





































 

 

Exploring the Impact of Micromanagement Leadership in Remote Work Environments 

Toyia L. Caise, DBA | Capella University, Minneapolis, MN, USA 

Janice P. Tucker, PhD | Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, AL, USA  

Contact: toyiacaise@gmail.com 
 
Abstract 
 
A qualitative inquiry technique was used to explore approaches to reduce micromanagement 
behaviors of leaders of remote employees in the U.S. accounting industry. The virtual 
micromanagement model served as the framework for this research study and included the key 
business concepts of self-awareness to increase operational efficiency. The business problem 
addressed was that leaders who exercise the micromanagement leadership approach cause high 
employee turnover and decreased productivity. Data was collected via Zoom interviews, then 
transcribed and reviewed for accuracy. Thematic analysis using inductive coding was used to 
analyze the data; 42 codes were aggregated into 10 categories and then grouped into 4 themes 
before producing a final report that addressed the research question. The research study 
participants were 18-65 years of age and employed full-time in an entry-level, lead, senior, or 
manager role within the accounting industry in the United States. The importance of reducing 
micromanagement behaviors was affirmed by participants as a critical element when working in 
a remote environment. The findings from the data analysis indicate that management teams 
operating within the U.S. accounting industry need organizational support through training 
initiatives to lead people to reduce negative behaviors from micromanaging their teams. Future 
consideration should be given to staying abreast of technology changes and network 
requirements to support remote employees effectively.  
 
Keywords: Remote work, virtual environment, micromanagement, accounting industry, 
leadership 
 

mailto:toyiacaise@gmail.com


 

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Introduction  

Employees who work in a micromanagement environment have lower employee morale, higher 
turnover, and less productivity than those who do not (Bans-Akutey, 2020; Irani-Williams et al., 
2021; Leong, 2019). Frith (2017) found that employee performance worsens when scrutinized 
due to a disdain for micromanagement. King (2018) opined that 44% of employees in the U.S. 
stated they quit their jobs because of a bad boss. Liu (2022) found that this number had increased 
to 65% by the end of 2022.  
 
The onset of COVID-19 led many workers around the globe to move from working onsite to 
working remotely, presenting the challenge of trust and connection-building in a virtual world 
(Beňo et al., 2021). Wilke (2022) stated that 44% of executives desired a daily return to the 
office, compared to 17% of employees. Parker et al. (2020) proclaimed that many leaders felt 
challenged managing remote staff, causing these employees to feel stressed from being distrusted 
by unskilled leaders who micromanage. A critical need exists to educate leaders on managing 
remote workers and developing practical approaches to leading in virtual environments (Parker 
et al., 2020). A qualitative inquiry research method was used to explore micromanagement 
behaviors in remote work environments and identify additional training needs for leading remote 
workers. In addition, personal attributes and characteristics predisposing leaders to micromanage 
their employees and the need to create a change management plan to address trust-building and a 
reduction in micromanaging behaviors while leading in remote work environments were 
addressed. 
 

Problem of Practice 
 
The general business problem is that leaders who exercise the micromanagement leadership 
approach lead to high employee turnover and decreased productivity (Bans-Akutey, 2020). 
Shuford (2019) purported that micromanagement contributes to low employee morale by 
powerless, unmotivated, and disengaged staff, which leads to high turnover. Gallup (2021) 
disclosed that organizations in the United States spend more than a trillion dollars annually in 
recruitment, hiring, training, and productivity due to employee turnover, with over half of those 
employees who exited stating that their voluntary turnover was preventable. 
 
Leaders realize the harmful effects of micromanagement once they lose staff and productivity 
(Hills, 2017). Kagan (2020) indicated that micromanagers closely watch employee actions and 
criticize their work and methods instead of merely stating what employees need to accomplish. 
These actions waste a manager's time on minor details when other more essential tasks could be 
addressed. According to Bans-Akutey (2020), micromanagement adds no value. Micromanagers 
demotivate 68% of employees and hurt productivity by 55% (Landry, 2020). The toxic 
leadership approach of micromanagement stifles innovation, risks employees' self-worth, and 
brews insecurities as they decrease positive workplace change and are detrimental to employee 
well-being and organizational success (Hill, 2017; Mohamed, 2021). Leaders who delegate some 
activities may offset some undue burdens of large workloads and reduce workplace stress 
(Sanfilippo, 2023).  



 

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Purpose of the Research Study 
 
The purpose of this qualitative inquiry research study was to explore the perspectives of leaders 
in the U.S. accounting industry on effective leadership approaches to reduce the 
micromanagement of employees in remote work environments. As noted by Mishra et al. (2019), 
a need existed for this qualitative inquiry research study as leaders who lack confidence in their 
capabilities engage in micromanaging behaviors. Simms (2023) and Stephen (2020) concurred 
that leaders often use micromanaging behaviors to the detriment of employees and the 
organization. Hills (2017) agreed that business leaders need more information regarding 
micromanaging behaviors so organizations can overcome them and increase employee retention.  
 
