Job Satisfaction of Female Superintendents: Role Conflict and Role Commitment

This study examined the relationship between the job satisfaction of female superintendents, role conflict, and role commitment. The population included all female superintendents in the states of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Job satisfaction and role conflict were assessed using survey instruments while role commitment was a one question item determining the prioritization of work first, important relationships first, or work and relationships equally. Higher scores in the survey instruments indicated higher overall job satisfaction and internal role conflict, respectively. The relationship between and among variables were investigated using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, a multiple regression analysis, and ANOVA.

This study found that unlike both male and female secondary principals in the Midwest (Eckman, 2004), role conflict and role commitment had no statistically significant relationship with job satisfaction for this population. Role commitment and role conflict, however, had a significant, positive relationship where those more committed to work first felt greater internal role conflict while those committed to important relationships first felt less internal role conflict. Finally, professional vs. self was the factor that created the most role conflict while the nature of work and co-workers were factors that contribute most to job satisfaction while operating conditions was the weakest source of job satisfaction.