Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
5-2017
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Dr. Bethany Flora
Committee Members
Dr. Catherine Glascock, Dr. Hal Knight, Dr. Ramona Williams
Abstract
A quantitative research project was conducted at all public and private colleges and universities in the state of Maryland to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climate among higher education administrators. An online survey was completed by 278 higher education administrators working in public and private colleges in Maryland during the 2016 fall semester. Survey results were analyzed in conjunction with participant characteristics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climates. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, Chi-Square, and descriptive statistics.
Findings indicate that the perceptions of ethical climate differed significantly by job satisfaction, gender and administrative position. A median split was performed on the composite score of job satisfaction. The median was calculated at 69.00. Scores below the median indicate respondents have low job satisfaction and scores above the median indicate respondents have high job satisfaction. A benevolent ethical climate is significantly associated with job satisfaction. Egoism is significantly associated with organizational commitment. Respondents with high organizational commitment favored an egoistic ethical climate. A significant difference in ethical climate existed by gender with men reporting significantly more principled ethical climate responses than women. Ethical climate also significantly differed by administrative position where deans and directors favored a principled ethical climate compared to Vice Presidents.
The study is important because few researchers have evaluated job satisfaction through the lens of organizational commitment and ethical climate. Therefore, the study contributes to the existing literature related to job satisfaction among higher education administrators. Organizational commitment and ethical climate may impact overall job satisfaction among higher education administrators.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
DiSorbo, Brenda, "Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Ethical Climate of Higher Education Administrators in Maryland Colleges and Universities" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3183. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3183
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.