Micromanagement decreases employee morale and makes them feel undervalued. Leaders need 
to be self-aware and transparent, communicate, set clear expectations, build positive team 
cultures, and remain flexible with the agility to shift in today's world (Dale & Sheets, 2020; 
Simms, 2023). Moreover, virtual work environments require leaders to find new ways to perform 
traditional tasks, including trust and team building (Mutha & Srivastava, 2021). Shapira and 
Horsager (2022) revealed that establishing trust is how organizations gain employee loyalty, not 
won overnight, but as a consistent process. 
 
Research Question 
 
This qualitative inquiry research study explored leaders' perspectives in the U.S. accounting 
industry regarding practical leadership approaches to reduce the micromanagement of employees 
in remote work environments. The research study was guided by one research question. 
  
R.Q. What are U.S. accounting industry leaders' perspectives regarding effective leadership 
approaches to reduce the micromanagement of employees in remote work environments? 
 
Eleven interview questions were asked of all participants. Follow-up and probing questions were 
used to clarify and gain additional insights into the participants' responses.  
 
IQ1.1 What is your current role in accounting? 
IQ1.2 Tell me about challenges at work that slow your productivity. 
IQ1.3 What is your current manager's leadership style? 
IQ1.4 What training opportunities have you attended? 
IQ1.5 Are the managers being trained? 
IQ1.6 Were there training opportunities before COVID? 
IQ1.7 What are your feelings or attitudes towards working remotely? 
IQ1.8 Are there any challenges with feeling connected with your team? 
IQ1.9 How long have you been with your present employer? 
IQ1.10 What satisfaction do you have in your current role? 
IQ1.11 Do you work well with your manager? 
 



 

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Foundation and Framework 
 
Simms (2023) stated that managing employees by excessively monitoring and controlling their 
work affects their ability to build trusting working relationships with team members. Bans-
Akutey (2020) advised that a micromanager's behavioral tendencies can impact their team's 
ability to develop a sense of accomplishment, causing them to become less productive. Negative 
leadership behaviors cost organizations by having to replace employees due to illness or turnover 
and the reduced production of disengaged workers (Crosby, 2018). The U.S. Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS, 2023) found that in July of 2022, 5.9 million workers chose to leave their jobs, 
compared to 3.5 million in the same period in 2019. Brady (2022) surveyed 3,000 workers and 
found that 82% said they would consider leaving their jobs because of a bad manager. Farrugia 
(2022) posited that replacing full-time employees can cost twice the employee's salary to replace 
them due to recruiting, onboarding, training, and loss of organizational knowledge. 
 
Leaders in the U.S. accounting industry lack coaching and training to develop practical 
leadership approaches to reduce the micromanagement of remote employees that causes high 
employee turnover, decreased production, and cost to the organization (Meinert, 2019). The 
literature and gap in practice support the need for a better approach to address these leadership 
training disparities within remote environments. The central argument was that developing better 
leadership practices creates self-awareness with intended self-regulation to increase "motivation, 
trust, competence, relatedness, and autonomy" through coaching and mentoring (van de Ridder 
et al., 2020).  
 

Frameworks provide the principles and practices necessary to be applied throughout the research 
process (Schaefer, 2016). The selected applied framework for this qualitative inquiry research 
study was the virtual micromanagement model (VMM), which arrogated from the Dominance, 
Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness (DiSC) personal assessment tool adapted by 
William Moulton Marston in the 1920s (Mindtools.com, n.d.). Goldsby et al. (2021) opined that 
self-leadership is parallel to emotional awareness, as these leaders practice accountability using 
the DiSC four-quadrant personality assessment model that measures communication and conflict 
styles. The DiSC model outcome analyzed the communication and conflict differences based on 
their behaviors, mindsets, and personalities by understanding their relationships and potential 
conflict styles (Goldsby et al., 2021). Micromanagers tend to focus on minor details instead of 
seeing the bigger picture of what employees need to achieve, which aligns with the dominance 
and conscientious quadrants of the DiSC models. An adaptation of the VMM is illustrated in 
Figure 1. The DiSC model is illustrated in Figure 2.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1 



 

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DiSC Model 

 
 Note. Adapted from DISC model blauw rood geel groen gedragsstijlen" by Evho1984 is licensed under CC BY-SA 

4.0.  
 
Figure 2 
VMM  
 

  
Note. Adapted from Micromanagement model by Gartner.com.  

