,500 employees. Their
goal was to offer hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks can be completed
remotely. Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis provided the framework to investigate resources
needed in terms of knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization.
Results and findings revealed that while these executives understood the truths and
misconceptions of remote work, there was no consistency in their knowledge of remote work
best practices to optimize employee flexibility and productivity. Their motivation was bolstered
by a positive emotion associated with supporting telework for their employees, yet it was also
negatively impacted by the executives’ differing feelings on the offering of remote work plans.
They also had mixed levels of confidence to effectively develop remote work plans for their
employees. There was a lack of evidence that organizational policy aligned with remote work
best practices. However, these executives had the great asset of mutual trust between them and
their employees. The recommended solution was a learning program designed with specific
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elements to address the identified KMO needs. It would provide continued education on the facts
of remote work and best practices, elevate the value of offering remote work, enhance executive
confidence in their abilities, and ensure that a plan to offer hybrid work schedules to employees
was developed.
Although this study is specific to one organization, its design and approach can be
applied to the other 57 local courts in the California judicial branch. With similar organizational
goals and hierarchical structures, future research can easily be conducted with minimal
adaptations. The implication of this innovation study’s findings can potentially reach courts
throughout the state, affecting tens of thousands of employees. These findings can also serve as
an inspiration to shift employee work from in-person to remote at other states’ courts.

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Appendix A: Pre-interview Recruiting Communications
The following email was sent to the chiefs.
Pre-interview: Initial Email to Request Study Participation

Hi _________

Happy New Year!

As you know, I am a doctorate student at the University of Southern California (USC). I
am conducting research on hybrid work schedules in government. I hope to learn from you about
factors that impact the implementation of hybrid work schedules. I have received USC
Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and am in the stage of my dissertation where I am
gathering data. I am inviting all the chiefs to be participants because of your unique perspective
and decision-making role within the Court.
I would like your participation in a survey and an interview via Zoom. All participant and
organizational information will be completely confidential. My goal as a student practitioner is to
provide insight to our field as to how we might be able to overcome the challenges of
implementing hybrid work schedules. Ultimately, it is my hope that this information will benefit
the Court.
Survey (5–10 minutes): The survey should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and it can be
accessed at [survey link]. Please complete this brief survey by Friday, 1/13/23.
Interview (1 hour): I would like to schedule an hour with you during the next two weeks,
at a time and date that is most convenient to you. Please feel free to reply to this email with some
dates and times that work best, or I can work with [Executive Assistant] to set the appointment. I
know you are busy, and I am grateful you will give me an hour of your time.

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Thank you very much for your participation and your support of my doctoral work. It is
my hope that some of the findings could be of professional value to you.

Regards,

Julia Jim
Doctoral Candidate
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
[email]
[phone]

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Pre-interview: Email to Confirm Participation for Study
Following the scheduling of a participant, the following email was sent to confirm
interview appointments.

Hi _________

Thank you for agreeing to participate in my research study concerning the topic of hybrid
work schedules in government. Here is the Zoom link to use for our meeting on [date and time]:
[Zoom link]
As a reminder, your identity will be known only to me, and I am conducting this study
for my doctoral dissertation at the University of Southern California. I am attaching an
Information Sheet (in PDF) to this email to advise you of the study purpose, participant
involvement, and the protocol surrounding how the information you provide will be used and
protected. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your schedule to assist me with this
research project. I look forward to our conversation on [date and time].

Best regards,

Julia Jim
Doctoral Candidate
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
[email]
[phone]

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Appendix B: Information Sheet for Exempt Research
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Pkwy Ste 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90089

INFORMATION SHEET FOR EXEMPT RESEARCH

STUDY TITLE: From a Privilege to an Option - Hybrid Work Schedule: A Gap Analysis
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Julia Jim, Doctoral Candidate
FACULTY ADVISOR: Dr. Adrian J. Donato

