Transformational Leadership Impact on Job Satisfaction: Working Graduate Student Perspectives

With the rising cost of living in Canada, earning a wage to meet expenses is a challenge for graduate students. The research question for this study was, “What are the perceptions of working graduate students from a private Canadian university regarding the impact of transformational leadership (TL) on their job satisfaction?” I conducted a qualitative research study with open-ended questions sent by email in questionnaires to graduate students studying at a small Canadian private university. The questions covered a leaders’ ability to inspire, support, communicate effectively, and provide individualized attention to employees. Analysis of data with triangulation showed eight leader characteristics positively impacted job satisfaction. These findings showed leaders who demonstrated inspirational motivation, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, directly and positively impacted students’ job satisfaction leading to better organizational performance. Academic studies are the priority for graduate students, but working to earn a living, supporting his or her family, and paying tuition is also essential to graduate students. The research suggested the TL style motivates students to perform in their job with higher satisfaction, balancing both work and study. Results showed that students performed better. This action research provides positive information to leaders to support graduate students who work and study simultaneously. More studies on graduate students’ job satisfaction, in different locations, are worthy of further investigation.