Date of Conferral
4-17-2026
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Franz Gottleib
Abstract
Organizational change initiatives in higher education often lead to decreased job satisfaction among administrative staff. Higher education leaders are concerned with maintaining employee job satisfaction during such periods because disengagement among administrative staff can reduce performance and increase turnover. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies higher education leaders use to improve administrative staff job satisfaction during organizational change. Lewin’s change management theory served as the foundation for the capstone research project. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of six higher education leaders in the United States who had implemented change initiatives within their institutions. Thematic analysis revealed four central themes: communication and transparency, leadership support and engagement, individualized consideration, and empathy and emotional awareness. A key recommendation is for higher education leaders to implement structured communication frameworks during periods of organizational change. The implications for positive social change include the potential for higher education leaders to improve higher education workplace well-being, enhance institutional stability, and strengthen organizational resilience through higher education leaders’ practices that prioritize employee trust and psychological safety during transitional periods.
Recommended Citation
Pass, Jerrod Jaquii, "Strategies Higher Education Leaders Use to Improve Job Satisfaction Among Administrative Staff" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 19831.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/19831