You are invited to participate in a research study. Your participation is voluntary. This document
explains information about this study. You should ask questions about anything that is unclear to
you.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to examine hybrid work schedules in government. I hope to learn
about factors that impact the implementation of hybrid work schedules. You are invited as a
participant because of your specific role within your organization, which fits the defined research
population of the study.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
You are asked to participate in a survey and a Zoom meeting to be interviewed about the
research topic. The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete, and the interview is
expected to last no more than 1 hour. All interactions for you and your organization are
confidential and anonymous. Neither you nor your organization will be named or alluded to in a
manner that would provide identification.
While it is the desire of the researcher to record the conversation for subsequent confidential and
anonymous transcription so that your responses can be accurately analyzed, such recording is
purely voluntary on your part and is not a condition for participation. The researcher will take
notes as an alternative during the interview as needed.
There is no ‘prework’ necessary for the interview, and it will be held at a time that is to your
convenience and with respect to your schedule and responsibilities.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The members of the research team and the University of Southern California Institutional
Review Board (IRB) may access the data. The IRB reviews and monitors research studies to
protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
When the findings of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used.
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Audio recordings, if made, will not have any direct reference to the full name or organization of
the participant and will be used solely for the purpose of analyzing the transcript for relevant
content. The recordings will remain in the sole possession of the research team and will be
destroyed not later than one year from completion and final approval of the study. The study is
expected to be fully completed by May 2023. For this study, the Research Team is the researcher
and the Chair of the researcher’s dissertation committee.
Audio recordings, if made, will not be started until the preliminary and identifying remarks of
the participant, and their organization, are concluded. The researcher will refer to the participant
by an arbitrary identification to maintain confidentiality and anonymity.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions about this study, please contact Julia Jim, [email and phone number],
or Dr. Adrian J. Donato: [email]
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the
University of Southern California Institutional Review Board at (323) 442-0114 or email
irb@usc.edu.

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Appendix C: KMO Survey Crosswalk
Appendix C: KMO Survey Crosswalk
Assumed influence Survey item
Knowledge
Chiefs need to understand the
misconceptions of remote work (K-
C)
Please complete the sentence and choose all that
apply. (K-C; pick all that apply from a list) When it
comes to telework, it:
1. Is not suited for everyone, so it is not fair.
2. Is not for leadership roles.
3. Provides a better work/life balance for
employees.
4. Requires complex technology.
5. Can lead to cost savings.
6. Prevents you from building strong work teams.
7. Can help with recruitment.
8. Causes more work for supervisors.
9. Won’t work for us.
10. Can enhance employee productivity.

Chiefs need to know the principles of
best practices to optimize employee
flexibility and productivity. (K-C)
Please list what you consider when balancing
employee flexibility and productivity? (K-C; open-
ended item)

Motivation
Chiefs need to value the importance
of offering a remote work plan.
(Utility value)
To what degree is it important to you to offer remote
work plans for your employees? (Utility value;
degree slider: 0% to 100%)

Chiefs need to feel confident in their
ability to effectively develop remote
work plans. (Self-efficacy)
To what degree are you confident that
you can effectively develop remote work plans for
your employees? (Self-efficacy; degree slider: 0% to
100%)

Chiefs need to feel good about
supporting telework for their
employees. (Emotions)
I feel good supporting telework for my employees.
(Emotions; 4-point Likert: strongly agree, agree,
disagree, strongly disagree)

Organization
Policies and procedures for approval
to participate in telework are
aligned with remote work best
practices. (Policies, processes, and
procedures)
The Court’s policies and procedures for approval of
participation in telework are aligned with remote
work program best practices. (Policies, processes, &
procedures; 4-point Likert: strongly agree, agree,
disagree, strongly disagree)

126

Assumed influence Survey item
There is a culture of trust between
chiefs and employees. (Cultural
model)
To what degree do you think trust exists between the
chiefs and the employees at the Court. (Cultural
model; degree slider: 0% to 100%)

