The relationship between supervision and casework retention in county-based child welfare systems

Abstract

The retention of front-line workers is an ongoing challenge for public child welfare organizations. The objective of this study is to better understand whether and to what degree supervision influences a worker's decision to look for another job. This study, part of a larger cross sectional workforce retention study, involves a survey of caseworkers and front line supervisors in thirteen (13) county-based social services organizations in a northeastern state. The approach used for this study is participatory research. Two supervisory factors were identified, knowledge and support. The logistic regression analysis comparing the effects of supervision on a respondent's decision to look for another job was significant for both factors: supervisor knowledge and supervisor support. -- Action theory, emphasizing the relationship between two kinds of theory: espoused theory and theories-in-use, provide the framework for this study, which considers the congruence between what child welfare organizations espouse and what actual behavior demonstrates in the area of supervision. The results of this study provide empirical support for the effect of supervisor behavior on a worker's decision to look for another job.