The VMM framework explored portions of the DiSC model, mainly dominance and 
conscientiousness, and considered self-awareness as a guiding tool to reduce micromanagement 
leadership behaviors and approaches that facilitate increased organizational turnover and 
heighten awareness of additional training needs of leaders identifying with a micromanaging 

Stressed, 
Depressed, 

Lower 
Esteem

Lack of Trust

Lack of 
Engagement

Lower 
Productivity

Higher 
Turnover 

Rates



 

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type of behavioral style. Caruso (2020) purported that the DiSC model was a likely tool to assess 
one's leadership style and engage the team to cultivate trust and understanding.  
 
The virtual micromanagement model included concepts that explored micromanaging behaviors 
in remote work environments from the employee's perspective and those of midlevel managers 
as the research study's expert stakeholders. The virtual micromanagement model focuses on the 
most desirable and feasible solutions that increase productivity, decrease employee turnover, and 
lead to successful leadership practices in the United States accounting services sector. The 
applied framework guided the design of the interview questions in this study to explore 
micromanaging behaviors in leadership. The category of interview questions included the 
participants' experience, the participant's role in the research study, barriers to being productive, 
management styles, job commitment and satisfaction, remote work environment, work-life 
balance, training offered before and after the pandemic, and approaches to and the influence of 
personal development on the company's business model. 
 
There have been many publications surrounding micromanagement, but scholarly research 
involving micromanagement within remote environments is sparse. Kay (2019) shared that the 
social entity of a business is bound to its economic success. Effectively managing virtual teams 
has become the heartbeat of leadership skills since the COVID-19 pandemic for guiding high-
performing teams (Patrick, 2021). Suit (2018) stated that micromanagers lack useful or effective 
leadership modeling and are not self-aware, requiring adequate leadership development. Sahni 
(2020) recommended that organizations effectively train their leaders for sustainability to ensure 
it has a highly agile and creative approach to thrive. Capparelli et al. (2022) discussed the 
significance of business continuity and ways to share the operational burden by distributing roles 
and responsibilities through conducive cultures for maximum effect. Hammet (2018) opined that 
there is no place for micromanagement in value-creating organizations because trust leads the 
way. Patrick (2021) proposed that managing team performance is daunting within remote work 
environments. Understanding the needs and benefits of remote work environments and reducing 
negative behaviors is significant, given that most business models are moving toward hybrid or 
remote work schedules (Tribou & Kidd, 2022; Wilke, 2022). 
 
Methodology 
 
This qualitative inquiry research study relied on purposive sampling. The interview technique 
was the chosen data collection method to leverage in-depth, one-on-one interviews via Zoom. 
Recruitment occurred through User Interviews, a fee-based recruiting service that targeted and 
selected accounting employees to participate in the interviews at various employment levels, 
such as accountants, senior accountants, auditors, CPAs, credit analysts, clerks, and mid-level 
managers within the United States, which constituted the expert stakeholders. The purposive 
sampling technique was chosen as the best method to link the research objectives to address the 
research question of U.S. accounting industry leaders' perspectives regarding effective leadership 
approaches to reduce the micromanagement of remote employees and thus enhance the research 
study's validity and trustworthiness building upon its credibility, transferability, dependability, 
and confirmability of both data and results (Campbell et al., 2020).  



 

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The Capella University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the informed consent form, 
interview guide, and screening questionnaire before conducting the interview sessions. Nine 
participants were sampled for this study. The interviews lasted 45 minutes to 1-hour and were 
conducted August 22-31, 2022.  
 
The general population inclusion criteria consisted of participants ages 18-65 years old. The 
participants were employed full-time in an entry-level, lead, senior, or manager role within the 
accounting industry. These criteria comprise the chosen population as they were the most 
affected by micromanagement behaviors in remote work environments and constituted the expert 
stakeholders within the accounting industry. Exclusion criteria consisted of anyone not residing 
in the United States who did not have a computer with a webcam, tablet, or smartphone with 
internet capabilities to connect via Zoom or provide an electronically signed informed consent 
through DocuSign. 
 
The data collection for this research study followed the interview technique and interpretative 
methods used in qualitative research to describe, decode, and then translate concepts and 
phenomena (Basias & Pollalis, 2018). The interview technique was the chosen data collection 
method to leverage thorough one-on-one interviews converted into text for in-depth analysis. 
 
 The data analysis for this qualitative inquiry stemmed from Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase 
thematic analysis technique to systematically identify, organize, and offer insight into meanings 
or themes across data sets, incorporating an inductive approach. Dedoose, a Research and 
Evaluation Data App (REDA), was employed to assist in identifying and labeling codes. The 
Dedoose software incorporated a patterning process with inductive analysis that aided in 
transforming these codes into categories as they emerged from the data, utilizing a packed code 
cloud visualization analysis that magnifies text, then duplicating the patterning process to 
inductively transform categories into themes as they came forth from the data. The thematic 
analysis enabled greater freedom of independence to interpret meaning from participant 
responses. 
 
