Date
3-21-2025
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Chair
Deborah A. Johnson – Blake
Keywords
job dissatisfaction, employee performance, employee morale, leadership, organizational decisions
Disciplines
Leadership Studies
Recommended Citation
Wallace, Wede Lorraine, "A Qualitative Analysis of Job Satisfaction: Perspectives of Private School Employees" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6558.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6558
Abstract
The educational marketplace is highly competitive, and schools and higher learning institutions incessantly strive for sustainable education and strategies to adjust to environmental and economic changes. This scenario was especially experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools had to change from the traditional learning style to the virtual approach, thereby imposing a string of financial downturns from a reduction in tuition while still maintaining overhead costs. The change forced leaders to make organizational changes to remain financially stable. The general problem addressed by this case study was the challenges leaders faced in gaining employee support for changes to administrative work policies and wage deduction, resulting in low morale, job dissatisfaction, and decreased productivity. This study aimed to explore employee perceptions of school leaders during times of uncertainty and the perspective of the participant's social realities. This qualitative case study aims to add to the body of knowledge and understand why leaders face challenges in gaining employee support for changes to administrative work policies and wage deductions during volatile circumstances, resulting in low employee morale and job satisfaction. The researcher conducted a qualitative case study using semi-structured interviews with 20 current and former employees at a private school in Northern Nigeria. In addition, the results of this study indicated that change in leadership behavior and improved leadership strategies are required to gain employee trust and cooperation in organizational decisions.
