Date
11-11-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Karla Swafford
Keywords
Burnout, Well Being, Qualitative
Disciplines
Educational Leadership | Higher Education
Recommended Citation
Morris, Christopher Rennick, "Understanding Burnout and Well-Being Among Early-Career Community College Faculty: A Qualitative Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 9083.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/9083
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study will be to understand the lived experiences of burnout and well-being for early-career, full-time community college faculty in relation to unit-level leadership practices at selected community colleges in the United States. The research follows the job demands–resources (JD–R) theory, which explains how specific aspects of work contribute to burnout and engagement. The combination of work demands, including heavy workload and time constraints, and emotional work requirements, leads to employee exhaustion when organizations fail to provide sufficient support. Job resources, which include autonomy, constructive feedback, collegial support, and organizational justice, create conditions that boost motivation, employee engagement, and professional performance. The framework shows leadership practices function as adaptable resources that help decrease workload stress while enhancing faculty wellness. The central research question guiding this study asks: How do early-career, full-time community college faculty describe their lived experiences of burnout and well-being in relation to unit-level leadership practices?
