Abstract
Leaders often look for innovative ways to motivate their employees in the workplace (Janssen & Van Yperen, 2004). Especially in higher education, leadership styles are constantly being analyzed, researched, and developed to train leaders on the best style to use in order to be successful within their organizations (Eddy & VanDerLinden, 2006). Leaders seek answers on what they can do to build organizational culture and trust to create a successful work environment, especially during a time when it seems nothing else is working. Statement of the Problem This qualitative study explored how leadership behaviors may have an impact on organizational culture and organizational trust. If organizational culture and leadership styles impact employee performance, leaders should closely examine their behaviors related to organizational success. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: 1. How do employees define a Culture of Trust? 2. What specific leader behaviors positively/negatively influenced a Culture of Trust? 3. Describe the organizational culture within the school and its importance when leadership shares their vision with employees. Methodology This study solicited experiences of six employees within a graduate-level school who were impacted by leader behaviors. The data were based on participants’ responses from open-ended questions in the areas of organizational culture, leadership styles, and organizational trust. One-on-one interviews were conducted for up to one hour with each participant. Each participant was asked nine open-ended questions. Interviews were subject to content analysis to identify common themes. The study used a qualitative method to conduct research on specific leader behaviors and the impact on a Culture of Trust at a graduate-level school. This study focused on the experiences of those career employees directly influenced, positively or negatively, by leader behaviors at the institution. Conclusions and Recommendations This study concluded that leader behaviors have a tremendous impact on a Culture of Trust within higher education. The results of this study can be shared and used by leaders and employees within higher education to better understand the collective vision needed for any organization to be successful. It is through a better understanding of the organizational culture that credibility and trust are built and maintained, which lead to organizational success.