Organizational Commitment: Describing Meaning Via the Lived Workplace Experiences of Adjunct Faculty at a North Texas Community College District

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Higher Edu and Learning Technology

Date of Award

8-14-2024

Abstract

This phenomenological qualitative study has been designed to explore and describe the lived workplace experiences of adjunct faculty who have been employed for at least one academic year at a single district, multi-campus community college, and who are not seeking full-time employment. The focus of their lived workplace experiences is on their organizational commitment (defined as their psychological bond and attachment) to their institution (Allen & Meyer, 1990). According to Li et al. (2012), the primary concerns of community colleges are student success, degree completion rates, tracking student success, and a campus-wide focus on student success. A key factor that impacts student success is faculty (Fowler & Boylan, 2010). Yet, due to flexibility and financial challenges, adjunct faculty have grown to represent a significant percentage of faculty, particularly among community colleges (Ott & Dippold, 2018), despite the fact that just over a third of adjunct faculty (37%) have less than 5 years’ experience (Fain, 2016). Nonetheless, the literature informs us that adjuncts who have continuous employment at an institution have more positive student outcomes than those who have been recently hired (Ran & Xu, 2017). This study will use a descriptive phenomenological approach to collect and evaluate information relative to the workplace experiences of adjunct faculty. Inclusion criteria include sole classification of adjunct faculty, currently teaching, have been employed for at least 1 year at a single district, multi-campus community college, and who are not seeking full-time employment. Purposeful sampling will be used to select participants who are most beneficial to the study (Creswell & Poth, 2018). A sample of 10–15 participants is expected to reach saturation (Saunders et al., 2018). A demographic questionnaire will be sent to each participant. A semi-structured protocol will be used to guide individual face-to-face interviews which are anticipated to last approximately 1-hour. A follow-up interview via Zoom will be conducted after the initial interview, allowing participants time to reflect on their initial responses and add any additional they believe useful. Member checking will occur after both interviews. Following the interviews, ATLAS.ti will be used to identify salient themes pertinent to the research questions. The themes will be used to answer the research questions for this study and to yield information leading to the conclusion, findings, and recommendations for future research.

Advisor

Dimitra Smith

Subject Categories

Education | Higher Education

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