{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/143387"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/143387","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Surviving Is Not Enough: Toward a Construct of Thriving for Black Mid-level Administrators","abstract":"Thriving at work is an emerging construct referring to a positive psychological state marked by learning and vitality in the workplace (Spreitzer et al., 2005). Thriving leads to positive outcomes such as professional growth and momentum, as well as enhanced health and well-being. Yet, Black higher education administrators continue to face systemic barriers such as microaggressions, advancement disparities, and epistemic exclusion that constrain opportunities to thrive (Achinewhu-Nworgu, 2023; Briscoe et al., 2024; Chun and Evans, 2015; Gardner et al., 2014; Thompson, 2016). This contrast reveals a critical gap between the conditions that enable thriving and the realities of Black administrators' career trajectories. As such, this study sought to focus attention on the conditions that contribute to positive workplace outcomes for Black mid-level administrators. Guided by the Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work theoretical framework as well as a critical constructivist epistemology, I conducted a qualitative study to understand how Black mid-level administrators described their experiences with thriving at work. A thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews revealed key insights into the workplace experiences of Black administrators. Participants experienced thriving in three distinct ways: thriving in partnership with supervisors, thriving through community with colleagues and peers, and thriving from within an internal source of purpose. Conversely, there were dynamics, often related to racism, that threatened to undermine the positive aspects of their work life. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the professional identity and development of Black administrators and inform supervision practices. Implications of this research and recommended future directions were also provided.","abstract_html":"Thriving at work is an emerging construct referring to a positive psychological state marked by learning and vitality in the workplace (Spreitzer et al., 2005). Thriving leads to positive outcomes such as professional growth and momentum, as well as enhanced health and well-being. Yet, Black higher education administrators continue to face systemic barriers such as microaggressions, advancement disparities, and epistemic exclusion that constrain opportunities to thrive (Achinewhu-Nworgu, 2023; Briscoe et al., 2024; Chun and Evans, 2015; Gardner et al., 2014; Thompson, 2016). This contrast reveals a critical gap between the conditions that enable thriving and the realities of Black administrators' career trajectories. As such, this study sought to focus attention on the conditions that contribute to positive workplace outcomes for Black mid-level administrators. Guided by the Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work theoretical framework as well as a critical constructivist epistemology, I conducted a qualitative study to understand how Black mid-level administrators described their experiences with thriving at work. A thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews revealed key insights into the workplace experiences of Black administrators. Participants experienced thriving in three distinct ways: thriving in partnership with supervisors, thriving through community with colleagues and peers, and thriving from within an internal source of purpose. Conversely, there were dynamics, often related to racism, that threatened to undermine the positive aspects of their work life. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the professional identity and development of Black administrators and inform supervision practices. Implications of this research and recommended future directions were also provided.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Barnes, Chatrice D."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Higher Education","degree_department":"Higher Education","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Catalano, D. Chase James"],"committee_members":["Strayhorn, Terrell Lamont","Lane, Tonisha B.","Frank, Tara Elizabeth"],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-06-12","date_published":"2026-06-12","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:42Z","subjects":["Thriving","Thriving at Work","Professional Well-being","Black Mid-level Administrators","Professional Staff","Supervision","Communal Support","HPWIs"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:46957"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:46957","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/143387","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Catalano, D. 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Thriving leads to positive outcomes such as professional growth and momentum, as well as enhanced health and well-being. Yet, Black higher education administrators continue to face systemic barriers such as microaggressions, advancement disparities, and epistemic exclusion that constrain opportunities to thrive (Achinewhu-Nworgu, 2023; Briscoe et al., 2024; Chun and Evans, 2015; Gardner et al., 2014; Thompson, 2016). This contrast reveals a critical gap between the conditions that enable thriving and the realities of Black administrators' career trajectories. As such, this study sought to focus attention on the conditions that contribute to positive workplace outcomes for Black mid-level administrators. Guided by the Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work theoretical framework as well as a critical constructivist epistemology, I conducted a qualitative study to understand how Black mid-level administrators described their experiences with thriving at work. A thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews revealed key insights into the workplace experiences of Black administrators. Participants experienced thriving in three distinct ways: thriving in partnership with supervisors, thriving through community with colleagues and peers, and thriving from within an internal source of purpose. Conversely, there were dynamics, often related to racism, that threatened to undermine the positive aspects of their work life. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the professional identity and development of Black administrators and inform supervision practices. Implications of this research and recommended future directions were also provided."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Thriving at work describes a feeling or sense of vitality combined with learning within one's professional role. While thriving is linked to professional development and positive health outcomes, many Black higher education administrators experience workplace conditions that hinder their capacity to thrive. This research sought to address the gap between positive organizational research and the documented arduous experiences of Black higher education administrators. To gain insight into the enablers needed for Black mid-level administrators to thrive, I conducted a general qualitative research study framed by the Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work (SEMT) and guided by a critical constructivist epistemology. Data was collected from nine Black mid-level administrators. The data revealed positive supervisory relationships, communal support from colleagues and peers, and an internal sense of purpose enabled thriving. The data also revealed how racist encounters within and beyond campus undermined thriving."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Surviving Is Not Enough: Toward a Construct of Thriving for Black Mid-level Administrators"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Catalano, D. Chase James"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Strayhorn, Terrell Lamont","Lane, Tonisha B.","Frank, Tara Elizabeth"],"dc:contributor.department":["Higher Education"],"dc:creator":["Barnes, Chatrice D."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-06-13T08:00:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-06-13T08:00:53Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-06-12"],"dc:description.abstract":["Thriving at work is an emerging construct referring to a positive psychological state marked by learning and vitality in the workplace (Spreitzer et al., 2005). 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A thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews revealed key insights into the workplace experiences of Black administrators. Participants experienced thriving in three distinct ways: thriving in partnership with supervisors, thriving through community with colleagues and peers, and thriving from within an internal source of purpose. Conversely, there were dynamics, often related to racism, that threatened to undermine the positive aspects of their work life. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the professional identity and development of Black administrators and inform supervision practices. Implications of this research and recommended future directions were also provided."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Thriving at work describes a feeling or sense of vitality combined with learning within one's professional role. While thriving is linked to professional development and positive health outcomes, many Black higher education administrators experience workplace conditions that hinder their capacity to thrive. This research sought to address the gap between positive organizational research and the documented arduous experiences of Black higher education administrators. To gain insight into the enablers needed for Black mid-level administrators to thrive, I conducted a general qualitative research study framed by the Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work (SEMT) and guided by a critical constructivist epistemology. Data was collected from nine Black mid-level administrators. The data revealed positive supervisory relationships, communal support from colleagues and peers, and an internal sense of purpose enabled thriving. The data also revealed how racist encounters within and beyond campus undermined thriving."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:46957"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/143387"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["Thriving","Thriving at Work","Professional Well-being","Black Mid-level Administrators","Professional Staff","Supervision","Communal Support","HPWIs"],"dc:title":["Surviving Is Not Enough: Toward a Construct of Thriving for Black Mid-level Administrators"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Higher Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:42Z"}