The attitude and lived experience of nonprofit employees in the rural community: A phenomological study

Many factors influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment of nonprofit employees in the rural community. Nonprofit organizations have played a significant role in serving and meeting the needs of the rural community. By virtue of its high demand in the community, nonprofit leaders need to attract and retain valuable and loyal employees. Few studies have investigated the attitude and experiences of nonprofit employees in the rural community. The servant leaders' theory and the transformational leader's theory was used as a framework in this study to examine the attitude and experiences of nonprofit employees and factors that influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment. This study investigated whether leadership influenced job satisfaction and organizational commitment. This study examined and identified common theories emerging from ten interviews of employees in rural counties in eastern N.C. The finding suggested that leadership influenced job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The findings revealed four major themes influenced job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The themes were (a) community engagement, (b) assertive and honest communication, (c) supportive and caring leadership, and (d) shared vision and power.