Do Doctoral-Level Employees Perceive Community College Culture Differently? Evidence from Community College Career and Technical Education Divisions

Organizational culture influences employee engagement, communication, and workplace experiences. This study examined whether doctoral degree attainment was associated with differences in perceptions of Psychological Safety and Voice (PSV), Relational Climate and Leadership Support (RCLS), and Role Support, Growth, and Wellbeing (RSGW) among employees in community college Career and Technical Education (CTE) divisions. Using a secondary analysis of survey data from 219 employees across six community colleges, descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analyses, and multiple regression were conducted. Results indicated that doctoral-level employees reported significantly lower levels of psychological safety and voice than non-doctoral employees, while no significant differences were found for relational climate, leadership support, or role support and wellbeing. Correlation analyses revealed a moderate positive relationship between PSV and RCLS and a weak negative relationship between PSV and RSGW. Multiple regression analysis showed that RCLS positively predicted PSV, whereas RSGW negatively predicted PSV, with the model explaining 34% of the variance in psychological safety and voice. These findings suggest that supportive leadership and positive workplace relationships are important contributors to psychological safety and employee voice, while doctoral-level employees may experience organizational environments differently than their non-doctoral peers. Implications for practice include fostering workplace cultures that encourage open communication and meaningful engagement among highly educated professionals.