What do I do now? Church leader decision-making in response to complaints about one of their team member’s emotionally harmful behaviours

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Issue Date
2023-01-12
Authors
Enns, Jodi Leanne
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Abstract
This phenomenological study explores the obstacles, motivations, supports and gaps church leaders identify as they make decisions when a complaint of emotional harm is submitted against another individual whom the leader oversees. Complaints are made against behaviours that are often nuanced and, to name a few, can include patterns of sarcasm, shaming, overly controlling behaviour, coercion, angry outbursts, or passive aggressive tendencies. A leader responding to a reported complaint encounters obstacles, motivations, supports and gaps in decision-making. Exploring case studies of church leaders, this research utilizes the Insight approach as a framework that attends to the interiority of individual decision-making within complex social contexts. Understanding how leaders make decisions in the face of a complaint of emotional harm can better equip future leaders who are required to respond to similar complaints.
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Harmful Language Statement