Organizational Culture, Leadership, and Employee Outcomes in Community College Career and Technical Education Divisions: A Three-Factor Model of Psychological Safety, Leadership Climate, and Role Support

This study examined organizational culture across six Northeast Florida community college career and technical education (CTE) divisions using a survey of faculty, staff, and administrators. Using a 20-item Likert-scale instrument and factor analysis, the results identified a three-factor model: Psychological Safety and Voice; Relational Climate and Leadership Support; and Role Support, Growth, and Wellbeing. Gender and age differences were observed: women reported lower perceptions of Psychological Safety and Voice, and the leadership climate, and older employees expressed more positive cultural views. Doctoral-level employees offered more critical assessments of leadership and role support. Regression analyses identified Psychological Safety and Voice as the strongest predictors of employee voice, while leadership climate was the strongest predictor of perceived culture quality and employee wellbeing. Employee outcomes in this study refer to employee perceptions and experiences rather than institutional performance indicators. Findings highlight the influence of divisional mid-level leadership behaviors and structural role conditions on employee perceptions of culture within CTE divisions. Role differences emerged as the strongest source of variation, with adjunct faculty reporting consistently less favorable experiences than full-time faculty and administrators/staff.