Self-Disclosure as a Predictor of EAP Supervisory Utilization

Abstract

The value of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPS) has been cited in a variety of published papers and articles. An important managerial element relative to the assessment and referral of troubled employees has been supervisory training. There has been numerous studies highlighting the various factors and circumstances associated with supervisory behavior and EAP referrals. The inclusion of emotional awareness factors in EAP supervisory utilization has not been thoroughly investigated, although frequently found in the literature as a training and development objective for managers in business and education. The present study sought to determine what role supervisory denial and anxiety avoidance plays in confrontation of troubled employees and if admission of specific, internal emotional events is a characteristic among EAP utilizing supervisors.