Date of Award
8-2023
Document Type
Dissertation in Practice
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Organizational Unit
Morgridge College of Education, Higher Education
First Advisor
Mike Hoa Nguyen
Second Advisor
Michele Tyson
Third Advisor
Laura Sponsler
Keywords
Evaluation, Higher education staff, Job satisfaction, Research administration
Abstract
The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at the University of Denver. As research funding continues to rise at the University of Denver, retention of research administrators is critically important. Job satisfaction is key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. The need to retain experienced research administration professionals is highlighted by the fact that few formal educational routes exist that prepare employees for a career in research administration; rather, developing expertise takes a long period of on-the-job training. Consequently, strategies to increase employee retention are more important than ever for research administration leadership. Utilizing a qualitative inquiry methodology, this evaluation identified the nature of a research administrator’s work and explored how the elements of the work affect job satisfaction. Self-determination theory, a broad framework for the study of human motivation, links the concerns of organizational performance and employee satisfaction and wellness by suggesting that both are impacted by the type of motivation that employees have for their job activities. Evaluating the work environment of a research administration unit through the lens of self-determination theory provides the conceptual framework to guide the formation of processes and practices that positively impact both the organization and the employees. Several findings on the nature of the work and its effect on job satisfaction point to four recommendations as well as broader implications for practice. The four recommendations include increasing the frequency and clarity of communications with the SPA team; prioritizing employee retention across the institution; addressing the SPA team’s workload; and implementing more effective training programs.
Copyright Date
8-2023
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Noelle L. Strom
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
158 pgs
File Size
826 KB
Recommended Citation
Strom, Noelle L., "A Qualitative Inquiry of Research Administrator Perceptions of Job Satisfaction in a Central Research Administration Unit at the University of Denver" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2323.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2323
Discipline
Higher education administration
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Education Commons