Leadership Behavior and Organizational Characteristics: Implications for Faculty Satisfaction

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships among administrative leadership behaviors, organizational characteristics, and faculty job satisfaction in baccalaureate nursing programs of private colleges. A two-part survey technique included 1) the collection of organizational data from the dean/chair of each nursing program, and 2) the rating of leadership behavior of the dean/chair and faculty job satisfaction by nurse faculty. Fifty-three percent of eligible programs and 77% of nurse faculty participated in the study. The findings indicated that the leadership behaviors of consideration and initiating structure were positively related to nurse faculty job satisfaction. The number of nurse faculty and the number of students in the college were identified as variables moderating the relationship between leadership behavior and job satisfaction. The emergence of a unique pattern of high consideration and high initiating structure leadership behaviors provides a basis for reexamining alternatives to promote the overall job satisfaction of nurse faculty.