Date

10-14-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)

Chair

Heather Strafaccia

Keywords

job satisfaction, Latina, higher education, female, administration, leadership

Disciplines

Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the job satisfaction experiences for Latina female administrators at higher education institutions in the Central California region. The theory guiding this study was Herzberg’s two-factor theory. The central research question was: What are the descriptions of the lived experiences related to job satisfaction among Latina female administrators in higher education institutions in the Central California region? The sub-questions focused on the motivators and hygiene experiences that lead to job satisfaction among the participants. A transcendental-phenomenological qualitative design was selected for the study to examine the job satisfaction experiences of 14 Latina female administrators. Participants must have met certain criteria, including self-identifying as Latina or Hispanic and female, holding an administrative position at a higher education institution in the Central California region, and having at least one year of administrative experience. Individuals participating in this study shared their experiences through individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. The data were analyzed using Moustakas’s (1994) modified van Kaam method for phenomenological data, following the different steps to describe the essence of the participants’ experiences. The findings from this study led to three primary themes: academic leadership, creating impact, and work in progress. Each primary theme hosted three sub-themes that further explored participants' lived experiences. Participants described very high satisfaction in their current administrative roles.

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