An interview guide was the primary data collection instrument for collecting the participants' 
responses. The interview guide contained the purpose of the qualitative inquiry research study, 
research question, justification, probing interview questions, and the interview format. The 
interview began with participant demographic information and ended with a script to close the 
interview. The interview questions were written in a semi-structured format to stimulate dialogue 
and follow-up questioning to promote additional information from the interview participants. A 
test run interview took place with participants not part of the research study to allow for the 
practice of digital equipment and interview techniques with mock data to assimilate conducting 
an actual interview.  
 
All nine participants self-identified as U.S. accounting industry remote employees and reviewed 
and electronically signed the informed consent form via DocuSign prior to confirming an 
interview time slot; as all interviews were virtual, site permission was not required. The signed 



 

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informed consent is saved as a digital file on an encrypted flash drive and is available for seven 
years. Participants were expected to participate in a 45–60-minute interview session unless they 
opted out by verbally expressing that they no longer wished to participate. Table 1 represents the 
participants' self-identified demographic data.  
 
Table 1 
Participant Demographics 

Participant # Gender Job Title State Start Time End Time 

P1 F Accountant 
Supervisor 

CA, USA 17:00 18:00 

P2 M Manager CA, USA 17:00 18:00 
P3 M Accountant NY, USA 19:00 20:00 
P4 F Accountant OH, USA 18:00 19:00 
P5 F Bookkeeper FL, USA 12:00 13:00 
P6 F Accountant CA, USA 18:00 19:00 
P7 M Accountant NC, USA 17:00 18:00 
P8 F Accountant FL, USA 18:00 19:00 
P9 F Accountant VA, USA 18:00 19:00 

*Note. Participant Demographic characteristics from User Interviews screening information provided by selected 
participants except for job title and start and end times, which were captured at the appointed interview times. 
 
The pro version of the online platform Zoom was used to allow for the recording and 
transcription of the interview. Verbal authorization from each participant was obtained before 
beginning the interview, using voice recording or manually compiling field notes. The 
interviewees were advised of the participants' expectations of open and honest communication 
and that they could refuse to answer or decide they no longer wished to participate. 
 
During the in-depth, one-on-one interview sessions, participants were made to feel relaxed and 
spoke freely and candidly, and breaks were offered, which they declined. Other participant 
requests during the interview sessions were honored, including pausing the recording, repeating 
and rewording questions, and providing clarifications of context.  
 
Data Analysis 
 
Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis approach included becoming familiar with 
data by reading all the data collected, taking notes, transcribing the data, and then rereading it to 
become familiar with every dimension. The transcripts of the audio-recorded Zoom interviews 
were sent to each participant within 24 hours of their interview, and they were asked to return 
any corrections within 48 hours of receipt. The transcripts were uploaded into the Dedoose 
software program, and the potential initial inductive codes were highlighted. For example, the 
job title accountant became an initial code, as did beliefs and bonuses. The codes were then 
placed into categories as they emerged from the data with grouped similarities from areas 
identified that overlap between codes. 
 



 

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The analysis was refocused on themes. Dedoose software utilizes a packed code cloud 
visualization analysis that magnifies text; the more applied the code has been, the larger the text 
of that code appears in the cloud. Sorting the different codes into potential themes was best done 
through visualization (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Themes related to micromanagement, toxic 
leadership, leadership styles, training and development, job satisfaction, employee turnover, and 
the remote work environment best align with the virtual micromanagement framework. Braun 
and Clarke (2006) posited that evident themes exemplify coherent patterns in the participant's 
perspectives relating to the research question. 
 
A selection of the main passages within the data set was used to discuss the themes regarding the 
main ideas presented by the participants concerning the R.Q., such as how training and 
leadership development could benefit leaders who exude micromanaging behavioral styles to 
prove the significance of the theme. From a thematic map of coded data, the essence of each 
theme was clearly defined and in line with the research question for manageable overlap (Braun 
& Clarke, 2006).  
 
A total of 42 codes emerged from the participant transcript data. The codes were collapsed into 
ten categories. The ten categories were paired with their definitions and relationally linked to 
codes. Four themes emerged from the participant's transcript data incorporating an inductive 
approach to transform categories into themes, more fully described in prior sections. Categories 
could be present in more than one theme due to the interconnectedness of concepts. The themes 
represent topics that emerged from a pattern of ideas. The relationship between the 42 codes, ten 
categories, and four themes is presented in Table 2, and details on how the themes emerged 
follow. 
 
