Factors affecting university STEM faculty job satisfaction

Abstract

Many job satisfaction studies have been done on faculty in higher education, but very little research has focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty. Through these studies, very little consensus has been reached on the satisfaction levels of male and female faculty. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the job satisfaction of tenured and tenure-track male and female STEM faculty at research institutions in six states. Moreover, the study sought to examine the relationship between STEM faculty job satisfaction and potential explanatory factors: gender, rank, tenure, salary, family status, whether or not there are children living in the home, number of children living in the home, and work-family conflict. The instruments used in the study were the Job Satisfaction Survey and the Work-family Conflict Scale, both of which are six item Likert-type scales. A negative statistically significant relationship existed between work-family conflict and job satisfaction. Faculty who reported lower work-family conflict reported significantly higher job satisfaction than faculty with high work-family conflict. In addition, a negative statistically significant relationship existed between work interference with family (WIF) and job satisfaction. The correlation between WIF and job satisfaction shows that as work interference with family increases, job satisfaction decreases. Multiple regression analysis revealed that two factors, work interference with family and family status (married or not married), accounted for 13.6% of the variance, which indicates that there are other factors that affect university STEM faculty job satisfaction than the ones that were identified in this study. The results of this study can be used by administrators to aid in making organizational decisions that may lead to increased STEM faculty job satisfaction. Some of these decisions might include implementing family-friendly policies and programs to increase the supportiveness of the work-family culture.