Date of Award

12-14-2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Abstract

This study seeks to find what drives employee satisfaction using the expectancy violations theory. An exploration of the literature including Judee Burgoon’s expectancy violations theory against leadership credibility, narcissistic communication, and use of power are fully discussed. Ethnographic research is used to study a nonprofit organization, the three employees of Nonprofit XYZ were surveyed, interviewed, and observed over a two week period. The Executive Director of Nonprofit XYZ allowed full access to her office space and employees, however, didn’t participate in the study. The results of the study showed that employee satisfaction was a direct result of specific leadership attributes which include credibility, power usage, and narcissism-all which were individual factors. Further study recommendations would include having a study with both men and women, obtaining a larger sample size, and using the expectancy violations theory to study the impact a media crisis has on employees’ job satisfaction both during and after the crisis.

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