Table 2 
Relationship Between Codes, Categories, and Themes  
 

Codes Categories Themes 

 

Culture, Team, Beliefs, Better at 
Home, Better at Office, Hindrances 
to Performance, Remote 
Challenges, Cannot Turn Off, 
Income Source, Flexibility, 
Independence, Bonuses, Clients, 
Connectedness, Computer Issues 
Culture, Team, Beliefs, Better at 
Home, Better at Office, Hindrances 
to Performance, Remote 
Challenges, Cannot Turn Off, 
Income Source, Flexibility, 
Independence, Bonuses, Clients, 
Connectedness, Computer Issues 

Culture, Ideations, Remote 
Environment, Motivation 

T1: Purposeful actions to build a 
positive workplace culture will help 
leaders in the U.S. accounting 
industry achieve better outcomes by 
decreasing toxic environments 



 

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People Person, Trust, Guidance, 
Confidence, Communication, 
Delegate, Ego, Acknowledgement, 
Survey, QuickBooks, On-the-Job, 
Online Work, New Computer 
System, Excel, Harassment, 
Seeking, College, Openings, Hours, 
Accountant, Biller, Bookkeeper, 
Manager, Supervisor, List Checker 

Leadership Skills, Recognition, 
Motivation, Training, Turnover 
Intention, Surveillance, Remote 
Environment, Culture, Career, 
Ideations 

T2: Training initiatives are effective 
approaches to harnessing desirable 
and feasible solutions to managing 
negative behaviors and bridging the 
gap that can move leaders from 
training disparities to increased 
confidence and self-awareness from 
being supported by their 
organizations. 

Seeking, College, Openings,  
 
Hours, Income Source, Flexibility, 
Independence, Bonuses, Clients, 
Culture, Team, Acknowledgement, 
Beliefs, Surveillance, Buzzword, 
Better at Home, Better at Office, 
Hindrances to Performance, 
Remote Challenges, Cannot Turn 
Off, Connectedness, Computer 
Issues, People Person, Trust, 
Guidance, Confidence, 
Communication, Delegate, Ego 
 

 
 
Turnover Intention, Motivation, 
Recognition, Culture, Ideations, 
Surveillance, Remote Environment, 
Leadership Skills 

 
 
T3: Intentional organizational 
efforts drive employee retention 
through openness to change, trust 
building, organizational 
commitment, and performance to 
produce job satisfaction that will 
lead to reduced turnover intention. 

Better at Home, Better at Office, 
Hindrances to Performance, 
Remote Challenges, Cannot Turn 
Off, Connectedness, Computer 
Issues, Survey, QuickBooks, On-
the-Job, Online Work, New 
Computer System, Excel, Culture, 
Team, Harassment, Surveillance, 
Buzzword, Acknowledgement, 
Income Source, Beliefs, Flexibility, 
Independence, Bonuses, Clients, 
Accountant, Biller, Bookkeeper, 
Manager, Supervisor, List Checker 
 

Remote Environment, Training, 
Surveillance, Recognition, 
Motivation, Career, Culture, 
Ideations 

T4: Virtual work environments 
require leaders' support and proper 
resources to enhance organizational 
success. 

Theme 1 Workplace Culture 
 
The first theme identified is that purposeful actions to build a positive workplace culture will 
help leaders in the U.S. accounting industry achieve better outcomes by decreasing toxic 
environments. This theme represented an aggregation of critical insights from participant 
responses relative to the need to build positive workplace cultures that decrease toxic working 
environments. P6 said: "It's becoming a toxic work environment and unhealthy situation, and we 
used to be a really close team before, so the fact that concerns are not being heard is affecting my 
job satisfaction; my job satisfaction in the workplace: remotely and in person." P8 indicated that 
"There is a lot of non-work-related drama." P9 posited that "I would say he kind of needs to try 
harder to, like, talk to his bosses, I guess because of the way that the agency pretty much formed 
that company culture. A lot of people were very tired of it because there weren't a lot of people; I 



 

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knew that, like, oh, they cannot really get rid of me. They don't have a lot of people, so they kind 
of need me kind of thing. I know that sounds bad". 
 
Theme 1 confirmed Buffer's (2022) findings on the shortfalls of team engagement and 
connection and Westfall's (2020) findings that a toxic leader could cause reduced productivity, 
injured morale, lowered motivation, and increased surveillance of remote workers. Therefore, 
organizations should take purposeful action to build positive workplace cultures conducive to the 
evidence-based research study of Buffer (2022) and the findings of Westfall (2020). 
 
Theme 2 Training Initiatives 

Theme 2 represents the culmination of ideas that managing negative leadership behaviors 
requires organizational support from training. These ideas related to identifying, understanding, 
and accepting industry needs concerning training disparities suggested additional training of 
leaders within the U.S. accounting industry. The topic of training of managers or awareness of 
any additional training needed primarily focused on benchmarking with industry peers and 
competitors pre- and post-COVID, attending leadership development-specific training, 
identifying internal initiatives or programs in operation or being planned, and researching the 
need for additional training opportunities. However, participant responses captured staff 
frustration from training disparities of leadership within their organizations.  
 
