The dean's job satisfaction: its relationship to organizational structure

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education Administration
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Job satisfaction is crucial for effective leadership in nursing programs.
• Understanding the link between organizational design and leader satisfaction is vital for retention and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between formal organizational structure and job satisfaction among deans of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree nursing programs.
• To identify specific structural characteristics associated with higher dean job satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A two-part questionnaire survey was administered to 345 deans.
• A response rate of 73% was achieved, providing a robust dataset for analysis.

Main Results:

• A significant positive relationship was found between job satisfaction and organizational decentralization.
• Certain levels of organizational complexity and formalization were also associated with increased job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Decentralization, complexity, and formalization in organizational structure can enhance nursing dean job satisfaction.
• Deans and institutions should carefully weigh personnel, academic, and budgetary factors before implementing structural changes.