Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety
Employee Interviews: Guidelines & Questions
Module 2 Assignment
Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety
| Planning and Arranging the Interviews | |
| Identify three individuals to interview: one in healthcare and two from other fields or industries (e.g., state/local government; business). Choose family members and friends you know well that will be comfortable answering honestly. Interview each person separately, and plan for 20–30 minutes per interview. Confirm that all answers will be confidential, and each person will be identified by a pseudonym in the Assignment you submit. Note: You must request each person’s signature to confirm the interview. Fill in the information below, print out Page 1, and obtain the signatures Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety. Scan and submit Page 1 with your completed Assignment. | |
| Interviewee #1 Healthcare | |
| Name xxx
Job Title Nurse BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE Years in Position Three Relationship to You Close friend |
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| Signature: | |
| Interviewee #2 (Industry) Automobile | |
| Name xx
Job Title Years in Position two Relationship to You Aunt |
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| Signature: | |
| Interviewee #3 (Industy) Finance | |
| Name xx
Job Title Teller Years in Position Three Relationship to You Family friend |
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| Signature: | |
| Conducting the Interviews | |
| There are five sets of questions, which are repeated below for each interview. Also develop a working definition of “employee empowerment” and “psychological safety,” based on your own understanding, to anchor the interviews for you and to explain to your interviewees, as needed. Take notes on each person’s responses in the spaces on the right. If you record the interviews, be sure to get each person’s permission before you begin. You are still encouraged to take notes on the person’s responses as a safeguard in case there is a problem with the recording. | |
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Questions
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Interview #1 Healthcare |
| 1. What does “empowerment” mean to you as an employee?
Note: Share your definition, as needed, and compare perspectives. Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety |
1: Responses |
| 2. Is autonomy in your job important to you? Why, or why not?
Can you provide examples of how you are able to exercise autonomy in your job?
Can you provide examples of areas where you would like to have additional autonomy but are constrained at this time?
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2: Responses |
| 3. Thinking about your organization (or department, unit):
Have you been asked for input/advice on organizational (or department/unit) goals or processes? – If yes, is it important to you to give your opinion on organization-wide (department/unit) issues? Why, or why not? – Can you give examples of how you have provided input, and to what extent you felt your views were taken seriously, valued, and acted upon? (Probe as needed to uncover meaning in the answers.)
– If no, would you like to be consulted? Why, or why not?
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3: Responses |
| 4. How would you describe decision- making authority in your organization: Is it limited mainly to individuals at senior levels? Or are decisions made at multiple organizational levels? Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety |
4: Responses |
| 5. Do you feel comfortable making suggestions about:
– How work is done in your organization (department/unit)?
If you see a problem, are you comfortable pointing it out?
– If yes, what accounts for your comfort?
– If no, what accounts for your reluctance or holding back?
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5: Responses |
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Questions |
Interview #2 (Industry) |
| 1. What does “empowerment” mean to you as an employee?
Note: Share your definition, as needed, and compare perspectives.
|
1: Responses |
| 2. Is autonomy in your job important to you? Why, or why not?
Can you provide examples of how you are able to exercise autonomy in your job?
Can you provide examples of areas where you would like to have additional autonomy but are constrained at this time?
|
2: Responses |
| 3. Thinking about your organization (or department, unit):
Have you been asked for input/advice on organizational (or department/unit) goals or processes? Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety – If yes, is it important to you to give your opinion on organization-wide (department/unit) issues? Why, or why not?
– Can you give examples of how you have provided input, and to what extent you felt your views were taken seriously, valued, and acted upon? (Probe as needed to uncover meaning in the answers.)
– If no, would you like to be consulted? Why, or why not?
Why do you feel constrained?
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3: Responses |
| 4. How would you describe decision- making authority in your organization?
Or are decisions made at multiple organizational levels?
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4: Responses |
| 5. Do you feel comfortable making suggestions about:
– How work is done in your organization (department/unit)? – The direction of the organization (department/unit)?
If you see a problem, are you comfortable pointing it out?
– If yes, what accounts for your comfort? – If no, what accounts for your reluctance or holding back?
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5: Responses |
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Questions
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Interview #3 (Industry) |
| 1. What does “empowerment” mean to you as an employee?
Note: Share your definition, as needed, and compare perspectives.
|
1: Responses |
| 2. Is autonomy in your job important to you? Why or why not?
Can you provide examples of how you are able to exercise autonomy in your job?
Can you provide examples of areas where you would like to have additional autonomy but are constrained at this time?
|
2: Responses |
| 3. Thinking about your organization (or department, unit):
Have you been asked for input/advice on organizational (or department/unit) goals or processes? – If yes, is it important to you to give your opinion on organization-wide (department/unit) issues? Why, or why not?
– Can you give examples of how you have provided input, and to what extent you felt your views were taken seriously, valued, and acted upon? (Probe as needed to uncover meaning in the answers.)
– If no, would you like to be consulted? Why, or why not? Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety
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3: Responses |
| 4. How would you describe decision- making authority in your organization?
Or are decisions made at multiple organizational levels? |
4: Responses |
| 5. Do you feel comfortable making suggestions about:
– How work is done in your organization (department/unit)? – The direction of the organization (department/unit)?
If you see a problem, are you comfortable pointing it out?
– If yes, what accounts for your comfort? – If no, what accounts for your reluctance or holding back?
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5: Responses |
| Comparing and Analyzing the Interviews | |
| When you have completed all three interviews, review each individual’s responses and experiences, focusing particularly on each interviewee’s sense of empowerment, engagement, and psychological safety at work. Compare and contrast the responses, with the goal of arriving at clear conclusions on how degree of employee empowerment, engagement, and psychological safety influences job performance, satisfaction, and morale.
Compare and contrast the responses of the individual who works in healthcare and your own experiences in professional practice in healthcare to the responses of your interviewees working in other areas. Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety Consider conclusions you can make about employee empowerment, engagement, and psychological safety in healthcare compared with other professions. |
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| Completing the Module 2 Assignment | |
| In a separate Word document, write 4–5 pages to produce an Interviews Summary and Analysis that includes the following:
· Describe the three employees you interviewed, including their industries and job titles. · Explain your working definitions of “employee empowerment” and “employee engagement” that are the basis of the interviews. · Summarize how the interviewees characterized the culture of employee empowerment and engagement within their organizations. · Analyze how employee empowerment and employee engagement within healthcare organizations compare with other industries.
· Explain your working definition of “psychological safety” that is the basis of the interviews. · Summarize how the interviewees characterized the presence, absence, and/or degree of psychological safety within their organizations. · Analyze how psychological safety within healthcare compares with other industries. · Analyze how degree of psychological safety, employee empowerment, and engagement are positive or negative factors for quality care and safety issues within healthcare. Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety
· From the position of a nurse executive, explain at least two leadership strategies you would recommend for actions to improve or sustain psychological safety, employee empowerment, and engagement within healthcare organizations. Speak generally, or specifically, to your current healthcare organization or one where you have worked in the past. |
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| Final Submission
In two separate Word files: · Interviews Summary and Analysis · Interviewees Information and Confirmation Signatures (Page 1 from this document) Interviews on Employee Empowerment and Psychological Safety |
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