P9 expressed that a particular manager was not empathetic and showed a lack of concern or 
attempt to put forth an effort to attend available training, stating: "Some he could make, some he 
just could not attend." P6 explained that these companies bring in knowledgeable people into a 
position who have a skillset "but do not know how to deal with people." P5 concurred and added, 
"There needs to be a different management training program on how to talk to people, motivate 
employees, and keep your personal feelings out of it." While P3 and P4 would like to get direct 
answers to their direct questions with "clear communication" without all of the "egos." P2 
provided additional commentary about diving deeper into backgrounds and doing personality 
assessments.  
 
In contrast, P1 expounded on "old mindsets" and how we cannot make people likable. Theme 2 
confirmed the findings of Gant (2021) that training and development significantly contribute to 
organizational success and Gale's (2019) findings that most leaders find training or mentoring 
beneficial in assisting them in developing the necessary skills to lead and become effective high 
performers and also confirming Bans-Akutey's (2020) findings of promoting lower-level 
employees with minimal leadership skills and the detriment caused by their lack of self-
awareness and leadership agility to manage negative behaviors. Training initiatives are effective 
approaches to achieving the most desirable and feasible solutions to managing negative 
behaviors as they will bridge the gap that would lead to successful leadership practices, as 
confirmed by the findings of Gant (2021) and Caruso (2020). 
 
Theme 3 Organizational Efforts 



 

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The third theme identified is that intentional organizational efforts drive employee retention 
through openness to change, trust building, organizational commitment, and performance to 
produce job satisfaction that will reduce turnover intention.  
 

Theme 3 represents the participants' conceptual understanding of motivational drivers of job 
satisfaction that reduce turnover intention. During the interview, participants responded to 
questions about the importance of being satisfied in their positions or shared motivational 
examples of how they were or were not. P5 had a wonderful working dynamic and shared that 
was not the case 5 years ago when her husband told her to "quit her job daily before she did." P1 
expressed "wanting to quit because it gets frustrating." P4 explained that although "I love my 
team, there is one person I do not like working with mostly due to the lack of desire for 
technology changes causing burnout and frustration."  
 
P6 described concerns not heard or addressed "affecting her job satisfaction both remotely and 
in-person," further implied that "friends are hiring friends creating office cliques causing 
turnover and creating more work." P7 agreed in comparison to workload increases, stating, "the 
lack of pay for the amount of work, they cannot fill positions." P7 addressed a personal 
experience about job satisfaction and claimed: 
 

If you are not satisfied at the job you work at all day, because I've been this way for 
years, just so miserable, you live a miserable life; I'll be honest there. Because if you do 
that job about 40 hours a week, and you're miserable, and then you come home, that 
misery spreads to your family. It just doesn't equate to a high-quality life. (P7)  

 
Weinberger et al. (2022) opined that in an atmosphere of long work hours to meet inflexible 
client deadlines and high job burnout, public accounting firms experienced restrictions to make 
employees happy while ensuring high-quality work was done. The data collected suggests that 
job satisfaction is a crucial element of operational efficiency, and organizations must 
intentionally drive employee retention. Theme 3 confirmed Kay's (2019) findings that people 
take pride in where they work and what they do and want to be happy in the workplace, making 
job satisfaction vital to their retention, and Men et al. (2022) discovery of employee benefits 
from organizational trust association with job satisfaction from feelings of connectedness when 
the appropriate language and behaviors are used by leaders, which could reduce turnover 
intention and increase their commitment, and performance.  
 
Theme 4 Remote Work Environments 

 
The fourth and final theme identified is that remote work environments require leaders' support 
and proper resources to enhance organizational success. The remote work environment's theme 
describes the summation of participant responses related to barriers due to working within the 
constraints of remote environments. Participants expressed satisfaction with decreased traffic 
commute, fewer distractions, less laundry, increased rest, and more family time. Although the 
participants did not interact with office personnel as much, they missed the leftover food from 
onsite office meetings. Participant responses indicated that the majority embraced the flexibility 



 

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of a virtual working environment. Such statements suggest a desirable and feasible solution that 
increases productivity and decreases employee turnover. However, this was only the case for 
some; others had difficulties with production, and these barriers are the primary focus within 
Theme 4.  
 
