Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Dogs in the Workplace: The Emotional, Social, and Physical Benefits to Employees

Rice, Jennifer E
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9678-4097
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1565807557585623

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, Psychology.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bringing one’s dog to work was associated with positive social, emotional, and physical benefits to employees. This study also explored whether a dog owner’s level of pet attachment moderated the strength of these associations. Participants (N = 544) were employed dog owners recruited from online dog interest groups. This study showed that those that bring their dog to work have significantly more positive benefits in the areas of the social environment at work, overall stress, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction. No support was found for beneficial outcomes in the areas of schedule satisfaction, ability to control stress, or perception of overall health. Also, no support was found for Exploratory Hypotheses predicting that pet attachment, measured by the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS), moderated the relationship between bringing one’s dog to work and these outcomes. However, exploratory analyses revealed that the Perceived Costs subscale of the MDORS had a significant moderating relationship between bringing one’s dog to work and the outcomes of ability to control stress, overall stress, and turnover intentions. These findings suggest that allowing employees to bring their dog to work provides several positive outcomes, especially in improving the social environment at work and reducing stress levels, which has implications for reducing turnover and increasing job satisfaction. Future research should examine in more detail which facets of pet attachment are related to which outcomes for employees who bring their dog to work.
Morell Mullins, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Dalia Diab, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Mark Nagy, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
113 p.
Animals; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Management; Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology
dogs in the workplace; dog ownership; pet attachment; Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale; MDORS; job satisfaction; turnover intentions; employee stress; human-animal interaction; companion animals; dog-human bond; pet-friendly; office dogs; pets at work

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Rice, J. E. (2019). Dogs in the Workplace: The Emotional, Social, and Physical Benefits to Employees [Master's thesis, Xavier University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1565807557585623

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Rice, Jennifer. Dogs in the Workplace: The Emotional, Social, and Physical Benefits to Employees. 2019. Xavier University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1565807557585623.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Rice, Jennifer. "Dogs in the Workplace: The Emotional, Social, and Physical Benefits to Employees." Master's thesis, Xavier University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1565807557585623

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

xavier1565807557585623
380
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Xavier University Psychology and OhioLINK.