Date
5-20-2026
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration (PhD)
Chair
Kahlib J. Fischer
Keywords
covenantal empowerment, covenantal leadership, covenantalism, mental health quality of life, emergency/911 dispatchers, emergency operations centers, gender
Disciplines
Leadership Studies | Political Science
Recommended Citation
Udriét, Michael Ryan, "A Quantitative Study Examining the Impact of Gender on Covenantal Empowerment and Mental Health Quality of Life Among 911 Dispatchers" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8452.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8452
Abstract
This quantitative correlational study examined factors affecting the mental health quality of life (MHQoL) of 911 dispatchers in Greater Richmond, Virginia. Dispatchers frequently experience psychological strain due to exposure to traumatic calls, demanding workloads, and inconsistent organizational support. Leadership is a crucial factor in shaping well-being, yet the influence of covenantal empowerment (CE)—a model emphasizing mutual support, shared accountability, and relational trust—on dispatcher mental health remains underexplored. This study examined the relationship between CE and MHQoL, explored gender as a moderator, and considered additional demographic and work-related factors including age, years of experience, work shift, length of shift, marital status, education level, workload, prior mental health diagnosis, and race/ethnicity. Participants were recruited through nonprobability purposive sampling from emergency operations centers (EOCs) and completed an online Qualtrics survey measuring CE, MHQoL, and related characteristics. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression to test the predictive relationship between CE and MHQoL, and moderation analysis of gender. Results indicate that higher levels of CE significantly predicted higher MHQoL among dispatchers, even after accounting for demographic and work-related covariates. Gender did not significantly predict MHQoL or moderate the relationship between CE and MHQoL, indicating that the positive association between CE and MHQoL was consistent across genders. This study extends public administration leadership scholarship by identifying CE as a gender inclusive leadership approach that may strengthen dispatcher well-being, resilience, and organizational support systems within high-stress public safety environments.
