Session description: For employees, the pandemic has served to heighten negative emotions, which tend to carry more weight in colouring their attitudes and behaviours. As we return to the workplace, those negative attitudes and emotions can quickly spread through an organization – creating a culture of negativity that interferes with employee motivation, engagement and performance. In addition, in an organizational culture of negativity, employee attitudes will likely include incivility, cynicism, hostility toward others, and distrust of coworkers. As a leader, you are a role model and employees will look to you for guidance. This presentation will include an overview of the signs that your organizational culture needs work along with steps that you can take to purposefully institute organizational culture change.

Bio:  Dr. Helen MacLennan is an Associate Professor of Management and serves as the Associate Department Chair of Management and Operations. She holds a Ph.D. in Management with a focus in Conflict Management from Sullivan University and an M.B.A. in Real Estate Studies from Marylhurst University. Dr. MacLennan serves on the editorial review board for the Journal of Conflict Management and the International Journal of Doctoral Studies, and as an academic reviewer for the Transnational Journal of Business. She also serves as a site evaluator for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). She has published research in the Journal of Conflict Management, International Journal of Doctoral Studies, Journal of Excellence in Business Education, Southeast Case Research Journal, Journal of Transportation Management, International Journal of Diverse Identities, and the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.