Date of Award

4-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

First Advisor

Scot Headley, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Karen Buchanan, Ed.D.

Third Advisor

Kathleen Gathercoal, Ph.D.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which faculty perceptions of occupational stress, job demands, and job resources are predictors of job burnout for faculty at Christian universities, specifically at CCCU institutions. The desire was to gain an awareness of these variables as they relate to the well-being of Christian higher education faculty. The hope was that administrators and leaders in academe will consider making changes to provide an environment that is more supportive of faculty. This research study could help administrators and leaders at universities to take a critical look at what is being asked of their faculty, and how much they are being taxed, and their resources are being depleted in order to make changes that can benefit the individual faculty member, the university as a whole, and the students that the faculty member engages with.

The participants in this study (n = 98) were from two Christian universities that are part of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). This research study was able to show significance of occupational stress as a predictor of exhaustion, one of the more salient components of job burnout. Each element of the Job Demands-Resources model (organizational support, workload, resources, advancement, job security) showed statistical significance to at least one component of job burnout. What was learned from this research study can not only help educate faculty in higher education about occupational stress, job demands and job resources, and the role they play in job burnout, but it can also be used to educate administrators in higher education settings.

Included in

Education Commons

COinS