127

Appendix D: KMO Survey Protocol
The principal researcher posed the following questions to all chiefs through a
Qualtrics.com online survey. Parenthetical notations demonstrated the tie to the conceptual
framework and research questions. These notations were for the researcher and for reader
awareness only. They did not appear in the survey presented to participants. The introduction,
questions, and conclusion proceeded as follows:
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions about Hybrid Work Schedule and
Telework from your perspective as a chief.
Important: Your responses are entirely anonymous and will help me understand your
thoughts on the benefits and challenges of offering hybrid work schedule. For this study, I am
strictly a student and not an employee – so please answer candidly.
If you have questions about this survey, please contact me [email] or my faculty advisor
Dr. Adrian Donato [email].
1. (Knowledge, conceptual) Telework is defined as performing work duties from
locations other than the normal worksite. Please complete the sentence and choose all
that apply. When it comes to telework, it:
• Is not suited for everyone, so it is not fair.
• Is not for leadership roles.
• Provides a better work/life balance for employees.
• Requires complex technology.
• Can lead to cost savings.
• Prevents you from building strong work teams.
• Can help with recruitment.
128

• Causes more work for supervisors.
• Won’t work for us.
• Can enhance employee productivity.
2. (Knowledge, conceptual) Please list what you consider when balancing employee
flexibility and productivity? Open-ended response ________________
3. (Motivation, Utility value) To what degree is it important to you to offer remote work
plans to your employees? Degree Slider (Low 0% to High 100%)
4. (Motivation, self-efficacy) To what degree are you confident that you can effectively
develop remote work plans for your employees? Degree Slider (Low 0% to High
100%)
5. (Motivation, emotions) I feel good supporting telework for my employees. Strongly
agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree
6. (Organization, policies and procedures) The Court’s policies and procedures for
approval of participation in telework are aligned with remote work program best
practices. Strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree
7. (Organization, cultural model) To what degree do you think trust exists between the
chiefs and the employees at the Court. Degree Slider (Low 0% to High 100%)
The next few questions ask about your work experience.
8. How long have you worked for a government agency? Less than 4 years, 4–8 years,
9–12 years, 13–16 years, 17–20 years, Over 20 years
9. How long have you been in your current role? Less than 4 years, 4–8 years, 9–12
years, 13–16 years, 17–20 years, Over 20 years
10. Do you currently telework? No, Yes
129

11. Do you personally make decisions on participation in telework for your:
• Direct reports? (No, yes)
• Managers? (No, yes)
• Supervisors? (No, yes)
• Employees? (No, yes)
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your response has been recorded.

130

Appendix E: KMO Interview Crosswalk
Appendix E: KMO Interview Crosswalk
Assumed influence Interview item
Knowledge
Chiefs need to understand the
misconceptions of remote work (K-C)
Please give me an example of a myth about
telework? (K-C)
Chiefs need to know the principles of best
practices to optimize employee flexibility
and productivity. (K-C)
To have a remote work plan that balances
flexibility and employee productivity, can you
share aloud what information you need to know
about best practices? (K-C)

Motivation
Chiefs need to value the importance of
offering a remote work plan. (Utility
Value)
How important is it for you to offer a remote
work plan for your employees? (Utility value)
Chiefs need to feel confident in their
ability to effectively develop remote
work plans. (Self-efficacy)
Please describe your level of confidence in your
ability to effectively develop remote work plans
for your employees? (Self-efficacy)

Chiefs need to feel good about supporting
telework for their employees. (Emotions)
Please share with me how you feel about
supporting telework for your employees?
(Emotions)

Organization
Policies and procedures for approval to
participate in telework are aligned with
remote work best practices. (Policies,
Processes, & Procedures)
Can you talk to me about the alignment between
the policies and procedures for approval of
participation in telework and remote work best
practices? (Policies, processes & procedures)

There is a culture of trust between chiefs
and employees. (Cultural model)
Please describe the levels of trust between chiefs
and employees? (Cultural model)

