Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Educational Leadership PhD

First Advisor

James A. Tucker

Second Advisor

Loretta B. Johns

Third Advisor

Hinsdale Bernard

Abstract

Problem. Recruiting teachers and motivating them to stay in their jobs represents a major educational challenge in Norway. Growing demands and greater expectations on teachers are factors that have resulted in higher turnover and problems of filling vacancies.

Based on this background, the primary purpose of this study was to determine if job satisfaction is associated with organizational commitment among public and Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teachers in Norway. The secondary purpose was to compare job satisfaction and organizational commitment between public and SDA teachers in Norway, and to establish linear combination based on the factors of job satisfaction that explain each of the components of organizational commitment among public and SDA teachers on an individual basis.

To accomplish this task, this research study set out to explore and develop a theoretical model that explains and defines the factors of job satisfaction and organizational commitment and the relationships between them.

Method. A stratified random sample consisting of 469 public school teachers and 57 SDA teachers completed a self-administered 91-item questionnaire. A survey-research method was used to determine if job satisfaction is associated with organizational commitment among teachers employed by public and SDA schools in Norway.

Results. The research showed that job satisfaction items that are related to the climate of an educational organization contribute the most to the development of affective commitment. This is followed by items of efficacy. In general, the SDA teachers who responded had experienced a higher level of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Conclusions. Focusing on developing a positive climate and efficacy among teachers in schools in Norway will contribute to the development of affective commitment which refers to the employees' emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the employing school. Climate and efficacy represent the major influences contributing to an employee's desire to stay with the employing organization.

Subject Area

Teachers--Job satisfaction--Norway, Seventh-day Adventists--Education--Norway

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/336/

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