Prison Leadership: The Relationship Between Warden Leadership Style and Correctional Officer Job Satisfaction. By Derrick D. Schofield Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the School of Leadership in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Piedmont International University February 23, 2018 ii This Dissertation was written by: Derrick D. Schofield Under the guidance of a Faculty Committee approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Organizational Leadership February 23, 2018 Faculty Committee iii Acknowledgements This was a journey that could not have been accomplished without my faith and belief in God. I never could have made it this far but without His presence. The work in this study reflects a significant amount of encouragement and support from my family, my friends, and my co-workers. I want to personally say thank you for those encouraging words, and the push to continue. Special thanks to my dissertation chair, Dr. Lori Robertson, for providing guidance, inspiration, and support throughout this doctoral journey. I would also like to recognize my committee members, Dr. Brent Powell and Dr. Nicole Lowes, for their advice and valuable feedback for this dissertation study. Dr. Murfree, Dr. Fretz, and Dr. Cadreche, I appreciate your assistance and encouragement but most of all your reviews and critiques of this study. You never let me quit and constantly reminded me that it was almost over. A big thank you to my employer Dr. Schlarb who gave me the flexibility, encouragement, and support to complete this journey. Her best advice was reminding me to be the student. A special thanks to the men and women of the Tennessee Department of Corrections who put their lives on the line every day and never get the credit they deserve. Thank you for your participation and allowing me back into your arena. Without your involvement, this would not have been possible. Stay Safe! iv Dedication This study is dedicated to “Ten” my mom who is no longer on earth, but I feel her presence and I see her smile every day. She would say I made her proud, but she made me proud. Her unwavering support and her fight to ensure her kids could be the best is the reason I completed this journey. Thanks, Ten! I further dedicate this to Kendra, Amber, and Zoe, my daughters. Let this serve as a reminder that sometimes you must swim upstream to get what you want. The journey is just beginning. We Never Quit! Abstract In the field of corrections, prison wardens are vital to the overall success of their correctional agency. The impending cost associated with the growth in prison population and the escalating turnover rates for correctional officers pose challenges among those who lead prison’s operations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tennessee wardens’ leadership practices and correctional officer job satisfaction. Utilizing the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), the relationship between correctional officers’ perception of the warden’s leadership practices and the LPI norms were examined. Additionally, utilizing the LPI, the relationship between self-ratings of the warden’s leadership practices and the observer rating of the LPI were assessed. Lastly, utilizing the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and observer LPI, correlations were examined between the correctional officers’ job satisfaction and their perception of the warden’s leadership practices. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to identify the participants for the study. The sample population was from five approved prisons within the Tennessee Department of Correction. The study was conducted utilizing a linear regression analysis and a series of one sample t-tests. Findings of this study showed lower correctional officers ratings of the wardens on the five LPI subscales than the inventory’s norms. In a comparison of the LPI wardens’ self-perception and the correctional officers’ observer perception, correctional officers rated the wardens lower than the wardens rated themselves. The overall ratings of the correctional officer Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS)were neutral. However, of the nine JSS subscales, the results identified the nature of their work and supervision as the most positive. Pay, contingent reward, and promotional opportunities were rated as the primary reasons for job dissatisfaction. Additional findings indicated a positive relationship between job satisfaction and each of the five subscales of the LPI. It is recommended that future research broaden the sampling to multiple jurisdictions and take a more granular examination into the leadership practices of wardens and job satisfaction of correctional officers. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables.….…………………………………………………………………………ix List of Figures.….…………………………………………………………………………x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 Background of Study .................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................. 3 Significance of Study ................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of Study .......................................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................ 6 Research Questions and Hypotheses ............................................................................ 7 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 11 Definition of Key Terms ............................................................................................ 12 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 13 Delimitations .............................................................................................................. 14 Summary .................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE .............................................................................................. 16 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 16 Prison Operations ....................................................................................................... 17 Job Satisfaction .......................................................................................................... 22 Theories of Leadership ............................................................................................... 25 Power ..................................................................................................................... 26 Servant Leadership ................................................................................................ 29 Transformational Leadership ................................................................................ 31 vii Summary .................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter III METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………………....36 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….36 Research Design and Rationale .................................................................................. 36 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 37 Sampling and Sampling Procedures ........................................................................... 37 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .............................. 39 Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs ............................................... 40 Leadership Practices Inventory ............................................................................. 40 Job Satisfaction Survey ......................................................................................... 42 Demographic Questionnaire .................................................................................. 42 Research Questions and Hypotheses .......................................................................... 43 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................. 47 Ethical Procedures ...................................................................................................... 48 Summary .................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter IV RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 50 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 50 Data Management ...................................................................................................... 50 Description of Sample ................................................................................................ 50 Detailed