P1 emphasized two staff members who needed help grasping the concept of working from home. 
P2 "would like to see more team building." P4 experienced "network issues." P5 and P6 both 
explained that they "miss people." While P9 stated that if time management was not adhered to, 
it "slowed down productivity a bit." P3 expressed virtual challenges as "you cannot physically 
see what they are doing." P7 shared an experience of not being able to disconnect from work: 
 

You know, that's how it started or used to be for me; like I had a hard time walking away 
from my desk at the appropriate time because more and more things would pop up at six 
or seven or eight o'clock at night. And I would work until eight or nine o'clock at night. 
And then it was the person that was under me that said, what are you doing? This doesn't 
have to get done right now. Yeah, and so I was like, at that point, I was like, gosh, she's 
so right. What am I doing, killing myself for nothing? So, I have learned that I need to 
have the off switch by a certain time I've gotten better. It's not perfect, but I've gotten 
better. (P7) 

 
Such statements suggest the need for additional support from leaders to ensure remote teams 
remain connected while working outside the traditional office setting and maintaining proper 
technology and other resources required to fully operate virtually, including knowing when to 
unplug for the day. Theme 4 confirmed the Buffer (2022) findings that 40% of workers struggle 
to unplug while working remotely and the Parker et al. (2020) study that 40% of leaders reported 
having decreased self-confidence managing remote staff.  
 
Contribution to the Field  
 

The research question that guided this study was: What are U.S. accounting industry leaders' 
perspectives regarding effective leadership approaches to reduce the micromanagement of 
employees in remote work environments? The answer is that purposeful actions are necessary to 
build a positive workplace culture with practical training initiatives to manage negative 
behaviors. In addition, intentional organizational efforts and leaders' support to obtain proper 
resources require an implementation to become impactful while leading in remote work 
environments. 
 
The participants demonstrated an understanding of micromanagement, but many were unaware 
of available tools to effectively address leadership approaches to reduce or avoid micromanaging 
behaviors. The participants' responses to interview questions indicated their openness to best 
business practices to be integrated to reduce micromanagement behaviors in the workplace. The 
participants openly and continuously expressed the need for more training the management team 
should undertake as they lack communication and people skills that motivate them to produce. 
 



 

13 

 

This research study extends research on micromanaging behaviors in virtual environments by 
exploring ways to reduce negative leadership approaches. It adds to the theoretical development 
by integrating and building upon the theory of trust and self-awareness to achieve better 
outcomes by reducing micromanaging behaviors, increasing job satisfaction, and decreasing 
employee turnover. 
 
The results of this research study showed that the management team had a basic understanding of 
the impact of leadership on staff resulting from negative leadership behaviors. Some 
management teams had encountered toxic work environments and were working towards 
solutions to address participant concerns, while others had yet to implement favorable working 
conditions.  
 
The gap identified in the assessment of advancement toward reducing micromanagement 
behaviors relative to the capabilities within the virtual micromanagement model was supported 
by the participant's narratives around the participant's understanding of positive company 
cultures and the results of the data analysis shown in Table 3.  
 
Table 3 
Data Analysis Assessment of Advancement Towards Reducing or Avoiding Micromanagement  
 

Code P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 Total 

No 
Advancement 

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 

Initial 
Experience 

1  1 1 1   1 1 6 

Implemented 
Solutions 

1 1  1 1   1  5 

Benchmark 
Progress 

          

Total 3 2 2 3 3 1 1 3 2  

Note. Analysis adapting a four-point progress scale where 1= no advancement. 
 
The VMM framework explored portions of the DiSC model to consider self-awareness as a 
guiding theory to reduce micromanagement leadership behaviors and approaches that facilitated 
increased organizational turnover and heightened awareness of these leaders' additional training 
needs. The effective training initiative’s theme supported the idea that feasible solutions to 
managing negative behaviors can move leaders from training disparities to increased confidence 
and self-awareness from being supported by their organization. 
 
The results of this study support Gale's (2019) findings that most leaders would benefit from 
training or mentoring that assists them in developing the necessary skills to lead and become 
effective high performers. Managers' perspectives on handling the COVID-19 crisis and their 
experience and attitudes in the complexities of our new virtual reality showed that as work 



 

14 

 

shifted to a home office environment, workers experienced working a significant amount of time 
outside regular work hours, leading to burnout (Beňo et al., 2021).  
 
Contribution to Literature  

The findings from the data analysis aligned with the literature and were unrelated to the 
management team's ability to achieve benchmark progress. Concerning theme 1, the participants 
indicated that their companies have yet to successfully implement any training or development 
programs, which aligned with the literature that micromanaging leaders need more support 
within the company on practical approaches using self-awareness as a guiding tool to lead people 
effectively, best done through coaching and mentoring (van de Ridder et al., 2020). In relation to 
Theme 2, the findings from the data analysis confirmed the training gap relating to practical 
approaches to reduce micromanagement behaviors knowledge and demonstrate a need for further 
areas of development. Theme 2 contributes to the literature by supporting corporate-led training 
initiatives that develop the confidence and self-awareness of its leaders to manage negative 
behaviors. 
 
