Experiences of GSA employees involved in the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building: A qualitative work-family study
type: CreativeWork
description: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the phenomenon of individuals employed in white-collar occupations who were exposed to a traumatic stressor event via their involvement in re-establishing work operations after a terrorist attack. This study specifically explored the experiences of the United States General Services Administration (GSA) employees involved in the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. A qualitative research method combined with a phenomenological research strategy provided the researcher an opportunity to understand the unique experiences of the GSA employees. The specific research objectives were to explore: (a) what the experiences were of the GSA employees involved in the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; (b) what their perceptions were of the event, the stressors they experienced, the resources they used to assist them in handling the stressors, and the coping strategies utilized to adjust to their work assignments; and (c) how their families were impacted, as perceived by the GSA employees, during this experience. The Family Stress Theory provided a useful framework for investigating perceptions, stressors, resources, and coping strategies of the GSA employees reflecting on their experiences. A purposive non-random sample was used to recruit 11 individuals who met the following criteria: (a) employed with GSA on April 19, 1995, (b) a current or former GSA employee who was involved in some aspect of the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and (c) self-defined as a family member. Face to face interviews were conducted with each participant utilizing open-ended questions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to determine themes. Of the 11 participants, the majority were White males, ranging i…
abstract: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the phenomenon of individuals employed in white-collar occupations who were exposed to a traumatic stressor event via their involvement in re-establishing work operations after a terrorist attack. This study specifically explored the experiences of the United States General Services Administration (GSA) employees involved in the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. A qualitative research method combined with a phenomenological research strategy provided the researcher an opportunity to understand the unique experiences of the GSA employees. The specific research objectives were to explore: (a) what the experiences were of the GSA employees involved in the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; (b) what their perceptions were of the event, the stressors they experienced, the resources they used to assist them in handling the stressors, and the coping strategies utilized to adjust to their work assignments; and (c) how their families were impacted, as perceived by the GSA employees, during this experience. The Family Stress Theory provided a useful framework for investigating perceptions, stressors, resources, and coping strategies of the GSA employees reflecting on their experiences. A purposive non-random sample was used to recruit 11 individuals who met the following criteria: (a) employed with GSA on April 19, 1995, (b) a current or former GSA employee who was involved in some aspect of the re-establishment of federal operations after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and (c) self-defined as a family member. Face to face interviews were conducted with each participant utilizing open-ended questions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to determine themes. Of the 11 participants, the majority were White males, ranging i…
author: Toppert, Bethany
language: en_US
keywords: Social sciences, Psychology, ABC-X Model of Family Stress, Coping, Family stress, General Services Administration, Oklahoma City bombing, Operations restoration, Resources, White-collar
date published: 2011-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:05:03Z
provider: Texas Woman's University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Texas Woman's University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11274/10189