The relationship of leadership styles of selected West Virginia college deans and department chairs to job satisfaction of departmental faculty members

This study was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between the independent variable, leadership styles of deans or department chairs and the dependent variable, faculty job satisfaction. The population of the study included all instructional faculty at 11 public institutions of higher education in the state of West Virginia which grant baccalaureate degrees and beyond (N= 2,279). An appropriate random sample (n = 328) of the total number of instructional faculty was selected. The data collection instruments in this study include: The Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), the Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman Job Satisfaction Scale (MCMJSS) and a demographic survey. All instruments were completed by respondents identified by the random sample. The study was designed to allow respondents the opportunity to complete the survey instruments in an open and honest manner by insuring anonymity. Relationships were determined by performing Pearson Correlation Coefficients and Analysis of Variance. A mean job satisfaction score was calculated for all demographic variables, across both dimensions of leadership and for intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. The results of the study indicated that there was a relationship between leadership styles and faculty job satisfaction. The strongest relationships were those between extrinsic job satisfaction and both dimensions of the LBDQ. The relationship between intrinsic job satisfaction and leadership style of the dean or department chair was statistically significant, but less highly correlated. Analysis of the demographic variables of the study demonstrated that the only factor which was statistically significant to overall job satisfaction was the number of years the respondent had served under the current dean or department chair. No demographic variables were statistically significant in regard to extrinsic job satisfaction. Four variables were statistically significant in relationship to intrinsic job satisfaction