Compared to the existing literature, the findings from the data analysis in Theme 3 dispute the 
practitioner literature of the study completed by Leong (2019). In the practitioner literature, 
Leong (2019) indicated that delegating duties to staff increased job satisfaction by increasing 
their skillset and building trust through more responsibility and accountability. The findings from 
the data analysis confirmed that participants within the U.S. accounting industry who express job 
dissatisfaction derived from increased workloads and lack of pay. Theme 3 refutes the findings 
of Leong (2019) as these participants do not require additional duties to feel valued; according to 
their excerpts, better wages and backfilling open positions would be better suited.  
 
In comparison, the findings from the data analysis in Theme 4 aligned with the academic 
literature of Beňo et al. (2021). The academic literature opined by Beňo et al. (2021) indicated 
that the COVID-19 crisis had dramatically shifted the virtual work environment. The findings 
from the data analysis confirmed that participants were still working through remote challenges. 
COVID-19 awakened the business climate like nothing many have seen, creating a need for 
virtual environments of greater trust efficiency and non-micromanaging remote relationships 
(Beňo et al., 2021). 
 
Scholars and practitioners should focus on post-pandemic information about virtual 
environments to stay abreast of technology changes and network requirements to support remote 
employees effectively. Scholars and practitioners also need to focus more on team building and 
engagement and the continued development of leaders. Several recommendations were derived, 
drawing upon findings from the data analysis of this qualitative inquiry, for scholars and 
practitioners with a vested interest in reducing or avoiding micromanagement behaviors in 
virtual environments. One such finding was the preference for working remotely over the need 
for social interaction. The participants indicated they missed people but would rather remain 
home than experience the office culture and manager egos. Researchers who study 



 

15 

 

organizational leadership could delve deeper into the implications of an adverse corporate 
climate. 
 
Recommendations and Conclusions 

The results from this qualitative inquiry study relate to scholars and practitioners in the U.S. 
accounting industry. The results could be disseminated among scholars and practitioners in the 
broader accounting industry to support efforts to reduce the micromanagement of employees in 
remote environments. Scholars and practitioners should focus on post-pandemic information 
about remote work environments and stay abreast of technology changes and network 
requirements to support remote employees effectively. Scholars and practitioners also need to 
focus on team building and the continued development of leaders. 
 
Several recommendations for scholars and practitioners were derived from the findings of this 
qualitative inquiry study. One such finding was the preference for working remotely over the 
need for social interaction. The participants indicated they missed people but would rather 
remain home than experience the office culture and manager egos. Researchers who explore 
organizational leadership could delve deeper into the implications of an adverse corporate 
climate. 
 
Another finding was a lack of engagement identified by participants from not knowing when to 
unplug for the day. Buffer (2022) reported that although corporations provided the technology to 
adapt within remote work environments, they fell short in team engagement and connection 
efforts despite virtual meetings. Researchers exploring the implications of team engagement 
would further the practitioner knowledge base on the inclusivity of remote staff and build better 
connections with leaders and the organization. 
 
Employee performance worsens when scrutinized due to a disdain for micromanagement (Frith, 
2017). The problem identified herein was that leaders who exercise the micromanagement 
leadership style cause high employee turnover and decreased productivity (Bans-Akutey, 2020). 
The findings from this qualitative inquiry may help scholars and practitioners better understand 
the development and training needs required to reduce micromanagement behaviors, increase 
productivity, decrease employee turnover, and lead to successful business practices. 
 
Leaders who practice micromanagement result in high employee turnover, decreased 
productivity, and increased employee replacement costs (Bans-Akutey, 2020). The problem was 
addressed through four themes, showing that purposeful actions are necessary to build a positive 
workplace culture with practical training initiatives to manage negative behaviors. In addition, 
intentional organizational efforts and leaders' support to obtain proper resources require 
implementation. The four themes derived from the thematic analysis informed the problem, lent 
insight into why the problem continues, how best to decrease the problem, and stated the benefits 
of doing so.  
 



 

16 

 

Leaders in the U.S. accounting industry lack coaching and training to develop practical 
leadership approaches to reduce the micromanagement of remote employees that causes high 
employee turnover, decreased production, and cost to the organization (Meinert, 2019). Leaders 
should reduce their micromanaging approaches to leadership in the workplace. Through 
individual coaching and mentoring, leaders should create self-awareness and self-regulation and 
enhance employee motivation, autonomy, competence, trust, and relatedness.  
 
Martin et al. (2019) noted that previous LMX studies looked at what leadership did to its 
followers without exploring the implications of micromanagement from a lack of trust, need for 
training, or leadership within remote work environments. Van de Ridder et al. (2020) claimed 
that behavioral change could be developed through coaching and mentoring. This qualitative 
inquiry research study provides a consensus link to the understanding that organizational success 
in the U.S. accounting industry depends on skilled leaders, as those who lack proper training 
place the company at risk. Thus, devising a strategic framework to manage remote staff 
effectively advances leadership practice. 
 
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	Theme 2 Training Initiatives
	Contribution to Literature
	Recommendations and Conclusions
	REFERENCES

