Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

College of Education and International Services

Program

Leadership PhD

First Advisor

Gustavo Gregorutti

Second Advisor

Karla Basurto

Third Advisor

Robert Overstreet

Abstract

Problem

Leadership turnover remains a significant challenge within faith-based K–12 educational systems, affecting organizational stability, school culture, and long-term institutional effectiveness. Although previous studies have examined turnover intention in educational leadership, limited research has explored how emotional intelligence and principal self-efficacy relate to turnover intention through organizational attitudes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment within faith-based educational settings. Additionally, little empirical research has focused specifically on educational leaders serving within the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventist schools. This study examined the extent to which emotional intelligence, principal self- efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment are associated with turnover intention among K–12 educational leaders in faith-based education. Furthermore, the study tested a mediated model in which job satisfaction and organizational commitment functioned as mediators between leadership-related psychological resources and turnover intention.

Method

This study employed a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational design. Participants included 275 K–12 educational leaders serving within the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Data were collected using established instruments, including the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory, the Principal Sense of Efficacy Scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment, and the Turnover Intention Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and path analysis within a structural equation modeling framework to examine direct and indirect relationships among emotional intelligence, principal self-efficacy, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention.

Results

Results indicated that emotional intelligence and organizational commitment were significantly associated with job satisfaction, which, in turn, was strongly and negatively associated with turnover intention. Organizational commitment was also directly associated with turnover intention. Principal self-efficacy, however, did not demonstrate statistically significant direct or indirect relationships with turnover intention within the proposed model. Findings suggest that leadership retention within faith-based K–12 educational systems is more strongly associated with organizational attitudes—particularly job satisfaction and organizational commitment—than with perceived leadership capability alone.

Conclusions

The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical support for a mediated framework in which leadership-related psychological resources influence turnover intention primarily through organizational attitudes within a faith-based educational context. The study discusses implications for leadership development, organizational support, and retention strategies within mission-driven educational systems.

Subject Area

Leadership; Seventh-day Adventists--Education; Emotional intelligence; Self-efficacy; Job satisfaction; Organizational commitment

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