Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
3-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Brian Cole
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Shawnté Elbert
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Tara Hornor
Abstract
This qualitative study examined how everyday workplace relationships influence engagement, professional identity, and retention among student affairs professionals in higher education. Guided by relational leadership theory, the study explored how leadership is experienced not only through formal position or authority, but also through relational presence, psychological safety, and advocacy. Seventeen student affairs professionals representing diverse institutional types, geographic regions, and career stages participated in in-depth semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and incorporated both in vivo and line-by-line coding to ensure that findings remained grounded in participants’ voices and lived experiences. Nine themes emerged from the analysis. Participants described relationships as central sources of motivation and belonging, and they emphasized that workplace culture shapes the quality of trust and collaboration. Supervisory vulnerability, shared professional values, and informal social connections functioned as critical relational mechanisms. Relationships often served as anchors during challenge, while relational breakdown and normalized burnout contributed to disengagement and attrition. Career stage influenced relational expectations, with early career professionals seeking structure and affirmation, mid-career professionals prioritizing collaboration and recognition, and seasoned professionals emphasizing legacy and impact. Findings suggest that professionals more often leave relational climates than specific roles. Relational environments, more than workload alone, shape professional satisfaction, persistence, and identity within student affairs. Implications underscore the need for psychologically safe and relationally grounded leadership practices to sustain the field. Keywords: workplace culture; relational leadership; psychological safety; burnout; retention; career development; student affairs; higher education leadership
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Daniel, Lawrence R., "Work Environments Matter: The Impacts of Interpersonal Relationships on Student Affairs Professionals" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 991.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/991