Date of Conferral

2004

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between leadership style, as measured by the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire, and job satisfaction, global job satisfaction, and satisfaction with supervision, as measured by the Job Satisfaction Survey. Past research suggests that leaders with a considerate style of leadership are associated with greater job satisfaction compared to leaders who initiate structure. Although many studies of leadership style have been conducted in for-profit organizations, the objective of this research was to better understand the relationship of leadership style to job satisfaction in nonprofit child care centers. Eight directors in nonprofit child care centers in Rochester, New York, completed the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire, which posits a two-factor construct of leadership. Child care workers (N=94) completed the Job Satisfaction Survey. All participating directors were White, college-educated females, and all child care workers were female, with varying educational and cultural backgrounds. Although the relationship between consideration and job satisfaction was not supported, significant relationships were found between a structured leadership orientation and global job satisfaction (r = .597, p < .01) as well as satisfaction with supervision (r = .207, p < .05). A post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference (t = 3.36, df = 8, p <. 003) between satisfaction with supervision and leadership structure (LC-HS versus HC-LS). The findings demonstrated that leadership in nonprofit child care organizations does not follow the leadership trends in other for-profit agencies. The findings suggest that child care directors should attend leadership programs that develop a style high in structure to increase child care worker job satisfaction.

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