131

Appendix F: KMO Interview Protocol
The principal researcher posed the following questions to all chiefs during individual,
one-on-one interviews via Zoom. The principal researcher asked predetermined standardized
questions but used a semi-structured approach for spontaneous follow-up probes for purposes of
clarification. Parenthetical notations demonstrated the tie to the conceptual framework and
research questions. These notations were for the researcher and for reader awareness only. They
were not stated in the interview. Each interview proceeded as follow:
Introduction
Hi chief, thank you for agreeing to participate in my study. I appreciate your time and
your willingness to speak with me. I want to assure you that during this session, I am strictly a
student and not an employee. This means I will not be making judgements on your responses or
be assessing how you perform as a Court leader.
Before we begin, I want to remind you that this interview is confidential. Your name will
not be attached to my notes or any data. Information from our interview will not be shared with
anyone at the Court. Only individuals directly involve in my research may see my notes. The
data will be compiled into a report, and while I do plan on using some of what you say as a direct
quote, none of this data will be directly attributed to you. I will also use pseudonyms for you and
the Court, so as to protect your confidentiality.
Do you have any questions? I have one last request. May I record our conversation, both
audio and video, so that I can accurately capture what you will share with me? I am using my
school’s Zoom account, so the recording will not be accessible by any Court staff. The recording
is solely for my purposes to fully capture your perspective, thoughts, and suggestions.
Thank you! Let’s begin.
132

Questions
1. (Knowledge, conceptual) Please give me an example of a myth about telework.
(Probes: How did you know if it was true/false? Has it happened in real-life?)
2. (Knowledge, conceptual) To have a remote work plan that balances flexibility and
employee productivity, can you share aloud what information you need to know
about best practices? (Probes: Walk me through the process of gathering information;
Where would you obtain the information?)
3. (Motivation, utility value) How important is it for you to offer a remote work plan for
your employees? (Probes: What makes you feel that way? What do you see as a result
of offering remote work plan?)
4. (Motivation, self-efficacy) Please describe your level of confidence in your ability to
effectively develop remote work plans for your employees? (Probes: What do you
believe makes you confident/not confident? What do you need to be more confident?)
5. (Motivation, emotions) Please share with me how you feel about supporting telework
for your employees? (Probes: What makes you feel that way? What can change your
feelings?)
6. (Organization, policies and procedures) Can you talk to me about the alignment
between the policies and procedures for approval to participate in telework and
remote work program best practices? (Probes: Was there research done on remote
work best practices? Do you think any part of it should be adjusted?)
7. (Organization, cultural model) Please describe the levels of trust between chiefs and
employees. (Probes: What makes you feel that way? Can you give me an example?)

133

Interview Conclusion
The interview concluded with the following:
Thank you for your time and all that you shared today. I very much appreciate it.
Again, your responses will be kept confidential, and your identity will be
protected.

134

Appendix G: KMO Document Analysis Protocol
Document analysis consisted of a combination of electronic and hardcopy data (Merriam
& Tisdell, 2016). The use of pseudonym and redaction protected the organization’s identity.
Public organization documents were used, such as recruitment material, labor contracts,
personnel policies and regulations, and budget documents. Internal policies on telecommuting
provided by the study participants were also reviewed. The documents were aligned to the KMO
assumed influences of the study, as shown in Table G1.

Table G1
Alignment of Selected Documents to KMO Assumed Influences
Assumed influences Selected documents
Purpose of
analysis
Knowledge
Chiefs need to understand the
misconceptions of remote work (K-C)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
Chiefs need to know the principles of
best practices to optimize employee
flexibility and productivity. (K-C)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
Motivation
Chiefs need to value the importance of
offering a remote work plan. (Utility
value)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
Chiefs need to feel confident in their
ability to effectively develop remote
work plans. (Self-efficacy)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
135

Assumed influences Selected documents
Purpose of
analysis
Chiefs need to feel good about
supporting telework for their
employees. (Emotions)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
Organization
Policies and procedures for approval to
participate in telework are aligned
with remote work best practices.
(Policies, processes, & procedures)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework
There is a culture of trust between
Chiefs and employees. (Cultural
model)
Budget documents; labor
contracts; personnel policies
and regulations; job bulletins;
telecommuting policies
Alignment with
conceptual
framework

136

Appendix H: Immediate Evaluation Instrument (L2 –L1)
Appendix H: Immediate Evaluation Instrument (L2 –L1)
L2: Declarative knowledge “I
know it.”
Item (open-ended text)
Know truths, misconceptions,
and best practices of remote
work

Determine relevant remote work
best practices for the Court

List 5 truths, 5 misconceptions, and 5 best practices of remote
work

List all relevant remote work practices for the Court

L2: procedural skills “I can do
it right now.”
Item (open-ended text)
Action plan to offer hybrid work
schedule to employees

Provide chiefs a sample action plan to offer a best practice
hybrid work schedule to an employee. Ask chiefs to formulate
solutions to the missing steps and/or best practices that should
be present.

