PhD/MSc Graduate Scholarship

Where is your hometown?

I grew up in a small town called Stettler, in central Alberta.

Why did you choose Smith School of Business/Queen’s?

I chose Smith as my mentors as University of Calgary (my undergraduate institution) introduced me to my now supervisor Dr. Julian Barling. I joined Smith for my MSc and ultimately stayed for my PhD. The research collegiality, mentorship, and student community made it an easy choice!

What has been your favourite experience at Queen’s so far?

I will forever cherish the community of students at the school who have made this experience so meaningful as well as the research opportunities to meet and work with researchers across the world that continue to enrich me.

What are your aspirations after graduation?

I hope to become a faculty member at a business school after I graduate.

What is one interesting fact about you?

I used to sing opera and was involved in classical voice until starting my PhD.

Research Overview

Kaylee studies the dynamics of anticipated endings at work. While much is known about onboarding and welcoming new employees, her research flips the lens and looks at the other end of the cycle: what happens when a departure at work is known? Kaylee suggests that knowing an employee is on their way out shapes how we see them and how we treat them, often for the worse. Her first thesis paper focuses on leader perceptions of employees with expiring contracts. The results indicate that leaders perceive employees with fixed-end contracts as less committed, even when those dates are outside the employee’s control. This perception leads to worse outcomes: less support, fewer resources, and lower-quality leadership. The results reveal a paradox: employees who may need leadership support the most are less likely to receive it.

Kaylee is now extending this work to examine how peers behave: whether they reduce their helping behavior, withdraw emotionally, or stop sharing information. She is particularly interested in the pre-exit window: the notice period where employees know the end is near, but work must continue. Beyond documenting the problem, Kaylee aims to design solutions. How can organizations mitigate the damage caused by anticipated endings? What shapes these perceptions—the organizational context, how the employee resigns, or whether it is an internal change or external departure? Her goal is to develop an evidence-based set of practical interventions that leaders can use to preserve long-term relationships at the end of employment.