ORGANIZATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING AND AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT ...

182 Pages·2016·1.19 MB·English

ABSTRACT

Title of Dissertation: ORGANIZATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING AND
AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

Keri-Beth Pettengill, EdD, May 2016

Dissertation Co Chairs: Henry F. Linck, EdD and Rosemary Gillett-Karam, PhD
Community College Leadership Doctoral Program

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Organizational Sense of
Belonging (OSB) and Affective Organizational Commitment (AOC) among adjunct
faculty, compared to full-time faculty, at selected Mid-Atlantic community colleges, to
determine if there were differences in the perceptions of belonging and commitment
between these two groups of faculty. The theoretical framework for this study is based on
the motivational theory of Maslow (1962) and the three-component model of
organizational commitment advanced by Allen and Meyer (1990a). This quantitative
study employed a survey instrument derived from Merriman‘s (2010) original research at
a four year private university, and modified to meet the needs of this study. Independent-
samples t-tests were performed to measure Likert-scale response differences between
groups of
faculty, and a Pearson chi-square test was performed on categorical data between groups
of faculty. Data analysis revealed that adjunct faculty expressed significantly lower
levels of Organizational Sense of Belonging and Affective Organizational Commitment
than their full-time colleagues. No significant differences with respect to gender and
ethnicity between the two groups (i.e., adjunct and full-time faculty) were found. Since
demographics are categorical, a Pearson chi-square test was also computed. A significant
interaction was found with respect to highest degree earned. Full-time faculty members
were more likely to have higher degrees than adjunct faculty. Ethnicity and gender were
not significant between the two groups of faculty. The results presented in this study may
have contributed new information to the educational literature about the self-identified
perceptions of sense of belonging and affective commitment among community college
faculty members.
ORGANIZATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING AND
AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY
by
Keri-Beth Pettengill

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
May 2016
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ORGANIZATIONAL SENSE OF BELONGING AND AFFECTIVE
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FACULTY
by
Keri-Beth Pettengill

has been approved
November 2015

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE:
___________________________, Co-Chair
Henry F. Linck, EdD

___________________________, Co-Chair
Rosemary Gillett-Karam, PhD

____________________________
Michael Parsons, PhD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people have supported and encouraged me in this endeavor, and I would
like to acknowledge at least a few of the key people in this process. First, I would like to
acknowledge Dr. Henry Linck for his guidance, unending patience, leadership, and
support. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Rosemary Gillett-Karam for supporting
me in one of the ways to motivate a strong-minded individual, such as myself, to produce
the best possible product: by challenging me to do so. I would like to acknowledge Dr.
Michael Parsons, for his guidance in selection of this topic of research. I would like to
acknowledge Dr. Connie Merriman, who granted me permission to apply the survey
instrument in this research. I would also like to thank Dr. Tiffany Thompson-Johnson,
for validating my data analysis, because two pairs of eyes are always better than one.

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DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this research to a few people in my life. First, I dedicate
this research to Mr. Jason Erbe, for supporting my strong desire to attain my doctorate
while working a full-time job, a part-time job, and raising two teenagers. It didn‘t leave
much room in my life for fun and frivolity for the last four years, and he accepted that
graciously and loved me unconditionally. I would like to dedicate this research to my
late grandfather, Mr. Harry Blair Pettengill, who told me when I was nine, that out of all
his grandchildren, he believed I would earn my doctorate (the point-in-time of formation
of this goal, a challenge to be passed along when I completed it).
I dedicate this research to my bright-shining star and daughter, Zoe Nagel, who
supported me in this process (sometimes with a much-needed kick in the pants). Like
myself, I believe she has the intelligence, ability and grit needed to take her post-
secondary education all the way to attainment of the terminal degree (And with that, I
have now passed the challenge on to you, my dear). I would also like to dedicate this
research to my ―almost adult‖ and independent-minded son, Devon Nagel, who for better
or worse, shares more personality traits with his mother than he would like to admit. I
appreciate his belief that I could achieve this accomplishment, even when the deck was
stacked against me to do so. Everyone needs cheerleaders in their lives, and my loved
ones are a few of mine.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ................................................................................................ ix
List of Figures .............................................................................................. xi
List of Abbreviations .................................................................................... xii
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................... 1
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 2
Organizational Sense of Belonging (OSB) ................................................................... 2
Affective Organizational Commitment (AOC) ............................................................ 5
Problem and Purpose of the Study ................................................................................ 8
Research Design............................................................................................................ 9
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 10
Methods and Procedures ............................................................................................. 10
Significance of the Study ............................................................................................ 10
Assumptions and Delimitations .................................................................................. 11
Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 11
Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 11
Definitions of Key Terms ........................................................................................... 11
Summary…………… ................................................................................................. 13
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature .............................................................. 15
Background….. ........................................................................................................... 15
Advantages of Hiring Adjunct Faculty ................................................................................... 15
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Theoretical Perspectives ............................................................................................. 18
Integration and Explanation of OSB and AOC Theories ............................................ 24
Summary……………. ................................................................................................ 26
Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................... 28
Research Design…….................................................................................................. 28
Hypotheses………….. ................................................................................................ 30
Setting of the Study….. ............................................................................................... 30
Participants………….. ................................................................................................ 31
Instrumentation……… ............................................................................................... 31
Organizational Sense of Belonging (OSB) Subscale ...................................... 32
Affective Organizational Commitment (AOC) Subscale ............................... 36
Procedures…… ........................................................................................................... 38
Data Analysis… .......................................................................................................... 38
Protection of Participants ............................................................................................ 39
Summary……. ............................................................................................................ 39
Chapter 4: Results ......................................................................................... 41
Data Analysis and Findings ........................................................................................ 41
Participants….. ............................................................................................................ 42
Research Question 1 (RQ1) ........................................................................................ 43
Research Question 2 (RQ2) ........................................................................................ 54
Research Question 3 (RQ3) ........................................................................................ 62
Faculty Status and Gender .............................................................................. 63
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Ethnicity .......................................................................................................... 65
Highest Degree Earned ................................................................................... 67
Teaching Discipline ........................................................................................ 71
Type of Courses Taught .................................................................................. 75
Course Format ................................................................................................. 78
Years of Teaching Experience ........................................................................ 80
Significance of Relationships Among Highest Degree Earned, Gender, and
Ethnicity ……………………………........... …………………………………………..82
Conclusion….. ............................................................................................................ 83
Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusions............................................................ 90
Introduction…. ............................................................................................................ 90
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 94
Discussion…… .............................................................................................. ……….94
Research Question 1 (RQ1) ............................................................................ 94
Research Question 2 (RQ2) .......................................................................... 102
Research Question 3 (RQ3) .......................................................................... 105
Implications…………............................................................................................... 113
Faculty Unity ................................................................................................ 116
Professional Development and Support ........................................................ 117
Workload and Benefits ................................................................................. 117
Institutional Responsibility ........................................................................... 117
Concluding Observations .......................................................................................... 121
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Belonging and Commitment ......................................................................... 122
Faculty Status, Discipline, and Years Taught ............................................... 123
Gender and Ethnic Background .................................................................... 124
Highest Degree Earned ................................................................................. 125
Limitations of the Study............................................................................................ 126
Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 126
References…… ......................................................................................................... 131
Appendix A. Survey of Work Relationships (SWR) ............................................................ 149
Section 1: Organizational Sense of Belonging (OSB) Subscale ............................... 149
Section 2: Affective Organizational Commitment (AOC) Subscale ........................ 162
Section 3: Demographics .......................................................................................... 165

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