L2: attitude “I believe this is
worthwhile.”
Item (Degree scale)
Low 0% - High 100%
Feelings about offering remote
work

To what degree do you believe it is worthwhile to offer remote
work plans to your employees?

L2: confidence “I think I can
do it on the job.”
Item (Degree scale)
Low 0% - High 100%
Self-assessment on abilities To what degree are you confident that you can effectively
develop remote work plans for your employees?

L2: commitment “I will do it
on the job.”
Item (Degree scale)
Low 0% - High 100%
Personal action plan
implementation
To what degree are you likely to offer hybrid work schedules
to your employees?

L1: Engagement Item (Likert rating scale)
Scale: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree,
5-Strongly Agree
Opportunity to
participate/contribute
My ideas were heard by the facilitator and attendees during the
program.

L1: Relevance” Item (Likert rating scale)
Scale: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree,
5-Strongly Agree
Opportunity to apply learning

What I learned in the program prepares me to develop remote
work plans for my employees.

L1: Customer satisfaction Item (Likert rating scale)
137

Scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 =
Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree
Favorable experience The facilitator kept the program discussions interesting.

138

Appendix I: Delayed-Blended Evaluation Instrument (L4, L3, L2, L1)
Appendix I: Delayed-Blended Evaluation Instrument (L4, L3, L2, L1)
Levels Item (Likert rating scale)
Scale: 1 (strongly disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (neutral), 4 (agree), 5 (strongly
agree)
L4: results As a consequence of my training, I now offer best practice hybrid work
schedules to my employees.

L3: behavior Since my training, I have developed a remote work plan for my employees.

I continue to develop employee work plans taking into account remote work
best practices.

L2: learning I continue to identify remote work best practices.

I continue to incorporate remote best practices into organizational policy

L1: reaction I continue to recommend others to this program.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The global coronavirus pandemic changed the way organizations nationwide utilize telework. The insufficient availability of telework options in the judicial branch led to a loss of productivity at work, accumulated backlogs, and delays in delivering justice to the public. The Court of Justice of the West (Court, a pseudonym) is a large-sized state trial court system in California. The Court has over 1,500 employees and serves over 3 million people each year. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a needs analysis in the areas of knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational resources necessary for Court executives to offer hybrid work schedules to employees whose job tasks could be completed remotely. Analysis of the study’s quantitative and qualitative data revealed that while the executives understood the misconceptions of remote work, they lacked consistency in knowing how to use best practices to optimize employee flexibility and productivity. Not all the executives placed high importance on offering remote work plans, and they were not consistent in feeling confident in their ability to effectively develop remote work plans. There was also a lack of alignment between policies and remote work best practices. Recommendations to address the needs identified in this study, along with the integrated implementation and evaluation plan framed by the new world Kirkpatrick model, can help the Court achieve its goal of offering hybrid work schedules to employees.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Jim, Julia (author)

Core Title From a privilege to an option: hybrid work schedule: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 05/04/2023

Defense Date 03/21/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag hybrid work schedule,KMO framework,OAI-PMH Harvest,telecommute,telework

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Donato, Adrian J. (committee chair), Filback, Robert A. (committee member), Foulk, Susanne (committee member)

Creator Email drjuliajim@gmail.com,jjim@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113099723

Unique identifier UC113099723

Identifier etd-JimJulia-11775.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-JimJulia-11775

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Jim, Julia

Internet Media Type application/pdf

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Source 20230505-usctheses-batch-1037 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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